Intermission

by Bryon Nightshade

In the aftermath of Yusuke's defeat of the Saint Beasts, the characters ponder all that has happened, and difficult questions hang in the air.

            The only real sound was that of Yusuke's soft breathing.

            "Man," Kuwabara said, shattering the uneasy silence, "I'm glad *I* didn't have to fight that last Saint Beast. Just look what he did to Urameshi! A whole day now and he's still asleep!"

            Kurama opened his eyes and looked up at Kuwabara. "Yes, and he would be dead if not for your transfusion of energy as he lay dying. He was completely spent; it's only natural that it would take some time for him to recover. He's likely to sleep for several more days."

            "That punk Hiei," Kuwabara grumbled. "Not even staying here to see if Urameshi gets better! He just took off. 'I have better things to do with my time, fool,'" he quoted in a voice nothing like Hiei's except for its nasty tone.

            "You'll have to forgive him," said Kurama. "Understand, though, that what Hiei saw in Maze Castle has deeply worried him. Hiei needed to get alone in order to think through it all. Not just him, that is; I'm disturbed myself. I just chose to stay here to think about it."

            "What's so disturbing? We killed all the Saint Beasts and destroyed the whistle, no one's gonna try THAT again!"

            Kurama shook his head slowly. "What has us worried, Kuwabara, was not any of the demons. It is the human lying on the bed there."

            Kuwabara followed Kurama's pointing finger. "Urameshi? Urameshi disturbs you two?" Kurama nodded. "Well, I'll admit his attitude and hygiene need some work, but that can't be enough to scare off Hiei."

            "No," said Kurama with a patronizing smile.

            "Then what's the big hairy deal?"

            "It's because, as far as we can tell, Yusuke's energy can continue to expand virtually without limit."

            It took some time for Kuwabara to think of anything he could say.

            "What the heck do you mean by that?"

            "Any demon, no matter how powerful, has an upper limit to its strength. No matter how many techniques or skills it learns, it can never increase its strength beyond a certain point."

            "So Hiei will never be able to get stronger than a certain limit?"

            "Yes, that's correct."

            "Well, what about you?"

            Kurama shook his head. "I have human flesh, but the soul of a demon. And, in fact, my human flesh further limits my strength."

            "Oh," said Kuwabara numbly. He was trying hard to guess how much more power Kurama hadn't yet shown, or that the demon form of Kurama might be hiding.

            "The human soul, on the other hand, is the most concentrated form of energy in existence. Every human being has the potential to destroy even the most powerful of demons."

            "If anyone can do it, why do they need Urameshi to be the Spirit Detective?"

            "Because not everyone can do it."

            "Wait a minute," said Kuwabara, perturbed. "You're playing games with me! You said every human being can destroy the most powerful demons, and then you said not everyone can do it. Which is it?"

            "Just as I said. Every human has the potential, but very, very few can realize that potential. The human consciousness blocks the average human's utilization of his spirit energy by blocking off their knowledge of it. You, Kuwabara, are a rare specimen—someone so aware of his spirit that he can utilize its energy. There are very few humans like you, and fewer still so dedicated to increasing your strength."

            Kurama could almost see the size of Kuwabara's head increasing. 'Perhaps that is not what he needed,' Kurama thought to himself.

            Kuwabara changed suddenly. "Wait a minute. If I'm so special, why is Yusuke the guy that worries you so much?"

            "Think, Kuwabara. What makes Yusuke different?"

            Kuwabara considered for a moment. "Well, he likes green."

            Kurama blinked several times, stunned. "What?"

            "Sure. I like blue, Hiei likes black, you like red, but only Urameshi likes green."

            Kurama closed his eyes, as if in pain. "I was thinking of something more specific, and more important."

            "Well, maybe you should stop playing games with me! MY answer was fine for the question you asked!"

            Kurama sighed and tried again. "Alright… what makes Yusuke different from all other humans?"

            This time Kuwabara's answer was instantaneous. "Oh, that's simple."

