"We do not have time for this," Koenma grouched out through clenched teeth. His eyes bore a direct line to right above me, at Yuu, utterly filled with fierce resolve. Keeping his distance, face unchanging, Koenma put his hands up slowly as though to pacify and show he meant no harm. His tone though… That was another matter.

"Kaito. I fully understand the enticing sway he must have considering I am well aware of the strength of your family bonds. This can be discussed later between us. I hold more sway on direct Spirit World matters. Now. Disperse your terri—"

"Make time," Yuu snarled.

I flinched, gut turning. This was going and growing far too far, more distressing on how he was acting, and all the while with that alarmingly huge hole right there.

Twisting myself about, Yuu continued before I could open my mouth to speak, his own eyes narrowed tightly over me and at Koenma.

"Quickly if you must. But I will not disperse my current hold without gaining more information over the not very small matter of my sister's very life and soul!"

Gaping, I snapped my mouth shut, swallowing thickly at the dramatic rising of Yuu's voice and the emotion displayed bare on his face.

"You are the son of King Enma, distinctly not lacking in the overseeing of Spirit World, and have directly seen her, instantly muttering clearly disquieting things within my hearing. Do you fully comprehend that?"

Frozen, I stared at the rolling streak form to a droplet dangling precariously, dropping onto my upturned face in the world's tiniest and most heartbreaking rainstorm.
Yuu.

He…

Throat dry, I couldn't use my words even if I knew what to say. Helplessly, hopefully, my heart going out to him and feeling the pain… I grasped a hold of his larger hand, the one free of holding Yusuke's soul, clutching on tightly.

And managed to say something.

"…I'm here."

I licked, tongue dry and useless, more words coming out impulsively. In a pressing hush.

"Because of you. Heart of gold brother. The best."

I squeezed his hand.

Watching for if it helped, wetness threatening to trickle down my face.

Yuu's face shifted, eyes still on Koenma. Shifted. But not easing. Instead, I watched as the lines of his face became all that more evident and apparent. All that more hurting and in pain and dark.

Wetness slid hotly down my cheek.

I hadn't meant to do that. I'd meant to reassure. To remind him of how he's always looked out for me and been there for me and—

"I have seen quite a few souls come through Spirit World in all my time."

I dragged my eyes from Yuu to Koenma, stiffening at seeing Koenma's attention solely focused on me in his pause. His eyes roved me up and down, eyebrows furrowing, studying me. Through me, to my center. And the area surrounding me. I drew back close to Yuu. But I stared right back, swiping my tear away, watching him and waiting. I wanted to know too after all.

"And I am…not entirely positive of why that is or what to make of the state of her soul. In all my time, I've not seen or heard anything quite like this. Although…"

Yuu leaned forward, pressing closer against me, pouncing on this. "But it has changed from Botan's earlier description? How so and what would you postulate the meaning of it from your knowledge of souls?"

"I hold guesses as to who and why it was done," Koenma slowly admitted.

Yuu's hold shifted, arm half wrapping around me, palm pressed against my chest.

Using me.

Dream Sensui's words echoed in my head.

For you. For you. For you. For you.

Koenma's eyes lingered at both of us though.

Huh. Well. Sensui had attempted using me too, thus my own small fight against Yusuke before Yuu took a, much better, crack at it.

Koenma's head turned away from us.

"Sensui. I can recognize enough of a description unfitting to my missing ferry girl Sayaka and fitting to Itsuki. Where is my ferry girl and what did Itsuki do to the younger Kaito?"

With the facts and question out there, Shinobu Sensui shrugged and grinned, teeth on full display. "Don't you recognize a new worker of Spirit World assisting me? One of your own reverberating souls."

Koenma's eyes snapped open wide, blue almost falling from his mouth.

"Reverberating… Itsuki shoved… The next reverberating soul isn't even due to come in this world until ten years from now!"

Horror-struck, Koenma stood there, limbs hanging uselessly. Eyes unseeing. Then, wide as ever, slowly rotated to me to stare.

"No," he breathed out. "You can't be here. Not now. You can't be."

