Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho and I'm not making money cos I'm dumb and you're smart yada yada yada, now let's get on with this.
Chapter 1
The head ferry girl of Reikai stood in her appointed place beside her boss's chair, her once bright amethyst eyes trained on the four figures in front of her.
Hot anger boiled through her veins and it was all she could do to remain silent.
"And you have no idea where he went?"
The leader of the group, a tall man with long green hair, pale eyes and sporting a lot of silver jewellery, shook his head regretfully.
"I'm afraid not sir. It seems that he anticipated all of our stratagems beforehand. We stood no chance against him. The man was already dead when we got there."
His voice, though polite and apologetic, held no real concern. The infant ruler of the spirit world, in the guise of a young man with light brown hair, nodded wearily.
"Very well Stefan. I did not have high hopes of his capture. Amaor how is your arm?"
The figure standing respectfully just behind the green haired man grimaced, hitching the sling that held his arm a little further up his neck.
"Not good, sir. I'm afraid I may not be able to fight for at least another month."
"Don't worry Ama," clucked the woman beside him, her long violet hair framing cherubic features that smiled softly up at him, "We'll make sure no one hurts you. Lord Koenma," she turned to the ruler of Reikai, smiling brightly, "Do you think some sort of protection could be arranged for Amaor? It's not safe for him to be left undefended while he is injured."
"I'll see what can be arranged Miela," Koenma replied stiffly, "Stefan, your next destination is – "
"But Koenma-sama!" interrupted Miela, her wide blue eyes fixed in horror on his face, "Surely you cannot think of sending Stefan and Kimera out all on their own?"
She turned to smile reassuringly at Stefan and Kimera, a girl with short golden hair and scanty, fashionable clothing. The ferry girl spoke up coldly.
"He isn't suggesting sending them 'on their own'. You will be going with them."
The woman blinked in surprise. "Me! No no no! I have to stay to look after Ama! He is ever so vulnerable all alone and injured! Who knows what nasty demons might attack him if the rest of us are away on a wild goose chase!
"Catching a murdering demon is not a wild goose chase!" snapped the ferry girl, glaring at the woman.
"Botan…"
She closed her eyes at the quiet word from her employer and reluctantly lapsed back into silence, though still staring in disgust at Miela. Koenma turned back to Stefan, fighting to keep his own temper in check.
"We think he is in Tokyo, I'll have Tadashi take you down. Miela I will take care of protection for Amaor. I trust you can find your own way out?"
She nodded, smiling brightly and bowing, the other three following her example. Turning, they left the room and the door swung shut behind them with a hollow 'thud'. Koenma continued to stare at the door for about a minute before an impassive voice broke the heavy silence.
"They. Were. Smiling."
Koenma got up and walked slowly around his desk before turning to face the rigid form of the ferry girl. Bright blue hair was pulled back, not falling messily around her face as it used to but tied tightly up into a severe knot held by two black pins, giving her features an oddly sharp look. Her eyes that used to sparkle as brightly as a newly cut reigem were now shadowed and empty. The warm pink kimono had gone to be replaced with a blank white garment that cast a pallid aura over her equally pale skin. Koenma heaved a great sigh and studied her jaded features as she began to speak once again, her expression never changing.
"They were smiling and giggling like they were on some kind of vacation. They are supposed to be Reikai Tantei Koenma."
Her voice was rising now, her features becoming darker and even more angry with every word she spoke, "Now one of them can't fight for a month because he cut his arm – " the scorn in her voice made him wince, " – and they have the nerve to ask for protection. They allowed Mantalus to escape, putting all of Ningenkai in danger and they want pampering even though they failed in their duty! If Yusuke had failed a mission which he wouldn't have then – "
"Botan!"
Koenma turned a sharp, warning gaze on the ferry girl. Amethyst met hazel in a furious combat of wills. The tension between them could have been cut with a knife, so palpable the force. Finally Botan took a deep shuddering breath and bowed her head slightly breaking off eye contact with her boss.
"Forgive me Koenma-sama," she said formally. Her voice was cold, so unlike the cheerful, bubbly tone he had been used to hearing for so many years. The young prince of Reikai sighed wearily, rubbing his forehead. His new detectives meant well but… he knew they really had not taken on board the seriousness of their job when they had agreed to work with him. Still, they were the best he had.
Not the best you could have.
Koenma stubbornly ignored the nasty little voice in his head as he had done so many times before, returning to his desk. Botan brushed past him, turning just as she reached the door.
"Was there anything further Koenma-sama?"
He met her gaze for a moment, his expression soft and sorrowful.
"Botan… you have to understand, it was Yusuke's decision. If I could recall him I would but – "
"He would want to know!" Her voice held both anger and a sort of pleading urgency to it, her fists clenched.
"He would want to know if Ningenkai was in danger! We can't do this alone Koenma! We need them back!"
