Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Gates ❯ Servant of Gaia ( Chapter 3 )

CHAP 2

Next morning, Hiei awoke as the sun peeked over the horizon to find the woman gone. The blankets and futon bed had been neatly folded and placed by the sliding door against the wall as well as the white kimono Yukina had lent her the day before. Hiei scrambled out of bed and raced on soundless feet as he moved through the quiet Temple. He found Kuwabara, Yusuke and Kurama asleep in the library. All three had stayed to watch out for him, or, more likely they had been too tired after re-sorting the books to bother going home, though why they haddn't simply gone to one of the bedrooms on the other side of the Temple was beyond him. The three men sat up, with a collective disgruntled snort as Hiei slammed the door open, yanking them sharply out of their sleep.
"What's up, Hiei?" Yusuke asked, stifling a yawn.
"The woman is gone." He said shortly, startling them into full wakefulness.
"What? Where'd she go?" Kuwabara asked, pulling on his shirt as he rolled out of bed, further hindering his progress, as he tangled his long legs in the blankets.
"I don't know, idiot, that's why I'm here."
Kurama, who was the first to sit up and the first to rise and dress, came forward.
"Perhaps she is with Yukina and Keiko?"
Hiei shook his head absently as he turned to leave, Kurama at his side, leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara to scramble after them, grumbling quietly to themselves.
"No. They're still asleep," he said, making his way to the main hall of the Temple. "The woman's blankets and bed are folded and she left the clothes Yukina lent her. The woman's weapons are gone as well."
Kurama frowned.
"That's rather strange," he murmured as Yusuke and Kuwabara joined them. "It seems unlikely that she would have left without wearing any clothes…"
Yusuke and Kuwabara shared a confused look, but chose to keep silent.
"I thought so too." Hiei said. "So I assumed she must have left, changed and then returned Yukina's clothes here before disappearing again."
"It doesn't make sense for her to just take off without any word, especially if she came back just to give Yukina's clothes back." Yusuke said, smoothing back a ruff of his thick black hair that was still sticking up at an odd angle.
"Unless she, like Kuwabara has a strong personal rule about stealing..."
"Yah, maybe - " Yusuke stopped and they all turned to the door as a massive force of Spirit Energy approached at high speed and stopped very suddenly in the courtyard on the other side of the door they stood in front of.
The four shared a look and opened the double doors wide, and moved outside, Yusuke in the lead, ready for a confrontation with the unfamiliar source of energy. What they found standing in the early morning sun was Karyuu, who stood ten feet from the door, a heavy looking canvas bag almost as long as she was tall slung over her shoulder. She smiled at them.
"Good morning, I didn't expect any of you to be awake this early."
She was dressed in blue jeans, a pair of brown hiking boots and a close-fitting purple tank top under a jacket of heavy dark brown leather, the collar of which was turned up at a slightly jaunty angle. Her hair was pulled back into a simple pony-tail that blew slightly in the wind and her strange eyes were covered by orange-tinted glasses with steel rims, which she took off and folded and placed them in an inside pocket of her jacket. She looked strangely normal, dressed the way she was; a little like a hard-case, but normal none the less, except for the sword slung across her back, her delicately pointed ears, her strange eyes and of course, her sharp canines, which were slightly exposed as she smiled at them.
"Hiei found you gone and woke us up," Kurama said, regarding her with curious eyes, clearly surprised as the others by her appearance. "We were about to go looking for you."
Karyuu set the bag on the ground.
"Well, you found me, so now what? It looks as if you four are rearing for a fight."
The four young men exchanged an almost embarrassed look and relaxed visibly.
"We didn't recognise your Spirit Energy, so we came ready for a fight..." Kuwabara mumbled almost apologetically.
"Ahh…"
"I think we should talk," Yusuke said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "All of us, at Koenma's palace when Botan gets here."
They nodded in agreement and Kuwabara moved forward and towered over their small guest for a moment, before he bent over to pick up the bag she had set on the ground, slinging the heavy bag over his own shoulder. He was inwardly surprised that a person her size could lift it, even though he knew that she couldn't possibly be Human after what he had seen, or even a normal demon, for that matter.
"Here, 'lemme get that."
She smiled up at him, mildly surprised by the sudden show of courtesy.
"Thanks, Kuwabara."
The five turned and walked through the doors of Genkai's Temple, closing the doors behind them as they went, making their way inside where Kurama and Kuwabara began to cook breakfast.
The smell woke Keiko and Yukina from their sleep and she was greeted with Kuwabara's usual enthusiasm.