            "Yes?"

            "He can beat me up."

            Kurama's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. "Kuwabara, I assure you, there are other humans that could beat you up."

            "You don't even count, you said yourself you're a demon!"

            "I was referring to Gen… never mind. Kuwabara, what sets Yusuke apart is that he has been dead."

            "Well, yeah, there is that," said Kuwabara, completely unfazed.

            "Don't you realize what that means?"

            "I guess not."

            "Kuwabara, your spirit awareness is what allows you to fight as you do. But Yusuke is aware of his own spirit on a completely different level. Your awareness is both of your own spirit and of those around you, but his is totally concerned with his own soul."

            "I'm following you so far."

            "It is because he has been dead, you see. While he was a ghost, there was nothing of him but his soul. Granted, he couldn't use his energy while a ghost, but he was connected to it at the lowest level. He has a connection to his spirit so deep and strong that you will never be able to compare with it."

            "Wait a minute…"

            "Yes, Kuwabara?"

            "Does that mean… I'm always going to play second fiddle to Urameshi? I'll never be able to beat him?!"

            The big lug was close to tears. "Well," said Kurama hastily, "the possibility does exist if you practice extremely hard and he stops altogether."

            "Ha ha, I knew it! Just you wait, Ura… wait a minute. If he stops altogether? He has to not practice at all?"

            "That's correct."

            "Why?"

            "It goes back to what I said about his being dead. When he was alive originally, he was nothing but body energy. When he was dead, he was nothing but spirit energy. Now he pulls freely from both, uniting those energies in an ever more powerful combination."

            "Keep going."

            "The more he practices, the easier it becomes. This is only natural, but it is particularly true for Yusuke. The more spirit energy he draws upon, the higher his awareness of it and the higher his ability to draw on it."

            "Are you sure about that?"

            "Absolutely," said Kurama. "Think about it. You know how much power Yusuke had when the two of you went through the barrier around the City of Ghosts and Apparitions."

            "Right."

            "Well, you probably also noticed a spike in his energy while we were struggling with the Gate of Betrayal. One would think that his energy would decrease with all of that exertion. Instead, it grew."

            "Yeah, I think you're right."

            "I know it was difficult to concentrate, but if you followed the flows of Yusuke's energy during his fight with Suzaku, you would have noticed that every time he used large amounts of energy, his spirit then rebounded and came back stronger than ever."

            "Kinda, yeah. I was busy with those veggie-head humans, but I did feel like Urameshi kept getting stronger. Hey, I remember something!"

            "What?"

            "When we were at the Genkai tournament, she said that Urameshi's energy gets stronger when he's backed into a corner."

            "That may very well be part of it," said Kurama, "but it is also a measure of Yusuke's comfort level with his own energy growing. The more he uses, the more he has to use."

            There was silence as Kurama let Kuwabara think about it.

            "So you see, some day soon Yusuke will be able to draw upon the full power of the human spirit. With every fight his control over his soul increases. Whenever he believes he is out of energy, he has just used the energy he has control over. In reality, the only thing holding him back is his inability to grasp the energy he has."

            "And what you're saying is that he gets better at that every time he fights."

            Kurama nodded. "Now you see why Hiei and I are worried. His fighting ability has the potential to increase virtually without bounds. However, there may be a limit yet—not a limit to the power of his soul, but a limit to how much his body can take."

            "Now what do you mean?"

            "The human body can serve as a conduit for only so much energy, and only in certain ways and places. In my human form, I find it difficult to channel my powers through Suichi's body. I am still unfamiliar with how to channel my full power through myself. If I try too hard, I may tear this body apart."

            Kurama raised his hand and began counting off his worries. "So you see, we have a lot on our minds. The possibility that Yusuke's power will increase beyond his control level. The possibility of his soul shattering its mortal cage. The possibility that he will control it and use it to become the most powerful creature in creation. The possibility of the abuse of Yusuke's burgeoning abilities. Just the prospect of so much power in the hands of one creature is staggering."

