Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, nor do I own IY
Author's Note: I finally figured out where I left off in YYH (at the end of the Chapter Black arc) and can thus begin re-watching the episodes I missed. I'll be able to fix up the little details that I missed (the age of the Makai, etcetera). And good news! I re-wrote my outline for this story, so I'm ready to write like crazy.
Warnings: The usual spoiler warning, but if you made it past the Prologue and Chapter 1 than you must already know that.
Chapter Two
Orders
Inbox, stamp, outbox.
Inbox, stamp, outbox.
Inbox, stamp -
"Alright, what's the deal here?"
Koenma looked up from the paperwork on his desk, moving the newly stamped paper to the outbox. "What's what deal, Yuusuke?" He showed no fearful reaction as the Demon Lord placed his hands on his desk and lent forward, his face coming dangerously close to the baby face of the toddler prince. Another paper from the inbox, another stamp, then moved to the outbox.
Yuusuke frowned, repressing a growl. "Botan told me about the mission on the way here. How could you let something like that happen?"
Setting his stamp down, Koenma sighed and rested his chin on his folded hands. "Akako, right?" He didn't wait for a response, and continued on. "She's amazingly powerful, Yuusuke- don't give me that, it's something that needs restating -" Yuusuke had snorted at the obviousness of his previous statement, "-There's not a lot we could do to stop her."
Straightening up, Yuusuke crossed his arms, frowning. "Sure you could. Stick her in jail, why don't you, or send those other Rekai Tentai-" By 'other', he meant the dozen or so teams that Koenma had to assemble at Yuusuke's retirement to compensate for the loss, "to deal with her?"
Koenma's face turned quite serious as he sat back in his chair, making him seem smaller than he actually was as he sunk into the cushion. "She didn't do anything that would allow for us to go after her. She was just powerful, and getting more and more powerful as time went on."
This time Yuusuke couldn't contain the growl. "And you didn't think to keep watch on her?" His hands clenched, his fingernails cutting into his upper arm.
Koenma's face turned red in anger, pushing his hat up to the top of his head. "Of course we did, Yuusuke, but all of the scouts we sent out came back only to tell us that she was 'a pleasant lady with the disposition of one of noble blood'." As he relayed the scouts' description of Akako, his voice changed into a tone that illustrated his displeasure with the scouts' report.
"You've got to be joking!" Yuusuke thrust his arms into the air in disbelief. "A 'pleasant young lady'? She tore a hole through time and space for crying out loud! And - and - wait, what is she planning anyways?"
At this Koenma straightened, the red in his face dissipating slowly, and he folded his hands on the desk in front of him. "Actually, we don't know 100."
"You don't know! What kind of place are you running here!" Yuusuke took a step forward, but restrained himself from doing anything else that may cause harm to the young prince.
"However, we have a clue." Before Yuusuke could react, the prince continued. "We were able to find out that she went to a time, and place, that she could get a formidable ally." This news seemed to calm Yuusuke down a bit, at least they seemed to be trying to do their job. Normally, when he saw Yuusuke calming down like this, Koenma would have smiled, but the seriousness of the situation kept him from doing so. "We have also gained intelligence that says she may have brought some of her companions along with her." The toddler prince raised a hand in an attempt to stop Yuusuke from interrupting. Too late.
"What?" Yuusuke took another step forward. "How many?" He demanded. "Don't tell me they're as strong as you say she is! This has got to be a joke!"
Koenma coughed, hiding the red that was creeping up his face. Obviously, this was a rather embarrassing event for the department. "Only two, actually, Yuusuke. And no they are not as strong as Akako is - thank the stars for that - but they could very well become as strong as she is if we don't act quickly."
It appeared that Yuusuke was trying to keep his cool, however well that was going, as he too knew how serious this case could turn out to be. "Is there," he started through clenched teeth, "anything else I should know?"
Koenma coughed again and, face red as a tomato, admitted, "We've also learned that Akako and her minions have targeted Kurama."
Yuusuke swerved on the toddler, teeth bared.
"I'm telling you, Kagome, this isn't a good idea." Inuyasha, arms folded, seemed to have his mouth permanently painted into a scowl as he glared full on at the back of the girl that walked only a few feet in front of him. "This thing could be plotting to steal the jewel shards for all we know!" The subject in question, Youko, frowned. Stupid dog, talking about me like I'm not even here. To calm his nerves, he pet Kilala, who happened to be curled up happily in his arms, on the top of the head and down her back.
Kagome didn't stop walking, but turned her head to give Inuyasha a dirty glare. "He isn't a thing, Inuyasha, his name is Kurama." Youko secretly smiled, he was beginning to like this girl. "And get used to him, because we aren't just going to let him fend for himself in the wild."
The frown stayed stone still on Inuyasha's lips. "He was able to live this long by himself, and he would have been fine if we hadn't picked him up in the first place."
"I dare say, Inuyasha, it was your fault we 'picked him up' in the first place." Youko looked up, the monk was the one that had spoken, apparently he felt the need to but into this argument. Nevertheless, Youko couldn't help a wider smile. Indeed, Inuyasha had been the one who "picked him up", quite literally in fact. Then, quite suddenly, he stopped petting Kilala and knitted his brows together in thought. Why was he bothering to narrate this argument anyways? He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard the other girl - Sango, was it? - jump into the conversation.
