Healing Soul Chapter 26: Botan Blabs

With a great wail the toddler-sized deity dropped his head to his desk, burying his face in the sleeves of his blue top. "Wah! What am I going to do?! Dad's SDS couldn't even handle Yusuke! Maybe we shouldn't have been so quick to take down the Kekkai Barrier? Enke's all right, but what if the winner of the next Makai tournament is an unbeatable monster?! It's not like there's even any miko or powerful houshi to help anymore. Certainly didn't have much luck with my last two spirit detectives..." The last sentence was mumbled into blue fabric, full of self-reproach and tinged with despair but a listener could almost make out something that sounded like "Should've stuck to girls. Never had these problems with Kuroko, but now I'm up the Styx without a paddle and there are no humans with any spiritual powers worth anything. Much less holy powers, which is what we'll probably really need."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." A bubbly voice commented, very lackadaisically. Before the Spirit World leader could even lift his head had he wanted to the chipper tones continued, sounding oddly -or perhaps not-so-oddly considering the source- like the words were just bubbling over from the speaker's head without any proper forethought or consideration. "I met a purely charming miko the other day. Had pretty good control of her powers too, though hardly any formal training. Couldn't even tell she was one despite her claim until being around her most of a day and even then it took seeing it registering on Genkai's machines for me to really believe it." Blue hair slanted sideways over her shoulder as Botan tilted her head, lips pressing together thoughtfully as she tapped where they met. "Come to think of it… I'm sure Master Genkai mentioned something about getting her brother over there with Amanuma-kun to see how well he'd score. Something about 'holy powers running in their family back generations' or some such." Making a soft sound of dismissal the pink-clad ferry girl shrugged her shoulders and humming lightly to herself absently returned to replacing the files she had brought into the room.

Huge brown eyes stared incredulously at his employee over an open mouth that was just about to lose him his Mufukan pacifier. They blinked once, then twice. Koenma could not recall when during his pretty, but often bubble-headed, underling's babbling he had raised his head but clearly he had as he was now standing on his chair and leaning over his desk at arms' reach rather than bent over it. Pulling himself together the young ruler swallowed and moistened his lips a few times, his eyes never leaving Botan. "So… Botan… this miko… you'd say she was powerful?"

"Huh? Oh. Certainly. Why if she can shield herself and her friends while still keeping her aura undetectable to the unknowing she's got to be pretty good. I'm no expert, but I figure anyone who can blend their shields fluidly with Master Genkai's has got to be powerful. And then there's Master Genkai calling her 'sama' all the time. Certainly that implies something. You know how Genkai is about that sort of thing –I can't see her doing it without a very good reason. Oh! And then when she sang!" No longer trying to do whatever job she had previously Botan clasped her hands to her chest -a single folder caught up under her arms- and sighed dreamily, her bright, pink eyes sparkling with romantic notions to the point one could almost see the little hearts floating up like soap bubbles around her. "Oh! You really should have seen the way her aura was mixing with Kurama's! It was just too sweet! And she doesn't even…"

But the powder keg that was her boss had finished getting red and exploded, interrupting the babbling girl mid-sentence. "WHAT?!"

Slowly turning to face Koenma pink eyes blinked as if coming out of a daze, subsequently popping all the figurative heart-bubbles simultaneously. "Ah… she doesn't even know she's blending her aura with Kurama's? …or that he's reciprocating?" Botan continued her train of thought uncertainly after a pause as if to remember her place. Then those eyes went wide, the dazed look abruptly vanishing as the last file slipped to the floor when her hands snapped over her open mouth. "oops…"

""oops?" What do you mean "oops?"" Koenma shouted, his pacifier miraculously levitating within the gaping hole of his mouth on the vowels.

Botan whimpered momentarily then forced a laugh, her eyes creasing with the intensity of her falsely bright smile. "What… what? Oh that… that's nothing. Yes. Nothing. Nothing at all. Hahaha."

The tiny ruler's eye twitched. "Botan… how long have you known about this miko…?"

