Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters
Okay, so this if for Day 6's prompt, Nature/Tournament. I went the tournament route. There's a reason! LOL!
So here we go!
Botan had seen many gruesome things in her day. She was technically the grim reaper, after all. It didn't mean that she was a fan of violence. Sure, she watched her friends fight on a regular basis. There were times where it was exciting to see. Then, the adrenaline would wear of and she would be hit with the reality that her friends could have been hurt…or worse.
After she ferried Genkai's soul to the afterlife, Botan was an emotional wreck. Truthfully, she was supposed to be impartial when it came to the lives of mortals—sympathetic yes, but impartial. She knew exactly how to deal with strangers. Yusuke had been a stranger at the start, and they bonded when he went through the ordeal to get his life back. It was the first time Botan ever bonded with her charges. Then she was assigned to help the spirit detective do his job and gained many more friends along the way.
The fights she knew they'd win were exciting. The ones where she didn't know the outcome she was stressed and anxious. She did not want to lose anyone she had grown to care about, and she did not want to be the one to take them to Spirit World. It was too hard.
Watching Hiei fight was both exhilarating and terrifying. He was very precise with every move, but he also wasn't opposed to letting himself get injured as long as he reached his final goal. The fire demon appeared to enjoy each bout regardless of any injuries he sustained. This was the second Demon World Tournament, and of course she had accompanied Koenma mainly to watch her friends fight. All of their fights were brutal, even Kuwabara's. Surprisingly enough he came to participate and wasn't barred entry.
What was she thinking about again?
Oh, Hiei's fight. That's what they were currently watching, and he already sustained plenty of flesh wounds in his previous scrapes. It was getting closer and closer to the semifinals, and Hiei looked like he had been through the ringer, but he still fought. Botan really hoped he'd be okay. In his exhaustion, though, she noticed that his movements grew less fluid than she was used to seeing, and he already had so many close calls. She was getting nervous.
What if he couldn't dodge one of the attacks? What if he got hurt? What if the competitor didn't care about Yusuke's request in the previous tournament about no killing? What if—?
Ferry girl, she heard a hiss in her mind which took her breath away. How long had Hiei been listening? You worry too much. Now shut up and let me fight!
Botan's brow now furrowed in fury; her expression reflected her indignation. She couldn't believe he had not only been in her mind but then got mad at her for feeling concern over him. No, she fought back, and she could picture Hiei mentally cringe and even saw him grimace at that moment as he clashed blades with his opponent. You shouldn't be looking into my thoughts while you're fighting, mister. I can't control my concerns, so you just have to deal with them.
She saw the fire demon nearly trip in the ring as he narrowly avoided a strike by the other fighter. You're infuriating, she heard a growl before there was silence.
Botan crossed her arms, huffed, and pouted as she watched. She still wanted Hiei to win his fight and be safe, but now she was just a little cross with him. If he sustained an injury because her thoughts and his childish bickering distracted him then it was his own fault.
"Hmph," she murmured, earning a strange look from Koenma. The Spirit World prince couldn't help but wonder what made her so furious about watching Hiei fight. He shook his head to dismiss the thoughts. Sometimes his chief ferry girl could be really strange.