As they gathered around their early breakfast, the four men launched a more detailed description of the beast that had attacked them, while Karyuu, (after being properly introduced), remained silent for the entirety of the exchange, sitting near an open window on the opposite side of the room. She half-listened, to every word said, and although she was left out of the conversation, she was on everyone's mind. She, would speak when spoken to and would answer neutral questions comfortably and politely, however, she refused to say anything more about herself than what she had already revealed, neatly avoiding, and redirecting questions with almost stubborn determination. But when, Kurama confronted her on her evasion in his usual tactical manner, she had said simply that she would give her explanations when they went to see Koenma, and there-by avoid having to repeat herself. It was hardly a satisfactory answer, but no one chose to push her, deciding to wait for her answer until she was ready to give it. They figured they owed her that much at least after she had saved all of their lives.
*****

Botan arrived from Spirit World several hours later, (she had gone back after everything had been settled, promising to make their excuses to Koenma and to return the next day). Her usually chipper demeanour was dominated by an urgency that all of them could feel. Apparently the business her child-sized prince had wished to discuss was more pressing after loosing a day.
"Lord Koenma wants to see the four of you right away!" She said urgently.
"Good." Karyuu said, getting up from where she had been sitting, unnoticed by the Ferry Girl until she had spoken. "I need to talk to his pint-sized highness as soon as possible."
Her tone was sarcastic, and the sudden change in her quiet composure caused the others to look at her curiously.
"Well…, um... I... you…"
"Aren't invited," Karyuu finished for her, her tone still amiable, but a dangerous glint touched her eyes before she continued. "I know, but I have to talk to him right away, and I can't afford to wait half a century for an appointment. I have a message for him from Gaia."

Once again, Kurama glanced at her nervously, at the mention of 'Gaia', whom ever she was, and this time, the others noticed their friends almost automatic flinch when the name was spoken.
Botan blinked and drew away from the shorter woman as if she had just sprouted horns.
"Gaia? The Gaia?"
Karyuu nodded, her face gravely serious, a drastic change from the pleasant smile that had been on her face all morning.
"It's very important that I speak to him, and I suspect that my message and my reason for being here are closely connected with Koenma's business here on Earth."
Botan frowned a little, her pink eyes worried as she looked at the black-haired woman standing before her. She nodded reluctantly, ignoring the others who watched the exchange with a mixture of unease and curiosity.
"If Gaia sent you... then I'd better take you there quick."
Karyuu's grave expression softened and she smiled slightly. "Thank you."
"What does Koenma want to talk to us about, Botan?" Yusuke asked with a frown.
Something about all of this made him very nervous for some reason.
Botan's frown deepened and the worry behind her eyes grew as she nibbled absently on one fingernail.
"Honestly, Yusuke, I don't have the foggiest idea. It's really important though, so we'd better hurry."
*****

They arrived at the gates of Koenma's Palace less than a few minutes later, and quickly made their way through the great halls, which bustled with their usual amount of traumatized looking ogers, Botan and Yusuke in the lead, followed by Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara, with Karyuu several feet behind at the rear, who was studiously ignoring the surprised and almost awed looks aimed at her by the ogres working in the offices they passed through on their way to Koenma's office.
Kurama noticed this and frowned slightly to himself as he walked.
'She is a Servant of Gaia, and she has enough authority to demand an audience with Koenma.' He thought silently, casting a sidelong glance at a particularly startled ogre holding a stack of files as he looked at the woman walking soundlessly behind Kurama and the others. 'The ogres recognise what she is, and some seem to recognise her personally, judging by the expressions on their faces. She carries a great deal of authority here, even for a Servant of Gaia.'
Botan finally brought them before the giant double doors that lead to Koenma's office and peeked inside.
"Lord Koenma?"
The five heard the child-like 'Overseer of the Spirit World's' nasal voice answered her with his usual impatience.
"What is it, Botan?"
"Yusuke and the others are here, but - "
"Well get them in here!"
Botan checked a sigh and opening the door wider, lead the way into the large office.
The large blue-skinned ogre, George, looked up from a folder he held in his clawed hand and nodded a hello as they entered, and withdrew to his usual place just behind Koenma's right shoulder.
"Hello, everyone!" The little prince said from the top of his too-large desk. "I have a great deal to tell all of you, so - "
But he was cut off in mid-sentence as the door suddenly slammed shut, making everyone jump.
"Hello, Koenma," Karyuu said, stepping out from behind Kuwabara, who had unwittingly been hiding her from view.
Koenma blinked and paled visibly, his imperious demeanour vanishing instantly.
