Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Day 3: Gender Bent/Body Swap/Boundaries

Light filtered in through the window, and the warm rays touched Hiei's skin. His lips twitched before he opened his eyes. Through blurry vision, the soldier could see a hazy blue in front of him—perhaps the sky? He closed his eyes and shook his head before his blinked a few times and looked again.

Instead of the blue sky, Hiei saw Botan and lifted his head off the pillow. A jolt of pain coursed through him, down his spine, and he grimaced. Instead of falling back into the bed, he ignored the pain and sat up. His gaze then fell on Botan's uncomfortable form.

The woman was sitting in a chair at his bedside and must have kept vigil over him all night. His cold and gruff demeanor slackened; his eyes held warmth. Her head rested on her hands, like they were a pillow, on the bed. Hiei's expression grew dark again, crimson eyes narrowed in concern. The princess's back had to be sore, yet it didn't stop her from staying with him.

Botan stirred from slumber, slowly opened her eyes and blinked the sleep from them. Upon remembering where she was, Botan gasped and sat up to find Hiei's stoic gaze on her. Her shoulders relaxed, and a smile touched her lips. "Thank goodness you're all right," she whispered gently. Cautiously, she reached her hand out to take Hiei's hand.

Startled, Hiei pulled his hand back, crossed his arms and gripped his wrists tightly, and then looked away. "I'm surprised you stayed here all night."

"How could I not? You saved me again…" Botan looked down at the mattress; her expression wavered. "This time my life." She met his gaze again, and this time appeared more resolute. "Of course I would be here, my brave knight."

Hiei scoffed at the title and then moved to get up. It still hurt, and he felt weaker than normal, but he was undeterred. Moving was a challenge; his torso was wrapped in bandages. He grimaced and turned his head. "Are you…?" Hiei paused and twitched in discomfort. "Were you hurt?"

"No," Botan replied softly. "If it wasn't for you, though, I would have been. That monster…it was after me."

Anger flashed in Hiei's crimson eyes, and he averted his gaze, clenched his fists, and grit his teeth. "I know," he growled. "It shouldn't have happened."

Botan was surprised by the response. "What do you mean? What shouldn't have happened?"

Hiei's eyes cut through her and stole her breath away. The intensity of his stare caused Botan to withdraw within herself. Her arm crossed over her body and grabbed her shoulder. She became so ill at ease that Hiei's forced himself to temper himself. "It's nothing," he answered, his voice more lax than how he actually felt. "You should go. Just…stay inside."

Botan beamed warmly at him. Hiei felt like he was looking directly at the sun and cringed. "I will," the princess promised as she stood. "I…I'll see you later. Please, get some rest."

She received a firm nod as her answer and was satisfied. Once Botan left and made it down the hall, Hiei stood up and grabbed his shirt. He dressed himself and grabbed his sword. His eyes travelled to the door and narrowed. He needed to find his team and discuss the events of the previous night. With the attack on the princess, a war had been declared, and it was a battle that these spirit beings would be ill-prepared to handle.

"We can't keep her here."

Prince Koenma glared at his father due to the king's indifference to the attack on his sister's life. The two met early in Enma's study. They'd been discussing the assault for a couple of hours. Prince Koenma wanted to protect the princess. Sending her away seemed like the best and safest option. The parting words of the creature left a terrible feeling in Koenma's gut, and he would not risk Botan's life for the sake of some political agreement.

"I will not put off her betrothal," the king declared with an air of apathy. "Lord Otake believes his son will be the perfect match for the princess, and if we move forward with it, she will be protected. We don't need to send her away from our lands."

Koenma fumed and felt his ire rise. His fists clenched, and he stood stiff board straight. "Father, how can you be so selfish?" he snapped. "You said Botan will choose her suitor. We cannot simply marry her off and be done with her in this. She needs our support, not a rushed marriage."

Enma's expression grew grave, and rage brewed inside him. "This is what is best."

"Best for who? For Botan, or for you?" Koenma challenged.

King Enma opened his mouth to retort and fire a command, but his verbal squabble with his son was interrupted. "If I may," Lord Raizen said as he entered the room, "my troops and I have much more experience dealing with these foes."

Koenma's eyes widened and broke out into a cold sweat. "What? You know who attacked?"

