Part 1: Strange Sensations

A young man walked silently among the people. The busy streets of Tokyo did no help to calm his senses, but he continued to move on, deep in thought. Minamino Shuuichi. No. Kurama. His thoughts shattered as he bumped into someone carrying a whole bundle of cartons and shopping bags! "Sale", they read. His eyes were quick; and who could blame him, for he was a you--...

"Watch where you're going!!" The person shrieked. It was a female voice. Dazed at her sudden reaction, he shook his head, and got up, dusting himself from the dirty cement walkway.

"I beg your pardon," He apologized. "I didn't see you coming." He stooped down, and picked up the bags that had fallen from her arms earlier.

"Figures." She pouted, as she flipped her long golden hair over her shoulder, and straightened her clothes. "What were you doing anyway? Daydreaming?"

Kurama said nothing. Maybe he was daydreaming. He didn't know anymore. He wasn't himself. He felt... strange. "It's nothing," He reassured her, a ghost of a smile flickering on his pleasant, yet troubled, face. Carrying the girl's load in his arms, he walked on. "So, tell me where you live." His gaze referring to the bags and cartons he carried in his arms.

Cloudy day, Yusuke thought. He stared up at the sky where masses of big grey clouds surrounded the ozone. Keiko was late. Sitting on the park bench didn't make Yusuke comfortable; it made him restless. Urameshi Yusuke. Spirit detective. Somehow, it felt odd for him to be called that. But why? Just a few years back, he was admired for that name. Now it seemed like a myth. Youkai haven't been entering Ningenkai lately, but then why was he feeling something strange?

"Sorry, I'm late," Came a familiar voice. Keiko. "There was a sale going on downtown, and I had to buy something before anyone beat me to it." Her smile was heaven for Yusuke. Her long, mousey-colored tresses were swept back, tempting Yusuke to touch them, to feel the soft strands between his fingertips.

"Keiko," Yusuke's voice cracked. Keiko gave him a bemused look. "Is it really your dream to become a teacher?" He didn't look at her, instead he looked at the ground where his feet were.

Keiko smiled at him. "Yes. I would like to teach kids the value of education." And she glanced teasingly at Yusuke. Yusuke nodded, his face and tone serious. "That's good. At least you know what you want to be."

"Yusuke, stop that! You're scaring me!" Keiko scolded him, her big, brown eyes blinking at him in a sad, surprised way. Yusuke took her hands, and brought them to his lips. "I know I might not be the best boyfriend, and I know I always keep things from you..." He paused to catch his breath. "And I know you know that I'm a descendant from S-youka..."

"Y-Yusuke, what are you saying?" Her voice was barely a whisper. Yusuke couldn't find it in his heart to say it to her. He let her go, and stood up. Then he ran, leaving a bewildered Keiko on the park bench. It began to rain. Keiko couldn't feel the tears trickling down her cheekbones. Her hair and clothes were soaked from the sudden downpour. She didn't care. `I love you, Yusuke...' her voice a feather to her lips. Her shoulders shook from a sob, and she cried in her palms. Yukimura Keiko felt her heart grow empty.

A dark figure stood among the shadows. It watched intently over Ningenkai... for awhile, but lost interest a few moments later. Ningenkai was a second home. No, it was home! Mukuro didn't understand that. She just didn't understand what this world meant... Cursing his fate, Hiei gazed at his bandaged arm, then stared up at the sky. It had turned black now; black as his youkai heart. Right hand man? Hiei had a choice: to return to the mortal world, or to join Mukuro in Makai. He closed his eyes to think, savoring the scent of wet earth, and listening to the rhythm of the steady rain. He enjoyed it, and realized that never in Makai would he be able to see rain like this. Never in all his life. Raging storms, perhaps, but never like this. He stepped into the falling rain, and smiled, licking the salty wetness that landed on his lips.

Reluctance settled into his fine features. There was another thing that held him back from joining Mukuro in Makai. Yukina. His sister. He knew she'd be safe in Ningenkai, protected by Yusuke, Kurama, and, yes... even Kuwabara. Hiei even had the Jagan to watch over her. He lowered his dark head, his fiery eyes gleaming a hint of sadness. How he longed to tell her the truth! He sighed, and noticed that it had stopped raining.

It was only then that he felt that there was something terribly wrong. He couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the force, however he knew Ningenkai was in trouble. Deep trouble. The feeling sank to the pit of his stomach with an imaginary `thud`. Hiei tried to ignore it, but it cried out to him. "Help me," it pleaded. A bolt of excruciating pain passed through him. Hiei held his head in his hands, his mind whirling. All he could see were blurred visions of Ningenkai, Makai, and Reikai. He screamed in pain. He was falling... falling into a pit of blackness. He had passed out.

