Ashlynn sighed and sauntered over to the handsome brown haired bishonen and talked smoothly. "Give it up. You've been staring at me from across the hallway for about five minutes…" Koenma shook his head and blinked.
"What… me no, no! Of course not." He blushed and faced the opposite way of her.
"Yusuke, who is you're friend? Just looking at him makes me want to smile…"
"Oh, him? His name is Koenma. Koenma, this is Ashlynn, main bassist of the only school band." Yusuke answered, interested in what Ashlynn had just told him.
"Oh, hello." Koenma lain out his hand to shake. With that, the tardy bell rang.
"Oops, sorry going to have to talk another time Koenma-san" And with that she kissed Koenma on the cheek and ran toward her class. "WAIT! DON'T START WITHOUT ME!"
"Wow. She's absolutely-"
"Not your type Koenma." Yusuke finished off Koenma's sentence in a flash of lightning and slammed his locker closed, making Koenma jump. Koenma blew a lock of his coffee brown hair that fell on his eyes away.
"Oh come on… she has long auburn hair, has hazel-colored eyes like mine. Can this be my heart beating?"
"What a dramatic ditz… Look Koenma, I know her, she's not your type, and you'd be better off with Botan…"
Koenma glared at him.
"That… was a long time ago, she's my top ferry girl, that's all, she works for me…"
"Whatever… Keiko!"
Keiko came across the threshold of the school to Yusuke. "Yusuke, I was busy! What do you want?"
"Koenma likes Ashlynn…" Yusuke suppressed a giggle as he messed with his jet-black hair
"The girl who made Karin the stupidest looking person in the city?"
Yusuke nodded and started to laugh. Keiko smacked him and turned to Koenma. "Koenma, do you like her or not?"
"I like her very much. Why?"
"THEN TELL HER! You're blushing bright red, staring at the fading figure of her and all you can do is stand there?"
"Well I - I'm blushing?"
"Kurama?" A young looking man with longish black hair sat next to Kurama and Koenma in row six of the concert hall in Yusuke's school.
"Yes Hiei?" Kurama replied to the man. Kurama brushed a bunch of his scarlet locks off his shoulder.
"Why are we here? And why do we have to sit here and wait for them to come out, this is moronic." Hiei, the man, complained.
"We're doing this for Koenma, he likes the bassist of the group that's coming out to perform." Kurama smiled, in his usual calming way.
"Hn." Which was usually the answer to everything in Hiei's world.
"Hiei, you can be a little supportive."
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO WHISPERING ABOUT?" Koenma blurted out to Kurama and Hiei.
"Um nothing, right Hiei?"
"Hn."
"Hiei…"
" Hn?" Hiei asked Kurama. The stage started to light up and out came Kelsey, the lead singer. She was singing.
"Konichi WA! Come on and puts ya hands up to the music! Don't worry, about a thing. Every little thing, gonna be alright..."
"There she is," Koenma pointed to the bassist in back of Kelsey. "Kurama can I borrow a rose?"
"Sure, but why Koenma?" Kurama asked him while handing him his rose.
"I heard it was accustom for the man give the girl a rose in the Ningen Kai,"
"Are you brave enough to give it to her?" Hiei
"Of course I am brave enough to give it to her…tish!"
"Koenma, I don't think this is a good idea…"
"What are you saying Kurama? That I'm chicken? I'm not chicken! Are you saying I'm chicken, how many times do I-"
"Hn…" All that Hiei said was that as Ashlynn finished up the song.
"Hey boys?" Ashlynn was about to pick a person from the audience and spotted Koenma.
"Who…who u-us?" Koenma was now over filled with anxiety.
"Yup, is that you Koenma-san?"
Koenma turned red as Kurama's hair. "Um… um yes, heh, heh…"
Ashlynn walked up closer to them. "Hey Suuichi, Koenma. Who is your other friend?"
"Hn…"
"This is Hiei." Kurama had replied in his smooth, sly way.
"What they said…" Koenma pointed over to Kurama and Hiei.
"Heh, I see, well, would you like to come up on stage?"
"Uh…um…sure…" Koenma stood up to walk onto the stage.
