Twisted Perception: Chapter Three

by LilyLovesGoths

Yusuke walked throughout the crowd asking everyone around his age if they knew a girl named Yumi. This was unfortunate because as it turned out even some of the girls he asked were named Yumi. "This freaking sucks and I'm getting no where. I need more to go on than a name, hair and eye color, and guess of height. The girl sounds like every other girl around here with dark hair," he thought to himself as he walked.

Kuwabara was having even less luck than Yusuke, if that was even possible. It was like no one noticed Kurama and a girl. Considering that lots of people where here on dates it wasn't that shocking that people didn't take notice. Kuwabara's break came at last when he asked a couple that was just 2 years older than Kuwabara.

 "So you saw Shuichi with a girl? Did you see which way they went? My friends and I are looking for Shuichi. The jerk was supposed to meet us here," Kuwabara said in the calmest voice he could muster. He was really worried but wasn't going to let these people know.

 The man gave a nod before saying, "She was lovely, it's not wonder Shuichi avoids dating if he's got a girlfriend like that."

As soon as the words were out the girl was glaring at her boyfriend, clearly insulted. The guy picked up on it and raised his hands in the air laughing faintly, "I didn't mean she was prettier than you Emi, honest. You are thousands time's prettier than she is."

The girl went on to say something, but Kurama paid no attention. "Man this guy is whipped. So they did see him with her. Too bad this guy's girlfriend got all offended then maybe I'd of gotten some real answers," Kuwabara thought to himself.  "Hey did you see which way they went or overhear what they were talking about," Kuwabara didn't even care that he had just interrupted the guy trying to make his way out of the doghouse.

Kuwabara's voice was serious, yet calm and took the two by surprise as if they had forgotten that he was there in the first place. This time it was the girl who nodded. She smiled and pointed down one of the side streets before telling him, "She was holding onto him pretty tight. Almost like she thought he'd run away from her if she let go or something. Something must have spooked her badly or something. He kept telling her he'd walk her home and it'd be okay. I didn't think much of it but that girl had a creepy little smile on her face."

Kuwabara could only nod and mutter, "Thanks," before his feet were heading down the side street. He had found a lead he would waste no time following it. The side street met up with another street leaving him slightly confused about where to go. He had came across a residential district and was now not sure where to go. He looked around for someone to question, but this street seemed nearly deserted.

"Oh man come on," Kuwabara complained to himself, "How am I supposed to find you Kurama if you didn't leave me any clues. Man you really must trust this girl. I hope she's okay." Kuwabara wasted no more time and flipped open his cellphone, pressed 2 and hit call. A few rings later he was talking into the reciever, "Hey Urameshi, I had a lead but it didn't go far. Come give me a hand."

------------------Meanwhile------------------

Kurama's night was spent trying to come up with some sort of plan and determining  the situation he seemed to have found himself in. He knew one thing for certain, no matter what was going on, nothing was what it seemed.

Kurama had heard some movement from Yumi's cage and pretended to be asleep, even imitating soft little snores this time around. To his relief she said nothing to him even after the faint sound of what sounded like something latching or locking, he was unsure which.

Sometime between that moment and the sun's rays hitting his face slightly as they shown through the tiny window at the top of one of the walls, he had drifted into sleep. The sound of the door opening awakened him and his eyes flew open. He stood up quickly without even thinking about it and faced the door.

Sure enough his jailer was standing in the doorway. She looked as hateful as she had the first time he had saw her. She walked over to Yumi's cage and grabbed her up by her hair the room leaving a faint, near invisible trail of tears.

Kurama was horrified, confused, and angry. "None of this makes any sense. How is it that one moment she is cruel, the next wishing to help me escape, and then back to being cruel?"  Then the thought hit him, "Yumi may or may not have been in the room when that woman was here speaking to me. Maybe she is just a puppet."

Kurama continued to try to figure out the situation for a good 20 minutes or more before the woman returned, without Yumi. She rushed over to him and disarmed the barrier that had caged him. He stared at her in slight shock until she spoke, "You need to get out now. She's working faster than expected. I've been sent to collect you."

Kurama was totally confused and stayed still for a moment, mostly because he had no idea how to get out. The woman gave a faint nervous laugh before saying, "Right you have no idea where you're going. I'll take you as far as I can." With that said she turned and ran out the door. Without hesitation Kurama followed.

