Chapter Siebenundzwanzig

Botan was rocking back and forth in the dark corner in dark pain and cold despair. When would she have her old life back? When… Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the squeak of the cell door opening. She shivered thinking her time had come. This was the end.

Hiei was carried into the cell and dropped on the cold floor. Not a sound came from him as his holders closed the cell and walked off.

"H-Hiei?" Botan crawled over to him. He wasn't moving. Panic welled up within her and she cradled his head in her lap and cried. "Oh Hiei, I am so sorry for everything. Please forgive me." Botan quivered as her fear was whipping through her veins wanting to get out, to break the skin, to bleed. "I'm not strong enough. I couldn't do anything to make a difference. I even lost all of you Twice."

Hiei twitched lightly as a cold drop his it face, another, and another. He opened his eyes and looked up at the waterfalls what were Botan's tears. He slowly reached up and wiped them away. "Onna?"

Botan's gaze snapped back into reality and she looked slowly down at him and smiled faintly. It almost wasn't real. It wasn't the smile that annoyed him, the smile he loved so much. It was a new smile a sad smile.

They just sat there in the dark, for a time, looking into each other's souls. No smiles, no tears, no fear. Just nothing. It was over and they both knew it. Hiei pulled away and sat up against the wall, His back against the wall with his knees pulled up and his arms hanging off of them. His position suggested a kind of giving up.

Botan looked over at him and winced as she crawled over to him and crashed into his chest where he caught her in shock. He pulled her closer wanting to pull her into him to spare her this darkness. "I love you, Hiei." Botan whispered and cried into his cloak.

"I love you too." Hiei admitted and cradled her in his strong arms and flinched at what he had admitted to her, but more importantly, what he had admitted to himself.

The cell Door opened once more with an evil Squeak and in came Jin, Touya, and Chu. Botan picked up her head and smiled seeing them, "Oh god, Thank you, now we can get out of here."

"I'm afraid that only you will be coming out of this cell. Our master needs you," Touya said and pulled Botan away from Hiei, who was being pulled by Chu and Jin

Botan kicked and screamed, "Hiei, don't- don't let them have me. Please help me." Botan reached for him as he reached for her. Their fingertips touched for a moment before Botan was yanked from the room. Her broken tears fell once more, "HIEI! I LOVE YOU." Her voice was filled with pure terror, until she was dragged away and the echo of her screams faded.

Chu and Jin dropped Hiei on the floor and walked out of the cell locking him up tightly. "See you around mate."

"Or not." Jin added before they left him in the dark.

Hiei growled and stood up. There was something for him to live for and it was Her. Everything depended in him now and he would do whatever he could to save her. No way would he be beaten by an enemy he had never seen. This was drawing the line. With nothing left for them take they made one fatal mistake.

The Grand hall was filled with People, all under the control of the dark lord and his Master. In the center of the crowd stood a huge White Crystal big enough to fit a small woman. And that was just what they would use it for. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama stood off to the side of the crystal as a precaution.

The girls were dressed in black dresses with silver trim as they stood next to the dark lord, who was dressed in the same colors.

"Bring her in." Said the queen as her raspy voice rattled through her throat.

"You heard her, Do it." The dark lord reiterated. And the crowd spit as the huge purple doors opened revealing a struggling Botan dressed in a white kimono with gold designs.

Touya held onto her tightly. "Stop moving, it is time for your end." Touya told her

"Stop! No! I won't do this." Botan paused when she saw everyone she knew, Mak from the bar, Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina! Alive. And there before the crystal she saw Yusuke and the others. No one was helping her. They all just watched like a crowd at an execution.

The queen stood up and all eyes were on her, she pulled back her cloak and Botan's eyes went wide in horror. How could she be behind this? "G-Genkai?"

"That's right. This plan was quite an easy one to pull off. I thank you for making it so." Genkai said and smirked darkly. "The only thing is, I can't find Koenma. You know where he is, don't you?"

"No, I don't. I don't know what's going on anymore, my friends are all alive. What are you doing? I thought you were on our side."

"Side? Ha, there are no Sides." Genkai paused, "You might not know where Koenma is but you have his power."

Botan took a step back, "You wont get it, I wont let you have it," Botan took another step back only to bump into Chu. "Where is Hiei?" she yelled at him.

"Nowhere." Jin smiled, "now listen to what our queen has to say."

"Yes, you will give up that power, of course, you don't have the strength to use it yourself so I am going to use it. Put her in the Crystal!" Genkai ordered.

"NO!" Botan screamed and protested as the boys shoved her into the crystal where she melted into it and was frozen in time. She was dead to this world. Her eyes were closed and her lips where a blue-ish color. She was angelic. Botan could do no more to help and all of her friends only stood by. This was it, an Angel's Punishment.