Raizen nodded once and then entered the study. "That 'creature' comes from one of our enemy kingdom's," he explained. "I have no idea why they would involve your kingdom, and I don't know why they're after your daughter. Still, you spirits have no idea what you're up against. If you marry your daughter off and keep her in your kingdom, she's as good as dead."

Koenma paled and slowly turned his head to regard his father. King Enma looked displeased but said nothing. "Spirits…" Koenma murmured. "Are you telling me you're—"

"Correct," Raizen replied. He wagged his pointer finger towards Koenma. "You catch on quick." His gaze moved to the king. "I hereby offer to house Princess Botan at my fortress and to protect her."

The king remained silent for a time. After pondering Raizen's words, he expressed his dissatisfaction. "I want my daughter here."

Koenma was about to protest, but another voice cut him off. "Don't I get a say?"

Standing in the doorway was the woman of whose future was being decided by the three men in the room. Botan didn't hear the entire conversation, but she gathered enough to know that she was in danger and Lord Raizen was offering to keep her safe.

"Botan," Koenma called out in both surprise and concern. "What are you doing up so early?"

The princess averted her gaze for a moment as she did not want her father and brother to know she spent the night glued to Hiei's bedside. She then met her brother's gaze. "I awoke from a nightmare of last night and thought to clear my head with a walk," she misled. "I heard my name mentioned and came to the door." She then looked over to her father and noticed that his stern and disapproving eyes were on her. "If my life is in danger and Lord Raizen knows what we're dealing with then perhaps I should go with him for the time being, until we know I am safe…for political reasons, of course. I'm sure Lord Otake would understand."

Enma's eyes narrowed at his daughter's sharp and disrespectful tone, but with an audience there was little he could do to address it without calling attention to the woman's rebellion. With a resigned sigh, the king waved his approval. "Very well." Enma turned to Raizen and stared the man down. "I trust you to keep my daughter safe at all costs."

Raizen bowed to the other royal. "You have my word that no harm will befall the princess." He righted himself. "We will have to discuss strategy."

Botan wanted to stay; she really did, but the king's eyes bore into her. "You are dismissed. Leave, now."

The princess huffed in frustration. She wanted to tell the king that this whole situation involved her, and she should be informed. She wanted to have some input on her needs and desires. But none of it mattered. Her father made his decision. Botan was to leave, and her life was about to be decided by a stranger, a man who saw her as a political object, leaving the only one she could trust being her brother to whom she could not convey her fears and concerns.

Botan clenched her fists and bowed her head. Then, she turned to leave. She had no idea just how much her life was about to change.

Class was so dull today, and Botan could hardly focus. Physics was her least favorite class out of everything, and Botan would rather be anywhere else. After her exams last week, the woman was fried. All her classmates were, and there was little outlet for their stress or time to relax as lab practicals would start next week.

It also didn't help that Botan's father called her the other day to see how she did on her exams. She figured he'd be happy that she survived with B's, but that wasn't good enough for him. As a form of protest, Botan barely picked up her lab manuals to study for the practicals. She remembered all her labs, so the only issue would be the lab exam. As long as she aced the laboratory procedure part, she'd get out of practical with a C.

She knew she really shouldn't let her father get in the way of her goals, but she couldn't help it. It was just so easy to rile the man up. Botan always believed she had to be adopted because there was no way a real father could treat his daughter like a cash cow and inconvenience. A sigh escaped her; her shoulders hunched. At least her English class was after this. It wasn't that it was easy or less cerebral than her science courses, but it was definitely a refreshing change of pace.

The physics professor let class out early because of a conference call he needed to make, so Botan headed to the literature hall and made her way to her English class. Since she was early and alone, Botan took out her cell phone. She had just enough time to sneak another level in. Besides, she just got to the part where it was decided the princess would leave with their guests and start a whole new chapter of her life.

When Botan left her father's study and returned to the everyday, humdrum business, she had no idea what to expect. After a few hours, it was Koenma who came to inform his sister what would happen. Reikai was not equipped to dealing with such fiendish, ghastly monsters. The safest thing to do would be to send her to Tourin when Raizen's convoy returned. Botan nodded and stated her agreement, but then asked her brother to leave her alone for a bit. She needed time to herself, time to think. Everything was happening so fast.

