A/N: I honestly couldn't think of a name for this Arc. 'Communal' came to mind as our heroes will be spending time in close contact with one another this Arc i.e. being forced to migrate to Misaki's house. It won't be nearly as long as the Amureo Arc, which spans, what, seven chapters? This Arc is kind of an 'inbetween,' a placeholder for this and the next major part of the storyline. But I didn't particularly want to call it the 'Inbetween Arc.' Sounds kind of...intermission-ish, which is what it is, but I don't want it thought that the events are any less important. In fact, certain events within this Arc are what cause the next one to take place. I might end up changing the Arc title eventually, but nothing else came to mind at the time, so I'll stick with what I have for now. Input is welcome, though, and perhaps as we come to the end of it, a more appropriate name will come to mind.

Oh, and I use the word 'arc' because that is actually the word the anime uses for the different storylines that occur as the plot moves forward and since I am writing this in a similar fashion, I am using the same word. :)

O/C9: A gelatinous creature attacks the Spirit Detective Agency, engulfing it and wishing to gain control of the Spirit Detectives. As this being cannot be fought for it is immune to all types of attacks, Koenma sends Kuwabara, Kurama, Misaki, Hiei and Yusuke to Misaki's house for safe-keeping. Using a pendant to transport them there, the five of them arrive…

Lights flicked on, revealing an empty room much like the one they just left, but smaller with no door.

"Mistress Misaki. Welcome home. I see you have others accompanying you." The way Zumi pointed this it was with a suspicious voice, as if Misaki was perhaps being held captive.

"That's correct Zumi. They're with me."

"Alright then. What can I do for you?"

"Um...Misaki?" Kuwabara leaned down and whispered to her, "Why can't we see him?"

"That would be because Zumi isn't in the room. He's talking to us by using the intercom system set up throughout the house.

"Oh." Kuwabara stood back up but he kept looking around each time Zumi said something.

"Zumi, the agency is being attacked-"

"What a bother!"

"Yes. That one. It was engulfing the agency as we left and Koenma wished the current Spirit Detectives to be whisked away from the danger."

"Understandable, considering there's no way to fight the thing."

"That's why these are here." Misaki gestured to the other four.

"Misaki…can he see us?" Kuwabara whispered again.

"Yes Kuwabara. He pretty much knows everything that goes on inside this house. That's why I trust him with it."

"Thank you Mistress. It's nice to be appreciated." There was a smile in Zumi's voice.

"Don't let it go to your head." She told him, "That's why I don't say things like that often."

"Of course not. Now what actions would you like to be taken?"

Misaki grew thoughtful "Close off all the exits and entrances to the house. Full lockdown, no one comes or goes without my say-so."

"Got it."

"We'll stay in that room in the seventh hall."

"Okie-dokie. Anything else?"

"I don't think so."

"Alright." There was a clicking sound.

"Which room are we staying in?" Yusuke wondered just how big the house was.

"This one." Misaki looked around the room.

None of them had felt the change of scenery, Misaki included.

There was a door to their left, a good-sized window to their right, they stood in the middle and stacked in the corner was a pile of something they couldn't make out. Misaki went over and sifted through the stack.

"Here. Mats to sleep on. Pillows. Blankets." She threw each of those things at each person. The stack dwindled.

"What are these for?" Kuwabara asked, making a face. Why would they need these right now?

"Sleeping. It's what normal people do at two in the morning. Now go to bed."

The lights turned off.

"Two in the morning?" Kuwabara exclaimed into the darkness. It had only been just evening time when Botan called him to the agency.

"You didn't think our teleporting was instantaneous did you? It takes a while to travel a great distance. We were in limbo for quite a while. I suppose you should have thought it was instantaneous, actually. It was meant to seem instantaneous." Misaki admitted.

The silvery moonlight shone confidently through the window, confirming the time. Kuwabara's mind told him it was only early evening, but his body disagreed.

Blinking sleepily, he decided to obey his body and he began rolling out the mat onto the floor.

Misaki watched from the dark corner as they spread our their beds, relaxing a little when they didn't protest.

When she believed them all to be sound asleep, she moved towards the window, quietly opening it up.

"Zumi, I'm going out." she said quietly, "It's been a long time."

"I understand Mistress." he responded just as softly.

Misaki took a deep breath of the cool night air, climbing onto the sill, knees bent.

Before she jumped, she turned her head over her shoulder, "Oh and Zumi?"

"Yes Mistress?"

"Make sure nothing happens to them."

"Of course, Mistress."

Misaki leapt from the window, jumping from window sill to window sill as she found a path to the ground. Her foot slipped once and she fell briefly, catching the ledge as she passed it and dropping down easily to the window below her.

