Annnnd the last prewritten chapter I have :P Disclaimer.

Bugs from the Makai were flooding Mushiyori. Two days passed for the Urameshi Group before any progress was made.

Yuusuke's team consisted of himself, Genkai, Kido and Yanagisawa. Kurama teamed up with Kuwabara, Botan, and Kaito. Seaman was set to tailing Kurama's group. Knowing Kurama would find me if I got too close, I decided to watch Yuusuke's group from afar.

They found Murata, the mind-reader, pretty quickly on the third day. I was in an antsy mood. The Makai was making my blood bubble.

It was an odd feeling, carrying emotions that weren't yours. My body couldn't rest very well, with Ryo constantly pacing the city. She reveled in the night. Bugs new and old to her seemed to give her endless fascination. Once, she even ate one. Her demon energy festering in my body killed it when she swallowed the worm-like thing whole, and I was lucky to escape the situation without any harmful digestive rebukes.

The thing tasted like a grape.

She got on my nerves more often than not. I was irritable, and she overjoyed. She got annoying when happy. Our body was taking the brunt of our bickering. I had circles under my eyes. No appetite, really. The only thing keeping me from absolute ugliness was letting my hair down. Brushing it took my mind off things. I was doing so when Sensui got the cue and went to say hello.

Hagiri Kaname, the Sniper, stood next to me on the roof I dangled my legs over. Around five hundred meters away was the Detective and the four people he'd grouped with- recently including Murata, who was mind reading those around him looking for some clue or another. We'd give them one.

"This plan…" Hagiri spoke for the first time (he was a quiet guy) as we watched Sensui enter the 30-meter territory belonging to Murata. "Are you sure it will work?"

"Who are you to question it?" I countered. He silenced. The Queens, they called me. Plural. I didn't much care for it, as true as it might be. But it ensured the ultimate respect (fear?) of the five pawns, so I didn't much fight it either. As Sensui was spotted and turned to grin at Urameshi, I nodded to Hagiri. "Now."

Popping the last bubble of his gum, he blew it into his hand and hardened it with his reiki. Flattening his palm, he flicked it with the fingers of the other hand.

The effect was near immediate. Murata's head shot back, skull cracked open. Good. He didn't over do it. Brushing back through the part of my hair, I switched most of it over to one side and started at the new knots that presented themselves. Ryo's energy was to blame for the mess atop my head. Her old body's hair was curly, so her energy was used to pumping through a person's scalp. It didn't blend well with my straight locks. They only knotted. Never curled.

Sensui escaped with the same lazy pace, and shockingly the Detective didn't pursue. That was good. It made the plan faster. Perhaps he'd matured a little… Now Urameshi was off to the hospital. I needed to cue the Doctor. "Go report in. Tell him I'm sending in the Doctor."

"Alright." He turned and left. I sat there alone for a short while, letting the cool breeze brush across my skin. It stank of fouled, rotting bodies and made me sigh of pleasure. Ryo sigh of pleasure. I just didn't know anymore.

Together we watched the humans below go about their daily business, some unknowing victims of a Makai insect. So ignorant. So small… Pulling the brush through my hair once more, I ran my fingers through the dark strands and wondered what Kurama'd say if he was here now. 'You shouldn't be doing this' or 'I'd thought better of you' were the top two contenders. But Mukuro's reaction would be worth it. She always had the best reactions.

We pulled the shadows up to cover our body. The air was giving a new life to our powers…

"You're turn." Was all I said to him in the backside ally behind the hospital. He grinned and turned, entering through the side door and plotting in his head all the ways he could kill the humans.

Poor, poor pawn. So feeble, so stupid. As if he could truly do anything against Urameshi. Only on rare occasions could a pawn take out a knight. And, well, Genkai had a board of her own. But he'd do his part well. Perhaps he'd even rid us of those idiotic afflicted humans- the shadow one and the mimic one. Mind reading got annoying, too. Kaito Yuu would be a bigger challenge, simply because he had brains enough to know when to run. But everything in time, everything in time…

Man, how the air riled my blood.