When the servants came to retrieve Botan for dinner, the princess said she was unwell and needed to maintain her strength for tomorrow's journey. The women bowed to their princess and went to alert the king and prince. Botan didn't even care if her father was angry with her. She did not wish to see him before she left. Koenma was another story, but Botan knew her brother wouldn't let her leave without saying 'goodbye'.

The castle was quiet now; everyone, even the staff, had turned in for the night. Botan stood at the edge of her balcony and took in the sight of her beloved mother's garden from her room one final time. Agitation filled the princess. It's not enough…

Quietly, Botan sneaked out of her room to make her way to the garden. She didn't just want to see it. She wanted to experience once more before she left. Honestly, Botan didn't know if she'd ever be able to come back. That was a terrifying notion.

To get to the garden without running into any guards or palace staff, Botan sat at the edge of her balcony. Beneath her feet was a stable ridge. She was strong enough to hold her own, slowly maneuvering the edge until she was next to the castle wall where a large, wooden vine acted as her ladder to her haven. She did so in silence in fear that her father stationed guards outside her door.

Once her bare feet touched the dirt of the ground, Botan let out a breath of relief. When she was outdoors, she always felt alive and safe. She had no time to revel amidst the sensations as she sprinted along the path to the garden barefooted. The silent padding of her feet brought her to her destination, the center of her mother's garden, the gazebo where she was nearly attacked.

There was no damage to the foliage from the terrible visitor's rampage. The flowers still glowed their warm and comforting light. Botan gently touched the petals of one of the buds. It wilted beneath her touch much like Botan's spirit. Although she was thankful that Lord Raizen and his men, Botan was truly disheartened that she needed to leave her home. It wasn't so much the castle and Reikai that she was sad to leave. No, her heart cried out for this haven that held the soul of her mother. It weighed heavily on her heart.

"You shouldn't be here."

Botan jumped at the unexpected timbre of her savior. She turned her head slowly, cautious and feeling like she'd done something wrong. Her amethyst orbs met dark crimson. Hiei's visage was cast in the colors of blue and violet, which added to his usual dark demeanor. However, his eyes were soft and unguarded, as if he were both curious and concerned. How Botan could discern this, she had no idea, but she knew. She also knew that he was right; she shouldn't be out alone when monsters attacked the castle and were after her.

"I'm sorry," she murmured softly, her voice full of a tremendous amount of guilt and shame. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

Hiei didn't confirm or deny her suspicious. Instead, he replied with a somewhat sarcastic retort. "Why did you think it was appropriate to come out alone when last time that de…creature attacked you?"

Botan sighed when Hiei voice the question she'd just berated herself over. She decided to be honest as she raised her legs to hug against her chest as her feet rested on the wood of the bench. "I'm just going to miss the garden." She hesitated for a moment but swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "Mom…" Her voice was hoarse, and Botan was sure Hiei could tell if she ventured any further, she'd lose herself and cry out her sorrow.

After a momentary silence, Hiei responded. "I understand. More than you know."

Although curious, Botan did not pry. She was too dispirited to delve into Hiei's well-guarded issues. Her eyes traversed the luminous plants; her chin rested against her knees. "Lumos," she whispered.

"Hm?" Hiei questioned as he regarded her.

Botan sat upright and allowed her legs to fall to the ground gracefully. "My mother used to tell me stories," Botan explained, "about little spirits called Lumos. They are the spirits that live within these glowing flowers, and sometimes they come out to play, or so she told. They're guardians."

Hiei's expression softened, although what part of her story touched the seemingly unmoved man eluded her. "Guardians of what?"

Botan flashed a radiant smile that could light the darkness brighter than the jungle around them. "Of our dreams. Mother said that Lumos 'illuminate our darkest nightmares with celestial light, helping us to fence out bad dreams and restore restful sleep'." Botan looked down at her lap and folded her hands. "Her stories always brought me comfort, especially when the bad dreams came."

The princess didn't know that Hiei's gaze was fixated on her. If she would have returned her eyes to him, she would have noticed that his eyes were filled with knowing. "Do you get nightmares often enough that your mother told you these stories?"

Startled by the question, Botan jolted out of her thoughtful reverie. Her heart beat fast, raced a mile a minute, and her breathing hitched. She did not know how to answer Hiei's question without revealing the truth about her dreams.

