Ah-hem. All right, then. This is my newest YYH story, so be nice. Actually, I'm rather proud of it. And you, the reader, get to help me out! Yay! You can give me ideas, or comments, or even suggest who it is that our heroine ends up with-but that's for later. For now, let's begin, shall we?

* * * * * * *

It all started with Yusuke. In fact, the whole adventure began because Yusuke Urameshi was being his usual perverted self.

It was an unusual day. For starters, Yusuke was at school. Also, it'd been a week and he and the other Tantei hadn't received any missions from the sniveling, whiny stuck-up child ruler Koenma.

As Yusuke entered the schoolyard, he saw a flash of brown hair. There was Keiko, talking to her friends. Her back was turned, so she hadn't seen him yet.

Yusuke grinned. *Shall I peek under her skirt or go for an above approach today? Hmmm...* He sneaked closer. So far, so good. *The Hunter moves in close to his unsuspecting prey...* With a leap, he was directly behind his target and wrapped his arms around her to cup her breasts. "Hmm, what have we here...?"

"Yusuke! What are you DOING?!"

The Tantei turned. There, behind him, was Keiko. *Behind me? Then who...?* He turned back slowly...in time to receive a slap so hard that it knocked him on his backside and he saw double for a moment. "Itai..." he muttered, rubbing his cheek. He glanced up at the girl he'd mistaken for Keiko. There were a few differences. This girl's hair was longer and gathered into a high ponytail, the tip of it just reaching her shoulders, with two strands of hair hanging on either side of her face. She was an inch or two taller, but still shorter than Yusuke. But there were also several similarities. Her eyes and hair were brown like Keiko's, only a little bit darker. She wore the same angry glare that Keiko often turned on Yusuke...and her slap was just as painful!

"You didn't tell me you had a twin, Keiko..." Yusuke groaned as he stood up slowly, watching the girl stalk away.

"I don't," his childhood friend replied. "That's Satsukiame Aori. She just transferred here." She snorted. "Some welcome you show her."

Yusuke grinned sheepishly. "She hits just as hard as you do." He'd forgotten that Keiko had gotten her hair cut...otherwise he might've gotten the right person.

The bell rang and Keiko scurried to class, with Yusuke trailing behind.

"Where've ya been, Urameshi?" Kazuma Kuwabara whispered, as Yusuke slid into his seat.

"Girl problems," Yusuke whispered back.

"We have a new student today from Azabu," Takenaka-sensei called over the din of the class. There was a sudden hush as the classroom door slid open and in stepped...the girl. Satsukiame Aori.

"Now..." he glanced at the girl. "Kia?" She nodded. "Kia has only been in Japan for four years," Takenaka told the class. "So I expect you to be considerate." He smiled. "Take a seat, Miss Aori."

Kia headed to a seat close to Keiko. She paused when she saw Yusuke, and he knew she had recognized him. *I'm so dead...*

Surprisingly, the girl smiled. "What you have here," she said very quietly, "Is what every woman has two of...I hope." With that, she sat down and opened her book.

* * * * * * * *

"Hmmm..." Kuwabara rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I have this feeling...about the new girl."

"New love interest?" Kurama asked amusedly, flipping his long red hair over his shoulders.

Hiei snorted.

The Tantei were at Yusuke's house, awaiting a new mission...or something.

"You know Yukina-san is my only love," Kuwabara declared. Hiei's yell of outrage was muffled by Yusuke's hand. "But, seriously guys, Kia's radiating a lot of fear and pain. And...she holds some sort of secret..."

Kurama frowned. Kia...that name sounded very familiar...

"You're absolutely right, Kuwabara-kun!" A cheerful voice cried. A blue-haired girl with her hair in a high ponytail sat on Yusuke's bed-which had been unoccupied only seconds ago.

Hiei groaned. "And here's Cheery Death herself."

"Of course I'm right, Botan-chan!" Kuwabara boasted. "Errr...why am I right?"

"Baka ningen." Hiei growled. Kurama smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Kia. Satsukiame Aori. She DOES hold a secret. A mirror, of sorts."

Yusuke blinked. "What the hell are you talking about, Botan?"

The ferrygirl shrugged. "Gomen, Yusuke...I can't tell you any more than that. But here's your next mission: Get close to Kia. She's in terrible danger and she'll be a valuable asset to all of you. Yes, even you, Hiei," she added to the Jaganshi. "Once you've earned her trust, I can tell you a little bit more." She disappeared.

"Kuso! I hate it when she does that," Yusuke griped. "Shimatta!"

"Oh, and I'll be recruiting some others to help..." Botan's voice echoed in the room. "Have fun, boys!"

Kurama sighed. "I suppose we shall have to undertake this mission."

"Hey, no problem!" Kuwabara said loudly. "How hard could it possibly be to get close to her?" Famous last words.

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"It's hopeless," Yusuke moaned to Kuwabara and Keiko. The three were on the school roof.

It had been a week and they had found out absolutely nothing about their quiet target. Not where she lived, her family, not even her favorite color. She always managed to evade them.

Hiei, following her after school one day, had abruptly lost her. He had sulked for the rest of the day.

It was Kurama who finally broke through the invisible barrier Kia had erected around herself. On his way home from the store, something blue caught his eye. He turned and saw a girl in a Sarayashiki school uniform sitting on the curb, arms wrapped around her legs. One look convinced the Youko that this was the girl. Better verify it.

"Kia?"

The girl jumped and stared at him, mouth hanging slightly open. "How...how did you know my name?"

