Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mating ❯ More of the Puzzle ( Chapter 32 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"The Mating"

Disclaimer: If I owned this, would it be fanfiction? No, and I suppose you don't own it either. Us women of the world can only drool over these wonderful Bishies, *sigh*.

AN: None really. I’m seeing more of the series, so I am also considering revising slightly in some of my earlier chapters.

Chapter 32- More of the Puzzle

After they got to their room, Shizuru looked at Hiei. "Is it just me, or was that a complete waste of time?"

Hiei smiled ruefully back. "I don't think it was just you. Either that lot really are the fools that we think they are, or they are doing a very good job at hiding their cunning." He paused, "Even Kurama was never able completely to fool me to that extent."

Shizuru thought about that for a moment. "So they really are that stupid?"

Hiei nodded, "The others who were not there are not that stupid, however. I think Mukuro was trying to eliminate the obvious, because this lot are the ones that we do not need to visit. In essence, she narrowed our problem area significantly."

"Basically, she helped us by boring us to death." Shizuru summarized.

Hiei nodded. "In a shorter span than if we had've visited every single one of those lords ourselves."

"Works for me. So, what next?" Shizuru asked.

"Now, my mate, you and I get some sleep and we'll be out of here as soon as we are ready in the morning." Hiei told her.

Shizuru smiled at her mate then. "Well, then," She held her hand out to Hiei, who took it. "Seeing as how this will be the last night we have for a while to ourselves in safe territory, shall we make the most of it?" She led him into the bedroom.

Hiei was torn between grinning and smirking as he joined her on the bed. "And here I thought you were afraid of this very thing?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, well, I'd never been that enthused about sex, but someone seems to have woken me up in that respect." She paused and then added softly, "Besides, until now I thought making love was just a phrase, but you taught me differently."

Hiei cupped her chin in his hand, "Do you still have problems admitting your feelings?"

Shizuru's eyes trembled, though the rest of her remained steady. "I've always found it safer to not care, one way or the other. As you have protected your heart, I protected mine."

He told her softly, "You are no longer able to hold yourself aloof from life, any more than I am."

Shizuru nodded. "I am just having trouble with my brain to admit that. I've been ruled for so long by my head that now that my heart is actually speaking again, my brain is a little spooked."

Hiei nodded back, "I know what you mean."

"One of few, I'm sure."

Hiei shook his head. "Most of our group, actually. Kurama was afraid that Keiko would never accept him in his current capacity, secretly longing for Yusuke. Keiko was frightened that Kurama could never love her. I had two fears, one that my sister would reject me out of hand, no matter how foolish it seems and that you would never be able to conquer your fear of me to get me that chance to court you as you deserved. You feared letting your heart speak again. Botan and Yusuke are going to be almost comical to watch, as Yusuke seems to be tentative in his courting, fearing to go too fast to give Botan enough time to get over Koenma and Botan's not aggressive enough to push him into motion."

Shizuru looked at him in awe. "You really know what's going on."

"Of course." Hiei snorted, "Just because I choose not to talk, does not mean I am not observant."

"I think I need to get more observant." Shizuru replied. "I have never been much for the whole study people bit, but you just dissected the entire team."

Hiei nodded, "It helps during battle if you know what's going on in each teammate's head. Being able to read them is part of that."

Shizuru shook her head, amused, "I should have known that it had something to do with battle."

"Between battle and survival, that covers ninety nine percent of what is required in this world." Hiei told her. "Alliances are done through primarily similar powered individuals, and friendships," He sighed, "Those are rare. Kurama has some that could qualify as such, none that I've ever met, however. Hopefully he's recruiting them as we speak."

"You mean the Thieve’s guild?" Shizuru asked.

Hiei shook his head, "No, just the leaders. I even worked for one a time or two, freelance only, and saw Kurama, then Youko, from a distance. Morgan's a tough old bastard." He said admiringly.

"Morgan?" Shizuru asked, "Who is he?"

