All in all, life sucked.

At least that's what Higurashi, Kagome thought as she heaved herself from the well, sighing in relief when she saw the familiar view of her home. No where on her schedule did she have, 'Wake up, fall in a scary well infested with an insect demon, meet a demon with really cute ears and a bad attitude, and have hell break loose just because you broke a damn jewel.' It wasn't enough that she had exams coming up, no. Now she had to save Feudal Japan.

Kagome sighed and prepared herself to tell her mother that she just traveled about oh, a few centuries back in time and that she needed to go back to save the world. But don't worry because for a bodyguard, she has a dog demon who practically wants to shred her limbs apart. Taking one last worried glance back at the well, she pushed open the door to the Higurashi shrine and stepped inside. Home.

Meanwhile in the Rei kai, the toddler known as Koenma Daio, prince of the spirit realm, sat at his desk taking comforting sucks on the pacifier held firmly between his lips as he looked into the glass sphere set before him. Ever since the near overwhelming wave of spirit energy he had sensed earlier hit him, alerting him that something was wrong in the Ningenkai, he had been trying to find where the disturbance had occurred. He was about to give up when another smaller wave of energy hit him and he had locked onto the location.

What he had seen had only created more questions than answers. There were no demons or anything that would seem amiss at the shrine where the energy had been detected. Only an empty well. Then, something had moved within and Koenma watched in amazement as a young girl had climbed out from the depths. She had looked back at the well, a worried expression marring her pretty features, before turning and rushing back into the main house. Koenma had immediately summoned Botan, the Rei kai ferry girl who served as his assistant.

"You needed something, Koenma-sama?" The young, blue haired girl said in her usual cheery voice.

"Yes Botan, I need you to go fetch Yusuke. Something has occurred that troubles me and I need him to get to the bottom of it." The young prince stated.

"Of course, Koenma-sama. I'll go get Yusuke right away. I believe he is visiting Kurama at this very moment." Botan chirped as she made to rush off to do what her boss had ordered.

Before Botan left, however, Koenma felt an uneasiness come over him. "Wait, Botan... You say that Yusuke is at Kurama's?"

"Yes, sir." Botan replied.

Koenma nodded as he made his decision and said, "Good. ask Kurama to accompany Yusuke as well."

"Aye, aye, sir." Botan saluted playfully before leaving the office.

Feeling he'd made the right decision, Koenma leaned back in his elevated chair to wait for his two Reikai Tantei to arrive. It didn't take long. Soon, the office doors opened to allow Yusuke Urameshi, a young man with black, slicked back hair and dark brown eyes to enter. He was followed by another equally good looking man with thick red locks which hung down his back and intense emerald eyes. Shuuichi Minamino, better known as the kitsune, Kurama Youko, came to stand alongside Yusuke and crossed his arms to wait for Koenma to fill them in on whatever was causing the young prince so much distress. Yusuke, however, was not as patient.

"Okay toddler, what's the deal?" The hotheaded youth practically growled at the young prince.

Koenma spared a withering look at Yusuke before replying, "How many times have I asked you not to call me that?'' Turning back to the viewing globe he had been looking into before, Koenma continued. "I have a mission that I need to assign to you. "

Yusuke rolled his eyes as he groaned. He should have known. "And just what, oh great but short one, does this mission involve?"

Koenma shot Yusuke a withering look before showing them the globe.

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

Kurama just blinked.

"You want us to investigate a well, is that it?" Yusuke's tone was cocky and amused.

Koenma's cheeks flamed a brilliant scarlet. "No, you incompetent idiot! There's special activity going on in that well! Seems as though a very powerful aura is radiating from it."

"... Uh-huh." Yusuke was idly examining his fingernails, pointedly making an effort to annoy the poor prince.

"Say what you want, Urameshi, but I just saw a teenage girl climb out of the well from out of nowhere. This girl has a very pure type of spirit energy... I want you to go investigate her." Koenma said, glowering at Yusuke, which didn't quite work so well since the toddler was less than half his size and possibly still breast-feeding.

But adorable nonetheless.

Yusuke shoved his hands into his pockets and scoffed, "It's just one mission after another isn't it? I want a vacation. Damn it, Koenma! I've got a date with Keiko tonight! I can't blow off a date with her to go running after some chick who climbs out of wells!" Here, Yusuke rubbed his jaw as he remembered the last time he had to cancel a date with Keiko.

