She rubbed at her forehead with annoyance as Yusuke paced.
She understood the younger demon was not use to having to wait for his battles that he had unusual luck in having them come to him.
She grasped that he was impatient because of this fact and the added concern of his slowly dying friend was only causing him to be more restless with that sense of helplessness it imbued in the current situation.
She still was nearing a point she might consider killing him herself, it was not her intent to deal with his erratic need for confrontation by continuously suffering through these bouts of unnecessary and profoundly aggravating shows of undirected energetic release.
She was quite frankly amazed he had not proposed sparring with her but at this point she would not have agreed to it. Her irritation with him might get the better of her in all honesty and she was not interested in a sparring match turning into something closer to attempting to actually kill Yusuke.
"Go find something to do." She stated from her position against a nearby tree.
Yusuke paused in his circle, hands tucked deep in the pockets of his pants as he looked at her with surprise.
"What?" He prompted as if confused.
"You aren't helping your human friend." She informed him folding her arms, "You're driving yourself, him, the reaper by his side, and me insane. Go be somewhere else. Hunt down a fight if you can but leave before I decide not to be understanding."
"But…" Yusuke began glancing at the shelter, his expression falling into one of real concern.
She shook her head, "You aren't able to do anything for him."
The human Kuwabara had not left the shelter for two days; the reality was he no longer had the physical strength to leave the bed the reaper sat in attendance by. The human's health had degraded to the point it was only a waiting game, at any time a reaper would come for his soul due to the drain of energies from his body.
Yusuke had not taken Botan's sudden appearance as a positive sign and from what had been inferred she had reasoned that was due to Botan having ferried the infamous Genkai to Spirit World on both occasions of that human's death.
She would have thought it would be a comfort, knowledge that the human would be escorted by a known entity. Instead Yusuke had seemed insulted by her appearance at first.
"I don't care why!"
She tilted her head as she watched Yusuke, Kuwabara, and surprisingly a visible Botan approaching their camp.
It seemed Yusuke was upset by Botan presence considering the dark scowl on his face and the fact that he was raising his voice to her.
"Knock it off, Urameshi!"Kuwabara snapped as they neared her, pale with his exertions of returning, "Botan isn't…you know…like reaping me…or whatever…"
"You're damn right she's not!" Yusuke fired back, "She's got no business here!"
"Yusuke…"Botan began as if to defend herself.
Pointless, as if Yusuke could in any way stop the reaper from her duty if that was what came about.
She understood that was a factor in it but she also knew Botan served more as an emissary for Spirit World for this group than as an actual reaper of it. Yusuke's animosity was obviously fueled by concern for his mortal friend.
"What?!" Yusuke demanded loudly, tossing a hand in the air, "Koenma didn't send you! You said so yourself that you don't know anything about what's going on! We haven't heard anything from Spirit World this entire time and I'm supposed to believe it's just some kind of coincidence Kuwabara isn't doing so hot and now you show up?!"
Yusuke had taken what seemed to be a menacing step towards Botan in his agitations, subsiding with a glower when the larger young human reached out and took a hold of his shoulder.
"It's going to turn out, Yusuke." Kuwabara assured his friend quietly, "Stop taking this out on her. She…has to be here and you yelling at her makes me wanna punch your lights out so knock it off."
She could tell Kuwabara meant to raise his voice in that shrill manner that was his habit but lacked the strength to do so. That calm tone it produced was slightly unnerving, like listening to the eternal patience of a mountain as it silently accepted nature eroding it from existence.
Yusuke hung his head, snorting in derision as he shrugged off Kuwabara's hand and began to pace away.
"That would be like getting slugged by your cat, only your cat could hurt me." Yusuke scoffed angrily over his shoulder.
Kuwabara sighed heavily, "You know…he doesn't mean it."
"I know."Botan responded though her hands were twisted together against her chest, "He cares deeply for you. He's always yelled first…or better he always yells no matter what the occasion. I would be suspicious of me too if I were him. I do wish I had something to tell you…"
Botan tapered off uncertainly as Kuwabara sighed heavily putting a hand to his head as he closed his eyes.
"We all gotta play our parts…" Kuwabara asserted rubbing at his forehead, "Before you were here for…for Shizuru not for any of us. That doesn't change just cause that punk doesn't like what's going on…"
She straightened as she shared a knowing look with the reaper.
