A/N: A little religion is mentioned in this story. Heaven and Hell are talked about (because this is a fic about Koenma, Gate Keeper, Judge of Souls, and Son of Death) so if it bothers you, please leave now if you cannot take this as a fictional read. This is not to be taken personally. I am not passing my beliefs on you, but it is impossible to not talk about this controversial stuff for this character. This is a warning so no offensive comments or backlash will be given to me afterwards. Thank you. :) Enjoy.
Koenma had it. He was fed up with all the teasing and jokes from Kuwabara and Yusuke. Yusuke was the absolute worst and Hiei's utter lack of respect didn't help matters. It seemed that Kurama was the only one who gave him any respect and understood his power and title. That helped Koenma deal with all the jokes, and he also knew he would be able to continue on taking the hits since he would outlive them all. But the straw that broke the camel's back was when he was working in his office one day, covered in centuries of backlog, and the gang paid him a visit.
Apparently, Botan had dragged the four detectives from Genkai's temple and had begged them to help him. She told them that he had been working for the past six days nonstop and the only food he had was just a few bites while he worked. He hadn't even had time to sleep. It didn't help him much that he was in his teenage form. Although it was quicker to get across the room to the piles of paper that nearly towered to the ceiling, it did take a lot of energy from him and wore him out quickly. However he decided to take on his older form more often, hoping it would lessen the teasing.
At the current moment, there were three sets of paper in his office. One was for the souls that was judged to go to heaven, and one was for hell. The third pile was the souls he had yet to judge. At least that pile was starting to get shorter and when he finished it, all that was left for him to do was to stamp all the documents for the final process. In front of his desk stood Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Botan.
"Come on Koenma! Botan dragged us all the way up here to get you to stop working and take a break."
"Yeah. Let's go! We got a big party back at Genkai's and you're coming with us."
"How kind of you Kuwabara but I can't. I have to work." Koenma set another paper aside for the punishment pile.
"All you do is work! Hey," Yusuke turned around to call out to Hiei who had immediately turned and left. "Where are you going?"
The fire demon stopped but didn't turn around. "If the royal brat wants to work himself to death, let him. I have no business with him."
"Hiei, I'm sure if we helped, Koenma would see that your probation is lifted." Koenma glared at the fox who awkwardly chuckled at the teen. Kurama knew it wasn't something the prince would actually do but he knew what worked in bribing Hiei.
"I need you all to leave." Koenma tried to be polite but he was to aggravated by the work load. One would think that working six days nonstop would make a big sized hole in the work load, but he barely managed to make a dent. Why can't the world go one day without dying? He thought.
"Hey, we're here to help. Besides, I don't really want to go back home just yet. See, Keiko's in a mood and if I go back, I'm sure to hear it. And feel it."
"You face hundreds of demons but it's Keiko who scares you?" Koenma looked at Yusuke skeptically. The detective laughed.
Hiei continued leaving until Botan stepped in front of him before he could reach the door. Normally, she wouldn't have thought about stopping Hiei, but she was too concerned for her boss's health to make him continue working in this manner. "Hiei, please. I'll never ask anything of you again. Please, just help to at least get Koenma away from the desk for a moment. He really needs it."
"Hn."
"What I need is for everyone to leave." He knew the ferry girl meant well, but she wasn't helping matters.
"You're the prince Koenma. Can't you just, like, order someone else to do this?" Yusuke asked.
Koenma paused and gently laid the paper he was currently judging on his desk, and slowly looked up at the detective. "No."
"Why not?! I'm surprised you even work like this. Aren't you suppose to have everything done for you?"
"Yusuke, yes. I can order you to go and fight demons for me. I can order Botan to ferry souls or ogre to find missing files and bring me food. But although I am prince, I am the only one who can do my job."
"Your job is stamping papers all day. Anyone can do that." Kuwabara said bluntly.
"Yes, even the big fool."
"Why you!" Without warning, Kuwabara threw a punch to Hiei who quickly dodged it as always. Unfortunately, Yusuke was standing next to Hiei and when he moved, Kuwabara's punch landed on him.
