Sherkoni - Yay! So many HieiBotan fans, thanks for all those who reviewed. (Hands packets as well) You may all have HieiBotan packet as well since you seem to be great fans! (does victory dance)

Anyways, please enjoy this chapter - I'm glad so many people seem to like it. n.n;;;

Chapter 2

The First Day in Makai

Botan tugged at her kimono when it snagged on yet another thorn. Why IS it that every Makai plant has to have some type of pointy thing on it?! she thought irritably, finally yanking the material free. After landing in Makai, she had tried to ask Hiei where "home" was. However, the fire demon had chosen not to answer and instead proceeded to trek through the Makai Forest, leaving her to struggle to keep up. They had walked like this for about an hour.

She glanced up to see Hiei a good thirty yards ahead of her, barely visible through the massive trees. "Oh no," she groaned, changing her pace to a hurried run so she could catch up with the seemingly oblivious fire demon.

In her frantic efforts, she tripped over a protruding tree root, landing in an ungraceful heap on the forest floor. She groaned, closing her eyes in pain. Carefully, to avoid further injury, she hoisted herself upright. "This is turning out to be a swell day," she grumbled to herself.

"That seemed a bit sarcastic," a cool voice answered to her left.

Botan whipped her head around. She gasped. There, somewhat hidden in the trees, was a magnificent centaur, it's head reaching well over seven feet. It was a male, with flowing blonde hair, bedecked with shining leaves. He had brilliant lavender eyes, piercing and unblinking. He swished his equally blonde tail impatiently. "Are you just going to stare at me all day?" he asked calmly, his voice rich with a curious, lilting accent.

Botan blushed. "Sorry....I, um...should really get going...." She reluctantly withdrew her gaze from the magnificent creature. If she didn't hurry, she'd never be able to find Hiei and he certainly wouldn't wait or feel obligated to come look for her.

"Let me take you to your friend," the centaur purred softly.

Botan's heart skipped a beat. "W-Would you? Really?" she asked hopefully, not even bothering to question how he would know she was looking for Hiei in the first place.

He chuckled. "I would. Really. Climb upon my back." He proceeded to step closer to the excited ferry girl, bending low so she would have easy access to his back. Botan nodded and cautiously placed her hands on his broad back. With a careful heave, she swung her body up, grasping his outstretched hand for balance.

"Thanks," she breathed, pulling herself upright. He simply smiled in return and started off through the forest. Botan tensed, feeling his muscles ripple and contract beneath her legs. For a few minutes, she just enjoyed the feeling. She relaxed as she started to move with him. For a few minutes, she sat like this and just enjoyed the feeling of his movement in revered silence.

Her peace did not last however as she suddenly realized they were going the wrong way. She specifically remembered Hiei's retreating form. And it had been heading in the opposite direction. "Excuse me?" she called nervously. "My friend went the other way..." She tried to point with her hand.

The centaur did not waver or reply and kept walking through the forest. Botan frowned. "Hello?" she tried again. "Can you hear me?" Still, she got no reply.

Deciding that he was probably lost in his own thoughts, she tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, my friend went in the opposite direction - we're going the wrong way."

This time, the centaur's lip curled. "We're taking a shortcut."

Botan gulped. His voice sounded different, a barely detectable...hiss in the previous tone. Instantly, the peaceful feeling was gone and replace with an anxious feeling - an uneasy knot forming in the pit of her stomach.

I have to get out of here!

Frantically, she tried to get off the beast's back. Unfortunately, he sensed her movements and latched a hand onto her arm, stopping her descent. "You aren't going anywhere!" he snarled viciously, the soothing part of his voice now completely vanished. Botan shrieked and tried fervently to get her arm free. He only tightened his grip, dragging her closer to him. Botan clenched her eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

Suddenly, the force pulling her released pressure and she stumbled onto the forest floor, falling clumsily backwards. She opened her eyes and let out a horrified gasp. The arm that had been holding her was still latched on her arm, but was detached from the body; cut right through the middle of the forearm. She quickly ripped it off, trembling in disgust.

