Some time ago:

Keiko awoke disoriented, she was looking at her family packed into the tiny hospital room but instead of up at them she was staring at the back of their heads. She looked over their shoulders at her tiny body now cold on the big bed. Her beloved was still clutching her lifeless hand tightly and everyone was crying quietly.

A flash of blue appeared next to her and she didn't have to look away from the scene to know it was Botan.

"Do you want to stay? At least until after your funeral?" Botan asked gently.

Keiko floated down to her family. Her children, her babies, were all adults with children and grandchildren of their own. They were all sad but at the same time relieved, their lovely mother hadn't been immune to the ravages of time and now she was finally at peace. The person only person who was struggling was Yusuke. He had known this day was coming but some part of him had always believed that if he could only keep fighting he could beat time itself.

She laid one ghostly hand on his cheek.

"No, I… think I should leave now. It would only get harder if I stay."

"Well, okay if you insist."

The blue-haired reaper gently helped the old spirit on the back of her oar and they sailed away. Keiko saw the hospital and city get smaller and smaller as they flew into the sky and over the clouds. And then there was a sudden pressure change and they were in Spirit World. Everything was pink and yellow and, although Yusuke had described it to her, it was so bright she could have never imagined it.

Finally she was whisked to a gigantic castle, down a corridor, and was lead to …an office. An ogre sat behind the reception area with a list, "Ah, Keiko Urameshi you're early. Follow me."

"Oh," Botan spoke up, "I'll take her to Placements." She flashed him a big smile till he caved.

"Uh, okay her appointment is with Johnson in 121847."

Botan linked her kimono-ed arm with Keiko's and thanked the ogre, then escorted her through a door to the right. Inside this door was the largest room she had ever seen and it was filled wall to wall with cubicles. It was that moment Keiko looked down at their interlinked arms and noticed her own arm. Gone was her familiar frail and veined hand, instead it was young and full. Unlocking their arms she stared down at her hands and ran over to the nearest mirror. A floor-to-ceiling mirror decorated one of the few real walls in the room.

A face! Her face! Her eyes were the same but wrinkles were gone and her skin was young and dewy. Her waist-length hair no longer held a trace of grey but was back to its original brown. She stood straight and tall and for the first time in years nothing hurt, nothing strained or cracked.

Botan smiled behind her and Keiko could see her in the mirror but couldn't take her eyes off of her own reflection.

"After you die you transform into the time in your life you felt the most beautiful."

Now Keiko remembered that face it was her on her wedding day. She was 19 again.

Keiko tore her face from the mirror and turned back to face Botan. "So do you still recognize me?" She laughed it was all so surreal.

Botan laughed with her and clapped her hands together. "Ha! As if I'd forget!"

But Keiko soon sobered, "Botan, what happens next?"

"Why you go to Placements of course!" She chirped.

"Oh… and what is Placements exactly?"

"Well it's where they weigh your life's net worth based on how good you were. Then based on that number where you spend all eternity." Then she gave a little laugh that was both cheerfully demented and apologetic.

"Wow sounds so…simple."

"Well," Botan informed one finger in the air, "It's actually a very complicated statistical analysis of past deeds, situations, circumstances, societal standing, and age. But I'm sure you won't have anything to worry about! Oh, we're running late we've better hurry!"

So Botan whisked Keiko down the many cubicle rows occasionally taking a seemingly random turn. In every cubicle Ogres sat behind desks and computers doing spreadsheets, playing solitaire, or meeting with a random human or demon.

Finally Botan came to a stop outside a cubicle that looked exactly like every other box they had passed. "Okay we're here," Botan beamed, "Don't look so nervous I'm sure it'll all be just fine!"

With a hug for good luck Keiko walked into the tiny room.

"Hello?" She greeted the Ogre hidden behind files of paperwork.

"Yes, yes come in." He said impatiently as he waved her in with an impatient hand. "Alright Ms. Urameshi we've gotten your results back from the Judgements branch and your score was well into the 2nd to highest percentile. Very adequate for a civilian."

"Um, thank you?"

"Yes so you'll be placed in the 5th hall of Heaven for starters and after a few hundred years you can apply for a higher status. Granted you'll need a clean record and three recommendations from your peers and one from your hall president but that's rarely ever a concern. Any questions?" He said this as one monotone sentence and for the first time looked up at her.

"Um actually I was wondering about demons. Where do they go when they die?"

For the first time she had his complete attention and for a heartbeat he stared at her. Then, they were interrupted by the phone on his desk ringing. He snatched it up and barked, "Johnson."

"Oh Koenma, sir I…Yes sir she's here right now. Yes sir right away sir!" Then he gently laid the phone back into its cradle.

He cleared his throat and said, "Uh it appears Mr. Koenma would like to see you before your sentencing." He looked unsettled as if he had suddenly been thrown off autopilot.

"Did he say what he wanted?" She was perplexed, what could Koenma possibly want from her?

