Yu Yu Hakusho Re Pure Episode 16 - Cutey Botan

The first rays of light appear on the horizon. The lights are already on in Botan's first floor apartment. Music can be heard, not loud enough to annoy the neighbors but still noticeable at the early hour of 6 AM.

"Here we go! With a new you and me we'll do better than before ..."

Botan dances along to the television show. She wears her hair in a sensible pony tail and wears sweats.

The show continues with the music and dancing but adds an insert interview. "We are here on Idol Singer Aerobics with Sawai Miyu, who is here to tell us about her new TV show..."

Botan tunes out the interview from her mind and concentrates on the dancing.

"Only the number of setting suns, I have watched from afar, I want to give to you, I love you."

Botan turns off the TV. She showers and changes to her teacher's uniform. She reviews her lesson plan for the day.

Finally, with all her ducks in a row, she opens her compact.

Koenma's face appears in the compact. "Good morning, Botan!"

Botan glares at him.

"Is the next sitting arranged?"

"I pose tonight." Botan replies in an icy voice.

"Still mad from yesterday?"

Botan sticks her nose up in the air. "Really Koenma, I don't understand your reasoning at all. Locks five and six will have the real demonic big guns. My team needs to be at one hundred percent. Why pull a stunt like this now?"

Koenma nods his head many times trying to look serious but not succeeding due to his pacifier. "Well, first off, it's Yusuke's team, not yours. I wouldn't want to do it because you've done a great job so far, but I could replace you."

"Sounds good to me."

"But, there is a bigger picture. You know as well as I do that Hiei and Yukina will eventually become a threat if they stay together."

"I know, but the timing of this seems stupid to me. Why not try to break them up after the lock is sealed?"

"That would be too late. They would transfer to a different school."

Botan sighs. "I guess it can't be helped then. I just wish that I wasn't part of the collateral damage."

Koenma nods. "Sometimes I have to make decisions that hurt my soldiers. I don't take it lightly."

"I know. But still, talk about fingernails across a chalkboard."

...

Botan is at her desk in the teachers lounge at school. She sips hot cocoa and takes one last look at the lesson plan.

"I think that girl's blouses should always be tucked in."

Botan does a quick check. "Mine is tucked in Kimura-kun."

Mister Kimura makes a disgusted face.

Botan smiles, knowing that she can take Kimura out of his perverted thoughts about teenaged girls by bringing up thoughts about an adult woman.

Mister Akashi walks past Botan's desk. "Idol Singer Monthly? Did you catch some student reading it in class?"

Botan turns red over having her superior see it. "Oh, no. I brought it sempai."

"Ah, trying to develop a closer understanding of the younger generation. I approve."

"Thank you, senpai." Botan tries hard to disguise her dislike for Mister Akashi, a dislike that dates back to his trash talking Yusuke at Yusuke's wake.

...

Botan is starting class when Kayko and Megumi run in. "My goodness, Kayko. First detention, then being late for class. Are you going from class representative to juvenile delinquent?"

"No, Miss Botan. Megumi wanted me to see her new cat."

Miss Botan nods. "And, this cat was so cute that you were late to class?"

The class giggles.

Kayko blushes. "Well, she was. Her name is Stawbe..."

"That's enough, Kayko. Don't make this misbehavior a habit."

"Yes, Miss Botan."

As Kayko sits down Miss Botan notices the tension between her and Yukina, and the tension between Yukina and Hiei. I hope that Koenma knows what he is doing.

...

The sun is bright and warm on the school's roof during lunch. Yusuke does a breathing exercise under Botan's supervision.

Kurama comes through the door. "Hey you two, we got big trouble."

Yusuke opens his eyes. "Yeah, I've heard."

Suddenly a softball lands by their feet. Kurama picks up the softball and walks over to the wall. He waves to the softball players and throws the ball back. However, this time a freak puff of wind whips up and takes the softball off course and it lands in a bush.