"I don't think I could handle my rejection. If all our demons punched like her... I'd have one hell of a time." Yusuke winced slightly as he said this.

"Not to mention it'd make you a permanent guest of Ren Kai, Yusuke." Botan pointed out. Kurama's lips twitched slightly.

Yusuke petulantly crossed his arms and said, "Come on, you little toddler, quit sucking all the fun out of my life."

Koenma narrowed his eyes and barked, "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have a life!"

From the sidelines, Kurama observed the banter between his co-worker and their boss. It never failed. Explosives were bound to fly when they discussed a case, due to Yusuke's hot temper and Koenma's equally quick temper as well. Deciding it best if he defused the situation, Kurama stepped forward.

"Koenma-sama, if it would be of help, I could go in Yusuke's place. Hiei is currently.. occupied anyway."

Koenma blinked and directed his attention towards the quiet, scarlet-haired kistune who was listening intently with a little dash of amusement flickering in the emerald depths of his eyes.

"Okay then, Kurama... I want you to follow her and find out as much about her as you can. Yusuke will stay back here and check the shrine in which the girl lives in occasionally and report back to me." Koenma sucked on his pacifier a bit before adding, "I think you should have no problem, Kurama. The well is radiating off powerful youkai energy and now that you've volunteered, I realize that Yusuke's hot temper will not do any good."

Yusuke was not impressed. He threw Koenma a fierce glare while Kurama just inclined his head in agreement.

*********************************************************************************

"Come on, wench. I'm taking you back!" Came a low growl.

"Inuyasha--"

"Look, I'm not exactly fond of you either but you can see the shards, therefore, I'm willing to tolerate you in exchange for the shards. It's your fault since you broke it!" Inuyasha barked.

"I was trying to help!" She protested.

"Yeah well next time, don't!"

"Argh, you're so rude!" Kagome huffed.

"Yeah well, you're so annoying! Quit your yapping, damn it!"

Kurama hid in the shadows, comfortable in its solace. He had watched the girl, called Kagome by her family, and stayed hidden until he saw abnormal signs. He had left only but a few hours to report that nothing out of the ordinary was going on, but now he wasn't so sure. Dragging the young girl by her hand was a half-demon who sported furry little ears on top of his head. Kurama frowned. Not only that but The hanyou's attitude was much like Yusuke's, only much worse.

"I can walk on my own, you know!" Kagome snapped as she glared at the hanyou. Kurama debated on whether he should step in and "take care" of matters or keep watching.

But then, the girl growled, "Sit!"

Thump! Kurama's eyes widened slightly as he watched the half-demon slam into the ground, practically twitching in pain. Then his eyes averted to Kagome as she flung her long, raven hair over her shoulders, 'hmphed', and jumped into the well haughtily. Confusion coursed a disturbing path through Kurama's mind as he watched the scene. The hanyou was thrown painfully to the ground just because of a simple word? Or did the girl hold magic powers that Kurama couldn't detect? After all, Kurama could hide his spirit energy as well. Kurama kept watching as the hanyou grumbled several incoherent curses and slowly extricated himself from the ground.

Then, to Kurama's dismay, the half-demon cocked his head to one side and his nose started to twitch. Was he.. Sniffing for him? Kurama blinked in bewilderment as he watched in utter silence. Finally shrugging nonchalantly, the hanyou jumped into the well too. Kurama released a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the shadows and looked into the well curiously.

Koenma was right. Kurama could actually feel the intense amount of youkai energy that was stenching up the well, but a little refreshing scent lingered within its depths. No doubt it belonged to the mysterious young girl. But there was another aura he was feeling. It was... pure and it made him feel slightly... overwhelmed. And drawn.

They were talking about shards.... Kurama furrowed his eyebrows together in thought. Shards to a jewel perhaps? But why would a hanyou want it? He racked his brain for information, then finally, a realization dawned upon him.

He'd heard of the 'Sacred Jewel of Four Souls' because centuries ago, in his Kistune form, he had heard of its stories and powers. It granted one with immense powers and immortality, derived from a brave warrior's heart. That was why Inuyasha, or whatever the rude hanyou was called, wanted it; he wanted the jewel so that he could become full demon. The question was: how did a girl from present Tokyo fit in all of this? Kurama's frown deepened. This case wasn't at all what he was expecting it to be.

Deciding to do what his job requisites required, he jumped in as well.