            Kuwabara shook his head. "Suddenly I'm not as angry at Hiei anymore. It's a lot to think about."

            "And you probably also know that we can't tell Yusuke about this. There's no telling how he might take this knowledge, and it's simply too dangerous for him to know his own potential. Let him believe that his strength is limited, and he may not explore the reaches of his abilities."

            "But isn't that dangerous? I mean, what if Yusuke needs to get stronger, but thinks he can't? Won't he just get killed then?"

            The two looked warily at Yusuke's sleeping body.

            Botan shuddered as a fist slammed into the wall next to her.

            "Botan, my patience is almost gone."

            "Now, now, there, no need to get angry…"

            "I'm sick and tired of your same, lame excuses. Now tell me what happened!"

            "Please, Keiko, violence is not the answer!"

            "Then tell me why zombies were out to kill me!"

            Whatever weak denial or excuse Botan was about to say fell out of her mouth. "It's… a very long story, Keiko."

            "It has to do with Yusuke, doesn't it?"

            "Well, yes. In a manner of speaking."

            "Botan, I'm normally a very nice girl, except when Yusuke tries to look up my skirt. But right now I'm tired, scared, worried, and hurt. More than anything, I want to know why zombies were after me and what Yusuke has to do with this!"

            "My," Botan shuddered, "I never saw this side of you when I was observing you!"

            "Observing me?"

            "Yes. With Yusuke."

            Keiko frowned. "I don't understand."

            "Well, you see, it was while he was dead."

            Keiko stumbled backwards, her face in fear and her arms between her and Botan. "Who ARE you?"

            "Glad you asked!" said Botan cheerily. With a poof and a burst of smoke her appearance changed. Rather than the street clothes she'd adopted, now she wore her flowing pink kimono and a large smile.

            "I am Botan, pilot of the River Styx and guide of lost souls, also known as the Grim Reaper."

            Keiko drew back more and her eyes glazed over, as if to protect her from knowing Botan existed. "You can't be the Grim Reaper," Keiko said desperately. "You wear pink!"

            Botan blinked in surprise. "Well now, Yusuke said something very similar when he first met me. You two are more alike than you admit."

            "Thanks for bringing Yusuke back up," Keiko said, growing stern again. "So are you finally going to tell me now?"

            Botan gritted her teeth in fear, but settled down and folded the sleeves of her kimono together. When she spoke, it was in a most serious tone. "The zombies came to kill you so that Yusuke would lose his concentration, lose his hopes. The person controlling the zombies hoped to weaken Yusuke by killing you. He realized how much Yusuke cared for you, and hoped to take advantage of that."

            "Why would someone controlling zombies be fighting Yusuke in the first place?"

            Botan stepped past Keiko, trying to escape the piercing gaze of the human girl. "When Yusuke returned to life, it wasn't, shall we say, free. He accepted the offer we gave him, and so he implicitly agreed to accept our job."

            Keiko folded her arms, irritable again. "Now I know you're lying. Yusuke would never accept a job!"

            "Maybe not the first time you knew him," Botan said, trailing off.

            "The first time?"

            "Before he died. Surely you've noticed a change in him from before and after he died."

            "Well, kind of…" she said. "He seems more easily distracted. Before he was just lazy, but now he always seems busy. It's like he's one place and his mind is somewhere else." Keiko's eyes flashed. "Of course, he met you about the time he came back to life, so I suppose…"

            "You're not listening to me!" shouted Botan, losing her temper.

            "Then explain it to me, because I see a few holes in this story you gave me!"

            "It's not complete yet," Botan said, bringing her voice back under control. "The job that Yusuke accepted wasn't from any human employer. It was directly from the Spirit World—from the ruler of the afterlife. Yusuke is the agent of the afterlife on Earth."

            "What kind of agent?" Keiko said nervously.

            "He is the Spirit Detective," Botan said. "A human who can hunt down demons and spirits who cross over from the Spirit World to the Living World. It's the job we gave him when we returned him to life."