"Sometimes," she lied, her voice light and playful, to conceal just how often nightmares plagued her. "They're just stories, anyhow. Silly little fantasies."

Botan expected Hiei to scoff and write off the fantasies, but he seemed to contemplate her words. An unknown emotion flickered over his face—a mixture of understanding, anger, and pity. "They're real to you."

Silence settled over the two; Botan had no idea how to response to Hiei's scarily perceptive words. All her life, Botan was plagued by vision-like nightmares. Her mother planted the Lumos flowers after the first time Botan came to her crying about scary dreams. Although the queen never said much about Botan's hallucinations, she told her daughter these stories. It was as if the queen knew all along what it was Botan suffered. The princess only wished her father could be as understanding. Neither he nor Koenma knew about the visions or how often they came to pass. The fact that Hiei was in front of her was a testament to the veracity and accuracy of her nightmares. All Botan could do was put her trust in Hiei. With that resolve in her heart, Botan decided it was time to return to her room.

When she stood, Hiei rose too. Botan was surprised and said, "That's okay. You stay and enjoy the garden."

"Raizen has ordered us to protect you," Hiei replied. "I would be remiss if I let you walk back alone."

Botan answered with a nod. As much as she wanted her independence, she knew she needed to trust the man from her dreams. Hiei would keep her safe; she just knew it.

The two walked side-by-side, and Hiei went off the beaten path and led Botan back to the vines that acted as her ladder. If was as if Hiei had been watching her scale the outer walls earlier. Botan grabbed onto the wood and then chanced a glance back towards her protector. His eyes conveyed no emotion, but Botan felt the sensation of butterflies in her stomach due to the intensity of his gaze. They would see each other again the following day, Botan's last day in the castle.

As dawn rose, Botan peeked through her covers and stared out her window. Today was the day where her life would change drastically. On the one hand, a part of her was excited for the adventure. The other part, as she told Hiei the night before, would be lost in the garden. Botan usually wasn't so pessimistic, and she did trust Hiei and the others, so she knew logically she'd return. In her heart, however, there was this fear—a fear that she would never truly return.

I can't think like that, Botan berated herself. She sat up in bed and gently slapped her cheeks in hopes to derail her negative thoughts. I'll be back. Of course I'll be back. Hiei will keep me safe.

The princess could hardly understand why she felt such a deep trust in Hiei. He was truly a stranger to her, a mystery from her nightmares, but he always came as a comforting presence when she was endangered in her dreams. In her present life, Hiei always seemed to find his way to her when she was at her lowest points. He was hardly a knight in shining armor, but his confident air and steadfast nature rooted the princess when she felt uneven. The previous night, when she was all alone, Hiei appeared, and her hurting heart felt a bit lighter. His presence lightened her burden, even though she knew very little about the elusive man. It was enough, and so she put her faith in him.

After a time, Botan arose from her bed and dressed herself. She was thankful her maids were late. She didn't think she could handle being around them right now. She had no idea how she'd say 'goodbye' to Ayame. It's not 'goodbye', she reminded herself.

Once dressed, Botan left her room. The guards stationed there greeted her kindly and led her to the dining hall for breakfast. Inside, she could see their guests and their brother. They were in the midst of a discussion when one of the guards cleared his throat. The chatter stopped, and attention fell on Botan.

"Thank you, George, that will be all," Koenma dismissed.

The guard, George, turned to his subordinate and nudged his head into the hall. The two left, and Botan joined the others at the table. She looked to the head and was surprised to see that her father was missing.

"Where—?"

"Father said he had other matters to attend to today," Koenma revealed, his voice full of empathy and apprehension. "He will not be here to send you off."

A part of Botan was not surprised, but a small part of her was hurt. She did her best not to let it show, kept her expression neutral, but she could feel many pairs of eyes on her, dissecting her and tugging on that hidden cord. Hiei's gaze, especially, Botan could feel and even tell from what direction he was staring. If she turned, she knew she'd meet his gaze and fall apart. Instead, she kept her sights on the warm, amber eyes of her brother.

"That is just as well," Botan managed to force out tightly. "You know how I am with 'goodbyes'. It's better this way."