"Ow! You idiot." The detective returned a punch to Kuwabara who ended up flying across the room...and into the Paradise stack. The power of the punch and the fall of papers shook the whole room and soon...all three piles fell. Paradise was mixed with Punishment and vice versa. Not to mention the ones he hadn't judged yet.
After everything settled down, the four detectives and Botan slowly looked up from the fallen paper to Koenma. Even Hiei's eyes were wide. Like everyone, he didn't move or say a word. Koenma however was too shocked to even get up from his chair to yell. He leaned back and rested his arm on the chair, looking at the five somberly. Everyone, even Hiei, waited with bated breath for the prince's reaction. If past experiences said anything, they readied themselves for yelling and possibly some curses thrown at them. But Koenma was done.
Or so he thought until Yusuke spoke up.
"Well," he chuckled. "at least you know where some of them are already going."
Botan groaned, Kuwabara muttered 'idiot', Kurama made a very uncharacteristic face palm, and Hiei still hadn't moved.
Koenma continued to look at them for a few more seconds before finally finding the strength to speak up. "Leave."
It was one word but his expression and tone and current situation had all five leaving the room without any hesitation, leaving the teen prince with the scattered papers.
At Genkai's temple:
The boys were waiting around the temple with Genkai, Yukina, and Sizuru. Even Keiko decided to come for the party, but when the Botan brought the boys, they explained to them that Koenma might not be coming after all.
"What happened?" Yukina looked at the four who, except for Hiei, appeared ashamed.
"We had accidentally caused all his paperwork to fall over. I fear he will have to start over again." Kurama politely explained.
"The brat shouldn't complain. It's his job."
Kurama looked at the demon who was perched on the window still. "I am sure his job is not easy."
"But all he has to do is stamp. Anyone can do that." Yusuke reminded them.
"That is not his job you dimwit."
The four looked at Genkai. "He is the Judge. He judges all the souls that die and sends them to heaven or hell."
"Yeah, but that's not hard. If you're good, you go to heaven. If you're bad, you go to hell. Like shorty will."
"Kazuma, you shouldn't be mean." Yukina told him.
"I'm sure there is more to it than that Kuwabara."
Before the Kuwabara could question the fox, Botan flew into the temple on her oar.
"So Botan, how's the damage?" Yusuke asked hesitantly. They had been waiting for the last few hours for any word about the situation.
Botan sighed and looked at them. Her expression made the three boys even more nervous. "Koenma wants to see the four of you. Right now."
The two rivals gulped. Kurama looked nervous and Hiei smirked. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Koenma said you would say that Hiei. Which is why he said that it wasn't a request. He also said that if you don't come, he'll simply had more to your probation."
After a few seconds of thinking, Hiei agreed.
While the boys all hopped on the oar, Botan explained to the girls that the party would have to be postponed since the boys would be detained for awhile. Before anyone could ask why, she flew the boys back up to Spirit World.
Koenma's Office:
Koenma was leaning back in his chair waiting for Botan to bring the four boys who caused his previous headache to turn into a migraine. He thought about their responses and comments earlier that day.
"Your job is stamping papers all day. Anyone can do that."
"You're the prince Koenma. Can't you just, like, order someone else to do this?"
"If the royal brat wants to work himself to death, let him."
"They don't have a clue." He quietly told himself. He knew that the punishment he came up with for the mess they made was, in a word...perfect.
The large double doors opened and Botan walked in with the four boys behind her.
"I brought them sir." She said.
"Thank you Botan. Leave and find George for me."
"Yes sir." Botan bowed and left.
Yusuke and the others walked up to his desk. They looked around to see that everything seemed to be back where it was before they caused the fall. However, instead of three piles there were only two.
"Koenma, we're s-"
"Quiet." The prince, still in his teen form, glared at Yusuke.
The boys waited for Koenma to speak. He was pinching the bridge of his nose and they weren't sure if it was because of some physical pain or frustration. The latter was the most likely.
Koenma took a deep breath before beginning. "I have rejudged the souls," He emphasized 'rejudged'. "and decided your punishment."
