"I stand before you today to tell you something important, Urameshi. So you had better pay attention." The voice droned from Lord Koenma's chair. "I stand before you today because if I sat down, you wouldn't be able to see me."

"Kuwabara..." Urameshi Yuusuke sweatdropped as his oaf of a best friend spun in their bosses' chair. "You might wanna get outta there before Koenma gets back..."

The pug faced red head grinned back. "Aw, lighten up, Urameshi. What's he gonna do-"

"Ahem."

Both Reikei detectives looked up to see their boss. To be more specific, they saw the two youko who made up the rest of their team standing beside the cheerful boatman of death, Botan and then looked down to see their boss in his normal infant form. Lord Koenma did not look happy, sucking furiously on his Fukuumen.

"Uh... Forget this whole thing ever happed and send us on a vacation?" Kuwabara stammered, slinking out of the chair and moving behind the smaller dark haired boy. 

Kurama, the silver kitsune reincarnated into the body of a bishoen red headed boy and Botan, the cheerful incarnation of death, hid smiles. The other youko, Hiei, did not change expression. It seemed that the small Koorime fire deamon rarely did change expression anyway, so it was not a great surprise to anyone.

Koenma stuck the Fukuumen to one side of his mouth. "I'll figure out what to do to you later. Right now we have business."

"I know." Yuusuke griped, running a hand through his greased hair. "But did you have to call us *now*?"

"Would you have preferred we had called you during school?" Botan inquired.

Both Kuwabara and Yuusuke nodded. It gave them a good excuse to ditch class. Not that the two of them ever really needed an excuse to ditch school, good or not.

Lord Koenma sighed as he walked over to his chair and attempted to climb up into it. The team all somehow managed to keep straight faces as it took the infant sized god two tries to get in his chair. It was particularly hard for the two human members.

"Now." Lord Koenma straighten up, picking up a file. "We've been getting a strange report of a youkai kidnapping a miko on a regular basis in Tokyo."

"How do you kidnap someone on a regular basis?" Kuwabara mused.

"She disappears for months at a time, then suddenly returns to Nigenkai. A few days later, he shows back up and grabs her again. This keeps happening." Koenma explained. "We must put a stop to it." 

"If he is not harming the Nigen, then why are we interfering?" Hiei asked. He did not have any great love of humans.

"Because we do not know the reason for the frequent kidnapping. Therefore we can only expect the worst." Botan remarked.

"Hn." Was Hiei's only remark. It was his favourite remark.

"The other problem is that he's not taking the Nigen to the Makai." Lord Koenma continued. 

"The Spirit realms?" Kurama asked.

"No."

"Some were on Nigenkai?" Yuusuke queried.

"Not quite."

"Mars?" Kuwabara scratched his nose. Yuusuke whapped him up side the back of the head for the comment. 

"We believe he's taking her back in time." Koenma sighed, realising that the guesses would only get more bizarre from there.

"You're kidding." Kurama deadpanned as the two human's jaws hit the floor. Hiei snorted.

"Yes!" Yuusuke cheered, recovering his composure. "We get to go back in time!"

Koenma cleared his throat. "Actually, due to budget cut backs, we can only send two of you. So..." He held out a fist with 4 straws clenched in his tiny grasp. "Pick a straw."

They exchanged looks, then in unison reached out and grabbed a straw. Yuusuke looked at his pure white one. "Dangit."

Kuwabara let out a muffled curse as he showed his also plain one. Kurama and Hiei looked at each other, each holding up black tipped straw. "Looks like it's you and me." Kurama remarked. 

"Un." Hiei looked indifferent.

"Now that that is settled, Botan, would you please brief Kurama and Hiei?" Koenma requested. The cheerful blue haired girl nodded. 

"Of course! Right this way, please." She started out the door, the two youkai following her.

"Oi, Urameshi." Kuwabara remarked, leaning toward his friend. "Is it just me or did the ex-thief and the super fast shrimp somehow managed to pick the right straws?"

Yuusuke nodded, his arms crossed. He'd noticed that too.

Koenma cleared his throat, catching their attention. "Now, about my chair..."

The boys sweatdropped.


