Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Detective Storms ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: “For how long?!?”

 

Shortly after Botan and Prince Koenma left, Chiara began to get out clothing from her large closet and place them on her bed. When she could no longer see over the clothing, she decided that she had enough for a six month training session and walked back to her closet. She passed the luggage rack and walked to a small cabinet by her numerous shoe racks. From the cabinet, she retrieved a medium-sized box. She set it on top of the cabinet and opened the latch that held it closed. Inside there were six small boxes cradled by foam and bubble wrap. She selected four of them out of the box, set one on top of the shoe rack closest to her and then brought the other three boxes to her bed.

Setting the tiny boxes on the floor, she pressed buttons on the front of each box, causing them to expand and become the size of large suitcases. Quickly she began loading the outfits into the cases, neatly folding the clothing with the speed of a NASCAR driver. When she finished, she closed the cases and pressed the buttons that she pushed to open them. Within a millisecond, they had contracted back to their original size.

Picking up the small boxes, she set them inside their bubble-wrap bags and placed them inside her small backpack. She then returned to her closet and opened the remaining suitcase on the floor and tossed several pairs of shoes inside. Satisfied with her decisions, she then picked up a red jewelry box and added in some of her designer earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. She then opened a secret false bottom and retrieved a glittering, silver-accented ring that looked similar to a mood ring. She picked up a ring-box and slid the precious item inside and placing it in her pocket. She closed the suitcase and shrunk it as well, picking it up and bringing it back out to where her bookbag was. She placed it inside of the bookbag and retrieved the velvet bag from the side table. She picked up the hard case and slid her crystal necklace into its place. She snapped the lid closed and put it into the bag, followed by the ring box. Closing the bag, she slid the bag gingerly into the backpack. Opening a mental connection, she walked into her closet to get her traveling outfit on. She appeared a few minutes later, clothed in a short gray skirt, white camisole, matching gray shawl and clear sandals. She stood in front of her mirror, affixing her fire-colored curls with pins.

She called out to her Tanteis with her mind, urging them to respond as quickly as possible. Analeia responded first, nearly five seconds after the message was sent.

What's up, Chi? Analeia asked.

Heya Ana, we've got a mission. Pack for six months. Be ready in five hours and I'll get you.

You got it, boss. I'll be waiting. Analeia replied. Chiara closed the connection and reached out towards Lylly and Crystalline. Quickly, Crystalline replied.

Chiara! What's going on?

Hey Crystal, we've got a mission.

Oooh, fun stuff! The other girl interjected.

Not quite. We're going for six months, so pack well. Please tell your sister for me?

Sure thing!

Okay, be ready in six hours,

Allrighty! We'll be here. Crystalline said and Chiara focused her ki on finding Sakura.

~*~*~* With Sakura *~*~*~

Sakura was sitting at work, tending to the flowers in her care with her ki when she heard Chiara's voice in her head.

Sakura, you there?

You know it. What's shakin?

We've got a mission. I need you for the next six months.

Whoa! Six months?

Yeah. Need me to call your boss?

Thanks. Tell him that my uncle's dying and the family must all be there. Funeral leave'll buy me a month and then my summer vacation kicks in so I'll be okay.

All right. I'll call. Be ready in eight hours.

You got it.

~*~*~* Back with Chiara *~*~*~

Chiara closed all her mental connections and picked up her cellular phone. She flipped through it's address book until she found the number for the flower shop that Sakura worked in. she pressed the send button and the international call began.

“Moshi Moshi! Minna-san's house of flowers!” a voice said.

“May I speak to Minna-san?” Chiara replied.

“Hai. Minna-san speaking.” The woman said.

“This is Orioto Mailei. I am Orioto Sakura's aunt. Her uncle is dying and she must come to him.” Chiara said, allowing her voice to break slightly.

“At once madam. My deepest sympathies. I will send her home so she can prepare.” The woman, replied soothingly.

“Arrigato.” Chiara replied and hung up. She then walked to her intercom and paged Leonardo, who arrived a minute later.

“Yes, Miss Chiara?” he asked.

“I will need the jet in a short time. Please see that it is ready for me.”

“Yes, Miss Chiara.” As he walked out of the room, he closed her door behind him.