Eventually she made it to the ground and she began running. Her feet knew the trail through the forest, the rock to dodge, the rut to step over. She enjoyed the feeling of running for no reason.

She zigzagged through the trees, pausing when she reached the abrupt end of the woods. A few meters in front of her, a lake shone like the smoothest glass as the moon's rays reflected silver light onto it.

"I'm home." Misaki said, closing her eyes and listening to the breeze.

The trees around her rustled, almost as if in an ancient greeting.

Skirting the edge of the lake, Misaki ran on into the trees, taking another direction.

The sun was rising as she reached a cliff, sitting down and dangling her feet in mid-air. She took a deep breath of the air and smelt…no one. No one had been nearby; there was not any remnants of anyone visiting since last she was here.

The cliff was peaceful. Nothing moved. There was a beautiful view of the sunrise as well as the green sea that was more forest unfolding below her.

Not keeping track of time, Misaki suddenly jumped up when she remembered her guests. She hoped they were still asleep as she turned and ran back to the house. The possibility of Kuwabara and Yusuke still being asleep was higher than either of the youkai still being asleep. She ran faster.

Her house loomed in front of her and she took three steps up the side, grabbing a hold of one of the window sills and pulling herself up. She jumped a ways to her left for the next one, continuing this pattern until she came to the window she started from those few hours before.

"I'm sorry Master Hiei, but I simply cannot let you leave." Misaki heard Zumi's voice as she jumped onto the ledge and the window opened to let her back into the room.

"The house is in a full lockdown. No one can come of go without- Oh! Thank goodness! I'm so glad you have returned, Mistress Misaki! I can hardly keep this…this…youkai under control!"

Despite was Misaki assumed had been a heated argument between Hiei and Zumi, Kuwabara and Yusuke were still asleep as she had hoped. Kurama stood leaning against the wall, an amused look on his face.

Hiei glared first at Misaki, then at the ceiling where Zumi's voice came from. "She is allowed to wander by herself doing who knows what and I'm stuck inside this-"

"I was given explicit instructions and I follow orders when I am given them." Zumi interrupted Hiei before the fire youkai could finish, "She is the caretaker and owner of these lands. She can do as she wishes."

"Thank you, Zumi but that's quite enough." Misaki's voice was prim. "I didn't think the orders through and while I appreciate you so strictly sticking to my words, it would be foolish to attempt to stop Hiei if he truly wanted to leave. The house might be set on fire and I don't think you or I want that."

"Fifth Circle no! Nonono. That wouldn't do at all." The window, which had closed when Misaki entered the room, opened again.

Misaki nodded briskly in approval and walked over to where Yusuke lay on the ground, then over to Kuwabara.

"These two won't give you much trouble Zumi. Feed them upon their awakening."

"As you wish."

Hiei had left by this time and Misaki walked back over to the window, catching the briefest glimpse of him entering the trees. She stood, ready to jump down again but she paused and turned back to Kurama.

"If you'd like, you can explore the grounds, vessel. And you are welcome to wander around the house. Zumi will make sure you don't…" Her voice faded off.

"Make sure I don't go anywhere I'm not supposed to?" Kurama finished accurately for her, smiling.

Her lips twitched with a ghost of a smile. "Yes, I think he can manage that without botching it up."

"Well excuse me, Mistress." Zumi sounded indignant.

"Would it be possible for the 'caretaker' herself to give me an official tour?" Kurama's head tilted a little to the side in questioning.

"A tour with Zumi would be more 'official' than mine anymore." She shook her head, "He knows the place better than I do. I can't remember half the things in this old house."

"Thank you, Mistress Misaki. It is quite a feat to be able to keep up with all of your idiosyncrasies." He told her modestly.

Misaki snorted, "Just be sure and show him the-"

"I wouldn't dare, Mistress. I have always considered that your jurisdiction."

"At least something is. Make sure he doesn't-"

"I know, I know." Zumi interrupted again.

Misaki crouched a little as she looked down the side of the house, tracking her path mentally before she took it.

"Mistress!" Zumi exclaimed suddenly, "There's been a breach in sector twelve!"

Misaki stopped, her shoulders going rigid. "Have there been any other infiltrators since I've been gone?"

"A few, I must admit. On the outskirts. They weren't nearly this strong. It seems that Master Hiei has found his way into the middle of this one."

"Wonderful." Misaki said dryly, her feet leaving the sill as she hopped to the next one farther down.

"I wouldn't worry, Master Kurama." Zumi misinterpreted Kurama's movement to watch her leave as one of concern. "If you'd like, I can show you around. Or you can wander around on your own. I won't show you the gardens though. I'm not very good at it and Mistress has always enjoyed them."

