Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters. Just OCs.
Okay, in this new year, I would like to finish a lot of stories *laughing at my own desires.* Yeah, we'll see. So, this chapter should get us into the whole plot of the story. I also have a line in there from a new movie that recently came out (that I'm obsessed with). Kudos if someone guesses correctly ^_^
(So….that bolded note above was what I wrote when I started working on this chapter…back in January. On the bright side, I met my desire and completed two stories and am on my way to finishing a third and fourth story. The movie in question is no longer a new movie, but you can still try and guess… In the meantime, I'd like to complain about injuries and real life getting in the way of me updating this story…oops ^^' *runs away and hides, or would run away an hide if my ankle wasn't broken*)
Eiko fell to her knees just in time for a portal to appear in the destroyed kitchen. The boys were then standing in the mess, Yusuke whistling in awe at the damage. Kurama was angry, glowering over the fact that someone managed to get past his defenses and attack his home. Upon realizing that, his demeanor softened as his eyes landed on his mother's. Inside he panicked. How was he going to explain any of this?
"You," a wrathful voice rang. Kurama looked to Eiko and instantly felt regret that he had fallen for this ruse. "You promised you'd protect her. So where were you?"
"Hey, listen lady," Yusuke tried, "we had no idea this was going to happen. We got back as soon as we knew what was going on."
"Well, I guess I should be thanking you then," Eiko scoffed. "But oh wait, my friend was kidnapped by some monster!"
"Shut up!" Hiei snapped. "Your shrill voice is unbearable. It happened. Get over it. Your 'friend' knew exactly what she was getting into. She made it clear that her power was decent. She'll be fine as long as she doesn't do anything stupid like whatever she must have done to get herself kidnapped."
"You don't know anything about her! She didn't do something stupid. She went willingly to protect me and Kurama's mother."
Eiko was getting so frustrated, but she managed to stun all but Kurama into silence. "Eiko, what are you and Tsukiko not telling us? Despite her getting involved on her accord, we have offered our protection. We only wish to help her."
The human sighed, still not trusting the guys, but she knew her friend's life was in danger. There was little she could do against the demon that took her. "Okay," she breathed out. "I won't tell you her power, but I will tell you she doesn't have an offensive ability."
"What?" Yusuke and Kuwabara exclaimed.
Even Kurama was surprised by the girl's declaration. "Are you sure about that? She seemed so sure of herself."
"She has the right to be, but anything that she's done that you've seen has not been done through violence."
The four boys still appeared very skeptical, and Eiko huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "And, just for the record, while your standing there trying to figure out if you believe me or not, a possibly helpless girl willingly handed herself over to a demon to protect two humans, again, one being your mother."
Kurama's brows furrowed and his mouth pressed into a firm line as he nodded. Yes, he was very grateful to Tsukiko for putting herself at risk for a woman she did not know, one whom it was his duty to protect himself. The fox saw the devastation in the kitchen and realized that his own plants had been used against him. It was a low blow, but it definitely revealed that someone involved knew him really well. "What are we waiting for?" he replied softly. "We must be going, then."
"Uh, Kura…I mean Shuichi," Kuwabara murmured before pointing at his mother. "Um, you two should probably talk quickly."
Yusuke grasped Eiko's shoulders despite the girl's indignant protests. "Right, we'll just be outside. Come on, Eiko."
The girl managed to shake him off. "Don't touch me, and don't grab me from behind ever again!"
Hiei scoffed and shook his head. "Pathetic." However, the fire demon didn't go far. Instead he maneuvered himself to the roof and used his Jagan to monitor the situation. It wasn't that he cared about what Kurama said to the human woman to explain himself, but the conversation held his own interests. After all, information about them all could be slipped out at a moment's notice. That was his excuse, despite his mind reminding him Kurama would not crack under pressure and his concern lied elsewhere.
"So," Kurama began cautiously as he approached his mother. He figured it was a positive sign that she hadn't backed away. "What exactly did the girls tell you?"
Shiori chuckled slightly. "A few different things, actually, starting with the fact that they were house-sitting with some other story that your homework was left at Yusuke's before changing the story completely and saying you boys went apartment hunting for your friend Hiei."