He didn't give the boys any chance to ask why they were being punished for a simple mistake. "I have put up with your teasing and jokes since I met you. I've had enough. Your punishment is this. Now although I can't allow you to judge, I can allow you to stamp."
They began to protest but Koenma immediately held up his hand to stop them. They didn't rebel.
"No. There will be no arguing on this." Koenma's tone was firm and strong and they knew that he wasn't going to be changing his mind. "I know it is in your nature to be a jerk and while I have allowed it in the past, I'm done. I will not be too bratty in demanding respect because I know I won't get it from you. I also know that it won't matter because I will outlive you all, and the idea of taking pleasure in judging you helps me get through the day." The four gulped. "However, I will demand understanding. The only one who seems to have it among you is Kurama. But as for the three of you, especially you Hiei, there seems to be an utter lack of respect and simple understanding of what I really do.
I am not simply your boss or Prince of Reikai. There is more to me than you think." Yusuke and Kuwabara were thinking back on Genkai's words.
"However, I do not believe I have the strength to sit here and explain it all to you right now. So, I am going to leave and take my much needed break. While I am gone, you will be stamping all of these papers." Koenma pointed to the two large piles on both sides of the room. They knew that one was for Heaven and the other Hell, but they were each divided into three smaller piles. And if they were all stacked on top of each other, they would reach a little past the ceiling.
"George and Botan will be supervising you. If I hear one ounce of complaint or resistance, more papers will be added."
As if on cue, Botan re-entered with George following behind her. They were carrying a few small boxes, stamps, and ink pads.
"Botan, I want you to fetch me when the boys are done. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
Koenma stood up and left without another word. The four watched him leave and realized that not once in his whole explanation did he even try to crack a smile or smirk. They looked at Botan and the ogre with wide-eyed expressions. George stood there with the objects in his arms and a serious face, and Botan immediately went on to discuss where to stamp on the file. They knew that this was serious, and there was no way out of it. Not even Hiei had ever seen the Prince so upset. It was always scary when someone was so upset they didn't even bother to show it.
"Koenma stamps them from the middle to the top and on the side as to not cover up the writing too much. Each stamp is different. One says 'heaven' and the other 'hell'." George gave the boys their assigned stamps. "Hiei and Yusuke, you get the Punishment pile." Botan pointed to the right of Koenma's desk. "Kurama and Kuwabara, you get Paradise."
They looked at each other and at Botan one more time before sighing and realizing that this was for real. They left to their piles and looked up at the papers.
"We don't even get a desk to work on?" Hiei asked, actually shocked at the situation.
"Koenma-sama doesn't think you deserve a desk. And his is off limits." George explained. For possibly the first time, he wasn't scared of the fire demon. Like Botan, he was too concerned for his friend and boss to care about what Hiei might do to him for talking back in such a way.
"So we're suppose to work on the floor?!"
"Yusuke, if you have a problem with this, I'm sure Koenma would be happy to hear about it." Botan smirked playfully. Even Yusuke wasn't that stupid.
"Never mind. I'm good." Being assigned to stamp possibly thousands of papers was bad enough, but Koenma had specifically said that he didn't want to hear one ounce of complaint. Yusuke didn't want to see what would happen if he complained to Koenma about not having desk.
The boys sat down on the floor by their piles and opened their ink pads. Thankfully Kurama explained to the other three that it would be best if they took smaller piles off the top as to not cause another spill.
"Oh! Koenma wanted me to give you something before you started." She walked up to the boys and placed a small box on floor. Kurama picked it up and looked at her.
"Bandages?"
She simply grinned. "Paper cuts."
They all groaned but soon got started their punishment.
"Ow!" Kuwabara waved his hand and began to suck the blood as to stop it from bleeding too much. "Another one."
"How many do you have now?" Kurama asked as he stamped yet another file.
"I think eight."
"I have three."
"That's because you're not being careful Kuwabara." Yusuke said across the room.
"Quiet and work." Hiei glared at the ogre but gave a grunt and continued to stamp.
