I Know Who Done It

Mariah opened her eyes slowly and groaned as she felt a slight pain in her stomach. As her eyes regained focus she noticed that she was in a damp, musty room. "Where am I?"

"So nice of you to wake up. I was waiting for you." Karasu smiled and walked over to her.

"You! You're the one. And you tried to plant that blade in Botan's room so she would get blamed." She glared, "Let me go!"

"Why? So you can tell those detectives what I did? I don't think so. My plan is so close to its climax and I won't have you take it away."

"Why are you doing this to her?"

"Kurama belongs to me." He smirked.

"You? EW! Kurama loves Botan and she loves him!"

"Not anymore." He smiled. "They both hate each other. Botan will be sentenced to an eternity in the darkest pits of hell and Kurama will enjoy his own hell, with me as his keeper." He smiled. "There is nothing that can be done to stop me."

"You'll see! Love always wins!" she screamed.

"Kurama! Are you crazy! Botan did not do it. You know she didn't. I thought you were smarter than that." Yusuke Punched Kurama's right cheek, hard, making him fall to the ground where he just paused. "I can't believe that I have to be the voice of reason. Is the world coming to an end! I don't even want to look at you anymore." He said and walked off.

"Urameshi! Wasn't that a little harsh!" Kuwabara called back and helped Kurama to his feet. "He has a point thought. You are acting a little strange? I thought you liked her."

"Like her? Like HER? I Love her, Kuwabara I love her with everything that I am. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her but Yoko took over from the inside. I was just so angry when she told me those things. And then when Maya was killed, that was it. I promised myself that I would never let anything bad happen to Maya. You see she was the first girl who was ever my friend. I know she's changed for the worse but my promises never fade. Now I have no one. I just don't know what to do." He paused, "For once. I just can't think straight."

"Then let us help you. We just have to figure out who did it. And we have one clue. The cupcakes we found. See they were from one of Botan's friends and she had to have seen something because it turns out she was kidnapped. We just have to find that girl and get her to tell us who is doing all of this."

Kurama laughed a little feeling as if there was hope again, "Yusuke is the voice of reason, and I can't think straight, and you just said something smart." He teased.

Kuwabara's face dropped, "thanks. But I guess we are all a little torn up about Botan. I mean she could be sent away forever for something she didn't do."

"We have to prove that she didn't do it. And thanks to Yusuke I can think a little better." He admitted rubbing his cheek. "Now if only we could get Hiei to help."

"Hn. Shut up!" he snarled from a tree above them, "You know I am here already. Why do you do that?"

"Don't know really. It's fun" he smiled devilishly. "Let's get Yusuke and find this girl."

"Hn." Hiei muttered and flitted off grabbing Yusuke and dropping him in front of them where he landed with an 'Oof'

"What the hell?" Yusuke got up and dusted off.

"You were right Yusuke, I wasn't thinking. But now I am calm and I want to find a way to get Botan out of there."

"Well it's about time you came to your senses. So how do we find Mariah?"

"Koenma should know where all of his ferry girls are. So we'll just go ask him." Kurama smiled as they made their way to the spirit world.

Botan paced in the room and sighed, she should have told Kurama about Karasu so at least he would be prepared when the bat demon came after him. Now Kurama was in danger and so was anyone else that came between them. "Why did I fall for Maya's tricks? Why didn't I see that she was working with Karasu? I need to get out of here!" She looked around for anything that could help her escape. She had to get out and warm the boys.

"Ah, that won't happen." Karasu's shadow smiled at her. "I am here to watch over you while the real me hunts down his fox. So do even think of helping them."

"That's what you think." She smiled. "I am done being fooled and I will not stand by while my friends get hurt. So you let me out or I will get out on my own." She vowed but the shadow only laughed at her.

"What could you possible hope to accomplish. I mean, let's say you are lucky enough to get out of here and help them, but what do you think would happen next? They would welcome you back? That Kurama would love you again? Ha! That won't happen because you can't be trusted anymore. So either way you are screwed so you might as well stay in here and rot."

"Kurama might not love me anymore and the others might not trust me, but if I can save them then that's what I will do." She said. "Even if they hate me after all of this, if I know I helped them I will be a better person and that's all I need. I just need them to be safe."

"What could you possibly gain from that?" the shadow wondered.

"I told you. It doesn't matter what I get in return what matters is the safety of the ones I care about." She smirked when the shadow got close enough to her and pulled open a small pouch pulling out a bright stone she held tightly in a fisted hand. She punched into the shadow's Stomach and opened her hand letting the light spill from the gem and cut the shadow into pieces from the inside out. She jumped to the door and looked out for a guard. "Jorge." She called to the blue ogre who happened to walk by.

"Hey Botan." He smiled. "Sorry about what happened."

"Can you let me out?" she begged softly.

"I don't know."

"Come on, you know I didn't do it. Please it's important that I let the boys know that Karasu is the one behind this." Jorge's eyes widened to twice their size and he ran to get the key. "Thank you." She smiled as he let her out.

"I am coming with you. You shouldn't have to do this alone, besides I never get to go on these missions."

"Alright, come on."