On The Night Of A Blood Red Moon

Title: On The Night of A Blood Red Moon
Authors: Ryukotsusei and Cyntinell
Pairing: Hiei/Kagome
Fandoms: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho
Disclaimer: Rating: NC-17

Warnings: This fic will contain strong language, adult themes, non consentual sex, torture and character deaths. Lemons will not be marked, this is your warning. If anything on this list offends you please make use of your back button now and find something more suitable to read.


Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Takahashi Rumiko and Yu Yu Hahusko belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. I make no claims of ownership to either series, nor do I make any profit off of this fan fiction.

Chapter One

Somewhere In The Ningenkai

Gloomily Hiei stared up into the darkening night sky with a deep scowl clearly etched across his face. There was no mistaking the power that he could feel slowly building in the atmosphere, signaling once again that the moon was going to pass through yet another eclipse. At most he had only a few days days to prepare himself for what was to come, but even he had to wonder if it would be enough. This could not be considered a normal lunar event by any stretch of the imagination. He could easily feel the slight difference in the power shifts which was something that most would overlook as insignificant, assuming they even felt it at all. No, this particular type of eclipse was special and held a deeper significance for him, although it only happened once every one hundred years or so. ‘I suppose I should be thankful for that small favor the Gods have granted me. I don’t think I could handle it without going mad if it were any more frequent then that.’ But it wasn’t the power that was affecting him so greatly; it was the flashbacks from a time long ago and a woman that he could barely remember.

‘It really isn’t surprising that even after everything that happened between us that I can’t even recall what she looks like. Three hundred years is a very long time, even to a demon such as myself.' Even so, he still would have remembered everything that had happened between them, except that he had willed the memories away and enforced the process with the Jagan in an effort to stay sane.

A low growl of frustration escaped him. It hadn't mattered that he had taken those drastic measures, on nights like this he still found himself missing her more than he would have thought possible. Perhaps it was his subconscious, mourning what he had once had, but it had only been by repressing the memories that it had made the passing years slightly more bearable. At least until he could find her again, whenever their paths were meant to cross again. But it was at times like that this the memories had a tendency of rising from dormancy and threatening to overwhelm him, in spite of the Jagan's influence against them. Although he couldn't remember much of their time together, one thing he knew was that the faceless woman had come into his life like a candle that burned brightly, giving him hope for the future. Perhaps that was what had nearly devastated him when she'd been viciously torn away from him, leaving Hiei alone to mourn the loss.

Sighing in irritation the apparition shook his head and tried to dispel the recurring memory. He’d have plenty of them to deal with in the coming nights and this was likely to be the last chance for any real sleep that he would be able to get until this had passed. Slowly the frown eased as he continued to gaze at the clear night sky in contemplation, perhaps this time would be different from all the others. ‘Will this eclipse be the one that I’ve had waited so long for?’

Only time would tell if it indeed meant that the night that they would be reunited was drawing near. He had to be patient, and trust in the Jagan to remove the constraints on his mind when the time was right.

'Kagome'

The name whispered through his mind, winding it’s way around and soothing his pain like a gentle caress. Long ago he had made her a promise; that much he knew and if nothing else Hiei always lived up to his word. The night they'd been separated he had told the girl that he would find her again some day and despite the amount of time that had passed, he intended to keep that vow. ‘I owe her that much at least. After everything that's happened she deserves that much, and so much more.’

As he remained sitting in the tree, he couldn't help but wonder what she would say when they were reunited. It wasn't as if he was the same demon that she'd grown close to. Far too much had happened and he'd been forced to adapt to it if he wanted to survive. Through the years he had seen so many of the atrocities that the world was capable of, humans and demons alike and the events had left their mark. Hell, he had committed many of them himself, but deep down he knew that she was different from the average human. He had no fears that when she reappeared she'd be different from the woman he'd fallen for. Even suffering as she had, Kagome was the one bright spot in the sea of darkness that made the human race what it was. She alone was the one human he could never hate; he just hoped that when he found her again she would not turn him away. The possibility existed however, once she learned what he had become. It would be well within her right to do so and honestly, he wouldn't blame her if she did. Would she hate him when she learned of the crimes he had committed? There was no way to know, not now, but Hiei clung to the hope for his own peace of mind.

