Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

-Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters- by Nemesis Q. Ravens

Chapter Three

The Uremeshi team's attention was drawn from the three struggling girls to the hooded member of the infamous Team Kyrios. The woman bent her head for a moment, whispering to herself with fingers to palm. She raised a closed hand and after Damien nodded approval, opened it to reveal a small black figure no bigger than her thumb.

Kuwabara smirked. "That's it? Thumblina?" He pointed at the thing and bent over howling with laughter.

Damien smiled menacingly. "My love, take the girls and await my return."

"As you wish," she said. Nemesis turned her head to face the fairy-like being in her hand. "Heed our master young one. Do as he bids."

The smirks on the four teammates vanished as the shadow left her hand to grow to a towering height.

PuppetMaster strode to where the three girls cowered in fear. Flakes of charred skin fell in its wake. Swooping Yukina and Botan in one arm and Keiko from Damien's lap with the other, it waited for its next order.

Team Uremeshi stared wide-eyed at the ghastly being. Never before had they ever seen something so very horrifying. With cracked lips pulled back in a feral grin, rotten fangs gleamed yellow in the candlelight. Dry, flaming red eyes scanned the room, sending shivers down the four boys’ spines when that purely evil gaze rested on them.

Damien, never looking away from the Spirit Detectives, waved his hand and the shadows behind him began to shift and swirl crazily.

"Go." Damien ordered the odd pair.

PuppetMaster obeyed and entered the swirling, black portal summoned by Damien. Nemesis quickly followed behind the mass of burnt flesh.

Unsurprisingly the boys immediately tried to go after the girls, but as the four jumped up, heavy hands grasping the shoulders of Hiei, Kuwabara, and Kurama, restraining them. Their team leader however, got up before he could be detained and charged after the hostages. Damien didn’t want that to happen and Yusuke was flung back by a swift kick to the chest.

The others fought to get away. The grips on their shoulders were crushing. Kurama could feel his bones nearing the splintering point under the pressure. Kuwabara summoned his Spirit Sword and swung the blade in all directions, trying to slice the arm restraining him, but something was shoved painfully hard in the middle of his back. As Hiei tried to unsheathe his katana, he was quickly finding himself falling into the abyss of unconsciousness along with Kurama and Kuwabara, both having been easily subdued with a good crack to the head. They had to reach the girls, but it Team Kyrios' wishes were not to be denied.

As this happened, Yusuke slowly stood from where he'd fallen and raised his hands to fire his Spirit Gun. Sadly, his efforts to fight back were swiftly stilled with a punch to the head. Damien had seen the intent in Yusuke’s eyes and ran forward to him to slam his fist against Yusuke’s temple. The last thing he heard before he joined his teammates, was Damien's whispered, "See you at the tournament, Uremeshi."

Nemesis stood before the trembling girls in the place on the other side of Damien‘s portal. She could practically smell the fear radiating from the kidnapped women. Behind her PuppetMaster waited patiently.

From the shadows of her deep hood, she spoke to Keiko.

"Do you believe that you will be rescued by Uremeshi and his companions?"

Keiko glanced at her, seemingly surprised at the very act of Nemesis conversing with her. She then nodded confidently in answer.

"Just a bit of advice: you cannot always rely on someone else. There are times when you need to take charge of your own fate. This would be one of them." Nemesis paused, seeing that Keiko appeared confused. "Sometimes you have to fight for yourself. Yusuke Uremeshi and his fellow Detectives may not stand great chances against my team. You three must be ready to take whatever is thrown your way. Do not ever depend on another." The three females hesitantly nodded. "Good."

Nemesis spun away from the girls and left them, taking the now fairy-sized demon soul with her.

The girls waited for whatever was to happen to them. They all just hoped they'd live through it.

Sunlight beat down on the bodies of the Uremeshi team on the following morning. The first to stir was Hiei and his gravity-defying hair.

"Ugh!" he groaned and held his head. Squinting his crimson eyes against the bright sunlight, Hiei looked about the room. Team Kyrios was nowhere to be seen. They were all alone. Moving to where the nearest fallen comrade lied, Hiei prepared to wake them. Once seeing it was Kuwabara however, he continued to the next; Yusuke.

Hiei shook his shoulders and the boy began to stir. Uremeshi groggily sat up and assessed his surroundings as Hiei began to wake Kurama. At first confusion dominated Yusuke's features, but as memories of last night flooded his brain, frantic urgency stole the throne. He was on his feet in an instant.

"C'mon, guys! Get up! We've got to save the girls," he hurriedly said while kicking the orange-haired idiot awake.

Hiei woke Kurama with more dignity and the well-mannered youth quickly took to helping wake Kuwabara. Soon, after much poking and prodding of Kazuma’s slumbering form, the four left to the now empty chamber and rotting husk that was once a hotel; each lost in their own thoughts.

As they left to return to Koenma's palace, Damien stood at the hotel's attic window watching their departure.

"Fools," he said softly into the silence.