Yusuke nodded and concentrated, a glowing bubble of energy formed around the small group and the chunks of rubble that hit it slid harmlessly off to pile around the bottom of it. However, a few larger pieces of the ceiling caused the bubble to shimmer and Yusuke to wince. He had used a lot of energy shooting at Ixion and maintaining his demon form. He could feel himself shifting back into his human form and knew that wasn't such a good sign.

Kurama noted the shift as well and placed a hand on the spirit detective's shoulder, lending his own strength to the shield. Hiei took up a similar position on the other side, doing the same. The three of them worked smoothly as a team and it was easy to see they had long practice at reading each other in battle. If Artemis had some sort of plan, they would give her time to make it work. None of them were certain if the chamber they were currently in was still underground and if so, how far.

Present Time. 8:50 am. Borderlands. Daevari Fort. Main Barracks & Armory.
Kuwabara smirked as he walked over and placed his hand on Yusuke's back, lending his strength to the Team as a whole. And while that happened, Artemis grabbed Yusuke's hand, holding tightly, but not enough that it would hurt. As soon as she did that there was a very visible strengthening of the shield and it spread out several inches and surrounded them further. "Yuki,, have you got it?" She asked the white haired girl who smiled even though her eyes were closed. "Almost, it's hard to force the water through the ground here, but.. Ah! Got it!" Her eyes shot open as water began flooding into the room through the chasm. Artemis watched as it rose over the debris and hit the shield, but didn't enter it. "Yuki!" The girl nodded. "A little bit more, I need more if I'm going to make this work." Artemis growled lightly. "We don't have a whole lot of time here." Yuki looked at her and smiled. "Alright, here goes."

The water swirled around the shield, reaching up and completely encasing the shield in a film of water. It was clear that the girl was having a hard time with it, but she never lost her focus. Artemis grabbed Yuki's hand to lend her a portion of her strength as well, and it seemed Felicia wanted to do the same. The Princess laid her hand lightly on Yuki's shoulder and the girl smiled. "Here we go!" Yuki exclaimed happily as the water forced the shield off the ground completely. A stream pushing the entire group up and out into the open, above the crumbling fort. A moment later she set the water to descend to the ground away from the fort. Once the shield touched the ground, Yuki collapsed to the ground, her energy spent, and Artemis released Yusuke's hand to turn to her friend.

Yusuke flopped down on the ground tiredly. "Phew, that was close. Thanks for the help guys." He ginned but then turned serious. "So how are we gonna find that jerk now?" He scratched his head.

Hiei remained alert in case anyone tried to come after them.

Kurama shifted smoothly back into his human form, keeping the local plant life at bay while they recovered. He was thinking about the situation and about Artemis and her secrets. He would ask later, she obviously had her hands full with the water user at the moment.

Present Time. 8:53 am. Borderlands. Daevari Ruins.
Artemis looked over Yuki quickly, finding that the girl was physically hurt as well. That wasn't a good sign, it might have happened when they were running through the tunnel, or it could have been from before, when she was captured. Artemis bit her lower lip and ran her hand through her hair as she looked up at the tall human boy. "Kuwabara, right? Do you think you could carry her?" She asked smoothly as she carefully placed her hand over the wound and laid a simple shield to protect it from any further infections. "Uhh, yeah, I guess. Why?" He asked, scratching the back of his head in a confused manner. Artemis stood up with a sigh. "Because we need to get her to Niflheim. It's the only place where she can fully recover." She said as she turned to Yusuke. "You're gonna love this. I already know where Ixion is going, and he's got one hell of a head start." She said with a sigh as she looked out into the distance. "We'll need to head to Niflheim anyway, there's something I want to look into." She wasn't in the mood to reveal anything yet, besides, once they made it to Niflheim, a lot of the secrets would sort themselves out anyway.

"Artemis." Kurama spoke up evenly, "Perhaps we might hear a bit more truth from you before we continue with this venture." He suggested mildly. "You seem to know a great deal more than you care to share and that secrecy nearly resulted in a messy end for all of us. I respect your right to privacy but I will not keep quiet when our lives may be the price for your silence." He finished in the same calm, serious tone he had used throughout the rebuke. He wasn't attacking her, but she needed to know they weren't stupid and her cryptic responses would not be tolerated any further.