A whisper of noise and the slightest of breezes to the apparition's right was the only thing that alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone. However, little surprised him these days and as such he didn't react except to raise an eyebrow towards his visitor. Of course he'd known it was coming sooner or later, the others had been worried about him for the past several days. Ever since he had felt the beginnings of the power shift they had taken it upon themselves to make their concerns known and it had become more than a little irritating. In the end it had forced him to distance himself because their constant hovering was causing him to become even more irritable than usual. ‘They just don’t understand and I have no desire to attempt to explain to them something that even I don’t fully comprehend. Even if I tried, I know what their reactions would be and I am not going to subject myself to that if I have any choice in the matter. The only one of them that could possibly understand would be the Fox and I'll be damned if I’m going to let him anywhere near her. His desire to know more about her has come between us too many times in the past and I will not allow him to use her for the power she controls.’

Nor was it just a coincidence now that it was Kurama who had decided to sit with him in the dark on this night. For a moment the redhead looked at his partner, waiting to see if he'd be turned away before taking a seat next to him. Together they sat in companionable silence for a while, content to enjoy the few moments of peace that they had been given in their otherwise hectic lives. The entire group lived under the law of kill or be killed, there was just no other way to survive doing the jobs that they did otherwise. Peace was a rare and fleeting thing for any of them so it was to their advantage to make use of the brief respite whenever it presented itself. Even Hiei with his voracious need for bloodshed and the adrenaline rush that came with the kill needed these few precious moments in time for himself, to balance out the conflict that tore through his soul on a constant basis.

As enjoyable as the silence was though, Kurama had come out seeking his partner in the hopes of finding out what was troubling him. They had known each other for a long time now, dating back from when Youko roamed the Makai. There weren’t very many things that could bother the Fire Apparition as much as he had been these past few days and it troubled the Kitsune. ‘One way or another I’m going to get this out of him. I may not know exactly what it is that’s happening to him, but I’m positive Youko knows what it is. If I’m correct there may be something I can do to help him, but I have to know for sure first. Besides this had been going on long enough; it's past time that I get some sort of explanation for what is going on.’

As the silence stretched out between them and it became obvious that Hiei wasn’t going to speak first, Kurama took it upon himself to bring it up, “The moon will be going through a Total Eclipse in a few days, but I am guessing you are already aware of that fact, aren't you?”

‘He should just leave well enough alone.’ In his irritation, Hiei looked over to the Kitsune and didn't bother to repress the low growl had spilled forth in his renewed annoyance.

“I know what it is you want, Kurama, you’re searching for an opening to begin your questioning,” he spat, warning his partner off of this train of thought. Grimly he shook his head, not willing to give an inch. He’d fended them off for this long and he would continue to do so even now. It didn't matter that he didn’t have the answers to the questions at the moment because even if he had, he would not divulge them to his partner, or anyone else for that matter. Uncomfortably he shifted against the branch he rested on, trying to ignore the rising tension in the air. He was well aware that Kurama was now looking at him with a slightly predatory cast in his emerald green eyes. If there was anything the Kitsune loved it was puzzles and games, especially on a topic that he'd been thwarted on in the past. However, Hiei refused to play this night, or any other night with this particular subject and the fox should have realized that by now. Kurama would be doing well to keep out of his affairs especially when he knew his attention wasn't wanted. Hiei knew that his emotions were too raw and the festering wounds too open with the knowledge about what was coming to even consider opening up to his partner. “Let it go, Kurama, this does not concern you.”