"Hn…" Was all that Hiei said.
"Why do you have that response for everything?" Kurama was clearly frustrated
Hiei paused for a second, pretending to think. "Hn..." Was his final response, making Kurama sigh.
Out of the crowd Yusuke stood to cheer Koenma on.
"YUSUKE! Do you want to make Koenma nervous?" Keiko, who sat right beside him, yelled.
"Of course, it's fun. Now tell me what happened that other day when she made Karin look so stupid?"
"I'll tell you later Yusuke… right now let's watch the concert. Okay?"
"Whatever, okay…" And with that Yusuke sat down and the rest of the night went on until 10:30 PM when everyone was going home already; the concert was over.
"Hai! Koenma!" Ashlynn ran to his side, with her bass on her back. "What was it that you wanted to tell me earlier?"
"Oh, I wanted to ask you…"
"Ask me what?"
"I wanted to ask you if you…um…"
"What?"
"Um…I…um…if you…um…"
"SPIT IT OUT!"
"OKAY! If you wanted to go out tomorrow?"
Ashlynn stared at Koenma and smiled.
"I'd love to Koenma!" And with all her might hugged him, passed him a piece of paper with her address on it and ran off to the band that was packing up.
I got date…I got…a date! Ima gonna go tell…some one…"I still can't belive he asked me out… he's so hot, such a bishonen. Oh, I feel so nervous, what should I say to him?" It was hot the next day while Ashlynn was walking to her home with her band. She was now in a green and black, leather and lace knee short dress, including black earrings with peacock feathers on the ends, black eyeliner, electric green eye shadow, green laced, high-heeled shoes and black and electric green bracelets.
"Well, he is picking you up right?" Jessica, the main guitarist, asked her.
"Yes, I slipped him my address last night… boy, I'm glad we went to the mall… I would have died if I didn't look this good…"
"I'm sure Korenta wouldn't mind if you just had on your school uniform…" Kelsey, the lead singer, told Ashlynn as they passed the parking lot into the street.
"IT'S KOENMA and I'm sure he wouldn't mind that either but I want to look fancy for him, very sophisticated."
"You call a short black and green, leathered and laced dress 'Sophisticated'?"
"Yes I do Jessica, and…uh, oh, just shu' up"
"You talk to me like that!"
"You're right, I'm sorry." She said sarcastically. Jessica was confused; she didn't know whether to answer gratefully or angrily.
And they all paused when they got to Ashlynn's house. And as they did, they stared at the dark figure in the shadows of her front door. They didn't think they knew the stranger; it was too hard to tell in the darkness around him.
Damn tree… Ashlynn thought. "Who's there?" Ashlynn said with a shout.
No answer. The man took a defensive position.
"I SAID WHO IS THERE!" Ashlynn charged at the shadow barking at it with silvery-green colored ears and 5 tails showing. She was a youko, an earth youko.
"Show yourself…" She growled at the figure as it slowly came in view to reveal…
"Am I too early?" Koenma sighed with shock in his voice.
"Oh my lord, Koenma?" Ashlynn cupped her hands around her mouth, and made her tails and ears disappear.
"Why didn't you call me on my cell phone first? I would have answered." They were all inside her house now. Kelsey and Jessica stared at Koenma. He was better looking then they thought he would be.
"I didn't notice it was on there… Sorry."
"It's okay Koenma, I just need you to go for a little bit, you can come back… tomorrow, I guess. Please just leave." Ashlynn opened the door so Koenma could leave. Koenma nodded, getting the message, and walked outside. When she slammed the door behind him, Koenma disappeared back into the Reikai.
"BOTAN!" Koenma was now, in chibi form, and in stamping-papers frenzy.
"Yes Koenma sir, greatest boss in the world?" Botan was being sarcastic.
"You were watching me make a fool of myself, weren't you?"
"What makes you think I would?"
Koenma made the screen turn on, never changed from before he came, and it showed the outside of Ashlynn's home, and the concert hall.
"Oh, that made you think I was spying on you…" Botan gave Koenma a sheepish smile and laugh. "I think I better be off, to see what Yusuke is doing?"
Koenma sighed.