I stared, unseeingly and stunned, right back.

Isn't even due to come in this world.

The next reverberating soul isn't even due to come in this world.

"Reverberating soul. Explain. Now."

Panicked, Koenma's eyes flashed up to Yuu, horror filling up his face as something clicked and his wide eyes fell back to me as he stumbled, rushed forward.

There was a sharp intake of breath, tugging me back with him, practically carrying me, I don't think I could move my feet.

Another world. My former life, former soul, reverberating soul... Was from another world?

"Two souls, no, the one is clearly more, the next reverberating soul was, but…"

Chest heaving, he came ever closer and bending to see me at eye level, eyes crazy wide and flitting all over me. I nearly stumbled at Yuu drawing away from Koenma, taking me with him. Koenma muttered to himself, talking out whatever he was seeing of me, freaking me out.

Quit doing that! Quit talking!

But. But I had to listen. I had to know.

"No backlash or… Not fading or forced from existence or… But." His eyes roved over me, the previous horror sliding into pure and elated astonishment. "Separate, held back, and yet…melding? With no disastrous repercussions to either soul…actually co-habitating inside a single body? The next reverberating soul was supposed to be certainly something, known for stunts for others, but to pull off this?"

"Pull off what?" Yuu demanded, still trying to tug me back, to reclaim distance from the prince of Spirit World. "Pull yourself together and explain properly."

Practically on his knees in front of me, staring right at me, I pushed against Yuu's hold to step forward toward Koenma.

"Like." I licked my lips, throat dry, voice small. "Remembering a former life? A life that's…"

"No." Koenma frowned. And behind me, Yuu tugged less, sensing answers like I did. Then Koenma amended, brown eyes directly focused on mine. "Well, yes. Not…not yours. The life, the soul is… But it is…entwined, part of you and… It would feel like remembering your former life if reincarnation was real. At first. Considering Botan's first description, that…former life is perhaps feeling more like you, like past memories that make up you."

Yuu stiffened at that. I could hear him breath out the word above me. The word hung above me.

Leaking.

Koenma's eyes moved up to Yuu, then back to me, something in his face clearing from Yuu's reaction.

"Most of you being… You're not. Sensui thinks that you're…you're… Because you were not supposed to or meant to be… It's the reverberating soul, the young woman from America, who feels like a former life? Isn't it, Rin? You are Rin, not—"

Yuu yanked, yanked me back with a strangled yelp.

Me.

The English. On the paper. That Yusuke complained about before. It wasn't some random English word.

It was my name written, my name for Yuu's territory.

My name.

Me.

Familiar, horrible, static sounded once again. Sensui's bubbling up laughter filling up behind it, growing into the only thing left for noise, the laughter echoing ominously off the large cavern. A scream, shout, screech and a gasp came from higher up at a distance. My shoulders trembled at the sight of Koenma's stiff body crouched upright, eyes unseeingly large, a life made statue staring straight at me.

Except.

I was too stunned to do anything more than stare back. From what Koenma said to me. The exact, forbidden, word he spoke. And that the prince of Spirit World had just had his soul wisped right out of him in front of my very eyes.

I wasn't trembling.

Yuu was.

Shaking.

I twisted, eyes wide, finding Yuu's small round eyes the same. Wide. Jaw slack. Eyeglasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. Face chalk white. Only illuminated from the blueish shine that was Yusuke's soul, resting, cupped, in his hand which drifted downwards from his shock.

Yusuke.

"Yuu."

I tugged at his sleeve, mindful of Yusuke's soul as I kept one eye on it in fear of it falling from Yuu's loose hold. Tugged again.

"Yuu."

His attention slowly roved from Koenma's stiff form, soul floating right above, to me. His eyes and face were still stunned, unable or not thinking to put on a face for me. Clearly in a daze of disbelief and without an idea to the question of what to do now.

My plan.

I tugged once more.

"Yuu."

Mutely, he crouched down, shifting his large hand carefully around my smaller one to keep Yusuke's soul cupped safely. And just…crouched there. Without words. In shock.

