AN: Thank you everyone for all of your support and helpful criticism.
Without it, this story would have been terrible (not to mention utterly
boring). Also, it would have been one of the shortest pieces ever written
because I wouldn't have continued it. Much thanks should go to:
JD Fielding, |-Steph-chan-|, midlight bunny, Sara, phantom rabbit, Dianne, Shy-Lil-Dreamer, and the fan.
This is a rather short chapter, I know, but the good stuff is coming in the next part of this chapter. Please, just bear with me as I try my best to post up everything for everyone's (hopefully) enjoyment.
And here is the first part of the final chapter for "Once Loved, Never Forgotten."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"This is speech."
'This is thought.'
//This is Youko or flashback.//
Once Loved, Never Forgotten
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Hiei groaned at Kurama's annoying depressing behavior. The fire demon was fiercely fighting the tempting urge to punch his good friend in the face. "Kurama, do you honestly want to find Botan and confront her about this?" Hiei questioned. Kurama nodded.
"Of course I do, Hiei. Can you not see that I am worried about her?!"
"Then just go to Maikai and find her, idiot."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
For about a dreary half hour, a lofty glistening fox demon had been trudging painfully through the Maikai forest; and the unfortunate apparition still had not caught sight of his deepest heart's desire. Silver ears and tail drooped in expression of Kurama's wretchedness. Constant mind- numbing pain raced from his wound, which still had not properly healed, to his heart, which ached for one person. "Botan," Kurama groaned mournfully as he hunted all about for her familiar aura. He used his Demon Energy to reach out and explore with the surrounding plant life. The fox demon found nothing. "Botan, where can you be?"
Right then, a shocking urgent sensation shot through Kurama's mind; some demonic vegetation about ten miles northwest had found a woman mindlessly wondering through the hardly traveled mists.
He found her.
He had finally found her.
'//Botan.//'
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Where are we heading, Hinageshi? Mimiru suggested we search in the other part of the forest," Yusuke demanded as he tried his best to follow the little redhead girl through a thick grass field. Scowling russet pools constantly monitored the grass-tangled ground, making sure he would not make a fool of himself by tripping. "That part of the forest is where some of the children last caught a scent of Botan."
Actually, the towering grass field was more like an emerald grass jungle; the stalks were far taller than the two would ever be. It was as if this field was one of Kurama's monster demonic plants, Yusuke imagined. More likely if no one found Botan in the next day, these plants would be the ones to tear off and consume everyone's flesh because of Kurama's rage. Yusuke shuddered at the thought.
'Hope you're doing better than us, Kurama. And please find Botan safe.'
"We're heading towards Beggar's Cavern," Hinageshi hastily answered the Spirit Detective's question, pulling the grass away from her path to her best ability as she hiked onward. "It should be coming up soon."
'I can sense it from here. It hasn't changed at all from five hundred years ago.'
"What's up there?" Kazuma heavily huffed as he slashed away the tall stalks with his Spirit Sword, trying to improve the path of travel. "Do you think Botan's hiding there, Hinageshi?"
"Well, possibly. At least that's what I had in mind or of the sort," Hinageshi started as she stepped aside while Yusuke shot a straight path towards the cave with his Spirit Gun. "It's probably one of Botan's most familiar places in this world, if she remembers anything of this world; but I'm not all too sure. When we were still alive, Barako and I spent a lot of time at Beggar's Cavern; Barako in particular."
"Whatever for?" Yusuke wondered inquisitively as he followed the young Spirit Guide, the trio reaching the end of their cleared path. The delinquent had no idea why the priestess would want to spend time at a placed called 'Beggar's Cavern'. "What's so special about that cave, Hinageshi?"
The younger ferry girl turned her fiery scarlet head and stared blankly through emerald eyes at the Detective, sending shivers up his spine. "Can't you sense it, Yusuke?"
'I can. What is that--Darkness?'
The young Spirit Guide was silent as she trudged until the end of the field. As soon as they reached the end, the three easily noticed a ten-foot radius of no life around a nearby fissure. Nothing grew around the grotto, not even moss or grass.
"Ew, what is that creepy feeling?" Kazuma shivered childishly as he stalked to Hinageshi and Yusuke's side. "This feels grosser than the time we were fighting Sensui; and I tell you, that was one sick guy."
Hinageshi sighed in dark memories as she stared gloomily into the cave's endless depths. Memories from five hundred years ago flew across her mind as the redhead girl observed the flickering aura of the sinister cave. "What you sense, Kuwabara, is the aura of Burraki's evil sprit."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Leaping in tremendous lengths to reach the area where Botan had last been sensed, Kurama nearly passed by his target through his eagerness. Just as he flew over the Maikai forest canopy, a flash of sky blue caught his sharp thieving eyes. Quickly commanding his body to an immediate halt, the glinting blur of a fox demon gracefully maneuvered his way through several winding and twisting branches to the ground. Upon his elegant landing, a sobbing and somewhat frightened gasp reached Kurama's sensitive white ears.
When Kurama looked up with golden eyes to the girl he cared for, he frowned disapprovingly when he saw her running the other direction, away from him. Growling in deep frustration, Kurama grabbed her wrist firmly before he lost Botan again.
"Botan."
Although she did not resist against his hold, Kurama could feel Botan's reluctance to stay by his side. He could sense through his hand and her spirit her readiness to run from him, to hide away from him. Kurama did not know what was presently hurting him more: his aching wound or his denied heart.
"Botan, please, look at me."
'//Please look at me; do not forsake me, Botan.//'
Botan dipped her head further, hot tears of shame and sorrow shedding down and spilling through her amethyst eyes. She tried her best to control her tremors, her body weakening by Kurama's firm hold on her. His hands now held her shoulders instead of her wrists, making it impossible for her to escape. Clenching her fists tightly, she tried to find the courage to look up at the young man in front of her; Botan tried to find the strength to speak to the person she cared so much for. However, she barely had enough resolve to choke out, "I can't."
'//Don't hate me.//'
"Look at me," Kurama commanded once more, his words ever gentle. "Please, Botan." His voice was stern and substantial yet still soothing and swaying. Botan called upon all of her will to disobey Kurama's seducing voice. She would not yield to him.