The day after. I'd hoped Yuusuke would be with the group now, but he wasn't. It was just the afflicted Humans.

Mushiyori Park. Quarter mile in. Middle chess board.

Two pieces had been moved before I'd fell into a string of thought. I'd closed my eyes and let my body rest, but it hadn't been five minutes thereafter before the humans showed up. Only one approached me at first- "Kaito Yuu."

"Yorusta Toshiko." He took the seat across the table, glancing over the board. Fingers folded, he placed them in his lap and crossed one leg over the other. "Do you always play by yourself?"

"No." I never played by myself. Ever. Anyone who thought I'd do such a troublesome task was a fool. Ryo played the opposing part. Always.

He seemed put off by my ice. I wasn't in the mood. He should be out trying to find the cave, not bugging up my tree. Especially not without the Detective, or Kurama. Or Kuwabara, even. Weakling. Who did he think he was, approaching me so openly? As if in direct retaliation, his tone was clipped. "Then the rumors are true then. You are unapproachable by all but Minamino-san and Ayuma-san."

"I prefer not to mingle with apes."

The insult arose some annoyance in him. "My grades are top in the school-"

"Yet still below mine." I interjected, then looked down at him. Appearing uninterested in his presence was all too easy. "What do you want, Kaito-san? You're just as reclusive as me, yet you approach me openly. Don't make this anymore painfully drawn out than it needs to be."

His lips twitched, and he straightened his back in the chair. Fingers going across the board and replacing the two pieces back into their original spots, I got the drift and sat farther up in my chair as he spoke. "A game; or two. Your specialty, then mine. If you're still capable, that is."

"Don't get cocky." I breathed, taking my first pawn and setting it back into place. My side was white, after all. Stalling fool. Who was he waiting for- the Detective? Or did he not call back-up? That would be even more foolish. Either way, he needed to be taught a lesson.

His pawn.

My knight.

A rook.

My pawn.

Another move by his rook.

My knight.

His pawn.

Take of the pawn with my knight. "Check."

Movement of the King.

My pawn. "Check."

Movement of the King.

My rook. "Check mate. Your game now."

He seemed disturbed at my quick win. Well, it was his own fault. He'd been moving instinctually, not rationally. Placing his pieces so quickly, and with such false confidence- he was unable to resist a swallow, before he nodded. Raising his black eyes to meet mine, I cocked my head. "What did you have in mind?"

"A simple word game, with colors. I say one color, you say another whose beginning letter starts with the same end letter as the one I just said. First one to repeat or take longer than ten seconds to find a word loses. No two-word answers, either. The ten seconds stack between rounds."

And he'd no doubt been prepping for this since yesterday. A word master, he was. I would lose this. Ryo knew it as well as I. "First one to lose loses their soul, am I right?"

"I see you're familiar with my powers." He expanded his territory at my gift of permission. Ryo didn't like the feel of it- it was like his energy was hanging all around us. It made our skin crawl. "How soon do you want to begin?"

"Seeing as how I'll lose anyway, might as well get it over with."

"Come now, Yorusta-san. That's no attitude to have."

"No need to fake humility, Kaito-san. We both know fighting you in a battle of words is as futile as your attempt to beat me in chess. The first word."

"Yellow."

"White."

"Emerald."

I paused for a moment, sighing through my nose. Would this work? "Dandelion."

His lips started to smirk. "Navajo."

"Orange."

"Eggplant."

"Teal."

"Lavender."

"Red."

"Denim."

"Maroon."

"Navy."

I tsked lightly. I didn't know another y-word besides yellow, and he'd already said that. Almost complimenting him yet pitying him all the same, "You win. I'd run now, if I were you."

His brows furrowed, but he didn't get to question it before I felt a tug from inside my body, and the world around me faded.

