Yukina sat down across from the redhead, stalling as she put her thoughts in order. "Kurama-kun...I...um...I..." She frowned at her failure to get the words out plainly. Finally, she took a deep breath, blushing at her own boldness. "Are you planning to mate with my brother?" She blurted, barely above a whisper. She forced herself to meet Kurama's eyes, watching his reaction.

She thought she already knew the answer, but she had to make sure she wasn't reading the situation wrong. If she wasn't, she needed to make sure Kurama wasn't going to hurt Hiei. The sheltered Koorime had heard stories about fox demons, how they would break a lover's heart on a whim...of course, in the Koorime legends she'd grown up with, all kinds of men were painted that way. The aqua haired girl had no way of knowing how much truth there was to them, though she had long ago learned not to take them at face value. She wanted to believe Kurama would never do something like that, not to Hiei.

Out in the main room, Hiei suddenly sneezed. He blinked tiredly up at the ceiling in confusion. 'Hmm....must be something in the air.' His eyes drifted closed again, quietly enjoying the peace that Yusuke and Keiko's exit had left intact.

Kurama gave an encouraging smile as Yukina blundered through what she was trying to say but the usually calculating fox couldn't have predicted what was to come out of the ice demon next. When the words finally escaped from her mouth, the fox was left floundering in their wake with a red stain spreading across his cheeks. Pulling himself together after the initial shock, Kurama made a thoughtful noise as he considered how to respond. He was extremely fond of the fire demon, perhaps some would say more than the norm between good friends but... Their relationship had been developing rapidly of late but what did he really expect from it?

His heart fluttered when he thought of Hiei's lips brushing against his own and it plummeted when he recalled the brief moment of anguish when he thought him gone forever. He knew he loved the fire demon more than anything else and he was quite sure the feeling was mutual. Kurama wouldn't dare do anything to intentionally hurt Hiei nor could he think of spending a day apart from him since they had grown so close. Kurama smiled, Yukina seemed to be more observant about his feelings for Hiei than he himself was. Finally deciding upon how to respond, he inclined his head slightly and spoke, "With your permission Yukina-sama, and with his mutual agreement, I would take Hiei as my mate."

Yukina lit up at Kurama's assurance of his intentions. He had never given her a reason not to trust him and he certainly seemed genuine. She was pleased with his polite honesty. He didn't need to ask her permission, it wasn't a common demon custom, but she supposed he'd spent enough time around humans to feel it was the right thing to do. "You don't need my blessing..." She said with a smile, "but you have it anyway. You just have to convince Hiei." Her smile never wavered but her eyes turned slightly cold. "Do you know the freezing point of flesh, Kurama-san? Because I do." A frigid breeze swirled through the enclosed kitchen. "If you hurt him you may find out firsthand."

The tension suddenly drained out of her and she stood, back to her usual naive facade. "But I don't think you'd do anything to require that, ne?" She headed for the stove, calling back over her shoulder to the redhead. "The rice should be about done. Could you get out the eggs while I check on the soup?" She purposefully kept her back to him, the sign of trust designed to soften the threat she had just delivered.

Yukina wasn't naturally a violent person and she hadn't had the desensitizing experiences her brother had, but she had traveled in Makai and been imprisoned and tortured by humans. She wouldn't kill for her own sake but she wasn't above hurting someone to protect her loved ones. Her innocent facade made everyone she cared for more comfortable so she maintained it. Anyone who didn't realize on some level that there had to be more to her was deluded or naive.

Keiko turned to face Yusuke, and she let out a sigh as she did. "I'm tired of this, Yusuke." She started. "I mean, I know you like to act like a punk and fight and all that. I-I get that now... I do... but I'm tired." She turned away from him as tears began to well in her eyes. "I try to help you be a better person, a better student, and you just... well, I'm done trying." She lifted her hand to wipe her eyes before she faced him again. "You're not getting off that easy though." She said darkly. "You dumped me at the movie the other night, and I'm still mad." Keiko went to slap him again but stopped her hand only inches from the side of his face. "I can't keep doing this, Yusuke. But I do want to ask you something. No, I want you to promise me something." She paused and took a deep breath. "You know, if you don't want to see a movie with me, just tell me. If any of this detective stuff comes up, please tell me. I don't want to sit around in school worrying about why you're missing. Promise me you'll just tell me next time before you take off." She said and stepped away from him, her hands at her sides, clenched tightly, but she seemed a lot less angry.

