Hello to my HB Nation! Hope you've all been well!

As promised, here is the sequel to Friends. Much like its first installment, this fic is going to be hyper-focused on Hiei and Botan with little sprinklings of the rest of the cast here and there. I've got the rest of the chapters written out, they just need some heavy editing, so it shouldn't take me too long to crank this one out.

Without further ado, sit back, relax and enjoy Chapter 1.


"Sorry I'm late, ladies!" Botan said as she joined the girls at the corner booth of the Yukimura diner. Keiko, Shizuru and Yukina were already seated with drinks and a bag of shrimp flavored chips in front of them. There were a couple of customers scattered around the tables and the savory scents of the lunch menu hung in the air. The ferry-girl slid into the booth and sighed. "Things have been hectic lately."

"That's what happens when you overthrow a corrupt leader and attempt to rewrite a millennial's worth of laws," Shizuru noted as she slid the untouched glass of pink lemonade towards the ferry-girl. "You look well, though."

"As well as can be!" she beamed. And it was the honest truth. As exhausting and demanding as her life had gotten, she wouldn't change a thing. Just knowing that she was helping to create a better future for everyone was extremely fulfilling. There was still quite a way to go, but they would find their footing eventually. Botan took a long pull of her lemonade through her straw and relaxed into the plush cushioning of the chair. "But enough about me, what's going on with you three?"

"Just prepping for exams with Kuwabara," Keiko stated. "Believe it or not, he's the perfect study partner."

Yukina smiled. "Kazuma feels the same. He says you make things easier to understand than some of his teachers."

Keiko echoed the ice-maiden's fond expression. "And his enthusiasm and determination is infectious."

"That's wonderful," Botan cheered. "I'm sure you'll both do great."

"I sure hope so!" Keiko replied. "But Shizuru's the one who's really got her work cut out for her."

Botan's brows hiked in surprise as she tilted her head at Shizuru.

"I've been thinking about branching out," the psychic revealed. "Setting up my own salon."

"That's amazing, Shizuru!" Botan praised.

The elder Kuwabara nodded. "There's a lot of factors involved that might change those plans, but we'll see."

"Well, you've already got three loyal customers," Botan supplied.

"Loyalty's nice, but paying customers are what will keep me afloat," Shizuru teased as she reached for a chip. "Then again, I might already have the perfect assistant if a certain ice-maiden's got time on her hands."

Yukina nodded eagerly. "I'd be happy to help out however I can."

"I get the feeling I'm missing something…" Botan said, amethyst eyes bouncing between the two.

Keiko nodded in agreement.

"Oh, we never told you, did we?" Yukina realized somewhat sheepishly. "I've been staying with Shizuru and Kazuma for some time now."

Botan's mouth fell open in surprise as the ice-maiden went on.

"Genkai's temple is wonderful, but it's also secluded. I wanted to experience more of the human world and this was the solution they came up with."

Keiko threw a knowing look in her direction. "I'm sure Kuwabara's been thrilled having you so nearby."

Yukina ducked her head in embarrassment. "I don't want to distract him… I know he's been working hard, so I've been helping Shizuru out at the salon and earning my own keep."

"That's wonderful, dear!" The ferry-girl clapped her hands together and nodded approvingly. "Everyone's doing so well for themselves."

Keiko's smile turned wistful as she stirred her straw in her drink absentmindedly. "I wonder if it's the same for Yusuke and the others, too…"

"I'm sure those three are causing all sorts of waves," Shizuru said softly.

Botan laughed. "Yes, I can see it now: Yusuke's no doubt driving Raizen's retainers crazy and getting stronger by the day. Across the way, Kurama's probably locked in some intense and complex mental battle with Yomi. And Hiei…"

The girls waited expectantly for a response.

"Remains a complete and total mystery," she finished with a forlorn sigh. "I haven't heard from him in months."

"Maybe he's busy?" Keiko tried.

"Or worse," Shizuru inserted.

"Shizuru!" Keiko huffed, nudging the other woman pointedly.

"It is Makai," Shizuru reasoned in that calm and dry-cut way of hers. "We all know the dangers, but even so, Hiei isn't the type to go down easily. I'm sure he'll contact you when he can."

"Right," Botan agreed, although her heart truly wasn't in it.

Half a year had already passed by without a single word from the fire-demon. In the first few months, she assumed he was simply settling in and getting accustomed to his newly reclaimed freedom. She was sure that he would pick up her calls eventually. She was certain that he'd reach out once he was able to. But as the weeks and months went on without so much as an answer or familiar grunt from her friend, she found her hope slowly diminishing.

It would have hurt more if she had the opportunity to dwell on it. But as things currently stood, life afforded her little opportunity for free time or spare thoughts. It turned out the root of Enma's corruption ran far deeper than any of them could have imagined. There was a lot of damage to undo; there was so much that they needed to set right.