Could the human know somehow Botan was already tending to advising her in things directly involved with his sister?
It seemed farfetched, she would have thought he would be more confrontational with her if that were the case but he had shown no real signs that he suspected her own intentions held the possibility of having to kill his sister.
What exactly was it that his enhanced spiritual energies were exposing him to as to what end results were possible in his future insights?
Kuwabara chuckled distracting her from her thoughts, "Wanna come keep me company? That guy isn't going to be any good for it."
"Of course," Botan agreed following Kuwabara as he headed towards the shelter.
Only a day or so later Kuwabara could no longer muster the strength to leave the shelter, the reaper had remained by his side and Yusuke avoided it as if entering it might have the consequences he so feared.
"I'll call for you if there is any change." She offered, almost rolling her eyes, "Leave Yusuke, before I lose patience and make you."
Yusuke stared at the shelter, his brow furrowed with dark thoughts and for a second she was beginning to think she would have to carry through with her threat.
A moment later Yusuke released a deep sigh then turned his back on her, "Don't let…anything happen to him, Mukuro."
One of her eyebrows rose, a smirk coming to her lips.
Anything?
That was a ludicrous idea if she had ever heard one, if the human died during Yusuke's absence there was nothing she could do about it as the younger demon well knew.
"Go." She half snapped, half wanting to accompany Yusuke just for the distraction.
It was not her usual habit to attend to a death bed, especially not that of a human.
She remained where she was as Yusuke began to jog away, slowly picking up speed as he went until he was a far off blur even to her eyes. She hoped he would find a way to rid himself of that nervous energy, anything at this juncture would be an improvement.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the absolute lack of that tension for a moment.
Then her eyes snapped open and she swung around in surprise as a voice drifted from behind her.
"Interesting," Murmured the older male demon standing there studying her, "It has been some time since my influence was so easily set aside."
Her eyes narrowed in renewed agitation, she had not even felt this demon approach but now that she was aware of his presence she could sense his energies in a strangely muted way as if he was barely containing enormous power.
She had never encountered a species like this one but she knew exactly who this particular one happened to be due to her access to Hiei's memories in those first few months of his return.
"You were trying to influence me?" She prompted, smirking slightly, "That is almost impossible you know. I thought you traveled with another, Shinya."
The sunlight caught the edges of the multi faceted eyes that were centered on her causing them to sparkle in a way that almost softened the older demon's features. She was not fooled by the illusion, this one was unpredictable in his intentions and him wanting Yusuke gone as well as her did not speak of benign reasons.
"Lord Yusuke is far easier to influence since I have accessed his mind before, with the added weakness of his concern for his friend. This is not the time as of yet for confrontation Lord Mukuro. I come in my capacity as a hand of Fate; there are things that must be set in motion…or caused to end." Shinya informed her, gravely as his head turned towards the shelter.
This demon was either incredibly dense or completely unconcerned with her presence. He seemed nonchalant in the implications of his words and attention.
It was a unique experience to be this utterly dismissed one she did not find appealing in any form.
"I suppose I should expect that from you." She reasoned, arching an eyebrow, "Hiei's memories were full of his frustration with the way you gave…and kept information. But I'm afraid I can't let you near the human. I have no wish to forfeit my life for his."
All three of them would hunt me down if I were to do that. I have no illusions about that.
If she stepped aside for this demon and the human in the shelter was killed due to it Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama would seek her life. Considering the strangely intense ties between them she could not even say for certain which one of them would be the more aggressive in seeking her demise.
"You care little for the rest of them, do not mistake your concern for Lord Hiei with one that encompasses all of them." Shinya censured mildly, returning his attention to her, "I admit this was proposed to me with extreme ill intent but now I have come to realize it is what must occur. You've seen into his mind, heard the whispers of promise. These matters are delicate ones; the smallest of pressures at the wrong moment will erase your ability to intercede."
She controlled the immediate tension that came to her, Shinya may not be able to influence her but he had obviously seen into her mind. Only the reaper knew she had viewed those things being shown to the human in such tumultuous ways that overwhelmed him with their speed.
And I felt…nothing of his intrusion…
This Shinya was far more powerful than she had been given the impression of through the memories of him. She doubted many knew just how powerful he was and did not deny the fact that there was a slip of intimidation that went through her.
