Day 4: Friday

When Botan tried to gently wriggle out of Hiei's vice grip the next morning, she discovered that he was becoming all too comfortable with this. She came to this realization, on the basis of the fact that she could not get out of his grip like she had the other mornings. Now, he had managed to release her hair, somehow, but for some reason, he had latched both of his arms around her waist, and his legs were tangled in hers.

Well, this is an awkward position. If someone were to see us like this, I would never hear the end of it. Her thoughts continued along those lines until she felt her right foot go numb and prickly. This would not suffice. She needed to get out of Hiei's grip before he awoke, or all heck would break loose, and that was the understatement of the year.

Again, Botan tried wriggling out and gently disentangling his arms from her waist, but to no avail. His grip was like iron. Speaking of which, his arms were very, very toned. Botan could feel the muscles and tendons in them, stretching and sinewy. Again, the thought of any woman killing for a guy with his body ran through her head. Actually, she quite thought that she might kill for a guy with his body.

Snapping back to the predicament at hand, Botan realized that the hour of Hiei's awakening was drawing nigh. This was not good. If only Koenma hadn't gotten them stuck in there. If only she was still a spirit and could slip through walls and go--

Wait, a minute! That was it! All she had to do was go intangible. Duh, Botan! She wondered for a moment why she hadn't thought of that before. So, it was with that, that Botan phased out of Hiei's arms and onto the couch.

She sat there for a moment, watching him sleep, when suddenly, a thought hit her. So sudden was the inspiration, that she jumped up and shouted.

"BINGO!"

Hiei awoke with a start, on his feet in less than a tenth of a second, katana held at the ready, gleaming wickedly. Upon remembering that they were in the safe room, and remembering that he was with Botan, he turned his fiery glare on her and sheathed his katana, his eyes practically burning holes in her. She blinked and grinned at him innocently.

"Onna, why have you awakened me?" Hiei hissed.

Botan proceeded to bounce around on the tips of her toes, her cheeriest kitty face blazing. Hiei continued to glower at the bluette.

"Yay, yay, YAY!!" she cried.

Hiei clapped his hands over his ears and winced. "Onna, if you do not stop your high-pitched racket this instant, I will be forced to kill you!"

Botan stopped and waggled a finger in his face, causing him to snarl. "Now, now, Hiei! I've found a way out! Be nice or I will force my company on you for the rest of the week!" Hiei lifted an eyebrow at her. She giggled. "I can just turn into my spirit form and phase out!" Hiei's face dawned with realization and then reverted to its usual stony mask.

"So, go," he said more gruffly than usual. His simple words stung Botan more than she thought they would have. She stopped her hopping and stared for a moment, looking into his scarlet eyes. He stared back, his gaze being more of a glare than anything.

Botan thought she could see something going on in the depths of his blood-red irises, but couldn't be sure. She knew that Hiei felt more emotion than he ever let on, but now she didn't know if she had been right. If he really wanted her gone that badly, then she would go.

"Oh...okay, then. See ya, Hiei." Hiei thought that her tone sounded a little wounded. That was odd. He didn't know why she would feel that way. He watched her silently as her human form vanished, leaving a shimmering version of Botan in its place, white wisps of her form reaching out in tendrils to whisper at his face and caress his skin gently. For some reason, her mauve eyes were brighter in this form, as though they were dimmed by being mortal in some way. He would have to ask someone about that.

Botan focused and then phased through the floor, her essence flowing in a smooth, rippling motion and continuing on. She had always loved this feeling. The feeling of being in your true form and being free of mortal concerns. But then, that feeling abruptly ended as a new feeling replaced it. The feeling of being smashed into a brick wall at the speed of light.

Hiei stood for a moment, after Botan had disappeared, and then made to walk into the kitchen, only to stop when he sensed her again. He whirled on his heels and watched as she materialized in her human form, her body lying limp, but undamaged. He strode over to her, after seeing that she was not responding, and kneeled, shaking her by the shoulders. He was met with no response.

Genuinely concerned now, Hiei shook Botan harder, trying out his voice for a response from the immobile ferry girl.

"Onna." Nothing. "Baka onna." Still nothing. "Baka ferry onna!" Absolutely nothing, not even a flicker of the eyelashes. Her face was very pale, her breathing shallow. Hiei rested his ear against her chest and listened for the rythym that would be her pulse. At first, ther was nothing, but then, he heard a slight fluttering thump, followed by more. He sat back on his heels and let out a breath of relief. He didn't really know why he was so relieved, but he assumed it was because Koenma would have his head if his head ferry girl was dead.

