AN: Ah, in the last part, the Spirit Detectives did quite a lot of
running, didn't they? Heh, if you were to ask me, I would say a little too
much for my taste. ::laughs:: Anyway, please excuse my typos, mistakes, and
the long wait; I'm not very good at editing yet. I hope when I mentioned
"football" in the last chapter, everyone understood that I was talking
about "soccer". ::sighs:: Yes, I am unlike my American friends and fellow
citizens, and I respond to the word "football" as "soccer". ::mumbles:: I
tell you, it is all because of my Asian blood.
There are some thanks to be given:
alva bakura-sama: Your first review was a little confusing, but thank you very much for your support! You are the official first person to review my fanfic! Thank you so much!
triangle 144: Heh, thank you for your urging! I'm just hoping that you're still reading the story!
FireBishoujo: Your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the next part of the story.
midlight bunny: =^_^= Thank you so very much.
Night Tiger: Heh, is it really that great? I'm happy that you like the story plot twist and the Kurama and Botan Romance. Oh, thank you for putting me down as a favorite.
Sska: Yeah, another Kurama and Botan romance fan! I hope you enjoy the rest of my fanficiton.
Anichan: ::bows:: Thank you for putting me on your favorites list. Heh, I feel so happy to know that I have a favorite written story! Also, thank you for advertising my story further!
JDFielding: Yeah! You reviewed, and that has made me happy! You have an awesome talent at writing Kurama and Botan Romance, and a person such as yourself gives me GREAT input about my own stories! As I am updating this fanfic, I cannot wait for you to update your own, "After the Fall." I'm so excited to see the conclusion and how our favorite pair is going to end up together!
l-Steph-chan-l: I hope you got my e-mail! And I'll be sure to e-mail you the next time I update.
Sarah: Well, here's the next update, as you've requested. Enjoy!
Cheeto: Thank you for thinking my fanfic is worth anything. I hope that you continue your own fanfic, "No Need For Chibis" soon. Until then, enjoy!
Harpygirl*91: I'm glad you enjoyed the story! ::bows:: Thank you for putting me on your favorites list.
frith: ::blushes:: Oh, is Kurama going a little to an Inu Yasha side? I apologize for the off character. Thank you for mentioning that to me. That is a reason why I need reviews; they are what whip me back into the true characterizations.
The various names mentioned are borrowed from different anime I have seen (or at least a few of the names). I will feel rather surprised if anyone can name all the anime the names come from. Well, here's the Second Chapter, "Two Worlds, Past and Present." Enjoy everyone!
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"This is speech."
'This is thought.'
//This is Youko or flashback.//
Once Loved, Never Forgotten
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Uh oh."
Kurama's silver fox ears twitched in nervous reaction; he was too afraid to ask Botan. "What is it now, woman?" Hiei demanded for Kurama; surprisingly, the fire demon had not read Kurama's mind. "What's this 'uh oh'?"
Botan turned around slowly and reluctantly held out her palm to her friends; right in the middle of her pale, delicate hands was a pink glowing sliver, a single fragment of the former crystal sphere. "Well, at least I found a part of the Sacred Jewel," Botan laughed nervously.
First a wave of shock and then a wave of anger washed over the horrified fox apparition. Absolutely furious at the sight before him, Kurama exploded, "What in the Seven Hells happened to the rest of the Jewel?! What did you do to the Sacred Jewel, woman?!"
Botan laughed nervously as she put her free hand behind her head in apology. "Well, what I think happened, Kurama, is when I hit that bird demon with my arrow, I hit and shattered the Sacred Jewel in its body too. And the bright lights we saw shooting from the demon's body wasn't just Demon Energy it was releasing but the Spirit and Demon Energy in the Sacred Jewel from all of the shooting shards."
Kurama, in slight shock from what Botan had just told him, groaned as he dropped his face into his hands. "Damn, why did it have to go all wrong? Why did such a simple mission to steal the Sacred Jewel go so wrong? Why?"
Unexpectedly, a twig snapped. Quickly recovering from his sorrow, Kurama jerked his head back up; the thief sniffed the air as his ears reached out for sound. Faint rustling could barely be made out between the trees, and Kurama was definitely sure he caught the scent of other humans and demons. "We're surrounded," the demon murmured in the deadly tone, causing everyone to go on alert.
"Wah!"
The Spirit Detectives whirled around to face Botan; what the four saw did not please them.
"Who art thou? Name thy self!" a red haired woman demanded, her long bow stretched with a stone-head arrow aimed at Botan's heart.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Botan laughed nervously as she stared at the priestess' arrow point that was still aimed towards her heart. After being ambushed in a forest clearing, Botan and the Spirit Detectives were tied up (with the threat of Botan losing her life) and taken to the village the crow demon had destroyed only moments before. Now, Botan was still beneath the mercy of the mysterious red-haired woman, who had some strange resemblance to Hinageshi, and the angry villagers. "Why can't we all just be friends, ne? Heh, this whole situation is not what you all think, I promise! Don't worry, miss; we're not demons, if that's what you're worried about," Botan assured with a weak smile. 'Where have I seen this woman before?' Botan thought to herself.
Their ears twitching suddenly at Botan's assurance, Kurama and Hiei quickly shot the young high school student fierce glares; the past deity quickly realized her mistake. "Uh, I mean, of course some of us are demons, but we're not your enemies," Botan hastily corrected herself, afraid of Kurama and Hiei's fangs, not to mention their special abilities. "We mean no one here any harm, honestly. My friends and I are just trying to recover the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls."
"What does thee mean by recovering the Sacred Jewel?" the priestess demanded sharply, her bow tightening. "Do thee mean to say that thee plan on desecrating Lady Barako's holy gravesite?!" The Detectives were currently on display in the middle of the small village; and with the priestess' last inquiry, the villagers that surrounded the Detectives began to mutter and whisper among each other in disapproval.
"Desecrating Priestess Barako's grave? How terrible!"
"You know demons have gotten lower than imaginable when they become grave robbers."
"This is even worse than a man acting lewd towards a woman."
Kurama sighed in annoyance at Botan's poor choice of words; she was giving them reputations the group desperately did not need at the current moment. Besides, it was because of her that the others were stuck in this situation anyway. "No, woman, we do not plan on desecrating that wretch's grave; we are demons, not monsters. However, what we do plan on doing is killing every one of you in the village if you do not release us from this threatening position."
The priestess' eyes grew wide when she took a good look at Kurama. She had finally realized who the demon was before her. "The White Fox! Thee art Youko Kurama!"
The muttering of the villagers ceased as a silence gripped the entire village. Kurama lightly chuckled with amusement. "So, you know my name, priestess. I am deeply flattered. Now, since you know who I am and what I am capable of, immediately release us or suffer the painful consequences," Kurama hissed.
"I am not afraid of thee and never shall be," the fiery haired priestess glared in retort, her arrow's aim now changing targets. "Thou had ruthlessly killed my ancestors, and now I shall take rightful revenge for them. After all these long years, their souls shall finally find peace!" Pulling back her arrow to its fullest extent, the furious priestess prepared herself for the second and final death of Youko Kurama. Yusuke, Hiei, and Kazuma were ready to pounce on the priestess if she did go through with her passionate fury. Just as the angry woman was about to fire, Botan jumped onto her feet.
"You don't have to avenge Barako or Hinagiku, Lady Mimiru!" Botan shouted, standing in the way between the arrow and Kurama.
Mimiru, the priestess, suddenly froze in her place and lowered her bow; the stranger's words somehow stunned the holy woman. Kurama stared at Botan in wonder. "How in the world--"
Botan walked up to Mimiru, the girl's amethyst eyes tearing. "Please do not kill Kurama, and please let go of your hate towards him. There is no need to avenge a soul that has already found its peace. There is no need to continue hating a soul that is trying to find its redemption! Your anger and hate will only turn you into a monster you are trying to kill."
"What do you mean by that?" Mimiru demanded.
"I am Priestess Barako," Botan replied steadily. "I am her reincarnation. The souls that you are trying to avenge have already found their peace, Lady Mimiru; in this body and life, I am happy, and Hinagiku has found her peace in the Spirit World, the Realm of the Dead." Botan smiled at Mimiru. "There is no reason for you to hate any longer."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"How did thee know my name?" Mimiru asked as she fed a small fire in the hearth of her hut. Botan, not sitting far off, shrugged with a happy face.
"I just happen to be the Head Ferry Girl of the Spirit World, or at least I was. I just have a lot of access information in the back of head of all sorts of people that are due or have histories in the Spirit World Files," Botan explained good-naturedly. "Now what you have to explain to us, Lady Mimiru, is how you knew where to find us in the middle of that forest clearing."
Mimiru nodded. "I sensed the power of the Sacred Jewel south ways of our village, and right about then that crow demon entered our mists. There after, a surge of Spirit and Demon energy came from the bright star in the sky, and from there, I followed a small, haunting sensation to that clearing where the villagers and I found thee."
