NOTE: The use of dashes -- is for when they are talking telepathically!
"What are you going to do to her Koenma?"
"It depends . . ."
"I know this is against my honor code, but I hope she gets punished hard for what she did to my beloved Yukina!"
"Hn, shut up you buffoon. The baka onna's waking up . . ."
Amaya groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry. She could only make out four blurs that seemed to surround her. Once her vision cleared, she realized the blurs were the Spirit Detectives, looking angrily down at her. Amaya made to stand up, but found herself chained to a chair. She didn't need to look around to know she was back in Koenma's office. Amaya tried this time to raise her spirit energy, but the chains seemed to be restraining her powers. Damn it, Amaya cursed.
--Don't even bother baka. Those are the strongest restraint chains the baby has. Even if you do miraculously break out of them, you'll have my wrath to deal with-- came a menacing voice in Amaya's head.
Amaya rolled her eyes, not caring for the threat delivered to her. Deciding to conserve her energy, she changed into her humane form, her spirit energy lowering drastically.
The boys, who had been speaking to Koenma, felt the change in their captive's spirit energy. They ceased talking and turned to her.
"Move out of the way so I may speak to her," Koenma commanded behind them. Footsteps came towards the group. A pop sound was heard right behind Yusuke and Kuwabara who were the ones standing directly in front of Amaya. They moved out of the way to reveal Koenma, but older, teenager-looking. He did not wear his customary hat. He had brown hair that brushed slightly in his also brown eyes. He still had his pacifier, but just barely seen on his forehead was a JR tattoo. Another pop was heard from him and a long list that reached to the floor appeared in his hands. Clearing his throat, he looked at Amaya straight in the eye before saying, "Amaya Toshi, but also known as the infamous assassin of Makai, Nightfire. Do you plead guilty or not guilty of the 1,622 crimes you have committed?"
"Guilty," Amaya told him with an emotionless voice. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but think, I must have been slacking off to achieve that many crimes.
"Good," said Koenma. "Then I immediately order for you to be put to death. Boys, take her to the chamber," he ordered. It was quickly done as Yusuke and Kurama took off the chains that bound her and slapped cuffs on her wrists.
Amaya didn't even try to resist, knowing that this fate would have happened to her sooner or later. She felt only numbness in her. Why? That's what she would have liked answered herself. She stood up gracefully despite the injuries she still harbored, and with the Detectives, started walking slowly towards the golden doors.
"Wait," Hiei's cold voice made them halt a few feet from the doors. "I want to see the so-called 'face of death' that has been feared for these past years." The others nodded, and Koenma, who had returned to his paperwork at his desk, looked up in interest.
Amaya narrowed her eyes at Hiei. "Do not touch me," she hissed.
Hiei smirked and disappeared before her eyes.
Amaya felt a hand from behind roughly yank her hood off. Her shoulder-length, jet black hair fell into her face like a closed curtain. Collective gasps were heard all around. Amaya knew exactly what they were thinking; she didn't need to read their minds to know that they were shocked to see her real appearance.
"N-No way that could be her! S-She's beautiful!!" yelled Kuwabara. The others looked on, stunned.
Amaya rolled her eyes mentally. "Well it is baka," she muttered. She looked around at the stunned guys. Yusuke and Kuwabara were staring at her with mouths wide open like morons. Kurama was almost in that state, his emerald eyes wide with wonder. Amaya turned around. At his desk, Koenma in toddler-form again was close to falling off of his chair. Amaya slowly looked right in front of her to Hiei. His eyes were slightly wide too, but he was trying to look away from her. Amaya could feel her frustration grow now. "Would you all, QUIT STARING AT ME AND TAKE ME TO THE CHAMBER ALREADY?!" she yelled impatiently.
This snapped them all out of their (more or less) trances. "Uhh, yes. Boys, proceed to take the prisoner to the chamber," Koenma said with what looked like an almost apologetic look on his face.
"Yes Koenma s-" Kurama began but was interrupted by the two golden doors suddenly being slammed open. To everyone's surprise, there stood Yukina, panting as if she had run a mile.
Yukina threw her arms out wide to block the exit. "Please, don't kill Amaya-chan!" she panted.
The four boys and Koenma looked at her like she'd lost it. "Yukina, she is a convicted criminal and murderer. In addition, she had also kidnapped you and taken you hostage," Koenma reminded her gently.
"No!" Yukina cried. "That is not the truth! I know she may have done bad things in the past, but she never-"
"Yukina," Amaya cut in before she could say anymore, "I've accepted what I have done and am willing to-"
"No!" Yukina cried again. Tears began to fill her crimson red eyes and fell, becoming hard, solid gems before they hit the ground. Kuwabara immediately ran to her side and tried to comfort her, but she didn't stop. "Please," she cried, "Amaya-chan did not harm me! She had killed those demons and took me to her home to heal me! She was only bringing me back here!"
A few moments silence met with her words. Amaya's head was hung low as the others turned their attention slowly to her.
"Amaya," Koenma spoke, using her real name, "Is what Yukina saying true?"
Amaya snapped her head up and spun around to face him. "And what if it is true?" she said coldly.
More silence came until broken by Kurama. "What are we to do Koenma sir?" he inquired. Everyone's eyes were now on the toddler.
Koenma thought hard for a minute then sighed. "Amaya," he began, "I shall give you two choices. The first is to go to Spirit World jail for life. The second is to join the Spirit Detectives with the oath to not kill any of them or try to escape. If you are to choose the second, you must reform your ways, and also I shall put a barrier that keeps you from leaving Spirit World without any of the boys or my permission."
