Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me right this useless drivel.

=====Botan=====

(several weeks later)

I sighed. The Valentine's Day dance was coming in a week and I still didn't have a date. I had a lot of chess club geeks ask me to go with them, but what fun would that be? I want to dance and they would be too nervous to dance with me.

"Botan, this is the first human dance we've been to," my friend Lena said. "Just pick a guy and go with him."

"Easy for you to say," I said in a grumpy voice. "You're pretty and of course the hot guys are going to ask you to go with them. Look at me." I stared at myself into the mirror where Lena held a dress up to herself. "I'm boring looking."

"Don't be so down on yourself. You aren't boring looking." She frowned at the sage green dress in her hand and threw it onto the growing pile. She held up a baby blue one. "You'll get a cute guy. If you want, I can find a hot guy that's going to kick it sometime after the dance that'll go with you."

Lena was a fellow grim reaper. I was the one who took people's souls across the Sanzu River. Lena liked to find random hotties and tell them when they were going to die.

I frowned at what she said. "No thanks. I guess I just won't go to the dance."

"You're too picky, that's all it is. But, if that's your decision, that's fine with me." Lena complained. She waved the blue dress at me. "What do you think of this one? I think it makes my eyes look a little green…"

"It'll look fine on you."

She made an irritated sound and threw the blue one on the pile. "You're just saying that!" She held up a lovely rose pink dress. "This makes my cheeks look pinker," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should get this one…"

"Can I try that one on?" I asked sheepishly.

She smiled and handed me the dress. "It'll bring the color of your eyes out." She gave me a funny look. "Why do you want to try it on? Didn't you say you weren't going to go to the dance?"

I felt myself blush as I touched the silky material. "Yes, but maybe I'll go alone."

Lena sat down beside me. "No. You'll look silly without a date. What about the boy that moved here a month ago?"

"I think he's going with someone." I patted her hand. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

She gave me a sympathetic look. "I know what will cheer you up. More shopping! There's a shrine not too far from here that sells charms. There are good luck charms for tests, some for love, money…and all kinds of things. If they work for humans, maybe they can work for you!"

We paid for our dresses and walked to the shrine.

==

A man wearing a filthy cloak sat on a blanket a few yards away from the shrine.

"That's kind of weird," Lena said. "Normally these guys stay inside the temple…over there." She pointed to a building that looked like a shack. "That's where they usually sell these."

"Maybe he's trying to enjoy the fresh air," I suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe." She pulled me to the man on the blanket.

"You're a pretty pair. What brings you to such a humble shrine?" the man rasped. He sounded like he as just getting over a cold.

"Do…do you sell good luck charms?" Lena asked nervously.

"Yes, indeed we do. I should've known. That's the only thing that pretty young ones such as yourselves would come here for, no?" He laughed. "I'm guessing that you came here looking for love charms."

"Yes! That's exactly what we came here for!" Lena was instantly smiling. "See, my friend here can't find the perfect guy to go to the school dance with."

I saw the man peer at me from beneath the hood. "Truly? I would think that a girl with your looks would find someone suiting."

"That's what I told her!" Lena beamed at him.

"I'm sure we can fix that." The man took a small box out from under his cloak.

I wasn't sure if it was safe to be touched. I looked at Lena to see her reaction. Her reaction was nothing put positive. "Open it, you chicken!" she said.

I took the cover off and looked to see what was inside. It was a delicate looking necklace. A charm hung on the silver chain. I lifted it and held it to the light to see what it was. It was a peony. The center of it was black while the petals were a rose pink. The center glinted in the light and seemed to turn a medium blue color.

"Well?" Lena demanded. "Let me look!" She leaned over my shoulder to look at it. "Oh! It's a peony! That's perfect for you…it's your favorite flower, right?"

I nodded, but I couldn't help but think about how ironic this seemed. I wanted to find a good date for the dance, Lena takes me to this shrine and somehow I find a charm for love that was in the shape of a peony. It was almost frightening to know. Somehow, someone out there must have known about my predicament…but that was silly! It had to be a coincident, right?

"Does it really work?" I asked slowly. I knew I was quiet for a long time. I had to say something!

The man nodded. "Yes. It seems to be made exactly for you, doesn't it?"

I shivered. He had voiced exactly what I was thinking. He was making me very nervous. I looked away from him and focused on the necklace. As I stared at it, I felt as if I needed it. It would go nicely with the dress I got and if the charm did work, it would be a dream come true. "How much is it?" I asked. It looked expensive.

"No charge. The two of you seem to be made for each other. How can I argue with destiny?"

I gaped at him. "Oh…no, I couldn't just take it…"

He held a hand up. "No charge," he said firmly. "Now run along and enjoy the wonders of the matchmaker jewel."

"The matchmaker jewel?" I asked Lena in a whisper as we left. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"I don't know…maybe Lord Koenma said something about it a while back." She shrugged. "Who cares. Put it on! Lets see if the thing really works."