"K... Ka... Karyuu?" He stammered. "Wha... wha... wha…?"
She smiled a little and came forward, peering at him, her strange eyes glittering at him with almost predatory amusement.
"What am I doing here, when you thought I was dead in the very permanent sense of the word?"
The others looked at her sharply, and were surprised when Koenma nodded silently, his orange-brown eyes very wide. She shook her head in disgust.
"You never checked did you? Never checked the records? Or tried to contact one of my brethren to confirm it?"
He shook his head.
"I... I thought you'd... I mean... well it ate you, Karyuu. What was I supposed to think?"
"And it died almost immediately after," she reminded, drawing the listening group further into confusion. "Didn't that strike you as a little, I don't know... odd?"
He blinked and didn't answer her. Apparently it hadn't.
"You... aren't angry are you?"
"Some people might have been rather upset with you for leaving them in the gut of some beast, to cut themselves out ten minutes later to find you gone, but I know you better than that," she murmured making Koenma swallow hard. "It all turned out for the best anyway."
And then, much to everyone's surprise, she laughed and caught the surprised prince in a warm embrace, shattering the feeling of tension she had managed to generate, apparently for no other reason than amusement.
"I'm glad to see you, Koenma," she said giving him a final squeeze before releasing him, her hands still resting on his small shoulders. "You seem to be doing well."
Koenma, who's shock turned to relieved embarrassment, patted her hand and smiled a little at her.
"Thank you, Karyuu... I'm glad to see you too." He cleared his throat suddenly and placed his hands behind his back, replacing his imperial demeanour as she stepped away from him.
Botan glanced from one to the other, just as confused as everyone else.
"Sir... what's going on?"
"Botan, everyone, as you probably already know, this overly-dramatic individual is Karyuu, a Servant of Gaia, and an old friend of mine."
"You're a friend of Koenma's?" Yusuke asked in disbelief. "I didn't think he had any friends, besides us, anyway. I didn't think anybody else would put up with him…"
The others grinned and Koenma scowled at him.
"Thanks."
Karyuu listened to this with interest.
"Yes, I've heard that you've turned into a bit of a brat - "
"I am not a brat!"
She, however ignored his indignant protest and continued on.
"I've been hearing that you throw a temper-tantrum when things don't go your way, and you still haven't learned to share, especially when it comes to food," she frowned at him, her expression somewhere between mocking and speculative. Hiei noticed that as she spoke, her eyes flicked toward George, who seemed just as surprised by Karyuu's return as every one else in the Palace, as if she knew exactly what Koenma had been doing. "It must be that form. It's effecting your brain, although I dare say it makes it easier to act like a spoiled child, if everyone believes you're still a child…"
Koenma almost fell off of the desk.
"Ack! Karyuu! How could you say something like that?"
"It's true, isn't it?" She asked smoothly, absently noting the suspicious expressions that touched the faces of the ogre behind the princeling and the Ferry Girl, Botan as Koenma sputtered at her. "You're over six-hundred years old, going on seven, for goodness-sakes! Don't you think it's time to let this one go?"
'Six-hundred years old?' Hiei wondered silently his ruby eyes narrowing at the sputtering prince of the Spirit World. 'He looks very young for someone who's over six-hundred years old... Even for a diety...'
George cleared his throat uneasily, and leaned forward to speak into the prince's ear.
"Sir, don't you think it might be wise to - "
"You keep your mouth shut, Ogre." He said shortly, glaring at him.
"Koenma…"
Karyuu's voice had an edge to it that, in Kuwabara's experience, was usually reserved for older siblings and parents when scolding someone younger than themselves.
The little prince folded his arms in front of him and turned his face away from her, turning up his nose as he did so, as if her smell was offensive.
"I think it's time for you to leave," he said shortly. "I have important work to discuss with my Spirit Detectives."
Karyuu's eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded the pint-sized ruler.
'It seems that she is finally begun to loose her patience with the ridiculous little prince.' Hiei thought with a slight smile. 'This should prove interesting.'
Kurama, however, saw no humour in the events unfolding before him. There was a very real danger presented to Koenma, if Karyuu saw it fit to eliminate him. He prayed silently that she had a better temperament than that.
Then, as if she had heard their thoughts, Karyuu smiled slightly and raised her hand before her, fingers spread wide, a glint of anger flashing in her eyes as she looked at Koenma.
"Fine," she said shortly. "Then I'll just have to adjust your attitude manually then."
"Whoa! Take it easy!" He said, holding up his small, pudgy hands.
Botan stepped forward, her manicured hands held up placatingly.
