Disclaimer: We don't own Yu Y u Hakusho, any of its characters or other affiliates.

Sorry about the very long wait. I started school in September, then I was auditioning for Drama Club, now I'm doing crew for it, since I didn't make it. Sigh. But oh well, the musical is coming up...Go Les Miserables! And my Cult/Lit class is a lot of work, so that's why I've been idle. Please don't hurt me!
I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7: Recovery

Everyone gathered in the security room. As they came in, Koenma reassured Kasmira the crisis was over and sent her to her other duties.

He clapped his hands. "All right people, now that you've had a taste of what we're in for, I must make preparation with your trainers." Botan looked at him strangely. "Um, you knew they were coming, Koenma sir. So why didn't you just get a hold of these trainers while Yusuke and the others went and got them?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd make it back alive," Koenma answered, laughing. Everyone but Hiei, Kisa, and Kurama, who was currently placing Miko on a nearby couch, couldn't help themselves but to collapse at Jr's remark. Kisa started, "It's simply amazing the faith you have-"

"-In your spirit detective team." Hiei finished. The spirit world leader was not surprised by the two's sarcastic statement, but he was flabbergasted to hear them finish each other's sentences. Kurama straightened up and let out a quiet laugh. Hiei and Kisa turned in unison and gave the fox demon the same leery stare. The fire demon snarled, "What's your-"

"-Problem?" Kisa ended. Kurama's laugh grew louder and their glares became fiercer.

"I didn't notice it till now, but you two have such similar personalities and powerful psychic attributes that it seems a mental link has formed between you."

Hiei stared at the cat apparition. His lip twitched in disgust and the girl, ignoring him, gracefully brushed some of her long bangs behind her ear, tilted her head the slightest bit and the hair returned to its original position.

Jr. walked over to Yusuke. "Speaking of arrangements, I'm sure you can convince Keiko to let these two wonderful young ladies stay at her house for a few days."

"What?!" Yusuke yelled. "You're crazy! I left for four days and didn't tell her where I was going. That's bad enough. I come back with two attractive girls," Kisa shot him a sarcastic smile, "and you expect me to ask her to let them live in her house. Do you actually think she'll say 'Sure, come on over'?"

"Sure, come on over," Keiko said sweetly (This was some hours later in Ningenkai). Yusuke tripped over his feet and fell in surprise. She ran over to the two girls and looked up at Miko while taking her arm; then she gazed down at Kisa and gave her a friendly smile when she gently placed her and on her shoulder. "We'll have so much fun. I just learned to play this new card game. It's called Rich Man, Poor Man. And here are the rules…"

The cheerful brown-haired girl giggled and chatted as she led the girls down the road, leaving the four boys behind and Yusuke still sitting on the sidewalk, dumbfounded. Kurama turned to the rest of the group and advised, "Yusuke, Kuwabara, you two should go keep an eye on them." Kuwabara nodded in agreement, then stooped down to pick up the stupefied Yusuke. He threw him over his shoulder and yelled toward the girls, "Hey wait up!" Then the red-haired boy asked Hiei with a friendly smile, "Would you like to stay at my house for a while?" He simply shrugged and began to walk in the direction of the fox's den.

"Welcome," said Kurama opening the door for the short demon with a grin. Hiei glared up at him as he walked inside. The smiling boy followed and closed the door behind him; he whispered into the living room, "I'm home, mother."

"Hello Suiichi, dear." Shiori replied, sitting on the couch rocking a small baby in her arms. There was also some one else there too, but their face was blocked from view by a newspaper. The paper fell as Kurama sat next to his mother and admired the little life. "Welcome back son," said the man from behind the paper. "So, how did the school trip go?"

Suiichi looked up with a confused expression at first, but it quickly disappeared. "Oh yes, the trip. It was quite educational, if I say so myself. But mother," he said, returning his gaze to the woman, "I found a boarding program that is well taken by colleges."

"How long will you be gone and when do you leave?" was her reply to the young man.

"I fear I will have to leave in a few days and when I return is uncertain. It all depends on how fast I complete the program."

"If it's what you want dear, please go ahead." The two stared at the man across the way. "If it's educational, I don't care," he said monotonously, and his paper quickly resumed its position.

