"YaYa..."

Ryouga cringed upon hearing another, but unfamiliar voice. He turned around slowly and gaped, "W-wha..."

In front of him stood a giant... four-legged creature. It kind of looked like a giant black dog, but it had hooves, a curly tail, and an obviously pig-shaped snout. It was much bigger than him and it certainly was a surprise that it was able to fit within the edges of the bridge. Ryouga groaned to himself, 'I'm in a weird place... with a weird creature... I sure wish Botan were here. I'm sure she'd know what was going on. Hey, wait... Where's my egg?'

"YaYa is my name," the creature said.

Ryouga blinked and just stared at the creature. It was hard enough dealing with the creature's presence as it was, but for it to be able to talk...

"I'm your egg or... I was your egg. Now, I'm your spirit beast! YaYa! The very reflection of your true self! YaYa. Your inner self," YaYa said.

"My inner self is a... Pig-dog?" Ryouga mumbled.

YaYa's amber-colored eyes flashed with fury. He snarled, showing off some very impressive canines in the process, "YAYA! Don't call me a pig!"

Ryouga sweatdropped and waved his hands in the air, "Eh heh. You're my inner self! Why would I call you a pig when it would be calling myself one in the process?"

YaYa relaxed and nodded, "Right. Good. YaYa. You got the picture. Now, let me see if I remember this right..."

"Remember what right?" Ryouga asked.

"Your ordeal, of course! YaYa. As your spirit beast, it is up to me to guide you back to the living world!" YaYa said.

"But I WAS in the living world!" Ryouga protested.

YaYa sweatdropped, "Only your spirit was in the living world. In order to come back to life, you need to be strengthed, mentally, morally, spiritually, and physically. YaYa. It's no easy task, either. In fact..."

He turned his head around and dug into his fur, as if he were biting for fleas. Then, he faced Ryouga with a book in his mouth. He dropped the book onto the bridge and started to read, "According to the Everything You'll Ever Need to Know or Use as a Spirit Beast Guide, out of the twenty-seven people in the entire universe since the beginning of life that have been given the opportunity to be resurrected only twelve have passed the ordeal. YaYa. Well, actually three, when you think about it because it says here that the other four unknowingly took the easy way out just by sacrificing their egg."

Ryouga sighed unhappily, 'As if being dead hasn't been hard enough...'

YaYa shook his head, "YaYa. As for the other fifteen people... Three of them got eaten by their spirit beast because their souls were too wicked. The rest failed this ordeal and were sent out in various places in Spirit World to do community service for eternity."

Ryouga winced, "Community service for eternity? No peace for them, at all? That's harsh!"

"Not all that harsh. YaYa. It just looks bad on Spirit World authorities when people fail the ordeal and it's too awkward to just pass them onto paradise. They do get breaks every millenia or so. YaYa. The work they do isn't really that hard."

'I have to pass this ordeal. I don't want to do community service for eternity,' Ryouga thought.

YaYa wagged his curly little tail, "After you're strengthened, that is when I can guide you back to the living world. YaYa. Where you are right now is the bridge between Spirit World and the living world. Consequently, this is also the only place a spirit beast such as myself can speak. If you pass this ordeal, upon returning to the living world I won't be able to speak anymore. YaYa. All I'll be able to say is my name..."

"Wait... wait. After I come back to life... YOU'LL STILL BE WITH ME!" Ryouga shouted.

YaYa blinked and looked at him, seemingly unable to comprehend that he hadn't already known that, "Well, yes, of course. YaYa. I'm proof that you have already died once before. That way when you die again, there won't be any accidental mishaps where you get ressurected again. That's what happen to this one guy... uhh... Gorble Snooderka... Ka... It's too hard to pronounce. YaYa. Because back then spirit beasts disappeared after their masters were brought back to life. This guy got away with being resurrected a hundred times until Spirit World Intelligence finally caught on. After that, it was deemed necessary for spirit beasts to follow their masters until they died and were officially recorded in the Big Book of Death."

