.
Kurama stood next to Yusuke in Koenma's office, arms folded as he waited patiently for their next assignment. Koenma himself hadn't deigned to appear yet, and his companions were becoming irritable.
"Where the hell is he?" Kuwabara demanded. "How dare he keep the great Kuwabara Kazuma waiting?"
"What was that?" They turned to face Koenma, floating beside George with a thick folder in his hands. Kuwabara opened his mouth to repeat what he said, but Koenma cut him off with a wave of his hand as he settled behind his desk. "I wouldn't have kept you all waiting if it weren't important." Kuwabara clamped his mouth shut and scowled at the floor. Hiei smirked and nudged Yusuke, who was asleep where he stood.
Kurama's lips curled slightly as he fought off a smile. His partners were always good for a few laughs, if one were so inclined. Instead, he caught Koenma's eyes and nodded slightly. "So what's so important that you kept us waiting?" he asked loudly. Yusuke jerked awake, blinking, which got another snicker from Hiei.
"Well," Koenma said, opening the folder and shoving it across the desk to Kurama. "It seems we have a problem with the Dark Kingdom."
"Dark Kingdom?" Yusuke echoed, leaning over Kurama's shoulder to stare at the folder's contents. "What's that?"
Kurama picked up the papers and rifled through them as Koenma explained. "As you know, there were once four worlds: the Reikai, the Ningenkai, the Makai, and the Meikai. When Yakumo was defeated and the Meikai destroyed, the space that had once held the Meikai became what we like to call 'Unformed space'."
"'Unformed space'?" Kuwabara muttered. "What the hell is that?"
Koenma leveled a glare at the carrot-topped boy. "Ahem. As I was about to explain, Unformed space is exactly what it's name indicates: space that has yet to be molded into a world."
"Sort of like clay," Kurama murmured, eyes skimming the text. Metallia, Beryl, Kings, Crystal Tokyo, the Silver Millennium, Sailor Senshi... how utterly fascinating. And so familiar, somehow. He was positive he'd heard all this somewhere before.
"Exactly!" Koenma beamed. "That's just it; clay, waiting to be molded into something!"
Yusuke shook his head. "So what does this have to do with the Dark Kingdom?" he asked.
Koenma waved his hand dismissively. "I'm getting there. So anyway, it would require immense power to mold Unformed space. And you could conceivably make anything out of it. Even living beings! But, as I said, even such a small task as that would take a lot of power." His voice became quiet. "Thousands of years ago, back in the age known as the Silver Millennium, a powerful being known as Metallia stumbled across the Unformed space. So powerful was she that she was able to create a kingdom the size of the island of Hawaii."
"The Dark Kingdom." Kuwabara and Yusuke directed curious glances at Kurama. He set the papers back down on the desk. "Metallia is extremely powerful, then. So we're going to be fighting her?"
Koenma shook his head. "Not exactly. You see, there is a group that has been fighting Metallia all along- the Sailor Senshi. Recently, though, the minions of the Dark Kingdom have become too powerful for them to handle, and they've requested aid from the Reikai." He smiled wryly. "Apparently you have quite a reputation. They asked me to send you four."
Yusuke preened. "Well, of course they would. We're the best, aren't we?"
Koenma smiled slightly. "That remains to be seen," he said, so quietly that only Kurama heard. He shared a smile with the Reikai prince.
"So where are these Sailor Senshi?" Yusuke asked.
"Fortunately, the Senshi operate not far from where you live."
"NANI? You mean they've been battling the Dark Kingdom right under our noses and we HAVEN'T EVEN NOTICED?!"
Koenma nodded patiently. "I've arranged for you all the meet at the Crown Arcade."
"How will we know them? Will they have uniforms of something?" Yusuke queried.
"Ah.. no. They'll approach you. The people you'll be waiting for are Luna and Artemis."
Kurama pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Luna and Artemis, huh?" he murmured to himself.
Kurama leaned against the machine, watching Yusuke play the latest Sailor V game. He scanned the arcade for the hundredth time in the past thirty minutes. He hated people who were late for appointments. Where in the three worlds were they?