"Amazing co-incidence how we both managed to get the marked straws." Kurama whispered innocently as both he and Hiei crouched in a large tree over looking a well maintained shrine. The fire youko merely snorted, his eyes never straying from their target. 

Kurama smirked. He hadn't pulled the marked straw on purpose, and he was pretty sure that Hiei hadn't either. But the other members of their team probably would believe that. Still, it would be fun to tease them about later.

"There they are." Hiei informed him bluntly, pointing a finger at one of the side doors. 

A human girl in street clothes had just stepped out of the main house, a young man with white hair and dog ears on her tail. The two of them appeared to be arguing loudly about something. The deamon boy was carrying a large page on one shoulder, gesturing wildly with his sword arm. A battered looking katana rested on his hip. 

The two Makai police watched as the couple entered a small mini-shrine off to the side. The doors slid shut, and the area was filled with silence once more. 

One of Kurama's eyebrows rose slightly. If the miko really was being kidnapped, that had to have been one of the oddest kidnappings he had ever seen.

"They're gone." Hiei informed him, a slightly puzzled tone colouring his voice. 

"Gone?" He echoed. But all they had done was walk into a building! Hiei gave him a slight shrug, then started flitting for the mini-shrine. Kurama smoothly followed him, trying to puzzle it out. Something wasn't quite right here.

Hiei paused by the door to the mini-shrine, a hand casually resting on his blade. Kurama took up a position on the other side of the door, one hand ready to retrieve his rose whip, the other to open the door. With a slight nod to Hiei he opened it.

There was nothing inside. 

On their guards, they slunk into the room, peering into every nook and cranny of the small building. No body. Cautiously, they both peered down the well. Nothing there either.

"That's where they went." Hiei grumbled. Kurama shrugged and jumped down the well. Silent as a shadow, Hiei followed him with a definitely displeased air. Kurama smirked. This was fun. 

The well wasn't that deep, and without thinking, he prepared to land. Only he didn't. Botan's gizmo beeped, and the well opened up around them, the air swirling as if they had jumped into a sky. Seconds later, they splashed through the strange portal and touched down on the well's floor. 

Hiei put a hand on his sword, eyes wary as they looked around. Kurama sniffed the air. It smelled... different. Less musty, more... wild. "We're not in the well house anymore." He noted. Hiei snorted, flickered and disappeared. 

Kurama smiled and followed. Chases were always fun. He jumped, landing perched on the well lip to look around. 

Trees. Everywhere. 

He took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of wildlife. There couldn't have been human civilization for miles around. Nothing but untamed wilderness. 

Kurama felt the tug of his youko side and shifted into his tall silver haired form. It felt good to let go and relax a bit occasionally. Not to mention that this form was a bit more battle ready.


The Kitsune had been wandering for several minutes with out seeing anyone when something suddenly attached itself to his head.

"I found you!" A child's voice scolded. "Just what were you thinking, wandering off without me and Kagome, huh?"

Kurama paused, a slight sweatdrop forming. Sure didn't feel like an attack. Reaching back, he found a fuzzy object and pulled it off his head. 

Only to find himself looking into the big blue eyes of a surprised young kit. "Hey... You're not Inuyasha..." The kit said, blinking. 

Kurama's sweatdrop increased.

"Inu-ya-sha!" A girl's voice snapped behind him. "What were you thinking? You nearly gave Shippou and I a heart attack just vanishing like that!"

He turned around... To face the very girl they were there to find. She blushed as she realised her mistake, a closed hand coming up to her mouth uncertainly. "Oops."

Before he could speak, a loud clash startled them, two blurry shapes crashing through the trees above them. Kurama instantly recognised Hiei, his dark form blurring as he attacked the his opponent.

"Ohh..." The small kitsune in his hand, Shippou the girl had called him, murmured as he stared at the fight with wide eyes. 

"Inuyasha!" The girl gasped, worry plainly written on her face. Kurama blinked. An odd reaction for a 'kidnap' victim. Especially considering that she had been worried enough to follow after 'Inuyasha'. 