Ryo POV

"Stuuuupid humans." I grinned, and a shiver raced down the boy's back. He fell back in his chair, scrambling on the sidewalk as I rose in mine. His territory had long since disappeared. "Ya just gotta love 'em. Always barkin' up tha wrong damn trees, pickin' fights with tha wrong damn people… Toshiko didn't think much of ya, but ya really are an idiot, aren't ya?"

His buddies were trying to race to the rescue. Dumbasses. Licking my teeth and reveling in the very air around me, I almost pondered leaving Toshiko with him and going back to Sensui now. It wouldn't work, of course. I was just a pawn to them without Toshiko's brains to keep our standing. But still. Having my own body…

My own body would feel better than this.

"St-stop right there, demon!" The short-haired blond one exclaimed, stepping on my shadow behind me. He was pretty heavily injured, the idiot.

"Demon?" I questioned, turning to halfway face him and putting my back to the other one that stumbled out of the bushes. "Yea, I'm one of those alright. But ya know, you're as stupid as him, stepping on my shadow like that. Don't ya know who I am, human? Tryin' ta fight me with my own game, like he did with Toshiko… no wonder she accepted the challenge! That was her way of sayin' I could eat ya! Damn, she's a real confusing bitch sometimes, ya know?"

He couldn't talk, or breathe for that matter. I'd long since curled my shadow up and around his neck, lifting him off his feet and slowly choking the life out of him. Oh, the sound of those gasps… "Ya make good sounds, for a human."

"Let him go!" The other one shouted, rushing in and extending his hand to me. This one was the memory one. Toshiko thought of a thousand ways to deal with this bugger. I executed one of them right now.

The Grapehouse Slaughter.

He screamed like a girl, jerking his hand back and grabbing his head as the memories flooded through him. I grinned, dropping the human from my shadow as he feinted. "Dumbass. Now, it's Kaito, right? How about ya let go of Toshiko for me, and I spare your friends here?"

He couldn't talk, sputtering and stuttering and still attempting that awkward backwards crawl as he sweated and nearly cried for his life. Nodding wildly, I glanced to the little cloud of a soul as it escaped the glowing ball that held it tight. It shot into my body almost immediately, and I faded back into Toshiko's mind as she took over.

One glance down at Kaito told me all I needed to know. Sighing, running a hand through my hair, I turned on my heel and walked away.

Dumbasses.

"…then she grinned, and that demon you told us about came out. It was terrifying. She used some sort of shadow power to choke Kido, and when Yanagisawa touched her, he jerked back like his whole body was on fire and started screaming bloody murder. I don't know what she did, but I'm shocked we're all alive." Kaito ran a hand down his face once more as the Detective and his friends listened to the story. "…I freed Yorusta-san's soul, and it looked like she took over the body again. She walked away without saying anything, but I think she knew. She knew what would happen when I trapped her soul, so she let it happen to send a message. It was like she said she was in total control. Like everything we had would still be completely futile, no matter what we did… Like we ought to bow down and beg for our very lives just for approaching her the wrong way."

"No doubt she did know." Kurama sighed, folding his arms and leaning against the wall he stood by. Yana and Kido were in the hospital across town. Kuwabara sat with his legs folded on the floor, Yuusuke straddling a spinning computer chair with his arms crossed over the back. "This is not your fault, Kaito-san. It was a poor plan to begin with…"

"Sheesh man; sounds horrible." Kuwabara empathized with the freckled fellow teenager. "Sorry we didn't come to back you up."

"Sorry I suggested it…" Kaito disagreed, shaking his head. "In the end, we didn't get any information whatsoever…"

Genkai, who'd been previously silent inside the doorway, looked to Kurama. "What do you think, Kurama? Would this girl try to open a hole to the Makai?"

"Would she? I don't doubt it. Toshiko is ruthless when it comes to her goals. And it's been her goal for years to get into the Makai. But could she? I'm not certain… on one hand she accomplishes her goal, on the other she puts the lives of all her family and friends in danger."