So, the ferry-girl endeavored to pour all her energy into her work. It was tough, but it was necessary. Every victory was hard-earned and well worth it.

If she focused on all the good she was doing, she could just barely ignore the void in her heart that Hiei left behind.


Hiei dragged his heavy and tense body through the halls of Mukuro's stronghold. The first six months of his stay was a constant struggle for survival. He was brought down to a dungeon with nothing but the clothes on his back, sword in hand and the few items he carried on his person.

He expected to be tested, but this was something else entirely. Wave after wave of enemies were unleashed upon him without warning, reprieve, or mercy.

Time was a moot point down there. All that mattered was staying sharp and attentive, lest he lose his life. Somewhere between the endless struggles and amidst the strikes and blocks and energy blasts, he'd broken the device. Must've landed on it carelessly. He made sure to sit its remains in a safe place and guarded it from that day forward.

Months later, Hiei emerged from the dungeon with his lost hiruiseki stone reclaimed and a permanent post under Mukuro's command. And although the regeneration tank healed his injuries, a relentless weariness still clung to every muscle, settling deep in his bones. He planned to locate his room, fall face first into the first semi-comfortable surface he could find and sleep until he regained his energy. But first, he had pressing business to attend to.

"You," he called out, catching the eye of one of the regeneration tank mechanics. "You're one of the technicians."

The lanky demon pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and nodded. "That's right."

Hiei pushed the communication mirror into the other demon's hands. "Then you can repair this."

The technician blinked as turned the purple compact over in his nimble hands. "Is this from the Spirit World?"

"What does it matter?" Hiei snapped. "Just fix it."

The other demon flinched. "But I'm not familiar with Reikai technology."

Hiei's eyes narrowed, his irritation pouring off of him in dark swirls of energy.

"Whoa," Haru cut in, stepping between Hiei and the trembling technician. "Please don't maim one of the smartest souls in our territory."

"Go away," Hiei snarled.

"Can't. Mukuro asked me to show you to your room," Haru announced. "But before that, what's going on here?"

"It's none of your concern-"

Haru had already turned to the other man for answers. "Rin-Rin?"

"It's Rintarou," he corrected. "And I'm not quite sure if I can fix this odd contraption for him." He paused to reveal the communication mirror in his palm. "It's from the Spirit World, and we all know their technology is nearly as ancient as the human's barbaric advancements."

"Spirit World, you say?" Haru looked a little confused, but rolled with it. "Well… it can't hurt to try, right? And hey, you might even get some inspiration tinkering away with the unfamiliar."

Rintarou's dark eyes flashed with interest. "That's true…"

"Do your best, Rin-Rin," Haru encouraged, patting the other man on the back. "I believe in you!"

"This isn't a friendly request," Hiei reminded the tech. "Find a way to repair it and return it to me once you're finished."

Rintarou nodded stiffly and scurried off.

"We really need to work on your social skills," Haru muttered as he led Hiei down the corridor. "But that thingamajig must be pretty special if you're threatening people over it."

"I didn't even begin to threaten him."

"Edgy," Haru teased, amusement lighting his green eyes and curling his mouth. "So, what's the urgency?"

"It's none of your concern."

"Yeah, I get that, but this is your home now and we're your comrades. It won't kill you to try and make connections. And it definitely wouldn't hurt to be polite either."

Such soft sentimentality only served to remind him of Botan. His thoughts trailed to blue hair, bright eyes and a smiling grin.

"Hello? Makai to Hiei?"

He shook his head to forcefully dispel the image while swatting Haru's hand away. "I'm in no mood for lectures, least of all from a lighthearted fool like you."

"Rude," Haru mumbled. "Anyway, this is your stop. I can show you around the place when you're ready. Just knock on my door right there."

Great, Hiei thought disdainfully. The idiot was his neighbor.

"Alright, go on, rest up. I'll see you around, buddy."

Hiei entered the room without offering a parting response, crimson eyes passing over the area mechanically. It was sparsely furnished with a decent sized bed, a sizable closet, and a trunk for anything else. The walls were bare and did not contain any of the body-horror-esque decor that lined most of the fortress. The floors were made of large and evenly cut stones that stretched across the entire fortress. The large window that faced east was open, the curtains fluttering in the wind.

Hiei never had a place to call his own, but he could make do with this. It was more than enough.

.

.

.

The device was returned to the fire-demon one and a half days later. The moment his duties were over and he was in the seclusion of his room, he pulled the purple compact out. Thumbing the smooth, round top, he thought of the ferry-girl.

The image of her hadn't faded at all in his memory. Bright, expressive and, admittedly, loud.

He wondered what she might have been up to in the past couple of months. If they were finding success in their endeavors. If change was truly possible. He supposed there was no point in guessing. He would get his answer soon enough.