Hiei stood at the fox's side and crossed his arms, silently reinforcing the redhead's words.

Yusuke blinked at Kurama's words. The redhead had a point but the detective hadn't really given their guide's secretive demeanor much thought up until now. Heck, Kurama could be pretty darn cryptic when he wanted to be, and Koenma rarely knew what he was talking about, so maybe he was just used to going into things with only half the information he needed.

Present Time. 8:55 am. Borderlands. Daevari Ruins.
Artemis looked over at Kurama as she took a deep breath and released it almost immediately after. "Alright, you deserve to know a bit more." She said simply as she gathered her thoughts. "I've already told you I'm not a demon, and I'm clearly not human. I'm a Solarian, basically we are what normal humans would call 'angels'." She laughed once in a sarcastic manner and continued. "When I was living in Niflheim, I had a vision, it was too horrible to mention. I couldn't tell anyone for fear they wouldn't believe me. And today, that vision began to come true." She took another deep breath. "This vision involved the Staff of Life, being used to ressurect an ancient demon who was sealed away a long time ago. Very few people know the story, and those that do were either there when the demon was sealed away; or were told the story in the hopes that they, as the future generation, would be able to prevent this demon from being released." She sighed. "There really isn't a whole lot of time to explain, this demon, if he is awakened, everything as we know it could come to an end."

She turned to look at Felicia, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. "I'd rather not reveal everything about myself now, but it'll come out eventually when we get to Niflheim. Anyway, I want to look into the Archives to see if there is any way to stop this demon. I'm not talking about Ixion, he would be a cakewalk compared to the ancient one we all fear. I need to know if there would be a way to reseal him, or to actually destroy him should he be awakened. And if Ixion's plan succeeds, that demon will be awakened within the next week or so, depending on how long it takes him to reach the temple." She sighed again as she ran a hand through her hair, her red-brown eyes gazing beyond Felicia in the direction of the portal to Niflheim. "I can tell you more when I'm certain all of my own information is correct."

Kurama nodded his thanks for the explanation. "Fair enough, let's go and hope we can prevent what you've seen from occurring."

Hiei silently absorbed the information, storing it away for later use.

Yusuke shoved his way to his feet and brushed himself off. "Alright. Let's get moving. Artemis lead the way." He grinned. "We may not have gotten that staff thingy yet but at least we have a princess to return."

Present Time. 8:58 am. Borderlands.
Artemis nodded as she led the way, mot moving too fast, but certainly not moving too slow either. Kuwabara had lifted the unconscious girl over his shoulder and was running along with them, his pace a bit slower, but managing to keep them in sight. It wouldn't take nearly as long to find the other portal as it took to find the fort from the portal to Spirit World. It would only be so many minutes. Felicia had hiked up her dress and was running with them, easily keeping pace with her twin, but she kept her mouth shut.

Kurama flanked the princess on the opposite side from Artemis. If any enemies were straggling he didn't want to be caught unaware and the princess had to be protected at all costs.

Yusuke fell into step beside Kuwabara with similar thoughts in mind. If they were attacked by something, the orange haired oaf would be hard pressed to fight and keep his grip on the injured girl.

Hiei flitted around the group, scouting for traps and finding and disarming several. Obviously the enemy hadn't been completely certain that there would be no assault from Nifflheim. Perhaps he wasn't as well informed as they had feared he was.

Present Time. 9:00 am. Borderlands. Temple of Stars.
Artemis rushed up the steps of the marble temple, finding that the guards were in place as usual. She took a deep breath and walked over, saying something to them in her native tongue. They saluted and stepped aside to let the group through and Artemis turned to look at everyone. "Niflheim is very different from the Borderlands. So try and prepare yourselves." She said and walked through the portal.