The next moment, Hiei landed in front of her with his back turned, sword drawn protectively. "Hiei!" she gasped in relief before her attention was abruptly turned to the centaur. It clutched his blood arm in pain, letting out loud shrieks of agony.

Botan gasped as his legs and arms suddenly shrunk and his silver fur turned into green scales. In seconds, he had turned into a serpent like creature, screeching angrily at Hiei.

"Move aside fire apparition!" he hissed. Botan shuddered at the difference in now snake-like voice. "I found this prey!"

Hiei growled and stepped so he was completely blocking Botan from view. "Mine," he snarled, letting considerable amounts of his youki break through. Sensing Hiei's power, the serpent gave a final hiss before departing into the trees.

Hiei turned to face Botan, quickly sheathing his sword. "Shapeshifter," he informed her with a frown. "He was leading you to his lair."

In spite of her fright, Botan wanted to cry over the loss of such a beautiful creature. It would have killed her, and she was sad over losing it. That was power. She couldn't stop trembling.

"Leave it to you to do something stupid like this," Hiei continued in apparent annoyance.

Botan shook her head and continued trembling. "H-Help m-me up?" she whispered, reaching out her hand. Hiei rolled his eyes, but grabbed onto her hand anyway, quickly yanking her to her feet. As soon as her feet connected with solid ground, she felt her blood rushing to her head and the forest started spinning before her eyes. She clutched Hiei's cloak desperately, burying her face into the black fabric.

Hiei tensed and took an uncertain step backwards, but Botan only held on tighter. She never wanted to leave his side, Makai was far too dangerous without him. The realization of how close she had come to death made Botan shake with fear. She stared up at him with teary eyes. "I-" she never finished her sentence, suddenly passing out.

oOo

Botan awoke to the soft smell of hemlock and pine. She was sleeping upon the most comfortable bed she had ever been on. It was one of those electric ones - she kept rocking in even, firm motions. She yawned and snuggled deeper into her dark pillow, relishing in it's soft content.

"Are you awake yet?" her bed snapped. Botan's eyes flew open in surprise. Her eyes met two angry crimson orbs. She gulped - Hiei was her bed! Those electric motions were his steps and her pillow had been his shoulder. She laughed nervously.

He growled and dropped her promptly on the forest ground. She winced in pain. "Ow..."

"Now listen," he said pointedly, glaring down at her. "I didn't get to say this to you before because you passed out."

Botan gazed up at him curiously.

"If I have to be burdened with you for an entire week, you have to show some common sense. Apparently, as you demonstrated two hours ago-"

"I've been asleep for two hours?!"

"Yes, now shut up - I'm not finished."

Botan clamped her mouth shut.

"As you demonstrated two hours ago, you're not capable of such common sense. Koenma will have me thrown in prison if any thing happens to you so you now have to walk in front of me so I can make sure you don't do anything else stupid."

Botan winced. "Sorry..." she muttered, not wanting to spark his anger even more. She certainly didn't want to have to fend for herself in Makai. She shuddered at the memory of the shapeshifter.

"And," Hiei continued as if she hadn't spoken, "you had better keep a decent pace. I already had to be reduced to walking since you were with me, slowing my pace by at least 4 times. Then I had to save your ass, wasting away another half an hour. And then I had to carry you which slowed me down even more. Not to mention I had to cover the ground I'd already covered. I could have been to Ningenkai and back two times by now!"

Botan ran a finger through the dirt. "Well apparently somebody's had way too much time to be mad at me..."

Hiei growled. Botan laughed nervously and stood to her feet. "Sorry, don't get so mad! I'll walk in front of you and I'll walk fast."

Hiei folded his arms and glared at her silently. Botan quickly turned away so she wouldn't laugh. If she hadn't known better, she would've said Hiei was pouting. She started to walk forward and Hiei followed behind her.

"You know," Botan said after a few moments. "You shouldn't be so temperamental. Your girlfriend is really going to hate it if you yell at her all the time."

Hiei fumed behind her. "First of all - I won't be having a "girlfriend" anytime soon and secondly, if for some bizarre reason I did, she wouldn't be stupid enough to follow a shapeshifter. Especially when it imitates a centaur because THERE ARE NO CENTAURS IN MAKAI."

