----------------------------
As a matter of sleep
----------------------------
The night air around Botan's bed was filled with memories and dreams of her old life, about how boring her life was before she met Yusuke. She remembered their first mission, and the first time she met Kurama and Hiei. And the mission that started it all.
If the others hadn't gotten captured two years ago she would have never seen the side of Hiei that he never let anyone see. It was fate that she was left with him, to fall in love with him. All she ever wanted was to spend time with him, and when she finally found peace Suzaku took her but he came.
Then they were forced to forget everything, to forget her. But she brought them together again. Botan then ruined her one chance at alone time with Hiei by not trusting him to love her no matter what she was. She knew now that he would love her, human or not.
Now Hiei was gone and with him her chances of happiness.
Botan's tears seeped through her closed resting eyes as she dreamed of never waking to the harsh reality and truth that her friends were no longer there. She was truly alone.
She opened her soft pink eyes as she felt a cold unnerving touch on her cheek, this cold, however unsettling it was, was also familiar and wanted.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Botan began to see a form, a ghost. She found herself looking into the eyes of Hiei. His spirit was visiting her, but why. She gazed at him not blinking for fear that he might vanish. She said nothing for a few moments and tried to speak only to find that her voice had given out.
It wasn't fair. Botan only want to tell Hiei that she loved him and that she would see him soon. She wanted him to know that all she ever wanted was to spent time with him. This was her one chance to do so and she could not make a sound.
"Botan, listen." Hiei's ghostly voice said she nodded "There is a way." He said
"A way?" her voice came back by force and was cracked and rigged as it was recovering from sleep.
"Your mother needs to be stopped. She may have killed us but we are trapped within her mind." Hiei said
"What? If that's true then how are you here?" she asked him as she sat up in her bed."
"You're dreaming." Hiei said, "I can reach you here."
"But this feels so real. Are you sure?" she asked and reached out a hand to touch him but it slipped through him and she pulled back as if she were burned.
"Onna! Don't as ridiculous questions. You know it can be done." Hiei said "kill your mother and free us." He said
"Kill. My. Mother." Botan's eyes looked lost and distant. "How can I? I never knew my family, she is my one chance." She said. "How can you expect me to do that?"
"I'm sorry." Hiei said
"I know what I must do." She said and drifted off to sleep as Hiei Kissed her soft lips.
Botan's lips quivered as she woke in sweat and tear covered bed. Her breathing was hard and filled with fright. Hiei was just there with her. Was it really a dream? What ever it was she had to trust in him. She saved her friends once and she could do it again.
-----------------------------------
The next morning after Botan had fallen asleep for the...she had no idea is she was sleeping or if she was awake. Everything felt fake and real all at once.
She decided to get dressed in her yellow kimono and visit Koenma. He could tell her what was real and what wasn't.
Stepping through the portal in her closet, she made her way to the Raikai to visit her baby like ex-boss. She made her way to his office and saw him stamping papers.
"Koenma sir?" Botan called
"Botan. Hello how are you?" he asked, "feeling okay?"
"I don't know. I just can't believe they are all gone, just like that. Maybe if I was here I could have..."
"Now you stop right there, it is not your fault. If you were here she might have killed you too." Koenma said
"Yes, and I was wondering if it was possible for a person to take spirits and trap them within his or her mind."
"No, not a human. Shape Stealers. They are a rare type of demon, who take the souls of the dead and us their powers, bodies, memories and whole personalities to fulfill their dark purposes. Why do you ask?"
Botan said nothing as thoughts of the events that have come to pass filled her head. 'Was it possible that Botan's mother was killed by this demon and used to lure her in and with her the friends she loved so much? And if so then it was her fault. "I only asked because I got a late night visit... is there a way to free the stolen souls?"