I don't think he planned this far. Thought this far ahead. Other than scrambling to do what he felt he must to keep me safe. All of this… All of what had happened… I think it all was hitting him fully. Just exactly what he had done, what his actions had led to, being that heart of gold brother I loved.

"You don't really trust him, do you?"

His mouth parted open. Paused. Swallowed.

"What he's doing… You can't mean to help that?"

Yuu's mouth convulsed, lines prominent on his face.

"Yuu. He thinks I'm my former life, the reverberating soul. Told me I was here, as a worker for Spirit World to help him with this. To fight Yusuke. And you heard Koenma," I said in a hush. "I've seen Itsuki, he matches your description. He's the reason I'm…more. But what he wanted, what he thought would happen…"

I didn't finish the thought out loud.

That I'd be gone. That he'd be dealing with some other soul. In my body.

Yuu's face quivered. Eyes narrowing, agitated and twitching. Jaw clenching and unclenching.

"I had a plan," I whispered to him hopefully in want of moving forward. To assist him. Give direction. The facts.

Yuu did not often let his emotions sway him, but, well. This had been an unusual time lately. Territories and spirit energy and grim reapers and my supposed to be dead and former lives and reverberating souls and dangerous bad guys and a dangerous one who saved my life… It'd been a bit eye opening for me. Yuu was, well, Yuu. My older brother. My heart of gold brother. Always there for me. I had always known, always thought, his landmine was him. Our dad. Yet. That wasn't quite true, was it?

It'd been me. All this, pushing him to things Yuu would never do. To protect me. From Yusuke, from Spirit World bringing me back, from anything. To protect me after what he nearly, should have, accidentally caused. To repay who kept that from happening. Out of fears of losing me.

And in how he was in Mom's work schedule. How he used a strength and passion to bring more money in for us. How he placed and tended to a few potted plants in our small apartment for the fresh smell and oxygen. How he set aside his own hunger, worked out portions for himself that were doable so that me, and Mom, had enough. Usually more than him. How he did so much in all the little things, gave so much care.

Family.

I'd never really noticed before. I knew. But I never really fully noticed to how much.

Licking my lips, I peeked back over to Sensui. Apparently he was entirely unconcerned about us over here and had headed back over to finish his movie. I stared in disbelief. Well. I suppose that was about all he had to do. Wait until the hole was large enough. Now that no one was attempting to do anything about the hole or him.

Thought he had me. Thought he had Yuu.

My eyes narrowed at the man's back.

And then turned back to Yuu.

"Let Yusuke fight him. Distract him. Plus, he's a good fighter. While he does that… I can climb up, use my spirit energy to—"

"No."

"—to use it like a giant sewing needle. That had been my plan, waiting after Yusuke 'knocked me out' to do that. Er, not that he knew, but I mean, I couldn't do nothing. Now? Maybe Koenma can help distract, with his talking he was doing."

"No."

"Oh, and maybe you could use your territory to maybe nab his soul? So he can't do anything while I try sewing up the hole?"

"I do not want you anywhere near that hole," Yuu said firmly. "Not with all that's trying to come out."

I huffed, frustrated. "That's the point. And I don't trust him at all. He gave you a name, like one on his side. Like Tsukihito. And he…he's…"

Gulping, I swiped the tears from my face, trying not to think too much of Tsukihito.

Face pained, Yuu licked his lips.

"I saw," he said hoarsely.

The confirmation hurt. But pushed me more certainly forward.

"Yusuke is a fighter. Fists and blasts and not really equipped to handle closing something, more blasting it open. The rest of them are stuck up there. Koenma, well, he maybe has some trick up his sleeve that might be able to do something? Past talking to the guy. But my energy…"

I stared directly at him, impassioned and pressing, needing Yuu to understand I had to do it. Had to do something. That I couldn't do nothing.

"I've practiced manipulating it, Yuu. I can do this."

Yuu let out a long breath, eyes trailing me over.

Then slowly asked, "Can you not? I know that look on your face. I can handle this. Urameshi, Yusuke, he's the one supposed to handle this. Spirit World… You stay close to me and my territory. Let them handle it. And if they fail, if he comes near you, I can make sure you are safe. Stop him from proceeding. Okay?"