Botan narrowed her eyes and tried not to look embarrassed. "Whatev- Oh my gosh!" She suddenly stopped, causing Hiei to bump into her.

"Baka! What are you doing?!" he snapped after recollecting himself.

Botan didn't answer, but began rummaging through the pockets of her kimono. "Where did I put it? I have to write that down..." she mumbled to herself, still searching through the folds. Finally, she pulled out a small pink notebook. "There it is!" She opened it and began scribbling in it, using her knee as a desk.

Hiei watched her for a few moments before his curiosity (and patience) wore thin. "What are you doing?" he asked tightly, giving the notebook a reprimanding look.

"Writing down that you want your girlfriend to not be stupid and have survival instincts..." she mumbled, still scribbling.

Hiei blushed. "What?!"

Botan closed the notebook with a happy grin. "I'm finding you a lover, remember?"

"I-" he stuttered. Hiei let his mouth open again, as if to say something, but he remained silent.

Botan shrugged. "While I have it out, I might as well get something done."

He gave her the same bewildered look.

"So..." She tapped her chin with her pen. "Let's begin with....what's your favorite color?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not walking - we're trying to keep a fast pace," he finally answered.

Botan frowned and turned to her left, starting into a very powered walk. Hiei blinked in surprise and hurried to catch up with her. "Now," she huffed between her relentless speed. "What's your favorite color?"

"I don't have one," he answered, perfectly fine with the pace.

"Well then let's find you one," she answered. "How about black?"

"Black isn't a color. It is in essence simply a hole that absorbs all colors and therefore cannot become one."

Botan simply nodded, but hurriedly opened her notebook and scribbled under the page labeled - "Hiei's Personality" - insightful and intelligent.

Suddenly, they broke into a clearing. Botan sighed with relief. She was tired of all the roots and thorns that were bruising and cutting her shins. She felt Hiei's hand grab her shoulder.

"We'll stop here," he told her, walking past her, releasing her shoulder. Botan stared at him for a moment in silence. She couldn't tell if it was because his hand left her shoulder tingling or the fact that he seemed fine when she was panting for breath from her strenuous pace.

Hiei turned and peered at her quizzically. "What are you staring at?"

Botan blushed. "Nothing! Sorry...."

Hiei raised an eyebrow, but turned back around. He quickly left in a flit of black. Botan gasped, finally registering what had just happened. "Hiei!" she yelled. She froze, getting no reply. He had left her! She felt herself beginning to panic, the clearing becoming eerily dark.

Suddenly, she felt something move behind her. She shrieked and summoned her oar, frantically swinging it behind her. She gasped, seeing a familiar fire demon instead of the nasty purple demon she had imagined. Hiei caught the end of her oar expertly with his hand, the other holding a small pile of wood. Her eyes widened in surprise. He smirked, raising a taunting eyebrow. "My you're jumpy."

She yanked her oar back and dematerialized it. "You scared me, that's all," she snapped, a red tint rinsing over her cheeks.

He chuckled quietly. "Okay."

She gasped. "You....you just laughed!" she said in astonishment.

Hiei rolled his eyes and quickly turned away, the lightest tint of pink on his cheeks. Botan giggled. "I knew you had to think SOMETHING was funny."

Hiei turned back to her, a cocky smirk on his lips. "Yes, ditzy, easily scared ferry girls."

Botan blushed. "Just because I haven't lived in Makai all my life like you..."

Hiei narrowed his eyes and frowned. He brushed by her, dumping the wood on the ground.

Botan winced. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. "Are you making a fire?" she asked meekly, trying to steer the subject in a different direction.

"Do you want to sleep without it?" he asked, his voice low and annoyed, turning to glare at her.

She flinched at his harsh tone. "No..." she mumbled, staring at the ground. He sighed in resign, turning back his task. She watched as he blasted out a small indent in the ground using his youki and placed the wood in. She briefly wondered how he would start the fire when a flame emerged from his finger. She had forgotten he was a fire demon.

She plopped on the ground when the wood started to ignite. She set her notebook and pen on the ground next to her. Her pen started rolling through the dirt towards the fire. "Oh no!" she said, scrambling after the pen. But it rolled into the edge of the pit before she could get there. "My pen!"

