I gasped. I gaped. I stared.

This was nearly a repeat of what had happened with me.

Except it was Yuu.

He had marched forward, paper clenched still in his hand, not responding in any way to Yusuke's fumbling words and jokingly waving the whole idea off. The idea of Yuu ever being in a fight, much less starting one, it was utterly ridiculous. And Yuu had stood as Yusuke's words trickled away. The two of them standing and facing each other.

And then Yuu moved.

No. He launched.

Sprung, a flurry of moves propelling forth from him.

Moves that did not correlate at all with Yuu.

Mouth agape, I stared, in utter shock.

Yuu?

I saw Yusuke stagger backward, off center, head and body forced to the side. But most of my attention was on Yuu. Face unmoved by an action he had always spoken so vehemently against, Yuu straightened and stared Yusuke down.

My jaw fell further, eyes widening.

Yuu?

Somewhere up in the shadow eating thing, there were very vocal reactions.

But the silence echoed.

From the sidelines, Sensui appeared amused as though this were his movie playing earlier and all he needed was the bucket of popcorn for the show. His smile grew. At the show of Yuu, my older brother, forever a proponent against violence, pulling out a series of practiced looking actions…movements that were just…not.

It was as though someone else had taken over his body.

But…

Liquid burned hot in my eyes, down my cheeks, to my chin.

My dream. Of Yuu walking toward Sensui. Yusuke's body falling to the ground. Dream Sensui's trippy growing smile and echoing declaration.

For you.

Yusuke slowly drew his head back around to face Yuu, one hand reflexively reaching up to touch his side. The shock on his face morphing into something tighter and eyes narrowing dangerously. Hate? In response, I stared, still in my own shock, as Yuu's shoulders drew back and his chest lifted, head tilting upwards to stare down his nose at Yusuke.

A hand lifted up, Yusuke checking the back of it after swiping it under his nose, then turned his steely gaze back to Yuu. His whole demeanor changed. Not relaxed like before, because there was no way Yuu would ever seriously fight against Yusuke and fight for Sensui, but now Yusuke was primed full of action ready to burst.

Oh no.

Yuu.

My head swiveled to Sensui, taking in his laid back smile, then back to my older brother. Facing off against Yusuke. Yusuke Urameshi, punk and fighter for Spirit World.

I watched. Terrified. And Yusuke spat at the ground, not taking his eyes off Yuu. The glob of wetness hit the ground, distinctly red. Yuu did that? Teeth tinged with streaks, Yusuke flashed them in a savage grin, grinding them.

"Guess that answers that," Yusuke gnashed out. A humorless laugh huffed out through his teeth, the savage grin widening. Then a lip curled up. "Good."

I didn't even see Yusuke move.

BOOM!

BAMWHOMP!

I screamed.

Dust billowed up from where a body had just flown across the cavern. Where Yuu had stood—wait. Still stood? I shook my head, blinked and rubbed at my eyes. Grit and remains of tears burned at my skin at the action. But there he was. Yuu still stood right where he had a few seconds before. Vibrating, a shield of sky blue faded from view, as though it never surrounded him. Staring impassively at the body that'd impacted the cavern wall, Yuu pushed his eyeglasses up, unaffected by whatever attack Yusuke had attempted.

His territory. He'd employed it. When? How? He didn't have…

My eyes locked onto the paper clenched in his hand.

Did he…did he just… Did he just think up rules onto it?

"I am sorry." Yuu did not sound it, tilting his head as he peered down and across the space between them. "Should I have employed a warning before acting offensively or defensively in a fight? See, I have never properly been in a physical fight. Except, fair warning, delayed as it may be. I do not pull punches or necessarily play fair when it comes to the safety of her."

Yuu's hand drifted up. His long index finger tapped at his temple, where Yusuke had lightly struck me to pull off 'knocking me out', then lowered his arm back to his side.

Yusuke hissed, standing and getting the rubble off of himself, eyebrows furrowed deep at Yuu.

"Bastard," he grumbled and growled. Not looking to Sensui at all, Yusuke glared across the space between him and Yuu. I clenched my hands, worried and wanting to do something, yet not sure what I could do about this between them.

"I barely touched her," he snarled.

Yuu's small round eyes narrowed at Yusuke. "You should be more careful with your words," he advised Yusuke. Yuu lifted up the paper in his hand, displaying it between two fingers.

Yusuke's eyes found the piece of paper in Yuu's hand, and stilled, not making another attempt against Yuu. Instead, Yusuke's body leaned to the side, as though at ease, even though it was clear to me there was an energy laying underneath the casualness ready to burst forth if needed.

Then Yusuke snorted, a grin shifting up the side of his mouth, and darted. Closing the meters between them. Then stepped back, proud. He lifted up the paper he'd snitched from Yuu, reading it, then scowled.

I kept my sights on Yuu. Who seemed not at all concerned about the theft of the paper. Or that Yusuke knew the rules of his territory.

"What the hell? What is this? English?" Yusuke smacked the paper with the back of his hand. "This is just your way out of facing any physical backlash for that stunt you just pulled! Of course I'm not going to spew out some very specific English word! What? Can't take a punch back in return?"