Part 2: Forces

Smoke filled the entire floor of the building. People outside wondered if it was on fire. As the smoke began to clear, a couple of coughing and wheezing girls emerged from the doorway, their aprons wet, and sooted, either from the sprinkler system, or the smoke. Yukina was the last one to come out, her head shylly lowered to hide her flushed face. She was the only one with food stains on her apron, and smudges on her cheeks. She looked apologetically at the others.

"Yukina-chan," came the eldest. Yukina slowly looked up at the stern face. "How many times have I told you that barada is baked for only 30 minutes, and not 1 hour?! And how many times have I told you that the eggs should be cracked first before putting them in the mixing bowl?? You're supposed to bake the egg yolks and not the egg shells! The poor oven..."

"Gomennasai..."

Some of the girls snickered, leaving Yukina feeling useless. Yukina bowed her head in defeat, sadness washing over her. It was just a few days ago when she decided to cook for the Kuwabara household. That family had been so kind to her, giving her a place to stay, and clothing her in wonderful Ningenkai outfits. However, Shizuru nor Kazuma were good at culinary activities, except eating. Yukina enrolled herself in a homemakers club to show them her appreciation. But all she did was mess up! The other day, she spilled saki all over the newly-polished kitchen floor. Yesterday, she opened a newly-bought sack of flour too wide, and it took hours just to clean up the sink area. Her classmates said it looked like Christmas. Yukina thought it looked like her homeland. No matter how hard she tried, she'd never get used to Ningenkai-living! She sighed, a glimmer of a tear escaping down her face, hitting the floor like a marble.

Yukina, being a youkai, was capable of creating jewel-tears of sadness. From the dainty feet, to the wisps of greenish-blue hair on her pretty head, her aura reflected a hint of melancholy. It showed in her wistful red eyes.

"Hey," came a voice above her. Yukina, who was sitting at the corner of the room, looked up to see a friendly face with a warm smile. "Are you alright?" And she offered Yukina her hand.

Yukina blinked up at the tall girl, then nodded. The girl helped Yukina up, and continued to smile at her. "Are you having difficulty learning how to cook? Maybe I can teach you."

Yukina colored slightly, but gave the girl a grateful smile.

"By the way," said the girl, her dark green eyes bright and lively. "I'm Makoto... Kino Makoto." She extended her hand for a handshake. Yukina looked bewildered by the action.

Makoto wondered why she looked confused. Why wasn't she taking Makoto's hand for a handshake? `Hmm, must be a foreign student...` Makoto thought.

Yukina broke through her thoughts. "I'm Yukina."

The sounds of feet cluttered the hallway. Busy youkai filled the room. Their voices, loud and annoying, filled Koenma's ears. Something was amiss.

"Koenma-sama," Jorju said with his panic-stricken voice. "What will we do??" The secretary goblin looked at the child in front of him seated in a nylon-coated office chair. His table was filled with piles of unsigned paper that were either business contracts or bills.

Koenma sucked on his pacifier, his breathing short and tense. "Bring me Botan right away!" Jorju gave a determined nod, and hurried out the door.

`It can't be... But how...?` Koenma thought, his hand quivering, while cold sweat dripped down his forehead and onto the neatly signed paper in front of him.

The door to the office opened suddenly. "Jorju?" Koenma asked uncertainly, and turned. Koenma froze, his eyes widening in shock. "Ra--!!!" Too late. Whoever it was, it knocked Koenma unconscious, and gave an evil laugh that rocked its entire body.

"Reikai and Makai are mine!" It said. Destroying all the objects and office-people in his path, it walked out the passageway, where the door used to be, carrying an unconscious Koenma in its hand. Luckily, Jorju was able to escape, and was able to contact Botan.

A gasp escaped the mouth of the beautiful Shinto priestess. Her fire readings indicated trouble. She sensed it, and the feeling scared her. She was never afraid of anything, until now. What was happening?

"Rei-chan, what's wrong?" The calming, soothing voice came from Mizuno Ami, an attractive girl of 16, whose intellectual abilities were simply amazing.

"It's-- I can feel such strong power..." Rei stared off elsewhere. Her features contorted into a look of pain and fright.

"But that can't be," Ami protested. "We've defeated every one in the Dark Kingdom, haven't we?"