"Even if she is leading me to a trap I should be able to tap into my energy and get out of whatever they throw at me," Kurama thought to himself as the two of them ran down the long corridor that seemed endless.

Finally, after running in silence for what felt like an eternity, they came to a T in the path. The woman stopped dead in her tracks, causing Kurama to run right into her. His reflexes were quick enough to catch her before she toppled to the ground. She 'returned’ his kindness by pushing him into a wall.

She quickly made her way around the corner and was greeted by the voice of a male, "Katou! Your sister is looking for you. She sent me to find your worthless ass and give you a taste of your own medicine." 

Kurama kept his back against the wall, unsure what they hell was happening and he stayed there until he heard the girl he now knew was named Katou let out a little scream before flying backwards now back into view. She had a slight amount of blood running out of the corner of her mouth. The man stepped closer and grabbed her by her arm before pushing her to the ground beside the small pool of blood that had escaped her body when he had hit her. 

"Clean it up, slut. Then go get your sister's new play toy," He shouted at her before turning and walking away, totally oblivious that Kurama had watched/listened in horror as he abused Katou. Katou waited until the man disappeared into a doorway to attempt to get up.

She got up onto her hands and knees and Kurama rushed over to help her up gently. Katou gave him a small smile before muttering, "Thanks," to him.  She wiped the blood from her mouth before grabbing some towels from a door that was marked 'Clean-Up Station' and used them to soak up her blood.

Kurama couldn't help but wonder why she obeyed without as much as a word. She had said nothing to the man even as he punched her. "Nothing is as it seems, clearly," was the only true thought that appeared to Kurama.

Katou placed the bloodied towels in a basket before turning her attention back to Kurama          and whispering, "Let’s get you out of here." Kurama could only nod as she took off again, in the opposite direction the man had went, this time at a slower pace due to her now injured abdomen.

At the end of the hallway was a door. Katou pushed it open but did not step outside. Instead she looked to Kurama and sadly informed him, "I can't go any further. Just go to your right and there should be a door leading outside. Go and get as far away as you can Shuichi."

Kurama was lost. "Why can you go no further than this? You should get out of here too," Kurama's voice displayed more of his shock than he had expected. He knew he was losing time for his own escape but he couldn't make himself leave, not after everything he had just witnessed. Nothing in this place made sense.

Katou shook her head and let out a small sigh before finally speaking, as if she were choosing her words carefully. "I cannot leave this place. It's forbidden. Please Shuichi, my sister is a very powerful demon." There was a slight pause and with another small sigh Katou continued, "Okay look, she’s wanting to use you to make even more of her sick and twisted offspring."

Kurama was taken off guard and yet disgusted to the point he felt nauseous. How could he have misjudged Yumi so easily? Katou must have picked up on his disgust because she stepped closer to Kurama and spoke in a quieter voice as if she would be overheard in the deserted hallway, "Please Shuichi, she's a monster who wants to do unspeakable things to you. You need to go, please."

Kurama was caught totally off guard by the small tears forming in Katou's eyes. He did not understand why all of this would upset her so much but he found a small amount of comfort in the sincerity of her caring eyes. Before he truly knew what he was doing he placed his hand on her shoulder gently and told her, "Come on. Forbidden or not, come with me. We'll find a way to stop her."

Katou stared at his hand as it rested on her shoulder, a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks that Kurama didn't understand. "Shuichi," She said softly, "I am trapped here. I cannot go outside that door. There is a barrier keeping me trapped her, much like the one that had you trapped. Please go. I know the punishment for freeing you and it feels worth it."

Without another word or time for Kurama to react she pushed him out the door and let out a yelp as he hand attempted to pass through the doorway with him.  She winced and placed her now really burned hand behind her back almost as an attempt to hide it from him. "Goodbye Shuichi Minnamino," She told him as she closed the door then locked it.

Twisted Perception Chapter Two

 

By LilyLovesGoths

Yusuke and his team searched all over the festival but came up with nothing. Even Hiei was no where to be found and the more and more time passed the more and more worried they all became. Finally as the crowd was letting up due to the late hour, Hiei appeared before them. His face looked as it pretty much always did, uncaring and arrogant.

Yusuke spoke first, asking, "Hiei have you found any sign of him yet? We've searched every inch of this festival. I can't see why he would go anywhere else!" Yusuke's voice was beginning to sound desperate and his thoughts weren't much better. "This makes no sense," He thought to himself, "Kurama told the girls he would be right back yet he's not here and it's been hours. Where the hell are you Kurama? I have a bad feeling about this."

