Disclaimer- Some really cool/rich/genius Japanese guy owns YYH. And... well.. I'm not even a guy.
A/N- Yeah, yeah, I know, I know; a really long month since my last update, despite my stupid promises. Maybe you shouldn't trust my word? Anyway, I absolutely LOVE this chapter; great content, though it sort of rambles a bit. Really brings up some information. Also, we get to met a few characters I'm sure everyone's been missing. Also, this chapter holds an exclusive MAJOR cliff-hanger that will leave you screaming at me until I update, and probably thinking I'm crazy for pulling this over. Don't let that make you scroll to the end, though! You'll ruin it if you do. So, here you go, enjoy, have fun with it. Reviews appreciated, as always.
"Are you absolutely sure that's what his name was?" Koenma's voice was hoarse as he gazed at Genkai with an incredulous look. Seemingly indifferent, she took a slow sip of her tea before replying.
"Yes, I'm sure. He'd a demon, if that helps any. Been around longer than I care to think about." Koenma groaned, holding his face in his hands.
"What is the big deal?" Yusuke cried, looking like he was going to strangle Koenma if he didn't get an answer. The prince, however, didn't say another word.
"Do you know why Koenma-sama seems so upset Botan?" The ferry girl shook her head at Yukina; never before had she heard of anyone called 'Juro'. Suddenly Koenma rose from the table, startling both girls. His tea cup was knocked over, the brown liquid swirling across the table. Koenma stared at the mess before turning and hurrying down the hall. Botan bit her lip before following Koenma. As she left the noisy room, she couldn't help but run through her mental checklist for reasons Koenma might be upset.
Excluding, of course, their current situation, which obviously enough to get anyone upset.
It seemed, however, that all the searching in the world wouldn't lead her to Koenma. Several hours later, after checking everywhere twice, she almost assumed he had returned to Spirit World, until she remebered even Kuwabara wasn't that stupid. A sigh passed her lips as she slumped against the wall in the hallway, purple eyes half closed as she stared at the floor. What's wrong Koenma-sama? It isn't like you to keep secrets... Botan pushed herself off the wall and trudged outside, sliding the door open just as a gust of wind blew her way. A small smile hit her face as she was strongly reminded of Jin. In fact, that wind was awfully strong for such a calm day...
"Well too-ra-loo! If it isn't our little grim reaper herself!"
Looking up, a look of surprising etched in her features, Botan caught a flash of red hair, followed by a pair of two large, green eyes staring into her own. Botan grinned, causing the shinobi to wiggle his ears, before flying off to land nearby.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" Botan asked, grinning in spite of herself.
"Yusuke decided to call in an old favor." Touya appeared at the top of the stairs, Shishiwakamaru perched on his shoulder, Chuu, Suzuka and Rinku marching behind him. Having been informed rather bluntly of the situation by none other than the former Spirit Detective himself, their grins were forced, all save Chuu, whom obviously had been drinking, as always.
"I said babysitters, not demons!" Botan was willing to bet Keiko's shriek could be heard all the way in town.
"You weren't specific," Yusuke whined as the two appeared at the door, Yusuke sporting a mix between his usual sheepish look and a hint of fear that only Keiko could bring out. The latter seemed positively furious.
"Yusuke Urameshi! You should be old enough by now to know what I mean!"
"Hey, that wasn't-"
"Shut up, Yusuke! You're getting old; get over it! The point it, you should know better than to hire a bunch of demons that I don't know, one of which is always drunk, to watch over my children!"
"She does have a point, Urameshi," Jin commented from his upside down spot in the air, ears wiggling as he spoke. "I have to say, though, Ms. Keiko, I do love them ickle kiddies!" Keiko eyed the shinobi before her with mild interest, considering her options. As her eyes turned to stare at the motley crew crowded around Botan, she realized she didn't have much of a choice, even if the half-empty bottle of booze in Chuu's hand made her wary.
"All right, all right!" Keiko cried, her tone exasperated as Yusuke wrapped her up in a hug, a triumphant grin on his face.
"You won't regret it," he assured her, his expression softening as she looked up at him.
"For your sake, I hope not," she growled, smacking him across the face before stalking back inside the temple. It went against her better judgement to let the over-excited youkai watch her children while she went away and felt she should at least say her last good byes.