On the other side the sun was shining brightly, and even though it was there, it was clear the Sun was not quite normal. It's color was a peculiar shade of pink but it lit up the sky well enough, a sky that was both blue and violet interchangeably. Stars blinked in and out of existence here and there despite the brightness of the day. The ground was much softer and far greener than the barren reddish-brown earth of the Borderlands. A silver stream of liquid flowed by, forming a lake that sat by the edge of a glorious looking city. The tallest building simply had to be the magnificent white Palace that could be seen even from the distance. The local fauna was much more unique than the dangerously hostile plantlife of the previous one, a welcome change. In fact, a small creature that looked as though it was made entirely from the local plantlife creeped out from the bushes to get a look at the people coming through the portal. It hid itself in the brush, but it certainly seemed friendly enough. A golden path led from the portal into the city below the hill, and Artemis took a deep breath of the fresh air, another thing that was completely different from the previous world. So many scents in one place, Artemis immediately felt herself warm up inside and she felt good to be home.

Kurama followed Artemis through and was immediately lost in the many new plants around him. He spotted the plant creature and called to it with his power, delighted when it scampered out and obediently climbed up his arm to rest on his shoulder. "Hello little one. I've never seen anything like you before." He wondered if the plant creature would be able to survive in the human world...and whether he could hide it from his mother. He almost laughed at himself. 3000 years old and acting like a child plotting to hide a puppy from his parents.

Hiei was only moments behind the fox and shook his head at Kurama's interest in the local plant life. The redhead was completely obsessed. Hiei snorted at Kurama's thoughts, careful to shield them from the other members of the group, though he could do nothing about the calculating gleam in the fox's eye.

Yusuke waited for Kuwabara and his cargo to go through ahead of him before crossing through the portal. "Wow! This place is nice. Neither of my worlds is nearly this pretty." He looked around appreciatively.

Present Time. 9:02 am. Niflheim. Kris'Val Hillside.
Felicia was right beside the red head and she smiled delightedly as the plant creature went to him. "We call them Kris'Val. They are earth spirits, very pure and very powerful allies when they choose to be so." She said with a smile. "It is not often that they choose to bond with another soul. Knowing that, I am shocked to see it so accostomed to you. Perhaps it was waiting here for you." She added with a smile. Artemis sighed and turned to look at Yusuke. "This world is as pure as they come. The air here is untainted, and only the good souls are allowed to come to this place. Many innocent lives that are lost are brought here, for there is no place better for them to live. Niflheim is a paradise to anyone who wishes a peaceful lifestyle."
The plant creature was in fact bonding, it could feel Kurama's power, but that was not the only thing holding it in place. There was more to this demon, and the Kris'Val was delighted that he should find a soul this unique. It moved from the fox's shoulder, disappearing into the thick red hair only to come back out on the other side. It seemed it was holding a strangely pink-red seed in it's hand and held it out to the fox, as if telling him to awaken the weapon.

Kuwabara was a bit freaked out by the little plant creature, but didn't let it show. This world was very different from the human world, and he could tell the air was much cleaner. "If I ever die, I think I'd like this place, that is if Yukina were allowed here." He looked away and Artemis smiled. "Demons are welcome here, so long as they obey the laws we set, and keep to the peace." She was actually smiling, and she felt much better for it.

(OOC: Saravi, please don't post until I can describe this 'weapon' to you)

Kurama eyed the seed curiously before taking it from the creature. 'That one wasn't in there before.' He told Hiei silently. He was perfectly aware of every seed in his hair and this wasn't one of them. He fed a bit of energy into the pink seed and his eyes widened in wonder as the seed bloomed into a flower that was like his trademark rose in shape but totally different in color. The bloom and stem were both an almost metallic silver in color. He experimentally attempted to turn the flower into a weapon and was smiled as it went through a series of evolutions. First a sword with the flower as the pommel. Then a morningstar which transitioned smoothly into a flail. Finally it shifted into a silvery whip with wickedly sharp spines. He could feel a connection growing between himself and the creature as he played with his new weapon. He blinked out of his reverie and allowed the whip to transform back into a flower and then a seed before he tucked it into his hair. He reached up to his shoulder and petted the plant creature, smiling affectionately at it. "Thank you." He told it politely. "Are you going to stay with me, little one?" He asked curiously, suspecting that the seed was something deeper than a simple gift but not wanting to assume.