Hiei let out a huff of air before giving his reply to Yusuke, "I've searched an even greater distance than you all and found nothing either. It's like he's disappeared out of this world. I wouldn't be surprised if he had went to Spirit World for something." Hiei sounded much more confident than he felt.

Botan chimed in next, "No Hiei. I was just in spirit world earlier, he is not there. He hasn't went in a few weeks. There is something seriously wrong here." Botan wasn't as good at masking her emotions and the thought of something bad happening to one of her loved ones was tearing her apart.   

Keiko and Yukina tried to comfort Botan but to no prevail. Yusuke turned to look at Shizuru and motioned for her to step aside with him. He probably would have preferred speaking to Keiko but she was a bit preoccupied with Botan and they had now both started the water-works.

When Shizuru and Yusuke were away from the group some Shizuru lit up a cigarette and took a long drag off it.

Yusuke waited until she exhailed the smoke to speak, "Shizuru. I think you should take Keiko and Botan home with you and keep them there. They don't need to be out searching when they can't keep it together and I don't want any of you out searching any longer. We'll find Kurama and it'll be fine."

Shizuru was about to object to his suggestion but stopped herself. She knew that Yusuke was just trying to look out for the three of them and was probably planning to do something wreakless that he didn't want Keiko a part of. She gave a nod and walked over to the other girls and told them, "Hey, how about we go to my apartment and get something to eat. It's getting chilly out. Lets let the dorks take care of finding Kurama."

Shizuru didn't give Keiko or Botan time to object before she was 'pushing' them down the street towards her residence with Yukina willingly following behind them. She looked over her shoulder and gave Yusuke a wink and he nodded to her. That was his way of saying 'thank you' right now.

As soon as Shizuru had Botan, Yukina, and Keiko out of site Yusuke turned to Hiei and Kuwabara and told them, "We need to do some detective work. Kuwabara, start asking around, see if anyone's seen him." He then looked at Hiei and said, "Hiei I know you aren't going to do what I ask so just do whatever but if you find Kurama let us know." Hiei let out a little smirk before disappearing.

Kuwabara stayed with Yusuke in silence for a moment before finally asking, "Urameshi what are you going to do?" He looked around, "This whole thing seems weird to me. Something is not what it seems. Do you think he could have went and tried to score with that girl he helped out? I mean, that would explain it right?"
    

Even Kuwabara knew there was no chance of that. Kurama had no interest in sex or dating or anything of the sort, let alone with a human. Yusuke didn't even acknowledge the last part, but instead answered the first question, "I am going to see what I can find out about this Yumi girl. You just see if you can figure out where they went."

------------------Meanwhile------------------

 

 It was so dark in the room that even the analog clock on the wall was no longer visible. The sounds of Yumi's sobbing had died off and there was nothing to be heard, even her breathing was not able to be heard. Kurama was anxious and nervous. Nothing he tried had worked.

Kurama was laying on the cot staring into the emptiness of the room when the door opened and a brief amount of light came shinning through, blinding him momentarily. When Kurama's vision returned, all was dark just as it had been. The difference was that now someone was in here with him and he couldn't see who.

There was a slight sound of clicking heels as the person, probably a woman, made it's way closer and closer to him. Kurama was frozen, determined to play if off as he was asleep. The person stopped walking just a few feet from the cage-like barrier that kept Kurama trapped.
   

"I know you are awake," The familiar voice of the cruel, unknown woman told him but this time it was softer, less hateful. Kurama almost let out a gasp, but did not. He was taken by surprise and could not fathom why she was speaking with such a different tone.
    

He was unable to use his spirit/demon power to sense her power. He was completely confused by her. When he had first saw her, she was hateful and cold. Her voice as well as her whole deminere had changed. Kurama could process nothing more before she did the unthinkable. She stepped forward and completely through the barrier.

Kurama was slightly shocked but said nothing and moved none. The woman did not allow that to stop her from speaking, "Shuichi Minamino, or should I say Yoko Kurama, you are in grave danger." Her voice was still so soft and not threatening despite the scene he had witnessed earlier.