"And that was about the time where I found the broken piece of the Sacred Jewel," Botan muttered as she held out her hand to Mimiru, displaying the glowing pink sliver. Kurama, still enraged about the entire ordeal, sniffed in annoyance; Hiei smirked, laughing that his fox friend was still moping.
'Get over it, Kurama. You're acting like a heart-broken human girl, sniveling over the Sacred Jewel like that,' Hiei chuckled. After giving the smaller fire demon an icy death glare, Kurama did nothing else in reply.
"And that burst of tremendous light and energy a while ago was the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls--So thee were the one that shattered the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls in the sky?" Mimiru exclaimed.
Embarrassed and placing the shard of the Sacred Jewel in her pocket, Botan nodded numbly. "Yes, I was the one that shattered the Sacred Jewel. I didn't mean to do it; it just happened. Maybe if I had better aim like Barako did, I would not have shattered the Jewel."
Mimiru laughed with amusement; the uneasy atmosphere between her and the Spirit Detectives had now melted away. She and the battle-tired Detectives were currently resting in Mimiru's hut in the village's center. "So thee did have the real Sacred Jewel in thy body. I now have no doubt that thee are actually the reincarnation of Priestess Barako."
The Spirit Detectives looked up in wonder and confusion at the senior priestess. "What do you mean by the REAL Sacred Jewel?" Yusuke demanded, sitting beside the red-haired woman. "And would you quit with this 'thee' and 'thy' stuff! You're almost like a grandma!"
Mimiru chuckled and relented to Yusuke's request. "Well, since Miss Botan is Lady Barako's reincarnation, I guess it is all right to tell you the history. While Lady Barako was still alive, she, to affectively protect the Sacred Jewel and her villagers, had seven false Sacred Jewels implanted all over the regions of Maikai. A false Jewel was planted in each of the other four Human villages, meaning Hitomi's Village, Sakura's Village, Hikaru's Village, and Nadeshiko's Village were each bestowed a fake Sacred Jewel; however, Nadeshiko's Village should have had original rights to the Sacred Jewel."
"Why are these Human villages named after girls?" Kazuma asked curiously, seated beside Yusuke.
Yusuke hastily slapped his friend across the head, embarrassed by the carrot-top. "Kuwabara! What kind of question is that?!"
"It is all right, Yusuke. Actually, it is a logical question to ask. The villages are named after the first priestesses who died protected them," Mimiru smiled as she tried to calm the young man. "Priestess Barako, Hitomi, Sakura, Hikaru, and Nadeshiko were the five responsible for the only available human defenses against the demons during that ancient era. They were the greatest, most powerful women, not to mention pure Human blood, of their time."
"But you said that there were seven fakes," Yusuke pressed. "Where would the other three Jewels be located? And why would Barako use seven fakes to protect the real Sacred Jewel?"
"Lady Barako wanted her village to be safe from the many demons that sought after the Sacred Jewel's powers. The other three priestesses, Lady Nadeshiko having passed away by then, did not want to burden Lady Barako with fighting all of Maikai as well, so the five women mutually agreed to create look-alikes and keep four within the other villages. The other three are located in secret locations in the Three Great Demon Territories: Lord Raizen's, Lord Oni's, and Lady Mukuro's."
Yusuke's eyes saddened at the mention of his deceased ancestor. "Raizen isn't the ruler of that territory anymore; his loyal friend, Enki, is now in charge."
"And Lord Oni has been dead for at least four hundred years," Hiei commented. "Yomi is now in charge of his territory, am I right, Kurama?" Kurama did not answer Hiei's teasing and continued to remain silent.
Mimiru nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. I can see that the Five Villages must update its information about the Territories soon or else we will be susceptible to attacks. I knew I sensed something about you, Yusuke; you have powerful ties to Maikai. Luckily for you, most, if not all, of the villagers are like you: humans with traces of demon blood, if it has not already taken over their entire bloodline. Here, Yusuke, you will be welcomed without argument."
"So most of the villagers here are part demon?" Yusuke questioned in surprise. "But I thought this village was a human village."
Mimiru nodded. "Yes, everyone in this village contains both Human and Demon blood; it cannot be helped, if you live in the World of Demons. We always receive more humans within the Villages every few weeks because they get lost from the Human World, so there is always more Human blood reentering into the next generation of our villagers. However, there were times where demons were not welcomed at all in the Five Villages. After the attack on Lady Nadeshiko and Kurama's destruction of this village, the Human blooded people were quite wary of the demon population."
Botan, Yusuke and Kazuma looked at Kurama in surprise. "We didn't know you went on a mass destruction spree five hundred years ago," Yusuke muttered with astonishment. "Especially on this village. Why didn't you tell us, Kurama?"
"Attacking a defenseless village is not something one is actually proud of, Yusuke," the red-haired Kurama replied, his right hand slightly masking over his face; the Youko side of him had retreated back into the recesses of his mind. He sat directly across Botan in the circle within the hut. "More than just two people died that day, Yusuke. Destroying Barako's Village is not something for a Spirit Detective to be boasting about out loud to everyone. I will be surprised if Koenma does not have me arrested now for my past crimes."
"So now what should we do?" Hiei demanded, leaning against the hut's wooden wall outside of the inner circle. "We can't just leave things the way they are."
Mimiru returned her attention to Botan, the young woman's face serious. "You with your friends, Miss Botan, must collect all of the Sacred Jewel shards and return the Jewel to its original state; and you must complete this task as soon as you possibly can, Miss Botan. We cannot allow other demons with evil wills to gain the shards' powers and bring destruction upon the Three Worlds. This is your duty as Priestess Barako's reincarnation."
"Wait, what you saying?" Hiei questioned, swiftly standing straight. His aloof attention had now been caught. "What can tiny shards do? How in the world will other demons cause damage with only tiny pieces of the Sacred Jewel? Those pieces hardly emit any Spirit or Demon Energy at all!"
"Size does not matter, Fire One," Mimiru darkly replied. "If a demon is able to fully absorb a single shard of the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls, the result will be as if it had swallowed the entire Jewel. The shard will call out for the others, allowing the demon to hunt down the rest of the Sacred Jewel."
"You know what, why the hell did anyone create this Jewel in the first place?! It's so God damned troublesome!" Yusuke shouted out in frustration. "It's so stupid, giving something like the Jewel all that power! What idiot was stupid enough to decide one day to make this damn jewel?!"
"It was not created willingly, Yusuke. The Sacred Jewel of Four Souls was created with a dire purpose," Mimiru sternly answered.
"You know why the Sacred Jewel was made?" Kazuma asked.
Mimiru frowned, her blue eyes poignant. "Sadly to say, I do, Kazuma. The Sacred Jewel of Four Souls or the memory of it is a reminder to all in the priesthood of the purity he or she must maintain; the Sacred Jewel is also a reminder of perseverance."
"Why is that?" Botan asked. She looked down at the fragment in her hand. "Why is the Sacred Jewel such a heavy reminder to all priestesses? What is its purpose?"
"Lady Nadeshiko, one and possibly the most powerful of the Five Priestesses, was killed the day the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls was made. In that day, Lady Nadeshiko was the eldest and the wisest priestess from the Five Villages, and possibly the most well known. She was able to purify any soul that contained Evil or Darkness; in later years, Lady Barako would develop those powers," Mimiru began. "Lady Barako will then be killed because of the Sacred Jewel as well, but we all know that tragedy. Anyway, about five years before Lady Barako's death, Lady Nadeshiko and her village were attacked by a horde of demons; the priestess was able to lure the demons into a nearby cave, saving her village tremendous damage. In the cave, Lady Nadeshiko battled the demons for seven days and seven nights, unable to defeat them. She instead incased their souls along with her own within the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls; a battle still goes on within the Jewel between Lady Nadeshiko and those demons."
"Did you know any of this?" Yusuke questioned Kurama.
Kurama shrugged indifferently. "In my past life, Yusuke, I did not care where the Sacred Jewel had come from or what blood had been spilled for and on it; I was a thief; all I had cared for was to make the Jewel my own."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
As the Spirit Detectives were about to leave Barako's Village, Botan turned, thought for a moment, and ran back to Mimiru. Yusuke and the others followed Botan with their watchful gazes. "Botan, where do you think you're going?" Yusuke called out. "Keiko and the others are probably waiting for us at the gate right now."
"I'll be back, Yusuke, I just need to ask something before we leave," Botan replied as she came to a stop in front of Mimiru.
"Is there something else you need, Miss Botan?" Mimiru wondered.
Botan smiled as she began, "Lady Mimiru, if it isn't too much to ask, do you think you could train me?"
"Train you?"
Botan nodded, giving the priestess a polite, graceful bow. "I would like you to train me as a priestess, Lady Mimiru. I want to be able to use the fullest extent of my abilities so that I can collect the Sacred Jewel shards quickly. The faster I can collect the shards, the quicker the Three Worlds will be safe."
