Ayame opened the door to Keykos house and peeked inside before entering. She tiptoed into the bathroom and locked the door. With a sigh of relief she turned on the shower feeling the water before undressing.

She turned on the radio to have one of her favorite songs on. "I'm not the one whose so far away when I feel the snake bite enter my veins. Never did I wanna be here again and I dont remember why I came." She sang a little off note.

She stepped into the shower that was lukewarm to her liking. Scrubbing her hair she sang the same line again still off note.

The water that was now starting to turn cold was shut off. She stepped out and grabbed a towel off the rack and quickly dried off. She opened the bathroom door with only a towel to come face to face with Yusuke.

"Sorry!" Yusuke exclaimed covering his eyes. "I just had to use the bathroom!"

"Its okay." Ayame said quickly walking off towards her bedroom. She locked the door behind her and gasped as she saw Hiei on her open windowsill.

Hiei turned to her and passed a fanged smirk.

"Who let you in here?" Ayame demanded as he looked back out the window.

"The window was open. I dropped by to tell you and Yusuke that Koenma wants us." Hiei said still not looking at her.

"How did you know Yusuke and I were here?" Ayame asked trying to cover herself a bit more by tugging at the bottom of the towel she had wrapped around herself.

"Botan sent me. Ask her." Hiei said standing up from the window. He walked over to the door and opened it. "Youre just as covered as you were last night." He said before walking out and shutting the door.

Yusuke laughed as Koenma told them their new case. "This is going to be a piece of cake." He said with a smug and confident look.

"It can be if you get the orb away from him or her. But do not kill them. The orb is controlling their mind and will eventually kill them its self if you dont act fast. But you have to remember not to touch it. It will surely take over your mind also." Koenma explained.

"This is to weird. An en-adamant object controlling peoples minds? I mean come onits so fantasy like." Ayame said standing up from the corner of Koenmas desk.

"It sounds like youre scared." Kuwabara teases.

"Oh does it!" Ayame exclaimed she walked up to Kuwabara who was towering over her. "Mr. I cant talk to a GIRL is saying I'M scared!"

"Stop it you too." Koenma said. "All you do is fight."

"Well Kazuma is a critic." Ayame said turning her back to him and crossing her arms.

"I can name a few more things he is; a retard, moron, idiot, ass-." Hiei began before Kurama poked him in the back.

"Quiet." Kurama said softly.

"Just go." Koenma said with a sigh hovering back to his desk.

Back at Keikos house Hiei yawned and waited for Ayame to get her "supplies". "Are you ready yet?" He asked impatiently.

"No. I cant find my katana." Ayame said looking in every corner of her room.

Hiei grunted and picked up her katana that was lying in front of him. He tossed it in front of her. "Now can we go?" He asked.

"Yeah." Ayame said slightly embarrassed. She put her hand behind her head and gave a sheepish look.

"Lets go." Yusuke said stepping in Ayames room. He rolled his eyes as Ayame tied her katana around her waist on the opposite side from her Caster and picked up her C.D. player. He walked out of the room with Hiei close behind him and Ayame behind Hiei.

Ayame set her mini-ear phones in her ears and played Limp Bisket as Yusuke begged Keiko to stay behind. She rocked her head back and forth slightly as she sang in her head, You want to fuck me like an animal! You want to burn me on the inside! You like to think I'm a perfect drug! Just know that nothing you do-will bring you closer to me.

Hiei looked at Ayame as her lips moved to the song she was listening to. He turned his attention to Kurama and Kagami who was watching in amusement as Yusuke begged Keiko to stay.

"Please KeikoI dont want you to get hurt." Yusuke pleaded as Keiko turned her head and crossed her arms.

"Fine. Just dont get yourself killed again." Keiko agreed as she placed her hand on her forehead.

Yusuke smiled and started to walk out the door before Keiko stopped him.

"And if youre not back in two days just to check in with me I'm coming after you." Keiko said.

Yusuke was about to protest but decided not to push his luck. He sighed and walked out the door, signaling for the rest of the gang to follow.

"I'm going with them Koenma." Botan said. "I'm the only one that knows what it looks like."

"Very well." Koenma said. "Make sure they dont get themselves in a deep hole that they cant get themselves out of."

"No problem Sir." Botan said as she climbed on her oar and disappeared.

Ayame took out one of her earphones as she saw Botan fly down towards them. "What? Did Koenma not trust us?" She asked blowing a bubble from her blue bubble gum.