Amaya did a quick calculation of pros and cons for both situations, and in the end, staying in a dungeon with perverted demons for life didn't seem appealing to her. "I shall join your Spirit Detectives," she finally answered.
Yukina, who was now tear-free, ran for joy to her friend and surprised the girl by giving her a hug.
Amaya stiffened, but managed a tiny pat on the back before stepping out of the maiden's embrace.
"Amaya-chan! You will love being with my friends!" Yukina exclaimed.
Amaya expressionlessly nodded before turning back to Koenma. "So where is my room Diaper Boy?" She couldn't help the insult and smirked seeing the toddler puff up with indignation.
Yusuke and Kuwabara burst out laughing and even Kurama let a chuckle escape. Hiei stayed silent but was mentally smirking also. Koenma, though, was close to having a tantrum. "Don't call me that!!" he practically shrieked in his high-pitched voice. Amaya's smirk grew smug.
"Boys, take her to the room in your quarters," Koenma huffed as he resumed stamping papers.
Everyone left the office.
"Man, did you see his face?!" Kuwabara exclaimed as they stopped outside the closed doors.
"Yeah!" agreed Yusuke. He turned to Amaya with a grin plastered on his face. "Amaya, I think you're going to fit in just fine if you continue like that!"
"Hn," Amaya replied, not really caring but still pleased with her work.
Yusuke rolled his eyes and lead the way down numerous stairways and halls. "Great, another Hiei," he muttered. Behind him, the mentioned gave him a glare.
Amaya turned to Kurama as they were walking. "Kurama," she said emotionlessly. She hesitated here for a moment, not really good at this.
"Yes?" Kurama asked patiently.
Amaya realized how naked her head was and put on her hood. "Uh, will you . .?" She lifted her cuffed wrists. It was degrading to ask him, but she needed her mind barrier so Hiei, a fellow telepath thanks to his Jagan eye, wouldn't read her thoughts.
--Like I haven't already baka-- came his voice in her head.
--Have you seen my memories?-- she demanded. If he did, she would kill him.
--Not yet-- he replied, smirking right beside her.
A loud clunk was heard as the cuffs were unlocked by Kurama. Amaya nodded her thanks and began to slowly rotate her wrists as she put up a strong mind barrier. Baka oni, she thought bitterly of Hiei. The thought of him going through her memories was infuriating.
Soon they reached to a corridor lined on both sides with brown plain doors.
Kurama walked towards one of the doors and turned to Amaya. "This shall be your new room Amaya," he said cheerfully. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Yukina stepped out of the way to let her pass.
Upon entering, Amaya was greeted by as plain a looking room as her door. There was a bed, nightstand, lamp, clock, drawer, and a desk. To her left was a door that led to an adjoining bathroom. Amaya turned around and bowed her head in thanks, slightly surprising the boys.
Yusuke and Kuwabara left soon after, talking about food. Hiei was already long gone to the room at the left of Amaya's. Yukina politely said goodbye and she too left, leaving only Amaya and Kurama.
The tall boy smiled warmly down at her and showed her the doors around her room. "If you have any questions, you can ask any one of us. The room to the left is most obviously Hiei's, but I highly recommend that you should go to him as a last resort. He doesn't like people coming to his room." Kurama smiled a little wider. "But don't worry. Once he warms up to you, he's a real nice guy." At this, Amaya rolled her eyes under her hood. "The room at your right," Kurama resumed, "is Yukina's. On her other side is Boton's room, the Grim Reaper. Then across from Boton is another of our friends, then Kuwabara, my own room, and last is Yusuke's across from Hiei's."
"Domo arigato Kurama," Amaya said softly with a flicker of a smile on her lips.
Kurama blushed ever so slightly at the memory of her face, but quickly excused himself since he had to make dinner. "I shall send someone to get you Amaya," he said before quickly walking out the room.
A little confused by his actions, Amaya used her psychic powers to close and lock the doors. Turning around, Amaya snapped her fingers. Instantly, her room door changed. The once bare walls were now red, and the floor and ceiling were black. Snapping her fingers again, some of her things back home were transported to her new room. Weapons were in hidden places in her room, her clothes were in the dresser at the wall opposite the bathroom door, and other things like treasures she's picked up were made up the other things she had in her room. She slowly walked over to her bed, sat Indian-position, and began to meditate, slowly recovering from her wounds.
Unbeknownst to Amaya, Hiei stood outside her window on a tree branch that grew near both of their windows. He was spying on her. Though she was keeping a vow for Koenma, Hiei still mistrusted her deeply. With her guard down, he was very much tempted to look into her memories, but she was already doing that for him.
He saw flashes, but they were enough. He saw the little girl that was Amaya waking up scared and alone in a forest in the Human World that would soon become her home. He saw flashes of her battle to survive growing up. What surprised him was when she met Genkai, Yusuke's former teacher, and learning how to train to master her powers of psychic, darkness, and fire. Then the memories switched to her job as the famed assassin Nightfire.
Hiei could almost, almost figure out why Yukina, his sister, would befriend this girl. She had a quality in her, a small goodness that was hidden, that Yukina wanted to nurture and open up. But no matter, Hiei thought roughly as he jumped away from her window and into his. She is not trustworthy. No matter . . . that she saved Yukina. Hiei growled low as he stepped into his room. He knew he was in her debt for that, but it still didn't change anything.