"No idea. Let's go."

He stood and motioned her out the door with a sweep of his arm. Botan was waiting impatiently outside.

"Wow that was fast!" She grinned until she noticed the grim look on Johnson's face and the confused look on Keiko's. "Wha-what's going on?"

"Koenma wants to see her."

"Why! Whatever for?"

"No idea." He looked increasingly put off by this fact. A few centuries ago when he had worked in Placements Human Division subsection XII he had been in charge of presenting cases for all assortments of killers and rapists and thus had to go before Koenma fairly often for final sentencing. But since he had been promoted to Placements Human Division subsection III he hadn't been compelled to once. Subsection III was where all nice normal humans were sentenced, no arguing about punishment lengths for these kind folks. It was better class of human, safer, less nauseating, and maybe a little…boring. In truth this little glitch, he was sure this was all this was, was the most interesting thing to happen in over a decade.

As soon as they got close to the Throne Room they could hear Koenma yelling at his trusty side-kick George.

"What do you mean you've lost the transfer papers! Stupid Ogre don't you know we went digital in last couple decades? Just back up your files!"

"Sorry Sir! Right away Sir!" George sobbed and ran out of room.

Johnson coughed to announce their presence.

"Eh! Oh, it's you Johnson… and Keiko!" The miniature ruler actually smiled at her then climbed off his desk to sit on his throne and fold his hands.

"That will be all Johnson. Botan you may stay." He said and the ogre gave one last look at the crazy room shook his head and stalked out.

"Please Keiko have a seat we've some matters to attend to."

She sat in the chair and waited patiently for the ruler to begin.

Koenma sat and took a good look at the girl in front of him.

So different from Yusuke, he'd be shouting "Now what's all this about shorty! Don't you know I'm busy!"

"Keiko we have a complication with your after-life placement. Or rather Yusuke has CREATED a complication."

"Oh, great what's he done now?" I hope nothing's happened to him.

"Yes well, you may not be aware of this but you and Yusuke are a phenomena we call chained souls. You were created to have an intertwined destiny. When a soul with an extreme personality exists another person of an opposite personality is bound with them. It's the world's way of staying balanced. And Yusuke is what we would call an extreme personality. Keiko, without your presence we are very concerned about Yusuke's future."

Keiko was silent for a moment weighing her words carefully. "Is he in danger?"

"We're not sure, usually chained souls have almost identical life spans and if Yusuke's demon DNA hadn't been activated you would have grown old together. We think that if he continues to live… eventually his soul will become warped."

Keiko took an involuntary step back out of shock, "what does that mean? What will happen to him?"

"Those whose souls have been warped…they can't enter spirit world after their death."

"But what can we possibly do?" Botan cried.

"Um excuse me sir but I may have a suggestion." The entire room turned to stare as Johnson peeked out from behind the curtain.

"GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON I SHOULDN'T FIRE YOUR BEHIND RIGHT THIS SECOND!" Koenma screamed from atop his desk.

"Because, uh I uh may have a solution. It's kind of crazy but what about reincarnation?"

In that second everything seemed to stop as the room's occupants stared in wonder.

"You are so fired," proclaimed Koenma.

"But why sir?" asked Botan, "that actually seems like an possible solution."

"Sure! Why Not? We'll just completely throw out the rulebook and she'll be reincarnated, have to live an entire life only to DIE again in 100 years, meanwhile Yusuke will still have a good millennia! Perfect! What a perfectly perfect plan! How did I ever run spirit world without your fathomless wisdom Johnson?'

"Well no one said she had to be reincarnated as human." Johnson mumbled.

"Wait, what was that Ogre?"

"She could *gulp* be reincarnated as a demon and have the same lifespan as Yusuke," finished Johnson.

"..."

"you may be on to something lackey. But… nah it'd never work," Koenma mused.

"Why wouldn't it work?' Keiko asked desperately.

"Well we could hypothetically find a host family but… reincarnation is very risky even within your own species but trying to cross into another would be incredibly dangerous!"

"Do you honestly think I care about my own safety?" Keiko asked. "Please, tell me more," she pleaded.

"Well… hypothetically you could be reborn as a demon then your lifespan would once again match up again with Yusuke's. But there are rules and time constrictions and you might forget everything of your human life!"

Keiko fell silent for a contemplative moment.

"Well you had better tell me everything so I can be a good demon."


A/N: This chapter was the writing equivalent of falling down an up-escalator. Painful, headache-inducing, and I feel like it went on FOREVER. I actually cut out, like, half of the exposition I was planning on revealing in this chapter. I felt like it was important to describe a complete picture of Spirit World, which I am absolutely certain is an unholy union of the IRS and my aunt and uncle's Country Club, but I also wanted to get to certain point in the story and we're pretty much there. Guess I'm just gonna be a huge tease about the details and you can just wait for flashbacks later in the story to get more details.