Kurama nodded as he left the room, knowing Zumi could see the nod, stepping into a long hallway full of doors lining either side.

...

Misaki slowed to a jog, and then she stopped completely, something tugging at the rim of her awareness. She stepped through a nearby clump of bushes and saw it. A waterfall. A hot spring waterfall. It was quite large, but Misaki wasn't in the mood to take a swim. Especially with what was lumbering around the grounds.

Misaki took off again, grabbing a low branch and swinging herself up into the overhanging greenery, jumping from branch to branch and tree to tree.

She soon heard sounds of fighting and through the limbs ahead caught the glint of the risen sun on a sword. She alighted as lightly as she could on the nearest branch and crouched down, peeking through the crowning green leaves of the majestic forest denizen.

Hiei's katana flashed in the sunlight. He deftly took down three beasts in front of him and four more rose to take their place. He wasn't easily tired and four more fell. Seven more appeared. Seven more flashes and seven more beasts fell. Ten rose.

"I'm getting awfully tired of this." he said under his breath. The fire youkai had shucked his outer cloak off when the fighting started and it lay on the ground near one of the trees. His white shirt ruffled slightly in a breeze that picked up and he appreciated it for a moment before returning his blade's attention to his enemy.

"I have to agree," Misaki said to herself as she watched more rise to surrounded Hiei.

Her eyes scanned the trees and the ground. She couldn't see where they all were coming from. They had no coherent thoughts that she could read, not even the basic stuff like instincts, so there was no way she could tell what their next move would be. And the more Hiei struck them down, the more of them rose. That led her to believe that they were in fact regenerating, sort of like Hydra's heads. It also ticked her off. She'd been gone much to long if something like this could just waltz its way onto her property without so much as a by-your-leave.

After this one was taken care of, she would make a sweep of the grounds and then seal off all of the barriers; Zumi might be able to keep anything nasty out of the house but he had no power of what was outside.

She watched as Hiei continued to fight. He gracefully took down each beast that rose, but the numbers came to overwhelming proportions. Misaki knew he wanted no help. He hadn't asked for it. He had acknowledged her presence without even so much as a glance, a silent indication somehow passing between them.

Even with his speed, he hadn't been able to evade every attack and as the number of enemies grew larger, the amount of space to maneuver around in grew smaller. He took a couple of hits to his shoulder, but nothing that hampered with his ability to fight. But even a youkai can only take so much. He made one move too slow...

Misaki watched as the blow fell Hiei to the ground. That was it for her.

She said nothing as she landed on the ground and stood over Hiei. The beasts' attention immediately shifted from Hiei to her.

She led them a little ways away from Hiei, always staying out of reach of their claws and fangs. The only way to be rid of them was to take them all down at once. That's what Hiei's problem had been; no matter how fast he was, he could only slice through one opponent at a time and even as he sliced through a second moments after, the first was already reborn.

Misaki stopped her retreat, turned around and clapped her hands together. She interlaced her fingers and then straightened her arms out, finger still interlaced and palms facing outwards. Asking the woods around her for help, she concentrated on the center of each of the beasts, the center that caused them to regenerate like they did, and imagined them all exploding at them same time.

A wind picked up and rustled through the leaves of the trees. Misaki felt the ancient forest agree to assist her, as a welcome home present after her long absence.

BAM!

The beasts exploded all at once.

Wiping the gunk off herself, Misaki made her way back to Hiei.

He was standing, hurt, so she hung back in the trees. She watched his back as he limped over to his katana and picked it up, cleaning it off on the grass. Hiei collapsed into a cross-legged position as he stuck his katana point into the ground beside him. After a moment of rest, he stood back up and sheathed his katana.

The forest around her warned Misaki to listen. Her eyes darted around. A whirring noise. Far beyond where they stood but rapidly coming closer.

Something was coming. Fast. Four somethings. More things that dared to intrude on the lands Misaki protected. Whatever they were, they were closing in fast on Hiei's position.

Misaki ran forward, seeing that Hiei wasn't going anywhere quickly. A sharp buzzing tore through the nearby trees.

Intending to pull Hiei to the ground, Misaki grabbed him from behind.

Four huge blades ripped into the clearing.

Misaki requested that the forest heal Hiei's injuries as the blades tore across her back, her flesh tearing apart like silk beneath a sword.

The forest, unable to heal its caretaker for various reasons, agreed. Sparks formed in the air around Hiei's body as Misaki bit her lip to stop the scream even as the blades whirred back through the trees and disappeared.

"Why do I keep saving him?" Misaki thought as she collapsed, out before she hit the grass.

-lotsm