---

Genkai felt a familiar presence approaching the temple, and from what she could see, the new demon could also sense it. It came out into the light, revealing the form of a man with long silver hair and pale skin. The demon's eyes were blood-red, but seemed to be shifting between the red and a shade of green. The red markings on his arms neck and face indicated some kind of tribal marking, and from what Genkai noticed, this demon was similar in appearance, if only slightly, to Yoko Kurama. The demon grinned, revealing that his teeth were sharpened and his canines were elongated like fangs. The sight of him, and the aura his body emitted resulted in a foreboding feeling as Genkai glanced over her shoulder momentarily to look towards the stairs.

The moment the old woman turned her face away from him, Shadow moved faster than the human eye can see. The next moment, he was standing only inches away from the woman. Her light was weak, though he knew it was because she was older, but that did not matter, light was light. He had already sensed the departure of the demon he had come looking for. Shadow frowned and then the old woman turned to him again and stumbled backwards despite her outward appearance of being calm and unafraid. Nearly everyone was afraid of him, it was only their natural instinct. "Where is that light coming from?" He asked in his soft, breezy voice. His voice was nothing to be afraid of, but was also nothing to laugh at, as it sometimes sounded like the wind itself was talking through him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Genkai replied, which was partially true. She figured the demon meant Taykayo's aura, but he had said it in such an unusual way.

Shadow growled deep in his throat and reached his clawed hand out to grab her by the throat. "I don't have time for your games. That light is the strongest I have ever felt before. I MUST HAVE IT!!" He tossed her to the side, forcing the old woman to hit the wall. Anyone inside the building would have heard the crash and Shadow cursed at himself a moment before looking towards the steps that led to the temple. "Ah, there you are my little light. Why don't you come to me?" Shadow drawled on in his slightly hypnotic voice as he neared the steps. He could see someone coming, but couldn't really see the person through the light of their aura it was so bright. He smirked.

Genkai tried to get up, but she was in pain, a lot of pain. Not to mention the exhaustion from staying up through the night to keep an eye on the demon that had been approaching her temple. She had felt the end of the fight, but had neglected to go and tell the others about this new demon. A big mistake, something she knew better than to make, but she had been tired, and alerting the team when they desperately needed sleep was not something she had been prepared to do. So now she was paying for it, but surely the others would have heard the crash. All that she could think as her vision began to fade to black was, 'Somebody save that poor boy.' She knew it was Taykayo who was coming up the steps.

Taykayo had finally made it to the stairway and had already started climbing up the steep stairs. Something felt terribly amiss and a moment later he felt a strong demonic presence and knew that something was wrong. Even knowing he had little stamina, Taykayo took a deep breath and began running up the steps, hoping he wouldn't trip and fall on his face, or fall back to the bottom. For once, miraculously, the trip never came and as he neared the top of the steps he heard a loud crash. He stopped as the sickening sound of bones breaking reached his ears and Taykayo stared in shock as a silver-haired demon with red markings came stalking towards him. He was already out of breath from running up the stairs and was liable to pass out at any second. The demon stalking towards him seemed like overkill to the situation. 'Oh God, please... I can't die yet!!' Taykayo thought frantically as he stared at the demon with wide, shocked eyes, his mouth hanging open. Taykayo was too frozen in fear to even try to move away, and his breathing began to increase rapidly.

---

Kuwabara was sort of just sitting there, minding his own business as much as possible when a very foreboding energy seeped into his senses. He shivered involuntarily as he paused to locate the source and realized the energy was demonic, and very dark. Hardly even a moment later, there was a loud crash from outside and Kuwabara jumped to his feet, startled and worried. Genkai had never come into the room this morning, and he had just sensed her outside a moment ago. What was going on? Another demon, but they had just fought a demon last night! This really wasn't fair. "Damn! I think we're under a- Hey, what's that Tay kid doing here?!" Kuwabara shouted as he recognized a new aura and suddenly a new fear gripped him as he sensed the demon approaching the kid's aura.

