Author's note: Well, the madness continues! I would like to point out that I own Talya but not Tempest. Tempest belongs to lostsoulskeeper and I am using her OC with her permission. Enjoy!

Part Five: Of Frightened Demons and New Partners

If Kuwabara thought that looking for Ani had been bad, finding Itsuki was worse. After having caught a lead that the teal-haired demon might be up for sale, he and Shinobu had hightailed it to the auction. He's regretting that decision as he sees all the tormented souls. "He can't be here," Shinobu whispers, "He just can't be."

"Let's hope not," Kuwabara agrees. Most of the demons didn't look like they'd last the night and it is truly beginning to sicken him. He grows ever more hopeful as they draw closer to the end of the rows of cages. Maybe the informant was wrong. Maybe Itsuki wasn't here.

However, cruel reality gives her two cents at the last cage. Curled up in the corner is a demon with familiar teal hair. His appearance breaks Kuwabara's heart. "Sh-Shinobu," he says softly, "I found him."

Shinobu looks in that direction Kuwabara watches the rage fill his blue eyes. He cannot blame the man. Itsuki had done nothing to warrent the pain he'd been put through. "Let's get him out of here."

Kuwabara looks at him for a moment almost sadly. The silence stretches until Shinobu realizes just how bad this was. "We're going to have to bid for him?"

"Yes...let's just hope that we find the means to bid the highest."

"If we don't...Kazuya will start shooting," Shinobu states coldly.

"Let's just hope that it doesn't come down to that," Kuwabara mumurs.

"Yes, let's".

Both males settle themselves in to wait for the bidding to start. Neither have a very good feeling about this...not a bit. If they were unable to get Itsuki...Kuwabara tries not to think about it. He doesn't want to imagine what Shinobu or Kazuya will do to the people who take him.

Finally, it begins. Neither take much interest in the other slaves though Kuwabara is pained by their bleak-looking future. He makes himself focus on the reason for being there and that reason alone; Itsuki. The teal-haired yaminade is brought out a few hours later. He cringes at the closeness of the demon holding the length of chain from the metal collar. Kuwabara forces himself to remain calm. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Shinobu's body tense at the sight of his partner. He reaches over and grabs his wrist. "Don't do anything stupid, Shinobu," he whispers quickly, "We need to be cautious and make sure he comes out in one piece."

"They are already going to die...why can't I just kill them now?"

"Because they still have Itsuki. Make sure the innocent is out of the way BEFORE you shoot up the place, Shinobu!"

The black haired male silently snarls but doesn't make a move to charge the idiot. Kuwabara lets out the breath he was holding and goes to watch the bidding start. The starting bid is so high Kuwabara is forced to grab Shinobu around the waist to keep him still. "That is completely outrageous!" he spits, "There is no way we are going to be able to bid for him."

"Maybe not, but we have to WAIT. Koenma isn't going to be happy if we send him over a hundred people just because you are upset."

Shinobu growls under his breath and Kuwabara knows that if he's not careful he's going to be witnessing a massacre. He starts to divide his time between the bidding and the angry man at his side. It shortly becomes obvious that it's going to come down to two bidders. One is a rather cruel looking male demon and the other is a cloaked figure.

The bidding takes four hours and it is the cloaked figure who bids the highest. Kuwabara watches as the Yaminade is brought down and the end of the chain is handed to the mysterious stranger. He feels Shinobu tense beside him and makes ready to keep the man from doing something reckless.

He is then stunned to watch the cloaked stranger walk right to them. "Get him as far from here as you can. I am going to send you help...once I get through yelling at them." It takes Kuwabara a minute to realize just who it is.

"K-Koenma?" he whispers.

"Just take him and go, both of you. I will be sending help to you shortly," Koenma tells him before pressing the end of the chain into Shinobu's hand. "We will speak about this later."

"Oh yes, yes we will," Shinobu growls at him.

Koenma doesn't respond, he merely turns and walks away. Kuwabara looks at the dirty creature who had once been a powerful psychic demon. "Lets get him back and hope that Oto and Ani are alright," the carrot-top tells him, "We can get angry and yell at Koenma later."

"Fine," Shinobu reluctantly agrees. He looks at the teal-haired male who shows no recognition of him. "Itsuki?" he asks softly. The demon doesn't respond.

"He's just like Ani," Kuwabara murmurs, "He probably has no idea who he is beyond what he's been used as for the past ten thousand years."

