Chapter Two- The Medallion

Yukina was abruptly awakened by the echoing sounds of screams and sobbing. She sat up with wide eyes and looked around. She was in a cell and she saw an empty one across from her. She got up and went to the door to see cells to her right but none to the left. She heard the sobs and curses of her fellow prisoners and was worried about who her captor was. She was pretty sure of why she was captured: Her tears. Tales of various demons had spread around the world and ice apparitions were one of those demons.

But I won't cry. I had learned to be more unfeeling than the last time I was imprisoned. Plus, I have friends and a fiancée who won't stop looking for me. I have every confidence that I won't spend years waiting for a rescue.

Kurama subtly sniffed the spot where Kuwabara had found the cart. He detected Yukina's scent with no problem and also picked up the scent of a demon. The two scents went in the same direction and he followed it with Kuwabara behind him. Kurama then came to a stop before a door and said, "They used the vendor and employees' exit. I surmise they used a vehicle to complete the abduction." The redhead turned and headed for the front exit.

"If so, what do we do now?" Kuwabara asked once they were outside.

"Leave that to me," spoke a voice behind them that they recognized.

"Hiei," Kurama said as the teens turned to him. "You sensed Yukina was in danger."

"Yes. I was told by the demons at the compound that you, Kuwabara, were searching for her and I knew you would Kurama's help."

Kuwabara bristled a little at the slightly accusing tone in Hiei's voice. "Hey, I can't spend every minute guarding my fiancée and besides, she wouldn't want that."

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Fiancée?" he repeated slowly. "She's engaged to you?"

"That's right. Clearly that angers you. Well, too bad. Guess you should have asked her years ago."

Hiei smirked in amusement. "I wouldn't propose to Yukina because she's my sister."

Kuwabara's mouth moved up and down in silence, which amused Hiei and why he told him, before the teen said, "Your...sister? No wonder you're concerned about her and all those remarks everyone made before make sense now."

"You have improved since I last saw you. That's good."

"Then, can we get on with finding and rescuing Yukina?" Kuwabara asked, bringing them back to the search.

"Of course." Hiei closed his eyes and opened his Jagan to focus on Yukina's whereabouts. He soon opened his eyes and smiled grimly. "Found her. This way." He took off at a pace that Kuwabara and Kurama could do. "Oh and Kuwabara? Not a word to Yukina that I'm her brother. I would prefer to tell her myself." But I will never tell, he added silently.

Yukina was sitting quietly with her eyes closed, tuning out the sounds around her. She did, however, hear the footsteps that were heading her way. She opened her eyes to look blandly at the human at her door…or was he human? Another look revealed that, yes, he was human but he possessed the small horns and scaled tail of a demon.

A smiled appeared on his lips when he saw Yukina taking a closer look. "Yes," he said. "I managed to give myself and other humans some features of demons. Honestly, I think they look better this way."

"Obviously, they don't," she pointed out.

The human waved a hand. "Their opinions do not concern me." Two demons like the one who grabbed her appeared and Yukina frowned at this.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, prepared to fight back.

"I'm an expert in science and genetics but the horns and tail I gained have granted me demon energy so that I can use the magic of demon artifacts." He pulled out a medallion and a set of keys. He unlocked the door and Yukina tensed, ready to use her powers to escape. However, as the demons entered, she saw fire talismans on their clothes and knew she wouldn't be able to fight back. Yes, she had worked to strengthen her ice powers, but even her strength couldn't beat a fire talisman.

The demons seized her arms and held them away from her body while the mutant human approached. He parted the blouse she had on and pressed the medallion between her collarbone and breasts. He chanted in the manner of one laying a curse on someone. She gasped at a warmth from the medallion that spread to her skin. When he pulled the medallion away, she saw a perfect imprint on her skin. "What have you done?" she demanded as her arms were released and she re-adjusted her blouse.

"The medallion can change any demon into an animal demon. It all depends on the demon's body and temperament. You could become a type of cat demon or even a bear demon. There's not telling, really. It will be a gradual change and it cannot be stopped. The magic and print on you will remain with you." He grinned in amusement. "You will be an ice user as you are an ice apparition, at least for now. Oh, it would be very interesting if you had a dual heritage as those two powers could drive you insane and that would please me."

Yukina was horrified at what she was hearing. She had been cursed to become a different demon, one that was animal-like. Her captor didn't know that she did have a dual heritage: Ice and fire. Two opposing elements that could make her dangerous and insane.

The doctor stepped to one side of the still open cell door and made a sweeping motion with his arm. "Now that I have done what I wanted with you, you are free to leave and return to your home. Good luck to you, my dear."

Yukina did not hesitate in fleeing her cell. She ran past cells of humans with demon features on them. Some had extra eyes or limbs. Some had leathery skin or had gotten monstrously tall. She located a door once on the ground floor and threw it open to see it led outside. She ran out into the night and away from that horror house.

"Boss, that artifact's power won't activate until she comes into contact with an animal demon," one of the demons said.

"I know that, but she doesn't. Once she has made contact with one, the magic inside her will latch on to it and she will became that animal with ice powers."

"That would sort of make her a hybrid."

"No, she won't. She will be an animal demon with ice powers. That is all. Her ice apparition abilities will be gone." The doctor left the corridor with his employees behind him.

Hiei stopped and used his Jagan to fine-tune Yukina's location. He opened his eyes and looked off to the left. "That way," he said, pointing. "But she seems to have escaped as she is heading our way."

Kurama was closer to the direction of Yukina. The ice apparition came into view and, upon seeing Kurama, ran to him who embraced her and held her. He felt her body trembling as he held her. "Yukina?" he inquired.

"It was awful," she said as Kuwabara took her into his arms. "The demon who kidnapped me was hired by a human had experimented on humans, adding demon features to them. He himself had horns and a scaly tail."

"Why kidnap you, though?" Kurama asked; as far as he could tell, Yukina appeared unharmed.

Yukina hesitated slightly. She didn't want to frighten her friends and fiancée with the truth. "He wanted my blood for research but I got away before he could," she lied as they left the scene.