"There were wards around her house." Genkai reminded. "And none too gentle ones, either. She doesn't want us bugging into her business, whatever it is."

"She's always been secretive." Kurama sighed.

"Damn man…" Yuusuke huffed, leaning further onto the chair back so that the hind wheels stood up. "And I really thought she had nothing to do with this…"

"Hey, none of this is a fact yet!" Kuwabara protested. "I've known Yorusta-san for years! She's never been the type to want total world destruction, even before she lost her mind and took that demon what's-her-face into her body."

"Ryo." Kurama corrected curtly. Then, with critical green eyes, he looked to Yuusuke. "Just what did she tell you that convinced you of her innocence, Yuusuke?"

"Just that I was askin' the wrong questions, you know." The Spirit Detective shrugged. "Besides, if I ever turned her in I knew you would get into it with the Spirit World, too."

"But what was it, exactly?" Kurama asked. "Toshiko is nothing short of a master at manipulation, Yuusuke. She had Gouki tied around her finger for years before he got cocky."

"If that's the truth, then everything we know about her could be a lie." Genkai stated.

Kurama shuffled. "I'm not sure she'd go that far… she's changed from what I'd heard about her in the past few years. She doesn't lie as much as avoid or manipulate the truth. If she's gotten to you, Yuusuke, then we can assume she's put herself in with this Makai Tunnel business. But if not, then…" 'She truly is innocent.' Though he dared not give himself the hope to say those words.

"Well, I mean, she said a few things about the Spirit World not being able to prosecute her anyway for stealing the Dirt or whatever- then she started asking me questions about why the Spirit World was even after her, if they knew they couldn't get her for the Dirt. I thought she was guilty of something, so I broke the game machine, but she seemed innocent enough…"

Kurama blinked, "She asked you why the Spirit World was after her?"

"Yeah, in like a rhetorical sort of way. Like I was the one that should be asking Koenma- speaking of!" He was about to make a dive for the communication box before he caught Kurama's expression.

That was it then, Kurama decided. That was it. She was the 'Queens'. There was no other logical explanation for her actions, as much as he wanted to find one. Genkai was the first to draw him from his thoughts, "What is it, Kurama?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just… Yuusuke, do you remember what I told you back at the Dark Tournament? About Ryo?"

"Something about Shadows." The Detective shrugged. "What about it?"

"That she was like me, but different. Ryo's ultimate goal is to regenerate her old body from the ashes of wherever she was buried in the Makai and get herself back inside of it. It's why she chose to share a body, instead of inhabiting an unborn fetus, like I did. Ryo chose Toshiko because of her superb regenerative powers, which would help her own grow and ferment. Ryo's goal is to come back to life, Yuusuke. That is why the Spirit World is after her. Toshiko knows this, and aids her willingly. Yuusuke… she tricked you into thinking she's ignorant of Ryo's situation. You've been played."

"That bitch!" Yuusuke roared, punching one fist into the other hand. "I can't believe her! And to think I actually stood up for that no-good, lying, manipulative-!"

"Ryo…" Genkai pondered, brows furrowing. Looking up to Kurama for double confirmation, "of the Shadow Clan? She's been dead for damn near a millennia."

"The one and only; or so they'd claim. It's not hard to believe. She certainly had the power to withstand seven hundred years of wondering in her day."

"Then she's got to be stopped." Genkai resolved. Looking to Yuusuke, "Whether or not she's the Queens doesn't matter anymore, Yuusuke. This girl is trying to resurrect one of the most powerful demons that ever lived. If the Queen of Shadows walked again, it'd not only spell the end for the Human World, but the Spirit World would be in a dangerous situation of their own. Yorusta Toshiko has allied herself with an evil you can't imagine. She must be stopped."

Kurama fell silent as the human's brows furrowed. He'd hoped it wouldn't come to this… he'd known for a long time it'd been a possibility, but he'd certainly hoped it'd never end this way. Toshiko, she… she knew what she was doing. There was no way she didn't. But maybe… it might be Ryo was the one controlling her after all this time.