Kurama ignored the warning growl and the glare that came with it, knowing that any information he could get was going to be worth the effort it would take to obtain. Hiei might be able to intimidate anyone else with either one of those tactics, but he was different and he would not allow his prey to escape him this time. The Spirit Kitsune within him continued to push at the back of his mind, although he was refusing to reveal just what his suspicions were concerning what might be going on. All Kurama knew was that their first meeting had been on the night of an eclipse and they had fought. Hiei had been vicious in his defense of a young girl who for all intents and purposes had vanished just as the fight was getting underway. But thats where the knowledge ended, Youko wasn't ready to fill his human counterpart in on the specifics of what had occurred. His human side was smart though and had made the connection with the few clues available to him.

“I beg to differ, Hiei. Something is troubling you and I know it has to do with the lunar eclipse. Now, what is it?” Kurama asked, his voice one of reassurance, trying to project a sense of understanding to the fire apparition in hopes that he would trust him with his problem.

Ignoring the question, Hiei stood to leave despite the way Kurama now tried to stop him with an outstretched hand. He was more then fed up already and it would only become worse with the questioning that he knew was coming. Glaring at the redhead he shrugged off the hand that had made itself at home on his arm, “I don’t have to answer to you, Kurama, I don’t have to answer to anyone.”

He knew the kitsune was likely to pick up on part of what was going on, he wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate the spirit locked inside the red haired human. But that didn’t mean he had to play his game either. Many people had in the past and lost their lives to the cunning demon. While his life was not at stake, his secrets were and Hiei would not allow them to come to light, at least not until he fully understood them himself. When his partner tried again to stop him, a pale hand gripping his arm tightly to prevent him from darting off into the night Hiei laid a hand on the hilt of his katana in warning. Although they were team mates even the kitsune knew better than to get in his way at a time like this.

Calmly Kurama relinquished the hold he had on the apparition. He knew he'd pushed as far as he'd been able to without risking a fight coming between them. Still, he didn't want the smaller demon to just vanish on him.

“Don’t go, Hiei. I won't push any further, it's up to you if you wish to speak of it,” he said quietly. Was what was going on so important that the apparition had to deal with it on his own? Kurama wasn't certain of anything at this point, but if his prey left then his questions would remain unanswered. The best he could hope for was to convince the hybrid to stay and maybe he'd open up on his own.

Hiei shook his head and relinquished his hold on his sword. He knew what his friend was attempting to do and he was just as determined not to give in. If he stayed he knew there was a good possibility that he would talk eventually, Kurama was entirely too good at getting what he wanted. But he was slightly surprised at the concern that flashed through those emerald eyes, for once not showing any trace of gold whatsoever. Perhaps for once he'd been able to push Youko to the side and now only genuine concern showed through. Even so, it didn’t matter what prompted the redhead to continue trying. What he needed was to leave and find someplace quiet where he could collect his thoughts and prepare for the next couple of days. One thing was for certain, they'd be nothing short of a living hell for him to endure. He would need to be ready for the memories, and the girl that haunted them until she made her appearance. Turning to his partner, Hiei shrugged his shoulders slightly, “Everyone has their own personal demons, Kurama. You of all people should know that.” For once his voice held no anger within it, just a sense of acceptance that only left Kurama with more questions.


However, Kurama never received a chance to reply for he was suddenly alone. Hiei had vanished into the dark of the night, leaving no trace that he'd ever been there to begin with. He knew that it would be pointless to attempt tracking the man down at this stage in the game. If anything, he knew the apparition well and if Hiei didn’t want to be bothered, then it was highly unlikely he would be able to find the hybrid anyway. In the unlikely event that he did, Kurama knew that he would just end up leaving again, most likely after a few well placed threats. To force him to stay would mean a fight that even Kurama wasn't certain that he would win.