"Of course he trusts you." Botan lied. "I just wanted to help out."

"Well you can help by telling us where we would most likely find this stupid thing." Yusuke said. "It wont come up on my demon compass."

"Right. Well there was a rumor of strange activity coming from a small town about twenty miles that way." Botan said with her usual smile and cheery voice.

"Well. Then why dont you lead the way." Hiei said in a rude tone. He had his arms crossed and a snarl on his face.

Botan gulped and nodded. She flew ahead of them and started leading them to a small forest.

Ayame snarled as her batteries to her C.D. player died. She took out her earphones and threw them and the C.D. player into her mini backpack. "I hate this place. Now I have no music." She whined.

"Get over yourself." Kagami said as she walked hand-in-hand with Kurama. She yawned and looked up at the sky she could barely see from all the trees. "Botanhave we gotten any closer?"

"It may not seem like it from our slow pace. But we should reach the spot by midnight tonight." Botan said.

"I'm stopping. Its cold and I'm tired." Ayame said sounding like a child.

"See ya." Kuwabara said with a laugh.

"No, Ayames right. We should just camp here for the rest of the night." Yusuke said walking back beside Ayame.

Kuwabara sigh and sat down on a rock. Misses perfect over there gets to make the decisions now huh?" He thought placing his elbow on his leg and his face in his hand.

Hiei jumped up into a tree and climbed to a heavy branch. "Then well leave early in the morning." He said leaning his back up against the trunk of the tree and putting his hand behind his head. He closed his eyes wanting desperately to get some sleep. The night before he was restless leaving him tired because of what Ayame had done.

"How can you stay up here without falling off in your sleep?" Ayame asked from the branch above him. She snickered down at him as his red eyes shot open. "Well?"

"Hn." Hiei grumbled. "I'm fully aware of my surroundings at any time."

"Then how come you didnt know I was here?" Ayame asked with a sly smile. She saw his eyes go weak for a moment and started to question herself that it really happened.

"I dont have to explain myself to you." Hiei said looking away from her. He didnt know what to say. Usually he would have known the very moment that she came by him. He knew he was lost in thought about their date, but didnt want to admit iteven to himself.

"I guess you dont." Ayame said lying back against the trunk and looking up at the sky that she could now see. "But it would certainly make you look better."

Hiei raised and eyebrow and looked up at her. "Huh?" He asked not knowing if she meant physically or verbally.

Ayame felt a blush creep across her face. Now she looked stupid. "Not physicallyuhyou look greatuh! No thats not what I meant!" She said trying to get the words. She placed her forehead in her hand and scolded herself.

"Hn. You sound like Kuwabara around Yukina." Hiei said looking off to his right side. He sat there for a moment then realized what he had just said. Like Kuwabara around Yukina. Does she have a crush on me? He thought.

Ayame looked at Hiei who had a look on his face that seemed to her like he had just seen something that had been around for a long time, but just now realizing it. "Are you okay?" She asked as Hiei looked up at her as if they just met.

"I'mfine." Hiei said. He didnt care that he was calm. Why didnt I think of this before? She did kiss me, and she had been trying to get my attention for awhile now. I just had been so occupied with Yukina and these cases that I looked past it all. He thought still looking up at Ayame.

"Stop looking at me like that. Youre giving me the bug eyes." Ayame said trying to tare her eyes from Hieis. She thought for a moment and still couldnt figure out what Hieis problem was.

"Are you guys going to stay up there and flirt all night or are you guys going to help us catch some food!" Yusuke yelled up at Hiei and Ayame.

Hiei and Ayame looked down at him in unison. "Yeah." They said. Hiei was the first to jump down with Ayame right behind him. He looked back at her with a fanged smirk before running as fast as he could deep into the woods.

Ayame snarled as Hiei disappeared from human sight. She raced off after him but not quite as fast.

"No need to go find any when Ayame goes out." Kagami said sitting down in Kurama's lap. "Shes trying to see who will get the better catch."

"Better then Hiei? Not likely." Kurama said.

"Are those two together?" Yusuke asked sitting down and starting the wood he dumped in a pile on fire. He blew on the paper that had turned into coals and as he did the smoke came out from under the wood and the wind blew it in his face. He fell back and coughed.

Botan shrugged her shoulders. "I dont know." She said.

"I doubt it. Shes far to pretty to be with that shorty." Kuwabara laughed.