            "And you did that?"

            "I helped return him to life, yes, and I serve as the Spirit World's liaison to Yusuke. Simply put, I deliver his cases to him and help him as I can."

            "So… that's the only way you know Yusuke?"

            Botan nodded, smiling. "You're not still worried about that, are you? I'm Yusuke's assistant, but rest assured he loves you."

            "How would you know?" said Keiko, her voice faltering.

            "Well, I have observed both of you for some time. But more important are the things that happened recently."

            Keiko's head rose attentively. "About time you got to this!" she said.

            "You remember, of course, how Yusuke abandoned you at the movie theater."

            "I couldn't forget!" Keiko shouted, her cheeks burning.

            "But did you notice that the arrival of the first zombies was about the same time as Yusuke leaving you?"

            Keiko said nothing, but her expression was enough—she hadn't noticed.

            "As soon as we realized what was happening, we dispatched Yusuke to deal with it. So you see, he didn't leave you because he was a bum, he left you because the entire world was in real danger."

            Keiko blushed and turned away. "You make my complaints sound so silly when you say it like that."

            "But we're not done yet," said Botan. "We still haven't gotten to the rest of your question. The zombies were ordinary people being controlled by Makai insects—creatures from the Spirit World—and the insects were being controlled by a quartet of powerful demons called the Saint Beasts. So Yusuke and three others went after the Saint Beasts to slay them and stop the insects."

            "What does this have to do with me?"

            "It has to do with Yusuke's love for you," Botan said bluntly.

            Keiko blushed fiercely.

            "You see, Yusuke had to face the final Saint Beast alone, and that Saint Beast was not about to let any advantage slip away. So he directed the Makai-controlled humans to kill you to break Yusuke. He knew that if you died, Yusuke wouldn't be able to fight."

            Keiko was avoiding Botan's gaze as actively as Botan had been avoiding hers. "Is… that right?" she said, unable to think of anything else.

            "Why do you suppose so many zombies were after you so intently, then? Yes, that's right."

            Keiko's heart was hammering in her chest—this was just all so shaking. She knew that Yusuke liked her, but she'd never had any idea it was this deep.

            "That was when I showed up to help protect you. As assistant to the Spirit Detective, I couldn't go and let you get killed—Yusuke would get killed, too. Besides, after watching you for so long I must admit that I rather like you. And admire you, too."

            "Admire… me?" Keiko said, flustered and still trying to comprehend everything Botan had told her. "Complimented by the Grim Reaper… is that good or bad?"

            "Oh, it's good, trust me. You have incredible strength of character. To still care about Yusuke after all he's put you through…"

            "I didn't know I would be put through anything!" Keiko exploded.

            "But you waited for him for six months while he was away. You helped bring him back to life. All that's got to count for something."

            Keiko leaned back against the wall, losing the ability to support herself.

            "You're as bad at denial as Yusuke is," said Botan.

            "Please go away, Botan," said Keiko. "I can't think."

            "I don't think you want me to go away just yet," she said coyly, poorly hiding her smile behind her kimono.

            "And why not?" Keiko snapped.

            "Because I know where Yusuke is now."

            Energy returned to Keiko's limbs; she sprang to her feet and grabbed Botan's arm. "Really? Where is he? Is he okay? You never told me what happened in that fight with the beast thing."

            Botan snapped her fingers and disappeared in swiftly-vanishing smoke. When she reappeared, she was back in street clothes. "We could fly, but that would attract too much attention."

            "Botan, answer me! What happened to Yusuke! Is he okay?"

            "Well…" Botan looked away from Keiko, drawing her lips in tightly. "I'm not quite sure how to answer that…"

            Hiei sat in a tree, far away from any human, and fingered his bandana. It was a special one, crafted to hold the power of his dangerous Jagan eye in check, but for now there was no need to wear it.

            Yusuke was on his mind—the image of the Spirit Detective swirling in front of his third eye.