Hiei was trying to use his speed to stamp more in a short amount of time, but had to stop when Botan complained to him about small drops of blood on the files. He looked at his hands and saw that there were many cuts covering them.
"You need to be more careful Hiei. They might be paper but they still hurt."
"Hn." Hiei looked at his hands the same way he looked at his fingers when he lost the Paper-Rock-Scissors match in the Dark Tournament.
"I am skilled with the sword. How can this be so hard?"
"You are forgetting Hiei, a sword only has one edge. A paper has four."
"I don't need your obvious explanation Kurama. Just pass me the bandages detective."
Yusuke handed Hiei a box.
Three hours had gone by and Hiei and Yusuke had only managed to go through one small pile, leaving the other two still untouched.
"You are going too slow detective. At this rate, we will never finish."
"Why do you care Hiei? Hell, I'm surprised you even stayed."
"Hn. It doesn't matter. We do not have eternity like Koenma. We don't have time for you to be lazy."
"Oh shut up Hiei. We're never going to finish."
The two began to argue until George intervened. "If you two keep arguing, you'll never get done. Or do you want more papers added?"
Yusuke and Hiei looked at the blue oni with their eyes going as wide as they could. They didn't bother to look at each other before going back to work.
Four more hours passed and each pile was a little over halfway done. Kuwabara was having the hardest time keeping a steady speed like the others.
"Stupid demon energy." He muttered. He stamped a file and placed it with the others he had finished and noticed that Kurama had stopped stamping.
"Hey! Why aren't you stamping. We need to finish this so we can get back to Genkai's. Yukina is waiting for me." He didn't notice Hiei's glare across the room.
"I'm sorry Kuwabara. I got distracted."
"How can you get distracted when all we're doing is stamping?"
"I was looking at the files."
"Oh?" Kuwabara looked at the file in his hand before he stamped it.
"I don't really understand why some of these people are going where they are going."
Hiei and Yusuke was listening in on their conversation and begun reading the files in their hands.
"Well this guy definitely deserves it." Yusuke said in an annoyed voice. "From what I can tell, he killed innocence people in a hostage situation."
"If I had my say, I would send everyone to Hell. Ow." Hiei got another bandage. He didn't like them but the ferry girl kept complaining to him about the blood dripping on the files.
"You know, Koenma will explain everything to you later and answer any questions you have. First you have to finish."
"I have a question for him Botan, how does he even know how to judge them?"
The other three boys, Botan and George, looked at Yusuke shocked. It was clear by his tone that it was a genuine question, and he was really curious.
"I mean, sure, everyone does something bad in their life. Does it really mean they have to be punished for eternity? Why not let some things slide?"
"I'm not sure Yusuke, but that's not my job. All I know is that the whole process of judging a soul is very complex and requires an infinite of wisdom to truly understand. Only Koenma and his father know how to do that."
"Well why doesn't his father help him out?" Kuwabara asked.
Botan placed a finger on her chin. "Hm. I've only know of one time when King Enma actually helped Koenma out with paper work since Koenma took over. It was during one of the world's darkest moments."
The sound of loud thuds of stamps hitting paper stopped and everyone looked at Botan.
"Oh yeah? What was it?"
Even Hiei looked at Botan, waiting for an answer.
"The Holocaust."
"The what?" Hiei asked.
Everyone in the room but Hiei had heard of the Holocaust. Kurama went on to explain to him the history of it while they continued to stamp. When he was finished, Hiei didn't look up from his work. Yusuke noticed a flash of emotion but wasn't sure what it was, but he was smart enough not to ask.
"There was so many lives lost during that time that if King Enma didn't help, Koenma would never have been able to finish." Botan explained.
"But those souls went to heaven, right?" Yusuke asked.
"Yes. Every victim did."
"Please tell me the ones who obeyed the twisted man's orders got their punishment." It was Hiei who asked.
"I think so. Yes."
They continued to stamp while thinking about all they learned. After that, Botan and George only heard grunts and 'ow's that resulted from paper cuts, and the resounding thuds of the stamps.