"This is a much different power I feel, Ami-chan." Rei explained, her voice growing soft. "I have a feeling the sailor senshi won't be able to do much. We need help..."

"Who are these new enemies?" Ami asked forcefully.

Luna stepped through the door. "Where are those two, Minako-chan and Mako-chan?? Just because Usagi-chan isn't around, doesn't mean they can't attend meetings!"

Rei's voice was just beyond a whisper. "And without Usagi, how are we going to fight this new enemy?"

Ami got out her communicator. "I know this is going to be hard, but we should at least stop depending on Usagi-chan too much, and let her have a peaceful life with Mamoru-san." Rei and Luna both nod. "First, we contact Minako-chan and Mako-chan, then we scout the premices."

Part 3: Vicious Cycles

Thinking was tough. Memorizing was even tougher. Studying was hell! Kuwabara's eyelids grew heavier with every word he read. Finals were coming up, and he wanted to do his best... for Yukina. He racked his brain, and gnawed at his pencil. Nothing seemed to be registering.

"Aaaggghh!!" Kuwabara yelled then stood up, knocking over the chair. "I can't concentrate!!" He slammed the textbook and the pencil down on the table, and marched towards the kitchen.

Food. He opened the refrigerator. Nothing. Wasn't there at least a piece of crummy cheese in here?? He slammed the refrigerator door shut. Where was Shizuru? Damn, why doesn't anybody cook in this household? Hot-headed and hungry, Kuwabara strode off to watch some TV. Just as he was about to make himself comfortable on the couch, he heard a faint knock on the front door. Grumbling to himself, he walked over to the door. `Maybe it's Shizuru...' "Who is it?" He asked. No response. Kuwabara stood ready to fight, then slowly, very slowly, he opened the door slightly. There didn't seem to be a possible threat, so he opened the door fully. A young girl with red hair, and a priestess outfit, collapsed in his arms.

"Hinageshi!" Kuwabara exclaimed, and carried her to the couch, where she lay oblivious to her surroundings.

Aino Minako bade her new friend farewell. She thanked him for carrying her heavy load. Kurama. He was such a hunkmeister! But Minako knew that he'd never be more than just a friend. She shrugged, and closed the door behind her. She headed for her room, glad to have the house all to herself. Her parents had gone on a trip to Hawaii. This time, Minako didn't want to come along with them. How can she, with school and all? She missed Usagi. Did she have to go on that exchange student program? At least Usagi was with Mamoru. That was all that counted. No signs of those Dark Kingdom sleaze anyway.

"About time you got here," A male voice. It was Artemis, her cat. "You forgot to bring your communicator."

"Oh, you know me," Minako grinned, and flopped down on her soft bed. Artemis didn't in the least, smile. He looked like the Artemis of years ago: bossy, and... serious. Minako's smile faded.

"Alright Artemis," She said. "What's wrong? New enemies in the vicinity?" Artemis nodded. Minako sat up.

"I talked to Ami-chan and Rei-chan, and they said they'd investigate the downtown area. I want you and Mako-chan to investigate uptown." Artemis ordered.

"Right. I'll contact Mako-chan right now, and have her meet me here." Minako said, and punched some configurations on her communicator. She winked at Artemis. "Time for Sailor-V again!"

Muddy. Perfect. What a great way to spend the weekend. Tenou Haruka stepped on the starter pedal, and revved up her motorcycle, helmet in hand. Dirt bike racing wouldn't be the same without the dirt.

Ever since Haruka had entered college, she and Michiru had gone their separate ways. Michiru now had the makings of a professional violinist, and was travelling all around the world for recitals and concerts. Haruka was happy for her. Michiru invited Haruka to come along with her, but Haruka refused, saying that motor sports was her life, her career. She didn't want to leave all that behind. She looked sadly at a mud puddle, hoping to see her reflection. Then she thought of Michiru, who always looked vainly at a mirror. Haruka would always tease her about it, and Michiru would always make a face at her. She would miss that girl.

Haruka took a deep breath. She didn't have time for nostalgia. In the background, the announcer called for the contenders. "To all motocross racers of the engine group of the 500 cc category take your places!"

Several competitors cursed Haruka as she put on her helmet. "F*c* you, Tenou!!" They yelled at her. Haruka smirked wryly at them, but didn't say anything. What fools!

The contenders, including Haruka, took their places. Haruka eyed the natural-terrain course with satisfaction. `Piece of cake.' She thought to herself, a conceited smile spreading across her boyish, yet attractive, features. A gunshot sounded, and they were off!