"All right, if that is what you wish," Mimiru grinned. "Beginning tomorrow, we shall begin your training in the priesthood, Miss Botan. I hope I shall be able to educate you enough so that your powers come to rival Lady Barako's."
"What do you think she's asking Mimiru?" Yusuke whispered to Kazuma. The two Human Spirit Detectives were too far off and were unable to listen to Botan and Mimiru's conversation.
"I don't know, Urameshi."
Kurama, with the use of his demonic abilities, slightly winced as he heard Mimiru's comment; anxious emotions began to stir within him. '//Heh, the girl wants to become a priestess, just as she was five hundred years ago. Good, she will need to improve her shot. She has terrible aim.//'
Frowning, Kurama began to reprimand his self, 'Youko, that is not the pressing issue! You must remember what you had said when the Sacred Jewel had first appeared from Botan's body. If Botan's powers were to become a match to Barako's, would the awakening of her powers trigger her past memories? Would that rouse her sleeping soul? Youko, if all were to be remembered, would Barako come after you again? Would Botan disappear and Barako take her stead for ever?'
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. Three Weeks Later .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Hey, Botan, do you want to come with us to the café?" Keiko shouted out as she spotted and waved at the blue haired girl walking off the high school campus. "Umi, Chiharu, Rika, and I are heading there right now to have a study session; Iwamoto's test is tomorrow, you know."
Stopping in mid-step, Urameshi Botan did a one-eighty, causing her midnight blue skirt to twirl, and looked at Keiko and her school friends cheerily. She walked towards them as she gave them greeting. "Oh, I would love to stay with you and study for that awful man's test, Keiko," Botan smiled, "but I can't today."
"Why not, Botan? You haven't hung out with us for a while now. And you especially know that Mr. Iwamoto hates you, so you should study for this test," Umi, one of Botan's new school friends, whined. The girl's long, wavy brunette hair outlined her face, making her brown eyes seem larger and more pleading than usual. "You haven't hung out with us for almost three weeks now; it's so strange of you. You aren't seeing a boyfriend behind our backs, are you, Botan?"
"Oh! You have a boyfriend, Botan?!" Chiharu and Rika demanded. "You had a boyfriend, and you didn't TELL us? Why would you do something like that to us, Botan?!" Botan raised her hands up defensively, nervously laughing at her friends' forwardness; ever since the students had starting warming up to her, Botan had been immediately adopted by Keiko's ring of hyper school friends, Umi, Chiharu, and Rika.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend, you guys!" Botan exclaimed, blushing beet-red. She quickly turned to Keiko for support, her lavender eyes pleading for assistance. "Keiko, tell them that I don't have a boyfriend. You know that I don't!"
Keiko smiled devilishly as she put a thoughtful finger on her chin. Botan recognized that mischievous grin; it was the foxy grin Yusuke had on his face whenever he had a demented plan. "Well, I don't know, Botan. You've been spending a lot of time out, and Yusuke is even starting to get worried about you. And here you are skipping cram time for a test you desperately need to pass for some mysterious meeting that we don't know about. Sometimes I wonder if you're seeing SOMEONE without telling me who."
Botan blushed at the mention of her social absences; Keiko knew well enough where the bubbly cerulean locked girl ran off to after school and with whom. Ever since meeting Priestess Mimiru, Botan had been going to Maikai with Kurama to train and collect Sacred Jewel shards. So far they had only collected four other shards, but Botan was persistent as Kurama was determined.
"So where do you go after school, Botan?" Rika inquired.
"If you aren't going off to meet your boyfriend, that is," Chiharu added.
"Oh, give me a break, you guys!" Botan cried hopelessly.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
'//It is taking far too long to collect the shards, Syuuichi. So far that former ferry girl has only collected five Sacred Jewel Shards. By the time she locates others, they shall have been devoured and merged with those worthless, undeserving scum who call themselves demons.//'
Kurama sighed as he watched the pink-colored clouds float against a fiery orange and lavender-shaded sky; the sun was setting against the city skyline, and Kurama was on his way to meet Botan. 'Youko, you must have patience; it has only been three weeks. In due time you will have the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls and have your wish granted; this operation takes endurance, and you must make through it, Youko.'
'//You try and have patience after so long, Syuuichi; of course, you as a human probably would not understand; you are only fifteen while your other self is near a millennium. Getting killed trying to steal the ultimate treasure, waiting for five hundred years to be free from a damned spell, and then finding your prize destroyed is not something one is pleased with and contains patience for.//'
'Feh, that is nothing in comparison. Try dealing with a mass of love- sick high school girls bent on becoming your girlfriend, Youko.'
'//Would rather not, Syuuichi.//'
'Thought so.'
Reaching a familiar high school, Kurama, spotting his target a little ways off, walked up to Botan. The Spirit Detective could not help but notice Botan surrounded by her pestering human friends. "There you are, Botan. You and I have to hurry; you cannot be late to your lessons, especially today," Kurama called out, leisurely walking towards the group of girls.
Umi, Chiharu, and Rika froze at the sight and arrival of the new, handsome redhead stranger; for a moment they ceased pestering Botan, but when they recovered, a new turn of harassment began. "Is this your secret boyfriend, Botan? You're going out with a college student? What's his name? How long have you two been going out? Exactly how old is he? Why didn't you tell us about him, Botan?!" the three girls whispered feverishly as Keiko tried to stifle her giggles.
Kurama quickly turned to Botan for an explanation, his green eyes confused. "'Boyfriend'? Botan, what are they--"
Botan slapped her head with her right hand; this was extremely embarrassing, especially in front of Kurama. "No, you guys, this is Minamino Syuuichi, a close friend of mine. Syuuichi here isn't my boyfriend. He's--He's--"
"I'm her tutor," Syuuichi, instantly understanding the situation, quickly finished, smiling dashingly at Botan's friends. Although the smile melted the girls' hearts through, Keiko remained unfazed; she sighed at Kurama's play.
"You have a way with women, Kurama," Keiko muttered beneath her breath, barely loud enough for Kurama to perceive with his acute sense of hearing. Trying to hold back his laughter, Kurama allowed his features a small grin of amusement. Keiko blushed slightly in embarrassment when Kurama caught her eye, telling her he had heard her comment; she had not meant to say anything out loud.
"Well, are you ready leave, Botan?" Kurama asked amiably, returning his attention to his original objective.
"Yes. We have to get going now or else I'll be really late," Botan nodded. "Good bye, everyone! I'll see you in class tomorrow!" She waved her friends good-bye and started off with Kurama towards the gate to Maikai.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
While walking along the city streets, Botan began to sense a warm, assuring aura approaching behind her and Kurama; the Spirit signature was not a threat to the two, but it slightly disturbed Botan. "Kurama, do you sense that?"
Kurama, somewhat wrapped in his own thoughts, turned his concentration to Botan. "Sense what, Botan?" he asked in a gentle manner. "Is something the matter?"
"Er, never mind, Kurama." 'Who is this I'm sensing? This aura feels so familiar to me,' Botan thought to herself with a little frustration. 'Where have I felt this presence before? Why does it feel so familiar, so nice?'
"Hey, Minamino, what are you doing here?"
At the sound of his family name, Syuuichi turned around and caught the sight of a grinning Hatsume Soijiro dressed in a football uniform behind him. "Oh, Hatsume. I did not know you came to this side of town. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, I was just walking around, Minamino, and the football team needed to pick up some football equipment at a store nearby. I decided that I would get it. What about you, Minamino? What are you doing out here?"
"Hello, Hatsume," Botan greeted the young man right then, popping up from behind Syuuichi's back. "It's nice to see you again. How have you been doing since we last saw each other?" Syuuichi's schoolmate smiled and his azure orbs twinkled when he caught sight of the recognizable high school student.
"Heh, I'm doing fine. I see you're still seeing Minamino, Urameshi. Glad to see that you two are still together."
Botan blushed, "Oh, no, Syuuichi and I aren't dating, Hatsume. Syuuichi is just a very good friend of mine and my tutor." Inwardly, Botan sighed at her misfortune. 'Why does everyone keep on thinking that I'm seeing Syuuichi? Is there something that I'm not seeing?'
Soijiro seemed slightly confused. "A tutor for what, Urameshi? You don't look like you need a tutor to me."
"Oh, you know, a little reading, math, science, political science. Syuuichi's just helping me out with a little bit of everything. He's really helping me get ready for the upcoming exams," Botan laughed as her lie caught a knot in her stomach. For some odd reason, Botan felt rather uncomfortable lying to Soijiro; the thought did not lie well within her mind.
"I see," Soijiro murmured, putting a hand to his chin. He closed his cerulean eyes pensively, allowing mahogany strands to shadow his face. After three seconds, Soijiro raised his head and grinned excitedly at Botan. "Well, since that's the case, and you're not dating Minamino-- Urameshi, do you think, if you didn't mind and ever have the time, you could go out on a date with me?"
