Chapter One

Botan flew along in confusion. Her hair blended in with the sky it was so blue and the sun was shinning brightly. Keiko had finally convinced Yusuke to go to school for once and she had gone to see Koemna. After the meeting she had gone to see how Yusuke was doing in school and he wasn't there, but that was not whet was worrying her, because she had found Yusuke on the roof skipping out on gym. She had reminded him of what happened before with getting framed for stealing but he brushed off like usual.

What was bothering her was that she had felt a strange powerful burst of spirit energy coming from inside of Yusuke's school. She found where it had been coming from one of the science labs. A teacher put of the burst of flames and one of the girls was nervously explaining what happened to the teacher. Only one girl in the whole class was calm like she had been expecting it to happen. She looked at Botan straight in the eyes and then looked away trying to ignore her presence. Botan was impressed even Kuwabara couldn't see her before some training. This girl had powers, even if they weren't trained. She would be trouble for Yusuke if they did not get her powers in check. She flew off to tell Koemna the news.

"Back so soon Botan," Koemna said.

"Koemna, sir, there was a fire in Yusuke's school."

"So, there are fires in a lot of schools. Unless Yusuke died then it is none of our concern."

"But sir this one was started by spirit energy. I think it was started by a girl in one of Keiko's classes. She was completely calm during the whole thing. And I'm sure she saw me. She looked straight at me, and we made eye contact."

"Botan you're imagining things again. You've been so jumpy after dealing with the spirit beasts."

"But I felt demon or spirit energy. I wasn't sure which. I'm not imagining things. Maybe that's what I felt all along."

"I'll humor you one more time. Find out her name and I'll do a background check on her. And have Yusuke. If that doesn't work you talk to her. If what you say is true she has two choices. To join the Reiki Tantei or swear never to use her abilities again and if she does she'll have to live in spirit world. Now go inform Yusuke."

"Yes, sir," Botan said taking flight.

"Yusuke! I need your help. There's a girl in your school with long straight black hair, big green eyes, bangs, and she's pale. What's her name?"

"I dunno. And why should I help you."

"She has spirit or demon energy. And I think she can control fire."

"Oh. I don't know her name, but she always by herself when I see her. Maybe Keiko would know, I think the girl is in a couple of her classes."

"Ok, thank you. When you find her name I need you to talk to her. She might be joining the Reiki Tantei or she'll have to promise never to use her abilities again. If she does she has to live in spirit world."

"Another one. Goddamn. What the hell, does Koemna not trust me?"

"He trusts you, but he thinks you've killed all your brain cells from smoking too much."

"Shut up! Fine whatever, I'll talk to her later. Just leave me alone!"

"Fine Mr. Grumpy. See ya later, and don't forget to talk to Keiko or the other girl."

Yusuke lay down with a sigh and watched the clouds move. He lay there quietly, his mind wandering. When the bell rung he didn't move but when the door swung open and Keiko appeared yelling, "Yusuke, get to class." He closed his eyes and took even breaths so he looked like he was sleeping.

"Yusuke you lazy ass, get to class," Keiko yelled when she found Yusuke "sleeping." She kicked him gently in the ribs and he groaned sleepily. Keiko sighed, "Yusuke, you really need to improve your acting, get up. You and I both know you're not sleeping. It's my ass that's gonna get hauled if you don't go to class."

"Fine, you win. God, I can't get a moments peace can I? Any way I need to ask you a question."

Keiko raised her eyebrows and indicated for him to go on.

"I need to know a girl's name for Botan. She has straight long black hair, bangs, and green. And she's always by herself."

"Oh, her. Her name is Kyogoku. Kyogoku, Kanna. I think."

"Kay, thanks," Yusuke said with a sly smile, got up and followed Keiko off the roof.

Then, he picked up her skirt and said "Nice view, Keiko."

"Yusuke, you ass!" she smacking him, "You're never too tired to play your perverted jokes. And right after I helped you. See if I help you anytime soon."

Yusuke laughed and ran off to class.

The bell rung and Kanna packed up her bag and walked home. She sighed, not wanting to go home to her cruel grandmother and waiting for her father to come home was torture. How she wanted to run away from them. But her father would find her and in his rage, he would be blind. He would beat her, scream at her, and after he had dragged her home, he would most likely rape her.

She shivered at the thought. She was still a virgin, but barely. Her father was a sadistic bastard, so she learned not to cry, or show pain and emotions. That had turned her heart in to ice.

That also caused her fear of men. She never met any other men besides her father and the boys in school. So she assumed that they were all like that.

When she got to high school she learned that for a fact. The boys pulled her hair and stole her chopsticks that her hair was twisted up with. The poked her, pinched her, and teased her. But the girls were no better. They teased her, ignored her, and when they did talk to her they called her obscene names. The only girl that was ever nice to her was Keiko, probably only because she was the class representative. It was probably just pity. She hated pity, more than anything.

Kanna unlocked the door and pushed it open. She slipped off her shoes and said, "Grandmother, I'm home."

"You stupid girl. You woke me up," her grandmother said getting up. She walked over to Kanna and smacked her on the head. Kanna just stood there waiting for her grandmother to speak.

