:Chapter IX: Meeting the Ruler of Spirit World

I stare at everyone beside me as I weakly smile. Suddenly, I notice Botan holding back tears. When she sees me looking at her, tears start to stream down her cheeks. Then they start pouring as if a dam had exploded. She lunges for me and tightly hugs me.

"Oh Kya, I thought we were gonna lose you!" Botan says as she cries into my left shoulder and squeezes me tighter.

I force an arm up from underneath her and I reassuringly pat her on the back

After awhile, I say, "Yeah, it's great to be alive and all, but uh… you can get off of me now."

Botan quickly lets go of me, sucks up the tears, and replies, "Sorry!"

After Botan stands back up, I look back at everyone else.

Yusuke smiles and asks, "How ya feeling?"

"Well…" I start as I push myself up with my arms, thinking that I'd show them that I could get up. Right away, I fall back down onto the pillow, as though my head is full of lead. "I'm alive, but I've felt better."

"It's a start," Kurama adds with a reassuring smile.

"I guess," I reply as I rest my arms at my sides. Becoming board with the silence, I sigh and ask, "Now what?"

"Now, you rest," an unfamiliar voice says from behind.

I look to the side of my bed and see an ogre dressed as a doctor.

"Okay… now I really think I'm screwed up," I mumble as a sweat drop appears on my forehead.

"… I'm serious! The best way for you to fully recover is for you to rest! Everybody, out!" the doctor demands as he starts to push the pile of people out the door.

Once everyone is out of the room, the doctor shuts off the light then closes the door. I sigh then look out the window. The black, night sky has fallen into place and its dark to the point where I can barely see outside. All I can make out is a tree near my window. I sigh again and close my eyes. I ponder about what happened earlier.

"Was any of that real?" I ponder.

I roll onto my side so that my back is facing the window. Suddenly, I hear an almost quiet clank on the ground. I look down and see a small, dark sphere with a faint glimmer of light. I reach down and pick it up. I examine the tiny gem as a slight smile forms on my face.

"Hiei…" I mumble.

"But how? It just doesn't make sense!" I ponder. "If that was all a dream, then how could I have this?"

I look back down at the tear gem and smile.

"I guess I'll never know," I mumble as I lay flat on my back. I hold the tear gem in a loosely clenched fist. I close my eyes and fall into a peaceful night's sleep.

HIEI'S P.O.V.:

Once I see her fall asleep, I wait awhile before jumping near the window. I slowly lift the window and creep inside. I jump down from the windowsill so that I'm on the other side of the bed. Once my feet gently hit the floor, I examine her.

As I watch her sleep, I slowly move a few strands of her red out of her face. I then gently skim the back of my fingers, from my right hand, down her cheek.

"I'd almost lost you," I mumble.

Suddenly, I hear the door slowly creak open. My eyes widen with shock as I quickly pull my hand away from her face. I turn my head only to find Kurama entering the room.

"What do you want?" I coldly ask.

"I just came to check on Kya. Why are you here?" Kurama asks.

"I came to make sure she didn't die," I reply as I look back at Kya.

"Right," Kurama adds as he walks up to me.

I turn my head, glare at him and ask, "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I noticed how you acted around her today. I couldn't help, but notice that you have feelings for Kya," Kurama states.

I pause with shock before saying, "I only brought her back to the temple. You know me well enough to know that I am not one to fall in love, especially with the likes of a ningen."

Kurama is silent for a while before he turns around. He playfully adds, "Your right. I should have known better than to think that you'd ever fall in love."

I glare at Kurama even though his back is towards me. I look at Kya once more before teleporting into the shadows of the nearby tree.

KURAMA'S P.O.V.:

I walk towards the door and slowly open it. Before I exit the room, I shake my head. Being Hiei's close friend, I know that Hiei's lying.

"If there's one thing that a human can recognize it's if someone's in love," I ponder.

I shut the door and return to my room.

HIEI'S P.O.V.:

I stand on a tree branch opposite from the direction of the window, a few levels lower than the window. I put one hand on the tree trunk and looked up to the sky. As I gaze at the stars, I contemplate, "… Kurama can't be right. I couldn't possibly have feelings for the human… but then…"

"Sigh What am I saying?" I mumble as I slowly close my eyes. I look back up to the starry night sky and continue to wonder if Kurama's right about this new feeling. This feeling I have for… her.

THREE DAYS LATER (BACK TO KYA'S P.O.V):

My eyelids flicker open only to be greeted by the morning sunlight. I sit in my bed and stare at the ceiling with a thoughtless mind. I start to run my fingers around the smooth, tiny gem. I put in the right pocket of my black sweat pants and I sit up with my feet hanging over the side of the bed. I feel blood rush through my head as the room is spinning. I hold my head and pause for a moment. Once things settle down, I slowly stand up. My legs are week and shaky. I grab my white cloak which was hanging off the left post of the foot of the bed and slowly take a step. One step after the other, I continue to make my way towards the door. The room starts to spin quicker. The room seems endless. By the time I reach the door I feel as though I am going to pass out. I pause once more with my hand on the door knob.