'I was really young when we started sharing a body.' And 'I don't remember a moment without her.' Perhaps Ryo had simply left out the truth, or even lied to the young genius. He wouldn't put it above a demon of her reputation… even if his gut told him that wasn't the case.

"So I get that she lied to Urameshi and all but what's the big deal? So one dead demon wants to live again? Big whoop?" Kuwabara shifted, turning to look between the pair of historicists for more information.

"Whadya mean by 'Queen of Shadows' and 'evil I can't imagine'? I thought we were talking about Ryo here, that demon from the Dark Tournament; not some age-old hag that's been around for almost a millennia."

"Ryo of the Shadow Clan hasn't 'been around' for almost a millennia, Yuusuke, that's how long she's been dead for." Kurama explained. "Before that, however, she was the Lord of the Makai; or as much of one as there's ever been. The title is a difficult one to describe. In those days, of course, the Makai and the Ningenkai were both one place, one dimension. She had enough territory to wrap around the Spirit World thrice over, and then some. Her and her elite guard, the Shadow Riders, were the strongest beings in the worlds. The Queen of Shadows herself was known to be just as, if not stronger than, King Enma himself. And she showed it often."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuusuke questioned.

"That she wasn't history's kindest ruler." Genkai surmised. "Sure, she outlawed slavery, but I'd say that's the only positive lasting effect of her regime. She took what she wanted, when she wanted, and how she wanted. She went on countless mad slaughtering rampages when she was in a bad mood- one, they say, occurred in the Spirit World. Ever notice how Koenma is a bit too young to be the Prince of the Spirit World? That's because his birth, timing suspiciously well with the Shadow Queen's death, was what pushed Enma to separate the Makai from the Ningenkai. Before that the Shadow Queen took her personal army and killed thousands of Spirit World innocents, including every living and unborn heir to the Spirit World Throne. She's a power-thirsty maniac with a homicidal streak. Given the chance there's little doubt she'd do it all over again."

They were all quiet for a moment absorbing all of this. Finally, as if to sum everything up, Kaito Yuu pushed his glasses up his nose. "And Yorusta-san is the one opening this portal and allowing her to do so."

"Not by herself." Kurama was quick to add. "And certainly not entirely for herself. There has to be some other motive behind it as well- she wouldn't risk her family's and friend's lives so easily."

"Maybe she would." Kuwabara spoke grimly. He met Kurama's eyes with a serious look. "I don't know, man. After the Horawada incident, Yorusta wasn't ever the same. Dropped out of school, practically fell off the radar. And she already admitted to Urameshi here about being internationally wanted for hacking… not trying to call anyone out or anything, but she's never been the sanest girl I know. Hear it said she's got family up in St. Williams…"

"Minoto-san is actually the mother of the deceased Horawada-san, if I'm not mistaken." Kurama curtly replied. But the rest of it… he only wished he could argue. Kuwabara sent him a sad, sympathetic gaze, but Kurama didn't understand it. Was he trying to empathize? What for?

"Yeah, well, none of that matters." Yuusuke grit, standing from his chair as he caught his fist. "What matters now is that we've got one prime suspect for this tunnel, and if we catch her we also stop this demon-queen-person from ruling the world. Sounds like we're wasting daylight. You know any places she frequents, Kurama?"

Why ask him? "Seeing as she let herself get caught once to send a message, I highly doubt it'll be so easy to catch her a second time. If nothing else, we can try her houses once more. But she could be anywhere in the shadows, just waiting for us to leave."

And he highly doubted she was the prime suspect now. With the way Koenma had been acting, Kurama knew there was at least one more person under heavy suspicion for this crime. Undoubtedly it was the same person who had dragged Toshiko so far into this…

Or was it? He honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

"Then we're back to square one. Let's try her parents place first, then see if we can find a way past those wards."

The door wasn't a crack open before Yuusuke shoved it, catching the answering girl off guard and stepping in like he owned the place.

