WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS DARK, VERY DARK AND BLOODY.
Botan woke up, feeling the more rested then she'd ever been before. She looked around the room, as if she forgot where she was for a minute, as she spotted Hiei, on the bed next to hers, sleeping like a rock. Botan put her finger to her chin, and thought, 'I think I'll be me today.' She rummaged through her suitcase, and opened a secret pocket on the bottom, that was filled with her undergarments, her girls clothing, and a blue wig.
She took the suitcase in the bathroom, as she transformed herself into.......herself. (oo) She undressed, and undid the wrapping on her chest and replaced it with a lacy bra. When she was finished getting dressed, she took the wig, and pinned it with bobby pins, securely to her head, so it wouldn't slip off. She tugged at the wig, and it didn't budge, "Perfect!" Botan chirped in her normal, giddy voice. She took a breath in, as she turned around to face the mirror. "I...I look just like I did before!" Botan exclaimed, running her fingers through the long, silky blue wig, "And it feels like real hair too! I'll have to thank Yukina when she arrives!" Botan said to herself as she hid the secret pocket with clothes once again, and exited the bathroom, wearing, a pink spaghetti strap that she quickly covered with a black zip-up sweatshirt, and regular, dark blue bellbottoms (flare, or boot-cut or whatever they're called) and regular walking shoes.
She entered the room, Hiei was still asleep, so she thought she would leave, and go about the hotel, checking things out. As she opened the door, and closed it behind her, Yusuke said in a rather loud, and obnoxious voice spoke up, about three feet from her left, "Hey Botan! What's up?" Botan looked at him nervously, hoping he didn't see her leave Hiei and SORA'S hotel room as she replied, "Uhhh...h-hey Yusuke, uh, nothing much....? How about you?" Yusuke put his arm behind his head as he said, "Nothing really, I was just about to thank Sora, for saving me yesterday." Botan body stiffened as she pushed herself against the door, blocking Yusuke from getting in and said extremely fast, "UhSora'snotthererightnowIwasjustinthereandhe'snotthere!"
Yusuke looked at her plainly and said, "Yeah, ok, well, I guess I'll thank him later." Just as Yusuke finished, Kurama exited the room, and said, "Hey you guys, there's something on the island that Koenma wanted us to check out, something about some creep that tortures people in the castle in the woods." Yusuke perked up and said, "Well then let's get Kuwabara and Hiei and let's go!" Kurama and Botan nodded, as they went to wake them up.
- - - - - Near the castle, somewhere....I guess- - - - -
As they neared the eerie looking castle, Yusuke spoke up, "Do you think Sora already came here?" Kurama glanced at him ,and then back at the castle, a few meters ahead and said, "Why, is he missing?" Kurama looked Hiei as Hiei growled and said, "Why would I know where the weakling is?" Kuwabara looked at Hiei and said, "Uh, no reason, but maybe because you share a room with him?!" Hiei grunted and Botan spoke up, "Why are you calling the new member a weakling anyways, Hiei? According to what I heard, he was trained by Genkai." Hiei crossed his arms and replied rather rudely, "I wouldn't call being trained by an old woman strong, baka onna."
Before Botan could yell at him, she bumped into the back of Yusuke, and followed his gawking gaze. The castle was huge and hideous, vines growing on the base, scattered bones around it, blood stains on the sides, near the entrance. Botan could tell, she was not going to like this one bit. As the entered the castle, it was dark, damp and murky, inside. "Botan, grab my jacket so you don't get separated." Yusuke said from in front of Botan, and Botan, not wanting to get lost, grabbed the should of his green jacket. Botan took another step, but heard a splash. "Yusuke! If my shoes are ruined when we get out of here, I swear I'll....." Bota was cut off by Kurama as he said, "I think I found the light!" He tugged on a chain, only to be greeted by a huge splash, and a....budump thud...drip..drip! Botan felt a few drops of the liquid land on her face. Kurama apologized as he tugged the chain again, but not before standing in front of Botan before she could get splashed again.
The light was on, but the gang's eyes being so used to the dark, were blinded for a few moments, as they shut their eyes, only for them to be shot back open as Botan screamed. There, hanging upside down, was a woman, covered in blood, hers and perhaps others, was nose-to-nose with Botan. Botan's breath quickened as she looked at her surroundings, that wasn't water they were stepping in....it was blood, and the splash and thump, that was heard when Kurama pulled the chain, was a huge tidal wave of blood, and human body parts.