"No."
"Botan, please," Kurama begged helplessly. "I am begging of you, please, just look at me."
'//Please care for me the way I do you.//'
"Go away, Kurama," Botan cried out, suddenly struggling against Kurama's hold on her shoulders. More tears sprang anew from her reddened lavender eyes as she sought a way to be far from Kurama. Azure locks tasseled against Kurama's broken face. "Please, I can't stand to see you like this!"
"Do you hate me so, Botan?" Kurama whispered into her ear, obvious hurt in his voice. His hold on her remained stronger than ever, even through Botan's furious thrashing.
'//Have I made you hate me as much as I made Barako do all those years ago?//'
"No," Botan sobbed feebly, her fight weakening as quickly as it had begun. "I don't hate you, Kurama. I could never hate you, Kurama. I just--I just can't see you after what I did! I can't stand to be near you after what I did, Kurama!"
"You mean what Barako did, Botan?"
Botan finally ceased her senseless struggling and, for the first time, stared deeply into Kurama's calm and warm golden pools. She held her breath in surprise. "What do you mean by that, Kurama?"
Tenderly brushing her tear-stained cheek, Kurama answered, "Botan, what happened was not your fault."
New anger shot through Botan. "How can you say that? You saw it with your own eyes, Kurama! I shot that arrow with all the bitterness inside me," Botan muttered; her face paled as she reminisced of her dreadful deed. "When I let that final arrow go, I let it fly with all of my anger, hate, and sorrow; I shot it with all my vengeance within my soul, Kurama. That was MY act of spite."
'//You would never do that.//'
"No," Kurama argued, his grip on Botan tightening. His piercing golden eyes penetrated Botan's amethyst orbs. "Botan, that look in your eyes when you shot that arrow, that was not you; that was not you at all. You could never hate someone so much, Botan, you would drive yourself to murder him; your kind spirit could never allow such a horrendous act."
'//You are not the same.//'
"But Barako and I--"
"You may share the same soul, but that does not make you her; you two are separate beings altogether. You are your own person, Botan, and always have been! You and Barako are not the same!"
'//You two are not the same; I love only one of you. I love--//'
"But I did shoot you, Kurama! I did it and was fully aware of it! I tried to kill you and didn't even think twice about it!" Botan cried, banging her fists against Kurama's chest. Kurama's heart nearly broke at the sight of her; she seemed so helpless, like a fragile child. "How can you find the kindness to come to me and tell me that it wasn't me? How can you tell me it wasn't me who tried to hurt you? I wanted to kill you!"
"God, Botan! Why do you refuse to listen to me?" Kurama demanded as he lost his patience to steadily reveal his emotions; he could no longer tolerate his heart's urgings. "Can you not hear what I am trying to tell you? Do you not understand how I feel about you, Botan?!"
"No, I don't understand how you feel! But then again, Kurama, you don't understand how I feel about you!" Botan wept in return. "And I've felt the same way for you for so long; but you never realized. You don't understand my heart for you at all!"
'//Her heart for me?//'
'Her heart for me.'
Kurama, his swift anger melting away just as swiftly, smiled at Botan's response and redrew her into his protective embrace. His entire being warmed at the thought he had mistaken Botan's feelings for him entirely. "Then let us understand each other," the tall, lustrous demon responded a little more calmly in her ear. "Let us know the heart of the other, Botan."
"How?" Botan questioned as she gripped at Kurama's back; she feared him disappearing at this critical moment, like her love had during her horrendous nightmare of the past.
"How about if we truthfully started telling each other how we feel?" Kurama suggested in a whisper. Out of affectionate reaction, the young- looking demon tucked silky strands of sky behind Botan's ear.
Burying her swollen face into Kurama's chest, Botan murmured, "If only it were that simple, Kurama. If only it were that simple."
'If only I knew.'
"I do not see any difficulty in that, Botan," Kurama softly argued, tapping her nose gently with his own. A small smile graced his sly lips as he felt the heat radiating from Botan's face.
Biting her lower lip, Botan turned away from Kurama, muttering, "Kurama, what I feel for you--I'm not sure anymore if it is exactly what I feel. Sometimes, I think what I feel for you isn't genuine at all. Lately now, I'm confused about myself. Sometimes I think--I think what I feel towards you, Kurama, is Barako's doing."
'She loves you more than I do.'
A look of alarm crossed the demon's face for only a second, even if that. "What do you mean?"
Sighing hopelessly, Botan took a seat at the base of a tree, her body easily collapsing against the roots. She could feel coldness from the ground soaking through her clothing, but she was numb to that sensation; she was nearly numb to everything. "I don't know, Kurama," Botan cried, more tears threatening to spill. She tried to sniffle them back. "Kurama, I'm so confused."
'I want to love you as much as she does you.'
Kurama, with another a small grin on his face, took his place by Botan's side and allowed her head to rest upon his shoulder. He relished at the feeling of her silky tresses rubbing against his bare arm. "Then, Botan, let me tell you how I feel about you and how I once felt about Barako. Maybe then, you may decipher your emotions toward me."
'//Love me.//'
"I fell in love with Barako, Botan, right after Kuronue's death," Kurama began. "My best friend had just been murdered before my eyes, and I was utterly devastated. I nearly allowed Kuronue's sacrifice go to waste when I almost died of depression. But then, I found a light to my darkness; I had found Barako, who found a way to heal my broken heart. During that time of recovery, Barako seemed like a sanctuary of kindness compared against the harshness of the rest of Maikai."
"You willingly let go of your heart to her," Botan murmured tonelessly.
'She got to see the gentleness of your heart, your soul. She saw the side no one has ever seen, the side only a lover would get to see. Barako saw what I desperately wish to see but never will.'
"My broken heart which needed mending, Botan," Kurama reminded sternly, frowning ever slightly at the hint of disdain in Botan's voice. Never had he heard that sort of contempt from Botan.