"If you do not allow me access they will hunt you, for standing in the way of his only hope." Shinya assured her quietly.
She scowled, "Hope? What could you possibly…"
"Mukuro…"
She shifted to look back over her shoulder to find Botan standing there with a grim expression on her face as the reaper looked between her and Shinya.
"What is it?" She prompted, annoyed with the interruption.
Botan's large eyes went to Shinya, "Kuwabara…says he wants to speak with Shinya."
He glared at the pile of rubble in front of him that had a moment before been a decent sized boulder.
It was better, destroying something because he needed to destroy things. He needed to get the poison building in his system out somehow and Mukuro wasn't cooperative enough to really piss him off.
Not that he really wanted to fight the ex King or even try to really hurt her.
He just wanted to get the ugly thing inside of him out, let it roam somewhere else for a little while and fighting was his go to for that kind of distraction.
He was just so…useless right now.
He's dying…Kuwabara is…how…
He tipped his head back as he ran a hand through his hair, staring up at the clear sky and resenting it a little for not being as dark and gloomy as he felt it should be when thoughts like that were running through his head.
Why hadn't he tried to learn more stuff about spiritual energy from Genkai when he had the chance?
The old bat had known so much about it but he just hadn't bothered asking since not all of it had to do with him fighting better.
He knew the Spirit Wave technique he had learned from her had other applications. That it could be used to heal others when used right so it probably had the potential for dealing with wonky spiritual energies.
That was why Kuwabara had gotten tangled up in that whole mess at Genkai's when he had gone there looking for the demon Rando. He had wanted Genkai to turn those abilities linked down like some kind of radio because his had been getting too strong all of a sudden.
If he had maybe he could have learned what he needed to know to help Kuwabara hang on.
The only things he did know came from Kuwabara himself and he didn't think about those things he just trusted the guy knew what was going on when it came to them. He might make fun of Kuwabara's passive energies but he did trust them since they never had steered him wrong.
This isn't how it's supposed to be…
He wasn't all that sure how it was supposed to be but definitely not like this.
Guys like them didn't just burn out; they fought on and somewhere in that fighting things just happened. Or that was how it seemed to him it should go.
It just felt insulting for Kuwabara of all people to drain away.
He wasn't mad at Botan or Koenma really. He was mad at everything for making things happen that put him out of the fight and forced him to just watch it all.
He lowered his head, and then rubbed it as a wave of dizziness went through him.
Forgot to eat…
He should go back to the campsite, force himself to find some food. It didn't help anything if he let himself get sick because he just didn't bother with something as little as eating.
Maybe…I should tell Botan I'm sorry too. This isn't her fault and I do feel kinda bad for yelling at her…
He should go back but he just wasn't ready to yet, being away felt a little like being a coward but when he was near that shelter Kuwabara was stuck in he felt every second tick by and if he didn't ignore it he would have been checking every one of those seconds until he really did drive everyone insane.
How…how am I going to tell Keiko? She told me to watch out for him…
He tucked his hands in his pockets, contemplating that idea then turned as he heard rustling from a dense collection of bushes across the field from him.
His eyes narrowed as he tried to get a read of energy but came up with nothing which didn't surprise him much. Most of what passed for animals in the Demon World didn't give off enough to register with him even on good days when his demonic energies were working full tilt.
He expected either the rustling to stop as whatever it was realized he was there and decided not to go around him or to catch a glimpse of something being curious.
Instead the rustling became more pronounced as something crashed through it then stopped and he felt the air rush from his lungs in shock.
That's…no, that's not…how the hell…
It was a person who had emerged from the bushes, a human woman who glanced fearfully behind herself then abruptly froze when she turned back and noticed him.
No…
It couldn't be real; there was no way she could be here on this deep a level of Demon World.
"Keiko…?" He breathed, taking an uncertain step towards her.
"Yusuke?" Keiko ventured, fear in her voice as she also took a step forward, "Is it…you?"
He was moving before he thought, caught in a fog of unreality as he reached her. His eyes quickly noting the rips in her clothing as if something clawed had attacked her and in places made her bleed. There was even a set of four scratches on one of her cheeks and she was breathing heavily as if she had been running for a long time.
He was confused by the fact that when he went to put his arms around her she pulled back her eyes searching his in suspicion.
