Chapter Two
For the umpteenth time, Botan washed her face with cold water. And for the umpteenth time, she studied her reflection on the mirror. Shizuru's right, I look worse than worst. Her eyes were blotchy, her hair was a mess and she looked like she hadn't had a good night sleep for twenty decades. This is really not doing me any good.
Her eyes followed a droplet of water as it slid down her cheeks, it found its way to her neck and was seeped in by the collar of her shirt.
She sighed as she shifted her thoughts to Genkai. But she quickly shook it off her mind. She tried to recall the exact words Shizuru told her about two hours ago.
"Death, if you must know, is a normal human phenomenon. Death is something no one can escape. You, of all people, should understand that! You practically mingle with souls everyday of your life. They died too, you know. Genkai is no different from them."
She knew Shizuru's words were way right. Botan realized that now. It took her a basin-ful of tears and three boxes of tissue paper for that fact to sink in. But somehow, she still feel like crying. Maybe I'm just bad with deaths.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It was then that she realized that she had been kneeling on the floor and that her knees were already hurting.
"Botan, are you still there?"
She recognized Shizuru's voice. But instead of answering, she sat on the tiled floor and examined her knees. The floor was cold to touch but she didn't mind. It was better than getting a knee injury.
"Botan?" Then more forceful knocks followed.
"Are you alright?"
Shizuru's tone now indicates worry.
As if hearing Shizuru's call for the first time, a startled Botan brushed her hair with her hands and quickly stood up to check her reflection on the mirror. Convinced she looked better than she did when Shizuru left her in the rest room, she opened the door and smiled at Shizuru.
"I'm okay now."
"For a while there you got me really worried."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that, I was..." Botan fumbled for words, her eyes on the floor. As if she was caught doing something illegal.
"Don't worry about it. I understand. Or at least I'm trying."
Shizuru smiled at her and playfully slapped her shoulder and added "Listen, we run into Yusuke and my brother on our way down. They look okay now. Yusuke suggested we have lunch together. He said it would be fun. Nobody ever had some kick-ass time since the tournament finals. So, what do you think?"
"Yeah, I think that would be great!" Botan put on a fake smile. The idea of having lunch together was nice, but her feelings doesn't really shift from low to high gear in a split of a second. Perhaps eating together will somehow brighten my mood.
Shizuru pretended that she did not notice the fake smile. Give her a break, Shizuru. She silently argued with herself.
"Glad to see that you are really okay. Come on, let's go. They're waiting downstairs. But we have to pass by Kurama's first and invite him over lunch. 'Kei?"
"Okay."
Both of them walked the corridors quietly. On their way up, Shizuru lit up a cigarette, saying she feels like having one before eating and told Botan that she'll wait for her in front of the elevator while she pick up Kurama. "It was a no-smoking area, and I don't usually break hotel rules." She explained with a grin.
Botan walked to Kurama's room alone, leaving a smoking Shizuru by the elevators. The hall was rather long and awfully quiet. It took her about 3 minutes to get to Kurama's door. She never admitted it but too much silence accompanied by semi-darkness creeps her out.
Botan gently knocked at Kurama's door. Not wanting to startle him. But there was no answer. She tried again. When there was still no answer, she pressed her ears on the door, listening if someone is inside or not. When convinced that she heard something moving, she pushed the door opened, a little surprise to find it unlocked.
Her gaze first settled on the floor. Surprise covered her face as she saw blood all over it. The white finishing of the floor was stained with crimson red blood. Her mind suddenly raced to endless possibilities on what could have happened inside Kurama's room that had caused too much blood.
Recovering from the initial shock, she looked up to find Kurama facing the window. She was about to run to him when he noticed that Kurama's hair was a bloody mess. His clothes was also torn and soaked with blood. And something weird happened to his skin. She looked at his arms and studied it, she can vaguely make it out. Then she realized that the loose material hanging from Kurama's hands which she had mistaken for his torn sleeves were actually his skin. Somehow his skin was torn!
Worry was slowly creeping in her. She tried to calm herself by taking deep quiet breaths. Not wanting to make any sound.
From where she was standing, she saw Kurama lift a finger, in that swift motion, the window in front of Kurama broke into tiny pieces. Startled, Botan jumped back. A small cry escaped her. She quickly covered her mouth.
