Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any thing associated with it. Only the plot, is mine, also certain phrases, "Distant Thunder" and "Shattered Skies", any thing in quotations, surrounded by parenthesis, are from Ace Combat 4.

This is a Yusuke/Botan fic. I try not to scorn others ideas. So, I ask that you do the same for me. Don't flame. If your not a Yusuke/Botan person, just replace Yusuke with someone else. Thanks. R/R please.

Distant Thunder

("The Flames of Hatred, scorch the skies,")

As she stood there, the smell of wet dirt, reached her nose, carried by the wind. The sky was red as fire, burned by the setting sun. She looked skyward, most of the sky was clear and blue, patched here, and there, with the light of the setting sun. But, off in the distance, she could see a storm brewing up. As she stood, she recalled, the events of the day.

Flashback

"You told him! You promised me you wouldn't tell! How dare you! I trusted you!" Keiko yelled, as she stormed off, into her room. "Just get out of my face! I never want to see you again!"

Botan yelled back, "But, it's not my fault! I tried not to! But, he's my friend, he weaseled it, out of me!"

Keiko was cheating on Yusuke, with another boy. She planned to get him back for leaving her behind, not seeming to care, ignoring her, all those times. When, Botan walked in on the two of them, she told her everything, saying not to tell Yusuke, because she would ruin her plans. But, Yusuke immediately noticed how strange she was acting. And, she let it slip.

"I see. So that's how it is." Yusuke said. "Thanks a lot, Botan! For helping her, stab me in the back! I thought you were my friend, but, apparently I thought wrong. Then he stomped off leaving Botan all alone.

Later, she was talking with Yukina. "You know, he is your friend, you should have treated him better, you should have refused to help Keiko."Yukina said.

"I'm not helping Keiko, and I was nice to Yusuke. He's the one who got all upset!"

"No you weren't! You were completely ill-mannered towards him!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"You were getting angry with the both of them, just like you are with me now."

"Stop, it!"

"Hey!" yelled, Kuwabara as he walked in to the room. "Don't fight with her! Botan, You should be nicer to your friends, and my girl-friend!"

"I'm not doing anything, Kuwabara!" Botan yelled.

"Hmph! Yukina, come on, let's go! We don't need her!"

Finally, she spoke with, Hiei, and Kurama as they returned, from a mission.

"You!"Hiei said as he saw her. "Because of you, we could have lost the fight! Yusuke, refused to come, because he was still brooding over, Keiko! You, seriously jeopardized the mission. We could not count, on one of our strongest fighters to help us!"

"Don't blame me!" Botan said, "Talk to Yusuke and Keiko!"

"He's right, you know." Kurama said, "you should try to be more understanding of your friends. Come on Hiei, we have more important things than her." Then without another word, they left.

End Flashback

("Igniting Gaia's funeral pyre.")

Time washed over her, as she stood there. Her blue hair, softly fluttering, in the light breeze. She became aware of tears, rolling down her face. She looked around, just thinking. "Nobody, needs me here, or likes me.", she thought to herself, recalling the words of her friends. ," Why am I even here? Deep in the woods, far from Tokyo, and Yusuke's house. That's a stupid question. I know, why I am here. They might notice, I'm missing. If they even care. They might come looking for me, however, to come jeer at me, and taunt me more. But, by then, it will be too late. I'm here to end it all."

She reached deep into her kimono, and pulled out a long, sharp knife. She stares at it. It reflected the sun, and trees, behind her. She looked around, to take a look at the world one last time. Everything seemed so peaceful, and calm. But, it seemed detached, indeed the sky itself, seemed broken. She smiled slightly. Knowing that the pain in her heart, would soon come to an end. Then, she cut herself on the arm.

She saw the blood, flow down her arm, staining her kimono. It hurt, but, it felt oddly satisfying. The knife, had blood on it. It blended in, with the blood red color, of the setting sun. She wondered briefly, if she had one, at her funeral, what they would say about her. Then she pulled up the knife and prepared to plunge it into her heart. But, then, a voice rang out.

"No! Don't do it!"

It was Yusuke.

He ran up to her, wrenched the knife out of her hands, and flung it down.

Then he spoke, to her.

("Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future,")

"Botan, please....don't..."

"Why not, Yusuke!"

"Listen to me....suicide...it isn't..the answer....I know what I did, was wrong....It caused you pain...but,... that is...I'm sorry, Botan. I should have never said, what I did. You were only trying to help, and yet, I took it out on you. You told me the truth, because you didn't want to see me hurt. I yelled at you because, I was looking for somone to blame for my own problems. So that, I wouldn't have to face it. But that was wrong."

"Yusuke, what are you saying?" she said, from somewhere, she heard distant thunder. It seemed close but, not to close.

"What, I'm saying Botan, is that running away from your problems won't help. You have to face, I have to...WE have to face our problems. And, we'll do it together. The problems of the past...They're gone, we can't do anything about them, but we can stop it before it becomes something much larger, and we can choose, what we do in the future.

"Yusuke...."

"Botan.....I'm not quite sure....but....well.....I love you."

"Oh, Yusuke..."

("The sheltering wings, of the protector.")

Then he embraced her, she felt so safe, so secure, in his arms. Then, they kissed. They broke apart, and they looked at each other.

"Botan, your hurt... "

"Yes, you couldn't prevent that, but I am glad you found me before, I did something terrible."

Then they walked together back towards home, in the light rain that was starting to fall, Botan looked up, everything seemed seemed whole, and peaceful. Those shattered skies, had been calmed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any thing associated with it. Only the plot, is mine, also certain phrases, "Distant Thunder" and "Shattered Skies", and any thing in quotations, surrounded by parenthesis, are from Ace Combat 4.

This is a Yusuke/Botan fic. I try not to scorn others ideas. So, I ask that you do the same for me. Don't flame. If your not a Yusuke/Botan person, just replace Yusuke with someone else. Thanks. R/R please.

Solid Snake : "Building the future and keeping the past alive are one in the same thing."

"We can tell other people about - having faith. What we had faith in. What we found important enough to fight for. It's not whether you were right or wrong, but how much faith you were willing to have, that decides the future. "

reciting Grey Fox's last words "We're not tools of the government, or anyone else! Fighting was the only thing I was good at, but at least I fought for what I believe in!"

"Choose your own legacy. It's for you to decide."

"Fight for something you believe in and find it for yourself. If you do, pass it on to the future."