Kurama returns to Botan and Yusuke. "Hiei has lost it. He's going to try to take out Mister Kimura after school today."

Yusuke nods. So, Hiei doesn't appreciate Mister Kimura's remarks about girls?

Kurama looks surprised. "Quite the opposite. Hiei doesn't appreciate Yukina falling in love with Mister Kimura."

Yusuke nods. "Yeah, I heard about that demonic taste thing. Is there a problem? It's not like anyone likes Mister Kimura."

"If Hiei beats up Mister Kimura then he'll be kicked out of school. That would make it much harder for the team to work and train together."

Botan nods. "I agree. Is there anything we can do to prevent this?"

Kurama looks solemn. "It's a matter of demonic pride. Hiei will be very hard to stop."

Yusuke smiles. "I have a plan. Let's follow Hiei after school and wait until Hiei beats the crap out of Mister Kimura. Then Yukina could heal him and Kurama, you could make Mister Kimura forget what happened, right?"

"I could, but Yukina doesn't do resurrections. Maybe I could convince Hiei that if he spares Mister Kimura's life then Mister Kimura will have to live in shame."

Botan nods. Sounds like a plan. All in?

The three of them join right hands and yell in unison. "Fighto!"

...

After school Mister Akashi walks up to a large business building. He takes the elevator to the tenth floor. He walks to a door. The door has a sign on it that says Idol Singer Monthly Magazine. Mister Akashi's eyes take on a demonic glow. He opens the door and enters.

...

Botan follows Hiei at a discreet distance. Hiei follows Mister Kimura until Kimura turns down a dark alley. Botan notices that Hiei is making his move to close the distance. Botan signals Yusuke, Kurama and Yukina to come. The four of them run to the alley.

Mister Kimura is nowhere to be seen and Hiei is flat on the ground with a flower pot smashed on his head.

Kurama tries to help Hiei, then walks back to Yukina. "Yukina, his head is damaged. You have to heal him."

Yukina turns up her nose. "What for? He nothing to me."

Botan kicks Yusuke in the shin.

Yusuke clears his throat. "Yukina, Hiei is a valuable member of the team. So are you. I think you should heal his head out of team loyalty."

"Yukina not care."

Botan gets in Yukina's face. "Yukina, if you don't want to be part of the team, that's fine. However, if you don't heal Hiei I will have you personally thrown out of school and you'll never see Mister Kimura again!"

Yukina's head drops. "Yukina sorry. Yukina in team. Yukina heal Hiei." Yukina goes over to Hiei and touches his bloodied forehead.

Hiei gets up. "I don't know how he did that, but it doesn't matter!" Hiei runs off after Mister Kimura.

Botan shrugs. "Here we go again."

Botan and the group race after Hiei. After another five blocks they catch up to Hiei who is peeking into a yard. Hiei walks toward them laughing.

Kurama runs up and grabs him. "What did you do to him?"

Hiei smiles. "Take a look."

Kurama and Yusuke peek through a hole in the fence. Mister Kimura is sitting at an outdoor picnic table with his angelic looking wife and daughter.

Yukina also takes a look and turns green.

Kurama takes Yusuke aside. "Wow, what a buzz kill for Yukina."

...

Botan relaxes at home. She opens her compact. "You might consider a plan B. I guess Kimura-kun's home life isn't demonic enough for Yukina's tastes."

Koenma nods. "Go ahead and rub it in. Just remember though, the day will come when we'll have to deal with that threat."

"Well, I think some damage was done. I don't think we failed completely."

"Yes, they probably trust each other a lot less now. By the way, what about your sitting?"

Botan notices the time. "Thanks, I have to be there in ten minutes. Got to run! And, no peeking!"

"I'm all knowing and all seeing. It's not like I have a choice."

...

Botan rides her bicycle down the road at dusk. She hears the pitiful cry of a hurt animal. Botan stops the bike. She looks around until she sees a cat in the bush.