"Yes, okay, now excuse me while I do more of these papers." Koenma started his stamping frenzy again while Botan left silently. And with that Koenma turned the screen on again, waiting for Ashlynn to come out, but instead, saw Botan talking to her at the door.
"BOTAN! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Ashlynn had an annoyed tone.
"I'm Botan, Koenma's friend, and I was wondering if…"
Ashlynn had slammed the door closed in front of her face while in the middle of talking.
Well what nerve! No wonder it didn't work out between her and Koenma…Botan thought.
Ashlynn opened the door again.
"I can hear what you think … Come on in, uh, Botan was it?"
"Yes, thank you." And with that, Botan walked into the entryway. To the left was a stairway with red oak floors all over. To the right, in front of the doorway, was a lovely 5-foot, Asian vase.
"Wow, your home is lovely. So immaculate!"
"Thank you, I guess it's not bad for a hand made home, huh?"
"You made your home?"
"It's a long story, so have you come with a message from Koenma? Or are you his girlfriend to yell at me for going out with him?"
"Oh, no! I'm not his girlfriend, I'm just his, um… assistant."
"Ya, right. So why did you come here?"
"To ask you if you were a youko and if you heard of the Makai?"
"Yes and Yes and I don't want to talk about it… It's bad enough I never killed the Reikai king, much less stole from him and that redheaded demon did." Ashlynn's fists were now clasped together very tightly from anger.
Botan gulped; Ashlynn had realized she said too much.
"You were the one who almost killed him?"
Ashlynn stared at Botan, "What is Koenma's last name?"
"Daioh… why?"
Ashlynn looked up at Botan.
"He is the Reikai prince. Koenma Daioh. Under that bandana on his head, there is a Jr stamped there, ne?"
Botan disappeared back into the Reikai; she was going to tell Koenma.
"KOENMA! KOENMA!" Botan had pushed open the doors to his office breathing heavily.
"I do not want to talk to you right now, I'm way too mad that you went to her house with out consulting me first."
"She knows who you are, she knows your father, and she is the one who tried to kill him."
Koenma looked up at Botan with horror in his face.
"Please tell me that you didn't say what I thought you just said!"
"I did, she's different from what we expected though…"
"WHY DO YOU THINK I LIKED HER BOTAN?"
"Because you thought she was beautiful, and just oh-so-great!" And with that Botan gave Koenma a you-are-in-deep-crap-if-you-do-not-get-out-of-the-middle-of-this look. "You are in deep crap if you do not get out of the middle of this!"
"I know Botan, but how?" Koenma sighed and went back to stamping papers.
Maybe I should put Yusuke on the job of finding her out… Koenma thought while in deep work.
"WHAT? YOU WANT ME TO FIND HER?"
"Yes Yusuke, that's what I said! And you may know her as…"
"What, Ashlynn?" Yusuke started to laugh.
"Yes Yusuke, you're exactly right, it was Ashlynn who tried to kill my father, but I want you to get her to tell you so she will let you bring her in, to try and if she's telling the truth!"
"But Koenma, I don't get it. Why didn't you get her yourself? I mean she liked you! You could have sucked her in!"
"Actually, I just found out that she had done this…"
Yusuke face-vaulted and shifted his weight to his leg so he fell. He then got up and started laughing.
"Yusuke, this is not a laughing matter, you must catch her before she run's again, she moves every 2 years to a new place, and she's moving today!"
"OKAY! OKAY! I'll catch your murderous girlfriend!"
"SHE IS NOT MURDEROUS AND IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND YUSUKE! JUST GO GET HER!"
"Whatever." And with that Yusuke started walking to Ashlynn's house.
"HEY YUSUKE!" Kazuma Kuwabara was running toward Yusuke. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO GO TO THE NEW WATER PARK!"
"Can't, gotta do another 'mission' for the All High and Mighty Koenma… that, toddler!"
"Then don't, I mean, you can push it off, can't you?"
"No, but I actually never thought of pushing it off. But then again…"
"What's so horrible that Koenma wants you to do it this second?"
"Ya know Ashlynn?" Kuwabara nodded. "She's a youko, like Kurama, and she moves every two years and Koenma told me she was moving today!" Yusuke continued walking.