Hiei quickly bent down and grabbed the pen, tossing it into the dirt. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against speaking for the moment and closed his mouth.

"Thanks Hiei - is your hand okay?" she asked softly, looking up at him.

Hiei looked surprised, but quickly covered it with his usual emotionless mask. "The fire and heat doesn't hurt my hand," he replied shortly.

Botan nodded and reached to grab her pen. "Don't touch it!" Hiei tried to warn her, but it was too late.

Her finger landed on the pen and she immediately retaliated, wincing in pain. "Ouch!" she yipped, holding her now burnt finger. Hiei sighed and knelt next to her, taking her hand in his own. He raised her finger so he could look at it. "I told you not to touch it," he reprimanded softly.

"Sorry," she whispered, watching his face examine her finger. Suddenly, he stood up, pulling her up with him. He took her to the other side of fire and sat down, pulling her down to his side.

He ripped off an excess piece of bandage from his own arm and brought it to her finger. He wrapped it around slowly, holding her hand still with his other hand. Botan sighed. Today hadn't been a good idea at all. Maybe she should just give up her attempts and go back to Spiritworld. She had been nothing but a nuisance to Hiei since they had gotten to Makai.

"Red," he suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"That's my favorite color."

Botan stared at him for a moment. "Really?" she finally asked.

He shrugged. "I guess."

Botan smiled. "You don't have to pretend to have a favorite color just to answer my question."

He smirked at her, pausing in his bandaging. "Believe me, I wouldn't." He tucked the final piece of bandage in, her finger now carefully wrapped. "I just decided I wanted to know which color I preferred over the others."

Botan grinned. "That's a good reason." She paused, noticing he hadn't released her hand. He noticed as well and quickly let go, drawing his hand back. She blushed and turned away, drawing her knees to her chin.

"What's your favorite color?"

Botan started. "What? My favorite color?"

He remained silent, waiting for her answer.

"Oh, um...green I guess," she said, staring into the fire.

Hiei smirked, leaning back on his elbows. "I'll make sure that the mate I choose for you likes the color green then."

Botan whipped her head around to glare at him. "You were serious about that?!"

He grinned devilishly. "I can always withdraw my attempts..." His face grew serious. "But you have to as well."

"Hiei," Botan sighed. "I'm not lonely and I'll find love if I want it - which I do. But you seem to be so lonely. It's my duty to help you!"

Hiei gave her a weird look before closing his eyes and placing his hands behind his neck casually. "Green it is then."

Botan rolled her eyes. "I'll have you know that opposites are supposed to attract. He'd probably match me better if he liked the contrasting color of green."

Hiei opened one eye curiously. "What's the contrasting color of green?"

"It's-" Botan froze, suddenly remembering what the color was. She blushed and tried to avoid Hiei's gaze. "Um...I don't remember."

Hiei raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. In the next second he was on his feet, looking to the trees about 15 feet away.

"Where are you going?" Botan asked, sitting up straighter to look at him.

Hiei pointed to the trees. "I'm going to sleep."

Botan got a look of fear and worry on her face. "O-Over there?"

"I always sleep in trees," he replied impatiently.

Botan bit her lip. "Would you..." she swallowed, gathering her courage. "Stay with me? Please?"

Hiei stared at her before glancing at the trees and then to the fire in disgust. Finally he sat back down. "Until you go to sleep," he muttered. Botan smiled, and laid down in the grass, trying to look thankful. But she didn't want him to just stay until she went to sleep. She was scared some demon would come in the middle of the night and.... she trailed off, shuddering at the thought.

An idea passed through her mind. She faked a yawn and closed her eyes, scooting closer to Hiei's form. She kept slowly scooting until she could feel his body next to hers. She almost reconsidered her plan when she felt him tense uncomfortably, but then the thought of demons passed through her mind again.

"Onna!" he hissed irritably. "Onna! Baka, spaz - how could you fall asleep that fast?!"

Botan answered by latching onto his arm and letting out another yawn. She heard him groan miserably.

Sherkoni - Well there is the second chapter, hope you all enjoyed. Not much else to say but please review! n.n;;