            "I swore vengeance against you, Yusuke," said Hiei. "But suddenly I'm doubting whether or not I can make good on that oath. It seems that the piglet Koenma is going to keep me on your side for a while longer."

            The demon rubbed the flesh around the Jagan eye. "But if your power continues to increase at this rate, then by the time my debt is repaid you may be too strong for me. It is a revolting thought, human, trust me."

            He leaned his back against the tree's trunk. "When first I laid my three eyes on you, human fool, I could only laugh at you. Your spirit was so weak I could have killed you with my bandana on. But between our first meeting and our second, your power increased greatly—so greatly that, when Kurama blinded my Jagan eye, you managed to scrape out a victory against me."

            Hiei clenched his fist; some light escaped, testifying to the flame Hiei gripped in his hand. "For that, I will never forgive him. I respect Kurama as a deadly foe and a useful ally, but I cannot let his intervention in that battle pass without retribution. But he is second on my list, after you, Yusuke. The time will come when I will avenge myself upon you, too."

            He released his grip. His fingers were singed. "But the sooner that time comes, the better. I felt your strength increasing even during the time I fought with you, and it is increasing even now, though you hardly notice it."

            Hiei moved a little and pushed off from the tree. He landed lightly on the ground and began to run. Hiei had never needed any sort of transportation or vehicle—he ran fast enough and far enough to get anywhere he needed to.

            And right now, he had a singular destination in mind.

            "There is one person," Hiei said, "who knows what you are truly capable of. If she isn't dead already, I'll speak to her."

            "Better check the door," Kurama told Kuwabara.

            "Why?"

            "Because two people I think you'll recognize are heading for this house, and I believe you'll want to let them in."

            Kuwabara put his hands on his hips. "Man, how do you know everything that's happening all the time?"

            Kurama indulged himself in a small smile. "I don't know about all the time, but in this case…" he pointed out the window.

            In the direction his finger was pointing were two girls Kuwabara recognized as Keiko and Botan. "Well, you were sure right about me wanting to let them in," said Kuwabara eagerly. He left the room in a hurry and headed for the door.

            Kurama folded his hands, and glanced over at Yusuke. "I must admire this about you, Yusuke," he said. "When you aren't actively driving them away, your devotion to your friends makes them just as devoted to you. As a demon of no small infamy, I have never mastered that concept which you so thoughtlessly practice."

            There was no more time or quiet for reflection; the room was soon filled with babble as Keiko rushed to Yusuke, shouting questions to which she couldn't focus on the answers; Botan tried to talk to Kurama, Keiko, and Kuwabara simultaneously, and failed miserably at all three; and Kuwabara tried his hardest to get the attention of both girls while failing to see he had no chance with either. Kurama simply smiled and enjoyed it all. Then he stood, and left without further conversation.

            "Suichi mustn't neglect his own family," he said to himself as he walked through another door. "Yusuke will be fine for now." And then he shouted loudly, "Mother! I'm home!"

            Hiei came to a stop in a remote mountain compound. The gates weren't tall, but they were well-protected; without trying Hiei knew that a strong barrier extended up from the gates, a shield stronger than any normal building material.

            He grinned eagerly—this kind of exercise was rare, and he wanted to test himself. He drew his sword, removed his bandana, and leaped.

            He threw his spirit energy into his attack and slashed with his sword. His Jagan eye glowed brightly with exertion. The barrier was no trifling matter—but neither was it impenetrable. Hiei was gaining ground. With a final shout of triumph he completed his swing and stood inside the compound walls.

            To his surprise, he found himself facing the back of a tiny person—as if she'd expected him, but then why would she have her back to him? Her gray hair was of medium length and wrinkled like long-neglected shirts. Most confusing of all, Hiei could sense no spirit energy emanating from her at all—meaning either he had quite the wrong person, or she was quite talented.

            "Are you really the great psychic Genkai?" he said brusquely.