Koenma frowned but otherwise said nothing. He and Botan began to eat. Shortly after, their guests followed suit. It seemed they weren't going to pry into what was obviously an unspoken family hardship. Neither sibling looked around to see whatever pitying expressions awaited them.

Raizen and Yusuke looked to one another with stern, calculating eyes. A secret lied beneath the exchange, one the others in their group were privy too as they too regarded each other with silent conversations and perception.

"Princess Botan," Raizen spoke up, snapping the woman and her brother out of their quiet reveries. "After breakfast, we will prepare for our return to Tourin. There are a few things we must discuss about your security."

Botan seemed confused; she looked to her brother for answers, but he merely shrugged. The princess regarded their ally and said, "I'm surprised you plan to discuss details with me. Usually, I experience no communication."

"With your safety at risk, you need to be a part of the decision making," Kurama explained. "The attack came out of the blue, but it was calculated by the creature who pursued you. It remains unclear what it wanted from you, and so we cannot assume you will be able to remain under the radar, even if you return with us. All we can guarantee is our protection and willingness to fight for you."

"I understand," Botan replied. "To be honest, I suspect that others will make attempts on me." Her nightmares of the cave came to mind. "In any case, I trust you all implicitly and will do whatever you require of me to make your job of protecting me easier."

A jovial laugh escaped Raizen. His bark made Botan jump, but she relaxed when she saw the man regard his son with an amused expression. "Why can't you be this accommodating?"

"Hey, lay off, old man," Yusuke shot back. A twinge of envy struck Botan out of nowhere. The youth seemed truly at ease and friendly with his father. "Besides, you know no one would dare mess with me."

"Don't get cocky, Urameshi," Kuwabara warned.

As the two boys fired jocular insults and chattered, Botan felt her world tilt. She'd heard Kuwabara call Yusuke Urameshi before—the first day they met, in fact—but Botan didn't feel anything towards the word. Something about it struck her, and it felt like she was lying on an axis while still sitting straight-backed in her chair. She seemed to only notice Hiei's head turn to her. He looked at her as if he knew what was happening around her, but that made very little sense.

"In any case," Raizen's voice brought her back, "you will not be able to dress like a princess for the journey to our home. You would stand out too much otherwise. You will have to wear something nondescript to keep attention off of you as much as possible."

"I can help with that," Kuwabara volunteered. "I've been learning some new spells that I think will help."

Botan was perplexed. "Spells?"

"Yes, Kuwabara is an apprentice magician as well as a soldier," Kurama informed the woman. "He's been practicing sorcery for some time."

"Hn, and he's still terrible at it."

"Oh, bite my ankles, shorty!" the redhead snapped towards Hiei's flippant remark.

"Now, children," Yusuke mocked as he laughed. "It's worth a shot. Besides, I want to see if this goes any better than the time he set the fountain on fire when he tried to make it rain."

Koenma paled as he regarded his sister with worry. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "Besides, how bad can it really be? These boys exaggerate, certainly."

Yusuke flashed the princess a cheeky grin. "Famous last words."

After the meal, everyone met in the courtyard, prepared for Kuwabara to work his magic. Hiei stayed close beside Botan in case Kuwabara were to mess up. This dismissal of his abilities irritated the redhead greatly, and that affected his magic. His anger towards Hiei and desire to help Botan become unrecognizable conflicted, and Kuwabara managed to transform both of them into the opposite gender.

Botan practically yelled out when she realized her hands looked completely different, rough and rugged, and the lower sound of her voice alerted her. She looked to Hiei, her lifeline through all of this, and noticed that he was now a woman. Instead of freaking out like Botan did, Hiei glared at his comrade heatedly. Even with softer features, Hiei was terrifying.

"Change us back now, you oaf," Hiei demanded with a voice more high-pitched than he'd like.

Kuwabara chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry guys… I'll fix it." With a swish of his hands, Kuwabara let his energy flow. It stirred around them and, thankfully, turned their bodies back the way they were. "See?"

Botan realized she was facing Kuwabara from the opposite direction as before and turned to see herself standing in front of her with a bored expression. Her eyes flashed downward, and she noticed she was wearing Hiei's clothes and a lot closer to the ground. This time, Botan didn't panic. She actually laughed, and everyone looked completely perplexed at the sound of laughter coming from Hiei. "I think you may need more practice," Botan gently said.