Kurama raised his head after he spoke and smiled brightly, happy that his words had reassured her. He was about to chime in with a lighthearted comment about how it likely wouldn't prove difficult to convince Hiei when the atmosphere in the room chilled. The fox's eyes just barely narrowed at the threat that seemed to spill casually from Yukina's mouth but he said nothing. At that moment it struck him just how similar the brother and sister were. In some ways they were the exact opposite, but Kurama realized there was a similarity there that he hadn't picked up and felt a new found respect for the koormine.

The chilly atmosphere in the room dissipated just as quickly as it had come, and Kurama welcomed the return of normalcy as Yukina brought the conversation back to the meal. Kurama watched the ice demon's back as she retreated to the stove and remained silent long enough for her to feel his eyes on her back before quickly replying, "Hai, Yukina-san." The fox knew he should give Yukina no reason to doubt him but he couldn't help himself. No matter how closely he pulled the human shroud of Shuichi Minamoto around him, deep inside he was still a deadly fox spirit that liked to play.

With a thought Kurama calmed the restless spirit within himself and stood to retrieve the eggs. Unsure of how many they would need, he brought the entire carton over to the stove to be cooked. Setting them down, he took a moment to open the lid of the rice cooker and give the rice a quick stir to verify that it was evenly cooked. Satisfied with the results, he pulled out a skillet which he placed on the stove to begin heating as he methodically cracked eggs into it with a precision that even the most experienced chef could envy.

As he was cracking the fourth egg into the skillet, his sharp ears picked up a muffled thump from somewhere around the premises and a moment later heard Kuawabara's shouting from the other room. With the flick of a wrist he cut the gas to the burner and rushed out of the room without a word. Taking the nearest exit, the sight that greeted him was an unfamiliar demon stalking up to a Taykayo who was presumably frozen in fear. It only took him a moment to recognize the demon for what he was, a beast, not unlike his own fox spirit and it seemed he had taken a certain interest in Taykayo.

Yukina glanced over at Kurama cracking eggs into the pan. "You need to mix them in a bowl first, Kurama-san." She pointed out shyly. She wondered if her threat had distracted him to cause him to make such a mistake, or if he'd just never made omelets before. From his skill at cracking the eggs, she assumed it was distraction.

OOC: Crash happens now...you guys got ahead of us. ^_^'

Hiei's eyes snapped open at the loud sound and Kuwabara's outburst, and he sat up ignoring the pull of his freshly healed wounds. He tried to search the area with his spiritual awareness but the effort made him light headed. 'Guess I have no choice but to rely on the oaf's senses.' He scowled, shoving himself to his feet and ignoring the slight swaying of the room as he grabbed his katana. "Where?" He demanded of the orange haired boy, internally cringing at being forced to admit he couldn't track Tay's aura with his not yet recovered energy.

Yukina gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as the impact shook the temple. She felt Genkai's ki from the direction of the crash. "Genkai-san!" She hastily turned the burner off, noting Kurama doing the same with the eggs, and headed towards the noise. Her path took her right through the room everyone had slept in and she spotted her brother and Kuwabara. Hiei was sickly pale but his expression was determined as he stubbornly maintained his footing.

She resisted the urge to go to him, instead continuing towards the door and Genkai. She could feel the demon presence closing on Taykayo but she knew she would be of more use checking on the old woman, who hadn't moved since the dreadful impact had shook the building. Reaching the crumpled woman's side, the little ice demoness began carefully checking for injuries.

Regardless of his tough exterior, Urameshi was concerned when Keiko spoke. They were all complaints and things he'd heard before, but a fresh, almost defeated tone coated her words. It seemed like she finally came to terms with the fact that he would never be the perfect knight in shining armor that she wanted and deserved. And..were those tears? "Keiko, I-" Catching himself, the teen refrained from interrupting her further. He knew this wasn't all about that stupid movie date he'd blown off, the moment she couldn't bring herself to smack him. Brown orbs locked onto her face as she finished her peace. Did she really think it was her? That he didn't want to hang out with her? Keiko was his best friend, his girlfriend, and the only person who had ever fully accepted him for the way he was and loved him anyway. He appreciated her so much. If only he had the strength and maturity to tell her that himself. "You have my word that, if I have warning, I'll tell you before taking off again." His eyes softened as he lifted a gentle finger to her face and brushed the remnants of tears away. "So, geez, stop your cryin'."