He shook his head at Yuu, an ugly look on his face as he stared at my older brother. Then peered back to the paper. "And this is—wait a minute."

Yusuke's face went slack. Gobsmacked. The sneering ugly look disappearing as his mouth parted in surprise, stuttering. "I-I thought this had the person he 'intervened for' and saved the life…saved the life of…"

Yusuke's head turned up from the paper. To Yuu. Away from Yuu. Turned away. To look at me.

I took a step backwards, eyes wide, shaking my head at how pale a shade Yusuke's face looked.

The phrase 'pale as death' floated forward in my mind.

I drew my hands up. Tight against my chest. Heart thudding. But not reassuring me fully.

Yuu stepped to the side, blocking Yusuke from view, his back to me. His hands were tight and trembling at his sides. I moved forward, anxiously, leaning to see Yusuke again and trying to see Yuu's face.

Yuu.

I hastened with my footsteps.

Yusuke forced himself to pull his eyes from me, his head turning back to Yuu, devastation all over his face, and barely able to speak.

"Rin. She isn't supposed to be alive?"

The question, asking the fact in black in white, came out scratchy. A croak. And to hear it spoken, out loud, so clearly, the fact written on paper and something that I—

"Ah!"

I froze at the sight before me.

The sound of static was never so loud.

Stiff, Yusuke's body toppled to the ground. Yuu stood tall a few steps away.

For you.

To my surprise, Yusuke's soul was blue. Like a fire. A burning hot blue, edges of white. And the flickering hint of red sparking in the very center.

I don't know if it is the way I focus on weird things at times. Or if it was me trying to lessen all of what was going on, what Yuu had done. Likely both. But that's what I focused on at the time. It sparked something in the back of my mind, whispering softly to itself. Death. Demon. Dimension. A dooming trio of d's.

That's it. The hint of red of Yusuke's soul I focused on, those words sticking out, my mind clearing as I remembered an odd moment.

A while back I had discovered an old martial arts figure stuck behind a desk drawer. Yuu had admitted it was his as a child. And that he had been taught some. Had liked the focus and repetition and flow between stances. Not the violence. It made sense, but took me by surprise as well, martial arts meant your mind typically went to fighting first.

Yuu had been…odd about the whole thing. Mom had hinted, not said outright, but enough for me to figure out it was due to him. The one who made Yuu's eyes fill up with ache and pain. Him.

Yuu's landmine.

And I don't know what to think or make of the fact that Yuu used those. In a physical fight. What did it say about the situation? Everything that had happened and was going on? What did it say for Yuu's mindset about everything to use…that?

Nothing good.

You have to let me see him. Let me check on him. Send a message. Something! Anything!

I caught Yuu's mouth moving, but I didn't have a chance to ask as I heard footsteps coming from a distance. Quickly, I sprinted over to his side, panic pumping through my chest, and I spun about to look with my hands tingling with energy. And found Sensui right where I last saw him. No Itsuki either.

But a man wearing a dramatic length of red fabric, flaring behind him as he skidded to a stop at the cavern's entrance to take in the scene, was a sight.

What was that on his mouth? A backwards sucker? Blue bubble gum? It couldn't be, he was a man, not a…not a child.

Rushing forward in my mind, a name came to me. A name connected to Spirit World. Koenma.

His narrow eyes found me, blinked in surprise, and then his eyes bulged. "What the…?" His voice dropped, hushed, breathing out the shock. "That doesn't match Botan's description."

Large hands grasped onto my shoulders, drawing me back and close. I sank back into Yuu's embrace. And was very relieved when those eyes moved off of me, going upwards.

"Kaito! Disperse your territory," the man barked out the order. Clearly used to authority and commands being followed. "Let Yusuke go."

His attention had already moved to where Sensui stood watching us, dismissing Yuu.

"Shinobu, please," he begged Sensui. Yuu hummed contemplatively above me. Eyes sparked in amusement, Sensui had not moved his attention off of Yuu. Not bothering to even glance to the one speaking at him. "Doesn't—"

"No."

Yuu's voice rang clear. Cut off, the man's head spun. He gapped in our direction. At Yuu.

What? I twisted my head to look up at Yuu. I couldn't see any of his face well, unless you counted nostrils, to figure out what he was thinking, but I could see and feel the firmness in the lines of his body and how he stood.

"I do not believe I will. Botan? I doubt you are Sayaka or Ayame. Who are you?"

The man sucked harshly on the round object fitted at his mouth, shoulders drawing back, irritated at Yuu. I kept my hands slightly tingly. Not enough to do anything yet, but enough to be ready for anything. I don't think this man would come forward to try to make Yuu follow his orders, but… What this man strode in on did not look good for Yuu. At all really. And this was all taking up time, wasting time.

"I am the son of King Enma of Spirit World, Koenma. I said disperse your territory, Kaito."

"I said no," Yuu returned back, ire and firmness in his tone. He dipped his head down to my ear. And whispered. "Stay put, please. Will, not can."