"See?" He grinned over his shoulder as Reki blinked up at him from her position on the floor, scowling. "I told you all we had to do is charge in!"

Kurama sighed, almost irritably, and stepped inside, offering a sympathetic hand down to Reki. "Are you okay, Ayuma-chan?"

"Fine." She grit, obviously displeased as the rest of their gang entered the house. Yuusuke let out a low whistle as he took his time looking around.

"Well, ain't this place just a pot of cheer?"

"Talk about a bad feeling, Urameshi." Kuwabara repressed a shiver as his eye trailed up the stairway to the left. "Maybe we really were better off just searching Mushiyori."

It was an idea Kurama had fully endorsed, though the Detective had persisted in his own ideas and, eventually, the rest of the team gave in. Reki didn't seem too pleased with any of it. "You should leave. You're trespassing."

"Ah, come on. Be a pal. Get us some tea or something." Yuusuke grinned. "We're just gunna have a small look around."

"Tea?" Reki echoed. Hazel eyes narrowed. "Fine. I'll get you tea. Try not to die, in the meantime."

She turned on her heel and stalked into the kitchen, giving even Kurama the cold shoulder as she passed. She knew she couldn't fight them. No, that would be stupid. Toshiko had instructed her better than that. She'd make them tea. All the while they'd find nothing as they snooped around- perhaps even injuring themselves on the wards or spells Toshiko had placed around the house. Idiots.

One call to Minuka would straighten them out well enough.

Back in the living room, Yuusuke has still high off his sudden breakthrough (both metaphorical and literal). Clapping his hands together in enthusiasm, "Alright! Let's split up to get some ground covered! Me and Kuwabara will take upstairs! Kurama, Kaito, and the old bag will take this level! Ready? Let's go."

I specifically told her not to let them in.

Damn it all- I was in no mood to deal with Yuusuke- much less Kurama. And now I had no choice. They were checking all my doors, after all, and if they found Eden…

I knocked thrice on the frame of my open front door, catching the attention of all ears in the house. Calling in the most interested voice I could muster (which no doubt came off as lethargic as I felt), "Ooooooiiiiiii… Detectiiiiiiiive…"

He answered the call, racing onto the short balcony upstairs and staring down with wide brown eyes- no doubt caught completely off guard. "You were looking for me?"

"You!" He exclaimed, and I could see the fire start to light in his eyes. By then, of course, everyone else had joined as well- so suddenly my name became the word on everyone's lips.

"To-chan!" Reki, in shock. Did I smell tea?

"Yorusta!" Kuwabara, appearing next to Yuusuke.

"Toshiko…" Damn. That tone in his voice was like committing senpaku. Ow.

I forced my gaze back up to the Detective, only to find him tossing himself over the railing and landing on the balls of his feet on my perfectly clean wooden floors. It made my eye twitch. "Don't break my railing, idiot. That's expensive."

"Heh…" He drawled, and a vicious grin that felt really damn familiar crawled onto his face as he straightened. "I didn't think you'd be crazy enough to come to us."

"I didn't think you'd get past my wards." A dark glance to Reki made her wince, averting her gaze to her feet in shame. Looking to Kaito then back to Yuusuke, "Nor did I think you'd be crazy enough to send him against me alone."

"Yeah, well, won't be making that mistake again." Cracks cascaded down his knuckles as they popped. The cuffs of his tennis shoes made my flooring groan as he approached. I couldn't fight here… "You're not going to run now, are you?"

"Depends. I'm a bit outmatched with all of you against me." Specifically Genkai and Kurama. "I'm surprised, though. Where's Hiei? You'll need his speed if you want to win."

"Probably napping in some tree somewhere. We won't need him, trust me." My eyes narrowed as made a gun with his hand, pointing it directly at me. "You're under arrest. Come peacefully or face and ass whipping."