Sighing slightly the redhead closed his eyes> Hiei had been right; he knew exactly what he meant by personal demons. After all he was plagued with his own almost every night despite his best attempts to banish them. Yet it was not to be, his own nightmares were centered on the fateful night that Youko had lost Kuronue and the pain he experienced was not his own. While it was in the distant past, he still felt the Spirit Kitsune's anguish over his fallen partner. Kurama just hoped that whatever it was that was coming back to haunt his friend was something that he could handle on his own. A frown marred his features as he looked down into his hand which should have been empty, but instead in his palm lay the apparition’s communicator. It was a sure sign that Hiei wished to be left in solitude. Kurama cast one last glance into the night before standing to return to his own home. ‘Stay safe, Hiei.’

~The Next Day~

Prince Koenma, Heir to the Reikai was pacing on top of his desk in agitation. Over and over he berated himself as he waited impatiently for the Spirit Detectives to report to him. ‘Why did I not take Kurama’s advice? He had proven our security team was ineffective and had offered to help strengthen our defenses! But no, my team assured me they had it covered!’

Looking back he realized just how foolish he'd been to disregard the Kitsune's help but there was little that he could do about it now. A costly mistake had been made, one that could rob millions of their lives in the end.

Once again something important had been stolen from the vaults, a powerful artifact which could destroy all within the three realms if it was used by the wrong hands. Yet Koenma wasn’t sure if he'd even live to see that come to pass, it would be a tossup as to who would be the one to kill him first, his father or Yusuke. He was laying money on the Detective since he would come in contact with him first, assuming the man ever showed up. On the unlikely chance that he survived that encounter he had no intentions whatsoever of telling his father that Zinan had stolen the Scepter of Darkness if he could help it. While he didn’t want to think about the consequences of what would happen if it were used, it was something he was being forced to consider in light of this most recent theft.

Kurama was the first member of the team to arrive, although Koenma took no notice of his presence. He was too busy working on a method to give the team the information they would need while maintaining his current health once Yusuke got a hold of him. This suited Kurama just fine since it gave him time to observe the Prince and possibly gather information that Koenma would purposefully withhold from them about what was going on. Too many times he had sent them off into battle only half informed only to say later that they hadn't needed to know at the time. If there was a chance of preventing it in this instance, then he would use this opportunity to his full advantage.

Emerald eyes hardened in displeasure as the Kitsune avatar listened to the words that the demigod was muttering under his breath. He had heard of the Scepter of Darkness before through Youko and even the Kitsune spirit had no desire to possess such an artifact. The damnable staff had the ability to plunge the three realms into total darkness while slowly draining the life energies of every living being, and this fool child they worked for had allowed it to be taken. Security around here had to have become extremely lax if Zinan had been the one to break in. Kurama knew of him from past dealings and it was well known that the man was not a thief of any high caliber. However, he was on the other hand ruthless and power hungry, needing complete control to keep his paranoia at bay, which was something the scepter could easily give him. Such a tool placed in the hands of the insane could only bring about a disaster the likes of which they'd never seen before.

However, the entrance of Botan, Yusuke, and Kuwabara stopped Kurama from gaining any further information that might have been forthcoming had they remained undisturbed. Koenma had looked up immediately upon hearing the door open followed by the entrance of Yusuke and Kuwabara who were bickering between themselves. Now they were just one team member short which should have been a bit surprising to him, but wasn't. Hiei usually beat everyone there on the rare occasion they were called directly into Koenma’s office, however, given the apparition's behavior the night before it would have surprised Kurama if he had made an appearance.

“Where’s the Shrimp?” Kuwabara asked, slightly confused. He had immediately noticed that the apparition was missing and felt compelled to ask where he was. Although the man usually groused about any mission they were assigned to he was more than willing to indulge in the killing that would inevitably follow. If he'd gone missing it meant either the man had deemed what was going on as not worth his time or something was wrong with him.


Kurama fixed his team mate with a hard stare while ignoring the question. While usually he'd ignore the idiotic names his friends tossed at Hiei, at the moment he wasn't in the mood to deal with it. Besides, he was wary of saying too much in light of how the apparition had been acting the night before It might have been a harsh way of dealing with the situation, but the last thing Hiei needed was the Reikai hounding him as well. The Kitsune couldn't help but wonder if this had something to do with the reason Hiei was acting so off the night before, but dismissed the thought quickly. Hiei would not lower himself to working with one such as Zinan. Still, his assistance on this case would be invaluable, if only he had shown up.


