Chapter 18: Slow Changes
Botan stood and turned to Keiko. "I guess I should go talk to Yusuke now, huh?"
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea." Keiko stood also. "I'll come along and make sure he listens to you." The two girls smiled at this and walked towards the Urameshi household. No one was outside when they got there, and it was quiet. Keiko was the first to go inside.
"Yusuke! Listen to Botan!" she said, barging inside.
Yusuke jumped back, startled, from his sitting position. "Keiko?" he said surprised. He blinked a couple times to take in what had just happened.
"Yusuke-," Keiko began glaring angrily at him.
"-I need to talk to you," Botan finished quietly.
Yusuke sighed and looked angrily away. "I have nothing to say to you Botan."
"You don't have to say anything, though. All you have to do is listen," Botan begged.
"Hmph."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kurama and Amaranta walked down the street while Hiei walked a little ways behind. When she had come back to the house, Kurama had been waiting outside. They decided then to go for a little walk, but not before being joined by Hiei.
"Hiei why don't you come up here and join us?" Kurama asked over his shoulder.
"Hn. I am perfectly fine back here," he muttered.
"Suit yourself then." Kurama turned back to Amaranta. "So am I safe to assume that the chat you had with Botan went well?"
"Assume whatever you like. It is up to her and Yusuke how things turn out from here."
"I just hope Yusuke gives her a chance to speak."
"He will. Deep down he believes that it isn't really her fault that any of this is happened. He wants to forgive her but he has his pride." Amaranta wasn't about to tell that it was her fault. If she did then she might have to leave and then she wouldn't be able to save them, any of them.
Amaranta stopped as a ball rolled to a stop in front of her foot. She looked down at the simple toy, and watched as its owner, a little boy no more than 6 years of age, came running up to it. The boy stopped before the ball and looked up at the demon in wonderment. She stared back down at him. Then slowly she bent down and took the ball up in her slim hands. The boy continued to stare at her the whole time. She gently handed the ball back to him.
"Here. You dropped this," she said softly, staring back at the boy.
He took it willingly and looked at her for a couple more seconds. Then he grinned, giggling a little, and ran away. Amaranta stood back up. Kurama and Hiei had watched this in some wonderment themselves. Her power seemed to be wearing away, it seemed. Very slowly, but it was.
Amaranta walked on, not caring whether the guys were following her or not. Hiei came up next to Kurama watching her back. "Kurama, the child."
"I saw," he answered, staring at her back as well. "What do you make of it?"
"Her power is getting weak. I can sense it. Soon it will be gone."
"Soon she will be dead if what she says comes true."
Kurama and Hiei looked at each other for a minute then back to where Amaranta was turning a corner. They quickly picked up their pace to join her.
Botan stood and turned to Keiko. "I guess I should go talk to Yusuke now, huh?"
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea." Keiko stood also. "I'll come along and make sure he listens to you." The two girls smiled at this and walked towards the Urameshi household. No one was outside when they got there, and it was quiet. Keiko was the first to go inside.
"Yusuke! Listen to Botan!" she said, barging inside.
Yusuke jumped back, startled, from his sitting position. "Keiko?" he said surprised. He blinked a couple times to take in what had just happened.
"Yusuke-," Keiko began glaring angrily at him.
"-I need to talk to you," Botan finished quietly.
Yusuke sighed and looked angrily away. "I have nothing to say to you Botan."
"You don't have to say anything, though. All you have to do is listen," Botan begged.
"Hmph."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kurama and Amaranta walked down the street while Hiei walked a little ways behind. When she had come back to the house, Kurama had been waiting outside. They decided then to go for a little walk, but not before being joined by Hiei.
"Hiei why don't you come up here and join us?" Kurama asked over his shoulder.
"Hn. I am perfectly fine back here," he muttered.
"Suit yourself then." Kurama turned back to Amaranta. "So am I safe to assume that the chat you had with Botan went well?"
"Assume whatever you like. It is up to her and Yusuke how things turn out from here."
"I just hope Yusuke gives her a chance to speak."
"He will. Deep down he believes that it isn't really her fault that any of this is happened. He wants to forgive her but he has his pride." Amaranta wasn't about to tell that it was her fault. If she did then she might have to leave and then she wouldn't be able to save them, any of them.
Amaranta stopped as a ball rolled to a stop in front of her foot. She looked down at the simple toy, and watched as its owner, a little boy no more than 6 years of age, came running up to it. The boy stopped before the ball and looked up at the demon in wonderment. She stared back down at him. Then slowly she bent down and took the ball up in her slim hands. The boy continued to stare at her the whole time. She gently handed the ball back to him.
"Here. You dropped this," she said softly, staring back at the boy.
He took it willingly and looked at her for a couple more seconds. Then he grinned, giggling a little, and ran away. Amaranta stood back up. Kurama and Hiei had watched this in some wonderment themselves. Her power seemed to be wearing away, it seemed. Very slowly, but it was.
Amaranta walked on, not caring whether the guys were following her or not. Hiei came up next to Kurama watching her back. "Kurama, the child."
"I saw," he answered, staring at her back as well. "What do you make of it?"
"Her power is getting weak. I can sense it. Soon it will be gone."
"Soon she will be dead if what she says comes true."
Kurama and Hiei looked at each other for a minute then back to where Amaranta was turning a corner. They quickly picked up their pace to join her.