Beside him Hiei stiffened, and he turned to look at the small fire demon. "Hiei?" His friend snorted and gestured to his feet, where a small black cat sat. "Hn. I didn't think ningens allowed animals in businesses."
"They allowed Kuwabara-kun in, didn't they?" he scoffed lightly, bending down to stroke the creature. He searched for collar. "What's your name, little one?" he murmured.
"I'm Luna," the cat responded with great dignity. Kurama's jaw dropped. Hiei's jaw dropped. While the two of them sputtered, Luna stood on her hind legs, front paws resting on Kurama's legs as she caught the redhead's eyes with her own. "Are you the Reikai Tantei named Yusuke?"
"Ah..? Me?" Kurama blinked. "No, I'm not Yusuke." He jerked his thumb in the direction of his friend, whose game was not going very well judging by the way he pounded on the machine. "That's Yusuke."
Luna sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." She shook her head. "At least he and Usagi will get along well."
Kurama exchanged a puzzled glance with Hiei. Usagi? Shrugging, he knelt before her and gave her his most charming smile. "I am, however, also one of the Tantei. Perhaps I could be of service?
Luna gave him a kitty smile. "Oh, you most certainly will be," she said with greatly exaggerated relief. "When I first saw Yusuke, I feared you were all like that.." She gave him a slanted glance. "I have a feeling you'll be very important to us." She muttered the last almost dreamily. Then she shook her head, and gave Hiei a piercing glance. "Is this another one of Koenma's Tantei?"
Hiei growled, but Kurama felt himself blushing. "Forgive us for not introducing ourselves!" he exclaimed, feeling embarrassed. "I'm Kurama, and this is Hiei. And yes, he works for Koenma, too."
Luna nodded serenely. "Very well. Get your leader, and I'll take you to meet Artemis and the girls." Kurama nodded and rose. He turned back to Yusuke, who was still focused on the game.
"Yusuke?"
"Hmm?" He didn't take his eyes off the game. Kurama tapped him on the shoulder. "Yusuke, Luna is here."
That got his attention. "She's here?" He glanced around. "Why didn't ya say something before? And where is she?" Kurama gestured to Luna. Yusuke's eyes widened with shock before he burst out laughing. "That's Luna? HAHAHHAHAHAA!!!"
Kurama buried his face in his hands.
"So, what do you think they'll look like? D'you think they'll be cute?"
Rei glared at their leader. "For all we know they could be all girls, Usagi."
Makoto leaned on her elbows, sipping her soda. "I dunno, Rei... 'Yusuke', now that's definitely a boy's name. They could all be boys."
Minako sighed dreamily. "I bet they're all boys... and that they're all so handsome girls fall to their knees when they walk by." Usagi and Makoto, taken in by the thought of such dreamy guys, sighed along with her.
"And they'll be ours!" Usagi exclaimed happily. "Well... they'll be working with us, at least, so we'll have plenty of time to charm them!" Rei and Ami just shook their heads.
"You guys have to remember that you'll be too busy fighting Linarite and the Dark Kingdom to have much time for dating." Artemis reminded them. The laughter disappeared at the thought of their seemingly invincible foe. Realizing he'd just ruined the mood, Artemis cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. "But from all accounts Yusuke is very powerful, and his team has beaten every opponent who has come up against them." The Senshi regarded him solemnly.
"But will they be strong enough to beat Linarite?" Ami murmured.
Artemis bowed his head. "Even if they aren't powerful enough to defeat Linarite by themselves, remember that you girls will be fighting beside them.
The girls nodded. Minako stood and pointed to the doorway. "Look! There's Luna! And she's got boys with her!"
Usagi and Makoto jumped to their feet, whispering excitedly to each other. "Those two guys are so cute!"
"Wow, look at that tall guy. He's really ugly!"
"Oh, look, there's a girl with them.."
"My God, she's beautiful!"
"We don't have a chance!"
Rei leaned over to Usagi. "That red-haired girl is prettier than you are!" Usagi groaned.