"Mr. Hiei is very handsome. I dont see why they wouldnt be together." Yukina said sweetly.

Hiei tackled the biggest elk he saw from the giant group. He pulled in its antlers and jerked its head to the side snapping its neck with a big "snap". He smiled down at his prey and bent down to pick it up. Tossing it over one shoulder he raced off towards their camping spot.

In just seconds he was back. He set down his kill and drew his katana.

"Youre not going to hurt that poor thing are you?" Yukina asked worriedly.

"Its not hurt. It is surely dead and wont feel a thing." Hiei said. He was about to cut it when Ayame came running up with her kill.

"No way could yours be bigger than mine." Ayame said throwing the buck she had down next to Hieis elk.

"I dont knowthats the biggest deer Ive ever seen but Id have to say that the elk is bigger." Yusuke said examining both of the kills.

"Well at least we wont starve." Botan said.

Yusuke smiled and patted his stomach. "That was great." He said licking his lips. "Although some A1 Sauce would have made it better."

"Where were we supposed to find that out here?" Kagami laughed. "I'm going to get some sleep and let my stomach settle."

"That doesnt sound like such a bad idea." Kurama said lying down next to Kagami on the ground.

Yukina smiled and lay back against a tree. "Good night." She said sweetly as she closed her eyes.

"Goodnight." Kuwabara said nervously as he made himself comfortable on the ground.

Yusuke looked up in the tree that Hiei and Ayame were in and saw them talking. "I dont even want to know." He grumbled as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Hiei laughed as he bragged about his catch. "And it tasted a lot better too." He said with a fanged smirk.

"I guess." Ayame sighed. "But I should be better at this sort of thing. I'm a woman."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Hiei asked.

"You know. People always say that women belong in the kitchen." Ayame said. "You never heard of that saying?"

"Hn. Thats bullshit." Hiei grumbled.

"I thought you were the type of guy that went by that saying." Ayame said.

"No." Hiei said simply looking away from her and shutting his eyes.

"Well good-night." Ayame said leaning against the trunk of the tree in the same position that Hiei was in.

"Hn." Hiei grumbled.

Ayame looked at her necklace that was given to her a couple nights ago. She smiled at it as the black marble at the bottom started to change colors. "Weird." She said before letting it drop back to her chest. She sighed, closed her eyes, and feel into a deep sleep.

Hiei grumbled and watched as Ayame pushed some buttons on a game-boy. He peeked over her shoulder and watched as she clicked a few buttons making a small man on the screen kill his opponent. "What is that?" He asked.

"Mortal Combat. Wanna try?" Ayame asked handing Hiei the game-boy. "Push the buttonsyoull get it."

Hiei took the game in his hands and started pushing buttons. He watched in fascination as he kicked and punched the man on the opposite side of him.

"Were here!" Botan cheered. She read a sign that said, "Entering Brave heart".

Ayame smiled and looked at all the people rush by. "Civilization." She said. "I never thought I could be so happy!"

Hiei had his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he defeated his next opponent until Ayame took the game from his hands and shut it off. "I was at the boss!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah well we have to hurry. Now you can kick real ass." Ayame said as she set the game inside he backpack.

Kagami yawned and started to grow impatient. "So we have to go through this whole town and ask around! Thatll take time we dont have." She said as they walked along the sidewalk. She had spoke too soon as the ground began to shake under their feet.

People around them screamed and ran away.

"What's going on?" Yusuke asked as people rushed passed them.

"Dont just stand there! Its an earth quake!" Some one yelled to them.

Ayame looked around as the shaking stopped. "That didnt seem like something to cause all the commotion." She said. She taped a man on the shoulder that was standing near by. "Excuse me sirbut what's all the commotion?"

"We thought it was another earthquake like the last one. But this one didnt seem to do anything." The man said in a Mexican accent.

Ayame turned to the rest of them. "So I guess this town just has some really bad earthquake problems." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"Probably." Kuwabara said. "So how about we get a car and get out of here."

"Do you have any money?" Kagami asked placing her hands on her hips.

Kuwabara looked down to the ground and muttered to himself. "Then lets just go then." He said looking back up at them.

Yusuke nodded and turned to Botan. "So now what?" He asked her.

"I dont know. But I just noticed something. Isn't Ayames eyes normally blue?" Botan asked pointing to Ayame.

Hiei turned and looked at her eyes as the rest of the gang did.

Ayame felt a blush creep across her face as they all studied her eyes. "What color are they?" She asked crossing her eyes.

