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AN: Everyone has given me wonderful responses as of late, and I greatly appreciate it. By Callispi-sensei's wise advice, I will not rush romance (I've tried very had not to). Heh, but if any readers sense or feel I am doing injustice to the romance, please feel free to criticize and advise in reviews.
This chapter is dedicated to the first four reviewers: JD-sama, Kudachi-san, Vixen-sama, and Callispi-sensei.
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Through the Looking Glass-
Chapter 5: Reflection II
Poke. Poke.
"Stop it," Yusuke snapped in his sleep, turning over on the cool damp ground to avoid the annoyance. "Get me later in five."
Poke. Poke.
A frustrated hand with an agitated groan swatted the object away. "I said stop it, damn it."
Poke.
"Damn it! Would you stop--"
SLAP!
Waking from his own rest on the prison ground, a somewhat disheveled fair lad advised tiredly, "Yusuke, please quit arguing with the guards. You're only going to get us into more trouble. It's bad enough we're in a prison cell, which happens not to be demon friendly." Golden eyes frowned as the fox demon wanted more rest; however, the guards peering into the cell made him feel quite uncomfortable.
Uttering foul and various profane words beneath his breath, Urameshi gingerly massaged his backside, which had been fiercely struck by a wooden paddle. The young Detective glared at the soldiers and their enormous stick, while as Kurama immediately grew alert when one of the guards opened and entered the cell.
"Get up, demons," the armored officer ordered, motioning the prisoners to get onto their feet. "Hime-sama has requested your presence. Feh, lucky demons: first Hime-sama saves their lives, and now she wants to privately speak with them. Some people just have all the luck." Uneasily rising from their small prison, Yusuke and Kurama acquiescently followed the guards from the dismal dungeons.
Being reintroduced to sunlight after a week, it took a moment before the Detectives adjusted to outside; but they appreciated the chance to breathe fresh air. Yusuke could feel Spirit Energy returning to him while the thief enjoyed the brief sense of freedom. While they were led down the brisk open hallways towards the princess' wing, the S-class demon muttered quietly, "What do you think the girl wants with us?"
"I'm not sure myself," Kurama sighed, as he was somewhat disappointed that he did not have answers to his own questions. His acute demonic senses worked overtime trying to find something of use. "But we must be on guard, Yusuke. The fact the princess spared demons like ourselves is something to be wary of, especially since this princess is already in danger."
'There are ulterior motives. Always are there ulterior motives.'
Nodding in agreement, Yusuke continued softly, "And why do you think she was hiding behind that screen? Do you think something was wrong with her?"
"Probably to disallow her grace to fall upon unworthy subjects," Kurama said in dejection. He was used to such treatment in the Demon World. "Such as ourselves."
"Enough talking," a soldier from behind gruffly shoved, earning a death glare from the two boys: eyes of killers. The human thought better than to do it again or lose his life.
When the young men finally reached the princess' chambers, the many guards abruptly halted and stiffly slid open the doors for the demons to enter. Without much choice, Yusuke and Kurama tentatively entered the princess' spacious room, the doors roughly sliding shut behind them. Shrugging their shoulders and turning to face the front, the Spirit Detectives were surprised by whom they saw. "Botan?!"
"You know my name?" the female figure gasped, rising from her pillow-thrown and walking towards the strangers. Although the woman dressed far more elegantly than Botan ever had, there was no mistaking the familiar sky blue locks or the bright candy colored eyes. The strangers voice was even identical to the ferry girl's, as were her movements. Kurama and Yusuke were utterly stunned.
"How did you get here?" Urameshi hastily demanded, grabbing the princess' arms in worry. "When did you get here?"
"Were you pulled through the portal as well, Botan-chan?" Kurama wondered, following Yusuke's actions. At the thought, Kurama felt guilty for he probably was the reason Botan had fallen through the dimensional rift. Endless waves of shame poured onto the fox's shoulders.
'How could I have done such an awful thing?'
"The portal? Of what do you speak?" the confused princess inquired, tugging slightly against her holders. Fear and confusion was etched all over her gentle face; and one could not blame her. Here were two extremely powerful demons which both had power grips onto the maiden's bruising arms, diminishing her miniscule chance of ever escaping (if the need came).
About then, another woman entered the room from a different doorway the Detectives had used. A look of panic was on the stranger's face. "Please release Botan-hime! You are only frightening and hurting her. Botan-hime is not the same woman you believe her to be. She is, in fact, someone else entirely."