Chiara then returned to her desk and finished her homework while she waited for the message that the jet was ready to fly. In about four and a half hours, Chiara's crew had landed the jet in beautiful and exotic Tahiti. As she stepped from the plane, she saw Analeia waiting at the gate, surrounded by a chauffeur and bodyguards.

Upon seeing Chiara, Ana gently pushed aside her guards and ran to her friend.

“Chiara!”

Chiara `oomph'-ed as she found herself flung upon by Ana. Both girls giggled as they pulled apart.

“C'mon Ana. We've gotta make tracks if we're gonna grab the twins and Sakura. Lord knows I got her outta work so I'm not letting her have six months off while the rest of us work our butts off.” Chiara said, pulling Ana towards the waiting jet.

Safely buckled in the plane, the pair headed to Kentucky to retrieve Crystalline and Lylly. In a very short time, they arrived at the rural mountaintop airport, where the twin girls were waiting. After a few rushed hellos and hugs, the four girls got into the jet and headed for Tokyo. The quartet sat in comfortable silence on the trip to get Sakura until Crystalline spoke up.

“It almost would've been easier to come get us, get Analeia and then get Sakura.”

Chiara raised her head from the file she was poring over to look at the youngest of her Tanteis. “It might have been faster, but believe it or not, I do know what I am doing, Crystalline.”

Crystalline slowly nodded and put her headphones back on, looking at her friend worriedly. She tried to hide the hurt she was feeling as she looked at the girl who she thought of as one of her sisters. Lylly looked back and forth between her little sister and the Tantei leader. The two of them used to be extremely close, but something just didn't feel right today. Lylly opened a mental connection with Analeia to see if she knew anything.

Ana? Lylly thought.

Yes, Lylls? Analeia replied in Lylly's head.

Any clue as to what's going on with Chiara and my sister?

Nope. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. I know Chiara's upset because Koenma sprung this mission on us, just when she finally was planning that vacation that she's been saving for.

Oh Kami, not her trip to the Bahamas! She's been saving up for that for a long, long time!

Yeah. That's her present to herself for becoming a Tantei leader. It's been five years now that she's been saving.

I know. Prince Pacifier keeps messing with her plans. Lylly thought sympathetically.

She's really upset because she was ready to get her tickets tomorrow.

Oh no! Well, that at least explains the whole “step-off” attitude and the whole throwing herself into her work thing.

Yeah. I guess she's just gotta work through this. Look at her; I don't think I've ever seen her go over a file so hard. She's gonna stare that thing into oblivion!

Hehe. That's the way it looks. I think I'm gonna try and catch a nap before we get to `kura's.

Okay hon. Talk to you later.

Okay. Lylly closed the mental connection and picked up the book that was sitting on her lap and continued to read.

The rest of the trip passed silently, with Ana napping quietly, Lylly reading about horse breeds and their riding capabilities, Crystalline listening to music on her CD player and Chiara reading the file that she had been given as if she was a prisoner and her pardon was secretly contained in the document. When they finally landed at the airport, there was a black limousine waiting for them. The quartet deboarded the plane and a door opened. A man got out from the driver's side of the car and raced around the car to the passenger side and opened it. He held out his hand and a woman's hand reached out and took it, slowly climbing out of the limousine. As they watched, Sakura Orioto stepped from the car, clad in a knee-length navy blue dress with matching navy heels and a small pearl necklace, accented with pearl earrings. Her honey wheat hair was held back with sticks, which sported dangling seashells on the ends. Her grin was huge as she walked towards her friends.

“Girls! Hey!” She cried when they were within hearing distance.

The girls chimed their hellos and gave hugs happily; glad to have everyone all together again.

“Sakura, what's with the limo?” Lylly asked, eyeing the driver. He winked back at her and her face tinged with a slight blush.

“Oh that?” she said, pointing behind her, “Minna-san got it for me so that I could go to the airport and rush off to be with my uncle in his final hours.” She giggled.

“Oh, Minna's playing the sympathy card. How very chic.” Chiara replied. “Well my dears, let's go somewhere where we can let Lylls, Ana and Cryssy change so we can go see his imperial baby-ness and look our most professional.”