"Smart one you got there," Jin told his friend, firmly setting his feet on the ground.
"Yeah, I know," Yusuke groaned, rubbing the side of his face. "But damn that hurts." Jin grinned, his ears wiggling in excitement yet again.
"So where be the kiddies, anywho?"
"Ah, they're inside," Yusuke replied. He looked to Jin, clapping the redhead on the shoulder. "I appreciate this." Truth be told, he didn't care what Keiko said about the 'babysitters'; aside from Kurama, Kuwabara and Hiei's families, there wasn't anyone else he trusted with his children more than Jin and the others, especially now.
"Not a problem, Urameshi," Jin replied, his grin relaxed, emrald eyes showing a look of pleasure, sadness and fear that Yusuke didn't quite understand. But no sooner did the wind master wink that the look disappeared. The group marched up the stairs and Yusuke took the time to look his friends over. He hadn't seen them in so long. It seemed, however, that they hadn't changed a bit, physically or mentally; he couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.
"MICHIO! GIVE IT BACK!" Yusuke let out another groan, running a hand over his face as two children slid into view. One, a boy, held a doll tauntingly away from the other child, whom was a girl. "Michio!" The girl bore a strange resemblance to Keiko, as the boy did to Yusuke.
"Michio...," Yusuke began in a warning tone. The boy turned his large, brown eyes up at his father before returning the doll to the girl. Yusuke rolled his eyes and turned to the group behind him. "Michio, Toshi, meet your babysitters."
"Babysitters? Honestly, Dad, we need babysitters?" Toshi didn't seemed too pleased with the idea as she crossed her arms, frowning, her doll forgotten on the wooden floor.
"Toshi, you're eight years old," Yusuke chided.
"So. Michio's ten and I can do better math than he can."
"Look, you've got babysitters whether you like it-"
"Wow, he can fly!" Michio's finger was pointing up towards the high ceiling. Alarmed, and in sheer reflex, Yusuke spun around, his left hand clutching his right, which was balled into a fist, save his index finger, and pointed to the ceiling, 'spirit gun' on the tip of his tongue. Jin, however, which was what Michio had been pointing at, grinned and waved, and Yusuke relaxed.
"... Dad, I think you're losing it," Michio said, eyeing his strange father.
"Eheh. No, I'm not," Yusuke replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, this is one of your babysitters, Jin." The latter wiggled his ears again.
"You mean we have to have more than one?" Toshi glared at the group behind her father, particularly at the drunkard grinning like a mad-man, which she assumed he was with or without the sake.
"Don't worry; they're good guys," Yusuke promised. "Meet Chuu, Rinku, Touya, Suzuka and Shishiwakamaru."
"...My life is over." Toshi turned and stalked from the room, returning to retrieve her doll and headed for the exit once more.
"She'll come around, don't worry," Yusuke told Jin sheepishly, the latter's ears sagging a bit. "She's just..."
"A lot like you?" Keiko came up behind her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Well, I was going to say you, but I guess that works too."
"She looks like me, but she's as stubborn as a donkey."
"Point taken." Looking to the door, Yusuke caught a flash of red and orange before they ducked behind the door again. "Hey, guys, there's a few more kids you might wanna meet..."
-----
Having managed to sneak away from the jolly group, Botan found herself standing on the porch of the temple, arms folded across her chest. She almost regretted leaving, a depressing mood swelling up inside her. But she had to find Koenma; there was so much she didn't understand. She had realized it hurt her to have so much of her Prince shrouded in mystery, though why it hadn't ever bothered her before she didn't know. There was just something peculiar about his behavior now, like someone had struck the wrong note on a guitar, only to hold it out forever. Such reactions were not common place for Koenma, and Botan was determined to puzzle him out.
The ferry girl descended the stairs, wishing now more than ever Koenma wasn't being so evasive. Another mysterious trait to add to her mental list. Her eyebrows furrowed as she scanned the grounds yet again, hoping for some sign that he was safe and where he might be. She as she turned to go back and join the fray, a flash of tan and black caught her eye.
"Bingo," she breathed, quietly stalking over to the clump of bushes she assumed Koenma was behind. Sure enough, he was leaning against a tree, knees folded up. As she watched him in his oblivious state, she couldn't help but think he looked like a completely different person. If she didn't know any better, she'd have passed him off as a regular teenager, much like Yusuke and Kuwabara had been back in the day. "Koenma sir?" His head shot up, an alarmed look on his face.