Botan's eyes grew a little wide with surprise as so did Syuuichi's. "I--" Botan could not find her voice; it had suddenly disappeared from her as if she were falling. 'How in the world am I supposed to answer him? I don't know who he even is, but I feel like--I sense that I can trust him.' "Hatsume, I--"
Soijiro smiled kindly at Botan, placing a hand on her shoulder; the college student sighed at his impulsiveness. "I'm sorry, Urameshi; I didn't mean to burst out like that. It's all right. I'll understand if you don't want to; after all, you just met me a few weeks ago."
'I can trust Soijiro.' With that, Botan's face became set, and she replied, "I wouldn't mind going on a date with you, Hatsume--I mean, Soijiro--Is it all right if I called you Soijiro, right?"
"Sure, if you like. May I call you Botan?"
"Yes. You may call me Botan, Soijiro."
Holding out his right hand to Botan, Soijiro continued, "So, I guess you and I are promised for a date sometime soon. I'm not sure when, but whenever you're available, will you call me?"
Giggling with a childish tone, Botan answered, "I will, Hat--eh-- Soijiro. Just be sure to be free then. Syuuichi and I have to go now or else we won't have enough studying time."
"All right, I'll leave you two to your work." And with that, Soijiro left Botan and Syuuichi's company. A sudden strange silence now over took the couple.
'I wonder what a date with Soijiro is going to be like? Hm, I wonder what a date is going to be like?' "Soijiro, he's a nice person," Botan whispered, mostly to herself.
"He is," Kurama responded, watching Botan gaze at Soijiro's shrinking form. 'What is wrong with Botan now? Why is she in a dreamy state now that Hatsume is gone?'
'//She is thinking about that boy from your class, Syuuichi; she is enamored by him and feels saddened he is now gone. Botan is no better than any other human girl; her heart is too easily swayed.//' Kurama could almost hear a jealous tone emerging from Youko's thoughts.
'Are you envious of Hatsume, Youko? Are you afraid that Botan enjoys Hatsume's company more than your own?'
Youko snarled harshly at Syuuichi. '//You are an idiot, boy. You should know better, Syuuichi, knowing your past; five hundred years ago you died at the hands of a fickle-hearted woman. Botan's weak heart will become your undoing once again. She will kill you, Syuuichi.//'
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"Good, you are doing well, Miss Botan," Mimiru complimented as Botan's third arrow hit the target. The priestess and the apprentice were currently practicing archery at the edge of the village, the village children watching from a little distance off. "However, you are little too tense when you take aim, Miss Botan. Relax your mind and purify your thoughts as you imagine your arrows hitting their target."
"All right, I'll try," Botan breathed as she took another arrow from the quiver beside her and placing it into her bow. Taking careful aim, Botan reminded herself, 'Clear my mind and relax. I need to be calm.' After taking a deep breath, Botan released the arrow and watched it whiz into the bull's-eye.
"Hurray for Miss Botan!" the little children cheered, the youngsters waving their wings, tails, and some their ears in happiness. "She has done so much better! She will be the best priestess of all!" Botan smiled at the sweet, kind children and waved at them.
"Thank you, everyone!"
"We have been practicing for three hours now," Mimiru informed in a satisfied manner, walking towards the village. "Now you should take some rest, Miss Botan, before we continue. We must not have you exhaust yourself during these times."
"Does that mean Miss Botan can now play with us, Lady Mimiru?" the village children exclaimed, staring at Mimiru with pleading eyes.
"Yes," Mimiru chuckled. "Yes, Miss Botan is now able to play with you little ones. But please, do not tire Miss Botan out. She needs her strength so that she may fulfill her duties."
"We shall be good!" the children chorused in answer, running and laughing to Botan.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Chirping quietly echoed through the forest, the flutter of wings barely heard. Beams of light filtered through the outstretched arms of the trees, shifting shadows casting a fluid movement within the forest. As nonchalant as air, Kurama, his calm countenance matching that of the wood, serenely strolled through the plant life.
"I remember this place; it has barely changed," Kurama whispered as he examined his tranquil surroundings. He had just entered the sunny glade near the south of Barako's Village, a memorable area to the fox demon. When he reached the center of the shady glade, Kurama encountered a tree that could rival him in age. Kurama stared at the ancient tree, a flood of memories returning to him.
//"Kurama, are you here?" Barako whispered placidly as she entered the forest clearing. A slight rustle was heard, causing Barako to stare at the ancient tree in the clearing's center.//
//Kurama, with the morning light casting off of his luminous form, smiled tenderly down at the priestess from atop the large tree's roots. He offered Barako a clawed-hand, helping her climb onto the roots beside him. "You came," Kurama murmured.//
//"You asked, did you not?" Barako replied.//
//"Yes, I did ask," Kurama, grinning happily, helped Barako walk across the roots. The priestess noticed the slight twitch in Kurama's white ears and a happy flick of his tail. When the couple walked halfway around the tree's base, Barako was met with a stunning sight. A single, ruby rose growing upon an emerald vine glittered with morning dew in the rising sunlight. Barako lightly petted the delicate velvet petals.//
//"Did Hinagiku again argue with you about coming today?" Kurama asked as he watched Barako carefully cup the rose beneath her pale, slender hands.//
//"Yes, she did," Barako sighed as she deftly observed the rose. "I feel sorry for her, Kurama. My dear little sister cannot forgive demons for what they have done to our parents, to the other villages, to Lady Nadeshiko. To Hinagiku, the crimes committed by one demon are crimes committed by every other demon. I wish so much for Hinagiku to trust you."//
//Kurama snorted at Barako's words, his golden eyes smirking with hilarity. "I do not need Little One's trust, Barako. She shall either come to trust me or continue to bear my presence; those are the only two choices offered to her."//
//"You have no patience for my little sister, but you consistently tolerate my companionship, Kurama. Why is that?" Barako asked while she kept her gaze upon the blood-red flower.//
//Placing a firm, tender hand beneath Barako's, Kurama replied, "Because you endure my company, Barako."//
//Slightly blushing, Barako continued to admire the rose. "How beautiful."//
//"Yes, you are," Kurama whispered into Barako's ear as he leaned his forehead against her own. Kurama neared his face towards the priestess', and their lips lightly brushed against each other, barely touching at all. When Kurama's face neared even more, Barako felt her cheeks grow heated and looked down to the ground. Realizing what he had nearly done, Kurama removed himself from Barako and began his retreat into the forest.//
//"Kurama, where are you--"//
//"You must get back to your duties; Little One is probably worried sick for you by now. I shall see you tomorrow, Barako," Kurama murmured, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.//
"Never again," Kurama growled as he leaned his arm against the tree's trunk. The crimson locked young man ran his fingers against the frail petals of the roses that now thrived upon the tree. Orbs of verdant merged with the blood-red blooms. "Never again will I see your face another day-- Barako."
"Kurama, are you here?"
A shiver ran down Kurama's spine, the familiar voice ringing in his head; the graceful, firm voice singing through his mind awoke heart- wrenching emotions Kurama thought he would never feel again. "No, never again," Kurama whispered. "You are forever gone, your soul already reincarnated. We, I assume, were never meant to be, Barako."
"Kurama, where are you? Kurama!"
The second call made Kurama realize he was not hearing Barako's voice in his head but someone tangible was actually calling him. By the scent in the air, the fox demon became conscious that it was Botan searching for him, not the memory of Barako.
"Kurama, there you are. I was worried about you," Botan sighed as she climbed onto the one-thousand-year old tree.
"How did you know where to look for me?" Kurama grabbed Botan's hand and helped her up beside him.
"I was playing with the village children when one of them told me she spotted you coming this way. She said you looked agitated and depressed, so I got worried and decided to follow you." While Botan was climbing up the roots, she lost her footing and slipped on the moss-covered wood. Before she fell back into the crevices of the massive roots, Kurama quickly caught her with his arms and hugged the girl to him.
Botan's heart raced against her breast, and Kurama could feel it vibrate through the girl's body into his. Slowly separating herself from the Detective's arms so that she would not lose her balance again, Botan with rosy cheeks stared into Kurama's face. "Sorry," Botan mumbled in apology.
"It is all right," Kurama responded, a calm smile on his face. "I just hope you are all right."
"I'm fine," Botan answered, shaking off imaginary dust from her robes. That was when Kurama realized what Botan was wearing. Like Barako had worn five hundred years ago, Botan was dressed in a snow-white robed top with a red bottom; and like the former priestess, Botan's long light blue hair was fashioned in a low, loose pony-tail that was coming undone with two tendrils on each side of her face.
'//Barako.//' Before he could stop himself, Kurama gently cupped Botan's face with his kind, firm hands. Pools of wistful emerald were absorbing confused orbs of amethyst.
'What is Kurama doing? Why is he staring at me like that? Why does he have that sad look on his face again?' "Kurama," Botan whispered, "what are you doing?"
Botan's voice once again awoke Kurama from his reverie, causing the young man to drop his hand from Botan's face. "Sorry," Kurama answered apologetically.
