It's been quite a while since the Makai Tournament ended. Kurama and Yusuke work in the Ningenkai, Kuwabara studies at a University, and Hiei still sleeps in the Makai. One day, Kurama was taking a walk when he looked up to one of the trees. He saw Hiei! "Hiei!" Hiei looked down to see who was calling. "Kurama!" Hiei jumped down and joined Kurama with his stroll. "What brings you to the Ningenkai?" "Boredom." "Understandable." "So, what's happening around here?" "Nothing much. I'm going to Yusuke's. Coming?" Hiei shrugged and continued on.

When they reached Yusuke's Noodle Shop, they saw Kuwabara there, too. "Oi, Hiei! What are you doing here?" "Hiei! It's been a long time!" "It hasn't been that long." "So, what brings you guys here? We're once again complete!" "Restlessness?" "Restless, hu?" Genkai suddenly pops into the place.

"Baasan!" "I'm getting bored, myself. I just have this strange feeling that something is again about to happen." "But it's not happening yet." "Well, somebody better start making something happen now!" "How about a little training up in the mountains?" "Sounds good enough." "Okay with me." "Better than nothing." "All right then, tomorrow?" "Tomorrow?! Already?!" "Fine with me! Tomorrow is a Saturday and next week is my semestral break." "A week, then." "Okay, if that's what you guys want." "We'll meet at the park, tomorrow at six." "Deal!" Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara said in unison.

So, there they were at the foot of the mountain, the next day. It was high, not very, but high. "Everyone, ready?" "Ready!" Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara said. "Okay then, let's--" "Just a minute. There's no hurry. How about trying to climb this mountain without using your ki." "Okay, then. Let's do it." And so, they reached the top of the mountain. They trained for the whole day. Feeling satisfied, they lit up a campfire that night and gathered around telling stories.

"Your ghost stories sound pathetic, Yusuke. Youkai can do more harm to people." "And not all people fear them." "That may be also because they don't know you're one, Kurama." They laughed the night away. Just then, they all stopped. "Why did you guys stop?" "Someone's coming. I can feel it." "Nothing to worry about. I think it's a harmless being." "Hmm. That person has Spiritual Powers. Very weak, though." "Even if it is a youkai, I don't think there's a problem. Hiei will dice him up gladly, won't you, Hiei?" Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama were surprised to see Hiei as pale as a sheet of paper.

Genkai, on the other hand, was serious. "Hiei?" "Baasan?" "What's wrong with them?" "Hiei, Hiei, what's the matter? They're just weak humans. And they don't seem to be evil." Then, they started hearing footsteps. Slow, faint footsteps. "Um, I- I just remembered something. I think I'll go and take a walk." "Hiei, are you hiding something from us?" Kurama held Hiei's arm tight. Hiei struggled but Kurama wouldn't let go. "N-no. I- I'm just tired, that's all!" "I don't think so, Hiei." The footsteps were getting louder. It stopped, then broke into a run. Hiei's expression turned to panic. "Kurama, let me go! Now! I have to get away!" "Get away from whom?" "Hiei!!!" A girl suddenly sprang from the dark forest and jumped on Hiei.

"It's been a long time! Miss me?" The girl said while hugging Hiei very tightly. "M-marie! Get away from me!! R-ria, if you're there, tell your sister to let me go! I can hardly breath!" Then another girl came out of the forest. "Alright Mar, let him go." Marie dropped Hiei on the ground. "Ouch!" Marie looked at Genkai. Genkai's eyes widened. "Baasan!" Marie said as she jumped on Genkai, pinning her to the ground. "Missed me?" "Marie. You didn't change a bit since we last met." Genkai was surprised. "When was the last time you guys met?" "Fifty-seven years ago." "No, it wasn't! It was just last week! I've got proof!" Marie showed them a picture of a young girl beside a tall young boy dated May 1998.

"Who are these people?" "It's Master and Togs." "That was Genkai and Toguro fifty-seven years ago." Ria walked over to Hiei and sat down beside him. "I don't get it. A picture of an event fifty-seven years ago, taken last week?" "Uhu!" Ria was playing with Hiei's hair. "Did my sister scare you, best friend? Sorry about that." "Hiei was scared of her?" "I was not!" Ria and Marie looked at Kurama. "You're Kurama, right?" "Uh, yes." The two girls dashed in front of him and took one of Kurama's hands each. "My best friend told me all about you!" "H-hiei is your best friend?" "Mine." "Hiei's just my friend. But my best friend is coming." "I'm Ria!" "Marie!" "And when did you guys last meet Hiei?" "Several years ago." "Last month." "Here we go with that date thing again." "How'd you do that?!" "Time travel." They were stunned and couldn't say anything.

