Chapter 3: Part of the Problem…
"Okay, so what's got you all in a pickle that you need my help?" Yusuke asked, pouring more tea for himself.
"Like I said, King Enki needs your help." Koenma stated, sitting his mug down.
"Well… I might as well tell you some things first, before you get on your high horse." Yusuke started, he didn't even give the demi-god a look before continuing. "Keiko and I are getting married in two weeks. If I decide to help in this little conflict, it better not take to long. Out of all the things I've done to her and all the grief and such, I will not leave her standing at the alter…especially pregnant." He made eye contact at the last remark.
Koenma's eyebrow went up at the news. "I understand and congratulations. I will fill you in on everything I know and you can decide."
Yusuke nodded for him to continue.
"First, as you well know, there were three 'kings' of the Makai." Again Yusuke nodded, for he was the 'heir' to one of those 'kings'. "What you don't know and not many others do either, is that there was a fourth so called 'king.'" Koenma watched Yusuke's eyebrow go up and knew he had the former tantei's attention. "Hundreds of years ago Lord Taiga, ruled the fourth region of the Makai. For many years the four lived and worked in harmony until the fighting and arguing got out of hand. Taiga decided to pack up and leave, not wanting to be involve in a power struggle."
"I take it something's changed." Yusuke wondered.
"Yes…she wants to be the next Queen of the Makai." Koenma said.
"Well, she's got every right to compete in the next tournament." The raven haired reminded him.
"That's where the problems start. Do you realize that the next tournament is less than a month away?" Koenma asked.
Yusuke let out a low whistle, looking down at his mug. He was the one to make the laws and rules when it came to the tournament. Every three years the tournament was held to select the next 'king' of the Makai. Time passed faster than he thought. 'Three years already.' He thought. 'Time sure does fly.'
He said out loud. "Again, she has every right to fight and make her stand."
"Yes, but it's what's she's doing now. She is making her way to the tournament sight and along the way she's killing anyone standing in her way. If any demons say they're going to fight, she's killing them. The others who are not fighting have to swear alliance to her and become part of her future army."
"Why the sudden change of heart? You said she happily went away because she didn't want to battle the others." Yusuke shrugged.
Koenma shook his head, saying. "I really don't know at this point, she has not made that knowledge available yet. What I do know is that she wants to take over all three worlds and start war between the three."
"She can't do that…!" The raven haired stammered. "My rules state that the next winner 'must' follow the rules set by the previous king and that they can not change them unless it will further help enforce the rule or law."
"She obviously doesn't care." The demi-god said.
"What does King Enki expect me to do?" Yusuke asked, calming back down.
"He wants your presence and wants you to help make a stand to stop her at any cost." Koenma informed.
Neither one got to say anything else as a blue haired girl came running into the temple.
"Lord Koenma sir…there you are." Botan said between catching her breath. She was acting like she had been running from wherever it was she came from, but her oar was in her hand.
"What is it?" Koenma asked, standing up.
"There has been a development and you are needed back at Reikai." She gasped.
"Yusuke please met me at the office tomorrow morning and if you see Hiei tell him to come too." With that, Koenma left.
Yusuke sat there and thought about everything he had been told, wondering if he really cared. He remembered telling friends that he would be back to fight in the next tournament, but now he knew he wouldn't. So much had changed in the past three years since he had first fought. He was happy with his life here in the Ningenkai and he would never force Keiko to live in the Makai. When Enki had won and he'd heard the acceptance speech, he knew everything would work out and the three worlds could and would live in a sort of harmony. But, 'damn' now all that is likely to change if this 'Taiga' person had her way. No matter what he thought, he knew deep down he had to stop her. He would not raise a child in a world that was in turmoil. With confusion still reeling in his head, he got up and headed to the place where the only person or hopefully 'persons' he could talk to would be.
a)a)a)a)
"I think I'm ready to talk." Hiei said, placing his plate on the trunk that served as a coffee table before looking at the red head.
Kurama didn't say anything as he too put his plate down and sat back into the couch, ready to listen.