Well…that alone told Kurama something very important, two things, actually. One was that the girls were not good under pressure. Two, whatever Eiko told them earlier was true, and Tsukiko was in great, real danger. "And…was there anything else?"
That was when Shiori's calmness faded and her face fell. "Yes," she replied. "They told me the truth."
"Which is?" Kurama didn't like to press people to talk this slowly, but he needed to know exactly what was told to the woman and he wasn't about to forcibly drag it out of her.
"Something that I already knew," she answered, stunning Kurama. "I always knew there was something different about you and that you were destined for better things, but I never dreamed anything like this, Shuichi. I know that you've been risking your life as some type of spirit officer protecting us all from those like the one who took that poor girl."
Kurama's mouth gaped open in attempts to speak before he closed it shut again. Had he just been stricken speechless?
"But I have to say, Shuichi, are you sure about that girl?" the mother questioned in uncertainty.
"H-uh, what…what are you talking about, mother?"
"Well," the woman mused, "are you sure you should be dating her? After all, she is quite the strange one, isn't she? Oh, but what does my opinion matter? As long as you're happy, I'll support your choices, but I would really think on this, son."
With that said, Shiori moved to begin cleaning the kitchen wondering how she was going to explain the mess to her step-son and husband. In doing this, her son remained stupefied in the middle of the kitchen. On the roof, the Jagan closed and Hiei's eyes were opened wide with his own surprise. Kurama had finally been shocked into staggering silence. That alone was enough to impress the fire demon, since many had tried and failed in that very task multiple times before. "Whoa."
Tsukiko observed the dark demon. They were in some sort of hideout and her wrists were tied to a wooden pillar. Now, the girl knew she could get out of this, but at the same time she knew she needed to figure out what was going on. She needed answers as to who was after her, and this demon was the closest thing she had to a source.
"So…" she awkwardly started. "How do we do this? Do I talk first? You talk first?"
Instantly, the demon was eye to eye with her, glaring. "Remain silent, witch. If you don't, I'll be sure to duct tape that pretty little mouth shut."
Tsukiko nodded. "Dually noted. But I have to ask, what are you going to do with me? I mean, every demon who's come after me has been wanting to give me to someone else. Any…" The demon's eyes narrowed as he whipped his head around. "Ideas…as to who?"
The demon's countenance changed as a grin appeared on his face and he chuckled. "You're too chatty for your own good, but if you must know, I plan to hand you over to another, and I will be rewarded handsomely."
"You're selling me?" Tsukiko wasn't shocked, but to hear someone openly admit to selling a woman was appalling. "You're telling me you went through all this trouble, possibly exposing demons to humans who didn't know about them (for the most part), for money?"
"Who said anything about money?" the mercenary scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'm being paid in women."
Okay, that was something Tsukiko could work with. "Well, if you need help with the ladies, the first thing I'd say is don't threaten to tape their mouths shut…or tie them up…or kidnap them. Yeah, that would be a very good start. Maybe you can take them out to dinner instead. Trying asking someone out instead of trading another woman for them."
The demon eyed the girl like she was the strange one before hearing, "Is she seriously giving dating advice to the enemy?"
"Urameshi, shut up…"
In that moment, Tsukiko's eyes lit up as she looked over to the four boys and surprisingly Eiko. "What are you doing here?" she asked more for her friend than the others.
"I wasn't going to leave you behind," Eiko said. "Plus, you've gotten yourself in yet another crazy situation. These boys needed to know."
"They know my power?"
"Not quite," Kurama replied, "but what we do know is that someone is after you, and this demon attacked my home to get to you." His eyes narrowed chilling the enemy demon slightly. "Who sent you? What are they after?"
Before the demon could answer, Tsukiko relayed, "Well, he won't tell me who's after me, but the person promised him women, so that's what the dating advice was for." She looked to the demon with a smile. "Maybe you should try poetry. Words that come from the heart mean more than anything to a woman."
The demon looked to the spirit detective team with furrowed brow. "Is this human for real?"
Eiko nodded and sighed, "Unfortunately. Tsuki, stop giving relationship advice to the monster holding you hostage."
"But everyone deserves love," Tsukiko answered with a grin. "I'm just trying to speed up the process."