"Don't sugarcoat it," the sound of her own voice rang. The visage of Botan crossed her arms and the displeasure was evident. "The fool is terrible at this, like I said."

Kuwabara flashed an apologetic look over to Hiei, or Botan in Hiei's body, before his energy surrounded them once more.

Botan sighed in relief when she realized she was back in her own body. Hiei was still unamused by the situation, but he looked mildly less perturbed and less rigid.

Now that they were back where they started, Kuwabara asked, "Want me to try again?"

Both Hiei's and Botan's expressions filled with panic, and Hiei's arms fell from their crossed position. "No!" they both shouted in unison. Botan waved her arms in front of her and shook her head for good measure.

Her maid, Ayame, chuckled and placed her hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. "I'm sure I can find something for her."

Botan relaxed and moved to Ayame's side. "Yes, that is probably best." She regarded a downtrodden Kuwabara with a smile. "But thank you for trying. I know with more practice you'll get better."

The redhead perked up at this, and Hiei groaned and shook his head in disbelief. He held the insults on the tip of his tongue, which led to some raucous laughter on Yusuke's part and Kurama subtly covering his mouth as his body shook.

Alone with Ayame, Botan felt like she could forego the propriety and the pretense of being fine with this whole ordeal. Her maid had seen Botan at her best and worst for many years now, a friend who didn't expect the princess to be radiant and formal at all times. Because of Ayame's mannerisms, the king expected her to keep Botan in check, but Ayame always kept Botan's secrets. She knew when the princess just threw herself into bed the nights she spent in the garden. Ayame covered for Botan the various times her father nearly caught her after she spent mornings in the garden tending to the queen's plants. Ayame was true blue, and Botan would miss her terribly while she was away.

Ayame brought Botan to the maid's quarters and handed the princess a uniform. Realization flooded Botan. A maid—that was it. If Botan dressed as a castle servant, she would not stand out. Most likely, any attacks that would happen would still occur in Reikai because no one would expect the princess to leave with those from Tourin. Koenma assured Botan that they would be able to protect themselves from those creatures. Her brother wanted her to focus on staying safe.

"You shouldn't bring much with you," Ayame warned Botan. "Nothing to give away that you are the princess of this land."

Botan frowned. She knew she'd have to leave everything behind, but she wanted to take one thing with her. "What about my mother's bracelet? I need her with me."

Ayame's stern gaze softened. "Your mother is always with you," she reminded Botan, "but if you really need a reminder, I don't think it will be an issue to bring the bracelet with you."

The princess relaxed considerably then at the assurance that she could bring a part of her mother with her. The rose bracelet Botan wore when their guests from Tourin arrived was the one piece of jewelry the princess associated with the gentle woman. The queen always told her daughter that it was the one thing she had left from her home. Other than that, the queen never spoke of her past to anyone, but it was always clear to Botan that her mother missed her home very much.

Botan and Ayame returned to Botan's room so Botan could grab the bracelet which was easily hidden by the sleeves of the maid's outfit. Now that she looked like an ordinary person, Botan was ready to make this journey. It was time to tell the others that it was time to go.

When the other's saw her, though, they didn't look pleased. Every expression contained some level of concern. Raizen and Yusuke exchanged a knowing glance before Yusuke went to see the other men who came with them on their expedition. He returned soon after with more roughish garments and handed them to Botan.

"The maid thing is a good idea," Yusuke assured her, "but our world is a bit more…uhm…"

"Garish," Kurama supplied.

Yusuke nodded without taking his eyes away from Botan. "Yeah, that. Your maid outfits are too nice. Use these."

As Botan took the clothes, she noticed that they were tattered and worn in appearance. For the first time since these visitors arrived, she grew distrustful. How could she trust them to protect her if they treated their help like mere servants and did not treat them well?

Yusuke noticed the angered gleam in the princess's eyes. He grew surprisingly serious and said, "It's not what you think, princess. Our staff is well-taken care of. Just…even those who serve us are strong fighters. These clothes are light and cool, and they're made differently than formal clothes. Usually, it's what we all wear on a long journey. You need to look like one of us."