Although the other woman was dressed in unfamiliar clothing, Yusuke looked up and found tears in his chestnut eyes at the memorable sight. His heart nearly overwhelmed him. "Keiko!"
At the sound of her name, the maiden gazed upward in response. "Oh my--Yusuke! You're here--I'm so glad you're here. I was so scared--Oh--Yusuke!" The two quickly ran to each other and embraced, earning tears and smiles from everyone. And of course, when the couple realized the princess and Kurama were intently watching, they quickly disentangled themselves from one another.
"Well," Urameshi blushed sheepishly, giving the brunette girl a side glance, "I'm glad that you're okay, Keiko. I was a little worried that the demons still had you captive; but you're here, so that's okay."
Blushing just as much as Yusuke, Keiko muttered, "I'm just glad you found me, Yusuke. For a while, I thought no one would find me. I'm glad you're here." The room grew uneasily silent afterwards, and everyone could not help but feel a little awkward.
"So, he is the young man you often spoke of, Keiko-san," Princess Botan grinned happily, finally breaking the silence. The lady of royalty motioned for everyone to take a seat as she took her own. "I did not know your sweet heart was a demon as well."
"Well, I feared for my life and his when you told me of your assassins, Botan-hime," Keiko bowed, blushing at the name the princess gave Yusuke. "I'm sorry that I did not tell you this. It wasn't that I didn't trust you, it was just--"
"It is all right, Keiko-san. There was no harm in it," the feudal era princess smiled warmly. There was no trace of anger in her bright expression. "I guess we are all fortunate that these young men were spared from Father's judgment when they were. So all went well and is well. But now, much more must be explained with your friends' arrivals, Keiko-san."
"Yes, Botan-hime."
"But first things first: how did you get here, Keiko?" the concerned boyfriend wondered, placing a possessive hand over the girl's.
"Well, when I was first kidnapped," Keiko slowly began, blushing at Yusuke's intense stare, "that demon brought me here; and that was a few months ago. As soon as we arrived here, Botan-hime and her clan spotted us. Thinking that it was kidnapping me (which was right), they attacked the demon and rescued me. I don't know what happened to that demon, but he just disappeared. After that, Botan-hime took me back to the manor, and I've been here ever since." The young lady sighed at her circumstances and her amazing luck; without it, Keiko did not even want to think what her present fate would be.
Digesting the young lady's story, important facts began playing through Kurama's sharp memory; and then he remembered other victims similar to Keiko. "Have you seen Shizuru-san or Yukina-san anywhere around here? They were kidnapped right after you, Keiko-san, and possibly suffer your same fate."
'And Kuwabara-kun and Hiei would not be very pleased.' The chaos that would ensue made Kurama mentally flinch. 'Not pleased at all.'
"Shizuru-san and Yukina-chan?" The human girl shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Kurama-san. No, I haven't seen them. I haven't seen anyone from our era until you two arrived."
Yusuke and Kurama both raised a brow. "Our era?"
"Haven't you guys noticed?" Keiko demanded with a sigh, waving a hand all around the old-fashioned room. "I mean just look all around you; it's obvious. We're in the Sengoku Jidai, the feudal era of Japan."
"So we're not in a different dimension? Just in a different time period?" Scratching his head in a thoughtful manner, Yusuke shrugged at the new information. "That explains a few things. Well, I guess that's better than being in some alternate world. At least we sort of know what to expect now."
"That is interesting news," Kurama muttered thoughtfully, stroking his slender chin pensively. His white ears twittered side to side anxiously. "So this is also the extent of the fugitives' powers. Such power they possess, to be able to travel through time."
'But why would the criminals travel back in time?' the fox demon questioned himself. 'What is it about this time that makes it so important to them? And why would they be in the Human World? Why did they bring Keiko-san here?'
"So exactly how did you know we were from the future and not some demon assassins?" Yusuke pondered, returning his attention to the princess. He fought back the urge to say her name, feeling awkward about another "Botan."
Grinning with extraordinary grace, Princess Botan answered happily, "Yusuke-san, you name was? Your clothing style was similar to what Keiko-san wore when she first appeared. Also, I could sense through both of your Demon Auras that there was a great deal amount of Spirit Energy, something ordinary demons do not possess or any demons, for that matter."
"So you sensed our humanity within," the thieving apparition shortly explained.
"No," the young princess shook her elegantly adorned head. Three pairs of eyes grew wide at the thought of Kurama being wrong. At the sight, the princess merrily giggled, "I just knew inside that you were someone special, someone who would change my life forever."
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