"Why do I get the feeling this is all a mistake?" Kurama sighed, letting go of the smaller kitsune. The kit fell, landing on his tail on the ground with a muffled curse.

"Oi! Hiei!" He called, waving an arm to get the fire youko's attention. Hiei spared him a glance before flickering out of sight.

Only to re-appear next to the girl. Both he and she then vanished with a startled yelp.

Kurama bit off a curse as the other pale haired youkai let out a curse that would have startled Yuusuke and chased after them. Kurama sprinted after, the kit jumping onto his shoulder for a ride. "That is not what I meant." He growled. 

"Really?" His passenger asked, slightly surprised sounding. He spared the kit a glare. The kit nodded, seemingly convinced. "Oh-kay."

Hiei re-appeared beside him, the girl thrown over one shoulder as he kept pace with Kurama. Hiei tossed her over to him, while motioning that he'd take care of their pursuer.

Kurama caught her, just barely. "Hiei! Matte!" He called, too late. Hiei had vanished again. Kurama growled in frustration. He was going to get the fire youko for this. Something involving Hiei tied up, an ice cream scoop, a plunger and a potted plant.

Shippou gasped, snapping Kurama out of his thoughts just in time to see Inuyasha charging at them, Hiei on his heels. Kurama did the first thing he could think of.

"CATCH!" He tossed the girl at the other youkai. She screamed and flew right into Inuyasha's startled arms, effectively stopping his attack.

She then promptly vanished as Hiei got her again. 

"HIEI!" Kurama snapped, chasing after his friend.

Hiei reappeared long enough to drop her back into his arms and shoot a 'dumb fox' look at him before disappearing again.

"I'm gonna kill him." Kurama muttered, starting to feel slightly frustrated. He turned and without breaking stride, tossed her back at Inuyasha.

She flew in a good arc, until she was intercepted by Hiei again.

Kurama growled and put on a burst of speed, stealing her from Hiei. He looked fairly startled at that. 

Dropping back a bit, Kurama put her back into Inuyasha's arms.

Only to have Hiei steal her again, vanishing in the direction of the well.

This continued on for several minutes, the girl bouncing back and forth between the 3 deamons like some sort of strange volleyball. Hiei grabbing her from Inuyasha, Kurama grabbing her from Hiei and Inuyasha grabbing the girl from both of them. 

It was about the time that Hiei got mixed up and accidentally stole her from him tossed her back to Inuyasha that Kurama noticed that she'd stopped screaming a while ago. In fact, she seemed to be quietly stewing, slowly getting madder and madder. The kit on his shoulder noticed as well. "Uh-oh."

"SIT!"

*WHAM!* Inuyasha went down like a ton of bricks, Kagome flying out of his arms. Kurama jumped and caught her in mid-air, just barely missing Hiei who had had the same idea.

"Hiei! Stop!" He called, landing in a crouch. And promptly let go of her when she swung for his head. She landed on her butt with a muffled 'Oof!'.

"I think he's on our side." The kit, who had decided to move to the top of his head, informed her. He tried to look up to see the kit and failed.

She rubbed the small of her back, glaring at him. "Sure has a funny way of showing it." She muttered.

Hiei appeared just out of reach, his hands hidden by his cloak. "Hn."

He looked up patiently at his friend. "I think Koenma had some wrong information." The fire youko raised an eyebrow, but otherwise remained impassive.

"Would someone tell me what this is about?!" The girl snapped. "WITHOUT using me as a beach ball?"

Kurama waved his hands, sweatdropping. "This was all an accident! We thought the other youkai was harming you."

"#$@^*@^&@**^*#!%$!!!" Said other youkai suddenly sprang for them, his sword held high and murder in his eyes.

"SIT!"

*WHAM!*

"Who? Inuyasha?" The girl questioned innocently as said youkai twitched and cursed from the slight indent he'd made in the ground. "No. He's a... uh, friend."

The snicker from the kit on his head told Kurama that they were probably not merely just 'friends'. 

"Right. A friend who takes you away from your family every several weeks."

The girl blushed. "We're on a quest."

"Does it have to do with this?" Hiei asked, holding up a glowing cracked marble. 