Before the brunette could say anything further a thud reached his ears, immediately followed by a surge of unfamiliar energy. In his state of concern, the spirit detective hadn't felt the demon approach until now. That in itself was unnerving. His first instinct was to seek out the source and confront the ominous stranger, but when he turned to leave, something held him back. Keiko. He'd run off on her so many times before, he couldn't do it so blatantly now. At least, not without an explanation. "Hey, you go inside alright? Detective stuff just came up. But uh...I'll be back in a bit, okay?" He couldn't bring himself to face her fully, only making brief eye contact by glancing back over his shoulder.

.::.

Thankfully for the blonde boy, Kat was nearby. Having taken to a tree a little while ago, the demoness had a clear view of the scene unfolding beneath her. This new adversary's energy was strong and unsettling, but she didn't feel the need to spring into action until after Genkai had fallen. The creature was now slinking toward a new arrival, who by the feel of Taykayo's energy, was much weaker than him. Blue eyes narrowed as she leapt gracefully from her perch and onto the ground beside the panicked human. "Hey," she greeted softly, glancing over at his innocent face with a small smile, "-just stay behind me." Katsumi extended a protective arm to shield the stranger, lightly guiding him backward while she placed herself between him and the approaching demon. "Just who do you think you are? And what do you want with this kid?" She pressed of Shadow, voice taking on a firm, challenging tone.

[[OOC: Done.]]

Keiko watched Yusuke take off, and she smiled slightly as she headed inside the building like he'd asked. Surely it was important, and she couldn't go following him. It seemed the others were aware of the danger as well, and Keiko made a point to just sit down near the corner and wait. For the most part, she was done talking to and lecturing him, but she was concerned. From what she had seen of the Dark Tournament, his detective business was no simple work. Keiko sighed and closed her eyes, she was still a bit tired from sleeping on the stairs last night, it was the only place to stop when she'd been trying to climb them and it got too dark.

---

Genkai was out cold, blood seeping out of a small wound on the side of her head that had banged into the side of the temple. Not only that, but there was blood leaking from two deep cuts on her neck where the demon's claws had raked across her skin when he'd thrown her. The skin was bubbling and seemed to be melting slightly, a sensation that would be excruciatingly painful if she were conscious to feel it. As it was, she was unconscious.

---

Shadow narrowed his eyes and growled at the female that came into view. She too possessed a light, but it was not as strong, and it was not the one he sought. "You would do besst to get out of my way." Shadow hissed as he moved closer. "The Light iss mine, and I shall take it any way I can." his manner of speech was very snakelike, with a lot of hissing whenever he pronounced the letter 's'. He did not care about this speech pattern, he was more than used to the way he talked, having lived centuries with it, and centuries longer than his own kind. His eyes once again flashed between red and green, and after a moment, they remained green. Shadow snarled as he took a step backwards and then he glared at the boy the girl was protecting. He was growing weaker, the energy he'd stolen from the imps in the forest was not enough to sustain his strength. "I MUSST HAVE THAT LIGHT!!" He snarled again as he began to charge at the two.

Yukina began using her healing powers on the neck wound. She knew it needed to be cleansed of whatever poison or acid the demon had in it's claws, but she would have to settle for keeping the skin from deteriorating further while she waited for someone to assist her in moving the old woman inside. The koorime was strong enough to move Genkai by her self but she was concerned about the possibility of broken bones.

Kuwabara turned to look at Hiei and frowned. "I'd rather you let yourself rest, Hiei." He said and before the fire demon could have the chance to argue Kuwabara sighed. "I know I can't stop you though. They're outside." He said and led the wayout to the stairs. Kuwabara stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the demon. It was humanoid, and didn't look anything like a beast, but something in his mind told him that this demon was more powerful and more ancient, and even more beastly than Byakko ever could be. And considering Kuwabara had freaked throughout half of his battle with the Saint Beast, he felt scared several times more facing this new demon. "W-what the h-hell is that th-thing?!" He exclaimed as the demon yelled at Kat and charged towards her and Taykayo.

