Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Summer Time ❯ chapter two ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: Mission

Botan took Kurama and me to Koenma's office. He looked just about as unhappy as I did. Neither of us had wanted our date spoiled by a mission. Koenma always picked the worse times to hand out missions.

When we entered Koenma's office, we saw total disarray. Paperwork littered the desk and the floor. Ogre was talking to Koenma, a worried expression on his face. Little Koenma looked very unhappy, almost as unhappy as I felt.

I pushed my feelings aside. When I had joined the spirit detective team, I had promised to take all missions and obey Koenma. I was going to keep my promise no matter what.

"Ah... good job, Botan," Koenma said. He turned to Kurama and me. "I have an important mission for the two of you."

"No offense, Koenma sir, but why aren't the others here as well?" I asked politely. I was referring to Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara. Those three, Kurama, and I were on a team. We always went on missions together.

"Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara are already on the mission," Koenma replied. "I sent them off earlier. Now, as for the mission, there's a demon yacht that auctions off mercenaries to the highest bidder. The mercenaries perform three months of service to their 'owner', then they go back to the yacht." Koenma paused for a moment. "Normally we wouldn't investigate, but there are rumors that they've been selling human slaves."

"So where do we come in?" Kurama inquired when Koenma stopped talking.

"You and Kaline are going to be auctioned off as fighters. As usual, you're going to have to prove how strong you are by fighting in their ring," Koenma said. "I want you guys to find out as much as you can as mercenaries."

"Would we have to pretend that we don't know each other?" Kurama asked. He seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was. It would be impossible for us to walk around a yacht, pass each other, or even be in the same room together, and not act like we knew each other.

"Quite possibly, unless you can come with something logical to connect the two of you," Koenma answered.

"What if someone recognizes one of us?" Kurama wondered. "Demons saw us at the dark tournament. They will know that neither of us are mercenaries for hire."

"You two will be going in disguise," he said. "You will have to stay in your fox demon form, and we'll have to do something with Kaline."

"Wait a minute," I said suddenly. "I'm a human. Won't the demons on the yacht be suspicious of me?"

"Human?" Kurama asked, looking at me. He sounded a little confused. "You're half demon."

"You've got to be joking," I replied, scoffing at the idea. Me... a half demon? Yeah, right, whatever.

"I thought that you knew," Kurama told me, his eyes meeting mine.

That's all it took for me to realize that he was being totally honest. His eyes told me that he wasn't lying or joking.

"You're telling the truth," I whispered breathlessly, astonishment in my voice. I suddenly had a strong desire to sit down.

That one little piece of information had serious implications. If I was part demon, then one of my parents had to have been a demon and the other had to have been human. Since when did demons have kids with humans?

Kurama wrapped his arms around me tightly. He was doing his best to support me, just like he always did. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," I replied. "I'm just a bit shocked, that's all." I was a little more than shocked, but that was the best way to describe it. Being half demon really didn't bother me too much. Kurama had only surprised me for a while.

"Well, now that was an interesting surprise," Koenma commented. "Perhaps it won't be that hard to disguise Kaline after all. Wouldn't a half demon have a demon form just like a full demon?"

"I believe so," Kurama replied. "But Kaline's the first half demon I've met, so I'm not quite sure."

"What do you think, Kaline?" Koenma asked me.

"I can try to transform, but I can't promise anything," I told him. "If Kurama will transform first, then I'll have an idea on how to proceed."

"Okay then," Koenma nodded. "Kurama, if you will?"

Kurama released me, backed up a few steps, and summoned his spirit energy.

I focused my attention on him, intent on discovering how to transform.

The spirit energy surrounded Kurama, quickly changing him. His hair became a white/silver, his eyes became yellow, his ears changed into fox ears and moved onto the top of his head, and he grew a tail. Kurama didn't look like Kurama anymore.

"I think that I can duplicate that," I said, biting my bottom lip. I was praying that I would become a fox demon like Kurama.

Remembering what Kurama had done, I summoned up my spirit energy and forced it to do my bidding. I moaned softly as I felt my body begin to change.

Suddenly, I was done transforming. I looked down at my hands. My fingernails were a little longer and much sharper. That didn't matter. It only meant that I would have to be a little more careful when I hugged and kissed Kurama. My hair had grown much longer, and I felt a long tail swish behind me.

"Well, how do I look?" I asked them all.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Botan countered, handing me a mirror that she had taken from her obi (kimono sash).

I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were a brilliant blue and my hair was the deepest black I had ever seen. Black ears sat on top of my head. I really did look different now.

"You make a very cute cat," Kurama told me, reaching over to delicately touch one of my ears.

"I was hoping that I would be a fox demon," I said, beginning to fake a pout.

"You're a much better cat demon," he insisted, smiling.

Koenma coughed. "It's time to get back at the task at hand. You two are going to get on that yacht tomorrow morning. You are to explore all of the yacht to see if there are any hints of a slave trade."

"Yes, sir," Kurama replied, voice calm.

"Good," Koenma said, happy with Kurama's reaction.

"How long will we be on this yacht?" I asked.

"Oh... for at least a month," he answered.

"There goes a good chunk of my summer vacation," I said with a sad sigh. "So are you going to tell us what Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara are doing to help with this mission?"

"Hiei's a mercenary like you two, and Yusuke and Kuwabara are posing as buyers," Koenma replied.

"But they're humans!" I exclaimed. My poor friends. What would the demons try to do to them?

"Many times there are human buyers," he explained. "The demons on the yacht will not find them out of place."

"Oh," was all I could think of to say. I turned to Kurama as an idea hit me. "Kurama, do you think that the demons would let us stick together if we told them that we were companions? I really don't want to have to fight against you in the arena. If we can't stick together, the demons are going to make us fight."

"That might work," Kurama agreed. "I'll come up with a backup plan in case it doesn't succeed."

"Okay, Kurama," I said gratefully. "And thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Now you two might want to go and pack at least a few things," Koenma advised as he pulled out two folders. "Here is the information on the yacht and such that you need to know."

"Thank you," I said, accepting a folder as Kurama did the same.

"Good luck you two," Koenma said. "You're going to need it."