Ryouga sighed again, "Okay, okay. There's no need for such lengthy explanations. I really just want to get this over with."

"Right! YaYa. First, we must be purified before we can begin the strengthening! So, onward to the Purification Center!" YaYa said cheerfully.

"Purifica...," Ryouga started, before his spirit beast picked him up by the collar of his shirt and took off running.

Ryouga growled loudly, "I CAN WALK, YOU KNOW!"

"Yrah. YaYa. Thris farster," YaYa said.

'Faster? Well... I guess it is, but this is embarassing!' Ryouga thought.

Yusuke was relieved to be out of the French maid outfit. It was WAY too uncomfortable, not to mention humiliating. It was almost sunset and it seemed Shizuru was content enough to tell Kuwabara and him that their chores were done for today. He sat against a wall in Kuwabara's room, having trouble figuring out what Kuwabara was doing.

"It's homework, Urameshi. Homework. You know that stuff we have to take home after school?" Kuwabara muttered.

Yusuke laughed, "Yeah, okay. Now, tell me. Really... What are you doing?"

Kuwabara's eyebrow twitched and he stood up, shoving his math homework in Yusuke's face.

"IT'S HOMEWORK!"

Yusuke stared at the paper in front of him, "Whoa. You're serious."

"Darn right, I am! Now, leave me alone. On my last math test, I got a 75. The next math test is just a week away and I'm going to see if I can get a higher score," Kuwabara said.

He returned to his desk and started concentrating. Yusuke stared at the back of Kuwabara's chair, '75? The most I've ever made on a math test is 15! How could he have gotten so smart all of a sudden?'

Yusuke sulked a little bit, "So, when did you start being such a nerd?"

Kuwabara's fist clenched tightly around his pencil, "I am not a nerd! You're just jealous because I'm smarter than you are! Maybe if you did your homework once in a while, you might actually grow some brain cells!"

Yusuke snorted and shoved his hands in his pockets, "So, why? Why are you doing your homework? You were never interested in it before..."

"Well, that was BEFORE I realized that if I'm going to... to be... uhh...," Kuwabara started.

His face turned beet red, but he tried to continue, "I... Well, one day! One day, if... when! When! When I'm..."

"Spit it out already," Yusuke grumbled.

"YUKINA'S HUSBAND!" Kuwabara shouted.

Yusuke facefaulted, "W-what?"

"I... uhh... You see, Urameshi, it's like this. I wanna... marry Yukina someday. And I know, that in order to be a good husband, I have to be able to support her. So, I've made up my mind! I'm going to get an education. And then a great job... And..."

"Spare me the sap, would you?" Yusuke said.

He couldn't believe it. He knew Kuwabara was crazy about Yukina, but he didn't think... He didn't think Kuwabara was THAT crazy about her. A thoughtful looked crossed Yusuke's face, 'Maybe... maybe I should... get serious about education, too. For...'

A blush crept over his cheeks. The very thought of him and Kayko... married...

A glint underneath Kuwabara's bed distracted him. He crawled over and picked up the shiny object. He blinked, "Hey, Kuwabara. How come your cat isn't wearing it's collar?"

Kuwabara muttered to himself for a few moments before he finally answered Yusuke, "Because the collar gets heavy on her poor widdle neck. I need to buy her a lighter one. Poor widdle kitty..."

"Meow."

The cat rubbed against Kuwabara's leg. Kuwabara petted it on the head affectionately. Yusuke looked on in disgust, "Ugh... What is it you call that cat again? Icky?"

Kuwabara looked outraged, "Her name isn't Icky! It's Eikichi!"

Yusuke smirked, "Itchy?"

Kuwabara stood, "EIKICHI!"

"Eeekchi?"

Kuwabara rushed at Yusuke and started punching him in the face, "EIKICHI! E... I... K...I...C...H...I! EIKICHI! GET IT RIGHT, YOU LOUD-MOUTHED LITTLE PUNK!"

Yusuke fought back. Kuwabara's room quickly became the scene of an old-fashioned street brawl. Eikichi meowed fearfully under her owner's desk. Then, the door swung open...