“Sure,” Sakura said, “Let's go to my place.” They all agreed and they headed for the limo after Chiara made arrangements for the plane to depart for home.

After a half hour ride, they arrived in front of a nice-looking apartment building. Sakura climbed out and motioned for the others to follow her to the doors. They followed and entered the lobby. Everything was nicely decorated and Sakura pointed out some of the features of the building as she made her way towards the bank of elevators. The girls chatted easily as they rode the elevator to the 8th floor. When the doors slid silently open, Sakura led them to the left to a door with the number 800 on it.

“How many neighbors do you have, `Kura?” Analeia asked.

Sakura looked up from her purse and paused the search for her keys in surprise. “Well, one.”

“Only one?” Lylly chimed. “You mean you live in half of this floor?”

Sakura smiled. “Yep. Lemme find my keys and I'll let ya see it.” She rummaged around a bit more in her small purse until she let out a quiet `aha' and retrieved a silver key connected to a crystal cherry keychain. She put the key into the lock on the door and opened the door, holding it open so her friends could enter.

Sakura's sprawling apartment sparkled as she led her friends around for a quick tour. Chiara's face still showed no emotion, cautiously disguising the worry and perturbation that she was dealing with. Her eyes looked at the beautiful home that her friend had made for herself but did not see. Instead, her mind still dwelled on the assignment that awaited the five girls. There was something about this “training” assignment that bothered her. Why would Koenma, leader of the Spirit World, send his best and most experienced Reikai Tanteis off on a simple training mission? Not to mention that this training mission was in the human world, a place that only “rookies” and Tanteis on probation were sent. She decided that she would have to just stop worrying about it and just try to enjoy her time with her four best friends before they had to go before Koenma. When the tour was finished, Chiara and Sakura went into the kitchen to wait until Lylly, Crystalline and Analeia were finished changing into “more professional attire”.

“So Chiara,” Sakura said, sinking into one of her padded barstools. “Tell me about this new mission. Why are we going for so long?”

Chiara shifted in her stool, looking slightly pale. “You know that I can't do that. Koenma himself has to explain it to you.”

“But Chi-Chi, c'mon, it's me.” She made a pathetic face at Chiara, who winced at the curtsey nickname.

“I would if I was allowed to, sweetie. But Lord Koenma asked that I not say anything about the mission until we meet with him today, the last thing I want to do is upset him, he'd demote me.” She smiled at Sakura, who giggled in return.

“Yeah, I wouldn't put it past that little binky-boy. He'd get mad, bump you down to rookie status and put you in the human world permanently. God, that'd suck.”

Chiara laughed nervously and looked at the floor. “Yeah...” Just then, Lylly walked into the kitchen, wearing a knee-length black skirt, matching heels and a pale green button-down dress shirt. Her neck was adorned with a green velvet choker which had a pink frosted glass lily on the end. She hopped onto one of the stools and looked at the other girls.

“So, is this professional enough for his Lord Pacifier Pants?” Lylly said, looking down at her own outfit.

“That'll do just fine, Lylls. Dress any nicer, and Koenma will think you're trying to hit on him.” Sakura said. Chiara nodded, silently agreeing that Lylly did look very nice.

Analeia appeared next, looking like a cross between a bohemian princess and a businesswoman in her navy pinstripe capris, white camisole and navy pinstriped jacket. Her hair was down, adorned with flower garlands and sporting low-heeled flip-flops on her feet.

“Very sharp, Ana!” Cried Lylly and Sakura simultaneously. They both looked at each other for a moment and then broke into giggles. Chiara nodded her approval and turned to Lylly.

`Lylls wanna do me a favor and get your sister?” But before Lylly could even make a move to do as Chiara had asked, Crystalline appeared, clad in an ice blue sleeveless dress with a white shrug jacket and white heels. A pale blue satin choker lay around her throat with a gleaming white crystal attached to it.

“No need, I'm here.” Crystalline said, smiling broadly. “Now, where's the portal opening?”

Chiara looked up, as she'd been addressed. “Oh, um….anywhere I want it to, as long as we're outside.”

Lylly stood up and righted her skirt. “Okay then, Kids, What are we waiting for?” She shot a big smile at Chiara, who smiled back. “Let's find us a park and get to the office of the floating baby!”