"But now you hate her so, Kurama. Her soul--" Botan grabbed at her heart in ache. Swirling, storming, swaying vast amounts of emotions swam in her lovely lavender orbs, their rich, lively color calling out to Kurama. The fox held back a gasp of pain, not wanting to alarm Botan and his ability to sense her innermost pains. "Barako's soul calls out for you constantly, wishes to love you; and I know you can sense her pain. It's in your eyes, your face. I know you know my pain. It hurts so much inside, Kurama. How could you say you hate someone who loves you so?"
'Will you deny me if I love you too?'
"Botan," Kurama whispered tenderly, tracing her soft, smooth cheek with his thumb, "I fell in love with Barako five hundred years ago because I had lost love; she was someone to fill the ache in my heart, a replacement. You, however, are not. I fell in love with you, Botan, because I sincerely love you."
'//Only you.//'
And then, he kissed her.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"What? Barako was harboring a thief? In there?" Yusuke whistled in impression as he returned his gaze towards the evil cave. The delinquent did not know what his image of Barako was anymore: first it had been an exact replica of Botan, then a perfectly powerful womanly warrior, and recently an angry murderous spirit. To Yusuke, Barako was as a mysterious figure as Botan was. "And here I thought that priestess did no wrong in her entire life."
'I thought she was like Botan: a girl who could do no evil.'
Hinageshi glowered at the darkness emitting from the cavern. Placing delicate hands over her heart, Hinageshi answered, "Yes, Barako was helping a thief here, and I am not speaking of Kurama. This thief was human and a murder; and he was badly wounded when Barako found him nearly dead by the entrance of this cave."
'And she should have left him dead.'
"And she saved his life? Why?" Kazuma demanded, the young man finally somewhat immune to the cave's evil waves. "Weren't priestesses like policemen or like ancient Spirit Detectives back when in Maikai?"
"Yes, in ways: for the Five Villages, anyway. But, Barako was far different from the other priestesses in the other villages. Barako always put her duty to help the unfortunate first before anything else." Hinageshi felt as if she were about to cry. "I warned her about him, but in the end, that wasn't enough."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
A renowned petite fire demon and a taller fiery haired priestess, having been paired up together as a search party for Botan, stormed back in agitation to Barako's Village; the two were feverishly arguing, this scene their usual form of communication and interaction. As the snapping two entered the quiet village, the other villagers either rushed into their homes to stay out of the way or ignored the bickering.
"I do not understand what is the matter with you, Hiei," Mimiru groaned in exasperation, the priestess stamping after the Jagan-bearer. "You truly are a pain. Honestly, we have much more important issues to worry about, and we have so little time to resolve them. Why did you wish to return to the village and waste our time? All is well."
"Feh, oblivious woman; and you call yourself a priestess. All is NOT well. Someone is here within the village, wench," Hiei snapped back harshly. "You're an idiot if you can't sense that energy here. And quit nagging at me like that; you sound like Botan."
"Ugh, either way, it does not matter, Hiei," Mimiru replied in return, beginning her way towards her own hut. "Because of Priestess Barako's ashes in the temple, our village is protected from any demonic attack. Even in her death, Lady Barako protects us. We are safe from everything and anything in Maikai."
"Yes, but are those ashes safe from everything and anything, priestess?" a voice questioned teasingly above the arguing pair. Mimiru and Hiei, halting to a stop, quickly turned their attention upwards, both frowning in dismay as they spotted the source.
"Who are you, and what do you want? What business have you here, demon?!" Mimiru demanded discordantly, grabbing an arrow from her back, hooking it into her bow, and aiming it straight at the being above her. A suspicious look flickered across her verdant eyes.
"I am a shepherdess of lost souls, a giver of new life," the skeletal- like lady cackled with cruel amusement. "And here I thought all beings were welcomed to the Five Villages." She had draping moonlight-hair, her skin green and pale; she possessed the illusionary moon's envy of the glorious loyal sun. Wry, thin hands waved in the air, dancing hauntingly a frightening spellbinding summon. Dressed in layers of dreary-colored but elaborately decorated kimonos, the demon held her self like undead royalty.
Hiei spat onto the ground as he drew out his deadly katana out of its sheath, the diminutive demon of flame obviously annoyed. "Feh, you're just some pathetic demon who is going to die soon."
"And no one with as much malice as yourself," Mimiru growled in addition, "is welcome to any of the Five Villages, especially to Barako's. Leave or prepare yourself to die."
The demon lady laughed as she summoned and launched various orbs, which so happened to explode like fireworks, at Mimiru and Hiei. "That is what you believe, young ones! But maybe the ones who are going to die are you!"
Unable to dodge the volatile attacks hastily enough, Mimiru screamed in pain as her human arm was shredded and burned and bled excessively. Hiei would have stopped to help the priestess if the demon had not begun to enter Barako's Village and fly to the temple. "Hiei!" Mimiru shouted out through her agony. "Stop her! Do not allow her to take away Lady Barako's ashes!"
"Damn humans and their orders," Hiei muttered beneath his breath as he chased after the shrieking demoness. He was about to reach the witch, when suddenly Barako's Temple exploded and blew apart into numerous pieces. Hiei did not have enough time to react as a piece of debris hit him in his gut and knocked him unconscious. The lady demon flew out of the ruins, an urn in her ghastly white hands.
"Ah, her ashes are mine!"
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Whispering wind whistled through the trees of Maikai, young leathery leaves and willowy bendable branches swinging and swishing with the invisible force. The demonic forest sounded like it was pleasingly applauding someone for good fortune. However, the two auspicious lovers were relishing their kiss; they did not care or hear the wood's congratulations.
Kurama believed he was now in heaven; Botan thought she would soon die. No known force could pull the two apart from their newfound paradise. The fox demon had never undergone such a kiss, not even from his past, far more experienced lovers. Botan's lips tasted sweet and ever gentle, like ripe luscious peaches in the summer and refreshing breezes on muggy days. She expected nothing from him but took everything he offered.
'//So tender; so lovely. I can taste her innocence, her honesty, her purity.//'
Botan did not know how to openly express the emotions hurriedly welling inside of her. She felt relaxed and hot but anxious and cold at the same time. Kurama's sensual lips against her naive mouth comforted her, lured her into a sense of security, of bliss; however, they also kept her sensitive and afraid, the girl very much wanting to know what to do and Kurama's thoughts and emotions.