"There's list on the kitchen table. Go to the market. Here's some money. You only buy groceries with that you hear girl."

"Yes, ma'am."

Do you have work?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Go to work now, and don't forget to pick up the groceries," she said smacking her again.

Kanna went upstairs into her room to take off her school uniform. She put on black pants, a black shirt, and a big black sweat shirt. She walked over her dresser and twisted her hair up into a bun and took the two black chopsticks and stuck them in to her bun. Then she put on her eyeliner a bit darker, fixed up her cover-up so her bruises wouldn't show.

Satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed up her black bag and walked out of her room door. She went into the kitchen, picked up the list and got a cold bottle of water from the fridge and stuffed them into her bag.

"Grandmother, I'm going to work now. I'll be back later. When I get home I'll make dinner."

"Okay. Get out of here."

Kanna closed the door and looked up into the bright blue sky. She checked her back pocket for her lighter and she felt the lump and smiled.

Ever since she was a little girl she had loved fire. In fact, she used to play with it but she never got burnt, and still she didn't get burnt. She would run her fingers through the flame. She always giggled because the flame tickled her.

When she had turned 10 strange things started happening, along with her father starting to sexually abuse her, but when she got angry, or started crying she saw fire and when she blinked to get rid of it, it went away in her vision but appeared near the person she was upset with.

Her father had gotten many burns before her Grandmother came up with sort of a truce: If she never burned him he would never rape her.

So she had learned to control her fire temper and the actual fire. The agreement still held, but the agreement didn't save her from the pinching, groping cruel hands of her father.

She arrived at work and went in through the back entrance. She put down her bag and took off her sweatshirt, and put on her crisp full length apron. She called out to let her employers know she was there.

The only reason that she worked there was she always went shopping there ever since she was small. And recently their daughter had gone to college. So they hired her to work in her place.

"Kanna, I'm so glad you're here. It was so lonely here without someone else here," said a masculine voice.

Kanna froze. She usually worked with the mother of the family. She guessed that this was one of her sons. She walked to the front of the store. He smiled at her and stuck out a hand to shake. She hesitantly reached a hand out to shake but when she did and they shook he said, "Nice to meet you. My name is Aki."

She nodded self consciously and asked him there was anything that she had to do.

"No I did everything when I got here this morning. Though my father said he'd drop by later with some more produce cuz the fridges are almost empty. But anyway, my mom is sick today, and she won't be here for the next week or so because she's visiting her sister in Osaka, so it'll be you an' me till she gets back. I hope that's okay with you," he said and added the last part when she started to pale.

"That's fine," Kanna said nervously, "It's only going to be a week, you're positive."

"Yeah. She says sorry for being so last minute. Her sister just asked her to come for a week because her husband went on a business trip for about a week. She was going to tell you today but then she got sick. Mom told me that she'd probably be gone for a week."

"I see," she said in a whisper.

Kanna usually liked work. She worked in Shinimiri's Produce store. She worked with Misako Shinimiri. The family owned a farm outside of Tokyo which specialized in fruits and vegetables, organic of course. Misako was the mother of three children and of course Kanna had heard all about them. Nuriko, the oldest, a full grown woman with a family of her own; Kei, the middle, a college student in Tokyo University; and Aki the youngest, a first year student in high school.

Although Misako always made Aki seem very nice a sweet; in her eyes Aki looked menacing. He was very well built, with short bleached hair, and friendly brown eyes. And she was going to be alone in the shop with him. Who knows what could happen. Just thinking about it made her shiver unexpectedly.

"Are you cold Kanna? Do you want my jacket," he offered sounding concerned.

"Oh no. I just got the chills. I'm fine and I have a sweatshirt in the back."

"Ok, do you want me to go get it for you?"

"I'm fine honest."

"Ok. Well any way, I don't know what to talk about, do you? I mean, I want to get to know you better because my mom has always said what a nice beautiful young woman you are, and I just feel that we should become friends."

Kanna just nodded. She stood there afraid to move. Of course Misako probably had told her sons the correct way to treat a lady but with her experiences men could not deny their impulses, which usually involved a lot of pain for her.

At the moment a customer walked in and Aki went to help her. Kanna slipped into the back and pulled her book that she always carried and went to the register seat and read. She rung up the woman and went back to the book. When Aki cane back and started talking, she protested.

"I'm sorry but if we don't have anything to do, I have to study for school. I have to get scholarships to go to high school; my father won't pay for it."

"Oh, good luck. They're supposedly really hard to get."

"Exactly why I have to study."

"Yeah, no problem."

When customers came in Aki helped them and them she rung them up, then returned to reading. She couldn't concentrate though. Her mind kept drifting, just random distraction thought kept popping up. She needed to concentrate!

"Hey, you look like you're having trouble."

"Yeah."

"If you want to bring your written work tomorrow I'll help you. That's no problem for me; I have nothing to do anyway."

"Sure, I guess."

Aki nodded and then the bell rung and he walked to the door to go help the customer.

"Can I help you sir?"

"Nope, I need to talk to Kanna. She works here doesn't she?"