"Now, now. Let's not do anything hastey…"
But before the Ferry Girl could finish her sentence a pale white glow encircled the young prince, and Karyuu's open palm.
"I think it's time for you to grow up a little, my friend," she said quietly as the glow brightened around Koenma.
And then, suddenly, his body began to shift and blur before the astonished eyes of the gathered Spirit Detectives, until the glow dissipated, leaving Koenma standing before them, unharmed and in the form they had seen him take during the Dark Tournament, a young man of approximately twenty three or so. Koenma gasped as he looked down at his adult-sized body and staggered backward in surprise, which resulted in his toppling backward off of his desk, since he had still been standing on top of it when Karyuu had forced him to transform. The others only blinked as Karyuu chuckled at the big-little prince, too stunned to laugh. Koenma struggled up, clinging onto the desk as he got to his feet, face a little pale.
"Koenma, Sir!" George exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
Koenma, however, ignore the Ogre and looked down at Karyuu who lowered her hand as the glow that had surrounded it faded away.
"You didn't do what I think you've done, have you?" He asked, his voice almost plaintive.
She nodded silently.
He groaned and sat in his previously oversized chair, unceremoniously sweeping the books that had fallen off of his desk and into his chair onto the floor, a defeated look on his face as he pensively sucked on the blue teether that still protruded from his mouth.
"So you've gone and turned him into an adult?" Botan demanded, turning on Karyuu, her pink eyes flashing indignantly at the much smaller woman, who nodded calmly. "And he isn't able to turn back?" Karyuu nodded again. "How could you just take away his childhood like that? It's terrible!"
Karyuu stared at the angry Ferry Girl, for half a second and then turned to look at Koenma, who had sunk deeply into his chair, as if willing himself to disappear into the depths of the soft cushioning. Whatever was about to happen, he wanted nothing to do with it, and it was more than obvious that he could do nothing to stop her from doing it, so he simply hunkered down and waited for the axe to drop.
"She doesn't know?" Karyuu asked with growing amusement.
Botan looked from the shorter woman to her prince, and back again, the unanswered question halting her scolding before it had a chance to take off.
"I didn't take his childhood away from him, Botan. He lost it all by himself. He really is this size. To tell you the truth I was surprised to find him in his child form when we came in, but I thought it was for their benefit," she said motioning to Yusuke and the others. "But it's become more than obvious that he's been using that form to manipulate everyone into bending to the will of a spoiled child, an easier thing to accept than obeying a spoiled young adult, Ennma's son or not."
Koenma winced and Botan turned to look at him with questioning eyes. When he didn't meet her gaze and shrunk lower in his chair, the Ferry Girl's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Lord Koenma?"
The prince squirmed and looked up at her uneasily, meeting a furious looking pair of pink eyes.
"Yes... Botan?"
"I think you'd better tell Yusuke and the others why they're here."
The tone the Ferry Girl used left no doubt in anyone's mind that she had the full intention of reaming out her superior the instant they were out of ear-shot. And George winced, knowing that he would probably get a lecture too, for being an accomplice.
Koenma flinched, and with a morose look at Karyuu, he turned his attention to the four Spirit Detectives who stood grinning at him, thoroughly amused by the formerly small prince's discomfort.
However, although Kurama thought that Koenma's position was very amusing, he was stricken with the uneasy realisation that Karyuu was indeed who she had claimed to be. No one had that kind of power over someone like Koenma... not unless they had Gaia on their side.
"Ummm... yes, well... I've called the four of you here today to tell you that I have a very important mission for you... one that involves the preservation of the Human World as well as that of the Spirit and demon Worlds. It seems that a great deal of evil is coming our way, and there is very little we can do about it, except turn to the four of you, who have had the largest amount of success in a case like this."
"They're the only one's who've had any success," Karyuu corrected. "Not even your father could do what they did."
Yusuke frowned, confused.
'We did something Emperor Enma couldn't do? What…' And then he remembered.
Yakumo, Emperor of the Netherworld... Enma hadn't been able to kill him, and had been forced to banish him to the darkness of space. He also hadn't been able to conquer the Power Orb. But he and the others had been able to. Was that what this was all about?
"But you're beating around the bush, Koenma," Karyuu continued. "How much do you really know about what's going on?"
He made a face.
"Not much I'm afraid. All we know is that sometime after Yusuke and the others defeated Yakumo and the Four Lords of the Netherworld, the doors to the Netherworld were left open. The rest of the Gates, are closed (but not by us), even though none of them are sealed anymore, as everyone knows."