'Even still, he remains a mystery. Even when we're like this, I can't figure out Kurama. His true self is buried deep within himself, deep where no one can hurt him. Please love me, Kurama.'
After a few moments more of living in another universe and their partner's captivating presence, the couple broke their beguiling kiss, realizing their need to breathe properly. They silently gazed into each other's eyes, utterly dazed by what they had just experienced. Botan's face was a crimson color, and it was impossible for Kurama not to notice her blushing visage. Longing her intimacy once more, Kurama moved for another kiss; however, Botan, in a hushed, timid tone, stopped, "Kurama."
Realizing her uncertainty to move onward, Kurama withdrew himself slightly. After that, when Botan tried to say more, Kurama quickly silenced her. "Sh." Kurama placed a clawed finger over the lips he had just kissed. "Don't say anything, Botan."
Taking her own hand and removing Kurama's from her mouth, Botan added timidly, "But Kurama, I have to tell you what I've decided. I have to tell you my decision."
"What you have decided? What do you mean by--"
Botan smiled tenderly at Kurama as she snuggled herself against the powerful demon beside her. "I do love you, Kurama. That's what I've decided. What I feel for you is different from what Barako feels inside my soul. What feelings I have for you are my own, and what I feel for you is nothing but love."
Holding her in his comforting arms, Kurama responded with overwhelming joy, "I love you as well, Botan, with all of my heart." After that said, Kurama made motions to head back and alert the others, but Botan's grip tightening around his waist halted him. He did not know whether to be worried or surprised by Botan's motion.
"Please, Kurama, don't go; not yet. Let's stay like this just for a little longer," Botan whispered. The young priestess contained a sad note in her quiet voice.
Kurama, wrapping his arms around Botan once more, looked down worriedly at the girl he so much loved. He easily caught her sorrow. "What is wrong, Botan? Do you feel unwell?"
"No, I'm not sick, Kurama. I--It's just--It's just that I'm afraid you'll disappear, Kurama, if I let you go," Botan answered uncertainly Kurama, the sky-blue locked girl burying her face into Kurama's shoulder. "I'm scared something will happen to you if I let you go--I'm afraid, Kurama, of myself."
'I'm afraid of my--Barako's--hate.'
A woeful look overcoming his face, Kurama drew Botan deeper into his embrace. Botan did not have to further explain her insecurities, her fears. He knew quite well what Botan was afraid of, and it was not of her self but of what she was capable of; she feared of killing him, of destroying the Worlds. "Nothing will happen to me, Botan," Kurama assured. "I'll stay by your side, and nothing will happen to you or me. Together, we are safe."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Did you guys hear that?" Yusuke turned his head toward the direction they had come from; a loud bang had reached his human ears, the sound automatically registering as a foul situation. The Spirit Detective frowned, an uneasy sensation settling over him (and it was not from the evil cave).
"Sounded like a bomb exploding," Kazuma added, scratching his chin curiously. "Do you think we should go back to Barako's Village, Urameshi? I have a funny feeling about this; it's almost as bad as the tickle feeling."
"Well," Yusuke began, staring back at Beggar's Cavern. "Since Botan isn't here, we might as well return to village. And I think you're right, Kuwabara. Something weird is going on, and we better go check it out."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"I have retrieved the priestess' ashes, Master, just as you had requested."
"Did you encounter any problems?"
"Just the priestess and the lowly fire demon. They did not come close to matching my power; in fact, I believe I wounded them quite badly. I think they will not be problems for quite a while, Master."
"Good. Now, I have another task for you, my faithful servant."
"And what might that be, Master?"
"I want you to capture Priestess Barako's reincarnate, the human girl known as Botan. You may take her soul as necessary but nothing other than that."
"That may prove difficult, Master. Separation of body and soul may cause some damage to the body, if we wish to remove the soul completely. Usually, many of my hostages have died because the transition was so difficult; although, their souls were perfectly fine."
"Do not dare to hurt her; I desire her body unharmed and untouched."
"As you wish. But what shall you do with the body, Master, without its soul? You know a body is utterly useless without its soul to direct it."
"Not entirely, my servant."
"Master?"
"I shall find good use for her body, as you shall find good use for her soul. Just do your job, and you shall be rewarded well. And if you need more power to complete the task, just request so. I shall do anything in my power to keep Botan intact."
"I leave at once, Master!"
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Breathing in an enchanting scent of sky and happiness, Kurama found consolation in Botan's embrace just as much the girl found comfort in his. "Nothing will happen to me, Botan," Kurama assured. "I'll stay by your side, and nothing will happen to you or me. Together, we are safe." Kurama smiled to himself as he buried his head into Botan's sweet-scented hair. "As long as we're together, which we always will, we will always be safe, Botan, no matter the circumstance."
Inhaling with a sense of security and Kurama's lovely rosy scent, Botan eased her self more into Kurama's strong but gentle arms. She felt safer already. "Do you promise, Kurama?"
An unknown voice then entered Kurama's mind, belonging neither to Syuuichi or Youko. It snapped, 'Don't make promises you can't possibly keep, Kurama.'
Kurama instantly replied, 'Who are you?'
'Don't you dare hurt Botan.'
'//I never wanted to.//'
'Get away from her right now.'
'//She is mine.//'
'You don't deserve her.'
'I know that.'
'//She is the judge of that.//'
'I'll kill you if you hurt her.'
'I would never.'
'//I could never.//'
Perplexed by the various voices arguing in his mind, Kurama refocused his thought upon the lovely lady gazing tensely at him. "I promise, Botan, with all of my heart. We will remain safe together."
Nothing prepared the lovers to what happened next. Before Kurama knew what was going on, Botan was already flying a hundred feet overhead in the arms of a demon. All logical thought left Kurama as his blood boiled with loathing rage to the disgusting creature that had stolen his prize, his loved one.
"Kurama!" Botan called out to him, tears of fear brimming her eyes.
Growling in fury from her distress, Kurama shouted back. "Botan!"