Flipping the cover open, he wasted no time in pressing the triangular call button.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Until he finally closed the device.

Hiei thought nothing of the missed call. Botan was undoubtedly busy with their supposed plans of revamping and restructuring her world. He was sure she would eventually respond.

But as the days passed and the device continued to ring endlessly, his surety began to fade.

Botan never picked up.

She never called back.

And things were getting busier and busier for the fire-demon. As his responsibilities grew, his attempts to contact the woman dwindled down until he stopped calling entirely.

It was clear that they were both heading in very separate directions. Perhaps the past was meant to remain in the past. Memories locked away of a time that would never be again. There was nothing more to be said, so he placed the device in his trunk and forgot about it entirely.


Botan stood in the ocean with the others, smiling and carefree as they welcomed Yusuke home.

With the cool seabreeze cutting through the summer heat, the sunset stretching across the horizon, and her friends' laughter ringing in her ears, she felt nothing but pure and unbridled joy.

Yusuke had Kuwabara in a chokehold. Yukina looked on, caught between amusement and concern. Keiko rolled her eyes, but neither she nor Shizuru could hide the fond look in their eyes. Kurama simply smiled, as if no time passed between them at all. After three long years of change and growth and separation, they were all together again.

All except one, that is.

It was times like these that she missed Hiei the most. The fire-demon should've been here with them, arms crossed over his chest as he either judged them for their boundless immaturity or wilfully ignored the scene entirely. He would make a comment, or a grunt, and she would try to cheer him up. Then, he might afford her one of those rare, unguarded looks that she treasured so much.

Botan shook the thought from her mind, refusing to allow it to take root within her heart and destroy her good mood. Instead, she plastered a buoyant smile over her lips, saying all the right words when she was addressed and inserting the right amount of cheer into her voice.

It wasn't long before they made their way out of the water and onto the shoreline. They decided to head back to Genkai's temple before night fell.

Yusuke filled them in about his time in Makai. He was given the chance to take over Raizen's territory, but ultimately declined. The human world was his home, he claimed, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

"I'll probably head back in time for the tournaments," he mentioned. "It'd be a shame to let Yomi beat me a second time."

"You fared well against him," Kurama commended. "But he has yet to unleash the true extent of his power."

Yusuke smirked. "Then I'll just have to get stronger."

"Maybe I'll go to the next one, too," Kuwabara considered. "I don't wanna get rusty or anything."

"Sure, it's your funeral," Yusuke teased.

"Urameshi!"

"What about Hiei?" Botan piped up, unable to tamp down her curiosity. "Was he there?"

"You can ask him yourself." Yusuke pointed skyward. "Pretty sure I can sense him skulking up there in one of the trees."

"Wha-"

A shadow fell down, the figure landing effortlessly and standing tall. Botan's mouth fell open when she recognized the shock of raven hair and the red eyes that were once so familiar to her.

"I wasn't skulking," Hiei said, his voice cutting. "I was only waiting for you to stop posturing."

Yusuke muttered something rude under his breath in response, but Botan was too fixated on the fire-demon to care. The first and most obvious change she noticed in the fire-demon was his height difference. He shot up a few inches since the last time she saw him while maintaining his natural sturdy physique. He wore his cloak and scarf, looking as comfortable as ever, despite the last vestiges of summer heat lingering in the air. His sword was absent, but she could see the head of his dragon tattoo peeking out from the long sleeve of his cloak.

He turned towards Yukina, his gaze revealing neither his intentions or emotions.

"I intended to talk to you," he said. "Alone."

Ruby eyes blinked, clearly caught off-guard.

Kuwabara tensed at her side, clearly unhappy with the admission.

"We're all headed back to the temple. Can we talk there?" Yukina asked.

Hiei hesitated. He seemed torn between fleeing and obliging his sister, but in the end, he relented with a nod.

"Then let's get a move on," Yusuke decided, leading the group onwards as Yukina gently took Kuwabara's hand and followed suit. "I'm starving. I hope grandma's fridge is stocked."

"I'm sure we can scrounge something up," Keiko said.

The conversation filtered through her ears, but Botan wasn't truly listening. Her feet were fixed to the ground, all her attention on the fire-demon. He appeared to be waiting for the group to put more distance between them before he carried on, intent to lag behind as he always did. He must have sensed her attentions on him, because he stiffened, shoulders going tense as he slowly turned towards her.

When his sharp, red-eyed gaze settled on her, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She couldn't decipher his expression anymore, his tells and ticks lost in the passing of time. She wondered if he felt anything at all upon seeing her again. She wondered if his stomach was twisting in knots the way hers was. She wanted to say something, anything, but found her voice failing her. All she could do was stare at the fire-demon with a myriad of emotions stirring in her heart.


Hiei only intended to find Yukina, speak to her in private and then make his getaway.