It vanished from his hand a minute later as the dog youkai snatched it from his hand. "That's MINE!"

"Inuyasha!" The girl snapped. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at her, clearly being stubborn. She glared back, equally fierce. 

Hiei blinked, pointing vaguely at her. He'd gotten it off of her neck, not his. He had his own necklace, which radiated a miko's power.

"Ano..." Kurama's sweatdrop increased. "My name is Kurama. And this is my partner, Hiei. Nice to meet you."

The girl straighten, as if embarrassed by her lapse in manners. "Ah! I'm Kagome, that's Shippou on your head-"

"Yo!"

"-And that ill mattered person over there is Inuyasha." Inuyasha snorted disdainfully, ignoring them now that they were no longer a threat to him and his 'property'. Kurama hid a smile as Kagome made a face at him.

"Ah. I see. I apologise for the inconvenience-"

He was cut off by the sound of someone crashing through the brush. "Kagome-sama! Kagome-sama!" A male's voice called. 

"Miroku! We're over here!" Kagome called cheerfully, waving her arm.

Hiei glanced pointedly at him before vanishing. Kurama followed on his heels, disappearing into the trees as a monk and a girl carrying a large boomerang appeared, clearly expecting a battle. 

"We were worried about you when you were late coming back from your time." The monk said, glancing around them. "We heard you screaming."

"A slight misunderstanding between some youko." Kagome assured them. "We're fine."

Inuyasha held up the jewel. "The Shikon no Tama is safe." 

"Oiiii..." A long suffering sigh from the top of his head caused Kurama to glance up again. "There they go again."

"They do this often?" He queried. 

"Every time Kagome has to go to her time for her 'exams'." Shippou sighed. "Inuyasha worries about her, but they usually end up fighting 'cause he's too stubborn to admit it."

The two late appearing humans had about the same attitude about it. Hiei snorted, clearly not amused by the scene. 

"Shippou?" Kurama asked.

"Hm?"

"What are you doing on my head?"

"It's a good vantage spot. And it's out of the way." The kit patted his head. "'Sides, don't see many Kitsunes around here."

"Ah."

The tree rocked as the strange cry of 'Sit!' rocked the area. Hiei blinked, slightly surprised by it.

"THIS-" below them, Kagome took back the necklace "-is Mine."

"Think I'd better be going back now. Bye." Shippou hopped off his head, to land safely in Kagome's arms. The girl instantly brighten, hugging him as the kit talked softly to her with expressive blue eyes.

"Well that was amusing." Hiei grumbled. "Wasted trip." He turned to head back to the well. 

"I found it rather fun." Kurama grinned, rising to follow him. 

"You would, fox." 


When they arrived at Koenma's office, they found Yuusuke and Kuwabara outside of it. Mopping the floor. As he saw them approach, Yuusuke looked up and grinned. 

"So how'd the mission go?"

"There was a slight misunderstanding." Kurama answered back, tilting his head back a bit. "Koenma wasn't too hard on you, I hope?" 

Kuwabara chuckled. "He wanted to see his floor so shiny he could see his Fukuumen in it." There was a definite mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he said that. "You might want to watch your step."

"Hn." Hiei practically floated across the shiny floor with out any trouble. Kurama smiled and slowly followed. 

Koenma was sitting in his office, diligently stamping away on various papers as he sucked on his Fukuumen. "How did the mission go?" He asked, his hands never stopping as he greeted them.

"Misunderstanding. It's not a kidnapping if she's going voluntarily to help on a quest."

Koenma frowned. "Have to work on better information. Did you see Urameshi?"

"I think they're done in the hallway." Kurama said innocently. "You might want to take a look."

"Good idea. I think I will." With that, Koenma slid out of his seat and walked over to the door. Hiei gave Kurama a strange look, but said nothing.

"Urameshi!" Koenma's voice snapped. "Are you don-aahhhhhh!!!"

There was a resounding thud, not quite as loud as Inuyasha's 'sits', as Koenma lost his footing and went sliding across the floor on his backside.

"I don't know." Yuusuke's voice floated back, straining to keep the laughter out of his voices as Kuwabara guffawed. "Are we done yet?"

Fin.