It only reinforced that sense of the unreal, Keiko had never been afraid of him.
"How…what are you doing here?!" He asked trying to ignore the slight sting invoked by her acting as if she were afraid of him.
"It is you isn't it?" Keiko insisted, the fear in her eyes being taken over by hope as they filled with tears, "You're the real Yusuke…oh Yusuke!"
Keiko threw herself at him, her arms going around his neck tightly.
The real Yusuke? What the hell is going on?!
His brow furrowed deeply as he held her shaking body against his. None of this made any sense to him.
"Keiko, I need you to calm down." He insisted, pulling her away from the tight hold to look at her, "How did you even get here? Why…you look like you were attacked by something…"
The tears were still in her eyes which bothered him a lot more than it should, Keiko did cry over some pretty ridiculous things but he had never seen her this afraid before.
"I knew it wasn't you." Keiko insisted as if that was more important, her brow furrowing, "You couldn't be like that. How…how did you find me?"
He scowled, "Find you?! We're in the Demon World, Keiko. How did you get here?!"
Keiko glanced around them, shaking more in his arms, "I don't know. I was shopping and then…I was here and you…"
"I what?!" He demanded frazzled by her sudden appearance and confusion, "Start making sense will ya?!"
"Ah there you are…" An eerily familiar voice interrupted, "You know it's not a bad thing that you're making this so much fun, Keiko. Hunting you is a lot better than I thought it would be."
His arms wrapped protectively around the woman in his arms as she shrank against him
Another wave of unreality crashed over him only this time it brought with it more than a hint of fear as he gazed at the person who had spoken.
This…this can't be real…
He rubbed at his eyes, hoping to chase some of the exhaustion from his head as he heard people outside the shelter.
He was more than a little nervous considering he had a pretty good idea of what was coming and in reality he wasn't like Yusuke or well any of the others. He didn't like to gamble with anything if he had a real choice outside of fighting since that was kinda gambling.
He just wasn't cut out for living on a "maybe" or "if this happens".
That might be why he invested so much in his fights to begin with, to keep them short and in that area of the least amount of gambling involved.
It wasn't a gamble to pick fights with Urameshi even though it might seem that way to other people. He went in knowing there was a very good chance he was going to get beat but he instigated them because it felt like he had to in order to test himself.
Who else was there around to do that with back then?
He beat everyone else for the most part; Urameshi was the end all be all to street fighting so he went after him to improve against the best. There was no gambling involved with those fights really.
This though…this is gambling like Shizuru did…
He frowned slightly as the cloth that covered the door was moved aside and Shinya entered first followed quickly by Mukuro and then Botan who hung back as the other two demons approached the foot of his bed.
He thought Shinya should look scarier, intimidating in some way but all he could see was someone maybe just as exhausted as him. He kinda felt sorry for the guy even though he had his suspicions about what was going to be happening in the next few minutes.
He glanced at Mukuro who was eying Shinya with a fair amount of open hostility. That was funny; it almost seemed like Mukuro cared.
"You wished to speak with me Kazuma Kuwabara?" Shinya prompted calmly.
"I…ah…just thought I'd hurry things up…" He responded awkwardly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassed confusion not having enough strength to rub at the back of his head like he would have in this situation, "It's funny…I don't know what you're going to say. I just know it has to happen."
"What…has to happen?" Botan questioned skating around the two at the end of the bed and reclaiming the chair next to his bed, "Do you know what's going on Kuwabara."
"Careful, she is still of Spirit World," Shinya said as he opened his mouth, "There is a very delicate balance at play in the universe."
He glanced at Shinya, and then smiled slightly as he turned to the obviously distressed reaper at his side. He hated that look on Botan's face; any girl's really but on Botan it just came across like making Nature cry and that was wrong on more levels then his typical reactions would have been okay with.
"It's going to work out." He promised the distressed reaper, "Shinya's just here to…turn me way down that's all."
Botan's distress was instantly hidden by suspicion as she straightened.
He sighed, one of these days he was going to learn how to be comforting in the way he meant to be when he said things like that. He just never seemed to hit the right words with girls, they almost always knew he was lying and ended up more worried. That wasn't what he meant to happen when he made the effort in that area.