He didn't expect to see Botan and he certainly didn't think he'd be alone with her like this.

She was just as he remembered: blue hair tied up in a simple but signature style, amethyst eyes resting on him expectantly and emotions splayed across her face like an open book.

She stared at him as if he were a specter. And when she moved closer and reached out towards him, he already knew exactly what was coming next.

Hiei caught her wrist in his hand, grip firm enough to halt its advancement but gentle enough not to hurt.

"It's me," he assured, before she could pinch his cheek like she had before just outside of Sensui's hideout. "In the flesh."

Botan swallowed thickly.

He released her and pushed his hand in his pocket. The lingering warmth and softness of her skin remained imprinted on his palm and fingers.

"You look well," she commented awkwardly.

"Surely you didn't wait three years just to comment on my appearance," he remarked dryly.

"It's called small talk. I was going to build up to the heavy stuff!"

"You and I both know I don't care for fruitless discussions."

"Fine, let's get right to the point, shall we?" she decided, hands on her hips. "Why didn't you ever call me?"

Even a soul as stunted as his could detect the hurt in her amethyst eyes. But it made no sense when she was the one who turned away from him first. So, he deflected.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied.

"I tried," she argued. "I called you so many times, but you never answered."

His eyes widened slightly as he digested her words. Botan wasn't a liar and in the rare occasions when she tried to hide her intent, it was so plainly obvious that her deception was rendered pointless. There wasn't a single trace of dishonesty emanating from the woman before him. Her gaze and tone were both as sincere as ever. She was telling the truth.

Deep down, Hiei should have known that Botan would have attempted to reach him. It wasn't in her nature to discard someone she considered a friend. And after everything that happened between them, he should have realized that she would never do that to him.

"I broke the device," he answered bluntly.

"Hiei!"

"I was locked in a sixth month battle to prove myself to Mukuro when it happened. There was little time for much else than defending myself and cutting down those who stood in my way," he explained.

"Six months?" she balked. "How did you manage to make it out in one piece?"

"Through sheer spite," he told her wryly. "But the communication mirror wasn't so fortunate."

"Well… I suppose I can't fault you for that."

"I had it repaired once my trial was over. I tried to contact you-"

"But by that time, Koenma had already retired the set," she realized, eyes wide as the truth sank in.

Hiei raised a brow, prompting her to continue.

"There were defectors and conspirators who threatened to usurp Koenma. The devices were no longer a safe method of communicating, so he got rid of them entirely and had newer versions created." Botan frowned. "I never received your calls because by then the devices were out of commission."

Hiei's gaze fell away as the pieces aligned. The ferry-girl hadn't blatantly ignored or discarded him. It was a simple case of bad timing and outdated technology. "I see."

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" she asked.

"I didn't think there was a need," he admitted.

"I suppose I could have tried, too," she reasoned. "I wanted to attend the Demon World Tournament, but there was just so much to be done here."

He nodded.

Silence settled over the two, but it was far from stifling or uncomfortable. The breeze rustled through the trees, carrying her familiar scent of fresh meadows. It was almost surreal to be in her presence again. To have those eyes on him. To be faced with that smile once more.

"So." Botan's lilting voice broke through the quiet. "You ended up at Mukuro's after all, huh?"

"Mukuro values strength and isn't concerned with politics or pleasantries like the other territories."

"I take it you like it there."

"For now," he admitted.

"That's great."

"And you… have you succeeded with your lofty goals?"

"We're well on our way," she reported proudly. "Things are changing for the better. At least I think so."

"Even I've heard whispers of the changes implemented in your world. Don't discount it."

Botan smiled as they continued walking through the forest and towards Genkai's temple. The golden light filtering through the trees was fading as the sky darkened overhead. Their shadows grew and the distance between them lessened as the ferry-girl inched closer towards him.

"I'm really glad that you weren't just ignoring me," she said suddenly. "For a while there, I thought you didn't care anymore…"

Hiei was at a loss for words. The past three years weren't exactly filled with vulnerability and open discussions of his feelings. Actions spoke louder than words in the fortress. Strength and brutality reigned supreme. He wasn't used to expressing himself unless it was through violence or anger. He wasn't used to laying his emotions bare with others.

But this was Botan.

It didn't matter how much time passed. She was still the only one he let in.

And if he did it before, he could do it again.

"I wouldn't do that to you, woman," he stated. "Not unless I wanted to be nagged beyond the afterlife."

She laughed at that, her expression lifting considerably. The way her smile unfurled over her face was a familiar sight; one he had gone without for too long.

"Let's not let another three years pass us by," she proposed. "I really missed you and I'd like to see you again. We have so much to catch up on, after all."

He nodded his agreement silently.

Botan beamed.

And together, they made their way towards Genkai's temple.


Hope you all liked the start. Please drop a review if you enjoyed. :)