 "Enough about that! Are you guys staying here for the night?" "Isn't it obvious?" "Are you guys gonna sleep in a tent?" "Yup!" "Oh! Where are they?" "Did you say something?" "Ah! It's nothing!" Then they heard a car coming their way. "What's that?" "It's our boss." "They're late!" A black Limousine parked near the group. "How'd a car get here?!" "There's a road at the other side of the mountain." "What?! Why didn't you tell us?" "W-well, I thought we needed a little workout." "Oops! We're not yet dressed!" "Let's hurry!" The two girls opened their backpack and took out a suitcase, a necktie and a black blazer. They folded the backpack, put it inside the suitcase and started wearing the necktie and the blazer. The door of the Limou opened and Bui stepped out. "Bui!" Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama said, shocked. "Hn!" Hiei said, in a way showing no care of what was going on. "Aren't you even surprised he's here?" "I wouldn't even be surprised if the Toguro brothers were here." "Glad you're not, 'cause the truth is, we're here."

Toguro Ani suddenly stepped out of the Limou. "T-toguro! What are you doing here?" " Sakyo said there was a coming tournament. We're here for some training." Then, Toguro Ototo came out of the Limou. "Toguro! You're here for training too?" "Yes. All of us." Marie went to the Limou and poked her head in the window. "What kept you?!" "Ask your best friend!" Sakyo stepped out of the Limou. Karasu followed. "What kept you?" "I had to fix my hair!" Yusuke and his friends were shocked to see them.

Marie and Ria went to Sakyo. "The cottages are ready, boss." "Good." Sakyo took a remote control from his pocket and pointed it at a part of the forest with no trees. Suddenly, a building, about ten stories high, appeared. "Wow!" Sakyo pointed the remote control on other parts of the forest with no trees. Two big houses appeared. "You guys can sleep at that cottage." Ria said to Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei, while pointing at one of the houses. "That's a cottage?" "More like a mansion to me." Ria took a remote control from her pocket and pointed it at a spot not far from the Urameshi Team's supposed 'cottage'. From the ground, a shrine appeared. "Master, that's for you." "Stop calling me master. I'm not your master!" Genkai didn't move from her spot. "Come on, Master, it's from me. Don't worry." Ria turned to the Urameshi Team. "I'll show you to your rooms."

At the Urameshi Team's cottage, "This is your room, Yusuke." Ria led Yusuke to a door with his name on it. "Are you sure it's okay to trust them, Hiei? I mean, they work for Sakyo." Kurama whispered to Hiei. "Even the most powerful youkai in Makai is no match for those two. They could beat up Sakyo whenever they want." "But he's their boss. They won't do that. Poor kids, Sakyo took advantage of their innocence." "What innocence? They're naughtier than Yusuke and probably even more merciless than I am." "Huh?" "WOW!!! Look! It's a picture of Keiko in a swimsuit!" Yusuke was pointing at a picture on the wall, inside his room. "Kuwa, this, over here, is your room." Kuwabara went in his room. "Kurama, you really shouldn't worry about those two. Maybe a little about Marie but definitely not Ria. They're good guys and--" "IT'S YUKINA!"

Hiei stopped short and dashed into the room. Kurama and Yusuke followed. The saw Kuwabara lying down at a canopy bed and pointing his finger up. "Huh?" Kuwabara stood up and pushed the three on the bed. They saw a huge picture of Yukina on the ceiling of the bed. Kurama smiled as he saw the look on Hiei's face. "I'll get those two."

Ria led Kurama to a door with a gold label of Kurama's name. Hiei had left the cottage earlier. "This is your room, Kurama." Kurama went in and placed his bag on the bed. He carefully looked around the room. "I know you don't trust us." Kurama looked at Ria. "We're really harmless, you know." Marie popped in from the window. Kurama's eyes narrowed, as if preparing for a fight. Ria and Marie just smiled plainly. "If these two are as bad as Hiei said, how come they have such weak Rei ki?" Kurama thought. The two just blinked innocently. Kurama sighed and sat on the bed. "You can't be as bad as Hiei said." "Oh yes, we can!" Marie said cheerfully. "Everything Hiei told you is true." Ria said seriously.

Kurama felt the powers of the two girls increase. "What's this? They have both Rei ki and You ki, and they range higher than an S-class Youkai!" Kurama thought. He took a rose from under his hair. Yusuke and Kuwabara suddenly burst into the room. "There's an enemy in… Here?" "Stop showing off." "Hey! I'm not even--" "Sorry, Hiei." The powers of the two decreased again. Hiei was at the window. Marie suddenly rushed to Hiei and hugged him very tight. "Hiei! They think I'm an enemy! Whaaah!" "Marie! Let me go!" Ria grabbed Hiei from Marie and hugged him tight. "Marie's right! Even dear darling Kurama thinks we're enemies! 'sob'" "Dear darling Kurama?" "Yes!" Sweat drops appear on Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara and Yusuke.