"Whoa, wait a minute," Kuwabara said suddenly. "What Gates? And why do we care what the Netherworld does, if they can't come back, cause' the Orb was destroyed?"
Yusuke noticed with a slight pang of sympathy that Botan had flinched slightly at the mention of the Power Orb that she had concealed within her own body to keep it safe from Yakumo and his followers, only to have it torn out of her by the heartless Emperor, and be cast aside like a rag doll.
Karyuu, who hadn't notice the Ferry Girl's discomfort turned to answer the taller man her expression grim.
"The Gates are the door-ways to the Nine Hells. The only way in or out of Hell is to pass through one of those Gates, and there are only two on each level; one in and one that leads to the next level of Hell," she said quietly. "The Netherworld is sort of a... door that leads from the Human World, or Realm to the First Gate of Hell."
The group exchanged dark looks. This was sounding less and less like a good time by the second.
"So what difference does it make, if they've closed the Gates?"
"I was just getting to that. The difference is, that after you four killed off the rulers of the Netherworld, you caused a civil war within that Realm, because the lesser Lords of the Netherworld are all warring with one another for the position of Emperor. Who ever wins, gets to rule the Netherworld, and then he or she will choose four Lords to take the places of the ones you killed. They've sealed off the Gates in order to keep out other influences, which would be fine, except that now we can't keep an eye on them."
"So?" Hiei asked in his usually disinterested tone.
"So, my fine friend, that means that no one is allowed to watch the door any more. With Yakumo and his Lords gone, and the other Lords of the Netherworld squabbling over the throne, the door has been left wide open for anyone enterprising enough to attempt to take the Human Realm for themselves. And we would be none the wiser, until a horde of hell-fiends like the one you met yesterday come thundering down the street."
"Which obviously wouldn't be good for anyone." Koenma added dully. "If the Human World falls, then the demon World will join it, and then finally the Spirit World will fall."
"Why doesn't Emperor Enma take action? Isn't it our responsibility to look after the Human World?" Botan asked, her anger temporarily forgotten as this new threat came into light. "Surely he has the power to stop an attack like that."
"Yes, he does, Botan," Koenma replied. "But if he interferes, then the King of Hell will put his hand in as well, and that…" He drifted off with a shudder before forcing himself to continue. "That would destroy all of us."
Karyuu nodded her face grimly serious.
"The End of Days," she murmured.
"Does Enma know what will happen if he interferes?" Kurama asked.
"Of course he knows," Koenma said tiredly. "But he'd do it, if he thought he had to."
"Do you mean Emperor Enma would destroy us all, Sir?" George asked in an oddly squeaky voice.
"He wouldn't have any choice, Ogre. If he didn't, then Evil would take over everything, and Gaia would be destroyed, leaving the Worlds under a blanket of evil for the rest of eternity. The term 'Everything went to Hell from there' would apply in a very permanent sense. But if Father, and the King of Hell went to war with each other, everything would be destroyed, true, but Gaia would still be there, and she could rebuild new Worlds, leaving room for the circle of life to continue."
"This can't happen," Kuwabara said in a sick voice. "Somebody's gotta stop this."
"That's why I'm here! My father put me in charge, to ensure that something like this doesn't happen."
"It looks like you haven't done a very good job." Hiei observed dryly.
"Shut up, Hiei!" Koenma snapped.
The fire-demon's red eyes narrowed slightly but before he could threaten the prince, a quiet, yet powerful voice caught his attention.
"Actually," Karyuu said in her soft voice that caught the attention of every one in the room with unnatural force. "If blame can be laid on anyone, it lies with the four of you, though no one really looks at it that way."
"What?" Kuwabara demanded, anger flashing behind his eyes.
The thought that his action had helped bring about the potential destruction of the whole universe as they knew it was more than unbearable to the honourable Human.
"One function of the Orb, the most important function, was to power the Seals that kept the Gates closed, or at least kept their inhabitants from reaching the other Realms. If you had only killed Yakumo and the other four Lords of the Netherworld, then we wouldn't have a problem. But you broke the Orb when you destroyed Yakumo, and that leaves us where we are today."
Yusuke felt a jolt of guilt as Karyuu spoke.
It was his fault, he had destroyed the Power Orb in order to kill Yakumo. The others had been killed in the fight, (and were later restored by Koenma)... the guilt was his alone…
Suddenly Yusuke felt sick to his stomach, and he shifted slightly where he stood, his expression uncomfortable.
Koenma was also looking rather ill.
"I didn't know that."