Stay put? Where was Yuu going? Frowning at his small round eyes, Yuu did not look anywhere near up on a discussion on the matter. Hesitatingly, I nodded. He squeezed my shoulders quickly, then let go, turning around to where Yusuke lay. I watched as he leaned down to tug the paper out from Yusuke's unmoving grasp to shove it into his pocket.

And cupped Yusuke's soul into his open palm.

I drew in a sharp breath, eyes wide at the sight.

"Kaito! A soul is not to be ta—"

"Do you take me as to being unaware of what it is I hold? I, am perfectly aware. The key here is your understanding as well."

Yuu's mouth quirked up wryly at Koenma. He strode back over behind me, free hand reaching out, resting upon my head. I caught the smallest sighs of relief coming from Yuu. Relief at what?

"As the son of King Enma, a person of regard and standing in the…Spirit World, I am sure you understand more than most."

Koenma swallowed, the blueness at his mouth bobbing as he did. "Please, be careful with that. Put him—"

"Back?" Yuu finished scathingly. "Do you not use your ears? Do you not understand this situation right now? I can make it clearer for you if you insist."

Koenma's eyes flew wide, voice strangled. "Stop! Stop! You aren't that kind of person, Kaito. You would never—AH!"

In the background of Koenma's flailing arms, Sensui chuckled. Chuckled. Cold swept through me.

I tried to twist, to turn, and to angle my head up to see what Yuu was doing. But his hand shifted to my shoulder. And Yuu stepped even closer behind me, pressing me up against him. Alarm and terror gripped tight at my chest.

What had he done? What was he doing?

"Yuu?" I asked, trepidation clear in my voice. His hand squeezed to reassure me. The coldness in me hardened. He didn't…did he?

"Apparently, I have not made myself clear enough. I will not be returning his soul at your command. I hold very little reluctance if I need to about the state of his soul. There is no love lost between us. Why," Yuu voiced in mock lightness. "That should be obvious if you can read a spirit guide book about either of us that we are not…compatible. I despise those who rely on physical altercations."

His voice dripped in scorn. The fact was fact for Yuu. And then he had done so to Yusuke. Which, was concerning. Was extremely concerning. Even if he had used the surprise of it as he was so known and vocal about his hatred of it. Physical violence from him and then, possibly…

"About my sister," Yuu began in a fresh and recomposed voice.

Koenma glanced to me, face tight, apprehension clear as he swallowed and looked away, back up to Yuu. "The accident. I… I am sorry to break it to you, to you both, but she should not still be here. Living," he clarified with a wince.

Yuu's finger tapped in quick irritation at my collarbone.

I was actually kind of glad that Yuu knew already, that he had read that paper. While that had not been ideal or what I wanted, him reading to figure it out and dawn on him was better than the ditheringly blunt delivery from Koenma just now. That had come out badly.

"According to him," Sensui pipped in. A reminder of him changing that fact. Of his 'You're welcome' note. Scrawled on the ripped out page straight from my own spirit guide book.

"Such…issues, are not common, but do happen. As Yusuke had the opposite happen a short time ago. Dying with no place. It is…ironic? That she is who has a place and yet has not died right after Yusuke's?"

Koenma shifted and winced again, all awkward and uncertainty in voicing his words, eyes darting away from Yuu's a brief moment. The comparison or irony probably did not look well for Yuu. I felt his finger tap at my collarbone again. Then Koenma's sight settled on me to add on slowly, "And I am not—"

Low rumbling laughs, chuckles and guffaws, grew loud enough to interrupt. Koenma's attention moved and Yuu shifted and I turned to stare at Sensui. One of his long limbs was grasped about his stomach.

"Oh. Oh, little Enma. You are so far from sympathetic, comforting, and much less reassuring to anyone here." Sensui drew in a steadying breath and stood himself back upright, hand leaving his stomach to gesture outwards. "You have just stated a shining example of what is to come to someone he cares deeply for."

A crack of laugh snapped out. "A sibling."

Koenma stammered. I glanced to find his brows furrowed and face slanted back in bewilderment. "What to come… I was only sa—"

"Saying Yusuke came back because there was no place for him in Spirit World. You corrected it, gave the boy a means back to his place here. Her place in Spirit World, well…"

Sensui trailed off and grinned at the slack jawed Koenma whose face was draining of color. I whipped my head back and forth. Sneaking a look up to Yuu, gulping at what I glimpsed of his face.

"She is here because of me. Please, go ahead. I am sure this conversation will go over well, I've been on my toes the whole time. Especially as the shrewd little Soulcrusher there is picture perfect protective elder brother in full force and infuriated beyond belief. I highly doubt he changed the taboo running."

Amused, he added on, "He's smart enough to have realized without you confirming his fears right now after all."

I shivered.

Soulcrusher.

The term sank in, grasping and clinging on like tentacles, each one its own terrifying fear worming deep inside of me.

Soulcrusher.

I didn't like the sound of that. Sensui naming Yuu. Like Yuu was both dangerous…

…and an exploitable underling.