odds 4

A/N: I never have much things to say so from now on, I figured I'd be giving an overview of the chapter. Fight scene is up next and Koenma and Botan fess up. Oh, and don't forget my italics and borders rule.

Disclaimer: Hehe. It seems to me that I've forgotten to include this part last chapter so I just wanna say that this applies to all the succeeding chapters if my scatterbrained self ever forgets again. I do not own Yuyu Hakusho, and it's characters. I only used them up for some creative pasttime so please don't sue. But I do own the three new characters in this fic, mainly Suisho, Akuma and Shinichi.

LOVE DEFIES ALL ODDS

by Seiyo

Chapter 4

Hiei was trying very hard to sleep. I'm tired from all the walking and deserve some rest. This tree branch is quite comfortable so what's the problem? Why can't I take even a small nap? He frowned at the thought as he glanced at his 'friends' Kuwabara and Yusuke snoring contentedly down below. It's that presence I have been sensing all this time. Throughout the whole time since they stepped into the Makai, a certain presence had been following them. It was quite familiar, as if he had encountered who or whatever it was before. He just couldn't place it right because something was quite different about it. He was concentrating on remembering whatever it was when he was startled by a powerful force sensed by his jagan coming right at them. He quickly jumped down from the tree branch, waking Kuwabara and Yusuke from their sleep.

"Hey! What's your problem?" Kuwabara shouted at Hiei.

"Someone's coming you moron," Hiei retorted.

"What's happening here?" Kurama, who was approaching the clearing, followed by Koenma.

"I have sensed a powerful presence coming towards us," Hiei answered.

Koenma looked and spoke "Hiei's right. That must be Akuma—"

But before he could even finish what he was saying, a female interrupted, "So, you already know that I'm coming," Akuma took a step forward, looking at the surprised faces staring at her, "Hmm… you're younger than I had expected. I never thought that the Reikai would send someone as young as you to face my powers. I was expecting someone more… older and more mature. No offense but, I don't think boys like you could handle serious matters such as this one."

"I assure you that we wouldn't fail your standards when it comes to handling matters such as this, Yusuke took a step forward, 'To tell you the truth, we never fail" he spoke with a small grin at the corners of his mouth.

Akuma just raised an eyebrow at him and continued, "And you must be the prince," she said as she faced Koenma, "I was surprised when I learned that you were here. I thought royals always stayed in their great castles while letting their subjects face the problems, and pardon me but, why the pacifier?"

Koenma ignored the question and the audible snickers of his companions and just asked, "Why are you here Akuma? What are your purpose for gathering the beasts of Makai to serve you?"

"You don't know? Well that's just too bad isn't it? Anyway maybe I'd just tell you since you're about to die anyway." Akuma looked at them mockingly.

"Don't be too sure about that" Yusuke raised his voice.

"Are you challenging me?" Akuma looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly.

"What if I am?" Yusuke answered.

"Then face my troops and if you can get through, I'll fight you myself," Akuma spoke as she levitated away from the five. The next moment, a group of beasts came towards them.

The five readied themselves as the dozens of demons and beasts approached. Yusuke's fists flew on the faces of his opponents, making them topple one by one. Kuwabara wrestled against the monsters then striked at them with his rei ken. Kurama used his rose whip as he jumped and lashed at the hideous beasts while Koenma took off his pacifier that sent bursts of light, making the beasts falter. Hiei quickly leapt up and slashed his way through a group of demons with his katana. Yusuke jumped on a huge monster and was beating it up with his powerful punches when he noticed another pack of opponents headed towards them. He quickly raised a hand, index finger aimed carefully and shouted, "REI GAAN!!!" A powerful ball of greenish light emanated from his index finger and slammed right into the group of beasts.

Not far away from where the raging battle went on, Akuma watched intently as her troops were slowly vanquished by the Reikai tantei. She was running out of followers and of patience. She couldn't believe that her plans were being ruined by these pesky young men. She has to come up with something... and fast. Just then an idea popped into her head. Sure of herself, she summoned Shinichi and whispered something into his ear. When Shinichi turned to leave, a smile has once again formed on Akuma's lips.

Botan peeked between the bushes from where she was hiding. She stared intently at the scene happening at a distance, trying to hear whatever it was they were saying. After a few minutes she turned her head away. "So this is Akuma… I wonder why she's doing all these," she mumbled to herself. She was thinking of all these when rumbles and loud shouts disturbed her pondering. She quickly peered at the clearing where her friends had rested a while earlier and bit her lip as she saw Kuwabara, Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei and Koenma surrounded by awful creatures.

"Oh no! This can't be!" she uttered in shock.

She looked on as the fighting continued between the five and the beasts. She would wince occasionally whenever she sees one of them getting hit. In the clearing, shouts can be heard everywhere, as the enemies were punched and beaten up while some had already retreated. She was nervously watching when she suddenly gasped as someone seized her arm. She turned to her captor and saw a beast with a wicked grin on his face. When Botan looked over his shoulder, she was surprised to see an elderly man. Although he had a fierce and determined expression on his face, there was still a hint of gentleness and a little bit of shock in his eyes. Botan was puzzled at the man's expression and at the same time, filled with fear but mustered all her courage to speak up.

"W-who are you? What do you want with me?" she whispered in a frightened voice while squirming from her position.

"Let's just say that you will be an offering to our 'queen'. Now if you still want to live, stop fighting me," the beast was the one who answered her in a harsh voice, and then forced her to move when the man motioned for them.

"Let me go! I don't want to go with you!" Botan shouted as she tried to struggle free from her captor's strong grip.

"Stay still before I lose my patience with you!" the beast hissed at her as it tightened grip even more that her bones almost broke.