            The old hag didn't even turn to face him. "I don't remember inviting you, nor do I remember having standards for any manners less than very respectful. Go away."

            "Your barrier was less of a challenge than I'd expected," said Hiei, sheathing his sword. "Maybe I'm wasting my time here. If you aren't Genkai I have no need to waste my time here."

            "Yes, your time is so important you don't have time for manners." There was a strain of anger in the hag's voice, and—almost too fast for even Hiei to track—she moved to within a foot of him. Her expression was definitely one of aggravation. "Thankfully, that at least is something I can remedy!"

            Hiei was nonplussed. "If you really are Genkai, which I doubt, then you must know Yusuke Urameshi."

            Genkai folded her arms, her rising rage replaced by… what, Hiei couldn't tell. "Yes, I have the misfortune to know that dimwit."

            The demon smirked. "That, at least, is something I can't blame you for: you despise Urameshi."

            "Don't get any ideas," Genkai said dismissively. "I gave up killing my students a long time ago, in fact I've begun to grow protective of them. As they say, softness and age go together, but he is my last student and I want him to have a fighting chance."

            "I'm surprised someone of your reputation would accept Urameshi as a student."

            Genkai snarled. "I don't know what you mean by that, but I don't like your tone of voice. Didn't I already tell you I have standards for manners?"

            "How did he become your student, anyway?" Hiei plowed on.

            A wry half-smile crept onto Genkai's weathered face. "To my total shock, he earned it. He fought his way through some good prospects, and capped his performance by defeating the human-hunter Rando."

            "And that was enough?" said Hiei, condescendingly. "That was enough for him to become your student? You and I both know that there are demons out there that could kill Rando without much effort."

            "Like, for example," and she summoned up a smile Hiei found quite foul, "Suzaku of the Saint Beasts?"

            All three of Hiei's eyes narrowed. "You're well-informed," he said, struggling to keep his voice neutral.

            "You came here to investigate this rapid growth in Yusuke's abilities," she stated, turning away from Hiei.

            "You are his teacher, and you are Genkai," he said, annoyed that she knew his purpose ahead of time. "I figured that if anyone could estimate his full potential, it would be you."

            "How flattering," said Genkai with more than a touch of sarcasm. She paced for several seconds; Hiei's gaze followed her always.

            "Suddenly having both power and responsibility is changing Yusuke—for the better, I believe. Finding himself with loads of responsibility and power that, for the first time in his life, is insufficient, is forcing Yusuke to improve beyond anything he thought possible."

            "I'm not interested in what he thinks is possible," Hiei sneered. "I came to know what you think is possible."

            "Are you that thick?" said Genkai. "The two are the same issue! What's important is not the sheer energy he can summon up, it's the mind that controls it all—because, as a human, his energy is nigh unlimited. All the obstacles in Yusuke's way are mental. That's why the most important thing for him right now is to give him responsibility—lots of it, enough so he can't run away from it. Enough that he won't want to run away from it."

            She rounded on Hiei. "That way, he'll have the desire to meet his obligations—and once he has the desire, he'll grasp the power to make it so. And at the same time, if he's using the power for the right reasons, he'll develop the mind to use his power properly."

            Hiei waited for a moment after she finished. "That's not the kind of answer I wanted."

            "Then ask me a different question," she barked.

            "About how fast is Yusuke's power going to grow? In an absolute sense, this time."

            Genkai suddenly smiled—a smile that even Hiei found quite unsettling. "I have many techniques and secrets and methods, and I employ them ever more frequently as I lose the ability to simply overpower someone. Someday soon, he will be stronger than I. Let me show you how strong that is."

            With that, she dropped her guard.

            The surge of force that pulsed from her body rocked Hiei backwards. The demon raised his arm instinctively, as if to keep the force off of him—as if that would do anything at this point.

            "Oh," she said, "I almost forgot to mention. You underestimated my barrier. You see, you didn't break it."

            Hiei gasped as the shape of the barrier suddenly became visible. He hadn't cut through it; he'd simply pulled it out of shape. The barrier was still between him and Genkai; it was distended in a bubble around him.

