Disclaimer: Beyblade, Yu Gi Oh and Yu Yu Hakusho all belong to their respective owners.
Warnings: Language, mansex, Tala, violence, Tala.
A/N: I think I forgot to mention this, while Yugi and co are from Domino, Keiko is from the Sarayashiki district; therefore they live with Keiko in Sarayashiki. However, Keiko's original house, (the one with the restaurant) was destroyed therefore they have a new and bigger house. Seto Kaiba still lives in Domino, the only city in Japan left untouched by the shadow games. So when they say going to Kaiba's, they mean going back to Domino city. ;D
Annnnd yes to clarify, most of the Yu Gi Oh boys are gay…as for the yu yu hakusho boys…I like closets…kekeke. I lied. I haven't updated. So I re-did this chapter a bit.
Kids are doing it all across the nation
Time to battle now for world domination
Cooler than you're hip, you better get a grip
The battle has begun so let it rip
All across the nation
Chapter 2 – Survival of the fittest
"I came to ask you a favour." The surprise visitor sat opposite Keiko at the small wooden table usually reserved only for late night snacking and pouring over information at 4am, casually cradling a large mug of coffee looking more dangerous and frustrated than she had seen him since the dark tournament.
Out of habit she placed the jar of cookies on the table momentarily forgetting that she probably couldn't get away with dealing with Kurama the same way she usually dealt with Max, Takao and the Hikari trio. Ignoring his questioning stare, Keiko easily scooped four Oreo's into her hand and deposited them on the table in front of her as she sat down with her mug of tea ready to talk to her old friend.
Though Rei and Kai had yet to return to the kitchen, the noise level had lowered considerably telling her that everyone in the house was now aware that they had unknown company. Taking a calm sip of her tea she waited for Kurama to settle before diving right in.
"What kind of favour do you have in mind?" She chewed on a cookie while studying the demon across the table and waited for him to answer. If her new senses were working properly, the favour probably involved a lot of danger and situations that would be hard to explain even to her current family. Her suspicions were confirmed when he answered.
"I can't seem to find the Kuwabara siblings." The fox demons' voice was low and touched with the slightest hint of annoyance and she repressed a flinch, instead raising her head to look at him full on.
"Really? That's nothing new." Her voice was equally as soft, knowing that at least two Yami's were outside the door listening in, maybe three. She wouldn't put it past Kai and Rei to be listening in by the second door either. Sending a wary look towards the door behind the table she listened to the rest of Kurama's proposition.
"Their old house is destroyed... as is most of this city." Ah. So he had been here a while. Taking another cookie Keiko munched her way through it slowly while debating on how to answer. She was saved however when Kai decided to waltz back into the kitchen and break up their chatter session. Rei was close behind him as the door shut and the two took up position in the chairs on in between the friends.
"Funny. I would have thought that was common knowledge. Since, you know Japan has been this way for the better part of three years now." Kai broke in telling Keiko exactly how long he had been listening outside the door. Rei subtly raised an eyebrow at the cookies before picking one up himself and sitting back to watch the verbal banter Kai was initiating. Kurama looked unfazed, something he was good at doing Keiko took note, as he turned his attention from her to her blue haired cousin.
"I've been traveling. Haven't found much time to make it back until recently." Oh, you idiot. Keiko mentally scolded the demon exchanging a look with Rei as Kai's grin broadened from smug to Bastard.
"Really. Travelling where. Because last time I turned on the news, the rest of the world wasn't doing much better than we are." Kai had backed Kurama into a solid corner and the demon narrowed his eyes at the challenge.
"Kai." Rei and Keiko broke in at the same time, Rei's tone merely making Kai snort and lean back in his chair to smirk knowingly at Kurama, while Keiko's interruption turned the red heads attention back to her.
"Kai, he's from the Makai. They haven't been touched by the games." Kai's expression darkened and he leaned forward placing his hands on the table moving to stand but Rei beat him to it. The neko jin was around the table with one hand on Kai's shoulder and both golden eyes turned to Kurama. The demon looked mildly surprised but didn't move.
"You would be Shiori-san's son then." Oh, Rei was sharp. Keiko tactfully avoided all three sets of eyes as they turned to her and instead concentrated on drinking more of her tea and counting how many licks it took to get all the icing off an Oreo cookie. Lifting her gaze lazily once she was finished and no one had said anything, Keiko smirked and tilted her head back until she could see the main door out of the corner of her eye.
"Marik. Bakura. Get away from the door if you want to keep your items." Kai swore and Rei looked more surprised than he should have been and Kurama just looked confused. The shadow presences that no one else could feel moved away from the door and she smiled.
"Now we can continue." Rei sat back down in his own seat and crossed his arms putting on his best impassive face while Kai dropped his smirk and set all four legs of the chair back on the ground.