"That's a very good question, it's a little difficult to answer. I'm not sure just what kind of a demon he is, but he is missing an eye, and it's permanent."

"Don't we have phenomenal healing abilities?" She asked curiously.

Hiei nodded. "Yes, but there are ways around it, usually if a demon is not strong enough to overcome the wound, or if the wound is cursed or some such."

"That must have been a powerful curse." Shizuru commented.

Hiei shook his head, "Morgan is only an A class, or he was. I don't know if he's moved or not."

"The point is, that Kurama does have powerful contacts that the rest of us don't have."

Hiei nodded. "Exactly."

Shizuru raised her brow, "I almost expected you to say bingo."

Hiei chuckled. "I am not Botan."

"No, but even you find it humorous." She chuckled back, then lay back, pulling him down with her. She stroked his forehead, now unwarded between the two of them. She removed his dress shirt only to run a hand down his warded arm. "Do you ever think there will come a time when you will be able to remove this too?"

Hiei looked down at her hand, "I don't know, Shizuru. Your youki is very strong now, and only showing a slight drain due to," He closed his eyes to allow his Jagan more freedom, looking in her womb, trying to determine if she followed the Fire pattern or the Koorime one, "our child."

Shizuru looked questioningly at Hiei, "One? But I thought Koorime had two?"

Hiei nodded, "They do, but you are more fire demon than you are Koorime, and I was trying to determine which pattern you followed."

"So, in things like conception, I follow the koorime pattern, but when it comes to actually bearing the child, it's the fire that's dominant? And I thought I was confused before." Shizuru commented with a slight deprecating chuckle. She suddenly closed the distance between them, capturing his lips with hers. She leaned back for a moment and whispered, "Enough talk."

Hiei smiled, "Indeed."

Shizuru pushed him onto his back, displaying a wicked grin. "I have you, my very own fire demon, now what shall I do with you?"

Hiei pulled her down to him and told her, "Whatever you wish, Shizuru."

Shizuru just grinned even wider.

***********************

Carlana looked down at the messenger. "Very well, Tashan. Stay with Youko when he comes back, and above all, be loyal, we almost lost him once, we don't need to loose him again." She personally didn't think that her heart could take it either. Their affair had been brief, but it had left a lasting memory on her.

Carlana sighed as she went over to the window. "Ah, Youko. It's good to have you back, but it's also more difficult now that you came back with a mate." She said to herself.

Morgan's voice coming from behind her startled her, "I always knew you loved him."

"Morgan, don't surprise me like that. You know that I hate being spied on!"

"Yes, I do, however, we have a problem in our midst and we need to talk about that."

The name echoed through both of their minds, Trent. "Yes, we do. I know that my arm of the guild is loyal and we both know that your arm of the guild is loyal, and with the return of Youko, his arm is strong again."

Morgan gave a grim smile, "You should have seen his people when I informed them that their old leader had returned, I'm not sure whether to pity that poor hunter from the spirit realm or not."

Carlana gave a short laugh, "They are not your assassins, Morgan, he will survive, but be penniless for the rest of his days. I would pity him, as that's the only reason that he is safe in the Makai."

Morgan gave an ironic laugh, "You are right, Carlana."

"I'm always right, Morgan."

"Or so you hope." Morgan joined her by the window, watching the boy scamper amoung the streets. "I should have known Kurama would pick that boy."

Carlana looked at him quizzically, "How so?"

Morgan shook his head, "I sometimes forget that you are younger than Kurama." He went back to watching the boy. "Kurama genuinely likes boys like that one. He was a very smart, excellent pickpocket, and the best thief I'd ever seen, but he was freelance. I brought him into the guild. He had a small band following him already and he always had one or two boys around with about that type of personality around. Where he found them, I have no clue, but he raised them into some very fine individuals."

"Was Yomi one of the boys?"

Morgan shook his head, "I wish he had've been, then he would have known the price of loyalty." Morgan removed the eye cover that he had on, revealing a dry socket. "I wonder what Enma's trying to do now? He couldn't conquer us by force, so now what, try trickery?" He returned his eye cover.