Speed. Haruka loved the feel of wind running through her sandy hair. She took her time, letting the others run along ahead while she lagged behind. Spectators wondered what she was doing. Her opponents laughed at her, calling her "turtle" or "slowpoke". Haruka gave them a knowing smile. Then without warning, she fixed her hands on the wide-set handlebars, and turned the twist throttle a few times for acceleration, increasing her speed! `Let's go, baby!' Haruka whizzed past the arrogant contenders, her knobby tires skidding to shoot off mud in their faces. Haruka was now in the lead. She never looked back, but she knew some of them had fallen, and had cursed her some more. Uphill, downhill... these motocross machines had long-travel suspension that can absorb the bumps and jolts of the course. Haruka zoomed uphill, and flew, landing perfectly on the muddy terrain, skidding a bit. However, she never made it to the finish. The earth she raced on erupted in front of her, knocking her off the bike! She tried to steer out of the way, but it happened all too suddenly. Haruka stared in horror at the mud-monster before her. Everyone had rereated, screaming. Haruka couldn't move. She was stuck in the mud. The thing was swallowing her up!

Part 4: Fleeting Moments

Cooking was fun with Makoto. She had taught Yukina how to crack the eggs into the mixing bowl, how to make different shapes when baking gingerbread, and how to peel apples and potatoes. And with every single lesson, Makoto would crack a joke or two so Yukina would smile. Yukina's uneasiness melted away after meeting Makoto.

Makoto and Yukina walked home together, deep in conversation. Makoto had given Yukina some recipes and ingredients so she could start cooking as soon as she got back to the Kuwabara residence. Yukina told Makoto about how wonderful Kazuma and Shizuru were.

Makoto smiled down at her. "That's nice. Are they your relatives?"

Yukina shook her head. "No. They are my very special friends."

Makoto looked up at the sky, which was now clearing. Her face lighting up when she saw a trace of blue. She looked back at Yukina. "Where are your parents? Don't you have any brothers or sisters?"

Yukina lowered her head. "My parents are in my homeland. I... I have a brother, but I don't know where he is." She said it so softly that Makoto had to lean down to hear what Yukina had said.

"Makoto-san," Yukina continued. "Do you have a family?"

Makoto smiled sadly. "No. My parents died in a plane crash." She walked slowly now, as if enjoying the sound her shoes made on the pavement. "I live alone." Then brightly, she provided, "But I have my special friends, just like you!"

"Gomen ne, Makoto-san," Yukina apologized. "I didn't know."

"Hey, it's okay," Makoto assured her cheerfully. "I--..." Her sentence was interrupted by a beeping sound coming from her pocket. Makoto took out, what seemed to be, a small electronic device that looked like a mixture of a calculator, an electronic diary, and a compact. Yukina looked puzzled at the strange device. Makoto's face grew serious.

"Yukina-chan, I need to go. I'll catch you later, ok? Ja!" Makoto turned around, and ran, her ponytail swishing back and forth. Yukina continued to walk on, carrying the bags of ingredients for her cooking spree. A few minutes later, she found herself on unfamiliar ground.

`That's funny,` Yukina thought. `What led me here?` The place was dark, and depressing. She took tiny steps, hoping noone would hear her. She didn't know why she was there. She knew the way to the Kuwabara residence very well. Then what was she doing in a frightening place like this? Yukina swallowed, her heart hammered wildly in her chest. She stopped. A figure lay on the ground before her. Was he dead? Summoning some courage, she gently dropped the bags of ingredients on the ground, and turned the figure over. She gasped.

"It's... you..." Yukina said it like a whisper. She cradled his head, and looked around, searching for someone to help her. Nobody was in sight. She tried using her healing powers, but there was no trace of a wound nor a cut on his body. `Wake up,` She begged silently. Why was she feeling so crushed just seeing his pained expression? Because he was one of her special friends? She didn't even know his name. All she knew was that, he was a friend. `Something more...` A tiny voice echoed in her head.

The figure slowly opened his eyes. "Yukina!" He exclaimed it, but it came out breathy, like a whisper. He struggled to get up, but he was too weak.

"Don't move," She told him. "You are weak, and need to regain your strength." Yukina felt warm talking to him. Why was this person affecting her so? "You know," Yukina continued. "We've seen each other many times, and yet I still do not know your name." She gave him a teary smile. Why was she crying?

"Gomennasai," Yukina wiped the tear that almost escaped her wistful eye, and turned away. "I don't know why I'm crying."