"Kurama. Shuichi, actually. Better suited for this topic I would think." The mug landed back on the table a little harder than she meant it to but it was too late to fix it now. "The Kuwabara siblings are somewhere in America and have been since you left. Your mother also moved there after a few months to work directly under Maximillion Pegasus. She's due back for a visit in three weeks."
By the tight line of his lips that hadn't been what Kurama- Shuichi had been after.
"I saw the house Keiko. And the school. The whole district actually." His voice was soft again and she was suddenly reminded of the night before Yusuke's final fight against Toguro. He tapped his nails absently on the table top while he waited for a response. Pain rushed up against the backs of her eyes and tears threatened to rise but she bit them back harshly. So he was playing dirty was he?
"Hard not to." She agreed in a light tone, surprising all three of the men. Shrugging she continued. "It's not like it's a big secret. Though some would rather pretend it didn't happen, that area is one of the most used in research against the game we're playing. But you wouldn't know that since you've been training to replace a demon king now haven't you?" Treading dangerous ground could get her killed but being nice wasn't on her agenda these days. "You know, some people might be a little sore about that." Draining the last of her tea she crossed the room to set the mug in the dishwasher.
"Keiko." Kai's sharp tone had both her and Kurama looking up, the latter in narrowed anger. Ah. That was what she had been waiting for. So Yusuke had sent him to find her. That meant Hiei was somewhere close by.
"We're playing a game Shuichi. Only when you lose, you die. No second chances, no new lives, just death. But do you know what makes it worse? The knowledge that you're not going up or down. Your soul is taking a one way trip to the shadow realm." Her hands clenched on the counter top as she hissed out a brief explanation.
"And you know what happens after you end up in the shadow realm? Of course you do. After all, you did watch almost the full tape of Chapter Black." The reaction was instant, hands on her shoulders were spinning her around, forest green eyes boring into hers in hardly contained anguish at the memory.
"That power was sealed by Enma and the King of shadows 5000 years ago!"
"Enma's dead." Kai's nonchalant tone had Kurama pushing Keiko back into the counter and stepping in front of her to face Kai.
"I think, Keiko, that this discussion is over. I'm taking you to Makai, you'll stay there until this is sorted out." Kai was on his feet and Rei wasn't far behind him when two solid arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her backwards, black taking over her vision before she could figure out what was happening in front of her. She blinked and the next instant she found herself sitting on the floor of a limestone maze, the walls engraved with hieroglyphs foretelling of more prophesies than the Vatican had claim to.
"Marik!" The insane laughter died down to the odd chuckle or two as Keiko stood up and adjusted the linen shift that replaced her clothing in the safe section of the shadow realm.
"What did you do that for?" Her voice came out as more of a whine than a demand, but it wasn't her fault. Really.
"Things were getting fuuun. So Malik-pretty said to take you away where the bad man won't be able to get you!" The argument defending Kurama against being a 'bad man' died on her tongue as Marik wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her chest. She was used to his ecstatic behaviour, so instead of pry him off, she threaded one hand through his spiky sandy blonde hair and wrapping the other around his back. He made a content noise before starting to purr, something she found he could do a while ago that she had yet to bring up in conversation.
"And why does Malik think that Kurama is a bad man?"
"Because the man in the shadows tried to make us mind slaves before you almost got kidnapped." Keiko realized he was talking about Hiei and frowned.
"How did the shadow man try to make you mind slaves?" She asked, petting his hair gently.
"He used his eye. Pharaoh-Baka said it was like the Sennen Eye only weaker, because the puzzle fought back. Shadow man fell out of the tree." Marik giggled and hugged her tighter as his own Sennen eye activated.
Keiko tried to picture Hiei falling out of a tree but failed to come up with the image required. It was a funny thought though.
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Youko stood on the roof of a demolished house absently cleaning his nails while he waited for his partner to arrive. The tree next to him shuddered lightly despite it being a windless night and the fox demon turned to his friend.
"Well?" There was no answer from the tree and he sighed.
"You couldn't find her could you."
"Hn." The short red eyed demon joined the fox on the roof and glared at the ground below.
"Well, Yusuke won't be happy. He wanted us back by tonight. I take it you're not going to leave this alone until you figure out what prevented you from reading their minds?" The short demon provided no answer but the taller demon continued on as if he had. "Alright. I'll find a portal to America, see what I can pick up about Kuwabara. I'll be back in a week." The silver demon flitted off the roof and out of sight, heading for the nearest entrance back to Makai, leaving the Jagan user to himself.
"A week. Hn. Won't take me that long baka fox."
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For once I'd like an ending I can celebrate
Stacked the deck myself, so there's no one else to blame
I need just one more move…one final chance to prove...
I can win this game
One Card Short
A/N: Totally different from what I had before. I'm hoping to re do all the chapters before getting the next one up.
Next time:
Tala cross dresses, Hiei and Keiko have a friendly chat and the Main Bad Guy's Main Minions are introduced. STAY TUNED!