"I knew you didn't. And we tried to get word to you, to warn you about the attack Yakumo was planning to make on your Realm, but our messenger was killed before he could reach you." She sighed quietly and then shrugged. "However, Gaia has sent me with instructions to prevent the inevitable attack from being a permanent conquest that would force Emperor Enma's hand. I've been commanded to commandeer the most powerful of your charges, and train them in the Art of Gaia."
"So who are these guys?" Yusuke asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Do you need us to find them, or something?"
Karyuu smiled a little, but there was little mirth there.
"You four are the one's I was talking about," she said with a nod, her strange eyes locking with Yusuke's. "Especially you, Yusuke Urameshi."
Yusuke blinked in surprise as the others turned to look at him.
"What?"
She nodded calmly.
"Look, I know I killed Yakumo, and I broke the Power Orb and everything, but I'm no where near strong enough to take on something like what we fought yesterday, let alone a whole bunch of them! You were there, you saw what happened. If Kuwabara hadn't seen that necklace thing around it's neck, we never would've been able to kill it."
"Actually, Urameshi, I didn't really see the necklace thing," Kuwabara said quietly. "Karyuu knew about it and kinda' told me with her mind that if you broke the collar, you'd kill it -"
"As long as we're concerned with details," Karyuu said, cutting him off. "You didn't actually kill it. You just sent it back to Hell."
"I didn't kill it?" Yusuke asked in confusion. "But it disintegrated…"
"The necklace you destroyed with your Spirit Gun was sort of like a temporary passport given to the creature to let it come to this Realm, you revoked it, but that doesn't mean it can't come back and try again with a new one. I did tell you that you weren't ready to take on something like that," she added almost defensively. "But Gaia sent me to the Human World to help you grow strong enough to kill things ten times as strong as that thing was on your own in the hopes of keeping things under control until She can form new Seals to replace the ones that were broken."
"Who is this Gaia, anyway?" Kuwabara asked.
Karyuu looked at the tall orange-haired by with some amazement.
"I'd forgotten how far you Humans have separated yourselves from us," she said with a mixture of regret and sadness that they did not understand. "Simply put, Gaia is 'the sure foundation of all that is' i.e. everything. She is what you Humans now refer to as Mother Nature, but she is much more than that. She and the Fathers of Light and Darkness gave birth to the Realms, their first rulers and everything within them. She is a part of everything, and her energy flows through all things, living and non-living, Humans, Demons and Servants of the Spirit World, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit, Negative and Positive Energy, they all come from Gaia. And the energy of the Creators were dispersed throughout the realms, all mixing with one another, but prominent in certain energies. The Spirit World is a Positive Realm, the Netherworld and the Nine Hells are Negative Realms, and the Human and demon Realms are an even mixture of both. Gaia herself is and always will be Neutral, wishing only for the preservation of the Balance. Without that, the entire Cosmos would be destroyed."
The four Spirit Detectives stared at her in shocked silence.
"But... if she's so neutral, why is she helping us?" Yusuke asked. "Isn't that showing favouritism for our side or something?"
Karyuu shook her head.
"No. By aiding the four of you, and taking other steps as well, Gaia is working to correct the mistake that, was made when the Orb was destroyed, and restore the Balance before things get really out of hand. That little event wasn't supposed to happen, you know."
Yusuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I'm starting to make a habit of doing things like that," he muttered ruefully. "First I get myself killed ahead of schedule, then I come back from the dead, develop freaky spiritual powers, kill the Emperor of the Netherworld and now I find out I wasn't supposed to break the damn Orb of Power! No matter what I do, I seem to screw up... What the Hell is with that, huh?"
It was obvious that Yusuke was feeling less than good about learning that he was technically responsible for the mess they were in now, and the prospect of being the one who helped destroy the universe as he knew it was more than a little upsetting.
"Calm down, Yusuke," Koenma said. "If Gaia has sided with us, at least for now, we still have hope that we can fix this mess, right Karyuu?"
She nodded, and gave Yusuke a kind smile, that seemed to have a strangely calming effect on the agitated young man.
"Don't blame yourself for this, Yusuke. There are others, who hold control over events like the ones you described, ones who hold sway over everyone and everything that has ever come into existence, including Gaia."
"Fate and Chaos," Koenma said in an oddly reverent tone.
"Exactly," Karyuu said with a nod. "They are most likely responsible for the trouble you've been having, but I doubt that even Gaia knows why they've taken such an interest in you."
"Great." He muttered sulkily.
"Don't look so down, my friend," she said, coming forward to stand in front of him. "Without you, we'd be doomed, and besides, things would be kind of boring if stuff like this didn't happen once in a while, eh?"
He looked at her, startled, and then smiled a little. She was right. He hated to admit it, but she was right...