Koenma had spent the last ten hours relaxing. He first went to eat since all he had been having for the last six days were bites that weren't even called a snack. Afterwards, he slept it all off for seven hours. He was always a light sleeper since Death didn't get a day off. He always woke up early and went to bed late. In fact, he was lucky to get six hours of sleep on a normal day. He made his way to the library and relaxed with a book. However, it wasn't a normal fiction book to enjoy. The last few hours went by quicker than he thought and soon Botan found him and told him that the boys were finished with the work. He walked into his large office and saw the four boys standing in front of their two towering piles. They looked worn out and tired and their hands were nearly covered in bandages. Hiei was looking at his hand with a scowl and Kuwabara looked as if he was ready to pass out. Yusuke looked surprisingly no different, but Koenma noticed a somber look on Kurama's face. They didn't say anything but watched as Koenma walked up to each pile and carefully took a paper out. He saw that each stamp, although slightly rushed, were in proper places and showed that the soul was to be sent to the right place.
He looked back at them and smiled. "Thank you. You all did a very good job."
They sighed. "We're sorry Koenma."
"Yusuke, do you know why I ordered for you four to do this?"
"Because we messed up your piles?" Kuwabara asked.
Hiei looked away because he knew it wasn't best to say what was really thinking, as well as Yusuke.
"No."
"Because you wanted for us to understand." It was always Kurama who had the right answer.
"Yes. As I said before. But I'm curious, did any of you actually look at a few files before you stamped them?"
Yusuke nearly fell. "WHAT?! Don't tell me you didn't actually look at them before you made us stamp!"
Koenma didn't bother to blink at Yusuke's yell. "Yes I did. What I meant was, did you understand why they were sent there?"
"Oh." The detectives blinked and looked at each other.
"I looked at a few but I didn't understand." Kurama answered.
"I think every human should go to hell."
"I didn't really understand either."
"I think that as long as they didn't kill anyone they're good to go to heaven."
Koenma sighed. "I figured those would be your answers." He walked over to his desk that was now clear of any paper work and sat down. "It's not as easy as if they're good they go to heaven and if they're bad they go to hell, Kuwabara. However, since I have been doing this for 700 years, I already know who is going where after a quick look at their file. But if one of you were to judge one soul properly, it would take you fifteen minutes to decided where they go."
"Fifteen minutes?!"
"Depending on the soul. However, they are a few circumstances and delicate situations that need to be looked at."
"What do you mean circumstances?" Kurama asked.
The prince sighed. "Let me give you a few scenarios and I want you to decided either heaven or hell."
"Well that should be easy. It's a fifty-fifty chance. I've had test harder than that as school." Yusuke grinned.
"There is a seven year old child who murdered a man, with that act being the only wrong he has done in his whole life, before he died at eight. Where would you send him?"
"Well..." Yusuke thought. "He's just a kid. I'll have to say heaven."
"But he murdered a man Urameshi. I don't care if you're a kid. Even kids know that it's wrong to kill. Sorry, but I'm going to have to say Hell."
This scenario hit Kurama harder than the others because it had him immediately thinking of Amanuma. He had judge the boy right before his death and told him that he deserved to be punished for his actions, wether he understood them or not. He had lived with that guilt of murdering a child, innocence or not, merely for the sake of the world. Unfortunately, just as before, logic won out. "Hell."
"Hn. I guess I'll go with Hell."
"Come on Hiei. Really?" Yusuke complained.
They waited for Koenma to give the right answer. He slowly opened his eyes. "Heaven."
"All right! I was the only one with the right answer this time. That kinda felt good."
"But he murdered a man."
"Wait, why did he?"
"It doesn't matter why Kurama. That's where the circumstance comes in."
Yusuke looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Koenma sighed. "Any child under ten automatically goes to Heaven, despite any wrong they had done. It's about the innocence. Even if they fully understand what they are doing, that innocence of a child still exist until they reach ten years of age. I am not allow to punish them. So any file I see that says nine or younger, I know where they goe without reading another word.