Carlana looked over, "That is the first time I've ever seen you without that thing on, how did you loose the eye?"

"It's a long story." Morgan shrugged. "Not terribly flattering, either, suffice it to say that Kurama saved my life at the time."

"How does he manage to gain loyalty?" Carlana asked curiously, "I mean we're demons, we're not supposed to work together, much less be loyal to each other." Or love each other? Asked a very tiny voice inside her head.

Morgan chuckled, "Beats me, he was always cold to most, and had a very good sense of humor at times. On a job he was all business, but outside? He enjoyed his pleasures, cross him and you had an enemy for life, I'm surprised that he is working with Yomi now, must be the result of his mate. Yomi was lucky at the time that he was only blinded." He looked over at Carlana, "You love him, don't you?"

"Me and half the Makai, I think." She snorted, sounding odd with the shadowy effect of her voice. "I would have ordinarily gone after him, but I saw the mating marks. Those two have wrapped themselves so tightly around each other that it is impossible to step between them but strangely enough, I feel no jealousy. It's enough to see him happy."

Morgan nodded, "I haven't seen him this happy since his partner died. He and Kuronue had a special bond. While they weren't mates, they were brothers and lovers. After that, Kurama made sure that all of his lovers were never around long enough to get under his skin."

"Which is when he took me as lover. Kuronue died before I was born."

Morgan nodded. "You're very young to have gotten this high in the guild. I'm about three hundred older than Kurama. That is one old kitsune and that’s only his demon age, I don’t know how long he was a simple spirit fox."

"You're hardly young yourself, Morgan." Carlana countered. "What kind of demon are you? I never was able to place you."

Morgan snorted. "Even I don't know that. My mother was gang raped when she conceived me, or so I was told."

"An all too common story in our world." Carlana commented. "My parents were overcome by the mating cycle of my people, but separated when I was ten."

"How did that happen?"

"They were not true mates, only together for the sake of reproduction."

"Oh, the cycle lasted eleven years?" Morgan asked.

Carlana nodded.

"Speaking of reproduction, Kurama's mate is pregnant." Morgan told her softly.

Carlana sighed. "Now I really cannot even think of coming between the two and it brings us back to the immediate issue at hand."

"Did you have that boy investigated?"

Carlana nodded. "He's completely loyal."

"To the guild?"

"No, to Youko." Carlana corrected. "Turns out that his father is one of the boys that Youko raised."

Morgan chuckled, "Even in our world, you reap what you sow. So who are you going to send to Kaitan?"

"Two of my best," Carlana turned toward the door. "Are you ready to head out?"

Touya came out of the shadows. "Jin's already on his way, I thought you would send us."

Morgan looked surprised. "I never knew the shinobi were an arm of yours."

"No one needed to. That and they do have autonomy." She turned her red eyes to Touya's ice one's, "You will inform Kurama at some point soon that you and Jin also work for me. I would like for Yusuke to be informed as well, however, until Yusuke actually knows who his allies are, it would only alienate Jin from Yusuke. It's been more difficult to infiltrate Mukuro's stronghold, but I have one person and we'll see, I don't like not knowing what's going on in that area and then there is this old ally of Kurama's. Morgan, do you know anything of a being by the name of Sesshomeru?"

Morgan turned toward them suddenly. "Lord Sesshomeru? He's still alive? He disappeared five hundred years ago!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Carlana's voice was amused, "Who is he, is he trustworthy and what information do you have?"

"He's Kurama's second oldest friend, me being his first. Just watch the two of them together to gage him. I would trust him, but do not, I repeat, do not make him your enemy. I take it you are going as well?"

"Yes, I can get in territory that Touya cannot, due to Moya who cannot come close to those territories that have human slave trading still going on, now matter how often we try to stamp it out." Carlana looked back at the street. "I suspect that Trent is supporting them."

Morgan looked more serious. “Are you sure about that, Carlana?”