"Mukuro wants me to come back and do something for her." Hiei started.
Kurama nodded for him to continue.
"Do you remember a Lord by the name of Taiga?" Hiei asked. When he received a nod he continued. "Mukuro wants me to help defeat her."
"Why." Kurama wondered. He had heard of this lord, for she was considered the forth Lord of the Makai, along with Raizen, Yomi and Mukuro at the time of their reign. But she never interfered with anyone and when the other three started fighting for dominance, she quietly went to the other side of the world and was never heard from again.
"Taiga seems to want to fight in the next underworld tournament." Hiei said.
"She has every right." Kurama stated. "Yusuke set the rules so that every three years there will be a tournament to decide who will rule for the next three years and so on."
"Yes." Hiei said with a nod. "But the condition was that anyone wanting to become king had to be willing to continue the work of the previous king and not start a war with the Ningenkai or Reikai."
"She is not willing to do that." The red head concluded.
"No." The fire demon said with a shake of his head. "Mukuro would not tell me why she's become such a pain, but she did tell me to be prepared for a long stay." There was only a slight tinge of sadness in his voice.
Kurama knew Hiei didn't want to be gone for a long time. He was already feeling bad enough about staying away as long as he had the first time. Their relationship was still in the works and did not need this kind of interruption.
"Just so you know, King Enki has requested Lord Yusuke's help." Kurama informed.
"How do you know this?" Hiei wondered.
"Before I came back, I stopped at the temple and Yusuke was there, we were talking when Koenma showed up and stated his help was needed. I left to let them talk. I assume it is related to what you just told me." Kurama didn't mention Koenma's comment about Hiei being sent to help.
Before they could continue, there was a knock on the door. Both felt the familiar presence of Yusuke and Kurama went to answer.
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I wanted to talk to someone." Yusuke said when the door was opened.
"It is okay, we were just talking about you." Kurama said, opening the door wider to allow the raven haired in. Closing the door, he motioned for Yusuke to have a seat.
"I thought my ears were burning." The raven haired muttered, taking a seat on the other end of the sectional couch from Hiei.
"What can we do for you?" The red head asked, taking his formal seat next the fire demon.
"Koenma filled me in on the conflict that's going on and I wanted your opinions, mostly what Hiei's knows because Koenma told us that Mukuro's sending you to help." Yusuke nodded to Kurama and then turned to Hiei.
'Us.' Hiei's eyebrow went up. 'So fox…you knew before I even told you?' He thought and heard the red head say back.
'It was not his place to tell me, for it was your decision to tell me any information when you were ready.' Kurama shrugged with indifference.
'Well I should make you pay for not telling me you already knew.' Hiei smirked.
'I will accept any punishment you wish to give.' Kurama teased, a small smile coming to his lips.
'Do you realize what you just said?' Hiei's eyebrow went up.
Watching the two, Yusuke got confused and scratched the back of his head. "I'm I interrupting something?" He asked, breaking their thoughts.
Both demons looked to the boy and both tried to control the pink coming to their cheeks.
"No." They said as one.
This time Yusuke shrugged and continued. "What do you know about this Taiga person?"
Kurama decided to answer. "I assume Koenma informed you that she was the fourth Lord of the Makai?" Yusuke nodded. "Why not tell us what Koenma told you and we will try and fill in the blanks."
Yusuke told his side of the information and the other two did the same. They came to the decision that all three would go to the Reikai office in the morning and get all their 'eggs in one basket' then see what plans they could come up with to help keep Taiga from becoming King.
After a few hours of talking, it was getting dark and Yusuke made his leave saying he would see them in the morning and thanked them for their help. Kurama closed the door and turned to the fire demon who was smirking.
"What?" He asked, though he knew what was on the little demon's mind.
The fire demon walked over to the red head and pushed him up against the door, pressing his shorter body against the taller one along with a forced kiss. 'Pay back time.' Hiei thought. Kurama could only moan as he was forced down onto the floor.
End Chapter 3