Take Amanuma for example. He didn't fully understand what he was doing and although he was acting like a murderous brat, in the end he was afraid. When you told him the truth Kurama, fear over took him. He was told that the 'bad people' would be punished and yes, a small part of him knew what that meant, even if he didn't want to believe it; but a child would never willing take a life in his full awareness."
"So why did he?" Hiei asked.
"Self-defense. A voice in his head. Thought it was just for fun until realizing the truth. There could be many reasons but it doesn't matter. A child is a child and that innocence doesn't last long. As I said, until they reach age ten, that full innocence remains."
"I still don't understand why you would send a child to heaven if he murdered."
"Because Kuwabara, unlike Kurama and sometimes myself...God is merciful."
Koenma didn't have to say more because that last statement made an impact to all of them.
"The next scenario. A 35 year old man has a loving family and dies in a car crash. The first words you see on his file besides the basics are stole, lied, and cheated. Heaven or Hell?"
"Uh, Heaven?" Yusuke scratched his head.
"Heaven. Everyone does one of those at some point in their life. Not fair to punish everyone."
"Hell Kuwabara! You've stolen or cheated? I thought that was against your code."
"Shut it Urameshi. Does lying about my death in the tournament count?" Yusuke gave a scowl.
"Heaven." A small part of Kurama hoped that if heaven was the right answer for this scenario, he might have a chance. Wether the scenarios were aimed at him or not, he wasn't sure. It had him thinking about his life as Youko Kurama and Suiichi. He started to fear where Koenma would send him when it was his time. He only hoped that the deeds he had done as Kurama and Suiichi would make up for all his wrong and killings as Youko.
"Hell." No one was surprised that was Hiei's answer.
"Heaven." Koenma answered. "You're right Kuwabara. However, if also depends on how far you go."
"What do you mean?"
"If I was to punish everyone for stealing a few dollars from someone, Hell would be greatly overpopulated. And we all tell a little white lie at least once in our life. Like when we lied about Kuwabara's death. And almost every delinquent in school cheats on a test. No one is perfect. In fact, it is expected that everyone does at least one of these actions at least once in their life. It's not wanted...but it's expected. In this scenario, the man did the minimal of those actions. However, there are some cases where it is worse.
If a man stole millions from a city for a fake campaign, or cheated on their spouse, you would see that information quickly. What the files show are first the basics. Age, characteristics, and such. Followed by a brief overview of their main points and actions in their life. If he went too far that it caused harm to many people in one form or another, he would go to Hell. Greed and adultery are both major sins, with the latter damning your soul for eternity."
"I thought you said God was merciful?"
"Yes. But even he has limits. He won't let you in heaven if you murder your spouse out of sheer jealousy. Kuwabara, you said earlier that all I do is stamp papers. Stamping papers is not my only job, something you should already know. I can't stamp the files if I don't judge them first. Now take this into account. We don't deal with just Japan. We deal with the whole world."
"What?! Don't other countries have their own Spirit World or something?"
"No Yusuke. We are the only one and there are hundreds of people who die everyday. Hundreds of souls who need to be judged daily. However it is almost impossible, even for a demi-god. That is why I have centuries of backlog."
"This was all just backlog?!"
"Yes."
They all groaned. Koenma chuckled for the first time in seven days. "Don't worry. I don't make you stamp anymore. As long as you understand. I can't expect you to fully understand what I do, but I want you to at least understand that it is not easy. Why anyone wants this job I don't know."
"Then why don't you quit?"
"Kuwabara, I simply can't. If I had a sibling, yes, I probably would hand down the title to them. However, I am an only child and wether I like it or not, I must take over for my father. I was born as prince." He lifted his hand to the 'jr' on his forehead as he spoke the last line.
"So you were born with that?"
"Well it's not for decoration Yusuke. Wether I like it or not, this is my fate. I cannot abandon it. This is my job, my life, what I was born and trained to do."
"Damn. No wonder you're always complaining. You're forced to do this." This fact hit Yusuke hard and he finally realized that Koenma was probably the only person in all the realms that couldn't escape his job, since his job was his life.