When it looked as if Kurama wasn't going to speak up, Botan fidgeted nervously. “Koenma Sir, I could not locate Hiei and he is not answering his communicator,” she said, her normally cheerful voice laced with worry. As a last resort, she had even tried the demon whistle which had never failed to bring the apparition out of hiding before. But this time Hiei had not made an appearance, leaving her to wonder just where he had gone to. She'd never seen Koenma quite so worked up before and she knew that they'd need every member of the team in order to resolve this latest case.


Koenma stared worriedly at Botan for a moment before turning to his computer, his fingers striking the keys rapidly. He fully intended to find Hiei by tracking his energy signature, but luck was not with him and it was not to be on this particular day. It would seem that either the apparition had left the Ningenkai, or he was masking himself entirely too well. Everyone watched in silence as the toddler before them began to pace across the top of his desk once more.


'This cannot be happening to me. I need the entire team here and Hiei just up and vanished!' Would the team be able to retrieve the scepter being one member short? Koenma wasn't so sure if they'd be able to succeed this time, especially if Zinan managed to activate the scepter.


“You know, as much fun as it is to watch you I have better things to do with my time so get on with it. Why the hell are we here?” Yusuke’s voice had effectively cut through the silence and turned everyone's attention towards him. As much as he'd love to know where the apparition was, Yusuke trusted him. If he couldn't be here for whatever reason then it had to be damned important, Hiei didn't just leave his friends hanging.

In spite of Yusuke's question, Koenma didn't seem to be inclined to enlighten the others anytime soon. Instead he was now staring at Kurama, forcing the redhead to sigh quietly before he pulled the communicator out of his pocket. Immediately everyone’s attention shifted to him and he knew it wouldn't be long before he was bombarded with questions. To him it was obvious that Hiei had been intent on not being found even before handing his communicator over because he had made sure it was turned it off first. Giving it to him had only ensured that he would not be bothered until he was ready to make an appearance. There was no mistaking that it had also been the apparition's way of requesting Kurama keep the others from searching for him. Hiei would mask his energy and nothing short of someone having an excessively large amount of spiritual awareness would find him. Even then they would have to be within close proximity or they would never know that he was there.

“Hiei’s not coming,” he said quietly, knowing the others would hear him easily enough. Not one word was said as everyone present continued to stare at Kurama wondering just what the hell he was keeping from them.

~In The Ningenkai~


Hiei had felt the first wave of energy searching over the area wash over him. Apparently there was some pressing reason for Koenma to attempt to search him out, however, the apparition was not inclined to indulge the toddler at this time. Whatever it was would have to be settled without his help this time, because the flashbacks had already started again. If one struck him while they were engaged in battle it could easily be fatal and he somehow doubted that Koenma would be willing to resurrect him as he'd done with Yusuke. Knowing this effectively crushed any thoughts of fighting at this time since he had no intentions of dying any time soon. He was certain that whatever it was that Koenma wanted would be easily taken care of by the others. It wasn't as if they needed him to hold their hands after all.


Hiei had a lot to consider and very little time left to do it in. The first was determining where he would wait these next few days out. Once he found a place to rest it needed to be secure enough for him to ride the episodes out, he couldn't just relocate without potential complications if he were disturbed. It wasn't an easy problem to solve even though at the moment he was in the human world. If he went to the Makai, Hiei knew that he would need to take shelter somewhere until it was over. It was a dangerous place at the best of times and he had no desire to be attacked while he was vulnerable. However, when he had met Kagome that was the realm she had appeared in. Would history repeat itself or would she show up in the world she belonged too? He was uncertain as to the likelihood of a reappearance in his native land. She was indeed human, a Priestess to be more exact, and not exactly a native to the Makai. For the well to dump her back where she'd gone through hell would have been beyond cruel, but still not something he'd put past those in charge.