((With Botan))

Botan was floating, floating. Floating in some gigantic white abyss. For some reason, she felt as though she was a cloud, light and feathery, not a care in the world. It was wonderful, not having to worry about...She couldn't remember who it was that she had to worry about. What was worry anyway? This was so great.

Then, a spot of black appeared. It blossomed, consuming her surroundings, taking away the light, happy feeling that prevailed her mind. She was falling now, opening her mouth to let out a throat ripping scream, but hearing nothing, even as shefelt her vocal cords vibrate with the muted sound waves.

Then, she was stopped as she landed on her bottom with a soundless thud. She opened her eyes to find that she was not in pain. Looking around, she realized that she was home. It had worked, but, for some reason, she was in the Ningenkai, at Genkai-sama's home.

Everyone was there. The whole gang: Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Yukina, Shizuru, Keiko, and Genkai. Botan grinned and then something struck her as odd. Why were Kurama and Hiei there? They were locked in their rooms in Reikai. So, she had been dreaming the whole thing. That would explain the white abyss, the falling, and the darkness.

Botan bounced over to Yusuke and reached for his shoulder, fully intending to describe the dream she had had, only to gasp soundlessly when her hand went straight through his shoulder. She lifted her hand and inspected it carefully. This was really weird. She was in her mortal form. That meant that she should have been able to touch them. Again, she reached for Yusuke's shoulder, and almost fell forward when her hand went straight through him.

Botan opened her mouth and tried to call out Yusuke's name, only managing to get a gust of air from her lips. No sound, nothing. It was like she didn't exist. No, she existed, but no one knew she was there. She had faded into the background. This was her worst fear. Her fear that no one really loved her and that she would eventually fade into nothingness.

She sat back on the ground and looked at her hands. There was nothing she could do, so why even bother? It was better to just go with it.

"Onna."

Botan laughed a bitter, nonsounding laugh. She was clearly imagining things.

"Onna!"

Botan shook her head. Now, she was hearing voices, too. Great.

"Botan!"

That voice sounded familiar. Well, better to welcome insanity with open arms. Botan jerked her head up and meet a flaming gaze, flinching as she realized who it was.

"Just go away. You're a figment of my imagination," she conceded sullenly.

"I assure you that I am not merely a figment of your already overactive imagination, baka onna." Botan's eyes widened and she realized that she was speaking to him.

"H-Hiei?" She questioned tentatively.

"Hn."

"It is you!" Botan threw herself into his arms, only to find that she was no longer in the grey world that she had been stuck in, but lying on the floor in the confinement room. She burst into tears and tightened her grip around Hiei, burying her head in the black fabric of his shirt.

Hiei stiffened, then slowly, tensely, placed his arms around her, almost mechanincally beginning to rub soothing circles on her back as she sobbed pitifully into his shirt. He reached up with his free hand and stroked her sky-blue hair with adept, slender fingers, while he rested his chin on her head.

When she had calmed enough to speak coherently, Botan pulled back and looked at him. She noticed that his headband was lying on the floor and that his Jagan eye was open. She blinked and then asked the question that had been burning for the last few minutes.

"What...what was that place?" Her voice cracked.

"Your mind." Hiei watched for her reaction, taking note of every little movement and bit of body language.

"My...mind?"

"Yes. Apparently, Koenma has set more wards than we originally thought on this prison. You ran into some spells that sent you into your own mind, your own darkest fears."

Botan nodded. "So, how did you get me out?"

Hiei rolled his eyes and Botan blushed. "Oh, I forgot about your Jagan." She laughed sheepishly. "Say, how long was I out for before you saved me?"

"A long time."

"How long?"

"It is now night in the outside world."

Botan gasped. "That long?" She yawned. "Man, I'm tired. That was more exhausting than I would have guessed."

It was then that Hiei noticed their position. That being, his arms around her waist, and her arms around his neck. She blushed and he made to pull away, but she stopped him.

"Wait, don't...don't leave me alone." She turned away from his piercing gaze and blushed at her own cowardice. Slowly, he nodded.

Botan tightened her grip on him as he laid back and she rested her head on his chest. His cheeks turned a very light shade of pink that she failed to notice.

As Botan fell into sleep that night, she couldn't help but think that the endless chasm that stretched between she and Hiei had been shortened enough so that she could see him on the other side, all due to the day's events. There were going to be things to ponder in the morning, that was for sure.