"Help me, Kurama!"
"BOTAN!"
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
To Be Continued
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
JD Fielding, |-Steph-chan-|, midlight bunny, Sara, phantom rabbit, Dianne, Shy-Lil-Dreamer, and the fan.
This is a rather short chapter, I know, but the good stuff is coming in the next part of this chapter. Please, just bear with me as I try my best to post up everything for everyone's (hopefully) enjoyment.
And here is the first part of the final chapter for "Once Loved, Never Forgotten."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"This is speech."
'This is thought.'
//This is Youko or flashback.//
Once Loved, Never Forgotten
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Hiei groaned at Kurama's annoying depressing behavior. The fire demon was fiercely fighting the tempting urge to punch his good friend in the face. "Kurama, do you honestly want to find Botan and confront her about this?" Hiei questioned. Kurama nodded.
"Of course I do, Hiei. Can you not see that I am worried about her?!"
"Then just go to Maikai and find her, idiot."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
For about a dreary half hour, a lofty glistening fox demon had been trudging painfully through the Maikai forest; and the unfortunate apparition still had not caught sight of his deepest heart's desire. Silver ears and tail drooped in expression of Kurama's wretchedness. Constant mind- numbing pain raced from his wound, which still had not properly healed, to his heart, which ached for one person. "Botan," Kurama groaned mournfully as he hunted all about for her familiar aura. He used his Demon Energy to reach out and explore with the surrounding plant life. The fox demon found nothing. "Botan, where can you be?"
Right then, a shocking urgent sensation shot through Kurama's mind; some demonic vegetation about ten miles northwest had found a woman mindlessly wondering through the hardly traveled mists.
He found her.
He had finally found her.
'//Botan.//'
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Where are we heading, Hinageshi? Mimiru suggested we search in the other part of the forest," Yusuke demanded as he tried his best to follow the little redhead girl through a thick grass field. Scowling russet pools constantly monitored the grass-tangled ground, making sure he would not make a fool of himself by tripping. "That part of the forest is where some of the children last caught a scent of Botan."
Actually, the towering grass field was more like an emerald grass jungle; the stalks were far taller than the two would ever be. It was as if this field was one of Kurama's monster demonic plants, Yusuke imagined. More likely if no one found Botan in the next day, these plants would be the ones to tear off and consume everyone's flesh because of Kurama's rage. Yusuke shuddered at the thought.
'Hope you're doing better than us, Kurama. And please find Botan safe.'
"We're heading towards Beggar's Cavern," Hinageshi hastily answered the Spirit Detective's question, pulling the grass away from her path to her best ability as she hiked onward. "It should be coming up soon."
'I can sense it from here. It hasn't changed at all from five hundred years ago.'
"What's up there?" Kazuma heavily huffed as he slashed away the tall stalks with his Spirit Sword, trying to improve the path of travel. "Do you think Botan's hiding there, Hinageshi?"
"Well, possibly. At least that's what I had in mind or of the sort," Hinageshi started as she stepped aside while Yusuke shot a straight path towards the cave with his Spirit Gun. "It's probably one of Botan's most familiar places in this world, if she remembers anything of this world; but I'm not all too sure. When we were still alive, Barako and I spent a lot of time at Beggar's Cavern; Barako in particular."
"Whatever for?" Yusuke wondered inquisitively as he followed the young Spirit Guide, the trio reaching the end of their cleared path. The delinquent had no idea why the priestess would want to spend time at a placed called 'Beggar's Cavern'. "What's so special about that cave, Hinageshi?"
The younger ferry girl turned her fiery scarlet head and stared blankly through emerald eyes at the Detective, sending shivers up his spine. "Can't you sense it, Yusuke?"
'I can. What is that--Darkness?'
The young Spirit Guide was silent as she trudged until the end of the field. As soon as they reached the end, the three easily noticed a ten-foot radius of no life around a nearby fissure. Nothing grew around the grotto, not even moss or grass.
"Ew, what is that creepy feeling?" Kazuma shivered childishly as he stalked to Hinageshi and Yusuke's side. "This feels grosser than the time we were fighting Sensui; and I tell you, that was one sick guy."
Hinageshi sighed in dark memories as she stared gloomily into the cave's endless depths. Memories from five hundred years ago flew across her mind as the redhead girl observed the flickering aura of the sinister cave. "What you sense, Kuwabara, is the aura of Burraki's evil sprit."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Leaping in tremendous lengths to reach the area where Botan had last been sensed, Kurama nearly passed by his target through his eagerness. Just as he flew over the Maikai forest canopy, a flash of sky blue caught his sharp thieving eyes. Quickly commanding his body to an immediate halt, the glinting blur of a fox demon gracefully maneuvered his way through several winding and twisting branches to the ground. Upon his elegant landing, a sobbing and somewhat frightened gasp reached Kurama's sensitive white ears.
When Kurama looked up with golden eyes to the girl he cared for, he frowned disapprovingly when he saw her running the other direction, away from him. Growling in deep frustration, Kurama grabbed her wrist firmly before he lost Botan again.
"Botan."
Although she did not resist against his hold, Kurama could feel Botan's reluctance to stay by his side. He could sense through his hand and her spirit her readiness to run from him, to hide away from him. Kurama did not know what was presently hurting him more: his aching wound or his denied heart.
"Botan, please, look at me."
'//Please look at me; do not forsake me, Botan.//'
Botan dipped her head further, hot tears of shame and sorrow shedding down and spilling through her amethyst eyes. She tried her best to control her tremors, her body weakening by Kurama's firm hold on her. His hands now held her shoulders instead of her wrists, making it impossible for her to escape. Clenching her fists tightly, she tried to find the courage to look up at the young man in front of her; Botan tried to find the strength to speak to the person she cared so much for. However, she barely had enough resolve to choke out, "I can't."
'//Don't hate me.//'
"Look at me," Kurama commanded once more, his words ever gentle. "Please, Botan." His voice was stern and substantial yet still soothing and swaying. Botan called upon all of her will to disobey Kurama's seducing voice. She would not yield to him.
"No."