Koenma closed his eyes. "Yes. And I have done it for 700 years and I'm not anywhere near done. I must judge all souls, even yours, and while I can order others to do the stamping, I am forced to do it myself sometimes. My father doesn't like to hear that I've been neglecting my duties. However, whenever he is away on business, like today, I sometimes take the opportunity to do only half my job and let others do the rest. Like you said. Anyone can stamp. But as you already know now, it's not easy and it's not fun. Do you understand?" His tone was that of a parent not only scolding their child, but also teaching it a lesson at the same time. Harsh, but caring.
The four looked at him guilt-fully and slowly nodded their heads. "Yeah. Sorry Koenma."
"Yeah, we'll never tease you again."
"And not just because of finally realizing and understanding what you have to go through, but because I don't really want you sending me to hell for personal reasons like me always jabbing you with jokes." Yusuke chuckled.
Koenma smirked. "Thank you Yusuke." He looked at each individual. "Hiei, are you okay?"
He looked at the small demon who had been looking back and forth between his hand and the prince. "Hn. I'm fine."
"I think Hiei had the most cuts." Kurama chuckled.
"I said I'm fine."
"You're free to go now. But the next time you come in no more attacking each other. Or we'll just have to go through this all over again."
All their eyes widened. "Don't worry. We'll be more careful." Kurama said.
"Thank you."
"But Koenma,"
"What is it?"
"Aren't you coming with us?"
Junior looked at Yusuke. It was his turn to be shocked. "What?"
"Botan dragged us up here to get you away from the paper and after what we've been through, you definitely need a break."
"I already had one Yusuke, while you were stamping. I ate and took a good nap. Besides, Death has no off days."
"Well you're done now for a while. Come to Genkai's with us or else Botan will have all of our heads." Kuwabara said.
Koenma chuckled and realized he was right. He finally agreed and left with the boys back to Genkai's.
"Hey Koenma."
"Yes Yusuke?"
"If your father is still out on business, make sure you let the ogres stamp. Got it?"
The prince smiled. "Got it."
"Yeah. We don't want Botan coming to us and tell us you've been a working zombie."
"I understand Kuwabara."
They left his office and headed back to the Human World. Kurama looked down at Hiei.
"So how are the paper cuts?"
Hiei lightly growled. "Shut up."
They all just laughed. Koenma smiled. He felt accomplished, and it wasn't because of all the paperwork that got finished today thanks to the boys; but because he finally got them to understand. He hoped now they would let up on him and show him more respect and from what he was currently seeing and hearing from them, perhaps they would. He then realized that he probably wouldn't be able to punish them for their jokes when they died.
Okay, so if you read this on already, you can probably tell that I changed it. I fixed many grammar issues that were bothering me and added more to the story. I wanted to actually talk about boys learning through their punishment. I didn't like how it kinda just jumped to the conclusion, I wanted to read it happen. The reason I went back and fixed and added to this was because when I uploaded it first, I was just trying to get the story out of my head before it tortured me. No one likes plot bunnies. lol So if you are reading this for the second time, I hope it's only better for you. If you are reading this for the first time, I hope you enjoyed it.
A/N: As I was going over this again, I reminded myself to make this little note. I am, in no way, pushing Christianity on anyone. In fact, although I was raised in a Baptist family, over the last five years, I have left it. I always hated how my parents and church could only talk about that. I am obviously claiming myself Unitarian Universalist. A quick overview of that, I don't believe one religion has the answer. I believe every religion has something to offer and that you can take bits of each one to set up your ideal way of living life. I believe in nature having power and that we should give back to it, I most definitely believe in the balance of YinYang, and although I don't fully agree with God because I often feel like he wants his cake and to eat it too, I do believe in Him. I go on about religion but I don't want any reviews, comments, or backlash about this. However, you can't right a fic about the Judge of Souls and not talk about Heaven or Hell. If you're an atheist and this bothers you on a more personal level than reading a story about a fictional character, why are you here?
Again, NO BACKLASH OR OFFENSIVE STATEMENTS, or I will report it. I've made my note at the beginning too, and if you didn't bother to read it first, I have nothing to say to you. Sorry.
On that cheery note, Please review. :) :) :) :) :)