She stood there not moving for a while, waiting for any sign that Kurama had sense her presence. From what she was seeing, Kurama is in a very dangerous state and she wasn't about to let him catch her watching him like that. She has a strong feeling that something might have possessed him and turned him into something else. But I can't be too sure! Maybe... maybe he needs my help... She hesitated for a while but decided to just get help from Yusuke. Quickly, she reached for the door. She's going to get help. Fast!
But it was too late. Kurama turned in time to see Botan holding the knob. A confused expression on his face, as if trying to understand why the blue-haired girl was staring at him with such obvious fear.
Botan froze upon seeing Kurama's face. Cold blood rushing to her veins. Then her fear turned into worry. What on earth happen to Kurama? His neck was swollen, almost nearing the size of his head. His eyes bear dark purple circles around them. His nose was bleeding in a relatively slow rate. There was not a trace of the pretty boy Kurama she knew on this Kurama in front of her now.
Then Kurama's face cleared. He looked at Botan for a moment then spoke.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. His voice low and hoarse. His brows deepening into frown.
Her pulse raced fast. She knew something bad is about to happen to her. She turned pale, something in his eyes tells her that he is capable of hurting her and that he would enjoy doing so.
I need to find my way out! I need to get Yusuke in here! Panic was already sinking in. Desperate to escape, she thought for her way out. If she'd run outside like hell, she'd be able to make it.
Okay, I'll run! But before she could do so. Kurama spoke again. But this time it was calmer as if he was talking to someone he had known.
Kurama's face bear recognition of the girl standing in front of him. "Botan, it's nice to see you again. Don't I get a smile? Why? Didn't you miss me? Is that how you treat an old acquaintance?" He said calmly, almost smiling at her.
Somehow, Botan had a slight feeling of déjà vu. She doesn't know what came over her, but she suddenly forgot about her fear. His voice... it's familiar... She loosed hold of the knob. Confusion drowned her. I know him... She took two steps closer to the stranger in front of her with Kurama's body and asked him who he was.
"I see, someone must have erased me from you." He replied.
"What?" Botan asked, not quite comprehending his answer.
"Was it Koenma? Or was it his damn father?" He asked with a booming voice. His face turned dark with anger.
Botan was slightly taken a back. He spoke of the royalties of the Spiritual World with such bitterness. She silently wondered his reasons for hating them. But moreover, she wondered where he had met this stranger before. What is it with him that seems so familiar?
"Who are you?" Botan asked again. This time her voice demanded a straight answer.
The stranger gave out a little laugh in reply, then stopped. He stared hard at Botan with eyes literally firing.
In that moment Botan saw the shadow of his true form in Kurama's body. It wasn't totally clear but she could hazily make out his face. His right cheek bore a scar, probably cause by a slash of a sword. His eyes were of burning red color. I know him... I'm sure I know him! Botan said to herself, forcing her brain to recall the stranger possessing Kurama's body. But before she could recognize him, his shadow went away. Leaving an ugly image of the tortured Kurama in front of her to stare.
Botan looked hard at his eyes. The fire on it was slowly dying, revealing what she believes to be Kurama's real eyes. He was looking at her with tears welling from his eyes, pleading for her to help him.
Kurama! She was taken away by the pain she saw in Kurama's eyes. I need to help him! She was about to reach for his hand to get him out of there. But his eyes again lit up with fire. The Kurama in him that she saw a while ago was all gone. All she can see was the bitter creature she believes she knew somewhere.
Then with one swift motion, he raised his hand. A powerful energy came from it and headed for Botan's direction. Before she could get out of its way, she was sent flying to the wall by its force. Then, she fell flat on the floor, leaving her unconscious.
"Serves you right for not treating an old friend well." he muttered bitterly as he left through the window.
From the corridor, Shizuru heard the loud thud coming from Kurama's room. Quickly, she went to see what happened. She found Botan lifeless on the floor and a puddle of blood beside her. She quickly concluded that the blood wasn't from Botan. The puddle's sides were nearly drying.
What happened in here? Reflex told her to check Botan's pulse. Good, she's alive!
Then she looked around for signs of Kurama. But he wasn't there. She hurriedly went down to find Yusuke. Something is so wrong. Something is really wrong! The worried expression on her face was enough to tell that great danger is about to come. Whatever it is, I hope we can fight it.