"Thank you, mother." Kurama stood, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She gasped; the boy found she was looking at Hiei standing in the doorway.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot. Mother this is my friend…Zale; he is the one that told me of the program. He was wondering if he could stay here till it began." She first smiled up at Kurama then over to "Zale". "Any friend of Suiichi's is a friend of mine. You are most welcome to stay." Hiei gave a slight bow. The redhead bent over and whispered to his human mom, " He's a little shy." She nodded understandingly.

Keiko led Miko and Kisa to her house, Yusuke and Kuwabara in tow, making good conversation with Kisa. It surprised the part-cat demon how easy it was to get along with her. Miko would have enjoyed her company as well, if she hadn't been lost in her own thoughts.

Miko's entire body ached, inside and out, as she stood by the wall after her encounter with the fire demon. The last thing she remembered seeing was the diamond-patterned carpet of the file room swimming before her; then she passed out.

A few hours later, Miko opened her eyes, and the room slowly came into focus. She saw a large metal door nearby, with at least a dozen TV screens placed next to it. She heard a familiar voice ask, "Has the entire palace been checked for enemies?"

"Yes," answered another. "He has given up…for now. It seems that he did not put his full effort into this attack, and I'm not quite sure why."

Miko blinked groggily and tried to sit up. A hand pushed her gently back down. "Wait a minute, Miko. Koenma told me not to let you get up for a while, so cool it." Miko looked over to see Kisa sitting in a chair next to her, grinning in relief that her friend was finally awake. "How're you feeling?"

Miko shook her head and grimaced. "Like I was recently run over by a few trains. What happened?" She glanced around the room. "And who was talking before?"

Kisa gestured towards the door. "Koenma and Kurama. They just left to go get the others. Now that you're awake, I guess we're heading to Keiko's soon."

"Keiko's? But why, exactly?"

Kisa stood up and stretched. "Something about getting trainers ready. Koenma wouldn't tell me very much, no matter how hard I tried to get it out of him."

Miko sat up, smiling slightly. "You didn't use physical force, did you?"
Kisa laughed and shook her head. "Wish I could have, but no."
"You didn't answer my question before. What happened?"
Kisa raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember?"

Miko shook her head, then stopped as if something heavy hit her in the face. "Maybe I do," she said quietly, her face becoming vacant. The whole thing began to replay in her head and she shuddered as she recalled the purple demon's face…the pain…and that internal power that she couldn't control. "It was so bright," she said distantly, "right before everything turned black. Something's missing now, but what is it?"

Kisa watched her carefully. "It can't be spirit power. Kurama gave you some of his, and he said the effects of the demon trying to conceal it should have worn off by now."

Miko looked up at the sound of a door opening somewhere nearby. She gazed around the room as if seeing it for the very first time. "This can't be a dream. I've figured that out by now. Hey, sorry about being stupid before," she said seriously to her friend; Kisa shrugged. And…it's interesting….now that I've realized it's all real, everything's different. It's like a mix between fantasy and reality; they're both existing at the exact same time. The show captured some small essence of it, but it couldn't ever really put it on screen." She hadn't noticed Kurama and Yusuke entering the room as she began to talk, and they now stood listening. She glanced at Kisa, still not seeing the boys. "And everybody is different. Kurama is so much, well, wiser and calmer than the show ever portrayed him. Yusuke has this interesting aura of…I don't know….fierceness hanging around him, but its balanced with this odd innocence. And I think Kuwabara is still pretty much an idiot…"

Yusuke tried and failed to cover up a snorting laugh from the back of the room. The girls turned quickly to face them. Kurama smiled. "Are you feeling better, Miko?" It was like she was a whole different person as she spoke.

Miko looked embarrassed for a moment, then returned the smile. "Yeah, thanks," she said. Kisa rolled her eyes and stood up. "So, what's going on?"

"Well, since Miko's done with her psychological analysis," the girl blushed and glared at Yusuke, who grinned innocently back, "we're off to the Nag Queen's house."

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Now, as Miko sat on Keiko's living room couch with her, watching the boys raid the fridge for ice cream and Kisa mocking them about keeping their girlish figures, she wondered what had made her say all that. In any case, she felt sure that she had meant it.

YEM: Sorry for all the talking in this chapter...it's for character development! ( I think...) Miko's characterization is proving difficult to progress. Oh, and if you have any suggestions, email me.

Kuwabara: .....(mute from not talking for so long)
Yusuke: Oh yeah! He can't talk! Woot!
Kuwabara: ...(death glare)