            It was as if he'd pushed in one part of a rubber band while the rest stayed in place.

            He had only a moment to appreciate the hag's cruel smile—and her crueler wave good-bye.

            And then all he saw was sky.

            Lots and lots and lots of sky.

            Botan walked Keiko home. Kuwabara was still with Yusuke—it was Kuwabara's house, after all.

            "It's so strange," said Keiko. "I mean, it used to be you couldn't even get Yusuke to wear the right uniform. Well, you still can't. But what's important is that he's doing something so… useful with himself. I never expected it."

            "He's changed some, yes," said Botan, "but he's still the Yusuke you know and love. Better, actually; I think I can safely say the changes in him have been for the better."

            Keiko managed a weak smile which soon fell from her face. "But… his new line of work… I mean, I can tell it's dangerous, or he wouldn't be lying there like that. Well, what I'm asking is, is he going to die again doing his job? And if he does… is that it this time?"

            Botan found herself unable to walk further.

            "I'm not sure how to answer those questions," she said nervously. I mean, she thought to herself, she's asking to be reassured—but I can't really lie to her, can I? She certainly doesn't deserve that—oh, since when is THIS part of my job?

            "Before I say anything, tell me," she said to Keiko. "Do you want to be comforted, or do you want the honest truth?"

            "I want…" Keiko began, but her voice gave out. "Well, the truth seemed like what I wanted until you said it like that."

            Compromise, then. Botan pointed upwards with one finger. "Okay, Keiko. Yusuke is a tough, strong, and occasionally smart boy. He's very determined and when he's riled he's difficult to stop. There are few people we'd rather have as Spirit Detective." That seemed to lift Keiko's spirit, but Botan wasn't done. She brought her other hand around and raised another finger. "But that's because the post of Spirit Detective is very hard, very dangerous. Demon hunters aren't very popular. Few humans will know of his problems and fewer still will care; but his infamy in the demon world will be widespread. They'll hate him bitterly, and there are some very powerful demons out there." She dropped her hands and her head. "And, there's the fact that he's a lazy bum who never practices with his powers until he goes into combat for real… at least Kuwabara has that right…"

            "So what you're saying," Keiko said, "is that we're doomed."

            Botan looked at Keiko and frowned. "What do you mean by 'we'?"

            "Nothing," said Keiko tonelessly. She looked away from Botan and walked past her.

            "Did I miss something?" said Botan.

            'So Yusuke and I have no chance,' Keiko thought. 'Just when he's becoming responsible, he gets a job where he's away most of the time and that'll probably kill him anyway. It makes no sense for me to care for him anymore.'

            She smiled slightly. 'I'd be better off putting some distance between us. But you know what, Yusuke? That seems like the sort of thing I hate most in you—you quit if things are too hard. I refuse to be like you. So I'm gonna stick it out. Yes, it's going to be a nightmare, but I'm not letting you escape just because you're a Spirit Detective.'

            "You're not getting off that easy, Yusuke!"

            "How easy?" said Botan, with a mix of eagerness and confusion.

            Keiko covered her mouth. "Excuse me, did I say that out loud?"

            "Yes, you did, and now I'm very interested to hear what you didn't say aloud."

            Keiko didn't stick around to say anymore. She dashed off, her hand still clamped over her mouth and a blush in her cheeks.

            Botan shook her head. "She seems so mature sometimes, but she totally falls apart when it comes to her own feelings." She sighed, then hurried after Keiko. "Come back, I'm going to hear the rest of that!"

Bryon Nightshade

Disclaimer:
Yusuke Urameshi and the other characters and situations presented in this story are not the property of this author; they are copyrighted by one or more of the following: FUNimation, Yoshihiro Togashi, Fuji TV, Pierrot. This story is copyrighted by Sam Durbin, a.k.a. Bryon Nightshade, and as such is protected from all forms of tampering, stealing, copying, and maiming.