Ignoring another wave of energy, Hiei leaned against the trunk of the tree he was residing in and closed his eyes knowing yet another memory was preparing to assault him. A glimpse of her face, haunted blue eyes that were filled with pain and fear as she fell backwards into a well. How she had cried out his name as blue light surrounded her. A shudder wracked his body when he felt the ghosting of her fingers across his own as he had reached for her in hopes of preventing her disappearance. She had fallen due to his carelessness. He had been too intent upon his opponents actions and had not noticed the bat demon's movements. Unfortunately by the time he had, it was too late, Kagome panicked at the appearance of an unknown male and he had been unable to prevent the well from taking her. Although they'd begun to say their goodbyes neither of them had been ready for the finality of what was to happen. All he had wanted was a few more minutes with her, something to remember while he endured the long wait for her to return to him.

Irritation swept through him feeling the Reikai searching for him a third time. It would seem that the toddler wasn't going to give up on him anytime soon, much to his displeasure. Knowing that he wasn't going to get any rest the apparition opened his eyes and contemplated his next move. It was unlikely that it would be able to pick him up, however, he wanted to be sure and the easiest way to ensure that he was not found out was to go someplace where they would least expect him to be. Bracing himself for the distasteful thing he was about to do, Hiei headed off into the city to immerse himself in a sea of humanity. It would be the last place they would look if they were determined to find him. Besides, he wanted to be prepared for her arrival on the chance that she returned to him, and there were some crucial items he would need.

~In The Reikai~

“What do you mean he’s not coming?” Yusuke asked incredulously. He was not at all pleased about this turn of events and his expression revealed just how agitated the statement had made him. They all had to pull their own weight on this team and that meant that participation was mandatory. It could only mean that something was seriously wrong with the apparition and that worried him ‘Why the hell would Hiei up and fucking disappear?’

Even more troubling was that Kurama seemed to know what was going on, but was reluctant to say anything. Over the years he'd been sure that he'd managed to gain the apparition's trust so why couldn't he have been informed as to what was happening?


“It’s obvious, Yusuke. He is not here and he gave me his communicator last night without revealing where he was going. Koenma cannot track his energy so it stands to reason that he’s masking it and has no desire to be found at this time,” Kurama said and he inwardly sighed while wondering how he had ended up in this mess. He knew that his answer was not going to be enough to pacify either Koenma or Yusuke, but he didn't have anything else to tell them.


Seeing the look of outrage on the demigod's face, however, could not mean anything good. Koenma was going to demand answers that he didn't have which left him no other choice but to turn control over to Youko. He was the only one who could be counted on to give the others a bit of information that would at least pacify them for the moment. After giving the Kitsune partial reign of his body, Youko was prepared to give them the one explanation that was likely to keep them from throwing the apparition in prison for violation of the terms of his probation.

The response from the others was immediate, causing Youko to smirk. Even after all that had happened between them they were still wary of what he was capable of. It was one thing when he turned complete control of this form over to his human counter part, but quite another when it was just him dictating their actions. As tempting as it was to exploit that particular revelation, now wasn't the time. Had he been able to take over their body completely his ears would have been laid back in annoyance at having to reveal one of the apparition's secrets. If Koenma became involved in what he suspected was coming to pass in the hybrid's life, it would bring about complications they didn't need. As much as he wanted to know what relevance the eclipse had with the girl that had vanished before his eyes, he would not just hand the knowledge over to the Reikai.

"Hiei needs a few days to himself,” Youko stated firmly, his tone brooking no argument from the others. Now all of their attention was focused on him which was all to the good. He refused to repeat himself just because someone's mind happened to wander. “His reproductive cycle is approaching and his scent has already started to change. Another day or two and he will be in full rut. At that time he would not be able to aid us anyway."

Inside their shared body Kurama's surprise was easily felt. He hadn't expected that Youko would divulge this particular bit of information and he hoped that Hiei would not take offense to such a personal matter being brought to light. Yusuke looked like he was about to protest the very idea of Hiei being incapable of helping, but he cut it off with a shake of his head as Youko gave him control back, his job finished.