"I don't even know what to say to that," Yusuke grumbled scratching the back of his head. Then he stood up straight. "Okay, then. Now, release the girl, and maybe I won't kick your ass into next week."
The demon was about to retort, but was distracted by the human who shook her head and made clicking noises as if in disappointment. "Such profanity."
"Alright, that's it!" the demon snapped turning back to the smiling human. "No amount of women is worth this. Either shut up or I'll kill you."
"That's not very nice," Tsukiko countered. "You should really stop with the death threats. It's very unbecoming."
"Oh, Tsukiko, stop!" Eiko shouted, earning the demon's attention.
"Maybe I need a new tactic," he said with a grin.
Tsukiko understood his meaning. "Leave her out of this," she responded, and surprisingly the being's attention shifted back to her. He took out a knife and held it to the girl's throat. His eyes challenged the guys to make a move to save her.
"You must all feel really foolish," he chuckled, goading the guys. "And here I heard such amazing stories of the former spirit detective and his little band of do-gooders. You all fell for our ruse, and now this human is in our possession, and she will serve our goals. Demon World will be returned to its former glory."
The guys didn't know what to do yet. The knife was too close and they were too far away. Any move they made could result in the human losing her life, and they would still be without their answers. "Heh, figures," the demon scoffed before smirking at them cruelly. "I guess it truly was all hype. You're not nearly as strong or as smart as the stories say. You're noth-"
"Enough!" Tsukiko shouted, ignoring the blade pressing against her skin.
Everyone looked to the human in shock, startled by her outburst. She struggled to get away from the demon, her eyes holding more strength than her body. "How dare you say such things? Just because they went to help others, you say they're unintelligent? They beat your team so that you could get me, and the only reason you have me is because I willingly left with you. You attacked someone else because you couldn't do the job on your own. Never say that they're not strong. They're some of the strongest people I know, and the help everyone, humans and demons. Apologize."
"W-What?" the creature squeaked.
"Apologize," Tsukiko ordered again, her eyes glowing.
The demon looked over to the group after removing the knife from her throat. "S-Sorry," he stammered before the knife felt from his hand. Kuwabara's mouth dropped open as did Yusuke's. Hiei and Kurama were both astonished by the action, their brows furrowed, but they looked to Eiko. The human didn't look fully surprised, only slightly, but she was still concerned as she watched her angry friend.
"That's not enough, you mindless drone! You don't mean that at all,"Tsukiko continued. "Get on your knees and beg them forgiveness, for the ruse, for attacking innocents, for going after a human woman who never did anything to you. All of it!"
When the demon did just that, Yusuke was beyond weirded out. "Okay, something's going on. There's no way that-"
"Good," Tsukiko approved. "Now, give them the keys so that they can let me go, and give them the keys to front gate too so that we can leave easily. Also, turn yourself in!"
It was strange to the boys that this demon was taking orders from the human girl, her eyes still glowing. Did she even know what she was doing? Yusuke was stunned then the monster walked up to him, handed him the keys, and then held out his wrists so that the detective could place him under arrest with the spirit cuffs. "Uh…you have the right to remain silent?" he joked awkwardly as he cuffed the demon. He looked to a shaking Kuwabara. "Watch him. I'm gonna call Botan to pick him up." He tossed the keys to Kurama and said, "Um, get her out of here."
In that moment, Tsukiko calmed down and held her head. She felt like something really big had happened, something new, something different. Eiko ran up to her and hugged her, relieved that she was okay. Kurama joined them soon after. Memories instantly flooded Tsukiko's mind and she gasped. "Tsuki…how did you do that? I thought…"
"So did I," her friend replied in a daze.
"What was that?" Kurama asked as he unlocked her shackles. "You…were you controlling him?"
"Yes?" Tsukiko replied questioningly. "But I didn't think I could. It usually only happens when I sing."
"When you sing?" Kurama repeated looking her in the eye.
Tsukiko nodded. She was highly worried about what had just happened. She had never just ordered someone to do anything before, and that alone terrified her. "I think I need to lie down."
"Later," Kurama assured her. "First, we need to get you to Genkai's, and then you're going to tell us everything." For once, Tsukiko agreed.