"Botan!" Koenma snapped, standing up, "There is no THEM any more, do you understand me? They are gone now! We will survive without them, we did before they came and we will now that they are gone!"
The ferry girl's jaw set rigidly, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she stared at him.
"Stop it. Stop pretending that somehow we'll pull through. You're nothing but a blind, foolish toddler. You can sit here in your office and keep telling yourself that those pathetic excuses for fighters can protect us whilst Reikai crumbles into ruin around you!"
Without another word she wrenched the door open and left without a backward glance, slamming it behind her. Koenma slumped back into his seat and dropped his head into his hands.
Ever since Yusuke had… well… things had just not been the same in Reikai. Demon attacks steadily worsened as word spread through the three worlds that the near legendary Toushin lord, Reikai Tantei, Yusuke Urameshi… was dead.
Koenma shook himself out of his maudlin musings and turned his thoughts to the problem at hand. The demon that his detectives had allowed to escape – no! They had been unable to capture him, he reminded himself sternly, it was not their fault.
The nasty little voice was back.
It sniggered.
He pushed it firmly away and ran over the details of the escaped demon in his mind.
Mantalus was a high level B class demon that fed on human eyeballs. It was able to assume the form of a normal ningen to blend in and select a target. It was a meticulous hunter, having picked out its prey it would enter his or her house under cover of darkness and pluck its victims eyes out while they were asleep.
During feeding, Mantalus's arms would grow into long, insect-like limbs, similar to the claws of a preying mantis, which it used to cut away the victim's eyelids before scooping out the eye itself. It then drank its victim's brain fluids, tearing out the voicebox so they couldn't scream.
The creature's powers were not a great threat, but his ability to disguise himself and creep under cover of darkness was not to be taken lightly. But still, his detectives had managed to catch him out in the open. That had to account for something…
Yeah, then all four of them let him vanish right under their noses. Admit it, they stumbled on him by chance and then bungled their attacks.Koenma gritted his teeth and shifted a stack of papers on his desk, looking for the demon's file that might shed some light on where the demon might strike next. His movements were quick and jerky and he accidentally nudged an entire pile of assorted clutter and it tumbled to a heap on the floor.
Resisting the urge to revert to his toddler form and throw the most enormous tantrum in the history of the three worlds, the lord of Reikai dropped to his knees to gather the papers, silently praying that Jorge or another of the oni would not come barging in. It was NOT a good thing for the oni to see their master floundering amongst paperwork, a very undignified position for the son of a god.
Collecting the papers into an untidy jumble, his eye was caught by a glossy piece of paper sticking out of the heap. Curious, he pulled it out of the pile to reveal a photograph.
His breath hitched on his throat as he stared transfixed at the picture.
A group of people stood outside in a sunlit field under the emerald shade of a large oak tree. Memories swam to the surface of his mind as the figures in front of his eyes smiled up at him.
There was carrot-haired Kazuma Kuwabara looking strange in a suit, standing beside his elder sister Shizuru who looked equally strange in a beautiful yellow kimono. Their cat, Eikichi was twined around Kuwabara's legs, staring adoringly up at him. In front of them stood a small girl dressed in a teal kimono with soft aqua hair and large, cherry red eyes, smiling gently: Yukina the koorime.
Next to her was a blue haired girl dressed in a candy pink kimono, her berry bright eyes shining, two fingers held up in a peace sign, grinning happily. Botan… she was a complete stranger to him now. His gaze roved over the tall, slim, emerald-eyed figure of Minamino Shuichi or Youko Kurama, long rose red hair drifting in the breeze, a warm smile on his features, one arm around his mother, Shiori. Just behind them, half hidden from view was a slight, dark clad figure with spiky black hair, white bandanna around his head and sharp blood red eyes looking impassively at the camera: Hiei, half fire demon, half koorime.
Koenma felt a sickening feeling deep in his stomach and turned his eyes swiftly to the very forefront of the picture. Two people stood there, both looking more happy and contented than Koenma had ever seen them.
A beautiful young brunette was standing arm in arm with a tall dark haired young man: Urameshi Yusuke and Keiko. Koenma remembered that they had argued over whether to have a traditional Japanese wedding or a western style one. Eventually they had decided to have a mix, Keiko wearing a traditional white kimono with a western style veil, Yusuke dressed in a smart suit, his dark hair slicked back as per usual, his typical tough guy smirk on his face, dark eyes shining.
Koenma stared at the photograph, meditating in old memories that he had thought long forgotten. Botan had brought him this picture a couple of days after Yusuke and Keiko's wedding, chattering happily about the new couple and scolding him for not going. That had been only a week before the disaster…
He was jolted out of his train of memories by the sound of the door opening. Jorge poked his head around the door, blinking as he caught sight of the lord of Reikai crouched in a pile of fallen paperwork, a photograph in his hands and a guilty expression on his face.
"Koenma-sama?"
"One word about this to anybody and I will personally see to it that you are cleaning out filing cabinets for all eternity do I make myself clear?"
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