For the umpteenth time, Botan washed her face with cold water. And for the umpteenth time, she studied her reflection on the mirror. Shizuru's right, I look worse than worst. Her eyes were blotchy, her hair was a mess and she looked like she hadn't had a good night sleep for twenty decades. This is really not doing me any good.
Her eyes followed a droplet of water as it slid down her cheeks, it found its way to her neck and was seeped in by the collar of her shirt.
She sighed as she shifted her thoughts to Genkai. But she quickly shook it off her mind. She tried to recall the exact words Shizuru told her about two hours ago.
"Death, if you must know, is a normal human phenomenon. Death is something no one can escape. You, of all people, should understand that! You practically mingle with souls everyday of your life. They died too, you know. Genkai is no different from them."
She knew Shizuru's words were way right. Botan realized that now. It took her a basin-ful of tears and three boxes of tissue paper for that fact to sink in. But somehow, she still feel like crying. Maybe I'm just bad with deaths.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It was then that she realized that she had been kneeling on the floor and that her knees were already hurting.
"Botan, are you still there?"
She recognized Shizuru's voice. But instead of answering, she sat on the tiled floor and examined her knees. The floor was cold to touch but she didn't mind. It was better than getting a knee injury.
"Botan?" Then more forceful knocks followed.
"Are you alright?"
Shizuru's tone now indicates worry.
As if hearing Shizuru's call for the first time, a startled Botan brushed her hair with her hands and quickly stood up to check her reflection on the mirror. Convinced she looked better than she did when Shizuru left her in the rest room, she opened the door and smiled at Shizuru.
"I'm okay now."
"For a while there you got me really worried."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that, I was..." Botan fumbled for words, her eyes on the floor. As if she was caught doing something illegal.
"Don't worry about it. I understand. Or at least I'm trying."
Shizuru smiled at her and playfully slapped her shoulder and added "Listen, we run into Yusuke and my brother on our way down. They look okay now. Yusuke suggested we have lunch together. He said it would be fun. Nobody ever had some kick-ass time since the tournament finals. So, what do you think?"
"Yeah, I think that would be great!" Botan put on a fake smile. The idea of having lunch together was nice, but her feelings doesn't really shift from low to high gear in a split of a second. Perhaps eating together will somehow brighten my mood.
Shizuru pretended that she did not notice the fake smile. Give her a break, Shizuru. She silently argued with herself.
"Glad to see that you are really okay. Come on, let's go. They're waiting downstairs. But we have to pass by Kurama's first and invite him over lunch. 'Kei?"
"Okay."
Both of them walked the corridors quietly. On their way up, Shizuru lit up a cigarette, saying she feels like having one before eating and told Botan that she'll wait for her in front of the elevator while she pick up Kurama. "It was a no-smoking area, and I don't usually break hotel rules." She explained with a grin.
Botan walked to Kurama's room alone, leaving a smoking Shizuru by the elevators. The hall was rather long and awfully quiet. It took her about 3 minutes to get to Kurama's door. She never admitted it but too much silence accompanied by semi-darkness creeps her out.
Botan gently knocked at Kurama's door. Not wanting to startle him. But there was no answer. She tried again. When there was still no answer, she pressed her ears on the door, listening if someone is inside or not. When convinced that she heard something moving, she pushed the door opened, a little surprise to find it unlocked.
Her gaze first settled on the floor. Surprise covered her face as she saw blood all over it. The white finishing of the floor was stained with crimson red blood. Her mind suddenly raced to endless possibilities on what could have happened inside Kurama's room that had caused too much blood.
Recovering from the initial shock, she looked up to find Kurama facing the window. She was about to run to him when he noticed that Kurama's hair was a bloody mess. His clothes was also torn and soaked with blood. And something weird happened to his skin. She looked at his arms and studied it, she can vaguely make it out. Then she realized that the loose material hanging from Kurama's hands which she had mistaken for his torn sleeves were actually his skin. Somehow his skin was torn!
Worry was slowly creeping in her. She tried to calm herself by taking deep quiet breaths. Not wanting to make any sound.
From where she was standing, she saw Kurama lift a finger, in that swift motion, the window in front of Kurama broke into tiny pieces. Startled, Botan jumped back. A small cry escaped her. She quickly covered her mouth.