The look in Shizuru's eyes was nothing short of murderous, "WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara ceased fighting in an instant. Shizuru looked at the mess that was Kuwabara's room, "You two. Clean up. NOW. And if I catch you fighting again... Well, let's just say that French maid outfit I made Yusuke wear is NOTHING compared to what I'll do to you two if you don't listen."

Yusuke and Kuwabara grimaced at the thought.

"We'll be good," they mumbled in unison.

Then, they quickly began straightening the room up. Shizuru nodded in satisfaction and shut the door.

"Your sister is evil," Yusuke said.

"Yep," Kuwabara said in agreement.

The two soon returned to their positions before they had started the fight. Yusuke rubbed at some of his bruises, "I don't get what the big deal is about the cat's stupid name, anyway..."

"Her name is not stupid, Urameshi. Now, shut your trap or I'll clobber you again," Kuwabara muttered.

He winced and started to rub at his own bruises.

Bruises. Bruises. And more bruises.

Ranma crossed his arms and grumbled, "Stupid tomboy... I didn't know she was taking a bath! She didn't have to hit me so hard... She is..."

He stopped himself, suddenly remembering what he had told Ryouga and what Ryouga had said to him.

"Err... I mean... How wrong of me! I should've knocked first! I'm so stupid! No wonder Akane hit me! And did I call her a stupid tomboy? That's not what I meant at all! Heh. I can't believe I'm such a jerk. What I really meant was... Akane is beautiful! She's an intelligent, beautiful woman!"

Akane looked up in the tree Ranma was sitting in, her eyes wide, "Ranma... Do you... mean that?"

Ranma's face met with the ground. He stood up and waved his hands, "Uhhh... Uhhh... I mean... uhhh..."

'I didn't know she was in earshot!' he thought.

The oddly hopeful look on Akane's face began to turn angry.

"I... I did mean it! Every word of it!" Ranma exclaimed.

Akane looked taken aback, "... Really?"

Ranma blushed, "Uhh... Yeah. Uhh..."

He suddenly looked a little defensive, "But... I'm not trying to be a pervert or nothin' like that! I swear!"

Akane nodded her head slowly. Ranma couldn't tell whether Akane was happy, mad, or anything.

'I guess she doesn't really like me all that much,' he thought.

"Ranma..."

Ranma looked up, "Akane?"

Her eyes were full of tears. Ranma paled, 'Oh no... What did I do?'

"I can't find P-chan!" Akane cried.

'Oh... Oh! That's what she's crying about... Darn it. I can't tell her where P-chan's body is. He can't be buried! Not yet... I wonder when he'll come back to life? I hope soon...' Ranma thought.

He carefully got up and patted Akane on the back, "It's okay, Akane. We'll find Ry... P-chan's body."

Akane sniffled, "The funeral was suppose to be today, Ranma. What if P-chan's spirit is out there somewhere... Wandering... because his body isn't at rest!"

Ranma sweatdropped, "Uhhh..."

He was saved by the appearance of Mousse. Or so he thought. He rushed over to him, "Mousse! Come for a fight, huh?"

Mousse glared at Ranma, "Not this time, Saotome. I've come to see, Kasumi."

Ranma blinked, "Kasumi?"

His eyes narrowed for a moment, remembering what happened when Kasumi returned home after being treated by Dr. Tofu. Akane, momentarily put her thoughts about finding P-chan aside, and confronted Mousse before Ranma could say anything else, "Why do you want to see her, Mousse? Don't you think you've done enough to her already?"

Mousse bowed his head, "I've come to apologize. I guess... I don't really expect her to forgive me... I don't expect you to forgive me, either. But I want to try to attone for what I've done the best I can."

Akane's eyes narrowed skeptically. After all Mousse had done, she was quite certain she couldn't trust him. Ranma seemed willing to give Mousse a chance, but he was also very hesitant. He looked to Akane, "Well... uhh... What do you think?"

Akane put her hands on her hips, "I think..."