Both lapse into silence as they head back. Itsuki follows Shinobu with an obedience that can only be described as dog-like. Kuwabara is disgusted and appalled by this and just hopes that the demon recovers. His mind then drifts back to Ani and he wonders how he and Oto are getting along. He only hopes that nothing bad happens as he doubts Oto will be able to handle his brother doing something because of how he was treated. 'Koenma, you'd best have a good reason for this,' he thinks irritably, 'Because if you don't, I think I'll LET Kazuya shoot you.'

When they arrive, Oto is standing outside the door. The look on his face says everything. "What happened?" Kuwabara asks racing up.

"I am going to KILL every one of those bastards," Oto growls.

"Oto, I know that you are angry, what happened?"

"He woke up...that's what happened."

Kuwabara looks at him and Oto sighs. "He tried to..." the demon's eyes close behind his dark lenses as he tries to finish the sentence, "He tried to give me a blowjob."

For a moment Kuwabara is silent and then he says, "He'd best have a VERY good reason for this! Is Ani still in there?"

"Probably hiding under the bed," Oto answers.

"What did you say to him?"

"Nothing with a raised voice," Oto responds defensively.

"So you didn't scream at him?"

"No, I have some tact, Kuwabara."

"What did you say?"

"I gently pushed him back and said 'No' firmly. He ducked under the bed and I came out here to try and calm down. I've been here for a few hours."

"Wonderful...well, we have Itsuki. Koenma purchased him and told us that we have new people coming soon..." Kuwabara tells him.

Oto looks at the teal-haired demon standing beside Shinobu looking at the ground. "This is Itsuki?"

"Yes," Shinobu responds, "Let's go into the room so we can wait for whoever Koenma is sending AND so I can get these chains off of Itsuki. They are disgusting me."

Kuwabara nods and slowly opens the door. Stepping in, he realizes that Ani has moved back to the bed as he sees the bulge beneath the blankets. He shakes his head sadly and wonders if Ani would ever become the demon he'd met at the Dark Tournament and then wonders why he desperately wants him to.

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Koenma walks back towards his throne room and sees Botan at the door. "Are they here?" he demands.

"Yes, Koenma, sir," she announces. He sighs before pushing open the door.

"Are you TRYING to put me to an early death, Tempest?" he demands entering, "You KNOW how dangerous that demon is!"

"He's only dangerous to those who put their noses where they don't belong...or lock him up for millenniums," comes the all-too-expected retort.

"You still have NO right to take a demon from hell!" he snaps staring at the girl standing before his desk. She meets his gaze evenly, her light blue eyes show no fear...in fact they show none of her emotions at all. Koenma sighs. "Tempest, I am NOT going to get into this fight with you again...but I will tell you this, the moment Suzaku tries to kill every human...I will make YOU kill him and return him to hell."

Tempest gives a minute nod to show that she understands. A derisive snort from the corner of the room makes Koenma turn. "As if that was necessary. You are an idiot, Prince. Tempest knows how to keep someone like Suzaku from doing something detrimental to his health."

"Talya, I wouldn't put your two cents in right now. You still have a sentence to pay off...and an eternity is a long sentence for a human girl."

The seventeen-year-old stares at him coldly...as coldly as one can with a mask covering the lower half of their face. "I am well aware of my situation, Prince Koenma."

"Good, because I have something I need you two to do. One of my detectives is in the presence of a few of his old enemies because two of them were taken as slaves for ten thousand years. He's going to need help dealing with the two injured ones as they are NOT too tolerant of men right now. First, I need you two to go and collect Kamiya who I KNOW Tempest has dragged from hell already. They'll need a doctor."

"As you wish, Koenma, sir," Tempest says bowing. Talya doesn't answer; she merely walks out of the room. Once out of the door, Tempest remarks, "You could be a bit less...icy, Talya."

"I'm an ice-bomb wielder. I don't need to be less icy," she states tonelessly.

Tempest touches her shoulder. "I know you didn't mean for that to happen. Your emotions got out of control. Their deaths were not completely your fault."

"So why does he blame ME for it? I am suffering for eternity because I lost control of a power I wish I didn't have! This isn't right!"

"At least you are not spending your punishment in Limbo," Tempest tells her.

"I am eternally grateful for your help, Tempest, never doubt that. I just wish I didn't have this ability. Life would be so much easier without it."

Tempest gives a soft, sad smile. "I know," she whispers, "I know. Let's just go and get Kamiya and find these new guys. I have a feeling things are only going to get more interesting from here on out."