Despite the explanation, Botan was still skeptical, but she took the garments anyway and disappeared into the castle once again. This time, Botan travelled to her room alone. Inside, she looked around at the place that housed a majority of her memories aside from the garden: her and Koenma playing hide-and-seek, her mother reading her bedtime stories, and so many others. Botan swallowed down the thickness that arose within. It felt like she was drowning as the reality hit her; she shook with fear and anguish.

She needed to leave her home. Her life was in danger. Even with protectors, what if it wasn't enough? Were her nightmares coming true? So many questions assaulted her at once, and Botan fell to the ground and curled up in a ball.

Unbeknownst to the princess, Hiei was outside her room on her balcony, a third eye uncovered and glowing as he watched her in secret. The woman's pity-party was short-lived. She needed to ready herself; the others were waiting for her. Botan stood and turned away from her balcony. Hiei opened his eyes and could only view her from behind.

Not aware of her guest, Botan unhooked the clasp on the back of her maid's dress, and the cloth fell into a pool at her feet like a discarded skin. Hiei averted his eyes; his face turned red. The soldier knew he should go, but he did not wish to leave the princess alone. Instead, he stayed. He closed his eyes, breathed out through his nose with great effort, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

After a time, Hiei turned back to chance a look and was relieved that the woman was clothed. Botan twirled around which gave the guard a good view of her. The dress she wore was off-white and thin. It hugged the princess's figure very well and left little to the imagination. It was different than anything she'd worn in her own kingdom; the layers that normally hid her form were gone. Hiei swallowed thickly as he drank in the sight of the woman. He didn't know how it was possible for a woman to be more stunning in simple street clothes than glamorous ball gowns. Hiei shook himself free of these delusions in enough time to see Botan exit her bedroom. He, too, flashed out of view.

Botan didn't know what to expect when she left the castle. She'd never been beyond those walls, was forbidden to mingle with the people on any given day. The princess shared a heart-wrenching goodbye with her brother. Tears almost fell when the prince turned to Yusuke and demanded he keep her safe.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Yusuke replied. "Nothing will happen to Botan. I trust these guys with my life. None of us are going to let anyone near your sister."

It was hard for Botan to leave her brother. He looked so despondent the further she moved away. As she walked with Raizen's men, the princess kept her gaze solely on her brother until he was out of sight. Her eyes wandered to the village around their kingdom then, and Botan reflected on how she never saw the village before in her lifetime. She turned away then from the unfamiliar sights and looked ahead. It was time to focus on the travel to the Makai kingdom.

At nightfall, Raizen's group was far enough away from Reikai that they were ready to change. Botan didn't understand what they meant. The men set up camp, and Botan watched them in fascination. Once the tents were up, everyone went inside and came out wearing the same type of clothing Botan wore. It was light, airy, a combination of whites, off-whites, and black. When Botan asked about why they changed when they left Reikai, Raizen told her it was just easier and more comfortable to move in, plus they preferred their humble garb to those that denoted nobility.

"Why?" Botan asked, but Raizen didn't answer. He merely ruffled the princess's hair. Botan was stunned, more so because no one in her life had ever done something like that before, and yet she did not feel affronted.

As far as the clothing went, what Yusuke said earlier made more sense to Botan. Had the princess worn the clothes from her homeland, she would have stood out like a sore thumb, and her hair coloring was already bad enough. With that thought, she took a handkerchief she brought with her and tied it around her hair.

Botan watched as everyone got busy; they set up tents and started fires so that everyone could gather around them. They sat in groups of six or seven, sometimes more, people, and laughter could be heard for miles if anyone was nearby. The princess sat by the firelight with Yusuke and his friends, but she felt so out of place. The woman curled up her legs, hugged them to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees as she listened to the boys regale old tales of their adventures and their laughter. Contrary to how Botan usually felt, she was acting very reserved and timid, out of her element. Her gaze remained on the dancing flames. She felt like she couldn't give into their merriment.

"Hey, princess," Yusuke called out affectionately. Botan raised her head and looked at the man. He drank from a flask full of spirits and passed it to Kuwabara. "Want some wine or something?"

The noble looked so much more laid back than earlier. Once he changed into his airier attire, his mannerisms became smoother and more fluid instead of as proper as possible. When she met him, his words and attitude were the same, but Botan didn't see a noble in that moment. Yusuke was just another soul like herself; she relaxed only mildly.