"Hahaha. Miko? What miko? I don't know any miko. Haha." Her smile was tight, forced to be so wide, and her eyes scrunched with the effort of false cheer.

The pint-sized deity frowned taking two hard, squeaky sucks on his pacifier before grounding out his next words through clenched teeth. "Botan… I heard you talking about a miko. A miko and her budding priest or monk of a brother. A miko… who by your own words is consciously or not entering into a soul-binding with Kurama, of all people!" The brown eyed glare intensified as Botan cringed and shrank back into herself. "Now other than the obvious, what I want to know is why I'm only hearing about this now?!"

Framed by the soft blue hair of her ponytail Botan's slender throat gulped visibly. Pink eyes darted this way and that, looking for an escape route that did not exist. The door was the only one… and Koenma had at some time maneuvered himself between it and his usually obedient soul ferrier. There was only one thing left to do.

"Meow. Meow."

Kitty face applied the blue-haired girl pawed innocently at the air in front of her chin. Seeing this all-too familiar display her employer sweat-dropped for a moment that she would stoop so low before becoming furious that Botan would even try it on him. Well… again. And yet… 'gah. She's too blasted cute when she does that! Dammit, Botan!'

"Dammit, Botan!" His words echoed with frustration. 'My father's gonna kill me!'

Apparently he wailed the last thought out loud as well for Botan ceased in her kitten impersonation to rush over to him with concern filled eyes. "Oh no! Surely he won't go that far, Sir!"

The childlike deity pouted, crossing his arms in front of him. "How should I know?! Father's still got me on probation after the incident with Shinobu and then Yusuke being the mazoku… not to mention how I totally went against his orders so much so that my staff had to go into hiding just as I did… How do you think he's going to respond to there being a living, functional miko about whom I haven't told him?"

"But… but you didn't know about her…"

Blue clad arms and legs flailed, Koenma's protruding round hat popping from his head with all the motion. "Do you think he's going to care about that?!" The shout instantly became a whimper. "Besides… even if he did believe me then he'd find fault in that I didn't find her sooner."

Lowering himself to his desk Koenma sniffled. "Either way you look at it… spankings for sure."

"Sp-spankings…?" Botan stuttered worriedly. A sniffle and a nod into folded arms was her only answer. Awkwardly (and a little fearful of another outburst) she neared the fallen prince and gingerly patted him on the back. "There. There. How about I go fetch some tea?"

Whimpering the little godling nodded without looking up. "Uh-huh."

"Then, Sir, I'll be right back." A tiny chubby hand clutching the pink sleeve of her kimono delayed Botan's prompt departure. Baffled pink eyes blinked at her employer. "Koenma-sama?"

Awash in misery Koenma could only ask one thing. He had to know before the inevitable meeting with his father was at hand. It might not help… but it certainly would hurt not knowing. "Botan… does the miko know about Youko Kurama as well?"

Perplexed, uncertain why this question should have so much value to the Reikai prince the blue haired grim reaper nodded. "Oh yes. I had the privilege of being there when Kurama explained his whole life story to her. You know I didn't realize…"

Wearily Koenma interrupted to dejectedly wave her off. He himself was uncertain what to make of the news; or more particularly how his father would take the news. "That's enough, Botan. Thank you. You may go."

Wisely shutting up for once, the female bowed. "Yes Sir."

Author's note: tiny chapter par my usual, I know. However necessary; more would only have stretched needlessly.

On another note I will soon be editing chapters 20 and 21 to fix a spelling error that results in a mixed word. All thanks to guest Diane for pointing it out to me! Despite my often grammar-Nazi tendencies spelling is a major weak-point for me so I work extra hard to attempt to make up for it. Unfortunately… sometimes neither I nor grammar check notice –especially on words I might not have realized I'd written incorrectly no matter how many times I go over the story. So please, feel free to (gently) point out such slip-ups! I can use the help, and the reminders. Thank you all!

Happy Valentine's (or anti-Valentine's) Day!

Originally posted 14 February 2013