'Barako and Botan are not that much different at all,' Kurama thought to himself forlornly. 'And why should then not be alike? After all, the do share the same soul. And for a moment, for a mere moment, I nearly thought Botan was Barako, with her dressed in those clothes and her hair fashioned that way. //Do not be a fool, Syuuichi. Botan and Barako look nothing alike.// You are right, Youko, Botan looks lovely with her hair down like that.'
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There are some thanks to be given:
alva bakura-sama: Your first review was a little confusing, but thank you very much for your support! You are the official first person to review my fanfic! Thank you so much!
triangle 144: Heh, thank you for your urging! I'm just hoping that you're still reading the story!
FireBishoujo: Your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the next part of the story.
midlight bunny: =^_^= Thank you so very much.
Night Tiger: Heh, is it really that great? I'm happy that you like the story plot twist and the Kurama and Botan Romance. Oh, thank you for putting me down as a favorite.
Sska: Yeah, another Kurama and Botan romance fan! I hope you enjoy the rest of my fanficiton.
Anichan: ::bows:: Thank you for putting me on your favorites list. Heh, I feel so happy to know that I have a favorite written story! Also, thank you for advertising my story further!
JDFielding: Yeah! You reviewed, and that has made me happy! You have an awesome talent at writing Kurama and Botan Romance, and a person such as yourself gives me GREAT input about my own stories! As I am updating this fanfic, I cannot wait for you to update your own, "After the Fall." I'm so excited to see the conclusion and how our favorite pair is going to end up together!
l-Steph-chan-l: I hope you got my e-mail! And I'll be sure to e-mail you the next time I update.
Sarah: Well, here's the next update, as you've requested. Enjoy!
Cheeto: Thank you for thinking my fanfic is worth anything. I hope that you continue your own fanfic, "No Need For Chibis" soon. Until then, enjoy!
Harpygirl*91: I'm glad you enjoyed the story! ::bows:: Thank you for putting me on your favorites list.
frith: ::blushes:: Oh, is Kurama going a little to an Inu Yasha side? I apologize for the off character. Thank you for mentioning that to me. That is a reason why I need reviews; they are what whip me back into the true characterizations.
The various names mentioned are borrowed from different anime I have seen (or at least a few of the names). I will feel rather surprised if anyone can name all the anime the names come from. Well, here's the Second Chapter, "Two Worlds, Past and Present." Enjoy everyone!
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"This is speech."
'This is thought.'
//This is Youko or flashback.//
Once Loved, Never Forgotten
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"Uh oh."
Kurama's silver fox ears twitched in nervous reaction; he was too afraid to ask Botan. "What is it now, woman?" Hiei demanded for Kurama; surprisingly, the fire demon had not read Kurama's mind. "What's this 'uh oh'?"
Botan turned around slowly and reluctantly held out her palm to her friends; right in the middle of her pale, delicate hands was a pink glowing sliver, a single fragment of the former crystal sphere. "Well, at least I found a part of the Sacred Jewel," Botan laughed nervously.
First a wave of shock and then a wave of anger washed over the horrified fox apparition. Absolutely furious at the sight before him, Kurama exploded, "What in the Seven Hells happened to the rest of the Jewel?! What did you do to the Sacred Jewel, woman?!"
Botan laughed nervously as she put her free hand behind her head in apology. "Well, what I think happened, Kurama, is when I hit that bird demon with my arrow, I hit and shattered the Sacred Jewel in its body too. And the bright lights we saw shooting from the demon's body wasn't just Demon Energy it was releasing but the Spirit and Demon Energy in the Sacred Jewel from all of the shooting shards."
Kurama, in slight shock from what Botan had just told him, groaned as he dropped his face into his hands. "Damn, why did it have to go all wrong? Why did such a simple mission to steal the Sacred Jewel go so wrong? Why?"
Unexpectedly, a twig snapped. Quickly recovering from his sorrow, Kurama jerked his head back up; the thief sniffed the air as his ears reached out for sound. Faint rustling could barely be made out between the trees, and Kurama was definitely sure he caught the scent of other humans and demons. "We're surrounded," the demon murmured in the deadly tone, causing everyone to go on alert.
"Wah!"
The Spirit Detectives whirled around to face Botan; what the four saw did not please them.
"Who art thou? Name thy self!" a red haired woman demanded, her long bow stretched with a stone-head arrow aimed at Botan's heart.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Botan laughed nervously as she stared at the priestess' arrow point that was still aimed towards her heart. After being ambushed in a forest clearing, Botan and the Spirit Detectives were tied up (with the threat of Botan losing her life) and taken to the village the crow demon had destroyed only moments before. Now, Botan was still beneath the mercy of the mysterious red-haired woman, who had some strange resemblance to Hinageshi, and the angry villagers. "Why can't we all just be friends, ne? Heh, this whole situation is not what you all think, I promise! Don't worry, miss; we're not demons, if that's what you're worried about," Botan assured with a weak smile. 'Where have I seen this woman before?' Botan thought to herself.
Their ears twitching suddenly at Botan's assurance, Kurama and Hiei quickly shot the young high school student fierce glares; the past deity quickly realized her mistake. "Uh, I mean, of course some of us are demons, but we're not your enemies," Botan hastily corrected herself, afraid of Kurama and Hiei's fangs, not to mention their special abilities. "We mean no one here any harm, honestly. My friends and I are just trying to recover the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls."
"What does thee mean by recovering the Sacred Jewel?" the priestess demanded sharply, her bow tightening. "Do thee mean to say that thee plan on desecrating Lady Barako's holy gravesite?!" The Detectives were currently on display in the middle of the small village; and with the priestess' last inquiry, the villagers that surrounded the Detectives began to mutter and whisper among each other in disapproval.
"Desecrating Priestess Barako's grave? How terrible!"
"You know demons have gotten lower than imaginable when they become grave robbers."
"This is even worse than a man acting lewd towards a woman."
Kurama sighed in annoyance at Botan's poor choice of words; she was giving them reputations the group desperately did not need at the current moment. Besides, it was because of her that the others were stuck in this situation anyway. "No, woman, we do not plan on desecrating that wretch's grave; we are demons, not monsters. However, what we do plan on doing is killing every one of you in the village if you do not release us from this threatening position."
The priestess' eyes grew wide when she took a good look at Kurama. She had finally realized who the demon was before her. "The White Fox! Thee art Youko Kurama!"
The muttering of the villagers ceased as a silence gripped the entire village. Kurama lightly chuckled with amusement. "So, you know my name, priestess. I am deeply flattered. Now, since you know who I am and what I am capable of, immediately release us or suffer the painful consequences," Kurama hissed.
"I am not afraid of thee and never shall be," the fiery haired priestess glared in retort, her arrow's aim now changing targets. "Thou had ruthlessly killed my ancestors, and now I shall take rightful revenge for them. After all these long years, their souls shall finally find peace!" Pulling back her arrow to its fullest extent, the furious priestess prepared herself for the second and final death of Youko Kurama. Yusuke, Hiei, and Kazuma were ready to pounce on the priestess if she did go through with her passionate fury. Just as the angry woman was about to fire, Botan jumped onto her feet.
"You don't have to avenge Barako or Hinagiku, Lady Mimiru!" Botan shouted, standing in the way between the arrow and Kurama.
Mimiru, the priestess, suddenly froze in her place and lowered her bow; the stranger's words somehow stunned the holy woman. Kurama stared at Botan in wonder. "How in the world--"
Botan walked up to Mimiru, the girl's amethyst eyes tearing. "Please do not kill Kurama, and please let go of your hate towards him. There is no need to avenge a soul that has already found its peace. There is no need to continue hating a soul that is trying to find its redemption! Your anger and hate will only turn you into a monster you are trying to kill."
"What do you mean by that?" Mimiru demanded.
"I am Priestess Barako," Botan replied steadily. "I am her reincarnation. The souls that you are trying to avenge have already found their peace, Lady Mimiru; in this body and life, I am happy, and Hinagiku has found her peace in the Spirit World, the Realm of the Dead." Botan smiled at Mimiru. "There is no reason for you to hate any longer."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"How did thee know my name?" Mimiru asked as she fed a small fire in the hearth of her hut. Botan, not sitting far off, shrugged with a happy face.
"I just happen to be the Head Ferry Girl of the Spirit World, or at least I was. I just have a lot of access information in the back of head of all sorts of people that are due or have histories in the Spirit World Files," Botan explained good-naturedly. "Now what you have to explain to us, Lady Mimiru, is how you knew where to find us in the middle of that forest clearing."
Mimiru nodded. "I sensed the power of the Sacred Jewel south ways of our village, and right about then that crow demon entered our mists. There after, a surge of Spirit and Demon energy came from the bright star in the sky, and from there, I followed a small, haunting sensation to that clearing where the villagers and I found thee."
"And that was about the time where I found the broken piece of the Sacred Jewel," Botan muttered as she held out her hand to Mimiru, displaying the glowing pink sliver. Kurama, still enraged about the entire ordeal, sniffed in annoyance; Hiei smirked, laughing that his fox friend was still moping.