"Killing he demon of course, but it will be hard to do so if the powers it has stolen are powerful." Koenma said, "are you suggesting that your mother is a Shape stealer?" he asked
"It's not a suggestion." Botan stated
As a matter of sleep
----------------------------
The night air around Botan's bed was filled with memories and dreams of her old life, about how boring her life was before she met Yusuke. She remembered their first mission, and the first time she met Kurama and Hiei. And the mission that started it all.
If the others hadn't gotten captured two years ago she would have never seen the side of Hiei that he never let anyone see. It was fate that she was left with him, to fall in love with him. All she ever wanted was to spend time with him, and when she finally found peace Suzaku took her but he came.
Then they were forced to forget everything, to forget her. But she brought them together again. Botan then ruined her one chance at alone time with Hiei by not trusting him to love her no matter what she was. She knew now that he would love her, human or not.
Now Hiei was gone and with him her chances of happiness.
Botan's tears seeped through her closed resting eyes as she dreamed of never waking to the harsh reality and truth that her friends were no longer there. She was truly alone.
She opened her soft pink eyes as she felt a cold unnerving touch on her cheek, this cold, however unsettling it was, was also familiar and wanted.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Botan began to see a form, a ghost. She found herself looking into the eyes of Hiei. His spirit was visiting her, but why. She gazed at him not blinking for fear that he might vanish. She said nothing for a few moments and tried to speak only to find that her voice had given out.
It wasn't fair. Botan only want to tell Hiei that she loved him and that she would see him soon. She wanted him to know that all she ever wanted was to spent time with him. This was her one chance to do so and she could not make a sound.
"Botan, listen." Hiei's ghostly voice said she nodded "There is a way." He said
"A way?" her voice came back by force and was cracked and rigged as it was recovering from sleep.
"Your mother needs to be stopped. She may have killed us but we are trapped within her mind." Hiei said
"What? If that's true then how are you here?" she asked him as she sat up in her bed."
"You're dreaming." Hiei said, "I can reach you here."
"But this feels so real. Are you sure?" she asked and reached out a hand to touch him but it slipped through him and she pulled back as if she were burned.
"Onna! Don't as ridiculous questions. You know it can be done." Hiei said "kill your mother and free us." He said
"Kill. My. Mother." Botan's eyes looked lost and distant. "How can I? I never knew my family, she is my one chance." She said. "How can you expect me to do that?"
"I'm sorry." Hiei said
"I know what I must do." She said and drifted off to sleep as Hiei Kissed her soft lips.
Botan's lips quivered as she woke in sweat and tear covered bed. Her breathing was hard and filled with fright. Hiei was just there with her. Was it really a dream? What ever it was she had to trust in him. She saved her friends once and she could do it again.
-----------------------------------
The next morning after Botan had fallen asleep for the...she had no idea is she was sleeping or if she was awake. Everything felt fake and real all at once.
She decided to get dressed in her yellow kimono and visit Koenma. He could tell her what was real and what wasn't.
Stepping through the portal in her closet, she made her way to the Raikai to visit her baby like ex-boss. She made her way to his office and saw him stamping papers.
"Koenma sir?" Botan called
"Botan. Hello how are you?" he asked, "feeling okay?"
"I don't know. I just can't believe they are all gone, just like that. Maybe if I was here I could have..."
"Now you stop right there, it is not your fault. If you were here she might have killed you too." Koenma said
"Yes, and I was wondering if it was possible for a person to take spirits and trap them within his or her mind."
"No, not a human. Shape Stealers. They are a rare type of demon, who take the souls of the dead and us their powers, bodies, memories and whole personalities to fulfill their dark purposes. Why do you ask?"
Botan said nothing as thoughts of the events that have come to pass filled her head. 'Was it possible that Botan's mother was killed by this demon and used to lure her in and with her the friends she loved so much? And if so then it was her fault. "I only asked because I got a late night visit... is there a way to free the stolen souls?"
"Killing he demon of course, but it will be hard to do so if the powers it has stolen are powerful." Koenma said, "are you suggesting that your mother is a Shape stealer?" he asked
"It's not a suggestion." Botan stated