Yusuke grinned at the awesome weapon. "Wow! That's really cool, Kurama! Wish my pet gave me something other than headaches." He said wryly, thinking of his odd blue spirit beast and it's habit of roosting on his head.

Hiei walked up beside the redhead once the weapon display was over. He eyed the creature warily before reaching out his hand for it to examine. 'The thing had better get used to my presence,' he thought at Kurama, 'because I'm not going anywhere.' It was a perfect familiar for the fox, Hiei had to admit that much. He only hoped the little plant creature wouldn't cause problems once the fox got it home.

Present Time. 9:05 am. Niflheim. Kris'Val Hillside.
Artemis watched as Kurama played with the new weapon and she smiled and soon after laughed as the plant creature seemed to hop about excitedly on the fox's shoulder. It was clearly delighted with the bond, but it settled down almost immediately, turning to look at Hiei. It poked the fire demon's hand with it's own leafy one and a sort of shift appeared within the creature. It's color changed from a brilliant emerald green to a bright fiery red and it shivered as it hopped from Kurama's shoulder to land in Hiei's hair. Artemis was still smiling, barely holding back the laughter as the creature crawled through Hiei's hair and then bounced back to Kurama's shoulder. "I think that means it likes you too." Artemis said, a slight laugh in her voice and she turned to Kurama. "You can name it, you know. Once it bonds with someone it's proper to give the spirit a name. It completes the bond and then it will do basically anything you ask of it." She managed to get serious again, not wanting to lose control of her emotions, that would be dangerous and she didn't want to subject anyone to that.

Hiei tolerated the creature with mild amusement. It wasn't like the thing was going to mess up his hair or anything and he wasn't as easy to embarrass as Yusuke. In fact, secretly, he was quite pleased that the little creature liked him. He didn't want anything about Kurama to reject him, not even a pet.

Kurama laughed musically as his new friend made friends with Hiei.Hiei's slightly wide eyed exression was so innocent looking, it was absolutely priceless. Obviously, at least to Kurama, the fire demon had not expected the plant creature to take to him so readily. He couldn't really blame Hiei, most people took time to get used to him and some never warmed to at all. Hiei had a rather difficult personality and a lot of trust issues, having been betrayed by almost every person in his life at least once, including Kurama himself. He was just lucky the fire demon had eventually given him another chance. He wondered if that would have happened if Koenma hadn't forced them to serve their parole together. He shook the thought away, not liking to imagine his life without Hiei in it. He then nodded thoughtfully at Artemis' words, eying the little plant creature thoughtfully. "Hmm, what shall I call you?" He pondered. "I think Gin is a nice name. What do you think little one?" He asked the creature with a smile.

Yusuke grinned as Hiei was accosted by the plant creature. "Heh, well at least now I'm not the only one." He laughed and was slightly surprised when the fire demon didn't glare daggers at him.

The fire demon seemed to be lost in thought as his eyes tracked the creature as it settled itself back on Kurama's shoulder. After a moment he caught Yusuke watching and his eyes narrowed. The short demon crossed his arms across his chest. "We should get moving." He said firmly.

Yusuke grinned but said nothing. 'That's more like the normal Hiei.' He laughed internally, hoping the jaganshi wasn't listening in on his thoughts. The fact that the fire demon had let his emotions show in front of them, even briefly, showed how much the cranky demon had changed in the last few years. Yusuke didn't want to discourage the change by pointing it out.

(( OOC: I'm basically assuming that Kat is with the group.... >.>))

Present Time. 9:07 am. Niflheim.
Artemis watched the scene play out and Hiei's expression but didn't make any comments about it, it wasn't her business to anyway. The plant creature held up one of it's hands in a sort of salute, as if saying it accepted the name. She nodded lightly at Hiei's comment that they should move on. "It's pretty straightforward from here. Solaris is only ten minutes away, and that's at a run." She said with a smile as she immediately took off down the hill. It really wouldn't take long to get to the city, and as much as she loved being home, she wasn't looking forward to the reunion with her mother. She'd been gone for a long time, and she was afraid that her mother would be angry with her. That and she wasn't looking forward to the scolding she'd get from her own little 'pet'.