'Get over it, Kurama. You're acting like a heart-broken human girl, sniveling over the Sacred Jewel like that,' Hiei chuckled. After giving the smaller fire demon an icy death glare, Kurama did nothing else in reply.
"And that burst of tremendous light and energy a while ago was the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls--So thee were the one that shattered the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls in the sky?" Mimiru exclaimed.
Embarrassed and placing the shard of the Sacred Jewel in her pocket, Botan nodded numbly. "Yes, I was the one that shattered the Sacred Jewel. I didn't mean to do it; it just happened. Maybe if I had better aim like Barako did, I would not have shattered the Jewel."
Mimiru laughed with amusement; the uneasy atmosphere between her and the Spirit Detectives had now melted away. She and the battle-tired Detectives were currently resting in Mimiru's hut in the village's center. "So thee did have the real Sacred Jewel in thy body. I now have no doubt that thee are actually the reincarnation of Priestess Barako."
The Spirit Detectives looked up in wonder and confusion at the senior priestess. "What do you mean by the REAL Sacred Jewel?" Yusuke demanded, sitting beside the red-haired woman. "And would you quit with this 'thee' and 'thy' stuff! You're almost like a grandma!"
Mimiru chuckled and relented to Yusuke's request. "Well, since Miss Botan is Lady Barako's reincarnation, I guess it is all right to tell you the history. While Lady Barako was still alive, she, to affectively protect the Sacred Jewel and her villagers, had seven false Sacred Jewels implanted all over the regions of Maikai. A false Jewel was planted in each of the other four Human villages, meaning Hitomi's Village, Sakura's Village, Hikaru's Village, and Nadeshiko's Village were each bestowed a fake Sacred Jewel; however, Nadeshiko's Village should have had original rights to the Sacred Jewel."
"Why are these Human villages named after girls?" Kazuma asked curiously, seated beside Yusuke.
Yusuke hastily slapped his friend across the head, embarrassed by the carrot-top. "Kuwabara! What kind of question is that?!"
"It is all right, Yusuke. Actually, it is a logical question to ask. The villages are named after the first priestesses who died protected them," Mimiru smiled as she tried to calm the young man. "Priestess Barako, Hitomi, Sakura, Hikaru, and Nadeshiko were the five responsible for the only available human defenses against the demons during that ancient era. They were the greatest, most powerful women, not to mention pure Human blood, of their time."
"But you said that there were seven fakes," Yusuke pressed. "Where would the other three Jewels be located? And why would Barako use seven fakes to protect the real Sacred Jewel?"
"Lady Barako wanted her village to be safe from the many demons that sought after the Sacred Jewel's powers. The other three priestesses, Lady Nadeshiko having passed away by then, did not want to burden Lady Barako with fighting all of Maikai as well, so the five women mutually agreed to create look-alikes and keep four within the other villages. The other three are located in secret locations in the Three Great Demon Territories: Lord Raizen's, Lord Oni's, and Lady Mukuro's."
Yusuke's eyes saddened at the mention of his deceased ancestor. "Raizen isn't the ruler of that territory anymore; his loyal friend, Enki, is now in charge."
"And Lord Oni has been dead for at least four hundred years," Hiei commented. "Yomi is now in charge of his territory, am I right, Kurama?" Kurama did not answer Hiei's teasing and continued to remain silent.
Mimiru nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. I can see that the Five Villages must update its information about the Territories soon or else we will be susceptible to attacks. I knew I sensed something about you, Yusuke; you have powerful ties to Maikai. Luckily for you, most, if not all, of the villagers are like you: humans with traces of demon blood, if it has not already taken over their entire bloodline. Here, Yusuke, you will be welcomed without argument."
"So most of the villagers here are part demon?" Yusuke questioned in surprise. "But I thought this village was a human village."
Mimiru nodded. "Yes, everyone in this village contains both Human and Demon blood; it cannot be helped, if you live in the World of Demons. We always receive more humans within the Villages every few weeks because they get lost from the Human World, so there is always more Human blood reentering into the next generation of our villagers. However, there were times where demons were not welcomed at all in the Five Villages. After the attack on Lady Nadeshiko and Kurama's destruction of this village, the Human blooded people were quite wary of the demon population."
Botan, Yusuke and Kazuma looked at Kurama in surprise. "We didn't know you went on a mass destruction spree five hundred years ago," Yusuke muttered with astonishment. "Especially on this village. Why didn't you tell us, Kurama?"
"Attacking a defenseless village is not something one is actually proud of, Yusuke," the red-haired Kurama replied, his right hand slightly masking over his face; the Youko side of him had retreated back into the recesses of his mind. He sat directly across Botan in the circle within the hut. "More than just two people died that day, Yusuke. Destroying Barako's Village is not something for a Spirit Detective to be boasting about out loud to everyone. I will be surprised if Koenma does not have me arrested now for my past crimes."
"So now what should we do?" Hiei demanded, leaning against the hut's wooden wall outside of the inner circle. "We can't just leave things the way they are."
Mimiru returned her attention to Botan, the young woman's face serious. "You with your friends, Miss Botan, must collect all of the Sacred Jewel shards and return the Jewel to its original state; and you must complete this task as soon as you possibly can, Miss Botan. We cannot allow other demons with evil wills to gain the shards' powers and bring destruction upon the Three Worlds. This is your duty as Priestess Barako's reincarnation."
"Wait, what you saying?" Hiei questioned, swiftly standing straight. His aloof attention had now been caught. "What can tiny shards do? How in the world will other demons cause damage with only tiny pieces of the Sacred Jewel? Those pieces hardly emit any Spirit or Demon Energy at all!"
"Size does not matter, Fire One," Mimiru darkly replied. "If a demon is able to fully absorb a single shard of the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls, the result will be as if it had swallowed the entire Jewel. The shard will call out for the others, allowing the demon to hunt down the rest of the Sacred Jewel."
"You know what, why the hell did anyone create this Jewel in the first place?! It's so God damned troublesome!" Yusuke shouted out in frustration. "It's so stupid, giving something like the Jewel all that power! What idiot was stupid enough to decide one day to make this damn jewel?!"
"It was not created willingly, Yusuke. The Sacred Jewel of Four Souls was created with a dire purpose," Mimiru sternly answered.
"You know why the Sacred Jewel was made?" Kazuma asked.
Mimiru frowned, her blue eyes poignant. "Sadly to say, I do, Kazuma. The Sacred Jewel of Four Souls or the memory of it is a reminder to all in the priesthood of the purity he or she must maintain; the Sacred Jewel is also a reminder of perseverance."
"Why is that?" Botan asked. She looked down at the fragment in her hand. "Why is the Sacred Jewel such a heavy reminder to all priestesses? What is its purpose?"
"Lady Nadeshiko, one and possibly the most powerful of the Five Priestesses, was killed the day the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls was made. In that day, Lady Nadeshiko was the eldest and the wisest priestess from the Five Villages, and possibly the most well known. She was able to purify any soul that contained Evil or Darkness; in later years, Lady Barako would develop those powers," Mimiru began. "Lady Barako will then be killed because of the Sacred Jewel as well, but we all know that tragedy. Anyway, about five years before Lady Barako's death, Lady Nadeshiko and her village were attacked by a horde of demons; the priestess was able to lure the demons into a nearby cave, saving her village tremendous damage. In the cave, Lady Nadeshiko battled the demons for seven days and seven nights, unable to defeat them. She instead incased their souls along with her own within the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls; a battle still goes on within the Jewel between Lady Nadeshiko and those demons."
"Did you know any of this?" Yusuke questioned Kurama.
Kurama shrugged indifferently. "In my past life, Yusuke, I did not care where the Sacred Jewel had come from or what blood had been spilled for and on it; I was a thief; all I had cared for was to make the Jewel my own."
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As the Spirit Detectives were about to leave Barako's Village, Botan turned, thought for a moment, and ran back to Mimiru. Yusuke and the others followed Botan with their watchful gazes. "Botan, where do you think you're going?" Yusuke called out. "Keiko and the others are probably waiting for us at the gate right now."
"I'll be back, Yusuke, I just need to ask something before we leave," Botan replied as she came to a stop in front of Mimiru.
"Is there something else you need, Miss Botan?" Mimiru wondered.
Botan smiled as she began, "Lady Mimiru, if it isn't too much to ask, do you think you could train me?"
"Train you?"
Botan nodded, giving the priestess a polite, graceful bow. "I would like you to train me as a priestess, Lady Mimiru. I want to be able to use the fullest extent of my abilities so that I can collect the Sacred Jewel shards quickly. The faster I can collect the shards, the quicker the Three Worlds will be safe."
"All right, if that is what you wish," Mimiru grinned. "Beginning tomorrow, we shall begin your training in the priesthood, Miss Botan. I hope I shall be able to educate you enough so that your powers come to rival Lady Barako's."
"What do you think she's asking Mimiru?" Yusuke whispered to Kazuma. The two Human Spirit Detectives were too far off and were unable to listen to Botan and Mimiru's conversation.
