Kurama and the Amulet of Truth
A short recap: Hiei said, "Koenma is thinking about asking you to be a spirit detective."
"I advise you not to accept; it's more trouble than it's worth," Hiei added.
"Wow, he really wants me to be a spirit detective?" Yoshimi asked incredulously. "But why? Doesn't he already have enough spirit detectives?" She said this last part skeptically, as if she were being scammed into something.
Hiei just "Hn-ed." (My word again.) But Kurama said, "I think Koenma still feels like he has some debt to pay to your mother. He would take this as an opportunity to keep a closer eye on you."
"Okay…whatever. I'll decide when we get back to spirit world. Speaking of which, where's the portal?"
"We were able to achieve contact with the spirit world, and the portal should be appearing shortly," Kurama said.
"Okay," Yoshimi said, settling back against her tree. While they were waiting for the portal to appear, she began thinking about whether she should join the spirit detective team. Sure, she got along great with all of them, even Hiei, and she would get to see more of Kurama, but the last few weeks had been really hectic, and she just didn't know if she wanted to go on like this.
"It's here," Kurama said, as a portal appeared in front of them. Yoshimi got up off of the ground.
"Alright, I'm ready," she said, and squaring her shoulders, she walked through the portal.
When she stepped out into Koenma's office, she realized that Yusuke and Kuwabara were already back.
"We didn't find it," Kuwabara said. "Did you guys?" Yoshimi nodded vaguely, not yet ready to speak. She looked over at Koenma, who looked away.
"Awesome! Do you have it?" Kuwabara spoke again. Yoshimi nodded again, and took out the amulet.
"Wow, it's pretty…" Kuwabara said, rather stupidly.
Koenma sighed. "That's it indeed. Hand it here." He held out his hand. Yoshimi gave him the amulet half somewhat reluctantly. It was sort of hers, after all.
While all this was taking place, Kurama and Hiei had come through the portal. "Did you give it to him?" Kurama asked of Yoshimi, who nodded. Kurama gave a tired sigh. "Good, then it is over at last! Have you given him your answer yet, Yoshimi?"
"Answer to what?" Yusuke and Kuwabara asked simultaneously.
Koenma ignored them and interrupted, "No, she hasn't." He looked at Yoshimi expectantly.
Yoshimi took a deep breath and said, "I decline your offer to join the team of spirit detectives."
The reaction was immediate and explosive. "You asked her to be a spirit detective?" came from Yusuke and Kuwabara. "You decline?" came from Koenma and Kurama, with different shades of emotion in each. A quiet "Hn. Good," came from Hiei.
"Yes, I decline," Yoshimi said again in a cold, determined voice. Then again, in a softer tone, "I want to go home."
"But---" Kurama started, but Koenma interrupted.
"Well, I suppose that is a point, and now that we have the amulet, you can go home now," he said with a sigh. "But I really wish you would reconsider…"
Yoshimi shook her head. "No reconsideration. I'm going home. Koenma, if you could provide transportation, I'd be really grateful.
Koenma sighed. "Okay, I guess it can't be helped. Botan can take you by the cabin to get your things. And Kurama, I guess that means you can go home, too."
Botan popped in at that moment. "Did someone say my name?" The ferry girl asked cheerfully.
"Yes, Botan. If you could take Yoshimi and Kurama by the cabin, I would appreciate it very much," Koenma said.
"Can do, Koenma," the ferry girl said peppily. "You two come with me." She motioned for Yoshimi and Kurama to follow her out of the room. They did so, walking with her into the hallway.
Koenma turned to Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara. "I'll send you all back now," Koenma said, opening a portal to the human world for Yusuke and Kuwabara and a portal to the demon world for Hiei.
Yusuke and Kuwabara ran right into their portal, already making plans for going to the arcade, but Hiei staid behind. "You're letting me go back to demon world?" Hiei asked Koenma, surprised. "For good?"
"For now," Koenma said. "We may call you if we ever need you, however. Stay out of trouble now." He turned to the paper work on his desk. Hiei first made sure Koenma wasn't watching him, and then rushed hurriedly into the portal.
"Are you ready to go?" Botan asked.
"We're flying?" Yoshimi asked, confused. "Are you sure we'll all fit on the back of your oar?"
"We should be able to," Botan said, thinking with a frown on her face. She summoned her oar. "Hop on and we'll see."
They were all able to fit, though Yoshimi was worried about balancing. ("It's easy!" Botan had said. (If the oar leans one way, just lean the other!") Botan was in the front, with Yoshimi behind her and Kurama behind Yoshimi.
Botan took off, and Yoshimi immediately feel exhilarated. It always happens to first-time fliers: the pure joy of flight. Kurama had his hands around Yoshimi's waist, and Yoshimi had to stop herself from shivering.
The flight to the cabin was short, and Yoshimi didn't want it to end. But as she got off, slightly wobbly still, she began to thing of how awesome it would be that she could finally see her grandparents again. The probably missed her very much, because she knew she missed them. Yoshimi absentmindedly gather her things from around the cabin, happy to be going home at last.
Kurama was happy too; he hadn't seen his mother or the rest of his family in such a long time. He was quite happy to be going home, he was going to miss Yoshimi, of course, but they would see each other again, probably.
Botan flew Yoshimi back to her grandparent's house first, dropping her off on the roof. Yoshimi bid good-bye to the ferry girl before turning to Kurama. "Well, good-bye," Yoshimi said, suddenly shy.
Kurama smiled. "I'm sure we'll see each other again Yoshimi," he said.
"Yeah, I suppose we will," said Yoshimi, giving Kurama a weak smile. Kurama smiled back, and bend down to give Yoshimi a hug. Yoshimi hugged back, surprised. Kurama kissed her on the cheek. That surprised Yoshimi even more.
"Good-bye," Kurama said again, hopping onto the oar behind Botan. They flew away, and it wasn't until they were out of sight that Yoshimi put her hand up to her cheek to feel where he had kissed her.
"'Bye," she whispered softly to herself. She turned around and hopped off of the roof and onto her balcony.
"So, are you in loooove?" Botan asked Kurama in that annoying way while they were flying back to his house.
Kurama smiled a small smile. "Maybe," he said. "Maybe."
A/N: So, I think maybe we are nearing the end now. It'd be awesome to hear from the people reading this now...to know if you're alive...