Kurama smiled. "I'm a friend of Yusuke's. Is something wrong?" He added, suddenly noticing the deep sadness lurking in her expressive eyes.

Kia glanced up at him. "I can't go back home yet."

"Why not?" Kurama asked, blinking as she emphasized the word "home". "It's getting dark...it's not wise to stay out here at night."

Her reply was a short laugh. "I'm safer here than I am at-" She broke off suddenly, her eyes fixing on something.

Kurama followed her gaze and saw a group of high-school boys...obviously intoxicated, from the way they were acting.

Kia shuddered. "They give me a place to stay," she murmured. "But when they're like this, it's best to avoid them."

However, the boys caught sight of her and staggered over.

"Hey, it's our girly!"

"Ready to come back wit' us?"

"We'll have LOTS of fun."

The girl stiffened and rose, backing away. Instantly, a boy seized her hands and twisted her arms behind her, forcing her to her knees. "Ungrateful wench!" he snarled.

"Release her."

The boys and their captive stared at the slender redhead.

"Ain't none of your business, pretty-boy," one said finally.

"Really?" Kurama raised an eyebrow. "I think it is. Let her go."

"Like HELL I'll -"

A thorny whip appeared in Kurama's hand.

"H-h-hey man, don't kill us!" Frightened, Kia's captor let go of her. She immediately ran to Kurama.

"Go," he told her, without taking his eyes off his opponents.

They all attacked at once. Kurama managed to take down most of them.

Wearily, he stepped over the unconscious bodies and transformed his whip back into a rose.

"Kurama, look out!"

Startled, the Youko looked up just to get hit squarely in the skull with a large rock. He sagged to the ground.

"Heh, heh..." The young man grinned at his success and pulled out a knife. "I've an urge to gut you like a-"

WHOMP.

This time, it was the boy who fell.



Kia stood behind him, schoolbag still raised. She lowered it and walked over to Kurama. Kneeling, she examined his wounds. A few cuts and he'd probably have a bump on his head tomorrow. For a moment, she hesitated.

"I owe him that much..."

Slinging his left arm over her shoulders, she wrapped her right arm and his waist and began a slow walk towards Yusuke's house. She'd seen it a couple of times. Luckily, she didn't have to go that far.

"KURAMA!"

The yell made Kia stop and stare at the two approaching figures. Kuwabara and Yusuke.

"Shimatta! What HAPPENED to him??" Kuwabara exclaimed, giving the girl a suspicious glance.

"He saved me from a gang," Kia explained. "But he got knocked out..."

"I'll be all right now," Kurama said softly, startling them all. "Arigatou, Kia-san."

"No problem," the girl replied, steadying him. "I should be getting-" She stopped as realization struck. *If I go back now, I'm dead!*

Kurama seemed to have read her mind. "You'll need a place to stay," he told her.

"Huh?" Kuwabara blinked. "Why?"

Kit bit her lip. "They offered me a place out of the rain...in return, I had to...entertain them."

Kurama's green eyes narrowed. "They didn't-"

"No, no!" Kia shook her head quickly. "I kept far away from them when they were in that sort of mood."

"What about your parents?" Yusuke asked. "Why didn't you live with them?"

Kia stiffened again. She turned and started to walk away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"C'mon!" Yusuke grabbed her arm. "Kia..."

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Kia pulled away and started to run.

"Kia!" Yusuke shouted, running after her.

Hiei suddenly appeared, blocking the girl's path.

Kia took a step back. "Leave me alone," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why won't you leave me alone?" She dropped to the ground, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook and Yusuke realized she was crying.

Keiko (probably alerted by all the noise) came running up. Upon seeing the weeping girl, she knelt and hugged her. "Oh, Kia..." She glared at Yusuke. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" The boy protested. "I just asked about her parents."

"Baka," Hiei told him flatly.

"Don't call me that! YOU blocked her!"

"Ah, good, you're all here!"

They looked up. "Your timing is perfect, Botan," Yusuke said sarcastically, gesturing to a battered Kurama, a confused Kuwabara, a sour-faced Hiei, and Keiko comforting Kia, who had managed to calm down...somewhat.

Botan's sudden appearance on a floating oar did nothing to help at all.

"Kia! Or..." The ferrygirl hesitated. "Satsukiasame..."

The girl managed a tiny smile. "No one ever calls me that. Kia's easier to say."

"I agree!" Botan grinned. "My name is Botan. These oafs were assigned to keep an eye on you, but apparently, they bungled it."

Kia blinked. "Why?"

"Because..." Botan sighed. "I can't tell you yet."

"WHAAAT?!" Yusuke yelped. "Botan!"

"Gomen!" Botan waved her hands frantically. "Soon, I promise. Just get her settled. Yusuke, she's staying with you for now."

Both Kia and Yusuke opened their mouths to protest, but Botan had disappeared again.

The detective grumbled under his breath for a moment. Then he looked at Kia. "Well? Shall we go home?"

The girl's shoulders slumped in resignation. "Sure, why not?"

"Cheer up, Kia," Kurama told her. "It's a lot safer than the gang hideout."

Her smile was somewhat crooked. "Sure about that?" With a sigh, she hefted her schoolbag over her shoulder. "Lead the way, Yusuke."

*I have a feeling that our lives are going to be considerably more interesting,* Kurama thought.

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Hehe...wow, this is getting interesting. What Mirror is Botan talking about? REVIEW! *points to YOU*