The elderly man then intervened. "I don't think there wouldn't be any need for us to hurt her," the man told the beast then, facing Botan spoke, "Now lady, if you don't want to die, which I'm sure you are, you wouldn't dare try to escape. Now we must go to the Lady Akuma."

In the clearing, the five men watched as their opponents fell one by one. Koenma then looked upwards to Akuma and proudly said, "We have beaten your troops Akuma! It is now time to face your defeat."

"That is one thing that I could never do," Akuma replied, her eyes narrowing. Without warning, she raised her hand towards the five and sent a force that made them topple backwards.

"You are really trying my patience Akuma," Yusuke mumbled and then aimed his index finger at her. He was ready to fire his rei gan when Akuma interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Yusuke. Not if you don't want this lady here to die." Akuma spoke, an evil glint in her eye and motioned with her hand. A beast appeared beside her, clutching Botan tightly in his arms.

"BOTAN!!!" the men shouted in surprise.

"Botan! What are you doing here?!" Koenma shouted at her, his face full of concern.

"Koenma— uummpph…" Botan tried to speak but the beast's hands quickly covered her mouth. She kicked and tried to force herself free but to no avail.

"Fools! And you think I would send all my troops to fight you without having a back-up plan?"

"What are you going to do with her?" Koenma demanded.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking of keeping her for insurance… she'll be keeping me safe from you until I finish whatever plans I have, then, after she serves her purpose, I'll decide her fate." Akuma answered, pretending to study her nails, as if not caring.

"You just can't take anyone you like and play with them like a toy! Whatever you have in mind, leave Botan out of it," Koenma said in a determined tone. His face was displaying an array of mixed emotions.

"I CAN and I WILL!" Akuma answered forcefully, " But tell me, you're really worried aren't you my dear prince?" Akuma spoke with a sly smile, "Who is this lady? She seems very important to you," she slowly approached Botan and stroked her cheeks. As she did, she glanced at Koenma and spoke, "She's quite a beauty, isn't she? Hmm… does she happen to be your princess?"

For a while, Koenma was taken aback by the question but was also able to recover, he looked at Akuma then moved his gaze to Botan. Looking straight to her eyes, he answered, "What if I say that she is my princess and that she occupies a great portion of my heart…"

His companions were astonished by this revelation. They had occasionally teased Koenma and Botan but they never thought that it was true.

Botan froze in her captor's arms upon hearing Koenma's words. Her eyes widened and tears threatened to flow on her face. She stared into the hazel depths of Koenma's eyes, trying to probe the truth in his words. They gazed at each other, their eyes conveying their thoughts and emotions. Realizing the truth in his eyes, Botan struggled and bit the hand of her captor covering her mouth. Surprised and hurt, the beast released his hold. With this, Botan shouted, "Koenma! I love you too!"

Koenma's eyes brightened for a while but once again narrowed. The beast had seized Botan. Infuriated by what she did, the beast held her tighter making her wince in pain. Koenma stepped closer, "Don't you dare hurt her," he spoke in a harsh tone. Anger can be detected in his voice.

Akuma keenly observed what was happening around her with interest then spoke, "You sure picked a nice time and place to profess your love to this woman. Anyway that's the least of my concerns right now," She turned to the beast, "Loosen up your hold on the 'princess'. We do not want to suffer from the anger of her prince and friends, do we? Besides I wouldn't want to hurt the person that could stop these men," as the beast slowly relaxed his grip on Botan, Akuma faced the five," You were asking me about my intentions for gathering Makai's forces earlier, weren't you? Well, now I'm ready to share with you what I have in mind."

"You think we're still interested with what you have to say?" Kuwabara exclaimed, clearly incensed by Akuma, "Well I don't want to hear any of your stories."

Kurama moved towards Kuwabara, laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered "Calm yourself Kuwabara. Let her talk. That way, we might find out more about her and her weaknesses. Besides, it would buy us time to plan how we could rescue Botan."

Kurama faced Akuma and said, "Tell us what you will."

"Perhaps you already know of my history with Queen Suisho; how I served her, planned a rebellion against her and finally how she locked me up in a freezing sphere from which I was set free by one of her most loyal subjects," Akuma stole a quick look at Shinichi then continued, "What you didn't know was my reason for doing just that. Well I'm going to tell you. I have served her for a long time and throughout my service, I have seen how well she was treated, how much the people served her, how much power she had that with just one clap, with one signal, one motion, she could decide the fate not only of one person but one whole empire," she paused and took a deep breath, "And there I was, standing at her right hand, making sure that her wishes were kept. I couldn't help myself from thinking that I could be there in her position. I could be the woman calling the shots, ruling the whole empire, and the thought of being able to do all that have made realized one thing. A thing that had driven me to do all that I have done. I want to be the queen," Akuma poured out all her thoughts, dreams and plans that she had kept inside her for so many years, "I wanted to have all the power that she has and maybe even more. And why not? I was just as talented, as brilliant as she is. I could easily do everything that she has done. I'm just as good as her when it comes to leadership." Akuma let all her pent up emotions spill out. She talked with such conviction in her voice and relayed her story with great vigor that it was as if all of them could see everything right before their eyes.

"That's it? That's why you plotted a rebellion and the reason why you're here in Makai trying to get hold of all the beasts and demons that you can have?" Yusuke exclaimed incredulously.

"Yes, that's the reason why," she answered, "Maybe to you, it seems feeble but to me it's not. I have thought and worked hard just to get what I want and I won't let just anyone to ruin my plans," with that Akuma and what's left of her followers fled, bringing Botan with them.

A/N: How was that? comments please. Mail me at seiyo@fushigiyuugi.net