Kasumi approached her from behind, "I think I should hear what he has to say, Akane..."

Akane blinked and turned to see Kasumi, "Uh... Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Kasumi smiled, "Yes... You two will be right inside, won't you? I think I'll be fine."

Akane nodded slowly and headed inside with Ranma so that Kasumi and Mousse could talk. Mousse bowed respectively to the oldest Tendo girl, "Thank you for deciding to listen to me."

Kasumi sighed softly, "I don't know why you..."

"I had a reason, but that doesn't matter. You obviously didn't deserve to be taken from your home like that and then... put through all that trouble. I'm sorry," Mousse said.

Kasumi listened to him considerately and remained quiet.

"I was stupid. My stupidity nearly got you killed... I honestly didn't mean for it to go that far. But the fact of the matter is that it did and I have to face the consequences. I'm not very familiar with the legal system here in Japan, but I know if I did something like this back in the Amazon village, it's almost a sure thing they would have me executed."

Kasumi shook her head, "That's awful."

Mousse sighed unhappily, "I know. Even if I was good at making apologies, I don't think I..."

"No. I mean about the execution thing. That's awful."

"Oh."

"Mousse was your name, wasn't it? Would you like to come in for some tea?"

Mousse gaped at her, "Tea? N-no! I couldn't! I can't step foot into your place of residence! I'm..."

Kasumi smiled, "It's all right. You sound like you really meant what you said. I accept your apology. Now, I insist you come in for some tea. It's good for the soul."

Mousse bowed his head, "You're too kind..."

"What a very sweet thing for you to say."

"I'm forever in your debt, Miss Tendo. If you need anything, anything at all..."

"Oh, that's quite all right. I'm fine."

Mousse couldn't believe how forgiving she was. It made him feel even guiltier, 'She's so nice. Dr. Tofu should've left that poison in me for a while longer...'

Hiei stood against the tree, ready for anything. The day had been a trying one for him. He didn't know what it was, but Nerima made him feel paranoid. He was never paranoid, not even in the demon world. On guard, yes. Ready to kill, yes. But this place was different. It wasn't normal, not for him... not for anyone.

Rustle. Rustle.

Hiei's head quickly tilted upwards to locate the source of the suspicious noise. A squirrel. Hiei eyed it warily, 'Nothing is as it seems in this place. That squirrel may very well be human.'

The squirrel looked at him with its big brown eyes. Hiei observed it silently. The squirrel did nothing but stare at him for a few moments before climbing further up the tree and disappearing from sight. Hiei sighed in relief, but the sudden movement triggered a small amount of pain from bruises he had received recently. It wasn't that he had gotten into a fight. It was more like... He had been ambushed.

"There he is, girls! I think we might finally catch him this time!"

Hiei looked behind him and blinked in surprise. A crowd of girls were actually... catching up with him. No... That couldn't be. There was no way they could muster up enough speed to catch up with him. They were only humans. Wait a minute... They were gaining on him. Were they...

Chasing him?

'This is impossible!' he thought.

WHAM!

Hiei smacked into a street sign, toppling it over.

"Do not feed the panda."

Hiei was a little dazed for a moment, 'That's... impossible. That sign wasn't there a few seconds ago. I have three eyes. I can SEE. There wasn't anything in front of me. What's...'

"WE GOT HIM! Quick, before he gets away from us!"

Hiei was wailed on by just about every object known to man... Pitchforks, pans, spatulas, rolling pins, mallets, books, brooms, mops...

"Hey... Wait, he isn't an old man," one girl commented after hitting him a few times with an unplugged lamp.

"I think you're ri... HEY! Where'd he go? It's... like he disappeared."

Hiei crossed his arms and grumbled silently to himself. He didn't know how the girls had gotten so fast, how the sign just suddenly appeared in front of him, and why it had taken him so long to recover from slamming into the sign. In a way, he was kind of curious, but mostly he was just... paranoid.

"You seem angry, Hiei."

He glanced around briefly before his eyes landed on a red-head. After all he had been through, he didn't let himself be surprised, "Hello, Kurama."