A knock kept playing at Kurama's window. He got up and looked at his clock.
2 in the morning, who would want anything at 2 in the morning?
The person kept knocking. Kurama smelled the scent of another youko. He frantically leapt to his feet getting ready to fight. The youko started to talk.
"Suuichi. I know your real name is Kurama. Kurama, please open the window. It's starting to get chilly out here."
"Hiei?" Kurama relaxed. It can't be, Hiei, he isn't that tall…
"I'm sorry, but I don't belive I smell like a fire youkai. Do I?"
"Um, who are you?"
The youko pressed her face near the window.
"It's me, Ashlynn."
"ASHLYNN!" Kurama ran to the window and practically flung it open.
"What are you doing here? And how could you smell like a youko when you are a Ningen?" Kurama now realized she was floating and she called him Kurama.
"Well, Kurama, I am a Youko! That's why."
"Oh…" Kurama blushed a little, he wasn't used to being around female youkos.
"Was'sa matter? You're probably thinking how come you never scented me before… Well see, I've been hiding my powers, but I seem to have been caught, by Koenma, and I was the one who tried to kill his father, but see I was dared to do it and I didn't mean to do any of it and…"
Kurama suddenly kissed her. Crazy youko hormones! Kurama stepped back apologizing silently for kissing her.
"Crazy indeed, you haven't been near a female youko for a time. Heh, um, that was, umm, nice kiss…"
Kurama was ashamed of him self, for he loved another woman, Kelsey, the singer in Ashlynn's band.
"Ne?" Ashlynn used that word frequently in her youko form, like Hiei and his 'Hn.'.
"Nothings wrong. Just, oh I don't know, what would you do if…"
"If you loved Kelsey, and not me, but you kissed me? It's alright, she's a youko too…"
Kurama looked up.
"She-she is?"
Ashlynn nodded and opened her mouth to speak but instead disappeared, for Kurama's Ningen mother, Shiroi, came into his room.
"Are you all right Suuichi? I heard someone else in the room." Shiroi looked around the area, hoping to find another life form other than Kurama and herself.
"Everything is fine, Mother. You can go back to bed, I was just, playing my radio then I turned it off, so I'm going to bed now too."
"Okay Suuichi. Sweet dreams." Shiroi kissed Kurama on the cheek and fled out into the hallway leaving the door slightly open. Suddenly, Ashlynn appeared by Kurama's side again.
"Ooo… sneaky that one is, ne?" Ashlynn and Kurama tried to whisper.
"What are you doing here?" As Kurama was in mid-sentence, between the 'are' and the 'doing', Shiroi was calling Kurama downstairs.
"You have a visitor, Shuuichi!"
"I'll be down in a minute." Kurama got his white shirt on and walked downstairs after telling Ashlynn, "stay," as if she were a dog. She sat on the bed and pouted.
As Kurama walked into the kitchen, he saw Shiroi.
"She is in the living room, Shuuichi."
"She?" Shiroi nodded as Kurama walked into the living room and sat next to her on the couch, she was facing the other way of him so he couldn't see her face.
"Um, excuse me, Miss…" As he spoke the situation, the girl turned around to reveal, Kelsey.
"I felt Ashlynn's ki coming from here, she's upstairs huh?" Kurama nodded and lead her to his room. When they walked in, Ashlynn was sitting crossed legged on Kurama's bed, half asleep.
"Ashlynn, you could have told me that you were leaving so soon!" Ashlynn jerked open her eyes.
"Kelsey, what are you doing here? They'll kill you if you stay with me!" While Kelsey and Ashlynn were combating each other in wits, Kurama was suddenly feeling Kelsey's youko ki, and he had a strong urge to kiss her too.
"Shuuichi-I mean Kurama! Are you still in Ningen Kai?" Kurama jolted out of his thoughts.
"Um yea, why wouldn't I be? I mean just because you're very beautiful and I'm staring at you doesn't mean I'm not on Ningen Kai. Oh my god, did I just say that out…" Too late, Kelsey had beaten him to a kiss; inauspiciously, she hadn't been around a male youko for a while.