"My, aren't you a cutey? What's wrong?"

The cat turns over to show Botan that her leg is caught in a string that is tangled in the bush.

Botan pulls nail clippers out of her purse and cuts the string away from the bush. Then she unwinds the string from around the cat's leg.

The cat meows in thanks.

"You're lucky my job is giving life today. Usually it's taking life."

Terrified the cat runs away.

...

Botan sits on Atsuko's coach. "What's the concept for this painting?"

Atsuko jumps on the coach with Botan and waves her arms like a maniac. "I have the cutest idea. The picture will be you with two hot guys."

Botan turns beet red. "Pose with two naked guys?"

Atsuko giggles. Atsuko winks and sticks out her tongue. "Actually, you can pose with these two pillows. You'll be behind the two guys in the painting."

Botan gets a sly grin. "What do the guys look like?"

"I haven't thought about that yet."

"Do you take requests?"

And now for part two of our show:

From the Circular File of the Spirit Detective!

Mugimora slaps two sticks together to produce the sounds of a play opening.

Chibi Yusuke and Chibi Botan are on stage behind a podium. They stand on the right side of the stage and a giant screen is in the middle of the stage.

Chibi Botan smiles. "Welcome to our special theater!"

Chibi Yusuke smiles a rather forced looking smile. "We have lots of cool stuff for you today."

Chibi Botan whispers to Chibi Yusuke "I'm glad you are getting with the program."

Chibi Yusuke whispers back "My agent insisted."

Chibi Botan refocuses. "What a strange show. I wonder why a flower pot fell on Hiei's head. Does Kimura-kun have strange powers?"

"Hey, for him to wind up with a cute wife and daughter he'd have to have something strange going on."

Chibi Botan nods. "Yes. Yes. Really. Anyway, last show we looked at the original opening credits sequence for the show."

Chibi Yusuke nods. "That was very interesting, considering fan fics don't normally have opening credit sequences."

Chibi Botan smiles. "Yes, some things just can't be explained. As, we said last time, a new opening sequence debuted in episode fifteen. Today, we would like to show it again with our expert commentary."

Chibi Yusuke nods. "I haven't seen it yet, but I heard that you and the rest of the girls worked very hard on it."

Chibi Botan pats her biceps. "In the world of opening sequences, we were not going to be defeated!"

"Yes. Yes. Well, let's see the results of all this, Yu Yu Hakusho Re Pure opening sequence three!"

The screen in the middle of the stage lights up. The song "I Hate You So Much" from the Nurse Witch Komugi sound track starts blaring. The scene is a giant stadium where Botan, Kayko and Yukina each stand on a platform which is raised during the instrumental intro. Each one has their idol singer outfits from episode fourteen.

Chibi Yusuke nods. "I see they were trying to save money with the costumes?"

Chibi Botan kicks Chibi Yusuke in the shin. "We were trying to stay on theme with the show. We did save some money on the song by getting it as a package deal with the song from episode fourteen."

On the screen first Botan, then Kayko, then Yukina take turns singing lines until the chorus when they sing together. During the chorus the stadium's giant screen lights up behind the singers and starts showing action footage from the show (Yusuke knocking out a gang leader, Kurama telling a demon to talk to his hand, Hiei owning the two bullies, Miss Genkai smacking Yusuke around). Then the video ends with a Mugimora guitar solo.

Chibi Yusuke smiles and makes an "o" shape with his arms. "I thick this video is a success, although I don't know why you had so show Miss Genkai beating me up."

Chibi Botan waves her hand in front of her face. "Don't worry about the small stuff. And, like last time we have a still and a production sketch from the opening sequence omline."

"Very impressive."

"These pics are can be found in the fan fiction writers profile."

"You guys went all out, I see."

"Anyway, that's all the time we have today, so until next time ..."

Chibi Botan and Chibi Yusuke say in unison "... see you next time!"

To be continued