She stood there not moving for a while, waiting for any sign that Kurama had sense her presence. From what she was seeing, Kurama is in a very dangerous state and she wasn't about to let him catch her watching him like that. She has a strong feeling that something might have possessed him and turned him into something else. But I can't be too sure! Maybe... maybe he needs my help... She hesitated for a while but decided to just get help from Yusuke. Quickly, she reached for the door. She's going to get help. Fast!
But it was too late. Kurama turned in time to see Botan holding the knob. A confused expression on his face, as if trying to understand why the blue-haired girl was staring at him with such obvious fear.
Botan froze upon seeing Kurama's face. Cold blood rushing to her veins. Then her fear turned into worry. What on earth happen to Kurama? His neck was swollen, almost nearing the size of his head. His eyes bear dark purple circles around them. His nose was bleeding in a relatively slow rate. There was not a trace of the pretty boy Kurama she knew on this Kurama in front of her now.
Then Kurama's face cleared. He looked at Botan for a moment then spoke.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. His voice low and hoarse. His brows deepening into frown.
Her pulse raced fast. She knew something bad is about to happen to her. She turned pale, something in his eyes tells her that he is capable of hurting her and that he would enjoy doing so.
I need to find my way out! I need to get Yusuke in here! Panic was already sinking in. Desperate to escape, she thought for her way out. If she'd run outside like hell, she'd be able to make it.
Okay, I'll run! But before she could do so. Kurama spoke again. But this time it was calmer as if he was talking to someone he had known.
Kurama's face bear recognition of the girl standing in front of him. "Botan, it's nice to see you again. Don't I get a smile? Why? Didn't you miss me? Is that how you treat an old acquaintance?" He said calmly, almost smiling at her.
Somehow, Botan had a slight feeling of déjà vu. She doesn't know what came over her, but she suddenly forgot about her fear. His voice... it's familiar... She loosed hold of the knob. Confusion drowned her. I know him... She took two steps closer to the stranger in front of her with Kurama's body and asked him who he was.
"I see, someone must have erased me from you." He replied.
"What?" Botan asked, not quite comprehending his answer.
"Was it Koenma? Or was it his damn father?" He asked with a booming voice. His face turned dark with anger.
Botan was slightly taken a back. He spoke of the royalties of the Spiritual World with such bitterness. She silently wondered his reasons for hating them. But moreover, she wondered where he had met this stranger before. What is it with him that seems so familiar?
"Who are you?" Botan asked again. This time her voice demanded a straight answer.
The stranger gave out a little laugh in reply, then stopped. He stared hard at Botan with eyes literally firing.
In that moment Botan saw the shadow of his true form in Kurama's body. It wasn't totally clear but she could hazily make out his face. His right cheek bore a scar, probably cause by a slash of a sword. His eyes were of burning red color. I know him... I'm sure I know him! Botan said to herself, forcing her brain to recall the stranger possessing Kurama's body. But before she could recognize him, his shadow went away. Leaving an ugly image of the tortured Kurama in front of her to stare.
Botan looked hard at his eyes. The fire on it was slowly dying, revealing what she believes to be Kurama's real eyes. He was looking at her with tears welling from his eyes, pleading for her to help him.
Kurama! She was taken away by the pain she saw in Kurama's eyes. I need to help him! She was about to reach for his hand to get him out of there. But his eyes again lit up with fire. The Kurama in him that she saw a while ago was all gone. All she can see was the bitter creature she believes she knew somewhere.
Then with one swift motion, he raised his hand. A powerful energy came from it and headed for Botan's direction. Before she could get out of its way, she was sent flying to the wall by its force. Then, she fell flat on the floor, leaving her unconscious.
"Serves you right for not treating an old friend well." he muttered bitterly as he left through the window.
From the corridor, Shizuru heard the loud thud coming from Kurama's room. Quickly, she went to see what happened. She found Botan lifeless on the floor and a puddle of blood beside her. She quickly concluded that the blood wasn't from Botan. The puddle's sides were nearly drying.
What happened in here? Reflex told her to check Botan's pulse. Good, she's alive!
Then she looked around for signs of Kurama. But he wasn't there. She hurriedly went down to find Yusuke. Something is so wrong. Something is really wrong! The worried expression on her face was enough to tell that great danger is about to come. Whatever it is, I hope we can fight it.