Author: Yay! Another story! This will be fun!

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Chapter 1

She sighed. No one knew her. Not the real her. Ferrying souls wasn't pretty business, and it had affected her like it had every other ferry girl. She however had discovered that it made the souls more comforted if she was perky, and it was so much easier on her to be that way all the time. Not to mention it made more people like her. She rarely let her real personality out, only when she was sure she was alone, and now was defiantly one of those times. Floating on her oar high above Japan she was truly alone for a time.

'The sunset really is beautiful in Ningenkai. It almost makes me wish I truly was happy all the time. I wish I could stay here forever all alone looking at that sky. I truly envy humans. Not only are they so peacefully oblivious to their own strife and the struggles of others, they have this beautiful sight to look at every day. They don't know how great they have it,' the girl thought, blue hair blowing gently in the wind, and pink eyes focused on the stars.

Then a ringing sound caught her attention. She pulled out a pink compact and put on her best and brightest smile as she opened it and said hello to the child who had called her.

"Hello, Koenma. What can I do for you on this beautiful evening?" she said happily.

"Botan, you need to go talk to Hiei. He is having some issues with his new confinement in Genkai's temple," Koenma said to the girl.

"Why has he been confined to Genkai's temple?" she asked.

"Well, we are hoping that it will make him tell Yukina who he is, but he is making it difficult by avoiding everyone. Please Botan, go talk to him," Koenma pleaded.

"Okey-dokey Koenma-sama! I'm on it!" she said closing the compact and flying to Genkai's temple.

Botan was still smiling when she arrived at Genkai's temple. Her smile turned into a genuine one when the pretty Koorime Yukina came out and hugged her. The girls talked for a few moments and then Botan said that she was looking for Hiei.

"I don't know where he is. I am worried though. He hasn't eaten since he got here yesterday. Botan, will you please help," Yukina asked red eyes pleading.

"Of course I will. I'm sure Hiei is fine. He is used to being on his own twenty-four-seven, but I guess he will just have to get used to not being alone. It may take some time, but don't worry about it Yukina. I'm sure he isn't angry or anything. I'll go find him," Botan said softly reassuring the girl.

"No need to find me baka onna, I am right here. And I have not eaten because I am not hungry, and while I am not angry at Yukina, I am very angry at those jerks that run Reikai. I haven't done anything, and yet I have been confined to this shrine! What is going on here Botan? And don't tell me you don't know because I know you do," Hiei said coming up from behind Botan.

"You know, Hiei, I really don't know what is going on this time. I haven't been kept as informed as usual in Reikai. In fact… maybe I should go question what is going on. Usually I am the first person to know if you are being punished because it is usually me who punishes you… no other ferry girl will come near you," Botan said perkily.

"Onna, perhaps the idiots in Reikai are getting smart and keeping things from your big mouth for once," Hiei said smugly.

"Fine, I won't tell you once I know. Maybe that will make you be nice to me," Botan retorted as she materialized her oar and got on. "I will be back soon, Yukina. Try to make Hiei eat something, or else I will have to do it when I get back. See you soon."

Then she was gone. She loved to fly. It was the only thing about her job that she truly enjoyed anymore. She used to love ferrying souls, but only for the first few months. Then things happened. That was what had broken her, but she never let it show. Not once. Before she knew it she was back in Reikai standing in front of Koenma's office. Quickly she put on her bright smile again and walked into the office.

"Koenma, what is going on? Why is Hiei being confined to Genkai's temple? I don't understand," Botan said.

"Well… part of it is in hopes he will tell Yukina who he is, but the other part is the part you won't like. You see Hiei hasn't been taking care of himself, and we need a ferry girl to watch him and make sure he is not overstraining himself, or else he will be of no use to us. And since you are the only ferry girl who he can stand… well the job falls to you," Koenma said.

"KOENMA!!!! This week was supposed to be my vacation! I will not use my vacation time babysitting a moody fire demon!" Botan said angrily.

"Botan, please… I will give you two extra weeks of paid vacation. And this week does not count as your vacation. I promise, just please Botan… no one else will do it. We will give you a device that will bind you together for a week, so that he can't run away, and we have already placed a border on the area of Genkai's land that we will let him roam over," Koenma said.

"What is this thing that will bind us together, and how does it work?" Botan asked quietly.

"Well for you it is a bracelet, and for Hiei… well basically a collar and it works like a leash. He will only be allowed to be so far from you at all times," Koenma said.

"Okay, but I will not put the necklace on him. You will have to do that yourself," Botan said thinking quickly.

"Okay I will do that myself, as long as you will do this," Koenma said.