"Yukina..." Was all he could say. His head screamed at him, "Tell her! Tell her!" He felt disgusted with himself. He got up, and looked down at Yukina, who was kneeling down on the rough and stony pavement. He was about to walk away from her when he heard a clatter, like a stone falling. He faced her again, and saw that she was crying freely now. It tore at his heart to see her like this.

"Yukina," He began, swallowing convulsively. "I'm Hi--..."

He didn't finish. He felt a presence nearby. He took out his sword, its blade gleaming. Darkness was his forte. Whoever or whatever it was, it was gonna get it.

Kurama was amused at the bubbly girl he had met earlier. She reminded him of Botan. He chuckled at the thought of those two meeting up. First things first though, what was that strange force he felt? His youkai spirit was calling him, telling him to act now. How could he? He didn't even know what was wrong! He shook his head to shake off the feeling. He turned at the corner, and for the second time that day, he bumped into someone! Luckily, the girl wasn't carrying any heavy shopping bags or cartons.

"Gomen..." They said in unison. The girl stood up, dusted off the dirt from her beige slacks, apologized to Kurama again, and headed off.

Kurama slowly stood up, and watched her from behind. He had caught a glimpse of her earrings. Rose earrings. Somehow, he sensed that those earrings were the first things people notice. Not for him. He had noticed her eyes. It was the shade of deep green, like the wisdom of a tree. Bright, cheerful eyes that showed determination and courage. He smiled.

Makoto slowed down her pace. She looked behind her, but saw no trace of the guy with the long red hair. "Dreamy..." She commented, and continued to run to meet Minako.

Makoto passed through a shopping center, hoping the route was much shorter, and faster. She paused suddenly. It was empty. Where were the people? This place always used to be so crowded. She took quiet, steady steps, and tried her best to be brave. The sound of every step she took on the marble floor echoed all across the center. She heard a faint rumble. She laughed in spite of herself. Imagine, going on sailor business without getting a bite to eat!

She walked faster, her uneasiness disappearing. She hummed a tune as she walked through the deserted shopping mall. Maybe the stores went bankrupt. Maybe that's why nobody was here. Makoto scolded herself for being so ignorant.

The rumbling sound grew louder. That wasn't her stomach anymore! The floor shook violently. Makoto tried to keep her balance, swaying her arms wildly. The floor erupted underneath her! She screamed, but was able to move out of the way. Unfortunately, her right leg had been hit. The cut was deep, caused by a sharp marble fragment from the floor. She whimpered, and tried to limp away from the evil force attacking her. She looked at her injured leg. Blood. She winced.

The floor seemed to have a mind of its own! The floor crumbled, and a monster made of marble, with a cross sign on its forehead, appeared. It looked hungrily at Makoto, and lunged. Makoto wasn't fast enough. The monster, with its teeth and claws bared, was heading for her! The center echoed with her scream.

Part 5: Body and Soul

Haruka stared in horror at the mud-monster before her. She was stuck in the mud, and couldn't move. The thing was swallowing her up!

`I--I'm sinking!` Haruka thought. The mud was already upto her chin! `Can't move... Can't transform...` She took a deep breath, and held it as the mud reached her upper lip.

The mud-monster laughed. It sounded like a gurgle. Haruka caught a glimpse of the cross sign on its forehead. She could'nt hold her breath any longer! The mud was above her nostrils! She closed her eyes tight, and waited. `Dame da...` She had run out of oxygen.

The monster gurgled happily. "Your soul is Mei..."

"DEAD SCREAM!!!"

A ball of powerful light hit the monster. Stunned at the sudden attack, the monster yowled, and threw mud balls at Haruka's savior: Sailorpluto! Pluto blocked the childish attack with her destiny spinster.

"It is nothing more than a child," Sailorsaturn stood beside Pluto, and observed the creature made out of mud. More mud balls were aimed at them. Sailorsaturn blocked the futile attack. Her attention turned to Haruka, who was almost fully under the quicksand of mud. "Haruka-san!!"

"Saturn," Pluto said. "Your Death Ribbon..."

Saturn shook her head. "My Death Ribbon is not like Venus' chain. It is a very dangerous and destructive attack."

As if hearing them, a chain of golden hearts appeared. Like a lasoo, it encircled Haruka. Sailorvenus winked at Pluto and Saturn. "Help me out here, guys!"

Pluto and Saturn helped Venus pull Haruka to safety. Haruka was soaked with mud. Haruka lay unconscious, as a worried Saturn and an anxious Venus knelt by her side. "Haruka-san..."