Kurama sat up to look through the darkness at the woman but said nothing, his expression unchanged on the outside. She continued, "It is a long story, but be prepared for escape tomorrow night. My sister is not what she appears to be and I cannot continue the act she has forced me to preform," She paused for a moment before continuing, "However I cannot deny that i get pleasure out of hitting, pushing, and screaming at her. It feels like the tables have turned even if it is just an act."

    Kurama stood up and would have stared directly into this girl's eyes to pierce her soul, but it was dark and even his eyes had a difficult time seeing. He stood there, saying nothing and so finally she said one last thing to him, "Shuichi, trust me or don't but if you do not escape tomorrow, she will torture you until she gets what she wants. Yumi is not a force to be taken lightly. She played you like she knew she would and now you are a prisoner here, just as I am. I am giving you a chance to escape, Shuichi."

 

 The woman said nothing more before she stepped out of the barrier and ran across the room, to the door and then was through it before Kurama could say or do anything to react. Kurama was now more confused than ever. He sat down to try to process his thoughts, "I do want to escape but I don't think I can trust that girl. Why would she have said such things about Yumi with her sleeping right there?"

    An idea sprang into his mind. He had been awake this whole time and Yumi had not had any way of getting away. He now had made up his mind that the woman had been lying and Yumi was still there in her bed, possibly fighting the urge to call her captor a liar.

"Just to be safe," Kurama thought as he pulled a seed out of his pocket. He knew he could not cause it to grow but perhaps it would work as a rock. Kurama used his memory of the area and tossed the seed towards Yumi's cage. He heard it thud onto the floor but no sound came from Yumi's cage.

    "Yumi," Kurama called out to her but he received no reply. He did not hear any snoring, breathing, or movement at all coming from the room around him. A sudden realization occurred to him that perhaps Yumi wasn't in the cage any longer and that perhaps the other woman had been telling the truth.

Twisted Perception Chapter One

By LilyLovesGoths

Yusuke Urameshi, age 18, has been through a great amount of conflict in his life. He started out as a punk and turned into the spirit dectective. He befriended two demons, Kurama and Hiei and made his friend Kuwabara his right hand man. Yusuke has had some time off the job despite the fact that there seems to always be trouble lurking.

Now that he is 18 he's stuck working a real job to make real money, something Koenma couldn't offer him. Keiko is currently enrolled in college but since middle school she and Yusuke have came to terms with their feelings for one another and are now in an exclusive relationship despite the fact Yusuke can still be quite the jerk.

Hiei is typically busy causing chaos despite the fact he's softened up to his human friends Kuwabara and Urameshi. Hiei watches his sister Yukina from afar still and still doesn't approve of Kuwabara's love for her. Yukina seems to be less oblivious to it and may even return his feelings.

Yoko Kurama remained as Shuichi Minamino and continued to care for his human mother and advance his knowledge of plants and ability to control and manipulate them.  Everyone's lives changed for the better. They were all stronger, smarter, and calmer. Peace is truly apart of their lives but that is all about to change.

Yusuke sulked out of his place of employment the same as he did every single day. He was beat and just ready to go home.  On his way home he let out a soft yawn that made his ears pop. He groaned and then heard the sound he was not looking forward to, Kuwabara was shouting "Hey Urameshi where you going? We got plans remember?!"

Another groan escaped Yusuke as he looked back to see Kuwabara leaning against the wall of the sushi-bar, clearly waiting on him. "At least some things never change," was the thought that came to Yusuke and caused a slight smile as he placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. He took a deep breath before calling back to Kuwabara, "You were late, I'm going home!"

Kuwabara started to run after Yusuke even before he turned around to leave. Kuwabara pointed to Yusuke and told him, "Look here Urameshi, I'm not gonna make you go but Keiko is gonna be there and I refuse to be the one to tell your girlfriend you're too busy being lazy to keep your promises."

Yusuke was not a happy camper. He let out a growl before sulking towards Kuwabara knowing he had been beaten and that Keiko wouldn't be too happy with him if he bailed on her. He just hoped Botan, Shizuru, and Yukina were keeping her busy enough to not notice how late he is. He could use the fact he got off work late but that wouldn't excuse this much time. He really hated when Kuwabara was right.

Kuwabara got a cheeky little grin on his face as Yusuke passed by him. He had known Keiko was his weakness and would get him to keep his promises and he was quite pleased. The only unsure thought that went through Kuwabara's head was "I really hope Kurama was able to convience Hiei that he needs to be here too."