She patted him on the arm, before returning her attention to the group as a whole.
"However, something else, even more surprising happened before the Orb was destroyed."
"Wonderful," Hiei said dryly. "Did we cause a rip in the fabric of Space and Time as well?"
She smiled a little at that.
"No, this event will actually help us. During your fight with Yakumo, Yusuke tried to absorb the Power Orb, something that Emperor Enma himself once tried to do and failed."
"YOU DID WHAT?" Koenma, Botan and George shrieked at once, their expressions horrified.
Yusuke and the others didn't look at them, however, their attention was fixed on the elfin woman standing before them, each listening with a sense of unreality as they heard the story told by someone who had not been there, and yet spoke as though she had been right by their sides.
Karyuu regarded them with some surprise.
"Didn't you know?"
They shook their heads silently.
"We thought they'd broken it, that's all... we never thought they actually…"
"You really are sloppy, did you know that, Koenma? I'm beginning to think you've forgotten everything I taught you. Anyway, they did, but it wasn't easy. Yusuke was weakened from the battle and he needed help from Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei to gain the strength he needed to control it. You three were able to give Yusuke the help he needed and he succeeded in absorbing the Orb, and conquered it. But as he did so, something so unexpected happened, that it shook the very foundations of the Realms. Your spirits, or souls, if you want to call them that, united for a short time when you attacked Yakumo as one…"
"It didn't work though," Yusuke said quietly, the odd tone in his voice making them turn toward him. It seemed to his friends that the strange tone in his voice was the same as the one that had been there when he spoke about Genkai. He didn't look up at them as he stood there with his hands in his pockets, his head bowed, eyes shadowed and hidden from view. "Yakumo was just hurt, not dead. He came back and killed all of you before I could stop him."
The memory of loosing the friends he had come to see as his family, even for a short while was one of the most painful in Yusuke's life, and it was obvious that it still haunted him even now.
Kuwabara , Kurama and Hiei stared at him silently, surprised by the regret in their leader's voice, and by the pain that seemed to radiate from him as the memory was brought back.
"That's true," Karyuu said, not oblivious to Yusuke's discomfort, and the surprise emanating from his friends. "The attack you made would, have worked, though, if you had all of the elements with you, but you only had four…" she shook her head, reminding herself silently that there would be time for that discussion later. "But everything turned out any way, didn't it? What matters about that encounter was that your souls united, and absorbed some of the energy given to Yusuke by the Orb. When that happened, small amounts of the Orb's Power became a part of you, a permanent addition as long as Yusuke wielded the Power Orb. But when the Orb was destroyed, massive amounts of energy were released, destroying Yakumo, and returning the Spirit World to it's original state. But that also meant that the energy contained within the Orb had suddenly found itself without a container…"
Koenma gasped noticeably, his face blanching.
"You can't be serious!"
"Oh, yes, Koenma, I am. The power that had resided in the Orb returned to the last one to wield it, becoming a part of him forever. Yusuke, was that person, and although some of the energy returned to the other three as well, most of it still remains in Yusuke's body and will continue to do so until he dies... permanently, anyway."
Yusuke and the others had gone pale as well. Kuwabara looked at his hands, as if searching for some signs of the Orb's power.
"That... that's not possible, Karyuu!" Koenma stammered.
"I know it shouldn't be, the very idea of the four of you being able to harness that power, let alone a single living creature absorbing that kind of power is ridiculous. It should have torn the four of you apart, the way it almost did to Botan, and she was only trying to hold on to it. But as Yusuke said earlier, he has a habit of doing things he isn't supposed to."
"Did you know about this, Yusuke?" Kurama asked quietly, his green eyes searching.
He shook his head, his brown eyes still locked on the small woman standing before him.
"I don't feel any different…" Kuwabara said, still looking at his broad hands an expression of confusion on his face.
"You aren't any different, " Koenma said, an expression of quiet awe on his now adult face. "The Power Orb just enhanced the power you already have at your disposal. Everyone has a tiny amount of the power the Orb held, but such a large concentration…" he shook his head, and leaned back in his chair, a stunned look on his face, made even more comical by the blue teether that still protruded out of the ex-toddler's mouth. "It should have destroyed you the instant you touched it... all of you should be floating around as little particles of raw energy right now."
"So what does this mean?" Yusuke asked, still not sure he believed this strange woman.
"It means, that you four, with the right amount of training, will be strong enough to hold back the Armies of Hell, until the Seals can be replaced. Without you, we would be forced to fight on our own, and we would probably loose."
"So we've gotta save the world, is that it?"
