Hallo.

My name is… Ducky, if you must put a name to me. I have an account on Quizilla, where this story, and its predecessors, originated. Due to excessive censorship on my use of language (so I used hell once, cry a river already) causing me to rate everything Young Adult, which it definitely isn't, I decided to transfer the bulk of it over to this account on here. Feel free to review!

Ducky

A young girl of the age of fourteen sits in a desk, amidst many others in a classroom. She fidgets in her seat, looking at the clock wistfully. Suddenly, a bell rings, and the girl swings her short brown hair out of her eyes, as she picks up her bag and rushes out. She smiles quietly, her warm brown eyes twinkling in the afternoon sun. Today was the day she'd been waiting for.

Rushing out towards the edge of a forest just outside the school, she meets up with her group of friends. A boy with shaggy strawberry blonde hair, and light green eyes smiles at her, "Hey Copper, you ready?"

The girl grins, and pulls out a video camera from her pack, "As I'll ever be. Are you guys ready?" She looks around as her friends nod. The blonde boy was a friend she had had for going three years now, when she first moved to North Carolina. His name was Dan, and it had been him who introduced her to her other friends. The chirpy redhead, Nikki; the smiling dark-haired boy, Drake; and her best friend, Beth, whom Copper usually just called Bet.

Copper was an only child in a family that was never very close, but, as she always said, "If they're all you've got, you shouldn't waste your time mourning something that's never been."

Copper Elise Mendel was her full name. Brave souls referred to her as Chem., as she hated science.

Breaking away from our thoughts, let's take a look at the tableau these five friends present before us. Nikki is leaning against Dan, as Bet helps Copper with a tripod that's putting up a struggle. Drake looks on in his quiet way, but the others understand, and don't pressure him to join in.

Finally managing to get the tripod unfolded, Copper squints against the autumn sun, trying to find the perfect angle. After trying out varieties of spots, she digs in the legs of the stand, and gestures for the others to begin.

BEEP BEEP BE-- SMACK- CRASH!

Lifting up her head, Mads groans. That was the third alarm clock she had broken this week. Ugh, doesn't anyone who saves the world every other week deserve a chance to sleep in?

Grumbling, she climbs out of bed, and stumbles into the shower. Twenty or so odd minutes later, she walks into her living room, where a group of boys are waiting. She walks past them and into a kitchen, ignoring a redhead stuffing his face, as she grabs a Snapple from the fridge. Opening the bottle, she shuffles back out into the living room, where she takes a seat Indian style in the nearest chair. Taking a sip of Her Snapple juice (hehe... Snapple juice...), she looks warily at the group, "I thought I got the month off. You know, since I managed to ward off the Apocalypse and all that."

A boy with slicked back black hair sits himself on the couch next to a tall redheaded boy, and a short black haired angsty guy. Yusuke sighs, "Yeah, yeah. We know. And Koenma's actually holding up to that. Says you earned it. But Kay isn't talking. She demands to see you."

Narrowing her eyes, Mads caps the drink, "I have nothing to say to that traitor."

Yusuke held up his hands in defense, "Yeah, I know. Just thought we'd give it a try. Her trial is next week." Seeing your warning glance, he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, "But that's not really why we came. A package came for you." He nods his head at Kuwabara; you had just walked into the room. Moving quickly, you catch the yellow envelope tossed to you. Looking down at it, you flip it over, seeing the name Madison Fields hastily scrawled across the front. On the back are the words Just Acquaintances. Mads frowns as she tears open the package, and turns it over, dumping out its contents. Looking down in her lap, she picks up the necklace that came out. Kurama frowns, and comes over to her, examining it, "It's copper, an unusual metal for jewelry."

Yusuke looks around wildly, "Wait, why is that? Is there something freaky about it? Is it cursed? It's cursed isn't it? That's just great, now we have to deal with a cursed--"

"No, Yusuke," Mads interrupted, her brow furrowed as she examines the necklace, "copper is a high maintenance metal. And if you were it too long, without treating it, it'll turn the skin it comes in continuous contact with green."

A familiar voice is heard as a boy with brown hair and green eyes walks in, "It's chemistry. The chemical structure of copper is used to conduct. It tries to conduct the electrons in you, and something screws up."

Kurama looks up, "Sagome's right."

Mads turns over the necklace, inspecting the back. Without looking up, she nods at the new boy.

Yusuke glares at Sagome, "You're late. So much for you being our expert on cursed objects."
Sagome rolled his eyes, "I already told you it wasn't cursed."
"Pfft. Like we trust your judgment."

"Copper," Mads murmurs. The boys look at her oddly. Yusuke coughs, "Uhm, yeah. I think that we already established that."

Mads shook her head, "No. The back. It says Copper. It's inscribed, like a locket. People do that with their names usually."

Kuwabara's brow furrows, "But who would name their kid Copper?"

Mads shrugs, "Who would name their kid Kuwabara?"

Hiei speaks up, "There's a note."
Looking down, Mads grabs the piece of paper that had drifted to the ground.

Her frown deepening, she reads the contents aloud.

"Sparks always shine their brightest before they go out.
J.A."

"Well that's interesting."

Mads looks up, "Someone's trying to tell us something."

Sagome spoke up, "You know, when I lived in NC, there was a high school whose mascot was the Sparks. But something happened, and they decided to shut down the school, and build a new one somewhere else."

Kuwabara frowned, "NC?"
"North Carolina. Sagome, why did the school close?" Mads asked.
"Um, I don't remember. It was supposed to be really hush hush; it had something to do with the forest beside it though."

Mads nods. She looks up at Yusuke, "Tell Koenma that I'm going to have to use his database. I'm going on a scavenger hunt. Also, try to get him to call in Reaper."

Kurama's voice is sharp, "Reaper?"
Mads sighs "She is the one who tracked down the other elementals, right? I could use her help here."

Yusuke frowns, but nods briskly.

Well there goes my vacation.