---

Taykayo snapped out of his fear just in time to be able to scream, and scream very loud. To anyone who didn't know him, they would think him a girl, for his scream was as high-pitched as a giddy little school girl. On instinct, Taykayo lifted his arms to cover his face but he felt something warm passing through his hands and he stopped. He opened his eyes and looked as an orb formed of pure light began to manifest itself between his palms. Of course, he was a bit terrified by this because of his unlocked memory with his father. He looked to the girl who had tried to defend him and he frowned. 'You can handle this.' A deeper voice interrupted his thoughts and Taykayo calmed instantly upon hearing the voice of Patronis. Taykayo closed his eyes and concentrated and eventually touched the light. Slowly, it formed itself into a line that resembled a whip and Taykayo opened his eyes. As the demon got closer he swung the light whip around and stared in wonder as it automatically wrapped around the demon and solidified into some kind of cage. Taykayo sunk to his knees as he felt his energy drain but it seemed the cage of light was holding the demon in place.

Hiei stopped just behind Kuwabara as they rushed outside. He blinked as Taykayo caged the demon with his strange light. The fire demon cautiously (well, cautiously for Hiei) approached the glowing cage, sword drawn in case the creature managed to free itself. Careful not to touch the bars, he slipped past the demon and placed himself slightly in front of Taykayo. He didn't block the boy's view of the cage, uncertain whether line of sight was required to maintain the effect. He spared only a moment's glance at Kat and Tay to ensure they were unharmed before addressing the demon in the cage. "Who are you? Why have you come here?" He demanded of the creature.

Yukina bit her lip as she concentrated on healing the stubborn wound. She needed to clean the contaminated area so proper healing could happen. Kurama might be able to come up with a plant to neutralize the effects of the acid or poison...whatever it was.

Kurama readied a stone in his hand but as he aimed to throw it, a familiar figure lept down from her perch to shield the boy. The action seemed to anger the beastly demon and he hissed a threat at her. From somewhere behind him he felt both Yukina and Genkai but his eyes remained glued to the scene before him. Kuwabara entered the scene a moment later quickly followed by Hiei, not to Kurama's surprise. The petite demon was never one to dodge a fight.

What happened next seemed to be an astonishment for them all. Taykayo's scream rent the air and then a moment later the bright light of pure spirit energy manifested itself between his palms before thinning into the shape of a whip which Taykayo didn't hesitate to snap around the figure of the approaching demon. The abrupt halt to the combat that had barely begun came as somewhat of the shock to the red-haired demon but it was a welcome one. A slight smile crept onto his face as he approached the scene and gave Tay a pat on the shoulder, "Well done," he said quietly before focusing his attention entirely on the demon as Hiei began to question him.

Shadow reached out towards Taykayo but the light cage restricted his movements and as his skin grazed the cage of light, burns appeared. Shadow hissed in anger and pulled his arms back to his sides where he stood motionless within the cage. This light was strong, and it burned. This was the light he wanted, and yet he could not obtain it. How utterly frustrating. A moment later, Shadow realized that the short fire demon was speaking to him and he tilted his head as he looked at the smaller, younger demon. "I am known as Shadow. I am the lasst of my kind." He spoke simply, his voice still snake-like and whispy, though it was smooth and very calm, almost hypnotic, but not enough that it would affect such strong opponents. Only weak-minded humans were affected by the sound of his voice. "I sseek Light, and power, yet none I have obtained can ssatissfy me." Shadow then snapped his head to stare at Taykayo. "You keep me from the Light I dessire. The only one that can truly ssusstain my sstrength." Clearly he had no problems with revealing his intentions.