"Whew! It feels as though I haven't walked for ages!" I ponder.

The door knob starts to turn in my hand. I let go and watch as the door opens. Behind the door is the ogre doctor with medication, breakfast, and the needle used for taking blood samples.

"Aw crap!" I mumble with my eyes fixed on the needle.

"What are you doing out of bed? You're not well enough!" the ogre says with widened eyes.

"The hell I'm not!" I shout as I push my way through the doorway and run through the hall.

The tray is knocked out of the ogre's hands and falls to the floor with an echoing CRASH.

"Stop! I need to take a blood test!" The ogre shouts down the hall.

"I'm sick of this shit!" I say aloud as I continue to run.

As I'm running the room is spinning faster than ever. I'm about ready to fall when a tall blob appears from a side room. I run into the blob. I start to fall backwards until I feel two strong arms catch me and steady me. I look up at the blob. As my vision slowly recovers, I start to make out the long, flowing red hair, two shades darker than mine, and the dreamy, emerald eyes of Kurama.

"Kurama, please, you've gotta get me out of here!" I plea as I grab onto his shirt.

Kurama nods, picks me up bridal style, and runs through the halls. I close my eyes as I continue to wait for my head to stop spinning. When Kurama stops, I feel a warm, thick air with a slight breeze. I open my eyes and notice that we are outside. When he sets me down, I realize that we are in a large, beautiful garden.

"Wow this is amazing!" I say as I spin around and view the surroundings.

"This is just one of the many, mysterious rooms in the Spirit World palace," Kurama mentions with a smile.

"Wait a minute. Did you say rooms? In the Spirit World palace?" I ask as I look at Kurama and raise a brow.

"Yes," Kurama confirms.

"… Explain to me about this 'Spirit World'," I demand with a confused expression on m face.

"Spirit World is where one's soul would go when they die…" Kurama starts.

"Wait a minute… WE'RE DEAD?" I shout.

Kurama laughs at my reaction before continuing, "No, we're not dead. Everything will be explained soon enough."

"Don't start that crap with me again! Why can't I know now? Wouldn't it only make sense because I'm kinda, in Spirit World, now?" I ask as anger and confusion start to build.

"Sigh I guess you're right. You have to learn sometime. It might as well be now," Kurama starts.

He walks towards a nearby bench and motions me to sit next to him. With the first step I take, the room starts spinning. I hold onto my head.

"Are you alright?" Kurama asks.

"… Yeah, I'm fine," I lie as I continue to hold my head.

"Since I'm going to be honest with you, it would only be fair if you were honest with me," Kurama states, "besides, after what you went through it would be wise to communicate if something is wrong. It could be serious."

"I get your point. Anyways, my head is spinning every time I take a step, especially after I was running through the hall," I say.

"Hm… severe dizziness… (Kurama looks around) ah yes, I have the perfect cure for that." Kurama says as he gets up and walks away.

I make my way towards the bench, sit down and await Kurama's return. After fifteen minutes, Kurama returns with a small wooden bowl.

Kurama hands me the bowl and says, "If you drink this potion, it shall cure you of your dizziness."

The sweet aroma fills my nose as I ascend the bowl towards my mouth.

"The pedals of a white rose, mixed with heated nectar of a lilac, pollen from an orchid, and the leaves of a willow will enter your blood stream to help maintain the normal flow," Kurama mentions.

"Thanks Kurama," I reply after I finish drinking the sweet potion. "Now, could you please continue telling me about this whole Spirit World ordeal?"

"As I was saying earlier, Spirit World is a place where one's soul goes to be judged on where they will end up. You most likely know the rest on that issue," Kurama states.

"Yes. Go on," I affirm.

"Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and I work for the ruler of Spirit World. We're called Spirit Detectives. We hunt down evil demons and spirits who threaten the Human World. Botan also works here. She is one of the people who guides souls to Spirit World…" Kurama starts.

"Like the Grim Reaper," I add.

"Exactly," Kurama confirms.

"What about Genki?" I ask.

"She is another associate of Spirit World. She would sometimes go on missions with us. She trained Yusuke on how to use his power," Kurama continues.

"And she obviously trained me, with the help of you guys. Would I have any sort of purpose with my spirit energy?" I ask.

"Hm… You obviously would if you were transported to Japan. I can't really tell you more on that. You'd have to talk to Koenma on that…" Kurama starts.

"Koenma?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's the ruler of Spirit World. Speaking of which, he'd like to speak to you, along with Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and myself. That is, once you are up to it," Kurama mentions.

I rapidly stand up and exclaim, "I'm as ready as ever!"

Kurama smiles, stands up and says, "Well, let's go."

MEANWHILE, IN KOENMA'S OFFICE:

Yusuke is sitting on Koenma's large, wooden desk with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. Kuwabara is standing in the center staring at Koenma's turned chair with the expression of being ready to pounce on the next moving thing. Hiei is sitting on the windowsill, looking out the window with a straight face, his arms crossed, and his gaze fixed outside.