"How did you find me?"
"Well, you moved... I saw your clothes..." Botan seemed nervous as she fidgeted under his gaze.
"Ah, well, never mind, then," he replied, closing his eyes and leaning against the trunk. Botan sat on her knees beside him, not once taking her eyes off him. She was afraid he'd disappear and she'd never find him again.
"When were you going to come back? We were worried something awful, you know..." To her surprise, Koenma laughed.
"I wasn't going to come back, Botan. But I couldn't leave, either."
"Why? We're going to Juro's tomorrow, and the others will train. Yusuke even hired Touya and the others to babysit; you can't just leave!"
"I'm here, aren't I? I haven't gone anywhere yet. I don't know if I can."
"You'd better not leave, Koenma!" Botan flung her arms around him, the sudden movement startling him from his stilled position. Heart thumping wildly, he stared down at the ferry girl, his confusion obvious.
"I already told you, I can't leave." Botan didn't reply at first, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried not to cry. She didn't care what he said about not leaving; she wasn't going to take any chances.
"Why does Juro make you so upset?" She whispered, relaxing her death-grip to a hug. It was Koenma's turn to remain silent.
"I'd rather not say," he said at last, looking to the ground, a distant look in his eyes.
"But Koenma-"
"Not now, Botan. It's a long story as it is; you'll hear it when we get there, I'm sure. Juro never could resist a good story." He shrugged Botan off of him and stood, brushing off his pants. It was time he went to face the music, so to speak. Considering Yusuke would be there, it was more like 'face the crap'. Botan bit her lip and sighed, standing beside him.
"If you say so, Koenma. If you sasy so..." She turned and slowly trudged back to the temple. Koenma watched her go, a forlorn look on his face.
"You were there, Botan," he told himself as she disappeared inside. "But no doubt you don't remember a thing..."
-----
The temple was quiet by the time Koenma had managed to scrounge up the courage to face the others. Or maybe it was because it was getting too cold to stand outside in his little 'hiding place'. Either way, he winced as the door creaked open, the brisk night air following him inside. Once the door slid shut firmly behind him, he began the long trek toward his bedroom, attempting not to make any noise. It would seem, however, that it wouldn't matter; Yusuke was waiting for him before he got so much as halfway down the hall.
"Where've you been?" Yusuke grunted, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall. In the dim light Koenma could only see a dim outline of the former Spirit Detective and the glint of his eyes as he shifted his head.
"Around," Koenma replied, feeling very much like a teenager in trouble with the parents, despite he was several hundred years Yusuke's senior.
"You know we're leaving tomorrow... Doesn't make sense that you'd try to leave."
"If you talked to Botan, then you should know that I couldn't."
"Why not?"
"Because, Yusuke. Because." He sighed, running a hand over his face. "Now really isn't the time. We need to rest. Juro won't be pleased if we show up exhausted."
"I didn't say I was stopping you, Koenma."
"You implied it."
"Whatever."
"Still the arrogant teenager," Koenma said as Yusuke walked away, a note of humor in his voice.
"Yeah, well, you're still a toddler." Yusuke laughed, turning around and blinking in the dark, before disappearing into another room. Smirking, Koenma entered his own room and collapsed on the bed, shutting his eyes without bothering to undress.
------
Koenma groaned, burying his head under his pillow as someone opened the curtains (Yukina's idea) of the room. It was far too early to get up; the last time he had actually gotten out of bed at this time in the morning had been... Well, he didn't particularly want to think about that. They'd be doing plenty of that later. A moment of silence passed, filled only by the distinct mutterings that sounded suspiciously like Yusuke. Maybe they'd let him sleep after all...
"Ack!" Koenma shouted as something, or rather two somethings, jumped on his back.
"Koenma, get up!" The first voice was quickly identified to be Michio as he bounced on Koenma's back.
"Dad says you need to get moving or you'll never make it to that place far, far away," the other voice sounded, holding rather still for a young child. It could only be Toshi, then; no other child of the Reikai Tantei could hold still long enough.
"Tell him he can just-" Koenma began in a growl before he was suddenly tossed off the bed, a cackling Michio hanging over the bed, pointing at him.