"I highly doubt "that's all" covers his being here." Botan said, tightly as she looked at Shinya expectantly, "I understand Spirit World has to remain as uninvolved as possible in these matters but I'm here and that counts for something. I attended most if not all discussions pertaining to Fate as I imagine this is about, my being here isn't an accident."
He was surprised by Botan's surety, and by her unwillingness to absent herself.
Shinya had been right; things were all set up like a house made of cards waiting for the slightest thing to go out of sync so it could fall apart.
Botan was right too though, he knew her being there was just as important as Shinya being there.
It was all connected, mixed into a huge mass of confusing impressions and frightening pictures. He just wanted it to stop, just have a not so busy and screaming at him part in his head. He just wanted something to make sense again, if only just a little.
"What exactly is supposed to happen here?" Mukuro asked, folding her arms.
"I am here to offer relief…or death. Which it will be even I am uncertain." Shinya answered, slowly tipping his head as he gazed at him, "You are well aware I cannot offer you any assurances in this matter."
He laughed breathlessly, stalling the two women from their immediate shows of speaking against him even considering what Shinya was offering.
"Surely you can't be taking his offer seriously, Kuwabara?!" Botan protested beside him.
"Has to happen," He responded, shaking his head, "It happened the other times too but I guess that's why it's sorta gambling. Shizuru got to see up to a point…and that mob guy died. So they got shut down too. Its fifty fifty what's going to happen to me. Shinya doesn't know…"
"Even if Fate had allowed me to know such a thing, the manner I can do so in is not so predictable. It kills more often than not." Shinya explained, clasping his hands behind his back, "You seem rather accepting of this…for a human."
"I'm dying," He stated firmly, ignoring the small sound of negation from Botan, "You giving me any chance is better than none besides…you're already here and I don't think Mukuro really wants to fight you."
Mukuro made a sound of disgust, "I'm willing but you don't seem to be so what would be the point. If you die I'll tell them you volunteered and give them Shinya's corpse."
That said the female left the shelter without another word.
"I really don't like this, Kuwabara." Botan admitted, quietly, "Can't we wait until Yusuke returns at the very least?"
"No," He stated flatly, a huge surge of adamant refusal causing him to straighten despite his lack of strength, "I won't put him through that again if this doesn't work out. Yusuke shouldn't always have to watch people he cares about die, Botan. It's wrong to keep making him."
Having Yusuke nearby might have made him feel less worried about the whole situation but awhile ago he had promised himself not to ever cross that line again with Yusuke. He had pretended to die to inspire Yusuke enough to win against Toguro but he had learned something from doing it and watching Yusuke die himself against Sensui.
With Toguro he hadn't known Yusuke had been with Genkai in her final moments on that island. He had only been trying to give his friend enough boost to live through the fight. It wasn't till after they returned home that he knew that he had come across Yusuke in a park staring at the nothing in front of him.
"Whatcha up to, Urameshi?" He asked plopping onto the bench beside his friend, "This place is kinda boring."
Yusuke's lips twitched as if they wanted to smile, "You're here though."
"That's cause I'm waiting for the guys to go somewhere else." He explained leaning back on the bench, "Something wrong?"
He didn't know exactly what it was that made him think that way.
Maybe it was just Yusuke's usual smirk had quit on him, that the other young man kept that weird unfocused attention despite him sitting down uninvited. There was a strange vibe around Yusuke, a thoughtful almost sad one that unnerved him in all honesty.
Yusuke sighed, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye as if considering if he should say anything at all.
It wasn't typical Yusuke behavior at all so he frowned slightly at the hesitation.
"It's…nothing." Yusuke dismissed, quietly.
"C'mon" he encouraged, lowering his voice to match Yusuke's tone, "Can't be that hard to say."
"It'll sound lame…" Yusuke insisted, shaking his head.
"So? That never stopped you talking before." He teased, laughing a little.
"I know why it was important, Genkai…and you faking you dying. I get it but I don't want that to be my normal." Yusuke offered slowly and glancing at him uncertainly, "I don't want to get use to people dying in front of me Kuwabara."
"…oh…" He breathed, shocked to near silence by the admission.
He had thought Yusuke had gotten over his trick but apparently it had bothered Yusuke a lot more than he had thought it would.
He was alive and now so was Genkai again so it hadn't crossed his mind Yusuke would be holding that.