"Yuck, sloppy seconds. With that fox demon, stupid youko." When Kurama and Kelsey had realized what she just said, Kurama was starting to sound like his youko form.
"Shut up you-you-you, um…" Kurama couldn't think of a word to say. Just then Shiroi came in. She was shocked and dropped the tray of food in the process.
"Shuuichi is a demon fox? And who is this Kurama I hear Yusuke, Kuwabara, and that Hiei boy call him." Ashlynn had said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
"Um, Mother, we're just-it's a game at school. We give each other names. We're doing a play, that's it."
"What is it called Shuuichi?"
"Um-um-It's c-called…"
"It's called 'Youko Tears' Youko means demon fox, and it involves a kiss. We've memorized the script, so we're just practicing…" Kelsey had saved the day. Or as so it seemed…
"At 2:30 in the morning?"
"Better early than never, ne?" Ashlynn smirked.
"I guess so, but hold off on the kissing stuff until the Play premiere, I want to see it…" Kurama and Kelsey froze. Ashlynn was going to save the morning, just before she leaves.
"Well I'll personally make sure you get an invite Mrs. Minamino. Now off to bed, you need to rest your eyes so you can see the fabulous play. Bah-bye, Nighty night, sleep tight; don't let those youkais, As in Hiei, Bite." Kelsey and Kurama face vaulted as they watched Shiroi leave the room eyeing Ashlynn. Ashlynn stood there in front of them, waiting for gratitude. Kurama was the first to break the silence.
"Um, thanks Ashlynn. Couldn't have done it without you…I guess."
"Yes, but what are we gonna do about the play? Your mother's going to want an invite Shuuichi-I mean Kurama. Dang, I can't stop the Shuuichi name. Can you change to your youko self?"
"Not right now, is that okay?"
"That's fine with me…" This time, it was getting ridiculous.
"OKAY ENOUGH LOVY DOVEY CRAP!" Ashlynn was over powered in irritation.
"Why, Ashlynn, I belive I'm in love with Kurama, and all you can say is that. Some friend you are…"
"Freaking forget both of you then, I was gonna ask Kurama if he wanted to come back to Makai, but no, so go get married, have kids, just don't come running to me when you want 1/3 of power in Makai! OKAY!"
"1-1/3 power of Makai? Were else could you get that much power but from Mukuro, sense she's offering it to Hiei."
"You're freaking baka, Kurama! Don't forget, there are 2/3 left of Makai if you take Mukuro and Hiei out!" And with that, Ashlynn left, but telepathically told Kurama, 'Tell Koenma, I love him. Just don't tell him where I am.' Kurama nodded and sat down onto his bed.
"Do you want to come sit next to me Kelsey?
"I'd love to." Kelsey drifted onto the top of the bed with Kurama and hugged him, Kurama mostly embracing her in his arms.
Yusuke knocked on Ashlynn's door at 3 am. He came back from an after party for the new opening of the water park. One word, liquor.
Hopefully, I'm not too late. Yusuke thought as he hiccupped. No answer. Yusuke knocked again, harder though.
"ASHLYNN! Hiccup OPEN UP! I KNOW YOU'RE A hiccup A YOUKO!" Still, no answer from inside the house. Just silence.
Silence.
"Dang, I'm hiccup late." Yusuke slid down beside the door and took a cigarette from his pocket. Keiko was taking an early-morning bike ride and saw Yusuke.
"YUSUKE! I thought I told you smoking was bad for you!" Keiko walked over and took the cigarette and lighter from his hands.
"Hiccup I know, but I failed my job. I got here too late, and Koenma's going to blow up on me!" Imaging Koenma exploding was not a pretty thought for him, or Koenma for that matter. "OOOH! NOW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THAT TODDLER UNTIL I DIE, THEN HE'S GONNA ANNOY ME IN MY AFTER LIFE! WHY MEEE?"
"Yusuke Urameshi, you don't have to be a baby about it, I have another Spirit Watch for you." Botan had appeared right on time. Yusuke, WASN'T, going to take any chances with Koenma.