"No, thank you," she replied, just in time for Raizen to call them all over. Botan flinched as the eyes of the people around her shifted to her. "Um, go ahead. I'm okay here."

Yusuke frowned and appeared worried. "You sure?" The softness of his gaze twisted Botan's insides. It reminded her so much of how her brother would look at her.

"Yes," Botan murmured. "I'm fine, honest."

Yusuke hesitated as the others went over to the others to gather more booze and food. Botan didn't know why Yusuke lingered, but it seemed like he didn't want to leave her alone. As he regarded the princess, it almost seemed as if he were searching for something, but he quickly snapped out of it, shook his head, and took off after the others.

It was the first time Botan was alone since they left Reikai, and even so, everyone was still close enough to protect her should another flying creature choose to attack her. Botan shivered at the thought and scooted closer to the fire for warmth.

"Why are you away from the others?"

Botan nearly jumped out of her skin as the unexpected voice sounded in her ears. She snapped her head in the direction of the speaker and was surprised to see Hiei standing above her. Her gaze returned to the large group of Raizen's men. Then, she shook her head and turned away.

"I…don't belong with them. I've never…I don't know how to interact with…"

Botan struggled to find the right words. Honestly, she didn't know why she felt like staying behind. This was the perfect opportunity to be truly social, unwind, and get to know people other than the maids and guards who only saw them as royalty.

"You're repressed," Hiei observed.

Botan felt insulted. The princess harrumphed, crossed her arms, and turned her torso so that she faced away from Hiei. "Yeah, well…what if I am?"

Hiei was undeterred by the woman's anger and sat down beside her next to the fire. "It's not an insult," he assured her. He leaned back and used his hands to prop him up, feeling the dirt through his fingers. "You aren't the only one."

At first, Hiei's words confused Botan, but then she realized that she hadn't seen him when the others were setting things up. He completely disappeared. He didn't grab food or spirits like everyone else. He kept away until Botan was alone. She frowned when she realized this. "Is that why you're over here too, alone?"

Her companion didn't answer the question regarding the apparent fact, but he didn't have to for Botan to understand him. This stranger felt more familiar to Botan than anyone else in her life, and she needed him and his level-headedness and presence.

Comforted by his company, Botan finally admitted to Hiei what she'd been trying to hide and play off since the night of the attack. "I'm scared, Hiei."

The two turned their heads slightly to give each other a sideward glance. After a lull in conversation, Hiei finally said, "I know. But you will be safe. You have my word that no harm will befall you, not as long as I have breath in my body."

The princess regarded the solider with her appreciation and content. "I believe you, all of you. Just…this is new territory for me."

Hiei remained neutral in appearance, but he faltered internally. He could not allow himself to react, could let Botan learn how her words moved him or the falsehoods she had suffered.

All in due time.

Botan slurped the last bits of her iced coffee. She was getting more air than liquid, really, but the taste was just too good to let a single drop go to waste. Plus, she needed the caffeine. She had a meeting with her advisor in the afternoon, and then she needed to join her lab group at the university library to work on their group presentation. That didn't even cover all the reading material she hoped to accomplish by the end of the evening. Tomorrow was Saturday, after all, so the pre-med student figured she'd be up until at least three to get it all done.

Thank God for coffee!

As for right now, Botan's mind was on the story. She was so enthused by everything that had happened up until this point. What falsehoods had the princess suffered? How did Hiei know them? There was already so much mystery in this story, especially surrounding that dark warrior, but there were so many little details one might overlook. Why was Lord Raizen acting so affectionate towards the allied princess? How come his son felt concern for the practical stranger?

"Order up!"

Botan snapped out of her reverie as the barista called her number for her second coffee and chocolate croissant pastry. She pocketed her phone, stood up from the table, and went to toss out her current empty cup so she could pick up her order. The woman ate on the go as she headed towards her next class.

Review Responses

MystiKoorime: Aw, thank you, my friend. I hoped that it would be easy to imagine. The chapter was a big rollercoaster ride for our characters. And aw! Emotional reactions are always good :) Glad the chapter touched you in some way. It's only going to get more emotional and mysterious as we push forward!