Chapter 7: A long day

Ayaka ended up wandering along the Great Hall. As she rounded a corner, Noire appeared.

"Miss Ayaka, Prince Koenma asks for your presence." The black-haired maiden lightly bows. Ayaka nodded and followed Noire. It seemed that she's a favorite audience of the royalties today.

"Ayaka!" Koenma cheerfully greeted Ayaka as she entered his office. He shook her hand while standing on his table. Ayaka looked confused and looked at the toddler before her.

This is the prince? "H-hello Prince Koenma." She greeted despite the confusion.

"Please take a seat!" Koenma motioned the pinkette towards the chair behind her.

Ayaka sat down and Koenma did the same. On top of his table were countless sheets of paper and a wooden stamp. The toddler prince almost disappeared from the pile of paperwork stacked on his table.

"You see, Genkai asked me to keep you here for the moment. It was very important to her that you're safe and nowhere near the temple at this moment." Koenma started.

Ayaka intently listened. What could be Genkai doing to keep her out of the temple. She could've just stayed in her apartment. But to keep her out of Ningenkai completely is something else. It was bothering Ayaka.

"May I ask why?" Ayaka can't help it. She needed to know the reason why she's being kept from the temple.

"You see, Genkai is in the process of selecting an apprentice. Not that she doesn't consider you her student, but she's looking for someone human to inherit the Spirit Wave technique." Koenma answered.

"And I'm not human, huh?" Ayaka retorted.

"Ayaka, we all know you may look human and act like one, but it is not a secret that you are a demon." Koenma explained. Ayaka sighed in defeat, resting her back on the chair.

"I know. I'm just…" She sighed and then forcefully smiled. "Well, it can't be helped. Do I have a room here or I'm staying beside you?" She joked. The prince's office was spacious enough anyways.

"Ah! Botan will show you your room." Prince Koenma paged Botan through the sound system. After a few minutes, she entered the room, oar in her hand. Koenma instructed Botan to bring Ayaka to her room and handed her a paper while dictating something. Ayaka turned her back, thinking it might be confidential.

After Koenma and Botan's conversation, Koenma welcomed Ayaka to Reikai and bid Ayaka goodbye while Botan escorted Ayaka out of the prince's office.

The room was decent: simple and light. It was definitely light: white walls, white marble floors and a white bed. Ayaka did immediately spot the double glass doors a little further: there was a balcony!

"I've took the liberty of stocking a few of your clothes for you!" Botan cheerfully said. "With Genkai's help of course!"

Ayaka smiled confusedly and worriedly. Genkai and her clothes were simply two different creatures. But she's definitely glad that she can change clothes here. It would be such a hassle to wear the same thing over again.

"Thank you, Botan!" Ayaka happily answered, shrugging all the worry away. She sat on the double sized bed. It was really comfortable.

"If you need anything, just call for me!" Botan smiled.

"Uhm, Botan, can I ask a question?" Ayaka raised.

"Sure!"

"Where's Kurama?"

"Oh, probably still somewhere in the palace, detained. Don't worry Ayaka. You'll meet them tomorrow.

"Really? What a relief." Ayaka sighed. She thanked Botan who left swiftly, saying she needed to do something else. Ayaka watched the reaper as she left her room. Alone in the white room, Ayaka decided to inspect the room. She started with the closet. For a start, she was glad and relieved to have some decent clothes hanging including her favorite pair of brown pants. She also had two pairs of her daily shoes. At least now she wouldn't look like a moron here in Reikai.

Ayaka sat down on her bed when she realized she haven't seen the balcony. She opened the double glass doors leading towards the small open space outside.

Reikai is a weird place. It wasn't like Ningenkai. There was no sky, it feels like the place is floating, there were no horizons, no boundaries. The only resemblance of the sky were the swirly clouds of smoke slowly dancing across the warped horizon.

Ayaka continued to stare at the distance. Slowly getting hypnotized with the swirling patterns of the Reikai clouds. She let go of a deep sigh and closed the doors behind her. It seems like Reikai isn't a fun place at all. Her stay here would definitely be a long one.

The next day, Ayaka was having breakfast on the balcony. Earlier that day, some ogres arrived to set up her breakfast and apologized that she needed to eat in the room since it was quite a busy day in the palace. They served her some eggs, bacons, and hashbrowns. The pinkette wondered how the Reikai has these supplies from the Ningenkai and who cooks them. She chuckled in her head.

Although she was eating alone, she didn't mind it at all since she was served a heartful breakfast and was told that someone would be joining her in a few. Ayaka thought it would be Koenma, but then Botan entered the room.

"Ayaka-chan!" The blue haired ferry girl exclaimed in a sing-sang manner. Ayaka smiled and waived towards Botan from the balcony. Just then, Botan opened the door wide open and revealed another person.

"Nii-san!" Ayaka stood up from her seat, and hurriedly went to the fox. Kurama chuckled as Ayaka hugged him.

"How are you Ayaka?" Kurama smiled. Ayaka invited him and Botan towards the balcony where the breakfast table was set. Kurama followed Ayaka towards the balcony but Botan apologized telling the two that she can't join them.

"Gomen gomen Aya-chan! I need to be somewhere else." Botan apologized. "But you can take Hiei in my stead." Just then Botan pushed Hiei inside Ayaka's room. The ferry guide earned a glare from the fire demon who was already thinking of a thousand ways to murder her. Hiei stared at Kurama then shifted his gaze to Ayaka.

"H-hiei." Ayaka muttered. Hiei glared towards Ayaka. He doesn't understand why Kurama is acting all human and fuzzy around this child. He thought that the fox could've been enchanted but he knows Kurama too well, he is not the type to fall for those kinds of spells. Most especially, he doesn't understand why this pathetic demon child was with Genkai. He has known the human spirit master through rumors but he didn't understand the logic why a spirit master would keep a demon under her wing.

"Tsh. I'd rather starve than stay here." And with that, Hiei left, leaving Ayaka and Kurama in the room. Hiei decided that it is best for his sanity to leave the two. But Botan stopped him and told him that he cannot wander and should stay with Kurama or else he will be detained in the Spirit Cells. Hiei, clearly annoyed, headed straight to the balcony and sat on the railing, his back leaning on one of the support columns.

Ayaka and Kurama looked at each other and laughed. They bid their goodbye to Botan and headed for the table, ravishing on the sight of the breakfast set up. The two sat down happily and helped themselves to the food before them. Hiei watched the two eat, just then, a piece of bagel came flying towards the fire apparition and he instantaneously caught the same.

"If you're gonna be miserable there, better fill your stomach with something." Kurama's eyes glinted as he stared at Hiei from the sides. He wiped his mouth and poured Ayaka some juice who was happily eating. Hiei knew better than to oppose the fox. That cunning demon is the closest person he shows some form of respect.

Reluctantly, the fire demon took a bite of the bread and stared at the Reikai sky. It was gonna be a long day.