"In a nut-shell: Yes... All worlds are depending on you four... to be honest, you're the only hope at victory we have."
Yusuke looked over at his three friends, meeting each of their gazes in turn, and was met with looks of grim determination. The leader of the Spirit Detectives smiled and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "I guess we'll just have to do it, then."
Karyuu returned his smile with a relieved one of her own.
"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you think we'd say no?"
"There was always the chance, no matter how unlikely that you might do that, yes," Karyuu replied. "Some of my brethren thought that coming to the four of you would be a lost cause, but I'm glad to see that I was right to come here."
"So, when'd we start training?" Kuwabara asked.
"Tomorrow, if at all possible," she said. "I would've liked to start today, but I after missing a day, I have to go somewhere for a little while to get what we need. It shouldn't take more than a day for me to get back to the Temple. We can start as soon as I get back, if that's alright."
"It's settled then!" Koenma said, slapping his hand on the desk as he got to his feet. "You four will train under Karyuu, and Ogre, Botan and I will concentrate on keeping an eye open for any developments."
'Effectively removing yourself from harm's way again, I see,' Kurama thought with a slight smile. But one thing still bothered the fox-demon.
"Karyuu?"
She turned and looked up at him, and he was caught by the ever-shifting colour of her large eyes.
"Are you... aware of my, 'cough' past encounters with your brethren?" He asked delicately, his expression both weary and hesitant.
"What's this?" Hiei asked, looking from the taller man to the woman who stood less than two inches shorter than he.
"A very long time ago, when I was still a thief, I heard stories about an ancient sword that could call on the elements themselves to strike down the wielder's opponents. Such a sword would bring a handsome price if sold to the right person, and I was... obliged to steal it," he grimaced slightly and glanced at Karyuu, who looked at him with something like amusement glittering in her eyes. "I spent almost three years running from Karyuu's fellows, who had been sent to retrieve the sword... of course, being on the run as I was, no opportunity to sell the sword presented itself, and so I was forced to give it back. I haven't seen a Servant of Gaia since then, and I'm not sure whether or not the chase had ended after the sword was returned to them..."
She smiled a little and nodded.
"Yes, I'm familiar with the order put out for your death," she replied calmly.
"Hey!" Yusuke yelled, his face going dark with anger. "I thought we were gonna' be a team here!"
Her smile broadened and she laughed, a rich warm sound that lightened the room.
"That we are!" Karyuu said with a reassuring look at the angry Spirit Detective, before returning her attention to the uneasy fox-demon standing before her. "Kurama, I was one of the Hunters sent out to find you after you stole the Blade of Gaia," she smiled a little as he blinked, his hands slipping out of his pockets in anticipation of violence, a preperation that proved unnececary. "But after you returned it, the order was revoked. You didn't do any damage, and I've never been a big fan of meaningless vengeance for the sake of law. I don't have any inclination whatsoever to kill you, especially not now."
The red-haired Kitsune smiled a little, expression still a little weary, but friendly none the less.
"I'm relieved to hear that."
Her smile broadened and her eyes twinkled.
"I thought you might be."
She then turned to Koenma and moving forward to stand beside him, she looked up at the prince who stared at her blankly, apparently puzzled by her expectant expression.
"Are you going to make me come up there?" She asked finally with a playful glint in her opal eyes.
Almost automatically, the much taller man knelt in front of her, so that they were closer to eye-level with one another (Koenma was still several inches taller than she was). She regarded him for a moment, and then embraced him tightly, planting a sisterly kiss on his cheek, and after a moment, he returned her embrace, a slightly embarrassed blush forming across the bridge of his nose, his expression a little pained.
"Stay safe, Koenma. Promise me that, alright?"
He smiled a little, looking steadily more embarrassed.
"Of course... you... be sure to do the same."
She pulled away, and after ruffling his hair, in an oddly sisterly fashion, she moved away, and waited as the four, mildly confused men filed out of the giant double doors. She followed, and then paused before leaving, turning to look at Botan.
"Don't ball him out too badly."
The pink-eyed Ferry Girl gave her a smile as she cast a vengeful look at Koenma, who had gotten to his feet and was busily brushing off his pants.
"Don't worry, I won't."
Karyuu nodded, and moved to close the door after her, but then she paused and turned to look at the prince.
"Oh, and Koenma?"
He looked at her, and then over his shoulder when she pointed at the surprised looking Ogre standing beside him.
"His name is George. Not 'Ogre'. George. You know the name, use it. Don't be an officious little prat."
And with that she closed the doors and followed Yusuke and the others back to the Human World.