"Thank you Botan!" Yusuke cheered, pounding his fist in the air. Taking the watch from her, it started beeping towards Kurama's house. "Hopefully this one doesn't break either. She must be at Kurama's. Botan, did Koenma tell you how strong she exactly was?"
"Hey, your hiccupping stopped…" she told Yusuke.
"Sorry to tell you this, but he said she can hide her ki from anyone, and anything. But the few who know how strong she really is are-"
"DEAD! But, then, that must mean-"
"Kurama, does Yusuke know this? I mean, he's, sort of, my friend too, I honestly wouldn't want him to get hurt!" Kelsey cocked her head as she watched him, waiting for his response.
"I don't know for sure." Kurama replied. Shiroi called again, it was another visitor.
"It's Yusuke this time Shuuichi!" Kurama ran, almost floating through the air, downstairs."
"Yusuke! Have you heard about-?"
"Ashlynn? Ya, is she here?"
"She was, but she jumped out my window."
"Damn it… Kelsey?"
"HI!" Yusuke looked from her to Kurama. "What the hell is going on here? What next? I see a pimp walking by!" Just then Kuwabara, still drunk, was dressed in a pimp outfit and he waved to Yusuke.
"Hey man!" Yusuke stared. "Okay, that's it. Kurama! You are helping me find her!"
"Kuwabara isn't a-"
"Ashlynn!"
"Oh!"
"Hey I can tell you where she went! Since you aren't Koenma!" Kelsey interjected.
Yusuke stared. "WELL!"
"She went to the 7-11 on Maori Street."
Ashlynn sat on the bus stop bench with Harry the bum. She sighed, wondering what to do, and if the lie she told Kurama was ethical enough for him to follow. She watched a car pass by and as she turned her head to continue, she jumped in surprise. There was Kurama and Kelsey.
"1/3 of Makai, huh?" Kurama crossed his arms.
"Ya, I just wanted to check out a 7-11 to see if I should put one in right between the Starbucks and the McDonalds. But, you know…ok see ya!" she stood up to leave but Kurama sat her back down, holding on to one arm, Kelsey the other. Yusuke stood in front of her.
"A dare? Wait 'til Koenma hears this! He'll be-"
"Executing me?"
"Are you kidding? He'll be freakin' ecstatic! He likes ya a lot, babe, believe it or not."
"Ya?"
"Ya…"
"Okay…" And she stood…
Ashlynn sat, in her youko form, handcuffed to the chair in front of Koenma. He was in his teenager form, doing paper work (with no pacifier and no bandana.). It was silent, as Kurama, Kelsey and Yusuke stood on the sides, watching so she wouldn't escape. They all knew Koenma would do nothing to her, nothing bad at least. Ashlynn sighed, yawn, and redid her position in her chair. She was really bored. Suddenly, after a long while, she stood up, still handcuffed to the chair, and rushed in front of Koenma's desk pointing to him with her free hand. She opened her mouth but found no words. Koenma looked up from his paperwork, stood, and walked around his desk to her. And then he had done the unthinkable. He hugged her. Ashlynn's eyes widened in shock, and she suddenly found her voice.
"But-"
"Listen, I took consideration of what you did… and I had come to a conclusion!" He pointed his index finger. "I don't care." He smiled and uncuffed her from the chair. "So, you're free. You gonna assassinate me now, or what?"
Ashlynn stood there in shock for a few seconds, and went back to hugging Koenma, with both of her hands, and cried. Yusuke, Kurama, and Kelsey had left by then though.
It was Valentine's Day; Yusuke and Keiko had just walked out of the movies, Kurama and Kelsey were eating ice dream in the park, Hiei and Veronica, the drummer, sat in her garden doing yoga (weird, ne?), Kuwabara and Yukina sat on a bench in the rose blossom forest listening to his boom box, and Koenma and Ashlynn were watching all of them from his office in the Reikai. As the song Come away with me by Nora Jones came on, Koenma smiled at her. He suddenly turned to her and bowed, taking her hand in his, "Would you give me the honor of this dance?"
Ashlynn smiled lightly, "Yes, my good sir, I shall." She smiled, baring her teeth and danced a slow little dance with Koenma.
Owari
