PART TWO: THE LONELY SOULS

Chapter Eleven: Deafening Silence

It had been several days since the attack on Koenma's palace. Things seemed to have quieted down in Japan, but there was utter chaos erupting in Reikai. The battle of ogres had left the palace damaged, and several strategically placed explosives had upset the foundations. Everything was still a mess, and Koenma found himself struggling to keep the reconstruction running smoothly.

Hiei had not been seen since that fateful day when he had faced Yoshi within Botan's mind. He had taken up a place in one of the trees in Reikai, and had not moved from that spot in days. His mind was busy running over everything that had happened to them. He kept finding himself returning to that moment, to Yoshi's possession of Botan. He could not get her words out of his head, those three words that, although he had known were coming, he could not predict how seriously she spoke them, how real they were to her. "I love you." He had known she had some strange fascination with him, some unexplainable attraction, but he had never guessed that she would be as serious as she was when she spoke them.

Botan had shut herself up in her bedroom, and had only come out to eat. She'd distanced herself from everyone, even from Ayame, and ignored every attempt made to reach her. She knew her friends were worried for her, but she found it difficult to care. Her hero was out there somewhere, but she couldn't reach him. She was forbidden to even speak to him, and that made her feel cold inside. He'd saved her life and she couldn't thank him. She loved him, and she could never pursue him.

Back in the human world, life went on as normal. Neither Tsarakino nor the Tomorrow had been sighted in Japan, which gave the boys a temporary reprieve. Yusuke was beginning to grow concerned, however, as his mother had not been home in well over a week now. But he put it out of his mind. She was a strange, alcohol-dependant person. She probably forgot where the house even was, he joked to himself.

Kuwabara had grown increasingly more restless, and his sister had noticed. He was constantly watching every move, every person. He was feeling for Tsarakino everywhere, and it had started to make everyone a little paranoid. They were all growing wary of those around them, wondering when Tsarakino would strike again and how, and through whom. Every person, even in their own group, could be the enemy in disguise. Kuwabara, in particular, had become more cautious. He was the only one that could detect Tsarakino's presence, his careful watch was pivotal to the team.

Kurama had returned to his school, though he had difficulty around the other students. Tsarakino had made him, in particular, a target. He'd come at Kurama through one of his fellow students, and the fox spirit had no doubt he would not hesitate to do so again. Whatever they wanted from him, it made him dangerous to those around him. He, more than anyone, had also begun to notice that the group had become strangely fractured. While Hiei's absence was less than unusual, it was strange that Botan would be gone for this long without a word to anyone. He was surprised to find himself feeling saddened by Botan's absence. He had already begun to miss her.

The days passed by gradually, and at last, they day Yusuke had been waiting for was here. Keiko was coming home, and he was going to be there to meet her. He stood silently, waiting for her, his arms resting on the railing of the bridge, where they met so often. So much had happened in the time she'd been away, and it was eating at his mind. He tried to keep his thoughts on Keiko, but Tsarakino kept coming back to his mind.

What did he want from them? Why was Tsarakino accosting them, what did he want? Yusuke sighed and lowered his head. He had gone after Yusuke first, then after Kurama...a dead man was stalking them. Yusuke almost laughed from the irony of that realization. Possessing bodies, sending messages, he'd done the same thing when he had died. But his hadn't been so...malicious. He was simply doing what he needed to do to help those he cared about and to return to life. Tsarakino was different, leaving cryptic threats and–

"Yusuke!" There she was. Yusuke's thoughts were instantly torn away from Tsarakino when he heard Keiko's voice. He pulled himself up from his slouch, while his head turned to face the end of the bridge. Standing there, in a blue skirt with a blue blouse, and a yellow ribbon tying off the front of it, their school uniform for girls, was Keiko Yukimura, the girl who'd captured his eye.

Keiko was a pretty girl for her age. 14 years old, she had grown up with Yusuke, and wasn't sure quite when the attraction had started. She had short, dark brown hair that came to just the bottom of her neck, which matched beautifully with her dark brown eyes. Keiko knew the risks of being involved with Yusuke. It was during the Dark Tournament that she and Shizuru had forced Botan to reveal where Yusuke and Kuwabara were, and it was then that she discovered the truth behind his role as Spirit Detective.