"I don't know, Urameshi."
Kurama, with the use of his demonic abilities, slightly winced as he heard Mimiru's comment; anxious emotions began to stir within him. '//Heh, the girl wants to become a priestess, just as she was five hundred years ago. Good, she will need to improve her shot. She has terrible aim.//'
Frowning, Kurama began to reprimand his self, 'Youko, that is not the pressing issue! You must remember what you had said when the Sacred Jewel had first appeared from Botan's body. If Botan's powers were to become a match to Barako's, would the awakening of her powers trigger her past memories? Would that rouse her sleeping soul? Youko, if all were to be remembered, would Barako come after you again? Would Botan disappear and Barako take her stead for ever?'
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. Three Weeks Later .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Hey, Botan, do you want to come with us to the café?" Keiko shouted out as she spotted and waved at the blue haired girl walking off the high school campus. "Umi, Chiharu, Rika, and I are heading there right now to have a study session; Iwamoto's test is tomorrow, you know."
Stopping in mid-step, Urameshi Botan did a one-eighty, causing her midnight blue skirt to twirl, and looked at Keiko and her school friends cheerily. She walked towards them as she gave them greeting. "Oh, I would love to stay with you and study for that awful man's test, Keiko," Botan smiled, "but I can't today."
"Why not, Botan? You haven't hung out with us for a while now. And you especially know that Mr. Iwamoto hates you, so you should study for this test," Umi, one of Botan's new school friends, whined. The girl's long, wavy brunette hair outlined her face, making her brown eyes seem larger and more pleading than usual. "You haven't hung out with us for almost three weeks now; it's so strange of you. You aren't seeing a boyfriend behind our backs, are you, Botan?"
"Oh! You have a boyfriend, Botan?!" Chiharu and Rika demanded. "You had a boyfriend, and you didn't TELL us? Why would you do something like that to us, Botan?!" Botan raised her hands up defensively, nervously laughing at her friends' forwardness; ever since the students had starting warming up to her, Botan had been immediately adopted by Keiko's ring of hyper school friends, Umi, Chiharu, and Rika.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend, you guys!" Botan exclaimed, blushing beet-red. She quickly turned to Keiko for support, her lavender eyes pleading for assistance. "Keiko, tell them that I don't have a boyfriend. You know that I don't!"
Keiko smiled devilishly as she put a thoughtful finger on her chin. Botan recognized that mischievous grin; it was the foxy grin Yusuke had on his face whenever he had a demented plan. "Well, I don't know, Botan. You've been spending a lot of time out, and Yusuke is even starting to get worried about you. And here you are skipping cram time for a test you desperately need to pass for some mysterious meeting that we don't know about. Sometimes I wonder if you're seeing SOMEONE without telling me who."
Botan blushed at the mention of her social absences; Keiko knew well enough where the bubbly cerulean locked girl ran off to after school and with whom. Ever since meeting Priestess Mimiru, Botan had been going to Maikai with Kurama to train and collect Sacred Jewel shards. So far they had only collected four other shards, but Botan was persistent as Kurama was determined.
"So where do you go after school, Botan?" Rika inquired.
"If you aren't going off to meet your boyfriend, that is," Chiharu added.
"Oh, give me a break, you guys!" Botan cried hopelessly.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
'//It is taking far too long to collect the shards, Syuuichi. So far that former ferry girl has only collected five Sacred Jewel Shards. By the time she locates others, they shall have been devoured and merged with those worthless, undeserving scum who call themselves demons.//'
Kurama sighed as he watched the pink-colored clouds float against a fiery orange and lavender-shaded sky; the sun was setting against the city skyline, and Kurama was on his way to meet Botan. 'Youko, you must have patience; it has only been three weeks. In due time you will have the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls and have your wish granted; this operation takes endurance, and you must make through it, Youko.'
'//You try and have patience after so long, Syuuichi; of course, you as a human probably would not understand; you are only fifteen while your other self is near a millennium. Getting killed trying to steal the ultimate treasure, waiting for five hundred years to be free from a damned spell, and then finding your prize destroyed is not something one is pleased with and contains patience for.//'
'Feh, that is nothing in comparison. Try dealing with a mass of love- sick high school girls bent on becoming your girlfriend, Youko.'
'//Would rather not, Syuuichi.//'
'Thought so.'
Reaching a familiar high school, Kurama, spotting his target a little ways off, walked up to Botan. The Spirit Detective could not help but notice Botan surrounded by her pestering human friends. "There you are, Botan. You and I have to hurry; you cannot be late to your lessons, especially today," Kurama called out, leisurely walking towards the group of girls.
Umi, Chiharu, and Rika froze at the sight and arrival of the new, handsome redhead stranger; for a moment they ceased pestering Botan, but when they recovered, a new turn of harassment began. "Is this your secret boyfriend, Botan? You're going out with a college student? What's his name? How long have you two been going out? Exactly how old is he? Why didn't you tell us about him, Botan?!" the three girls whispered feverishly as Keiko tried to stifle her giggles.
Kurama quickly turned to Botan for an explanation, his green eyes confused. "'Boyfriend'? Botan, what are they--"
Botan slapped her head with her right hand; this was extremely embarrassing, especially in front of Kurama. "No, you guys, this is Minamino Syuuichi, a close friend of mine. Syuuichi here isn't my boyfriend. He's--He's--"
"I'm her tutor," Syuuichi, instantly understanding the situation, quickly finished, smiling dashingly at Botan's friends. Although the smile melted the girls' hearts through, Keiko remained unfazed; she sighed at Kurama's play.
"You have a way with women, Kurama," Keiko muttered beneath her breath, barely loud enough for Kurama to perceive with his acute sense of hearing. Trying to hold back his laughter, Kurama allowed his features a small grin of amusement. Keiko blushed slightly in embarrassment when Kurama caught her eye, telling her he had heard her comment; she had not meant to say anything out loud.
"Well, are you ready leave, Botan?" Kurama asked amiably, returning his attention to his original objective.
"Yes. We have to get going now or else I'll be really late," Botan nodded. "Good bye, everyone! I'll see you in class tomorrow!" She waved her friends good-bye and started off with Kurama towards the gate to Maikai.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
While walking along the city streets, Botan began to sense a warm, assuring aura approaching behind her and Kurama; the Spirit signature was not a threat to the two, but it slightly disturbed Botan. "Kurama, do you sense that?"
Kurama, somewhat wrapped in his own thoughts, turned his concentration to Botan. "Sense what, Botan?" he asked in a gentle manner. "Is something the matter?"
"Er, never mind, Kurama." 'Who is this I'm sensing? This aura feels so familiar to me,' Botan thought to herself with a little frustration. 'Where have I felt this presence before? Why does it feel so familiar, so nice?'
"Hey, Minamino, what are you doing here?"
At the sound of his family name, Syuuichi turned around and caught the sight of a grinning Hatsume Soijiro dressed in a football uniform behind him. "Oh, Hatsume. I did not know you came to this side of town. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, I was just walking around, Minamino, and the football team needed to pick up some football equipment at a store nearby. I decided that I would get it. What about you, Minamino? What are you doing out here?"
"Hello, Hatsume," Botan greeted the young man right then, popping up from behind Syuuichi's back. "It's nice to see you again. How have you been doing since we last saw each other?" Syuuichi's schoolmate smiled and his azure orbs twinkled when he caught sight of the recognizable high school student.
"Heh, I'm doing fine. I see you're still seeing Minamino, Urameshi. Glad to see that you two are still together."
Botan blushed, "Oh, no, Syuuichi and I aren't dating, Hatsume. Syuuichi is just a very good friend of mine and my tutor." Inwardly, Botan sighed at her misfortune. 'Why does everyone keep on thinking that I'm seeing Syuuichi? Is there something that I'm not seeing?'
Soijiro seemed slightly confused. "A tutor for what, Urameshi? You don't look like you need a tutor to me."
"Oh, you know, a little reading, math, science, political science. Syuuichi's just helping me out with a little bit of everything. He's really helping me get ready for the upcoming exams," Botan laughed as her lie caught a knot in her stomach. For some odd reason, Botan felt rather uncomfortable lying to Soijiro; the thought did not lie well within her mind.
"I see," Soijiro murmured, putting a hand to his chin. He closed his cerulean eyes pensively, allowing mahogany strands to shadow his face. After three seconds, Soijiro raised his head and grinned excitedly at Botan. "Well, since that's the case, and you're not dating Minamino-- Urameshi, do you think, if you didn't mind and ever have the time, you could go out on a date with me?"
Botan's eyes grew a little wide with surprise as so did Syuuichi's. "I--" Botan could not find her voice; it had suddenly disappeared from her as if she were falling. 'How in the world am I supposed to answer him? I don't know who he even is, but I feel like--I sense that I can trust him.' "Hatsume, I--"
Soijiro smiled kindly at Botan, placing a hand on her shoulder; the college student sighed at his impulsiveness. "I'm sorry, Urameshi; I didn't mean to burst out like that. It's all right. I'll understand if you don't want to; after all, you just met me a few weeks ago."