Kurama made sure the little plant creature was securely settled on his shoulder before he took off after Artemis. Gin clung to his hair and he could almost swear he heard it say something that he couldn't quite understand. He reached one hand up to soothe the little creature but didn't slow down. They were already behind, further delay would be ill advised.

Hiei followed the fox and Artemis, silently scanning the area for any sign of trouble. He knew better than to let his guard down, even in such peaceful surroundings. Ixion was from here too so who knew what sort of support the madman may have left behind.

Yusuke stretched out the kinks that were beginning to form in his muscles and pressed on after the others without complaint. He figured they would have some time to rest up when they got where they were going. Standing around complaining about it wouldn't do any good and it could very well prove detrimental to the water user's health.

Present Time. 9:17 am. Niflheim. Solaris.
Artemis slowed down once they reached the city, and it seemed everyone there knew immediately what was going on. A cluster of girls in white and gold robes rushed forward and took the unconscious girl from Kuwabara and wandered off into a large grey building. It's appearance was like that of a sort of hospital or penitentiary. She brought the rest of them closer to the grand palace looming ahead, and there were three pixie like creature floating around talking to a woman in a golden gown with long flowing blonde hair. As Artemis came closer the woman drew her attention away from the pixies, and her eyes widened. Immediately she quickened her pace. "Oh, my dear, it's so good to know you are safe. My darling daughter." The words were said just as she drew Artemis into a hug that she reluctantly returned.

Felicia had a big smile on her face, if she had been uncertain of it before, there was no doubting it now. "Serenity, how could you run away like that. You had me worried all these years, and forcing your sister to take your place in your absence. It should have been you going to Spirit World for this peace treaty." Artemis pulled away from her mother's embrace. "It's good to see you too, mother." She said with a blush on her face. There was a sharp cry as if from an animal and a small bluish-white cat-like fox ran out and jumped onto Artemis, nearly forcing her to the ground. "I'm sorry Fenir, I couldn't bring you along." She whispered as she watched her mother walk over to the group.

"I must thank the rest of you for bringing my daughters back." Artemis sighed. "I came back on my own, it was Felicia who needed rescuing." She said looking rather embarrassed by her mother's apparent overprotective behaviour. "Serenity, I understand that something happened to make you run away, but you are home now. You have responsibilities that need to be taken care of." Her tone and the expression on her face forced Artemis into further silence. "I am sorry, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sandara Sol Tirantha." She said with a warm smiled directed at the group.

Kurama bowed politely, sensing the need for diplomacy. He was careful to keep one hand on his new pet so the little creature wouldn't be dislodged by the sweeping gesture. "No thanks are required." He said politely. "We are honored to be welcomed by one such as yourself. We are the Reikai Tantei. I am called Kurama, and he is Hiei." He pointed at the fire demon who was hovering at his side. The creature on his shoulder shifted and peered out from under his hair, tugging one forelock imperiously and he realized it wanted to be introduced as well. "This is Gin." He said with a small smile.

Yusuke spoke up in his usual brash tone. "I'm Yusuke Urameshi. The leader of Team Urameshi. " He grinned and bowed rather sloppily, but it wasn't intended as rudeness. He just wasn't used to bothering with such formalities. "Nice place you have here, er...your majesty-san." He fumbled the title, not sure what he should call her.

Hiei stayed close to Kurama but he didn't like this place at all. The others might feel this place was perfect, but to him it felt like a trap. He needed the danger of the Makai to keep him sharp. It was exhilarating and forced him to focus all his skills to their highest levels. This place was too easy. There was no challenge in existing here. Deep down, though he tried to tell it to bug off, a little voice was insisting that every step he took there was destroying something, sullying it with his very presence. He was the forbidden child! He shouldn't even exist, so he most definitely should be spoiling such a pristine place with his filth.