There wasn't even a moment's hesitation, before Keiko was running for Yusuke. Her footsteps echoed on the bridge, just before she lunged, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging close to him. "I missed you," she smiled and closed her eyes, just wanting to rest here in the moment. It had felt like forever since she'd seen him last.

With a smile on his lips, Yusuke's arms wrapped softly around Keiko, hugging her close. This past week or so had been insanely stressful, but he was relieved to have her back in his arms. This moment made it all worthwhile. It suddenly felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders, and he felt powerful for it. "I missed you too."

------------------------------------------------------------

Botan found herself pacing back and forth in her bedroom. Her mind was still racing to deal with what had happened, and every day that passed made her feel more and more alone. She brought her hand up to her forehead, worried she was going to have another crying fit, which had become almost normal for her this past week. But she kept her hold on herself, and managed to keep it from coming.

She could still hear his voice echoing inside her head. "Don't fight it, sweetheart. You and I are going to have a lot of fun together." She could still hear his horrible laughter, his terrible, malicious voice. It resonated within her soul, and even the smallest thing could send her back to that terrible moment. She would be sitting in her room, listening to Ayame try once again to reach out to her. Ayame would say something, it didn't matter what, just a wrong choice of word or even something without any relevance, and it would send Botan spiraling back there, reliving that horrible moment when he made her feel powerless. He had raped her mind, her soul, had taken her power away from her and forced her to become an object for his own use. It had been almost a week since that horrible day and still he haunted her, in her memories. She didn't know if she'd ever be rid of that horrible voice.

The sound came again. The knocking sound on her bedroom door. "Botan?" she heard the voice of her friend, Ayame. Someone who cared about her, trying to reach out to her again. But she ignored the voice. Her friends couldn't help. They didn't understand, they couldn't. How could they understand what she'd been through? How could they even begin to imagine what he'd done to her?

No, she wouldn't answer the door. She wasn't ready to face them again. There was only one person that could make her feel safe, one person that could make her feel better, one person that she wanted to be with now, and she was forbidden to ever see him again. She laid back down in her bed, curling herself into a ball, because the tears were coming again. In the silence of her room, she cried, alone.

------------------------------------------------------------

The food court was nearly empty at this time in the afternoon. Most kids were still in school. Keiko had the day off, as she'd had the previous days off, for her family vacation. She sat with Yusuke, listening to him. She had insisted that he confide in her about his cases, and it was making him feel better to do so. She was a good listener.

"So, wait, the guy's dead?" she asked, a curious expression dwelling on her face. "How do you know that?"

"Kurama talked to his sister," Yusuke responded. "We found out where he lived, but he hasn't been there. Apparently he died three years ago, so he's a spirit now."

"Wow," Keiko marveled. "That's...how do you fight someone like that?"

"I don't know," Yusuke admitted. "We've only seen him in bodies he was using. I'm not sure if he even has a physical body, it's probably all rotted and gross by now."

Keiko nodded her head, her eyes transfixed on Yusuke. "It's hard to imagine. This guy sounds very dangerous. And you say there's more of him?"

"Well, kinda," Yusuke commented. "He's got a boss, some kind of demon that runs a whole cult. I think his name was Fjerin, if I recall correctly. Haven't actually seen him yet, I've just had a few run-ins with Tsarakino."

"A boss? Are you sure he's this guy's boss?" Keiko questioned. "I mean, maybe they share power, or something like that. Maybe the Tomorrow has two guys in charge of it."

"Well, maybe," Yusuke nodded. He hadn't thought about that. "It is possible, I guess." Keiko had a good point, he really didn't know that...wait a second... "Wait, what did you just say?" Suspicion started to grow in Yusuke's eyes.

"Hmm? Oh, I was just thinkin–"

"You called them the Tomorrow," Yusuke responded quickly. "How did you know that name? You just got back today and I never once said the name of their group. How did you know they were called the Tomorrow?" Suspicion was evident in Yusuke's eyes.

A malicious smirk spread across Keiko's face, while she uttered the word, "Oops."