"They're just kids. They can't possibly know what they were doing when Sakyo took them." Kurama thought. The two girls ran to Kurama's side, grabbing one of Kurama's hands each. "You're not mad at us, are you?" "Just because we work for Sakyo, it doesn't mean we're bad." "You two look too… young to work for a guy like Sakyo." "He's taking advantage of your innocence." "What innocence?" "How come I've heard those lines before?" "He's probably just using you." "He's not!" "We're using him." "Huh?" "She's just exaggerating." "Why don't you two make it clear to them." "Okay. Sakyo and the rest of the Toguro team members are… Tampered." "Tampered?"

 "Yup! Why do you think Karasu and Boss are alive?" "Why are they alive?" "We saved Boss right after that big boulder hit him. We operated him just in time to save his life." "And we gave Karasu a blood transfusion." "Why did you?" "We thought maybe we can make them… better." "We messed around with their brains." "We did not. We just fixed them just as we did when we erased that certain something from Karasu's memory years ago." "It was your fault anyway. You put that terrible memory into my best friend's brain." "I know and I don't regret doing it. Anyway, don't you think Karasu is better off as a vain chaser of dear darling but not so concerned about blowing things up anymore?"

There came a loud explosion near the Toguro Team's 'cottage'. "Well, maybe just a little less concerned about blowing things up." "Wait a minute! What was that memory you put?" "The Black Chapter, revised." "The Black Chapter?" "Revised?" "Yeah. Made even more gross and more merciless than it already is." "We weren't the ones who revised it, though. It was a meaner guy. We didn't watch it but I let Karasu watch it… In virtual reality." "I did the same thing to Hiei. You guys should have seen him cry! He looked so… pitiful." "Stop that if you want to live." Marie rushed to Hiei and snuggled at his arm. "You're not gonna hurt me, are you, Hiei? Of course, you're not. You're too kind, merciful and weak to do that." Marie said, sounding innocent and sweet. "Don't you dare mock my best friend. I made Karasu cry too, you know. Even louder." "Yeah? But Hiei shed more--" "Stop that!" "Hiei's angry."

"Sorry, Hiei." "Anyway, guys, the Toguro Team is less harmful now." "And if any of them dares to hurt you, especially dear darling Kurama and best friend Hiei, I'll hit them so hard they'll land on the moon!" The two girls smiled. "Got to go! It's dark." The two girls jumped towards Hiei, whose eyes widened. Hiei fell off the windowsill and the two girls got out through the window.

That night, Hiei was seated on a branch of a tree not far from the Urameshi cottage. He was lost in his thoughts, staring at the stars. "Hiei." Hiei looked around and saw Kurama under him. He jumped down and the two of them sat on the grass. "Still don't trust them?" "I don't think so." "I myself couldn't understand why I trust them." "Could you tell me how you guys met?" "Hm. I suppose it's okay to tell you. It happened one warm day in the Makai Forest. I was bored so, I took a walk by myself. Then, I saw a young girl about my age, four or five years old." "You were about five years old at that time?" "Yes." "No wonder you cried." "What was that?" "Uh, nothing! Please, go on. Who was that girl?"

"Was that why you grew pale?" "Did I?" "Yes, but that would be understandable. Marie said you even cried." "Waaahahaha!!!" "Heeheeheehee!!" "Yahahaahaaaa!!!" "Buwahaaahahaaa!!!" Marie, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Karasu came out from behind the trees and collapsed on the ground, laughing their heads off. Ria came out of the shadows. She wasn't laughing. "Stop laughing at Hiei!" "Who are you? His guardian angel? Hahaha!" "He's my best friend, Karasu, my best friend." "I thought Kurama's his best friend." "I might not be his best friend but he sure is mine." "Still, he cried! Hahaha!!! Marie made him cry!" "Heeheeheehahaha!!!" "You sure showed him, Marie! Hahaha!!" "This has gone too far!" Ria's powers inceased. She pointed her finger at Yusuke and Kuwabara. A long golden feather came out of her finger and darted towards the two. The feather tied up the two. "What's this thing?" "It's too strong! I can't break free!"

Yusuke pointed his finger at Ria and forced out a Rei Gan. "REI GAN!" The blast headed for Ria but disappeared just as it was about to hit her. "Don't waste your energy. It won't work. Just accept this as a punishment for mocking Hiei." "We didn't mock him! We just laughed at him." "Silence! And as for you, Karasu, you will experience the same humiliation as Hiei did!" Ria turned around and left. "Let's go, Hiei." Kurama and Hiei left. "Sorry, Hiei." Marie said sadly. "Hn!" "Don't have to apologize, it's only Hiei." "Hiei's my friend, too, Karasu. He may not be my best but he's still a friend." Marie left Karasu and went with Ria. "Be careful, Karasu, my sister meant what she said." Marie said seriously.

++++++++++++++++++++ End ++++++++++++++++++++

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