Lying contentedly in Kurama's arms, Luna also groaned. Why, oh why, must those girls always make such idiots of themselves?! She risked a glance at Kurama's face, ready to make an apology for the Senshi mistaking him for a women. He was feminine, certainly, but he wasn't that girlie! To her relief, though, he actually looked amused.
"So, these are the Sailor Senshi, hmmm?" His smile was almost sympathetic. "I see why you need assistance. So which one of these young ladies is your 'fearless leader?"
"The blond with the funny hairdo." She tried not to sound to grieved. "Her name is Tsukino Usagi. The other girls are Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako."
Kurama nodded and scratched behind her ears as Yusuke and Kuwabara approached the giggling Senshi. Yusuke smirked at them, a predatory gleam in his eyes; for however long the mission took, they'd have these lovely ladies at their beck and call. This, he decided, might well be the best assignment Koenma's ever given us.
Puffed up like a rooster in the hen yard, Yusuke gave a less-than-graceful bow from the waist. "Ore wa Urameshi Yusuke." He winked slyly. "At your service." The insinuation was painfully obvious. The girls took it well, though.
Usagi blushed and shoved her friends aside until she was standing only a few inches away from Yusuke. "Usagi desu..." The other girls, with the exception of Ami, shoved at each other and introduced themselves to Yusuke. Ami, possessing far too much dignity to make such a fool of herself, carefully scooted around her friends and over to where Kurama stood with Luna. "Atashi wa Mizuno Ami desu." she said politely, offering him her hand. "The others seem to be quite... taken with your friend," A glance at the horde of teens showed the girls fawning over Yusuke while Kuwabara declared his superiority in a loud, booming voice. "-but Luna seems to like you, and I trust her judgement."
Luna shot Kurama a pleased look. "Ami is probably the most, ah, competent of the girls. If you need any information, talk to her."
Kurama nodded, shifting Luna in his arms to take Ami's hand. "Boku wa Kurama desu... but here in the Ningenkai I'm known as Minamino Shuichi." he offered.
Ami's eyes bulged with shock. "Not the Minamino Shuichi?!" she gasped. "The one who's the top student of Japan's most prestigious private school, Meiou High?" Kurama nodded patiently. "I've always tried to compete with your scores, even though I was pretty sure we'd never meet! I never could beat them, of course," she added with a bright smile, patting their feline companion on the head. "You have nothing to worry about, Luna. If we have someone as smart as Minamino-san on our side, we're sure to win!"
"Call me Kurama, Ami." he murmured with a demure smile. "We're partners now, right?"
"Kurama."
They turned. Hiei stood in the doorway, a shadow framed by sunlight. His eyes flicked to Ami, then back to Kurama in a silent question. "This is Ami," he told the little Koorime. "She's one of the girls we'll be working with.." He grimaced at Yusuke, Kuwabara and the Senshi. "Those are the rest,"
"We have to work with those over-sexed ningen teenagers?" He growled disgustedly. "It's bad enough around Yusuke and that idiot Kuwabara- why can't ningens learn to control their hormones, instead of letting their hormones rule them?"
"There's plenty of youkai who act the same." Kurama smiled apologetically at Ami. "This is our fourth member, Hiei. Please excuse his behavior."
Hiei growled warningly. Ami smiled at the short-tempered youkai in a friendly manner, offering her hand for him to shake. He eyed it suspiciously, but a sharp nudge from Kurama convinced him to take her hand. "....nice to meet you." And with one last disgusted glance at Yusuke and the others he flitted off to wherever it was he went when he wasn't on Reikai business.
Ami cleared her throat. "Well, he's certainly an.. interesting fellow."
Kurama chuckled softly. "Hai, hai. He's quite interesting." He grinned at the last word, and both he and Ami burst into laughter.
Now Yusuke was beckoning them over. "C'mon, Kurama! You haven't even said hello to the Senshi yet." He smirked at the girls. "Was that Hiei I just saw?"
Kurama and Ami exchanged glances. Yes, indeed, this mission was going to prove most interesting.