I bit my lip. "But neither your ability or Yusuke's strength with fighting does anything about the hole."

And Yuu's mouth wordlessly moved, then closed. Dislike clear on his face. As well as attempting to think a way around my words, a way to close the hole that didn't include my involvement.

"Fine."

I brightened, smiling.

"But you're taking my territory, this paper, with you. As soon as I reset it."

I nodded.

"Got it. What about you?"

Startled at my question, Yuu visibly pulled back some. Mouth opening. Closing. Hesitating. Then his face was set again. Confident and assuring older brother.

"I can make another for myself. I've tested up to three at a time. Don't worry about me, Rin."

"We got this." I whispered low to him. Smiling at him. Full of determination. "Try to use us, use you? He's going down. Let's do it."

It was quick. The dispersal of territory, two souls speeding and zapped back into suddenly alert bodies. A large hand shoving a crinkling paper—the same Sensui had written his words to pull in and use my brother—into the large pocket to the hoodie Tsukihito had given to me—before Sensui's usage of him had lead to his death. And Yuu barked for me to run. Yelled at Yusuke, who I could hear crowing as I sprinted across the cavern, insults and hits of flesh sounding as I concentrated and flung my hand out in front of me so my energy could grant me a path over the water and upwards.

Sprinting up and reaching my goal, flinching away from reaching limbs filled with claws and talons and promising horror, ignoring Sensui as he made some remark at me being a better actor than he thought. His attention went back to Koenma, asking if it had been the other grim reaper as Koenma was not an actor at all. It didn't sound to me as though he was giving much thought or attention to Yusuke's attacks. Unfortunately.

Frozen in my needle threaded energy as I worked standing on top of my energy, I froze my focus, keeping it in place, slowly turning to see the light surrounding me fading. I breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the shield working and holding up. It meant Yuu was okay down there too as him and Koenma both talked and argued and ducked from any tiny blast Sensui sent at them. I kept working, as fast as I could, avoiding all the limbs reaching through.

Nearly across. Nearly there.

Shouts of encouragement were loud, coming in through the sounds of hits and vibrations of sky blue around me.

Kuwabara's voice was especially loud.

Then, a scream.

My head spun.

A scream of pain.

"YUU!"

Yuu was hurt!

But he had—

Ducking.

He'd been ducking.

Can make another.

Not will.

No.

No!

That was my trick and it was a joke!

It wasn't—

"I just needed," Sensui projected out. Voice echoing through the cavern.

A long arm swept out dramatically. He paused. One side of his mouth quirked up, head tilting, triumphant. At me.

Then his satisfied smile and tilted head gave attention elsewhere. At not me. At...

My breath caught horribly up in my chest and throat and sucked the life out of me.

Sensui strode closer as Koenma frantically assisted Yuu back. Ignoring and batting Yusuke back. Continuing closer to Yuu, unheeded.

"Someone else to buffer more time, someone relative, someone to distract the current detective, someone with the best of intentions. Humanity is the worst."

He laughed. Yuu's face was white, struggling to get up even with Koenma's help. His eyes were latched and unable to pull them away from Sensui. Who walked ever closer.

"Even under the best of intentions, humanity—"

"HEY!"

The man, blessedly, ceased speaking.

"Sensui!"

His face turned, body twisted about, attention fully looking up at me.

Good.

I snarled.

"This world was right in what it gave you! You are a cancer!"

And moved.

Stab down, swish up, and then I jumped.

The overlarge and energy made needle firmly held in my hands. With my weight pulling the thread tight as I fell toward the ground, closing the gaping hole that'd been growing large. Instead, it was quickly sliding closed. Sewn shut.

Ha. Take that you—

"RIN!"

It was guttural and my head snapped to look over at Yuu.

Caught the flash of energy.

Turned my head with it.

Confused.

I had Yuu's territory.

And it was—

Dumbstruck, I watched as it hit.

Piercing. Slicing clean through. Snapping.

My energy.

Above me.

And I fell.