"Hah! Dad said I could do it!" The children scrambled out of the room as Koenma rose, a glare planted on his face. He grinned once they left, however, and shut the door, quickly changing into a clean set of clothes. Arriving at Juro's was something he dreaded, but he might as well get it over with. What did he have to lose, anyway? Reikai was already lost...
Yawning, Koenma entered the hall, setting off at a leisurely place. Although he had accepted the fact there was no avoiding this, he wasn't looking forward to it by any means. He deserved to take as long as he wanted. The silence unnerved him, however. There were several children running about in the Temple, along with a crazy group of demons, four Tantei that were known for their squabbles as much as their skills, a few women who more likely than not would be nagging at said Detectives, Genkai whom he expected little to no sound from, and himself, which was rather self-explanatory.
"ACK! THA'S MY EAR!"
Well, so much for that idea.
He sighed as he slid open the door, sunlight streaming into the hall. There was a rather comical, yet still sad, bustle of activity around the portal. The children seemed intent on sobbing their hearts out as their parents said their good byes; it was something they didn't quite understand. Still, a few found time to yank Jin's ear now and again, or spit at Shishiwakamaru and Suzuka.
"Ready to go, then?" Genkai appeared at Koenma's side, a soft look adorning her features as she watched the scene before them come to an end. Children clung to the remaining demons, their parents waving goodbye as they stepped through the portal.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Koenma sighed, trudging down the steps. With a slight wave to those remaining behind, he stepped through into the Makai.
------
"Oh, this place gives me the creeps!" Keiko shivered as she huddled closer to Yusuke. Their group had been walking for hours now, and as far as anyone could tell they were nowhere near where they were supposed to be.
"Where is Juro's place, anyway?" Kuwabara asked, shoving a tree branch aside, secretly hoping it would smack Hiei in the face as it flung back; the latter was too short and it swung towards Kurama, who barely managed to duck. "...Sorry."
"Near here, I'm sure," Genkai replied, turning her hard gaze on Koenma, who fidgeted slightly under the penetrating look. The Prince directed his attention to the land ahead, eyes narrowing as he spotted an unusually large tree. "Something familiar?" Koenma walked up to the tree, studying the wide crack that ran through it. Oh, yes, he remembered.
"We're almost there," he said quietly, trudging on ahead, an unreadable look on his face as he passed the group by. Yusuke shrugged and headed after him with Keiko, as the others fell out of their slight daze and followed suit. When they caught up to the former toddler, they found him standing before a massive temple, seeming out of place in the forest surrounding them. It appeared old and deserted, the gurgle of a nearby creek sounding in the distance.
"Well, this the place or not?" Yusuke asked, ever impatient.Keiko glared at her husband before returning her attention to Koenma.
"This is it," Koenma replied, moving forward and beginning the long journey up the stairs. So many memories came flooding back; memories that he had tried to hard to forget. He had kept them guarded in the corners of his mind, out of reach from even Hiei. Now, however, there was no stopping them. They were memories that, while not completely horrible, filled him with such sadness and loneliness, he didn't know what to do with himself. No doubt he'd have to hide them and more all again, once this fiasco was finished. If they lived.
Koenma slid open the front door without hesitation; it didn't matter what he felt about coming back. They had arrived, and there was no turning back. Everything felt so familiar, it almost scared him. It still seemed to be beyond his comprehension that they had returned. That he would see Juro again.
"Koenma."
He knew that voice. Dread swelling up inside him, Koenma nodded at the figure before them. That was the Juro he remembered; a bit on the tall side, blue eyes swirling with emotions that would take forever to sort through. His black hair, which from what Koenma greying hair was now completely white. But it was still Juro.
"I wasn't sure you would come. All right, all of you, inside, inside, you're letting in cold air." He waved his hand impatiently as the group huddled inside.
"Well, we're here now, aren't we?" Koenma glared at Juro, daring him to tell everyone what he had hidden. He didn't want it revealed, and would much rather keep it a secret. The old youkai, however, would see it went otherwise, regardless of what Koenma wanted; he figured it was better to get it over with. Juro sighed, shaking his head.
"It's been a long time, Koenma; too long," he said, eyeing the group behind the Prince with interest. Soon enough, however, his attention drifted back to the demi-god. "Word on the street is you aren't exactly Spirit Detective anymore."