She shook her head, “That’s why I haven’t said anything yet, Morgan. It’s nothing more than a gut feeling that I have, but we know my gut feelings. They’ve kept me out of trouble more times that I can count. They also enabled me to locate Youko. Touya, keep an eye out for his thugs.”

“I will ma’am. Was there anything else?”

“I would like to meet that human that is with you.”

Touya smiled, “Getting jealous?”

“Not at all, just when one of my best operatives gets involved with someone I like to know who’s involved.” Carlana replied. “And you are teasing me, too much time around Youko.”

Touya chuckled. “Very much so. You wouldn’t believe what I felt when I finally realized who I was fighting in the Dark Tournament. I was quite honest when I told Kurama to kill me, however he spared my life. I was not quite sure how to take that at the time.” He stepped out to get Moya.

Carlana’s voice had a smile in it, “He is a very good man.”

Morgan nodded.

Touya came back in, bringing Moya with him. “Carlana, Morgan, meet Moya. Moya, meet the other two leaders of the Thieve’s Guild.”

“The two that I felt we could trust?” Moya asked with humor.

Touya nodded. “And Carlana has the same kind of feeling that you do about Trent.”

Moya shuddered. “Nice to know I’m not alone.”

Carlana told them, “If you shared this information with Kurama, it was well done, he will remember.”

“I did. I might not have truly known any of that group prior to a month ago, but I did know them all to some extent. What I am shocked by is the fact that I have felt attracted to the entire group of them, even those considered too dangerous in my world.” Moya wasn’t sure why she was sharing information like this with these two, but she really felt like she could trust them.

Morgan just looked over, “Like who?”

“Yusuke and Kuwabara for starters, they’ve always been seen as dangerous punks in my world, now I know why, but most are terrified of them.”

Morgan snorted, “If they had half a brain, they’d be more terrified of Kurama.”

Touya nodded. “Yusuke has the raw strength, but Kurama has the cunning, experience and the ruthlessness to take down anyone if he wants to.”

Moya asked, “So, do you serve him out of loyalty, or fear?”

“Neither, child,” Carlana told her, “We do it out of love and respect. Loyalty is part of that, but only a part.”

Touya nodded. “You see, he’s not someone who inspires something as simple as loyalty. He truly is a person worth serving, and yes, if you are his enemy, run. However, he has done more for the people of Kaitan than any other has.”

Morgan added, “Hell with doing more for those people, he just about created that city. Watch the people when Youko returns there. I gather you’ll be going with Touya and Jin?”

Moya nodded. “And wherever else I must. After this, I cannot go back to my ordinary life.”

Carlana told her, “I understand. There is one other from your world who found themselves in such a position, and he had such skills that Morgan recruited him, though he also works for me. He was the only one that I could get to infiltrate Alaric.”

“So you did find a use for the boy.” Touya said.

“He works directly for Hiei now.”

“An eye on all three of them, eh?”

“Only where I also could not question the loyalty, either to the guild, or to the one that you were serving. You working for Youko was a miracle. This world is torn apart enough, I sometimes think that if the guild took it over, it would be a much more peaceful place, not to mention that we would not have nearly as many problems.”

“I agree with you, Carlana.”

Moya asked, “Why do you call Kurama Lord and not these?”

Morgan laughed, “Because truth to tell, he rules us all within the guild, he just doesn’t want to acknowledge that. We follow his direction and he wouldn’t follow ours unless we convinced him. Him we follow without question for the most part and when we do question him, it’s because we have very good questions that we know we need the answers to.” He walked over to Moya, tilting her chin up without asking and looking into her eyes, gauging the person there.

Touya reached over when Carlana stopped him. “Don’t.” She whispered.

Morgan did a long search within Moya’s memories and personality. He finally released her chin and looked over at Touya, “She is loyal, but has her own demons, some of them literal.”

Moya turned to Touya, who wrapped his arms around her and asked, “What did you do, sir?”