"Botan, please," Kurama begged helplessly. "I am begging of you, please, just look at me."
'//Please care for me the way I do you.//'
"Go away, Kurama," Botan cried out, suddenly struggling against Kurama's hold on her shoulders. More tears sprang anew from her reddened lavender eyes as she sought a way to be far from Kurama. Azure locks tasseled against Kurama's broken face. "Please, I can't stand to see you like this!"
"Do you hate me so, Botan?" Kurama whispered into her ear, obvious hurt in his voice. His hold on her remained stronger than ever, even through Botan's furious thrashing.
'//Have I made you hate me as much as I made Barako do all those years ago?//'
"No," Botan sobbed feebly, her fight weakening as quickly as it had begun. "I don't hate you, Kurama. I could never hate you, Kurama. I just--I just can't see you after what I did! I can't stand to be near you after what I did, Kurama!"
"You mean what Barako did, Botan?"
Botan finally ceased her senseless struggling and, for the first time, stared deeply into Kurama's calm and warm golden pools. She held her breath in surprise. "What do you mean by that, Kurama?"
Tenderly brushing her tear-stained cheek, Kurama answered, "Botan, what happened was not your fault."
New anger shot through Botan. "How can you say that? You saw it with your own eyes, Kurama! I shot that arrow with all the bitterness inside me," Botan muttered; her face paled as she reminisced of her dreadful deed. "When I let that final arrow go, I let it fly with all of my anger, hate, and sorrow; I shot it with all my vengeance within my soul, Kurama. That was MY act of spite."
'//You would never do that.//'
"No," Kurama argued, his grip on Botan tightening. His piercing golden eyes penetrated Botan's amethyst orbs. "Botan, that look in your eyes when you shot that arrow, that was not you; that was not you at all. You could never hate someone so much, Botan, you would drive yourself to murder him; your kind spirit could never allow such a horrendous act."
'//You are not the same.//'
"But Barako and I--"
"You may share the same soul, but that does not make you her; you two are separate beings altogether. You are your own person, Botan, and always have been! You and Barako are not the same!"
'//You two are not the same; I love only one of you. I love--//'
"But I did shoot you, Kurama! I did it and was fully aware of it! I tried to kill you and didn't even think twice about it!" Botan cried, banging her fists against Kurama's chest. Kurama's heart nearly broke at the sight of her; she seemed so helpless, like a fragile child. "How can you find the kindness to come to me and tell me that it wasn't me? How can you tell me it wasn't me who tried to hurt you? I wanted to kill you!"
"God, Botan! Why do you refuse to listen to me?" Kurama demanded as he lost his patience to steadily reveal his emotions; he could no longer tolerate his heart's urgings. "Can you not hear what I am trying to tell you? Do you not understand how I feel about you, Botan?!"
"No, I don't understand how you feel! But then again, Kurama, you don't understand how I feel about you!" Botan wept in return. "And I've felt the same way for you for so long; but you never realized. You don't understand my heart for you at all!"
'//Her heart for me?//'
'Her heart for me.'
Kurama, his swift anger melting away just as swiftly, smiled at Botan's response and redrew her into his protective embrace. His entire being warmed at the thought he had mistaken Botan's feelings for him entirely. "Then let us understand each other," the tall, lustrous demon responded a little more calmly in her ear. "Let us know the heart of the other, Botan."
"How?" Botan questioned as she gripped at Kurama's back; she feared him disappearing at this critical moment, like her love had during her horrendous nightmare of the past.
"How about if we truthfully started telling each other how we feel?" Kurama suggested in a whisper. Out of affectionate reaction, the young- looking demon tucked silky strands of sky behind Botan's ear.
Burying her swollen face into Kurama's chest, Botan murmured, "If only it were that simple, Kurama. If only it were that simple."
'If only I knew.'
"I do not see any difficulty in that, Botan," Kurama softly argued, tapping her nose gently with his own. A small smile graced his sly lips as he felt the heat radiating from Botan's face.
Biting her lower lip, Botan turned away from Kurama, muttering, "Kurama, what I feel for you--I'm not sure anymore if it is exactly what I feel. Sometimes, I think what I feel for you isn't genuine at all. Lately now, I'm confused about myself. Sometimes I think--I think what I feel towards you, Kurama, is Barako's doing."
'She loves you more than I do.'
A look of alarm crossed the demon's face for only a second, even if that. "What do you mean?"
Sighing hopelessly, Botan took a seat at the base of a tree, her body easily collapsing against the roots. She could feel coldness from the ground soaking through her clothing, but she was numb to that sensation; she was nearly numb to everything. "I don't know, Kurama," Botan cried, more tears threatening to spill. She tried to sniffle them back. "Kurama, I'm so confused."
'I want to love you as much as she does you.'
Kurama, with another a small grin on his face, took his place by Botan's side and allowed her head to rest upon his shoulder. He relished at the feeling of her silky tresses rubbing against his bare arm. "Then, Botan, let me tell you how I feel about you and how I once felt about Barako. Maybe then, you may decipher your emotions toward me."
'//Love me.//'
"I fell in love with Barako, Botan, right after Kuronue's death," Kurama began. "My best friend had just been murdered before my eyes, and I was utterly devastated. I nearly allowed Kuronue's sacrifice go to waste when I almost died of depression. But then, I found a light to my darkness; I had found Barako, who found a way to heal my broken heart. During that time of recovery, Barako seemed like a sanctuary of kindness compared against the harshness of the rest of Maikai."
"You willingly let go of your heart to her," Botan murmured tonelessly.
'She got to see the gentleness of your heart, your soul. She saw the side no one has ever seen, the side only a lover would get to see. Barako saw what I desperately wish to see but never will.'
"My broken heart which needed mending, Botan," Kurama reminded sternly, frowning ever slightly at the hint of disdain in Botan's voice. Never had he heard that sort of contempt from Botan.
"But now you hate her so, Kurama. Her soul--" Botan grabbed at her heart in ache. Swirling, storming, swaying vast amounts of emotions swam in her lovely lavender orbs, their rich, lively color calling out to Kurama. The fox held back a gasp of pain, not wanting to alarm Botan and his ability to sense her innermost pains. "Barako's soul calls out for you constantly, wishes to love you; and I know you can sense her pain. It's in your eyes, your face. I know you know my pain. It hurts so much inside, Kurama. How could you say you hate someone who loves you so?"