I took the necklace out of the box and put it on. I looked down at it. "What now?" I asked in a small voice.

"Well you can't just stand here and expect some hotties to run up and ask for your phone number, do you?"

"I guess not. I really don't expect anything," I admitted.

"Well we can get some ramen and chat."


I waved a hand over the ramen bowl to help it cool down. I stared in disbelief as Lena sipped some of the soup without blowing over it to cool it. "Isn't it hot?"

"Yeah, but it's better than waiting until the noodles get too soggy."

I shrugged nibbled on the hot noodles.

"So what kind of guy are you looking for? What's your dream guy?" She smiled at me. "I won't laugh. Promise."

"Okay, but you promised." I blushed, remembering the recent dreams I've had. They were strange and they always left me confused, but they were wonderful all the same. "I've had these dreams…and it's really confusing but I want a guy that looks like him. He seems really nice and he's cute too."

"Spill it!"

"In my dream, I was in a dark place. I couldn't see anything and it was so dark and cold…I called for help and no one came. The next thing I know, I see a glow. It was a silver color. It shapes into this guy with silver hair and white clothes."

"Oh…what did he look like."

"He wasn't human, which was really strange. He had these fox ears and the furry tail. They were silver too."

She gave me a strange look. "You've been drinking haven't you?"

"No! Why do you say that!"

"Because, obviously the guy in your dream is some kind of demon. You know that it goes against the codes of Reikai to be with demons. The birthing process isn't safe."

I blushed. "I never said that I'd actually find a guy like this…I just said he was cute and it'd be nice to show him off…" I began to sip the ramen soup. "I'd settle with a nice black-haired guy," I said to change to subject.

"Oh! What about him! He's cute. He's coming towards you too!"

"Hey Botan, you busy?"

I looked up and met the chocolate brown eyes that I knew too well. "Yusuke?!" I stared at Lena. "You think he's cute?"

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm not the next Orlando Bloom or anything, but that's no way to speak about me. I've got my own charms you know."

"He's Koenma's Spirit Detective!" I giggled. Lena was so clueless sometimes.

Lena wrinkled her nose. "You could've fooled me. You don't look like you've got a brain under that helmet. Aren't Spirit Detectives supposed to be smart?"

"Helmet?!" He touched his heavily gelled hair. "This is my hair. Geez, you give blondes a bad name!" He ignored her remark about his brains.

"Calm down, Yusuke." I patted his arm. "You can't talk that way to her or you'll just get an earlier death sentence."

"You better be glad you're a girl!" He waved a fist at her. He grinned at me. "You're looking good today, Botan. Anyway, we've got a little problem with pacifier breath. He says that a lot of our Makai lookouts have been missing for a long time. You have to go back and help get some info on these people."

"But I just ordered this stuff!" I moaned.

"I'll help!" Yusuke downed the entire bowl in about 3 mouthfuls. He ran a sleeve across his mouth and grinned. "Problem solved."

I frowned at him. "That's not what I meant…"

"Yeah yeah, blame it on me. Get your ass moving, Botan. Diaper brain says this is important."

I followed him. I knew that if I didn't, he'd sit there whining and complaining until I screamed out of frustration. It was a few minutes until I realized that I've been given a lot of strange looks. Many of the human males stared at me like I was sprouting extra arms. I glanced at my sides just to make sure I wasn't.

Yusuke seemed to notice the same thing. "Since when were you so popular with the pretty boys?"

"I-I'm not sure…" It was a wonderful thing to know that guys knew I was alive, but at the same time it was scary. I didn't want to be watch every second! What did I get myself into!


Like I said, if you want this taken down, I'll take it down! here's the reviewers:

DarkShadowWriter: First reviewer! Yes, Karasu is cool. You gotta love his sadistic tendencies! Thanks for the review!

Sasami Minammo: That's so nice of you to say that! You should read some of Volpone's works. They're so much better than mine. I'll try to read your fic when I get a chance, k? I've had so little time to get on the internet. I barely have time to update!

KuramaandHiei4ever: I agree. Linkin Park is the best! All of their songs are great! You watched HP3? You suck! I shall kill you now! Nah, not really.

Volpone: Karasu rape Kurama just to watch him suffer, eh? Interesting suggestion…::evil laugh:: Yeah, anyone could guess that Botan winds up with the necklace. It says so in the summary (sorta) and it was in the shape of a peony. Behold the wonderful foreshadowing! I'm an idiot, sorry!

Bishonen Zoo Keeper: Would you really sic my flamers? Erm…ok. I'll hold you to that! But I encourage flames, none the less. Thanks for your review!

Ame no kodomo: Karasu freaks me out too, but you can't help but love him!

Aurora-cool: Karasu is gorgeous in his own sadistic light…I guess. He seems gay in a way, doesn't he? But I'd like to think of him as being sadistic rather than gay. He's not gay. Just weird.

cHiCkx0fxdArKnEsS: OOC? I guess…but I don't want him to be too evil. I want him to look helpless.