Unlike the majority of the others, Yusuke ran to Genkai's side rather than Taykayo's. He could plainly see the wounds dealt to the elderly woman's petite frame and a flustered Yukina as she struggled to close them. "Yukina, there anything I can do to help?" The teenager asked, eyes narrowing as his temper flared to the site of his incapacitated teacher. Hands clenched white down at his sides and he wanted, desperately, to beat the person responsible for this into a bloody pulp. No, he couldn't. Genkai came first. He'd lost the old lady once before. Urameshi hadn't realized how much the old women meant until that day. How much he had taken her presence for granted. Her death tore him apart. He wouldn't let that happen again.

.::.

Kat stood firm as the ancient demon approached her and the seemingly harmless human behind her. Though, apparently, she'd misjudged this boy because he pulled some fancy light trick out of thin air and rescued himself. Her eyes watched the bizarre, malleable light with a childlike fascination. She'd never encountered anything quite like it before. How did a human child learn something like that? Certainly not on his own, right? As Shadow gave a short introduction, goosebumps ran down her arms at the sound of his wispy voice. She wasn't afraid of him per say, but the way he spoke was definitely eerie. "Well, Shadow, you obviously aren't going to lay on a hand on this boy." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the strange being locked within Taykayo's cage.

Yukina shot Yusuke a grateful look. "Can you help me move her inside?" She asked quietly. "I'm afraid she may have broken something so I don't dare move her alone." She explained carefully. She continued pouring healing energy into the neck wound as she spoke.

Hiei felt the demon's hypnotic ability but brushed it away without a second thought. He scowled at the creature and let others take over the talking. Most were better suited to the task than he was.

Taykayo stared at the demon, his face showing his fear, but he took a deep breath that seemed to calm him down. This demon was after him, it put him a little on edge, but Taykayo had always known the demons would come after him again eventually. He subconsciously lifted his hand to hold the cross necklace hiding under his shirt again. The demon's voice was strange yet hypnotic, but the power of the cross seemed to keep the voice from getting to him. He wasn't sure what else he should do, but he sensed a very faint energy, one that he knew belonged to the old lady, Genkai. Taykayo sent a glare at Shadow, one that was very dark and angry. A look that Taykayo didn't even know he had in him, but it was a look encouraged by his inner demon, Patronis, who was angry with this beast.

Kurama's eyes narrowed as he listened to Shadow speak. It was all too easy for him to pick up on the hypnotic traces concealed within the wispy voice and the fox easily shrugged off its effect. The last of his kind? If what the demon said was true, then the beast was likely far older than himself. From his manner of speech it seemed as if the demon's mind were failing, caught up in an eternal search for power. Kurama doubted that such a creature would be swayed by reasoning but he kept that supposition to himself for the time being.

Although Shadow was likely many centuries his senior, the kitsune found that he held no fear for the beast. From beside him, Kurama sensed a waver of trepidation from Taykayo but the human teen seemed to be handling himself quite well. For now it seemed the cage fabricated from the boy's energy was holding up quite well but Kurama stood at the ready should Taykayo falter and cause the barrier to fall. It would be a simple matter for him to slice the demon to shreds but the fox stayed his hand. Kurama could sense something awakening within his classmate and felt it would be better not to interfere for the time being.

Shadow jumped slightly at the look the boy gave him, it was strange to see that the light had darkened ever so slightly. Perhaps he was wrong about this light, perhaps this one also possessed a darkness as well. He tried to back away a little but his back bumped into the edge of the cage of light and shadow howled in pain as it's power razed his skin. He immediately returned to the middle of the cage and glared at the criss-crossed pattern of light that held him in place. "Your cage cannot hold me forever, pure one." Shadow said calmly as he closed his eyes and waited. It was only a matter of time before they learned of his wanted status within Spirit World. All of these people possessed light, auras, but none were as strong as the one who had bound him. Shadow sighed, a low hissing sound as he carefully moved to sit on the ground.

Kuwabara stared at the demon for a while, he was still a distance away from it, while everyone else was standing closer. "Hey guys, this demon really gives me the creeps." He said as he walked over, but still Kuwabara kept his distance. Some instinct was telling him not to get too close, and he was obeying it. "Urgh, I think I'll go check on Yukina." He said after a moment and moved just around the corner to see Yukina and Yusuke near Genkai, who looked rather lifeless at the moment. "Oh my god! What happened to Master Genkai?" He looked to Yukina, as if silently asking her if she wanted his help.