“Keep your calm, boy, all I did was a memory search. I will not tell you what is there, she will have to tell you herself. I was just determining why she’s unafraid of us, when most are not used to seeing demons every day. She will be ready to travel within a half an hour, but you might want to get her something to eat first. Kurama has, once more, found a wounded creature, or should I say, the wounded found him and his friends.” Morgan’s eye burned into Touya’s fierce gaze.

“Thank you, sir, however, I think we need to leave.” Touya sounded much colder.

Carlana’s shadowy voice stopped him, “Touya, Morgan was only determining that there was no trap within the girl.”

“She is a woman, Carlana. That is all I will reveal at this time.” Morgan corrected her quietly.

Touya replied, “I know, but that does not mean that I have to like it, Carlana.” He left, supporting Moya on the way.

Morgan watched the two walk out and when the door was closed he slammed his fist into the wall, “Damn it!”

Carlana looked over at him with curious eyes, “What is it?”

“Her attacker, damn it!” Morgan put his hand over his eye, “It was Trent’s right hand man, who never does anything without Trent’s knowledge and approval.”

“It’s proven, then.” Carlana stated quietly. “Trent is a traitor.”

Morgan nodded. “Now what do we do?”

Carlana's red eyes burned, "Now, we fight conspiracy with conspiracy. We must assassinate Trent."

*****************************

Yusuke landed Puu once more in front of his castle. “You know, Puu, I don’t think it’ll be as bad as I thought living here. Whatcha think big guy?”

“Puuuu!”

“You like the idea, too, eh?” Yusuke patted him on the head. “Well, I’ve got to go in now. I’ll see you later.”

“Puu.”

Yusuke walked in, feeling like he was, for once, actually coming home, rather than a transient visitor. He smiled when he saw Botan hurrying towards him.

“Well, tell me how it went? We’ve all been dying of curiosity!” Botan exclaimed.

Yusuke smiled, “It seems that Sesshomeru was an old friend of Kurama’s. I left all four with Kurama, who seemed to know InuYasha, too, though he had known him when he was much younger.”

“Did he know any of the girls?”

“No. Though it seemed the two of them, Sesshomeru and Youko, knew each other quite well and I think I know where he got the nickname Fluffy from.”

“Kurama didn’t!” Botan giggled.

“Yep.”

Genkai put her head out of a doorway and raised a brow, “So Kurama actually gave the nickname to Sesshomeru, rather than his brother? It makes sense, though.”

“Doesn’t it, though?”

“Your mother’s awake and asking for you in the conference room.” Genkai told him.

Yusuke nodded. “Good, when I’m done there, can you and Toguro come see me? I think I need to get a start on the bandit issue as quickly as possible.”

“We’ll do that, Yusuke.”

“Thanks.” Yusuke walked down the corridor, absently holding Botan’s hand in his own.

Botan noticed, but didn’t complain, in fact she blushed slightly.

Yusuke opened the door, wondering what his mother would be like sober. He hadn’t seen her anything but drunk or hung over in so long that it was hard to tell what she’d be like. “Mom?”

Atsuko looked up, “Well, I guess you finally got me to quit drinking. I’m not sure whether to thank you or not.”

Botan opened her lips to say something, then thought better of it and just squeezed Yusuke’s hand.

Yusuke nodded. “Your liver’s still not the greatest, but you haven’t seen me and I haven’t seen you when you’ve been sober for so long that I’m not sure what to say.”

Atsuko looked up at him, “Then I guess I’d better say it, because while your methods were quite unorthodox, not to mention that barbarian that you sent, it worked. Thank you.”

“Mom?”

“I’m glad I get to see what my boy has been doing, and can see it without having to filter out the drink.”

“I’d like you to move here, Mom. This is where I’ll be living from now on, and I’m needed here.”

Chuu came out of the back, “Please Sheela, stay.”

Yusuke chuckled, “Somehow I thought you two would be two peas in a pod.”

“Yeah, she’s a good gal.” Chuu told Yusuke, “Just needs a keeper.”