"Trust me in this Yusuke, his instincts will be pushed to the surface and we do not need the added complications to this mission," Kurama said quietly. At that time the only thing that Hiei would want to do would be fight or fuck, and not necessarily in that order. Playing with the man's aggressive tendencies at that time was something that they could do without.

Koenma looked uneasily at the Kitsune avatar, studying him for several long moments. While he couldn't say what it was, he was certain that Kurama knew something more and was withholding that information. However, getting the redhead to talk would be damned near impossible if he didn't want to and based on the look he was receiving, Koenma knew his chances were virtually nonexistent. Part of it didn't add up because he was sure that Hiei had gone through these breeding cycles before. The apparition wasn't one to remind idle for long, had it held him back in the past? Later once this crisis had passed he’d have to corner Kurama and see just how far he could push him. However at the moment they had bigger issues to concern themselves with. Right now all he could do was accept Kurama's explanation even though it was done grudgingly. He sighed heavily, Hiei would have been a great asset to have on this mission but there was no use putting this off any longer. “We will worry about Hiei later, you all need to be briefed on your next mission. Pay attention because this gets complicated, this task I’m giving you is of the utmost importance, the fate of the three worlds hangs in the balance!”

Yusuke rolled his eyes at this; he had heard this particular line far too many times. He was certain that Koenma would consider a hangnail a life and death situation that needed to have the team’s personal attention if he thought he could get away with it. He leaned against the wall and did a decent imitation of a snore much to Koenma’s irritation.

“This is serious ,Yusuke, quit screwing around! In two days time an event called a Totality Lunar Eclipse is going to happen. Normally we would not be overly concerned about this even though there is immense power that is pulled into the atmosphere due to the alignment the moon and sun take with the Earth,” Koenma said wearily as he began to go into more detail on the power shifts and the effects that it would have on the group. As complicated as the information Koenma knew that it was necessary because it pertained to the activating the Scepter.


After several minutes of the demigod droning on and on Yusuke was already bored; he didn’t give a fuck about alignments or any other bullshit that he was hearing at the moment. What he wanted to know was what the mission was so they could get it over with. He had better things to do than to stand here listening to what amounted to a three year old for a boss talk about some moon phase. Kuwabara's thoughts were running much along the same lines, wondering if there was a point to this lecture or not.


“What does the Totality Eclipse have to do with the Scepter of Darkness?”

Koenma looked startled by Kurama’s question, he had not been expecting it but then again he had not noticed the Kitsune’s entrance to begin with. Kurama on the other hand had a bad feeling about this entire situation. He was not aware of exactly how the scepter worked, but if it’s power was triggered by the energy that would be bleeding into the three realms during the eclipse then this could be very bad indeed.

“I’m not going to ask how you know about that right now,” Koenma said fidgeted under the stares that he was receiving from his employees. This was the point that he'd been dreading, if only he could throttle Kurama for pushing him for an explanation before he'd been ready to give it.

“Late last night a demon by the name of Zinan broke into the security level Alpha vault and stole an artifact of immense power,” Koenma's said quietly and allowed his gaze to shift nervously over to Yusuke with good reason. Immediately the man's expression had darkened and the demigod knew that there was an explosion just waiting to happen.


The detective had stepped away from the wall, advancing towards Koenma with a murderous glare in his eyes. The last time someone had broken into that vault he had nearly gotten killed. Not to mention Keiko had been put into danger and Botan had nearly died trying to save her. There was no way in hell Yusuke was just going to stand by and let something like that happen again.

“You told me you increased security on that vault!” Yusuke said, his voice filled with malice. He was beyond infuriated and the others didn't look much happier. When was the toddler going to stop risking their lives with shit that could have been prevented?