He didn't know what to say to Yusuke to make that go away for him, he didn't think there was anything that could. So he just sat there with his friend hoping him being there might help in some way since he didn't know what to do other than just be there
And then that guy Raizen died in front of him. No, I just won't do it.
Something big changed in Yusuke after Sensui, something very important that made his friend look at life like it mattered more than the next fight. He didn't know what did that but it was a good change that he didn't want to mess up.
So maybe he was being a bit of a softie by thinking that way, he didn't really care if that was what it looked like. Friends took care of each other and Yusuke was more than just a friend, he was family in his book and that made it twice as important to do.
"But…if this doesn't you know…work out." He said clumsily, "Tell him it was my last fight, Botan. Don't let him think I gave up."
"I…I will." Botan assured him, placing a hand on his that lay on the bed, "But I know I won't have to. Like you said, it will work out."
"Think you better leave though." He said solemnly.
"No I won't…" Botan began to refuse.
"Go find Yusuke." He suggested, making his voice as light as he could, "This way he can't blame you and…well if things turn out I can make fun of how freaked he'll be when he shows up."
"But…" Botan began again, glancing nervously at Shinya.
"It's what you do right?" He asked hoping to convince her, "You get us to come running. That's what you do Botan. It would be great if you just did that right now."
He really didn't have the strength to be more forceful with the reaper; he just didn't want her to be there to see what happened if the wrong thing happened as well as other reasons. He didn't want Yusuke having any excuse for being mad at Botan for just doing her job either.
Sure the idea of dealing with what Shinya wanted to do alone wasn't exactly his idea of a great time but it was better this way then the alternative.
Botan searched his face for a moment before standing slightly and leaning over to lightly kiss his cheek.
He stayed silent as she gave Shinya a hard look before leaving the shelter, as soon as she did he sighed heavily with relief.
"Odd, I would not have thought your perceptions so keen to understand the danger to the reaper." Shinya commented, "You surprise me Kazuma Kuwabara."
He studied the still moving cloth at the door, "I don't know about that…just kinda feel she should be with him not me. Yusuke needs a lot of watching, heh, sometimes he's like a kid in a schoolyard with too much to do…"
The nervousness had left with Botan so he could smile a little as he brought his full attention back to Shinya.
There was more to it, that underlying feeling Yusuke might need some looking out for.
Maybe this feeling was why Shizuru had always seemed so good at saying the right thing or knowing when to not. Maybe it was why he tended to think she knew everything but was waiting to tell him because he wasn't ready for it.
What he did know was Yusuke was one of those people who had to be inspired to get things done. Waiting for him to catch a clue wasn't one of Yusuke's skills; he was a great fighter but a terrible thinker.
Not that he was any better, he was probably much worse but this ancient patience in him his passive energies infused him with made up for that in weird ways.
Botan had to find Yusuke.
He had to face this thing with Shinya and roll the dice.
It was just how it was at the moment and being a baby about it wasn't going to change anything.
"So….we gonna eat before or get to this?" He asked smirking.
Shinya smiled slightly, then shook his head, "Humans are strange creatures but you are stranger than most."
"That's cause I'm a Kuwabara." He replied grinning with pride.
He reeled back from his attacker, a hand going to his chest momentarily where claws had dug through his shirt and into his skin drawing blood.
It still didn't seem real, not a second of the past few minutes felt as if it were really happening.
He glared at his opponent through the blur of tight pain.
"Yusuke!" Keiko shouted, worriedly.
The creature across from him smirked in a horrible but familiar way, "Don't worry Keiko. I'll be getting to you pretty soon."
"You won't be touching her!" He snapped furiously, "Who the hell are you anyway?!"
The other straightened, lowering his head, "Who do I look like? I'm you idiot."
He blinked taking an involuntary step back, "There's no way…"
"Of course there is moron," the other interrupted, studying one of his clawed hands, "Did you really think you could contain me? That I wouldn't find a way out from under all that garbage emotional crap. I'm a demon…one that eats humans."
He glowered, tensing as his eyes traveled yet again over what seemed to be him except the demon him. The long out of control hair, the tattoos all of it was so familiar but the way this guy kept looking at Keiko as if she were a main course was everything he refused to be.
"You aren't me." He insisted, backing up closer to Keiko.