The monster continued to throw mud balls at the senshi. Venus stood up with her fists clenched. She had had enough!

"If you think you're gonna get away by hurting Haruka-san, you think wrong, mudface!" Venus said to the mud-monster, and positioned herself for an attack. "VENUS... LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!!" Venus blew a kiss, and it turned into a series of powerful hearts that blasted the monster. The monster exploded into tiny blotches of mud which flew in every direction.

Haruka woke up, and joked, "Venus, now you've made a mess!"

Haruka was about to be greeted by a few giggles from Venus, Pluto, Saturn, when a dark cloaked figure appeared before them. They couldn't see its face. It was just a shadow; a silhouette of some sort. It suddenly spoke, its voice low, and menacing.

"Very impressive. But how long will that last?" It said, then it disappeared, followed by another being's laughter.

"W-Who was that?" Venus asked. The being she saw chilled her, scared her. It was different from all other enemies she's faced as Sailor-V.

"It was definitely NOT the victory party!" Haruka replied, annoyed with the fact that she didn't get to clobber that thing. She glanced at her wrecked motorcycle, and cursed. Damn, she needed a shower!

"That being was very strange," Saturn remarked, her glaive glistening in the sunlight. The mud, that used to be that ugly monster, was drying up at last. "Is he the one you were sensing, Pluto?"

Pluto nodded. "A very vague feeling, but it's there." She leaned on her Time staff, and said to Haruka and Sailorvenus, "The time has come again..."

Walking was never this tiring. Keiko sighed. With a heavy heart, she treaded on, passing several couples necking on the park benches. At last it had stopped raining. It didn't matter anyway. What on earth was Yusuke trying to say??

Keiko stifled a sob, and looked up. Blue skies. Why couldn't it be nighttime? She wanted to see the stars, to make a wish. She recalled what Yusuke had said to her a few years ago in her ramen shop.

"Keiko, after college, let's get married."

He had promised her that. Keiko had been so happy then. But now... was that promise made to be broken? No, she didn't want to believe that it could break. It wasn't like Yusuke to do such a thing. She straightened. `I have to trust Yusuke on this...` Keiko thought. She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. She felt much better now.

A commotion was heard nearby. Screams, and cries of panic coming from several people. Keiko rushed to the scene. The couples! Every one of them had collapsed on the ground after going crazy! Keiko tried to scream, but nothing came out. She took one step back, then another. She was too frightened to run. The couples... dead? How...?

After taking a few steps back, she felt someone. Relief swept over her. "Yusuke..." She turned.

It wasn't Yusuke!

Keiko finally found her voice. She screamed, and screamed...

Yusuke couldn't find it in his heart to say it to Keiko. He ran, and had left a bewildered Keiko on the park bench. He didn't want to do that. But what else could he do? He didn't want to hurt Keiko... physically. He knew something ... or someone... was eating at his soul, trying to possess him. It was a feeling that... that... that the end was nearing! However, Yusuke was able to fight the evil force penetrating his body and his soul because his rei ki was strong. But how long could he keep it up? Could youkai be entering Ningenkai again? It couldn't be... unless...

Yusuke stopped walking. He sensed something. Rei ki! Weak rei ki, but powerful enough when regained. He turned, and saw a dark deserted alley. It was coming from in there. Yusuke moved closer, then stood his guard as he saw a sharp, gleaming object... like a sword! The person was about to attack him!

Yusuke stood ready to fight. His opponent was cloaked in black. Yusuke knew that he was accustomed to the dark. Damn alley! He couldn't see his opponent's face. Without warning, his opponent leaped into the air, sword at hand. Yusuke took a step back, and positioned his hands. As he was preparing to fire the rei gun, he heard a female voice behind his opponent. "Yame te..." Yukina!

The opponent cloaked in black turned his sword away. "Yusuke, it's you!"

"Hiei!" Yusuke was surprised, but happy, to see Hiei instead of a real enemy. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hn," Hiei replied, keeping his sword. "That's really none of your business."

Yukina stepped forward, and greeted Yusuke with a polite bow. Yusuke put his arm around Hiei's neck, and grinned at him. "Oi~! Have you told her yet?"

Hiei broke free from Yusuke's hold, and pulled out his sword again. "Nandato~?!"

Yusuke stilled. He sensed... Keiko! She was in trouble! Yusuke took flight, barely feeling the ground beneath him. He headed back to the park where he had left Keiko. `If anything happens to her...` Yusuke gritted his teeth. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something did happen to her. `Keiko, hold on!`

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