Hello one and all! I am LittleBlueStrawberry, and this is my first fic. So I would appreciate reviews, and constructive critisism is welcome. I hope you all enjoy the first instalment of The Replacements.

And no, I don't own anything but the plot and my original characters.

Prolouge

Yusuke ran a hand through his black hair. He needed a haircut he noticed absently. Maybe he'd ask Keiko to give him one. He looked at Koenma who sat at his desk in his teen form. Koenma looked serious. Well, that was good, Yusuke supposed. The guys were certainly serious about this.

"So," Koenma said. "You four want to quit being Spirit Detectives?"

"Basically," Yusuke said. "We've been doing this for years Koenma. The whole save the world thing gets old after a while. We've all got dreams, things we want to do with our lives. Spirit World is getting in the way of that."

"And what am I supposed to do the next time the safety of the three worlds is threatened?" asked Koenma.

"Find someone else," Kurama replied. "I don't believe you are so shortsighted that you never saw this day coming. I'm certain you already have replacements waiting."

Koenma leaned back and stared at the four teens. No, that was the wrong word. They were men now. Full grown men.

"Your right, I have expected this day to come. To be honest you four stayed longer than I thought you would. Very well then. I can't in good conscience keep you four here. This is the last you'll see of me. At least until you die. So good bye then."

"Bye Koenma and good luck."

Koenma snorted as he turned to his papers. "Don't say that. Luck doesn't like me."

Koenma continued to stare at his papers long after the door had closed. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he had become attached to those four. He was going to miss them.

"Sir?"

Koenma looked up to see Botan standing in front of his desk with a worried frown. "Yes Botan?"

"What do we do now Sir? You had another mission you needed them to go on."

Koenma was silent a moment. "Get the replacements."

Botan's eyes widened. "But Koenma! They haven't finished training yet!"

"What they know will have to be enough."

Botan nodded reluctantly. "Yes Sir. I'll go get them."

Botan's oar appeared in her hand and she flew off into the sky. As she flew she had to blink back her tears. She was going to miss the guys so much. They were her friends, and now she wouldn't be able to see them. Botan had to admit that a part of her had, foolishly, hoped that they would always remain Spirit Detectives.

Botan shook her thoughts and melancholy away when she saw that she had made it to her first stop. She swooped down in front of a startled teenager who had been about to shoot a bastket ball into the net. Botan had managed to startle the teen so badly that they dropped the ball.

"Geez, Botan, do you have to do that?"

Botan giggled at the expression on the teen's face. This one reminded her greatly of Yusuke. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

The teen ran a hand through their chin length blond hair. "What do you want?"

Botan's mirth died away. "It's time for your first mission, Patches."