My eye twitched again- really I was in no mood to deal with such stupidity. "Are you an idiot, or do you just enjoy acting like one? Put the damn Spirit Gun away- you are not firing that in my house. We'll take this outside."

As if to make my point, I turned off the doorframe and crossed my porch. I could practically feel his irritation as he tched, pace angry when he followed me into the road. The others didn't seem to think twice about following- which was their first mistake. The second was not moving fast enough when Reki shut the door behind them and put all the locks back into place, knowing she could watch from the window. That was my only goal, really- to get them out of my house and away from Eden- and they seemed to only get that after they fell into the trap. Really, now. Kurama was smarter than this. He should've foreseen that much, at least… but the look in his eyes told me he was just as surprised as the others, though he didn't take his following frustration out by swearing and attempting to punch the barrier- like Yuusuke, till Genkai stopped him. "Shut up and get to the road, dimwit. We came here for her anyway."

"Yeah, but we could still find evidence…" He grit, huffing and glaring at me as he descended the steps and started to cross my lawn.

"Evidence of what?" I asked innocently.

Was he always this easy to fool? "Of your little hacking trick in the Reikai. What else?"

"Oh? Did they have another break in?" This was too simple. "I offered Koenma my help with their defense systems. Looks like he should've taken it."

Yuusuke's brows furrowed, and he cocked his head. "What? When?"

"At the Dark Tournament, when he approached me." Giving a small shrug, I told another possible truth. "He probably thought I was sabotaging your group, what with all our interaction. Came off rude, but I suppose his intentions were well placed. Reki didn't take too well to him, though."

Oh, yeah. Kuwabara didn't fight girls, did he? And Kaito seemed to have learned his lesson. It would just be Genkai, Yuusuke, and Kurama then. Not that it really was 'just' anything. Any one of them would prove a challenge individually- a very difficult one, in Genkai's case. Yuusuke would've responded, but Kurama interrupted, eyes narrowed. "What are you stalling for, Toshiko?"

"Making my mind up." I answered with unexpected ease. It was natural being truthful with him. "I got you out of the house, which was my ultimate goal. But now that I'm here, I really want to fight. I'll lose, of course, and then I'll have to flee. So it's really just a matter of deciding when I when to run- now, or later?"

"So there was evidence in there!" Yuusuke exclaimed.

I shrugged again, "Maybe, maybe not. Depends on what you're looking for. But either way, Reki-chan is in there, too. And you shouldn't doubt my loyalty to my friends and family."

"And there's no higher loyalty than to the Queen of Shadows." Genkai pieced together. I was confused for half a second before I figured out her reference.

"Who, Ryo?" I couldn't resist a snort. "Yeah, right. Maybe when the world ends. After how badly she's been pissing me off lately, she'll be lucky if I don't kill her after getting her body back."

"But the world is ending. The Ningenkai, at least." Kurama pointed out, tone dangerous. "And you do want to resurrect the most terrifying demon in the history of the three worlds."

"You've met Ryo." I prodded, trying to gain back some ground. "You know what she's like."

"I have, and I do." He nodded. But that look in his eyes said I'd lost that trust. "But I was also alive in the time of her rule. I know what she's like all too well. Perhaps even better than you, Toshiko."

Did he really believe that? It looked like he did. And the Detective was gearing for a fight- Genkai, too. Then I guess… Looking back to Kurama, I sighed disappointedly through my nose. Didn't he get it? Didn't he see what I was doing? Couldn't he trust me?

They seemed to sense that the time was right, and a Spirit Gun was fired just as my Shadow lifted- blasting over me as I fled.

There ya go :P Hope you liked it, it'll probably be the last update for awhile. Seems like Toshiko and Kurama have taken a turn for the worse... all the while Ryo gets closer and closer to Mukuro.

Reviewers, you are amazing, beautiful people. I cannot believe you'e stuck with this story this long. It'll be finished one day, just hang on tight. Juliedoo, Kunoichi Chaos, Kage Hakari, and Kosaji :] Thanks you guys.

Review please!