'I can trust Soijiro.' With that, Botan's face became set, and she replied, "I wouldn't mind going on a date with you, Hatsume--I mean, Soijiro--Is it all right if I called you Soijiro, right?"
"Sure, if you like. May I call you Botan?"
"Yes. You may call me Botan, Soijiro."
Holding out his right hand to Botan, Soijiro continued, "So, I guess you and I are promised for a date sometime soon. I'm not sure when, but whenever you're available, will you call me?"
Giggling with a childish tone, Botan answered, "I will, Hat--eh-- Soijiro. Just be sure to be free then. Syuuichi and I have to go now or else we won't have enough studying time."
"All right, I'll leave you two to your work." And with that, Soijiro left Botan and Syuuichi's company. A sudden strange silence now over took the couple.
'I wonder what a date with Soijiro is going to be like? Hm, I wonder what a date is going to be like?' "Soijiro, he's a nice person," Botan whispered, mostly to herself.
"He is," Kurama responded, watching Botan gaze at Soijiro's shrinking form. 'What is wrong with Botan now? Why is she in a dreamy state now that Hatsume is gone?'
'//She is thinking about that boy from your class, Syuuichi; she is enamored by him and feels saddened he is now gone. Botan is no better than any other human girl; her heart is too easily swayed.//' Kurama could almost hear a jealous tone emerging from Youko's thoughts.
'Are you envious of Hatsume, Youko? Are you afraid that Botan enjoys Hatsume's company more than your own?'
Youko snarled harshly at Syuuichi. '//You are an idiot, boy. You should know better, Syuuichi, knowing your past; five hundred years ago you died at the hands of a fickle-hearted woman. Botan's weak heart will become your undoing once again. She will kill you, Syuuichi.//'
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Good, you are doing well, Miss Botan," Mimiru complimented as Botan's third arrow hit the target. The priestess and the apprentice were currently practicing archery at the edge of the village, the village children watching from a little distance off. "However, you are little too tense when you take aim, Miss Botan. Relax your mind and purify your thoughts as you imagine your arrows hitting their target."
"All right, I'll try," Botan breathed as she took another arrow from the quiver beside her and placing it into her bow. Taking careful aim, Botan reminded herself, 'Clear my mind and relax. I need to be calm.' After taking a deep breath, Botan released the arrow and watched it whiz into the bull's-eye.
"Hurray for Miss Botan!" the little children cheered, the youngsters waving their wings, tails, and some their ears in happiness. "She has done so much better! She will be the best priestess of all!" Botan smiled at the sweet, kind children and waved at them.
"Thank you, everyone!"
"We have been practicing for three hours now," Mimiru informed in a satisfied manner, walking towards the village. "Now you should take some rest, Miss Botan, before we continue. We must not have you exhaust yourself during these times."
"Does that mean Miss Botan can now play with us, Lady Mimiru?" the village children exclaimed, staring at Mimiru with pleading eyes.
"Yes," Mimiru chuckled. "Yes, Miss Botan is now able to play with you little ones. But please, do not tire Miss Botan out. She needs her strength so that she may fulfill her duties."
"We shall be good!" the children chorused in answer, running and laughing to Botan.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Chirping quietly echoed through the forest, the flutter of wings barely heard. Beams of light filtered through the outstretched arms of the trees, shifting shadows casting a fluid movement within the forest. As nonchalant as air, Kurama, his calm countenance matching that of the wood, serenely strolled through the plant life.
"I remember this place; it has barely changed," Kurama whispered as he examined his tranquil surroundings. He had just entered the sunny glade near the south of Barako's Village, a memorable area to the fox demon. When he reached the center of the shady glade, Kurama encountered a tree that could rival him in age. Kurama stared at the ancient tree, a flood of memories returning to him.
//"Kurama, are you here?" Barako whispered placidly as she entered the forest clearing. A slight rustle was heard, causing Barako to stare at the ancient tree in the clearing's center.//
//Kurama, with the morning light casting off of his luminous form, smiled tenderly down at the priestess from atop the large tree's roots. He offered Barako a clawed-hand, helping her climb onto the roots beside him. "You came," Kurama murmured.//
//"You asked, did you not?" Barako replied.//
//"Yes, I did ask," Kurama, grinning happily, helped Barako walk across the roots. The priestess noticed the slight twitch in Kurama's white ears and a happy flick of his tail. When the couple walked halfway around the tree's base, Barako was met with a stunning sight. A single, ruby rose growing upon an emerald vine glittered with morning dew in the rising sunlight. Barako lightly petted the delicate velvet petals.//
//"Did Hinagiku again argue with you about coming today?" Kurama asked as he watched Barako carefully cup the rose beneath her pale, slender hands.//
//"Yes, she did," Barako sighed as she deftly observed the rose. "I feel sorry for her, Kurama. My dear little sister cannot forgive demons for what they have done to our parents, to the other villages, to Lady Nadeshiko. To Hinagiku, the crimes committed by one demon are crimes committed by every other demon. I wish so much for Hinagiku to trust you."//
//Kurama snorted at Barako's words, his golden eyes smirking with hilarity. "I do not need Little One's trust, Barako. She shall either come to trust me or continue to bear my presence; those are the only two choices offered to her."//
//"You have no patience for my little sister, but you consistently tolerate my companionship, Kurama. Why is that?" Barako asked while she kept her gaze upon the blood-red flower.//
//Placing a firm, tender hand beneath Barako's, Kurama replied, "Because you endure my company, Barako."//
//Slightly blushing, Barako continued to admire the rose. "How beautiful."//
//"Yes, you are," Kurama whispered into Barako's ear as he leaned his forehead against her own. Kurama neared his face towards the priestess', and their lips lightly brushed against each other, barely touching at all. When Kurama's face neared even more, Barako felt her cheeks grow heated and looked down to the ground. Realizing what he had nearly done, Kurama removed himself from Barako and began his retreat into the forest.//
//"Kurama, where are you--"//
//"You must get back to your duties; Little One is probably worried sick for you by now. I shall see you tomorrow, Barako," Kurama murmured, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.//
"Never again," Kurama growled as he leaned his arm against the tree's trunk. The crimson locked young man ran his fingers against the frail petals of the roses that now thrived upon the tree. Orbs of verdant merged with the blood-red blooms. "Never again will I see your face another day-- Barako."
"Kurama, are you here?"
A shiver ran down Kurama's spine, the familiar voice ringing in his head; the graceful, firm voice singing through his mind awoke heart- wrenching emotions Kurama thought he would never feel again. "No, never again," Kurama whispered. "You are forever gone, your soul already reincarnated. We, I assume, were never meant to be, Barako."
"Kurama, where are you? Kurama!"
The second call made Kurama realize he was not hearing Barako's voice in his head but someone tangible was actually calling him. By the scent in the air, the fox demon became conscious that it was Botan searching for him, not the memory of Barako.
"Kurama, there you are. I was worried about you," Botan sighed as she climbed onto the one-thousand-year old tree.
"How did you know where to look for me?" Kurama grabbed Botan's hand and helped her up beside him.
"I was playing with the village children when one of them told me she spotted you coming this way. She said you looked agitated and depressed, so I got worried and decided to follow you." While Botan was climbing up the roots, she lost her footing and slipped on the moss-covered wood. Before she fell back into the crevices of the massive roots, Kurama quickly caught her with his arms and hugged the girl to him.
Botan's heart raced against her breast, and Kurama could feel it vibrate through the girl's body into his. Slowly separating herself from the Detective's arms so that she would not lose her balance again, Botan with rosy cheeks stared into Kurama's face. "Sorry," Botan mumbled in apology.
"It is all right," Kurama responded, a calm smile on his face. "I just hope you are all right."
"I'm fine," Botan answered, shaking off imaginary dust from her robes. That was when Kurama realized what Botan was wearing. Like Barako had worn five hundred years ago, Botan was dressed in a snow-white robed top with a red bottom; and like the former priestess, Botan's long light blue hair was fashioned in a low, loose pony-tail that was coming undone with two tendrils on each side of her face.
'//Barako.//' Before he could stop himself, Kurama gently cupped Botan's face with his kind, firm hands. Pools of wistful emerald were absorbing confused orbs of amethyst.
'What is Kurama doing? Why is he staring at me like that? Why does he have that sad look on his face again?' "Kurama," Botan whispered, "what are you doing?"
Botan's voice once again awoke Kurama from his reverie, causing the young man to drop his hand from Botan's face. "Sorry," Kurama answered apologetically.
'Barako and Botan are not that much different at all,' Kurama thought to himself forlornly. 'And why should then not be alike? After all, the do share the same soul. And for a moment, for a mere moment, I nearly thought Botan was Barako, with her dressed in those clothes and her hair fashioned that way. //Do not be a fool, Syuuichi. Botan and Barako look nothing alike.// You are right, Youko, Botan looks lovely with her hair down like that.'
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.