Yukina nodded. Yusuke seemed to be too worried to listen to her so she would gladly accept Kazuma's help. "Hai, Kazuma-kun. Can you help me move her inside without jostling her too much." She asked calmly, never ceasing in her effort to counteract the acidic poison in the wound.

To say he zoned out a bit was an understatement. Yusuke had been aware of Yukina asking him something, but what he heard was a jumble of incomprehensible syllables. Fists clenched white down at his sides as he lowered to the ground beside his teacher. Sure, he could've moved her on his own but he didn't know the extent of her injuries. She needed to be kept a still as possible while being lifted, and for that, he'd need a little help. Thankfully, as if on cue, Kuwabara showed up. His voice was a lot harder to ignore, what with how obnoxiously the oaf talked and all. "Kuwabara, help me get her inside." The spirit detective glanced up at his taller friend, a strange, commanding tone enveloping his words. If Kuwabara could grab Genkai's legs and Yusuke covered her arms and upper torso, they could much more easily prevent further injury to the elder woman.

Kuwabara nodded to Yusuke and took a hold of Genkai, there was no need for words when they needed to help her. He flashed a quick smile at Yukina, and a quick glare back at the demon in the cage of light. Something about seeing Genkai hurt so made him lose his innate fear of the beast. Oh well, he would get a chance to do something about it later.

Taykayo stared at the demon, only just realizing the demon had spoken to him. As much as he wanted to believe in himself and his own power, Taykayo knew that the demon was right. He was strong, but his lack of stamina was causing a big problem. Taykayo was finding it hard to breath, keeping his energy maintained was already a big problem, and if he held it too long, he was liable to faint, as always. If only he could be more like Patronis, then he would not be so weak, and his strength would not be failing him. Taykayo sent a glare at the demon as his vision began to blur. "Y-you... shut up!" The last part came out simply as a whisper and Taykayo fell to the ground. The cage of light flickered as Taykayo tried to carry on, but as his eyes closed, the cage dissipated. The demon was free to move again.

Kurama glared at the demon as he tried to intimidate Taykayo. Afraid it might cause his classmate's concentration to break he said, "It's trying to intimidate you; ignore it." The demon's words didn't seem to phase Taykayo as much as he thought they might, but were apparently enough to give Kuwabara second thoughts about approaching.

Kurama chanced a moment's glance in the direction of the second group surrounding Genkai. He knew the old woman required attention but at the moment he the only capable fighter standing between the demon and Taykayo. Hiei and Katsumi were also present but both were weakened from their previous encounter with a demon and likely weren't recovered enough should the situation turn violent.

Catching the shift in breathing beside him, the fox looked Taykayo over. His energy reserves were draining fast and before he could say or do anything else, they boy had fainted. Kurama felt a twinge of regret knowing that he had encouraged his classmate to continue beyond his capabilities but it was also the only way to learn. As the barrier faded completely, he placed himself between the demon and Taykayo's unconscious form and yelled to the others, "Get back, it's free!"

Yukina was about to follow Yusuke and Kuwabara inside when she heard Kurama's warning. She hesitated, knowing her brother was most likely about to get into a fight that he wasn't really recovered enough to handle. However, Genkai needed tending as well and Hiei would not want her to interfere. Yukina bit her lip and hurried into the temple after the two human boys. She would at least get them back out into the fight quickly. As soon as they laid Genkai down on one of the spare futons she dropped down beside the old woman and resumed her healing efforts. "Go help the others please. I can take care of this." She said with more confidence than she felt. She really needed an antidote for the poison in the neck wound but she could hold it in check until Kurama could make one.

Hiei was beside Kurama before the words finished leaving the fox's mouth, helping to shield Tay's collapsed form from the rogue demon. "Don't move." He ordered Shadow, not really expecting the creature to comply. Hiei's sword was in his hand, held ready to react to the slightest twitch from their enemy. The fire demon brushed off the twinges of pain from his recently repaired flesh. He'd be sore later but he could fight just fine....provided the fight didn't go on too long or require him to unleash the kokuryuha.