"Hiei, is there anything you can tell me about Kya's attacker?" Koenma asks.

Hiei starts to reminisce the day that Kya was attacked:

"Stop being foolish! It would be wise to answer me!" Hiei shouts.

Maiku starts to open his mouth to say something. Within the blink of an eye, blood starts pouring from Maiku's mouth. Hiei's eyes widen with horror as he releases Maiku from his grasp and pulls away his katana. Hiei sees that the spot where he had his blade against Maiku's neck has no sign of a scratch. Hiei then notices that there is another blade jammed into Maiku's ribs from the side. Hiei gets in a fighting position and searches for energy. A flash of red eyes lurking in the shadows catches his attention.

"Pitiful creature," the figure says in a deep voice.

"Who are you?" Hiei asks.

"Don't you think there are other important things to worry about other than my name? Such as, what is to become your precious ningen onna?"

Hiei glares at the figure as he asks with anger, "What have you done with her?"

"Nothing, I don't intend on taking her body, but what she possesses inside of it…" the figure starts.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei asks.

"You'll find out as you weep over her dead body!" the figure shouts as he disappears.

When Hiei snaps back into reality, he states, "Her attacker sent someone to get the job done. The leader killed his associate before I had a chance to learn anything of him. I didn't see the leader. I recall the leader mentioning something about wanting something the ningen possesses within her."

"Hm…" Koenma says as he becomes deeply in thought.

Suddenly the door creaks open. Everyone directs their attention towards the door, except for Koenma, who remains with his large chair facing Hiei and Hiei who continues to concentrate on the outside. Kurama appears with me right behind him.

"Hello, everyone!" Kurama greets.

"Hey guys! It's good to see you out of bed, Kya!" Yusuke says with a smile.

"Oh believe me. It's good to be out of there," I add as I put my hand on the back of my head.

"After hearing about the mayhem in the hospital area, I was expecting you," says a voice from behind the large, turned chair. "I've heard a lot about you Katie, or should I say, Kya and I've been looking forward to finally meeting you face-to-face."

I cautiously walk towards a nearby chair and sit down. I become intrigued, yet shocked that this person knows my American name. The chair slowly starts to turn.

"I am the great Koenma. Ruler of Spirit World," the voice states as the chair continues to turn.

Once the chair is facing me, it reveals a toddler wearing tan pants and a blue-violet kimono with a matching hat that says Jr. on the rim of the hat and a description in Japanese in the center.

"You're serious?" I ask with disbelief and a cocked brow.

"Yes, I'm serious," Koenma replies attempting to remain calm.

"You've gotta be kidding me," I say with a tear drop.

Koenma becomes infuriated as he declares, "I'll have you know that I'm actually over 100 years old!"

"And still in need of a diaper change," Yusuke adds as he bends over and whispers to me.

I start to snicker.

"YUSUKE!" Koenma shouts as he jumps onto his desk.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but don't you think we should get back to the matter at hand?" Kurama asks.

"Sigh You're right. Kya, I've known about your power ever since you 'erupted' back in America. You power can be very dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. It also, some how, has a connection with the Human World. I haven't been able to figure it out yet, but it's through something you possess. Anyways, when you ran away, I sent Botan to open a portal and I had her make sure that you entered it…" Koenma starts.

"Gasp That's who pushed me!" I say aloud as my eyes widen.

"Yes, well, we needed you to go to Japan so you could meet these four, along with Genki, and learn how to control your power better. Now that you have and now that you've gotten to know everyone, I would like you to join the boys as a Spirit Detective," Koenma finishes.

"Wow! That would be great!" I exclaim with a huge smile.

"That means, you'll be able to go on missions with us," Kurama adds.

"Cool!" I exclaim.

"Great! Well, that's all for now. You may all leave if you'd like," Koenma states.

We all stand up and walk towards the door.

Before I walk out Koenma adds, "Oh, and Kya, we're trying to locate your attacker. In the meantime, please be careful."

I nod then exit the room.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and I are walking down the hall.

"Welcome to the team!" Yusuke states as he puts an arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah! Now you're an official Spirit Detective, like us!" Kuwabara adds.

Congratulations, Kya," Kurama adds with a smile.

"Hn," is Hiei's response as he fixes his eyes on the wall.

"You know… now I'm happy that I actually understand what's going on now. But,why did you guys keep this a secret from me for so long?" I ask as I look at the four boys.

Yusuke and Kuwabara have a dumbfounded expression while trying to think of what to say. Hiei remains silent and continues to stare at the wall.

Finally, Kurama replies, "We had to wait for the right moment."

"Ah," is all I say as I start to zone off.

We are all silent for a while as we continue to walk to no particular destination.

"Now what?" Kuwabara asks, breaking the silence.

"We should head back to the temple to see what the old lady's up to," Yusuke responds.

"Sounds fine to me," I confirm, snapping out of my zoning moment.

We walk until we reach the main entrance area in the palace. Yusuke pages Botan through his compact mirror. Within twenty minutes, Botan arrives and opens a portal for us. Within seconds, we arrive at the front stairs of the temple.