"Yes, it was your fault wasn't it?" The dark haired girl suppressed a laugh. "I don't think you should be complaining, Inuyasha, when it was you who brought this upon us, yes?"
The dog growled and folded his arms crossly. "Yeah, yeah, just keep laughing it up. I should have just killed that kit on the spot anyways."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, this time stopping fully to give the said dog demon a terribly furious glare. "Take that back!" Miroku and Sango stopped too, turning to watched what would follow. Shippou, who was comfortably perched on Sango's shoulder, looked up from the little top in his hands to watch as well. "He's just a child!"
Inuyasha straightened up, shoulders pulled back to make him appear taller than he actually was. "Why? He's just a runt, and we don't need anymore weight to drag around!" None of the others seemed to share this opinion on the silver fox kit. By the looks on all of their faces it was clear that he was outnumbered in this decision. Not like that ever stopped him before... "Look, we already have one kit to take care of." He pointed one steady finger at Shippou. "Another is only going to get in the way!"
Once again, the faces of the others in the group (including Youko, who was now frowning at the accusation that he would 'get in the way') showed that Inuyasha had gained no support. For a few moments, silence reigned as Inuyasha and Kagome stared off, each intent on getting their argument through. "I think," Sango started, startling everyone from the still silence that had hold of them seconds before, "we should get moving." Although no explanation followed, most of the group seemed grateful for the interruption. Kagome and Inuyasha, however, were still giving each other dirty looks.
"Yes," agreed Miroku slowly, keeping his eye on the two, "that would be good idea. Kurama, come over here, will you?"
With one last glance at the fuming dog demon, Youko hurried over to the monk, happy to have an excuse to be somewhere else.
A gust rushed past, ruffling the branches of the trees and rippling the grass underfoot.
Be careful, Master. The plants whispered. The Bad People are after you.
In an empty room, completely dark except for the slow flickering flame of the lamp that hung from the ceiling, two shadowed figures waited. Between the sound of the crackling of the fame and the frost breaths of the two a soft humming weaved its way. The tune, slow and gentle, greatly contradicted the nature of those in the room.
The girlish shadow let out an animalistic growl, running a hand through her dark hair. "Damn it, Kuro, stop humming that stupid human song, it's disgraceful." Her voice, sharp and clearly sour, proved that, indeed, she was female. "We're demons; do you have any idea what Akako would say if she caught you humming that?"
The only features of her companion, 'Kuro', visible in the firelight were his pale, long fingered hands that gently held a scorched child's rag doll, stroking its stringy hair. He grinned, momentarily stopping his tune. "Panda," he addressed, after a passing moment of silence.
The girl allowed her hand to fall to her side as she locked eyes with him. "My name is Shino, not Panda, Kuro." The man, however, waved this off with another grin and a vague hand gesture.
"Panda," he started again, enjoying the scowl that painted Shino's face, "did you know that some scientists," here Shino groaned, placing a hand to her forehead, knowing quite well what was to come, "believe that the human voice was originally developed to communicate through tone, not words? Amazing izinit?"
Shino rolled her eyes, judging by the tone in his voice, he did not find this amazing in the least. "And you're telling me this why? Shouldn't you be doing more important things, like following Naraku's orders?" She leaned forward so that the bottom half of her face was visible in the light of the fire. The frown that twisted her face clearly illustrated how she felt about taking orders from the man Akako had made a pact with.
Contrarily, a thin grin, although not visible to Shino in the dark, stretched at Kuro's lips. "I already have." He said simply returning to stroking the hair of the doll in his hands.
It appeared Shino had not expected this, for she leaned even more forward, her whole face visible now. Her round, blue eyes reflected the flickering flames of the lamp, depicting both her curiosity and her disbelief in the matter. "When?"
"Not too long ago actually," Kuro broke off to coo softly at the tiny rag doll he still held. "They should find it a fresh scene - You were asleep." He explained when Shino raised an eyebrow.
Bringing a hand up to stroke her round, bear ears out of habit, Shino snorted. "And Akako let you go alone? Not likely, you need a babysitter twenty-four-seven."
Kuro grimaced, but his face was still not to be scene in the darkness. "No, she didn't. She had Naraku," he spat out the name like poison, apparently he shared Shino's dislike for the man, "send one of his incarnations to make sure I didn't mess up."
"Mess up?" Shino's voice carried an evident humor in it, as did the expression that lied upon her features. "I hardly think that that was prominent worry on her mind." Kuro's grimace darkened, but he said nothing. For a few more spare seconds neither said anything. Finally, Shino spoke up again. "Am I to assume that that doll is-"
"Yes." Kuro said shortly, his grimace disappeared to be replaced by a perverse smile. "Yes, it is."
A/N: Thanks to those that pointed out Kurama's OOCness in the last chapter. I understand that it needs to be changed.
The rest of the Yu Yu Hakusho gang should show up in the next chapter, sorry to disappoint anyone who expected them to show in this chapter.
Shino and Kuro: Obviously, Akako's two minions that she brought with her. I think it's obvious what Kuro did, but feel free to assume, you'll figure out next chapter. Shino is a character I helped a friend create, but we never got to put her to use, so she's here with Kuro. XD These two are going to be a lot of fun to write!
"Be careful, Master. The plants whispered. The Bad People are after you.": Bah, weird line, but I wanted to stick the plants in there, if only briefly. Their speech pattern is so fun to write! The 'Bad People' are, of course, Akako, Kuro, and Shino.