'Will you deny me if I love you too?'
"Botan," Kurama whispered tenderly, tracing her soft, smooth cheek with his thumb, "I fell in love with Barako five hundred years ago because I had lost love; she was someone to fill the ache in my heart, a replacement. You, however, are not. I fell in love with you, Botan, because I sincerely love you."
'//Only you.//'
And then, he kissed her.
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"What? Barako was harboring a thief? In there?" Yusuke whistled in impression as he returned his gaze towards the evil cave. The delinquent did not know what his image of Barako was anymore: first it had been an exact replica of Botan, then a perfectly powerful womanly warrior, and recently an angry murderous spirit. To Yusuke, Barako was as a mysterious figure as Botan was. "And here I thought that priestess did no wrong in her entire life."
'I thought she was like Botan: a girl who could do no evil.'
Hinageshi glowered at the darkness emitting from the cavern. Placing delicate hands over her heart, Hinageshi answered, "Yes, Barako was helping a thief here, and I am not speaking of Kurama. This thief was human and a murder; and he was badly wounded when Barako found him nearly dead by the entrance of this cave."
'And she should have left him dead.'
"And she saved his life? Why?" Kazuma demanded, the young man finally somewhat immune to the cave's evil waves. "Weren't priestesses like policemen or like ancient Spirit Detectives back when in Maikai?"
"Yes, in ways: for the Five Villages, anyway. But, Barako was far different from the other priestesses in the other villages. Barako always put her duty to help the unfortunate first before anything else." Hinageshi felt as if she were about to cry. "I warned her about him, but in the end, that wasn't enough."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
A renowned petite fire demon and a taller fiery haired priestess, having been paired up together as a search party for Botan, stormed back in agitation to Barako's Village; the two were feverishly arguing, this scene their usual form of communication and interaction. As the snapping two entered the quiet village, the other villagers either rushed into their homes to stay out of the way or ignored the bickering.
"I do not understand what is the matter with you, Hiei," Mimiru groaned in exasperation, the priestess stamping after the Jagan-bearer. "You truly are a pain. Honestly, we have much more important issues to worry about, and we have so little time to resolve them. Why did you wish to return to the village and waste our time? All is well."
"Feh, oblivious woman; and you call yourself a priestess. All is NOT well. Someone is here within the village, wench," Hiei snapped back harshly. "You're an idiot if you can't sense that energy here. And quit nagging at me like that; you sound like Botan."
"Ugh, either way, it does not matter, Hiei," Mimiru replied in return, beginning her way towards her own hut. "Because of Priestess Barako's ashes in the temple, our village is protected from any demonic attack. Even in her death, Lady Barako protects us. We are safe from everything and anything in Maikai."
"Yes, but are those ashes safe from everything and anything, priestess?" a voice questioned teasingly above the arguing pair. Mimiru and Hiei, halting to a stop, quickly turned their attention upwards, both frowning in dismay as they spotted the source.
"Who are you, and what do you want? What business have you here, demon?!" Mimiru demanded discordantly, grabbing an arrow from her back, hooking it into her bow, and aiming it straight at the being above her. A suspicious look flickered across her verdant eyes.
"I am a shepherdess of lost souls, a giver of new life," the skeletal- like lady cackled with cruel amusement. "And here I thought all beings were welcomed to the Five Villages." She had draping moonlight-hair, her skin green and pale; she possessed the illusionary moon's envy of the glorious loyal sun. Wry, thin hands waved in the air, dancing hauntingly a frightening spellbinding summon. Dressed in layers of dreary-colored but elaborately decorated kimonos, the demon held her self like undead royalty.
Hiei spat onto the ground as he drew out his deadly katana out of its sheath, the diminutive demon of flame obviously annoyed. "Feh, you're just some pathetic demon who is going to die soon."
"And no one with as much malice as yourself," Mimiru growled in addition, "is welcome to any of the Five Villages, especially to Barako's. Leave or prepare yourself to die."
The demon lady laughed as she summoned and launched various orbs, which so happened to explode like fireworks, at Mimiru and Hiei. "That is what you believe, young ones! But maybe the ones who are going to die are you!"
Unable to dodge the volatile attacks hastily enough, Mimiru screamed in pain as her human arm was shredded and burned and bled excessively. Hiei would have stopped to help the priestess if the demon had not begun to enter Barako's Village and fly to the temple. "Hiei!" Mimiru shouted out through her agony. "Stop her! Do not allow her to take away Lady Barako's ashes!"
"Damn humans and their orders," Hiei muttered beneath his breath as he chased after the shrieking demoness. He was about to reach the witch, when suddenly Barako's Temple exploded and blew apart into numerous pieces. Hiei did not have enough time to react as a piece of debris hit him in his gut and knocked him unconscious. The lady demon flew out of the ruins, an urn in her ghastly white hands.
"Ah, her ashes are mine!"
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Whispering wind whistled through the trees of Maikai, young leathery leaves and willowy bendable branches swinging and swishing with the invisible force. The demonic forest sounded like it was pleasingly applauding someone for good fortune. However, the two auspicious lovers were relishing their kiss; they did not care or hear the wood's congratulations.
Kurama believed he was now in heaven; Botan thought she would soon die. No known force could pull the two apart from their newfound paradise. The fox demon had never undergone such a kiss, not even from his past, far more experienced lovers. Botan's lips tasted sweet and ever gentle, like ripe luscious peaches in the summer and refreshing breezes on muggy days. She expected nothing from him but took everything he offered.
'//So tender; so lovely. I can taste her innocence, her honesty, her purity.//'
Botan did not know how to openly express the emotions hurriedly welling inside of her. She felt relaxed and hot but anxious and cold at the same time. Kurama's sensual lips against her naive mouth comforted her, lured her into a sense of security, of bliss; however, they also kept her sensitive and afraid, the girl very much wanting to know what to do and Kurama's thoughts and emotions.
