Botan had set up a portal to the Ningenkai, the human world, and Sera, unconscious the first time she went through one, was a little reluctant to go through, although she did in the end. Upon arriving on her street, Sera started to get nervous, as she usually did when she was dreading something happening, and this was a big something. The nearer she and the gang got to her house, the more nervous she got, eventually starting up the smallest of a tremble. Under normal circumstances, she would face her mother with stoicism and indifference about the inevitable abuse, but this was different; people, who apparently cared about her, were being dragged into this, and who knew what would happen. Anybody who walked past couldnt help but stare. Sera couldnt hardly blame them though, considering her company.
'Not,' she said to herself, 'that theres anything wrong with the guys, its just....' It was just that it wasnt something anybody on her street would have expected to see a young girl in a cream-colored tunic top and matching pants, black cloth tied about her forehead, with white hair, accented by the cream top, and a black starburst, walking next to a boy who inverted her appearance completely. Not to mention the rest of her company. It was just something one wouldnt see in her neighborhood. By the time they reached her house, Sera was visibly shaking, amazed at how different it felt to be scared for someone. Kurama silently put a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her, and, with a nod from Hiei, she walked up and knocked on her own door.
"I'm not buying anything you're selling!", they heard a woman shout from inside. She knocked again, harder this time, to get her mother to come to the door. A colorful stream of curses was audible, then the door opened, revealing a taller black-haired woman holding a cigarette loosely between her lips.
"Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?" Swallowing visibly, Sera spoke up.
"I-its me, mom...Sera..." Her mother glared at her before speaking.
"The hell you are. Sera's dead, and you dont even look like her."
"No mom, its really me, and I'm not dead. My hair...there was an accident and it...got bleached." Her mother gave her a scathing once-over and sneered, as if something very foul had dared invade her senses.
"Its you alright, good for nothing, I can hear it in your voice. Why the hell arent you dead? I thought for sure you'd go upstairs and try to kill yourself again after that beating I gave you the other night." Sera's mother talked down to her so badly, and spoke so disappointedly about her only daughter not being dead that it shocked the entire gang, Hiei included.
"And who the hell'd you bring to my house? They're not staying." She turned then added as an afterthought, "Unless they plan on paying." Hiei'd heard enough.
"We dont intend to stay, onna. We came to tell you what's happened to your daughter in the past week, get her stuff, then leave. Move aside." Sera shut her eyes tight, bracing herself for the explosion that she was sure her mother was going to erupt with, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see that her mother had, surprisingly, stepped aside to allow them to enter, glaring nothing but pure hate at Hiei, the only one who had the nerve to stand up to her since Sera's father left. Though tainted with hate and grudge, the woman had a small amount of respect for Hiei's nerve. Sera followed them in, avoiding her mothers glare as she felt it stab into her, pretending not to notice, relieved when her mothers eyes left her for the next person behind her.
Once inside, Sera took the lead to take them to the living-room, the only place in the house that had enough room for everybody to sit comfortably without being on top of one another. Everybody seated, a grudging silence settled. The gang didnt know Sera's mother, but hated her already, Kurama included among them.
"So.", Sera's mother spat at her. "You gonna tell me where the hell you've been or am I gonna have to try and read your mind?" The gang bristled at her words, but stayed silent, for risk of starting a fight. Hiei knew more about what happened, so he spoke for Sera.
"Sera was unconscious for 99 of the time, so I'll have the unpleasant priviledge instead." Taking a drag on her cigarette, Sera's mother merely sat back, staring unpleasantly at her daughter, who was pretending to be immensely interested in her hands. Hiei continued.
"About six months ago, we found Sera, near death, and took her to the Makai, the spirit world." He knew the potential danger of telling a ningen, human, about the spirit world, but he knew that she wouldnt care enough to pursue the topic.
"We were barely able to save her life, but when she came to, we posed a question to her. We wanted her to undergo a surgery to have a Jagan Eye implanted, and she agreed." At this point, Sera's mother sat up.
"And you want me to pay for her medical bills. Hell no." Forcing himself to remain calm, Hiei continued.
"We dont want your money. The procedure was free of charge, since it was us who wanted the process to happen in the first place. The operation itself was a success." Sera's mother interrupted again.
"If you dont want money, then why the hell're you telling me all of this? I sure hope its not because you think I care about the ungrateful wench, because if you do, you sure have a helluva wakeup call coming." With that, she stood up.
"Take her stuff and then get the hell out of my house. If I ever see her face again, it'll only be too soon." And then she left for her room, locking it behind her. By this time, Sera was clenching the fabric in her lap, trying to calm herself, staring intently at her hands, forcing back the tears of rage that were threatening to spill for the first time since the night her father left. Standing, she inhaled sharply, then leveled her head.
"My room's upstairs. You dont have to come up with me, I wont need any help. I dont have much." Walking up to her room, she started to gather what she wanted to take with her. But, with a quick glance around her room, she decided that she wanted nothing, except for her undergarments and the knife that she used on herself before she was taken in by the gang. These she put in a small, worn, leather messenger bag. It was just big enough. She didnt have much else to begin with. Back downstairs the guys openly expressed their rage.
"Come on, Kurama! We could make it look like an accident! Just...break her neck and toss her down the stairs. You know she deserves it.", Yusuke reasoned.
"As much as I would like seeing that woman dead, we arent permitted to kill unless given permission, or if its absolutely necessary to save our lives." Grumbling mutinously, Yusuke shut himself up, knowing that they would have to leave the woman alone. When Sera came back downstairs, the guys looked for a box that she would have her stuff in, but saw none.
"Where's all your stuff?", Kuwabara asked.
"Yea. Dont you have like a box full of shoes? Every girl I know has at least fifty," mused Yusuke.
"I dont. I've just got what clothes I wanted, and something else." They didnt question what that 'something else was'.
"Heh. Dont tell Botan or Keiko that.", Yusuke warned. "They'd take you shopping for an entire wardrobe before you could blink."
"Have you got everything you want to take with you?", Kurama asked politely. They really didnt want to stay any longer than they had to, especially with Sera's mother still around. Sera nodded, so they headed out and back to where a portal back to the Spirit World was waiting for them.
Once back in the Spirit World, the boys were called to Koenma's office, Sera being told to sit in the hall and wait. While waiting, a blue ogre came up to her with a covered platter. He revealed the plate to carry, of all things, a blueberry muffin. He offered it to her, saying that it was complimentary of first time guests. She didnt like muffins, but didnt want to offend the poor guy, so she used the excuse of saying that she had eaten before she arrived. He looked slightly crestfallen until she asked George, she found out his name was, if he wanted to eat it instead. He brightened immediately and agreed, skipping off. It put her in a slightly better mood to see how happy she had made him. Whatever was going on inside was taking forever in Sera's opinion.
'Finally', she thought as they came out. 'I thought they were gonna be in there forever.'
'I know. None of Koenma's speeches are usually very productive.' Her eyes widened a little. That was Hiei's voice in her head.
'Yes. And you can do the same, now, without me reading your thoughts.'
'I can? How?'
'Later.' As Kurama walked out, last to do so, he turned to Sera.
"Sera, Koenma would like a word with you as well. Its nothing bad, dont worry." With that, she went inside, Hiei following. Taking a seat in front of Koenma's desk, she waited.