"Ever wonder why you picked being in the Human World?" the copy asked smirking, "Why you just had to be with Keiko? You knew…even back then you knew sooner or later I was coming so you made sure the first meal would be the best."
Horror shot through him, "No, that's…there's no way!"
"I'm hungry, it's time we stopped playing now." The other said launching at him.
"Get back!" He ordered Keiko, rushing forward to meet the attack.
He swung a fist into the jaw of the copy and felt the searing agony of claws digging into his side and back. He wasn't finished though, he brought his hand up quickly into the face of the thing that looked like him drawing on all of his immediate energy.
"You may look like me but you don't fight like me." He hissed at it, releasing his shotgun blast.
It always made him a little disoriented to release that much energy at once so he wasn't surprised the next few seconds became a blur and he found himself groggily pushing away from the now headless corpse.
He just as slowly stood, shaking his head a little to clear it as Keiko rushed over to him.
"I don't get it…" He mumbled confused still even as he put his arm around Keiko.
"Oh I was so scared." Keiko said, burying her face in his shoulder.
"You're safe now." He promised, looking down at the corpse.
It was beginning to dissolve, its form almost merging with the ground it rested on.
Why would someone do that?
"Yusuke!"
He started a little, glancing up as Botan floated down from above on her oar. There was a strange expression on her face as she looked at Keiko.
"Hey Botan," He greeted feeling suddenly tired, "What…"
"Can I speak with you…privately?" Botan interrupted with an odd lilt to her voice, "It'll be just a moment I promise. Spirit World business and all that."
"Sure," He agreed with a shrug, letting go of Keiko and walking towards the reaper who led him further, "Koenma finally has something to say?"
Why was Botan there and not with Kuwabara?
And why did she keep glancing in that suspicious way at Keiko?
He was really getting tired of the craziness involved in him stepping away from the campsite.
Botan stopped retreating, for a moment her eyes bouncing between him and Keiko as if she were deciding on something.
He sighed with annoyance, "Look why…?"
"May I ask…who that is?" Botan interrupted, tilting her chin in Keiko's direction.
He half laughed, "What are you talking about? Its Keiko, yea I know it's weird but she just showed up out of the blue, said she woke up here."
Again came that weird ping pong of her attention only this time Botan's brow furrowed a little.
"Yusuke…I don't know how to tell you this but…that being isn't human." Botan said slowly as if afraid of his reaction.
"What?!" He exploded looking back at Keiko, "Of course she is!"
"I'm rather good at assessing spirits thank you very much." Botan huffed though it was marred with concern as well, "That's not a human one and I would be hard pressed to describe it as a soul in the first place. It seems to be entirely made up of demonic energy."
He stared at Keiko who had taken to watching the clouds overhead.
It looked like her, and he hadn't felt any weird energies from her when she had put her arms around him.
How could he not know she was made out of demonic energies when he had been holding her?
"Are you sure?" He asked, lowering his voice.
"Keiko" tipped her head down and looked over at him, her expression turning to one he had never seen before, one of cold calculation and a little sadistic humor.
"No need to whisper Yusuke, the reaper is correct. I am entirely comprised of demonic energies." She said, turning to look down at the slowly disappearing body, "I was surprised your fears were so intimately related to your demonic nature but I suppose that is only to be expected."
A chill ran up his spine hearing the emptiness of emotion from her voice.
How had he been fooled by that thing?!
"If you aren't Keiko then who are you?" He demanded furious over the trickery.
"This is a contruct of my making." The thing said putting a hand to its chest, "For want of a formal introduction I am Masanori. I believe you were forewarned of my coming."
"Masanori…the Witness Masanori?" Botan ventured uncertainly behind him.
This couldn't be good if this Masanori was seeking them out even if it was just to mess with his head.
But…how did he know about that? Shizuru was the only one that knew…
The construct nodded, smiling slightly, "I thought to offer distraction while we wait for the others. I have been thoroughly warned of you Yusuke but I find you wanting in true threat. I am uncertain what it is Shinya sees in your potential."
His brow furrowed, "Shinya? Is he with you?"
"Keiko" shook her head, the smile turning into almost a leer.
"Shinya is with Kuwabara." Botan answered, timidly.
He swung around in shock, "What?!"