'Even still, he remains a mystery. Even when we're like this, I can't figure out Kurama. His true self is buried deep within himself, deep where no one can hurt him. Please love me, Kurama.'
After a few moments more of living in another universe and their partner's captivating presence, the couple broke their beguiling kiss, realizing their need to breathe properly. They silently gazed into each other's eyes, utterly dazed by what they had just experienced. Botan's face was a crimson color, and it was impossible for Kurama not to notice her blushing visage. Longing her intimacy once more, Kurama moved for another kiss; however, Botan, in a hushed, timid tone, stopped, "Kurama."
Realizing her uncertainty to move onward, Kurama withdrew himself slightly. After that, when Botan tried to say more, Kurama quickly silenced her. "Sh." Kurama placed a clawed finger over the lips he had just kissed. "Don't say anything, Botan."
Taking her own hand and removing Kurama's from her mouth, Botan added timidly, "But Kurama, I have to tell you what I've decided. I have to tell you my decision."
"What you have decided? What do you mean by--"
Botan smiled tenderly at Kurama as she snuggled herself against the powerful demon beside her. "I do love you, Kurama. That's what I've decided. What I feel for you is different from what Barako feels inside my soul. What feelings I have for you are my own, and what I feel for you is nothing but love."
Holding her in his comforting arms, Kurama responded with overwhelming joy, "I love you as well, Botan, with all of my heart." After that said, Kurama made motions to head back and alert the others, but Botan's grip tightening around his waist halted him. He did not know whether to be worried or surprised by Botan's motion.
"Please, Kurama, don't go; not yet. Let's stay like this just for a little longer," Botan whispered. The young priestess contained a sad note in her quiet voice.
Kurama, wrapping his arms around Botan once more, looked down worriedly at the girl he so much loved. He easily caught her sorrow. "What is wrong, Botan? Do you feel unwell?"
"No, I'm not sick, Kurama. I--It's just--It's just that I'm afraid you'll disappear, Kurama, if I let you go," Botan answered uncertainly Kurama, the sky-blue locked girl burying her face into Kurama's shoulder. "I'm scared something will happen to you if I let you go--I'm afraid, Kurama, of myself."
'I'm afraid of my--Barako's--hate.'
A woeful look overcoming his face, Kurama drew Botan deeper into his embrace. Botan did not have to further explain her insecurities, her fears. He knew quite well what Botan was afraid of, and it was not of her self but of what she was capable of; she feared of killing him, of destroying the Worlds. "Nothing will happen to me, Botan," Kurama assured. "I'll stay by your side, and nothing will happen to you or me. Together, we are safe."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"Did you guys hear that?" Yusuke turned his head toward the direction they had come from; a loud bang had reached his human ears, the sound automatically registering as a foul situation. The Spirit Detective frowned, an uneasy sensation settling over him (and it was not from the evil cave).
"Sounded like a bomb exploding," Kazuma added, scratching his chin curiously. "Do you think we should go back to Barako's Village, Urameshi? I have a funny feeling about this; it's almost as bad as the tickle feeling."
"Well," Yusuke began, staring back at Beggar's Cavern. "Since Botan isn't here, we might as well return to village. And I think you're right, Kuwabara. Something weird is going on, and we better go check it out."
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
"I have retrieved the priestess' ashes, Master, just as you had requested."
"Did you encounter any problems?"
"Just the priestess and the lowly fire demon. They did not come close to matching my power; in fact, I believe I wounded them quite badly. I think they will not be problems for quite a while, Master."
"Good. Now, I have another task for you, my faithful servant."
"And what might that be, Master?"
"I want you to capture Priestess Barako's reincarnate, the human girl known as Botan. You may take her soul as necessary but nothing other than that."
"That may prove difficult, Master. Separation of body and soul may cause some damage to the body, if we wish to remove the soul completely. Usually, many of my hostages have died because the transition was so difficult; although, their souls were perfectly fine."
"Do not dare to hurt her; I desire her body unharmed and untouched."
"As you wish. But what shall you do with the body, Master, without its soul? You know a body is utterly useless without its soul to direct it."
"Not entirely, my servant."
"Master?"
"I shall find good use for her body, as you shall find good use for her soul. Just do your job, and you shall be rewarded well. And if you need more power to complete the task, just request so. I shall do anything in my power to keep Botan intact."
"I leave at once, Master!"
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
Breathing in an enchanting scent of sky and happiness, Kurama found consolation in Botan's embrace just as much the girl found comfort in his. "Nothing will happen to me, Botan," Kurama assured. "I'll stay by your side, and nothing will happen to you or me. Together, we are safe." Kurama smiled to himself as he buried his head into Botan's sweet-scented hair. "As long as we're together, which we always will, we will always be safe, Botan, no matter the circumstance."
Inhaling with a sense of security and Kurama's lovely rosy scent, Botan eased her self more into Kurama's strong but gentle arms. She felt safer already. "Do you promise, Kurama?"
An unknown voice then entered Kurama's mind, belonging neither to Syuuichi or Youko. It snapped, 'Don't make promises you can't possibly keep, Kurama.'
Kurama instantly replied, 'Who are you?'
'Don't you dare hurt Botan.'
'//I never wanted to.//'
'Get away from her right now.'
'//She is mine.//'
'You don't deserve her.'
'I know that.'
'//She is the judge of that.//'
'I'll kill you if you hurt her.'
'I would never.'
'//I could never.//'
Perplexed by the various voices arguing in his mind, Kurama refocused his thought upon the lovely lady gazing tensely at him. "I promise, Botan, with all of my heart. We will remain safe together."
Nothing prepared the lovers to what happened next. Before Kurama knew what was going on, Botan was already flying a hundred feet overhead in the arms of a demon. All logical thought left Kurama as his blood boiled with loathing rage to the disgusting creature that had stolen his prize, his loved one.
"Kurama!" Botan called out to him, tears of fear brimming her eyes.
Growling in fury from her distress, Kurama shouted back. "Botan!"
"Help me, Kurama!"
"BOTAN!"
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.
To Be Continued
.:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:. .:*:.