"Yeah, I'll do it," Botan said trying to keep up her façade.

"Okay to Ningenkai we go. George, a portal!" Koenma ordered.

George quickly opened a portal to Ningenkai, and Koenma and Botan walked through it. They found themselves at Genkai's temple where they found Hiei and Yukina in the same room. Botan was already wearing the bracelet, and Koenma was regretting telling Botan he would put the necklace on Hiei.

"Hiei, come here," Koenma said.

Hiei raised an eyebrow and scoffed. He had never followed orders, and he was not about to start now. If Koenma wanted to be closer than he would have to move because the fire demon was not moving.

Koenma gulped. He knew he would have to do it. He would have to approach the fire demon and throw the necklace around his neck and hope he could get far enough from Botan that Hiei could not follow. The toddler took a deep breath and approached the temperamental fire demon. Then summoning all of his courage he tossed the necklace around Hiei's neck and took off.

Hiei growled and took off after the toddler, but he hadn't gotten two feet from where he had been sitting before something around his throat pulled him back and he fell on his butt. That is when he examined the necklace Koenma had thrown around his neck. It was a demonic collar.

"Who is the other participant of your little scheme Koenma," Hiei said knowing exactly what the necklace meant.

"Botan, and she didn't have a choice either, and the demonic collar won't let you hurt her," Koenma said quietly.

Hiei growled. Of all the people he could have been stuck with it had to be the annoying ferry girl. He couldn't help but wonder how long he would be attached to the baka onna.

"How long Koenma?" he asked impatiently.

"One week… at the least," Koenma said summoning a portal and jumping through before Botan and Hiei both attacked him.

"KOENMA!!!!!!" Botan screamed as the toddler disappeared.

"You didn't know how long?" Hiei asked already annoyed with her.

"He told me a week… not at least a week!" Botan said angrily.

"Do you even know what this is?" Hiei asked pissed off at the girl.

"He said it was like a collar, so you couldn't run from me since I am supposed to make sure you are taking care of yourself," Botan said repeating what Koenma had told her.

"So the Brat didn't tell you everything," Hiei said, "typical. It is more than that. It binds our souls together, and after a few hours our emotions and thoughts. And unfortunately for us Koenma seems to have made it a short leash for us. Only a few feet."

Botan's eyes widened. If she had known that Hiei would feel her emotions she would have flat out refused. And as if emotions weren't bad enough, but her thoughts and soul too… basically they wouldn't be able to keep anything from each other. This would make her cheerful attitude harder to keep up. She would have to honestly feel what she was pretending to feel… not that she wasn't used to controlling her thoughts. She did that often enough.

"Perhaps you don't realize the extent of this. Every annoying thought that crosses that addled brain of yours will be known by me, and every way I have planned on killing you and that toddler will be known by you. Not to mention all those fluffy emotions you have. I think I will have to kill myself before a week is over," Hiei said smugly.

"I realize how bad this is… trust me. I don't particularly care for blood and guts," Botan replied icily.

She would have to be careful, maybe Hiei wouldn't understand some of the emotions she goes through. She couldn't help but wonder if her dreams would be shared with the fire demon.

"Yes Onna, dreams will also be shared, and what is worse we will have to share a room since Koenma made sure that my leash was short enough that I could not train," Hiei said reading the girls mind.

"Hiei, I'm sure it couldn't be too bad. Botan is such a sweet girl. I'm sure it wouldn't be too bad being linked to her," Yukina said softly.

"Thank you Yukina," Botan said jumping up to hug the girl.

Unfortunately for Hiei, Yukina was not in the distance he was allowed and he went flying as Botan hugged the girl. He growled. He would have to tell the onna to be more careful, or he will get brain trauma from being thrown around as the girl carelessly ran about.

"Oh, Hiei, I'm so sorry… but why did you move and I wasn't stopped?" Botan asked softly.

"Because, Koenma was being cute and gave you the dominant power. I have to go where you go whether or not I like it," Hiei said grumpily.

---Back in Reikai---

"Koenma-sama, are you sure about this?" George asked.

"Positive. I will make Hiei settle down, and perhaps will have the opportunity to give my favorite ferry girl a permanent vacation," Koenma said smirking.

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Author: Tee Hee! This is fun. Koenma may be killed for this… but not yet at least.

Hiei: growls

Author: Hiei… please forgive me?

Hiei: Do I get sweet snow?

Author: Home-made vanilla. But you have to promise to help me with this story and not get mad no matter what happens… deal?

Hiei: grins Okay!

Author: Well that was easy. Please review you guys!