"Kuwabara insisted to speak with him when he appeared at the camp." Botan explained gravely, "He…sent me to find you so Shinya could try and shut down his passive energies."
He stared at her for a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity.
Had everyone lost their damn minds?!
Why had Mukuro agreed to that?!
Shinya was their enemy now; Hiei's message had been totally clear on that.
"By now it will have been decided." The construct said almost mockingly behind him, "I wonder if the human lived…or if Shinya lost control. Fate is rather interesting that way; it likes to leave a sense of suspense in the air. If you run maybe you will see a reaper tending to her charge…and perhaps you will find Shinya to take revenge upon."
His hands fisted at his sides, "When you and me meet up there's going to be a fight. Prepare to get your ass kicked."
The creature chuckled, "You fight me? I would be interested if that were to happen…of course that might mean some other takes your place that some other pays for your interference. One should always be aware Fate does not favor those who step beyond it."
He had to restrain himself, shove back the surge of rage that demanded he find this Masanori and teach him a lesson for messing with his head.
What was he going to do? Beat up Keiko? It wasn't like he was about to do that or even really could. Just the thought of it made him a little queasy even if this wasn't the real Keiko.
Instead he began to run back to the camp with Botan following on her oar.
Just let Kuwabara be okay. That's all I asking. Let him be okay or let Shinya still be there.
He lowered his head as he hit full speed, his hands still fisted tightly as he arms pumped in time with his legs.
Mukuro was leaning on the doorway of the shelter when he and Botan arrived back at the camp.
The ex King did nothing more than give him a quick look over before shoving away from the building.
"Is he…" He began then was unable to form the rest of that sentence, half afraid of the answer.
"See for yourself." Mukuro replied as she passed him, "This was never part of the job description."
"There was a job description?" He could not help but asked blankly.
It was probably him wanting to avoid what the shelter held, that lapse in real thought and preference for joking.
If it had gone badly would Mukuro be that nonchalant about it?
Probably but she wasn't stupid either. She would know he would blame her if something went wrong which it had.
"You were supposed to protect him." He stated, anger swirling with the impatient hollow growing inside of him.
"Your human didn't want my protection." Mukuro tossed back, "Should I only listen to your requests when I don't care for either of you really?"
He had nothing to say to that point; he would have been surprised if she took anything he asked seriously in all honesty.
"Botan…?" He prompted uncertainly.
"I can't tell from here, Yusuke." Botan admitted in almost a whisper, "Souls leave behind a fair amount of energy with their mortal bodies that mirrors that of it still being present for some time after death. You know that from when we first met."
He sighed softly; he did know that since it had been a part of what allowed Koenma to bring him back to life with the golden glow thingy.
He took a deep breath, steeled himself internally and stalked forward.
He wasn't going to find out just staring at that doorway.
Still as he shoved aside the cloth covering he could feel his throat trying to close up with trepidation.
In the shadows he could make out Kuwabara on the bed, his eyes searched the small area to make sure Shinya wasn't still lurking for whatever reason.
It was empty except for the person on the bed, the one that hadn't moved even though he had been anything but careful coming in.
He wanted to go to the bed, to check but he was frozen in his tracks.
Was this how it was always going to be?
Did death always have to slap him in the face?
Botan flowed past him but he still couldn't move, couldn't take his eyes off that still form.
How was he supposed to explain this?
How?
Botan gently reached out a hand and laid it on Kuwabara's chest; he suddenly couldn't breathe quite right. His chest was caving in for no reason and he wanted to run from the shelter. He wanted to do whatever it took not to hear…
"He's alive, Yusuke." Botan assured him, softly.
"Don't lie to me." He half spat convinced the reaper was trying to spare him.
Botan straightened, smiling as she looked at him, "He's fine Yusuke. I think Shinya was fully successful, I can barely sense his passive energies now. I think he's just very worn out. It might take him awhile to recover but he is alive."
He blinked, for a second not understanding exactly what the reaper was saying then he became very interested in the floor. His eyes were stinging from the dust or something; he was not tearing up over Kuwabara of all people.
Of course the giant punching bag was fine, that was the way it worked.
Kuwabara faked things, acted like he was more hurt than he was and it was never really the truth. The guy was addicted to the drama of it, that's all.
He knew that, it was classic Kuwabara.
Still he did feel he needed to leave again.
The dust was really messing with him.
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