------------------------------------------------------------

Ayame returned, alone, to Koenma's office. "She's not answering again," the ferry girl sighed. "I think you really hurt her."

Koenma had returned to his toddler form, and was seated in his big chair. He looked down at the paperwork on his desk, but he didn't have the stomach for it. "It's for her own good," he sighed. "She needs to understand how dangerous that demon is. We're in a state of emergency right now, we can't afford for anything to go wrong." After the attack on the palace, a state of emergency had been declared. The Tomorrow had proven themselves more dangerous than Koenma had given them credit for, and Tsarakino, in particular, had proven himself a threat worthy of an A-rating, if not an S, on their ranking system.

This wasn't the first time something had been stolen from the Vault. Hiei had pulled it off once before, along with Kurama and a demon by the name of Gouki. But their theft had been different. Where they had pulled it off with stealth, with cunning, Tsarakino had done it with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. This was not the first time the Vault was ripped off, but it was the first time the act had been done by sheer brute force. Tsarakino had taken apart two guard units, had almost taken Botan hostage, and had escaped with a prize from the Vault during a standoff with Hiei. Koenma wanted him neutralized and he wanted it done ASAP. That astral specter was simply too dangerous.

"What would you have me do, Ayame?" That was the question that Koenma had chosen to fall back on. Ayame had voiced her disapproval of Koenma's decision several times over the past few days. "What would you have done, in my place?"

Ayame sighed. She knew Koenma's reasoning, and honestly, she didn't trust Hiei any more than Koenma did. But even so, if Botan really loved this demon as much as she had grown to suspect, this wasn't the answer. "I don't know, my lord. But...with all due respect, I don't believe that cutting her off from her heart's desire is going to solve anything. I just hope it doesn't make things worse."

------------------------------------------------------------

"What the hell do you want from me, Tsarakino!" Yusuke's fingertip was glowing with blue energy, as he pointed his Spirit Gun in Keiko's direction. Tsarakino had spread Keiko's arms wide, making her an easy target.

"Go ahead, Detective. Take your best shot. Seeing you blow this poor girl away would probably be the mood-lifter I need right now. Shoot me. C'mon, it'll be fun." Tsarakino laughed, his harsh, vicious laugh, and hearing Keiko's voice make that horrible sound stung Yusuke's ears.

Yusuke lowered his Spirit Gun. Once again, he found himself incapable of using his spirit weapon, because of the risk it carried. He could almost hear Kuwabara's voice in his head, and he agreed. Tsarakino was a coward, hiding behind a little girl. A cruel, manipulative strategy. But, he was forced to admit, an effective one.

Tsarakino smirked, watching Yusuke lower his weapon. "There we go, that's a good boy."

"What do you want from me," Yusuke snarled through clenched teeth. He was more determined now than ever to find some way of shutting Tsarakino down permanently.

"I just want to send a message, Detective. I want to show you firsthand what happens to those who stand in my way." Keiko's voice was harsh and cold, lowered to a tone Yusuke had never realized she was capable of.

"I'm not afraid of you, Tsarakino." It was the truth.

"Maybe not," the devil wearing Keiko's face responded, "maybe not. But you should be. I wanted to look you in the eyes and make sure you understand. I wanted to make this absolutely clear. I want you to realize just how much you stand to lose by facing me." Tsarakino ran Keiko's hand down to the table, taking a small knife from Yusuke's plate. "Most of all, I want you to understand exactly how much I can take away from you." With those words, to stress his meaning, he lashed the knife down Keiko's arm, driving it deep and forcing her to cut herself no matter how hard she tried to resist. The pain was excruciating.

"You–" Yusuke watched the action in horror and grabbed Keiko's wrist, pulling the knife away from her arm.

"Good day, Detective," was the last he heard, before Tsarakino was gone. Keiko gasped suddenly, free from the monster's grip, and collapsed into Yusuke's arms. The pain in her arm was agonizing, and she began to sob in Yusuke's arms while she cradled the deep gash.

Holding her close, Yusuke turned his eyes towards the sky. Tsarakino was out there somewhere, and now, more than ever, he was determined to find him and bring him down. That manipulative bastard would not get away with this.