Kurama caught a glimpse of Hiei's eyes and read the growing urge to flee the scene, with an ease born only of long practice. The fire demon's impassive facade would most likely fool all but those most familiar with him. At most he might seem awed by the grand vista. Using Yusuke's loud self-introduction as a distraction, the fox smoothly reached over to catch the shorter demon's hand before Hiei could decide to bolt. He didn't know what had caused the carefully hidden emotions in his fire demon but he was relieved when the bandaged hand tightened on his briefly before it slipped free of his grasp, and Hiei's posture relaxed ever so slightly. Gin chittered quietly.

Present Time. 9:20 am. Niflheim. Solaris. Palace Garden.
"It is not often that the Kris'Val choose to bond with anyone, and for one to bond with a demon is even more rare. But it seems to have taken quite a liking to you, Kurama." She said, her voice soft and melodic like the voice of an angel. Her attention turned to Yusuke, who tried to be formal, but seemed uncomfortable doing it. Sandara laughed, the sound like that of musical bells. "Please, call me Sandara, and I will call you by your name as well. No need to keep to formalities, I find them so boring." She sounded delighted as she clapped her hands and the three pixie creatures flew over. "Reiva, Mira, Lurin. Please go and prepare the guest rooms." She asked in a warm voice and the tree girls nodded and flew off. They were very small, only about a foot in height each, but they were gone in an instant, clearly not to be under-estimated. "You are all welcome to stay here at the Palace and recover. I'm sure it must have been a tough journey to rescue my daughter." She said with a smile.

Yusuke scratched his head. "Nah, it wasn't too bad." He said sheepishly. "I mean, we didn't even finish the mission yet. That staff thingy is still in that Ixion guy's hands." He frowned.

Hiei stayed silent and still, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He liked being invisible at times like this, all the praise and gratitude left him a bit at a loss.

Kurama bowed and smiled politely. "Thank you. Yes, I'm certain we would all appreciate the opportunity to recover our energy."

Present Time. 9:23 am. Niflheim. Solaris. Palace Garden.
Sandara seemed a bit shocked by the name and she took a single step backwards before composing herself. "Are you truly certain it was Ixion?" She asked and Artemis stepped forward. "Mom, we fought him directly. He tried to attack Felicia, but Drea saved her." She said in a soft voice as she remembered the scene of the butterfly woman getting in the way of the attack. Felicia looked at the ground, also trying to avoid remembering that moment. Artemis sighed as she dropped Fenir from her arms, the little blue-white cat-fox creature seemed to smile lightly. "I'm sure you were mistaken, Serenity. Ixion would never betr-" Artemis stomped her foot and stared at her mother angrily. "I know it was him, and I know I am not mistaken. Mother, that trickster has been just waiting for this moment. He's planning to revive Lazareth!!" She said angrily, saying the name with a sort of acidic tone in her voice.

"No. Lazareth must never be brought back." She muttered helplessly as she stumbled back a few steps in shock at the information. Artemis sighed and her expression softened. "Mother, I'll explain later, can I please have permission to check the Archives? I want to look into the legends and see if I can find anything useful." Sandara took a deep breath and nodded, her expression still frozen in a state of shock. "We should all go inside, to avoid anyone else overhearing this conversation. Serenity, you have a lot of explaining to do." She said firmly as she led the way through the garden. Artemis took a deep breath, knowing that this was the part she was going to hate.

Kurama fell in behind the royal family, wanting to hear more explanation himself. He would keep quiet but he felt they deserved to know precisely what they were up against for a change.

Hiei reluctantly followed the redhead, not wanting to be separated from Kurama in this place. He didn't trust it and he didn't trust these people. They might not be his enemies but any unknown was both a possible ally and a potential threat. He still couldn't be sure which category the benevolent seeming queen fell into.

Yusuke fell in with the group easily. He wanted to hear more about this Lazareth guy. After all, they might have to fight him pretty soon.