The walk to Latern Floating Festival was a silent one. Neither of them knew what to say really. It had only been a couple of months since Yusuke's mother died so they all thought this festival would have made him feel better. That didn't seem to be the case and Kuwabara was kind of worried about him. 

When the boys men arrived in front of their favorite sushi shop Kurama and Hiei were no where to be found. The girls were sitting/standing talking and watching passersby. A slight wave of terror passed through Yusuke, he hoped that Keiko wouldn't be mad. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off before he could mutter the first one by Botan. She looked at Yusuke and told him, "Kurama didn't make it back here. Even Hiei doesn't know where he dissapeared to."

Yusuke didn't see what the big fuss was over, Kurama disappeared without warning often. What was the problem now? He opened his mouth once more, this time to make a smart-ass comment but was cut down once more, this time by Keiko. She looked at Yusuke with a fear she hadn't looked at him with since the last case he had taken on that she was apart of.  "Yusuke, he told us he would be right back but he's been gone a long time."

The look in Keiko's eyes was enough to send a shiver down his spine but then knowing that Kurama had said he would return but did not struck him as odd. Kurama kept his word always. He looked around the crowded street around them and then back to the girls. "Did he say what he was doing," was the only question Yusuke could come up with, trying to comprehend the situation and work it through his tired mind.

------------------Meanwhile------------------

Kurama looked around, trying to figure out what had happened as he sat up and got off the bed he had been laying on. One moment he had been helping a girl he knew as Yumi, a girl a little older in age with pitch black hair and eyes of blue that made the sky look dull, with some thugs and then the next he had woke up here. "This makes no sense," Kurama thought, "I had those guys all down and she was safe. Who ambushed me?" 

Kurama's head pounded and his senses seemed out of whack. He glanced at the clock on the wall and then noticed he was in a cage-like barrier. His memory was void of the last hour and a half. Someone had truly thought of everything. Kurama's spirit energy was totally unreachable, he had no way to escape. 

Kurama heard the noise of a door behind him and so he turned around quickly. He was in complete shock when he saw Yumi and another girl come through the door.  The other girl's hair and eye color was identical to Yumi's and they looked strangely alike. It was very puzzling.  Kurama's face turned serious as he stared at them, trying to decide what action to take. "Perhaps they were captured to. But why are they able to walk free?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Kurama didn't have time to speak before the unknown woman pushed Yumi in the direction of the barrier and Yumi let out a scream as she fell to the ground just inches from it. The other woman smirked a little before telling her in a rough voice, "Get up you hag. I'm growing bored of your clumsiness."

Yumi reached out as she started to push herself up onto her hands and knees as she cried softly and quietly,  "Please Shuichi help me!" Kurama tried to reach through the barrier despite his confusion as to why Yumi was being treated this way, but was given a painful electric shock, causing the other woman to laugh quite loudly. 

The other woman shook her head and continued to laugh before copying Yumi's desperate tone as she spoke, "Oh Shuichi! Help me," Her tone changed and went to her normal voice, "As if. He can't reach you. I'm making sure of that." Her laugh echoed and Yumi burst into a sob just in time for the woman to reach down and pull her to her feet before barking more orders at her, "Get to your cage, dog!"

Kurama watched in horror as the woman pushed Yumi once more, this time however Yumi did not fall and made her way into an iron-barred cage. It was the exact replica of Kurama's but without the barrier. Kurama knew that his captor must have known that Yumi posesed no spirit powers and was just your typical human. 

Kurama wasted no time after the cage was locked and the woman had left before he was as close to Yumi as he could get without getting an electric shock from his own cage. He looked at her and sternly asked, "Where are we, Yumi? What does that woman want from us?" Kurama was looking all around the place, searching for something to give him an escape plan or something.

Yumi looked up at him and moved to the little table that was directly in front of his before she sat down. She wiped her eyes with the other hand and tried to calm herself enough to answer him, giving him time to take a seat too. It took a minute but she was finally able to, though her voice was still whinny and scratchy. "I'm not sure but I think she wants you Shuichi. She knows everything there is to know about you and her lab is filled with pictures of you." Yumi broke down into tears once more.

Kurama said nothing, merely trying to sort his own thoughts. "Why would she want me? What kind of lab does Yumi mean? There must be some better way to get answers than this!" Kurama was so frustrated he turned away and began looking around every inch of his cage.

End of Chapter One.... hope you enjoyed! More coming soon!