Botan covered her mouth, as she back up, against the wall, only to scream again, as she saw two, dead women, chained against the wall. "Shit!" Yusuke cursed as he looked around, and covered his mouth also. Botan stood next to Hiei, which was next to the woman hanging upside down. The woman was nude, she was covered head to toe in blood, her arms had been cut off, and so had on of her legs, up to her knee, as she was hanging from one foot. Botan heard something else in the room, in wasn't Hiei, Yusuke, Kurama or Kuwabara, it was a woman, snickering, a very soft snicker. Botan looked in front of her, and lowered her ear to the woman's mouth, a few seconds later, the woman snickered, she was indeed, alive, and laughing a dark laugh.
Kurama noticed her actions, as he too, heard the snicker, "Hiei, quickly, cut her down!" Kurama shouted. Hiei looked at him and said, "She's beyond our help. She will not live, even if we help her now. She is not even conscious, she is most likely possessed." Kuwabara growled and said, "If she's gonna die, then the least we can do is let her die with dignity!" Kuwabara's spirit sword then appeared as he cut the woman down with one slice. The chains gave away as she fell to the wet, marble floor with a thud. Botan kneeled down by her and took her sweatshirt off and wrapped it around the top half of the woman's body, while Yusuke did the same except tying it around her waste.
Kurama rubbed his temples, as Kuwabara said some prayers for all the dead in the castle. Hiei looked at Botan, who was gazing blankly at the woman before her. He walked behind her and sat against the wall. "You have blood on your face, Onna." Hiei said, rather kindly. Botan glanced back as the rubbed her arm across her face, wiping the drops of blood of her pale face.
Hiei scowled, and looked up to the ceiling, there stood a man, no a boy, around the age of fifteen. He had brown hair, a little longer than his chin, and a headband, to keep his bangs out of his face, yet they still rested firmly on his forehead. He had piercing, green eyes, but he looked familiar, the structure of his face, reminded him of someone, someone he knew, but would never suspect. Botan glanced back, and followed his cold gaze. The boy was smirking, at her.
He put to fingers to his forehead, and shut his eyes as he chuckled. "So nice of you all to visit me." He managed to laugh out, his voice cold, and innocent. The voice gave Botan the chills, it was such a malicious, yet innocent voice she knew of, 'No, it's not him.....he must have died, shortly after I did, there's no way he lived. But...that face....the hair, the eyes, the voice. No, it's not Hayate, Hayate died, I'm certain of that.'
"He famous Reikai tantei, has come to see me? I must be the luckiest person alive...oh, wait, I'm not. Hahahaha!" His voice rang with sarcasm, as the tantei looked at him, as if he were insane"....But then again, it's not like I'm dead.....right, Botan, that is new name you were given when you died, isn't it?" The boy snickered at his own joke, once again. Botan glared at him as Yusuke shouted in anger, "Are you the one who did THIS to these women?!" The boy lifted his right brow and bit his bottom lip, "Actually, no. But I did kill the old man who did. How dare he fulfill my dreams without my consent." Kuwabara stood up and yelled, "You would dream of something like this?! What are you, nuts?!"
The boys haunting green eyes, stared at Botan as he said, "Why don't you tell them, Botan?" Botan gave him a quizzical look as she said, "Why are you talking to me, and HOW do you even know me?! And for YOUR information, I would never be associated with ANYONE whose dream was to torture defenseless women until they bleed to death!" The boy gave her another spine chilling smirk as he said, "Well, you'd be surprised, VERY surprised, at what you WOULD and wouldn't do. Ah well, you'll remember in time, time will tell us....everything." And with the boy wrapped his cape around him and disappeared.
Botan put her arms around her as she felt chills run all through her body. 'No, Hayate is...is dead! He died! He can't be here, he can't!' Kurama went up the stairs to find the dead body of the madman that killed all the women, and he was indeed dead. "He's dead." Kurama said plainly as Yusuke approached Botan, "Don't get all worked up about that creep Botan. He's probably just trying to scare you, don't let it get to you." Kurama frowned and said, "I'm not so sure Yusuke, he DID know Botan's name." Yusuke thought about it and said, "He could probably read minds, so he read Botan's since she's the weakest, next to Kuwabara of course." Kuwabara's fist shot up as he and Yusuke argued, while Botan thought, 'Or maybe....because I'm the strongest......' Hiei just looked on, from behind, as he wondered how that man knew Botan.
Oh, a cliffhanger. Just so you know, that dude is from when Botan was alive, but....who is he? HAH! I know...but you don't, try to guess who he is, and if you guess right......then...you guessed right.....REVIEW AND FIND OUT!!!