The chuckle turned into a laugh, “Somehow I think most would say that about you!”

“That’s why I work for you, Yusuke.” Chuu replied with a grin.

"I kinda guessed that. Now, Mom, did you want to know what's going on here that I am needed here?" He looked at his mother, wondering if he could get her to actually participate in life again.

"I only have one question, how many did you have to beat up to rule this territory?" Atsuko asked, "Chuu has showed me some of it, and this is a very large territory."

"Yeah, it is. I couldn't do it alone, either." Yusuke told her. "And the answer is, I really don't remember."

Atsuko laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me, Yusuke? Sure, I'll stick around."

"Thank you. Chuu, you might want to sit in on this meeting too." He turned to Botan, "Can you get Genkai and Toguro in here?"

"Sure!" She gave his hand a squeeze and went to the door. Opening it, she said, "Come on in!"

Genkai came in, followed by Toguro. She nodded to Yusuke's mother, taking a seat at the table.

Toguro took the seat next to his mate. "Greetings." He looked at Chuu, "I hope you don't mind that he gave your position to me?"

Chuu shook his head, "Nah, I was relieved to not have that hanging over my head."

Toguro nodded.

"Okay, boys, that's enough. Now, what have we actually learned?" Genkai broke into the conversation, the label sounding odd coming from a woman who looked no older than seventeen herself.

Yusuke chuckled, "Okay, Grandma. Now, what we have learned is that there is more going on than we know about, however our enemy, as we found with Toguro is Enma. Kurama is currently trying to diffuse the time-bomb in Gandistra, Hiei's going to try to find the time bomb in Alaric. How is the bandit situation over here?"

Toguro looked around, "The bandits have been quiet ever since I showed my face."

"That makes me nervous." Yusuke said, “I do not like quiet bandits.”

Toguro nodded. “I agree. It is not normal bandit behavior.”

Chuu also nodded. “What d’ya think it means, mate?”

Yusuke shook his head, “I don’t know. I wish I had a way to communicate with Hiei and Kurama, maybe they’ve found something useful.”

“Dimwit, maybe you should have talked to Kurama before hightailing it back here.” Genkai told him.

Yusuke scratched his head and chuckled. “Maybe, but I didn’t. I can only hope that Kurama finds some way to notify the rest of us what’s going on.”

Botan tried to cheer Yusuke up, “Well, look on the bright side, now we don’t have to worry about wondering who our enemy is.”

Genkai turned to the ferry girl, “No, now all we have to worry about is who his allies are and who our own are. Our choices are few here.”

Yusuke snorted, “Yeah, and except for Hiei and Kurama, we’re all novices when it comes to dealing with the Makai on this level.”

Toguro nodded. “Those two are far from young. Ask around about Youko, in different areas, he is a hero, a villain, someone well loved, and someone feared.”

Chuu agreed, “Youko was always a dangerous sort, and those he called friends were just as dangerous as he. I know that Hiei’s done some freelance work for the guild, just like I have. Truth to tell, that group could be a lot more dangerous than Enma himself, if they wanted to.”

Yusuke looked at Chuu, “What do you think of them? I mean who they are, and the loyalty between the group.

Chuu looked over at Yusuke and scratched his head, “I don’t know. I’ve worked for Morgan, who seemed a decent sort. I saw the third head of the guild a time or two, and let me tell you, she’s a hard one to read.”

Genkai asked, “Oh?”

“Yeah, she’s a shadow elemental.” Chuu replied. “No face, just body posture and these burning red eyes out of her shadowy outline.”

Genkai snorted, “Which means you have to rely on those and vocal tone to gage her.”

Chuu nodded. “I’m not sure who would win a poker game between the three of them. Youko, Morgan or Carlana. All three of them are very, very dangerous.”

Toguro looked over at Chuu, “So basically, nothing can be determined?”

He nodded. “I don’t know anyone who would be able to read them, save maybe each other.”

Yusuke nodded around the table, "Then it's agreed, we wait, watch, and contact Kurama as soon as is possible." He added after a moment, "I hate waiting."

