Peneia Teke: Well, here I am. Starting another story when I should be working on the two I have up already. Oh, well.
I'm tired of not updating anything, so I'm posting this earlier than I'd initially planned.
Disclaimer: I'm only gonna say this once: I do not own YuYu Hakusho.
Prologue: Spirited Away
Botan stirred, painfully aware that she was sprawled on her back against the hard, coldness of a stone floor. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back and had already begun to numb from lack of circulation. Her head pounded furiously, and she felt stiff and sore from her awkward position. She had no idea where she was, and to make matters worse, a soft piece of cloth covered her eyes, trapping her in absolute darkness.
The air around her was a blend of natural earthy tones, though one scent hung over them. It was the metallic tint of iron, the stench of blood.
Confused and disoriented, Botan whimpered softly and struggled into a sitting position. She paused for a moment as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She leaned back again and took a steadying breath, the metallic tint nearly making her sick. I need air.
Panic began to numb her senses as the events of the last few hours slowly came back to her.
Flashback
"Ah, Botan, you're back. I trust the mission was a success?" Koenma, Lord of Spirit World, asked, busily stamping papers. They had just returned from hunting down an escaped convict, who'd wandered into Human World, and everything was once again as it should be.
Botan nodded enthusiastically. "That's right, Koenma sir. He's been returned to Spirit World, and the good news is he didn't cause too much trouble."
"Yes," Koenma replied, "I suppose those human police are good for something after all."
Botan sighed. "At least they kept him distracted until Yusuke got there."
"Koenma, we have a problem here, sir!" A panicked ogre called, skidding to a halt before the prince's desk. He shoved a paper under his nose.
"What the-gimme that!" Koenma grumbled. His eyes scanned the paper, and he sighed. "Well, I was planning on giving Yusuke and Kuwabara the rest of the day off, but I guess now that isn't going to happen."
Botan's face fell. "What is it now, sir?"
He looked at her solemnly. "There've been some reports of odd demonic activity in Makai as of late, but nothing too-" he grimaced as her hands flew to her hips and she glared at him, "serious. At least until now…"
The blue haired deity huffed angrily and shifted her weight to suppress her rage. "Let me guess… You're planning on sending Yusuke out on another mission that might get him hurt, right? Even after he struggled with the last one!"
Koenma's shoulders sagged. "Botan, I was really hoping this whole thing would just blow over, and I wouldn't have to bring it up with you, but… as the current situation is…" he trailed off.
Botan's expression softened to one of concern. "It's that bad?"
Koenma frowned, and his brow furrowed in thought. "I'm not quite sure yet. Go contact Yusuke for me and tell him to await my instructions. I'll need a little more time to sort this out."
The Ferry girl nodded seriously. "Yes, sir." She summoned her oar, hopped on, and took off out the window. Koenma rolled his eyes. The palace did have a door. Sighing, he stacked his papers and pulled out his favorite ink pad with the ponies on the top, preparing to get back to work.
End Flashback
Botan shivered and pulled her legs in closer to her body. She'd been sent to inform Yusuke of the possibility of his newest assignment but had never made it. Somewhere between Koenma's Palace and Genkai's Temple, she'd been apprehended. By who, she didn't know. She only remembered something slamming into her back and the gut dropping sensation of falling from her oar. Everything after that was a haze.
Her musings were cut short when a door creaked open and the voices of two figures could be heard, murmuring quietly.
"…Didn't… as planned…… but…."
"…Woman? …good……..us?"
"More than…could…"
"…And what's……mean?"
As they came around a corner, Botan no longer needed to strain to hear what was being said.
"See for yourself." came a soft, gruff voice. "She's over there."
The footsteps stopped, but the silence didn't last for long; it was shattered by an angry growl. "… What! Is this your idea of a joke? I can barely feel her spirit energy!"
The blue haired ferry girl's mind was reeling. She recognized these voices from somewhere, though she couldn't remember where.
"True, her aura is weak, but there's no cause for alarm. Take a closer look."
"… Hn. The Detective's assistant."
There was only one person who'd ever referred to her by that name, and that was the demon, Hiei, who Botan had met on one of Yusuke's cases. The one who'd spoken to her through telepathy. She subconsciously shivered. That hadn't been a pleasant experience, but, unfortunately, she had bigger problems to worry about at the moment.
Everyone knew Hiei and the famed thief, Youko Kurama, had an unspoken alliance of sorts. Their combined strength and tag-team assaults had never been overpowered, and they were both cold, ruthless, and cut throat in battle. The worst part about it, though, was that they trusted each other.
Botan pushed herself closer to the wall. If Hiei was here, the other must be as well.
"Correct."
"Why her?"
"I would have thought that obvious. Her devotion and importance to Spirit World make her a worthy candidate for us." They were speaking several octaves lower now, and Botan had a pretty good feeling that nothing good would come of this.
"That may be, but there's still no point if she dies before she can be tested. Her frail, human body has nearly expired in its usefulness as it is!" Hiei snapped loudly. As an afterthought he added, "We probably have your incompetent minions to thank for that."
"Yes, but it's obvious she has a strong will to live. Give her the benefit of the doubt, my friend. You underestimate her."
"Fool. You overestimate her."
"It is unwise to judge a book by its cover, Hiei."
"Hn. You and your ridiculous human proverbs."
There was a soft chuckle as they began moving nearer, their footsteps echoing softly off the stone walls. "Indeed. It would seem the prisoners have a certain influence over me."