Koenma dove off of his desk, and hid cringing behind his chair. He did not like the look in Yusuke’s eyes at all; in fact the Toushin looked ready to kill him if he managed to get his hands on him. A quick glance around to the other occupants in the room revealed to him that both Kuwabara and Kurama were wearing similar expressions, which was not reassuring in the least. He swallowed hard knowing he had to continue briefing them even at the risk of bodily injury.

“Yes, well my staff assured me that it had been done but apparently it was not enough,” Koenma continued, gathering his last bit of courage. Assuming a more assertive position Koenma resumed his seat in the chair as if he didn't have three men ready to kill him at a moments notice, “As I was saying, he stole the Scepter of Darkness. Thankfully the knowledge that is needed to key the staff and access it’s power is a closely kept secret that not many know of. Unfortunately for us though the timing of its theft leads me to believe that Zinan already has access to that knowledge and intends on using it during the eclipse when the moon bleeds red.”

Something told Kurama that the theft being timed to the upcoming eclipse, combined with Hiei's unusual behavior was something more than a coincidence, but he couldn't put his finger on just what it was. The only thing he was certain of was that Hiei wasn't working with Zinan, the apparition wouldn't team up with someone such as that particular demon. Nor did the hybrid have the same quest for power that he'd once held. Still, something wasn't quite right and even Youko had fallen into a brooding silence that didn't look like would end anytime soon.


“So tell me who the hell this Zinan is. How strong is he and when do we leave so I can kick his fucking ass and get this over with?” Yusuke demanded. It had become apparent that he wasn't going to get an afternoon of quiet after all and as such was more than ready to get the mission started so it could be done with. Afterwards he'd be sure to beat Koenma's ass for allowing the Scepter to be taken in the first place and then they'd have a little chat about tightening the security around the palace.

Koenma just shook his head wondering how Yusuke had managed to stay alive for so long before realizing he hadn’t. He’d needed divine intervention on more than one occasion. He was still as brash as ever though, which strangely enough was one of his greatest strengths as well. Just when everything looked hopeless Yusuke managed to pull a miracle out of thin air and overcome the worst of odds. Koenma hoped he had another such miracle hidden away somewhere. “Zinan is a lower S class, Yusuke, which is why I wanted all of the team here. However you’ll have to make due without Hiei’s assistance until we can find him," Koenma said and allowed his gaze to rest on Kurama for a momen,t letting the Kitsune know that he wasn't done discussing Hiei's disappearance. "His fortress lies in the northernmost reaches of the Makai, however his energy has been spotted sporadically throughout the realm so Botan will transport you to his last known location.” Fortunately they'd picked up on his energy not even four hours ago so it was the best lead that they had to go on.

Kurama was not under any illusions that this would be an easy case. He was well aware of Zinan’s capabilities. They would have to be careful with him, he was a teleporter among other things which would make it very difficult to nail his location down as well as fighting him once they got a lock on him. “So we are to retrieve the Scepter. What of Zinan?”

Koenma gave them all a look that told them he expected no arguments from any of them at his next statement. Each one of them had pressing reasons for not staying in the Makai for an extended period of time but he could not allow something like this to happen again. “You are to take Zinan down. Dead or alive it makes no difference as long as you retrieve the scepter and eliminate the threat he poses. If that means you spend the next six months in the Makai searching for him then so be it. You will be allowed regular breaks to return home. I’ve already arranged the excuses for your families. A letter was sent to your families from our office explainingthat you had each been chosen to participate in an extra curricular assignment for the Universities you are attending this year. Do what you have to and say your goodbyes, I expect you all to be ready to leave within twenty four hours.”

Neither Yusuke, Kuwabara, or Kurama looked particularly pleased at this announcement. Kurama especially since it would mean that his record in his final year of college would be marred but it wasn’t as if he had much choice in the matter. If Zinan succeeded in his plans then the degree he'd been working towards would no longer matter. Nor would anything else for that matter. Kurama sighed knowing that he really didn't have a choice, the best that he could hope for would be that Koenma would try to see to it that his record was not too adversely affected.