*********************************************

K oenma was, for once, putting aside work in favor of a quiet dinner with his betrothed. He looked over at Ayame from his teen form, which had been coming to him more and more naturally of late. He sighed, hoping Botan was all right.

"You are worried about Botan, aren't you?" Ayame asked, knowing she was right.

Koenma knew that she would not accept anything less than the truth. He nodded. "Yes, I am. I can't find any of them on the viewer. Hiei was always hard to track, and Kurama's house now has that lovely block on it, courtesy of Hiei as well. But now I can't even find Yusuke, unless they are in the Makai, and not in the Ningenkai at all." He sighed. He missed all four of them.

Ayame reached over to Koenma, “Why don’t you try the communicator? That should still work, shouldn’t it?”

Koenma shook his head, “I don’t think any of them really want to talk to me, Ayame, I even managed to piss off Kurama, and I wasn’t sure that was possible.”

Ayame shook her head, “Oh, Koenma, everyone can be angered. You should know that by now.”

“I know I should, but you know how slowly I learn sometimes. To make matters worse, Father’s temper is getting worse, and it’s all I can do to prevent him from destroying everything wholesale!”

Ayame nodded. “Your father has been steadily getting worse ever since I can remember. I don’t know, but I have heard some troubling rumors of late. It didn’t help a couple of months ago when that girl was attacked, either.”

“I know and worse still, I couldn’t even track the attackers, they left the Ningenkai too quickly. All I could do was a little damage control. You took care and made sure that she was clean, and I tracked her for a while afterwards. There’s only so much I can do about the free roamers in the Ningenkai, however. Father seems to want them all, dangerous or not, confined to the Makai. I have a few problems with it myself, but there comes a point where one has to turn a blind eye to what’s going on. Knowing who’s taking over in there makes me feel a little better about those whom I’m having to throw back in, but still, some of them have been living at peace in the Ningenkai for years!” Koenma told her, taking Ayame’s hand in his.

Ayame looked seriously into Koenma’s worried eyes, meeting them with her own calm. “I think it’s time for you to recruit Yusuke, I think all three worlds are in trouble.”

Koenma could only nod, while he’d never trusted demons, Yusuke had always been a special case, and most importantly, he still had the same qualities that he had possessed as a human. He didn’t care who, or what someone was, but he cared about what they did, and his friends. “I think you are right.” He smiled at her, “Now I remember why I also chose you to marry, you help me to retain my sanity.”

Ayame smiled, “Someone has to do that around here. We all know that your father doesn’t. But let’s concentrate on something pleasant.”

Koenma smiled back, “Yes, indeed.” His smile turned thoughtful, “I wonder how Keiko and Shizuru turned out. I don’t think I’ll be seeing that journal again, and if Father hears of that, I’ll be in some very deep water, however, I don’t mind, those four mean more to me than that. We faced Sensui together, and that bond, even now, holds me to them.”

Ayame got up from the table and went over to Koenma, “That includes Hiei, doesn’t it?”

Koenma looked her in the eye, “Not that I want to admit it, but yes, it does. Somehow Yusuke managed to catch his loyalty. I never did understand him, or Kurama, but Yusuke not only trusted them, he managed to get them to trust him. Sometimes I wonder where I actually fit with that group.”

“There is only one way to find out, contact Yusuke.” She bent down and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Koenma opened his eyes after the kiss. “You are right. I’ll do so first thing in the morning. I’m willing to bet that all of them are in the Makai. Ayame, see what you can find out in the morning as well, if you could.”

Ayame nodded. “I’ll try. Where should I start?”

“Try Kurama’s mother. She should have some idea of what’s going on, I think.”

Ayame felt that finally they were getting things back to where they were supposed to be going, but so much work remained in front of them that it looked like a truly daunting prospect. She sighed.

“I know, Ayame, I know. It’s a very large mess, isn’t it?” Koenma wondered if they would see the end of it, or not.

To be continued . . .