"You spend too much time around them. They'll turn you soft."
"I find that unlikely." There was a soft jingling of keys, and a loud creak as an iron door was opened.
Botan stiffened and squeezed her eyes shut as the figures' powerful energies surrounded her. She could feel them standing directly before her and gave a soft whimper of fear. Tears leaked from her eyes, soaking the cloth, and she jumped when she felt a pair of strong hands touch her shoulders. "What is your name?" the stronger one, presumably Youko, asked softly, though without sympathy. Botan ground her teeth together and turned her head to the side defiantly. There was no way she was going to cooperate with them after what they'd done to her! The hands on her shoulders tightened and shoved her roughly against the hard rock. "You will answer me when I speak to you," he snarled, "Now, what is your name?"
"B-Botan! Let me go!" Her outburst was met with a slap to her face, and she cried out in pain.
"Heh. Quite the slow learner, isn't she?" Hiei smirked. From the sound of his voice, Botan guessed he was standing off to her right.
Botan's captive grunted. "That will change." His hands moved to her neck, and he lifted her chin softly.
Botan bit his finger and jerked her head away. "Don't touch me!" she snapped defensively.
There was an amused snort. "Grrn! Little bitch. She can't be that injured if she still has the strength to fight back." Youko hissed, and Botan didn't need to see him to know he was glowering at her.
"I wouldn't get excited, Kurama. A few more days down here, and she'll be begging for us to end her life."
"Of course." There was a thoughtful pause. "So, does she fit your criteria?"
"Hn. I would have preferred one with more spirit energy."
Youko sighed impatiently. "We're never going to find one that pleases you. Your standards are too high, and we're running out of time."
"… Then I suppose she'll do."
"Good. As soon as we know it works, you can take as much time as you desire finding test subjects."
"Whatever. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to finish this quickly. I'm getting bored."
"Ah, and of course we can't have that," the other chuckled. "A bored Hiei is a destructive Hiei."
"No, but I could be doing more productive things right now. I don't have all day to waste down here, unlike you."
"Is that so? Well, I suppose it would be best to head to the surface soon." Botan visibly relaxed when the hands left her shoulders, and she sat up straighter, her messy blue hair falling in her face.
"Don't move. This shouldn't hurt too much." She was about to ask what he meant when she felt a sharp pain in her arm. She cried out in surprise and tried to pull away. The pain seared up into her shoulder and neck, causing her to gasp. "Moving will only make the pain worse, girl," Hiei said, "I suggest you stay still."
"What are you doing to me?" she asked in a quivering voice.
"Ignorance is bliss," Youko murmured. "You'll find out what's going on soon enough, but until then, you should try to enjoy your last days in the world of the living."
"…Ogre! Get in here NOW!"
A large, blue Ogre hurried into the room. "What is it, sir? Do you need help getting down?"
"No, you big oaf! I need to know if there's been anything more discovered about our little problem. Is it a mass or just a single powerful apparition?"
The blue ogre, George, scratched his head in confusion. "I don't know, sir, but I suppose I could go find out."
Koenma tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently. "…Well, then what are you standing around like an idiot for? Get going!"
"Yes, sir." He ogre turned away, muttering, "You don't have to yell all the time. I can hear you perfectly well."
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing, sir, nothing!"
"That's what I thought." He glared down at his desk, grumbling about good help being hard to find and went back to reading the demon report.
"Koenma, sir?" A ferry girl with long, dark hair and a solemn expression phased through the wall. "Do you have a moment?"
The toddler prince sighed. "Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, I think you should take a look at this. It just arrived a few minutes ago." She was holding a golden sphere in her out-stretched hands.
"Can it wait? I'm quite busy."
"I understand, sir, but I must insist. It's from Youko Kurama."
"Wha!" He snatched up the sphere and peered at it closely. Youko Kurama? What could he possibly…? With a weary glance at Ayame, he tossed the golden object at the wall and watched it shatter, leaving an inky stain against the white plaster. The ink spread quickly to create a spirit image of the smirking kitsune.
Hello Koenma,
I trust that by the time you receive this, you'll have begun to wonder why your precious ferry girl, Botan, has failed to return. There's no need to worry, however. She's with me.
Koenma's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and his mouth dropped open, nearly causing his blue pacifier to pop out. "Gah! What!" He leaned forward in his chair. The glint in Spirit Youko's eyes told him he had every reason to worry.
She's been injected with a biochemical compound synthetically altered to erode its victims from the inside out; mind, body, and spirit and has a mere ten days before it claims her pathetic existence. Don't assume that she'll simply return to Spirit World, either. Nothing's ever that easy. When she dies her spirit will vanish, going neither to heaven nor hell; put simply, she'll cease to exist.
There is an antidote, but don't think I'd be foolish enough to give out that little secret without some sort of cash bonus.
Youko glanced up, eyes sharp and piercing. He grinned.
However, I will accept it only if it is delivered to me directly by you or your personnel, which means you only have ten days to track me down. If you fail to arrive on time, arrive without the money, or arrive with anyone other than your Spirit Detectives, the girl will suffer a horrific death.
Remember, you only have ten days to comply with my demands.
The kitsune gave a wicked grin and the image disappeared.
Peneia Teke: Well? What'd ya think? Hopefully it was a decent first chapter. This will be updated sporadically, but I'll have the next chapter up as soon as time permits. And, yes, this will be a definite Hiei/Botan fic even though it seems to be leaning more towards Kurama/Botan at the moment. Please review!