"Red. Hieis red." Kurama said. "Actually I take that back. Theyre more maroon. Like the color of the eyes of the dragon on her necklace."

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Thats weird. She never had this happen before." She said.

Botan studied the necklace Ayame had around her neck. "Where did you get that?" She asked. "I never seen you wear it before."

"Oh the dragon? Hiei won it for me at the fair." Ayame said simply.

Botans train of thought was broken as she heard a scream. She turned around and saw a man with long blonde hair and green eyes holding a boy by the neck.

"Where is it?" The blonde asked squeezing the boys neck tighter.

"I dont know what youre talking about." The boy said trying to pry the blondes hand off.

"The orb! Where is it." The blonde exclaimed.

"Let him go." Yusuke said coldly to the blonde.

The blonde laughed and dropped the man but still held on to him. "Get out of here. This is none of your business kid." He said.

"I'm not a kid and this is very well my business if youre looking for the same thing I am." Yusuke said clenching his right fist in front of him.

The blonde laughed. "What's your name." He said in an amused voice.

"What's yours?" Yusuke asked with a smirk on his face.

"I'm in no mood for games boy."

"Yusuke."

"Jewel."

"Sounds like a girl name."

"Yusuke! You cant go around saying that to people!" Kagami said.

Jewel smiled and tossed his hair back over his shoulder. "She's right. Your mouth might get you in a lot trouble." He said.

"As long as I get some information out of you." Yusuke said. He brought his fist up and quickly hit Jewel.

Jewel let go of the boy and snarled as he ran away. "Youre going to pay for that!" He said turning to face Yusuke. He balled up his fist but stopped as Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara, Kagami, Botan, and Ayame gathered around Yusuke. "I see you have friends."

"And I see you have none." Yusuke said smugly.

Jewel snarled and looked at each and looked at Yusukes friends one by one. His eyes stopped one Ayame and a smile formed on his face. "It looks like my day wasnt that bad after all." He said. He took a few steps towards Ayame, but Hiei steeped in front of her.

"And what's your interest in her?" Hiei asked. He snarled at the taller man looking up at him.

Jewel was about to say something when he remembered what Yusuke had said, "if youre looking for the same thing I am". These fools dont know a thing." He thought. "I was amazed by her beauty." He lied. He thought for a moment and took note that she was quite attractive.

"Hn. Want to try again?" Hiei snarled in a rash tone. He doesnt want her. He thought.

"What ever do you mean?" Jewel asked.

Hiei drew his katana half way and was now almost touching Jewel. "Do I have to hurt you or are you going to tell me what you know about the orb?" He asked coldly.

Jewel snarled. "I dont like your attitude." He said. This short guy is going to be more trouble then its worth. He thought.

Hiei drew his katana and quickly moved behind Jewel putting the blade to his neck. "What do you want from Ayame?" He asked.

"Nothing." Jewel snarled. A sweat drop appeared on his head as Hiei tightened his hold.

"Wrong answer. Do you want to keep your head or not?" Hiei asked growing impatient.

"Okay thats enough." Kurama said.

Hiei turned his attention to Kurama who was standing next to Yusuke and Kagami. "Hn." He grumbled putting his katana back in its cover.

Jewel rubbed his neck and walked away from Hiei, closer to Ayame. He reached out and tried grabbing for her necklace when she screamed and slapped him.

"You pervert!" She screamed as he held his cheek. She pushed him away and turned around. "Men!"

Jewel got up just to have Yusuke punch him in the face. After that Hiei kicked him to the ground.

"Get out of here!" Hiei yelled.

After Jewel ran off Yusuke turned to Hiei and gave him an evil look. "Now what. You just told off our only hope of finding at least one clue!" He exclaimed.

"He wanted Ayames necklace." Hiei said simply.

"And how do you know?" Kagami asked him.

"He wasnt just going to reach for her chest and try to rape her with us around was he?" Hiei said turning to face Kagami. He starred her down making her feel shameful.

Ayame started to feel uncomfortable herself. "My necklace? This must be the orb!" She exclaimed.

"It doesnt look like the orb. But I guess it could have shrank." Botan said. "Well lets go check in with Koenma."

"Why right away?" Yusuke said.

"Because. This isn't right. Ayame seems normal to meisnt she?" Botan asked.

"Yeah so?" Kuwabara asked.

"The orb takes control of the person who has its mind. She seems fine to me." Botan said.