Black and Blue

by Liz Inc

[EDIT] He had found her, he had loved her, and he had lost her. But due to fate's merciful and mysterious ways, he inexplicably manages to cross paths with her once more. The only problem is that he's not exactly the same 'demon' he used to be...[KurBo]

3. Feisty Little Fiend

Thanks to those who reviewed. Here is chapter three…

Disclaimer: Je ne possède pas Yu Yu Hakusho, mais merci de demander. :)

oooOOOooo

Chapter 3: Feisty Little Fiend

A small cry escaped her as she jumped back in surprise, her heart stalling for a brief moment before slamming into her chest. His eyes. They just…opened. And…Kami, they were the most breathtaking, golden-hue, yet…the horrible, seething passion they reflected was unsettling.

Spite, horror, angst, fury…

Sweat poured profusely from his furrowing, silver brow as his breath evaded his bloodstained lips in slow, hoarse rasps. She slowly let her eyes descend his crippled body to the massive, bloody tear that stretched all the way across his abdomen. Instinctively, her hand flew to her mouth. The only thing he had to keep his innards from escaping his shaking frame was his own hand.

Wait a minute. He was opening his mouth. Maybe to speak? Gasp for more air? Her eyes widened as he coughed and gagged instead, spurting up fresh blood in the process.

"Poor fool," she heard herself mumble. He was in quite the predicament, wasn't he?

Taking in a deep breath, she pushed aside her fear and slowly knelt down in front of him.

His eyes dangerously narrowed. It was obvious that he wanted her to go away, but…she couldn't just leave him there, could she? No. That would be something a heartless, soulless, and immoral demonic fiend would do; and there were just way too many of those running around there.

"It's okay," she whispered, gently brushing a couple of thin, silver strands out of his eyes with her soft, pale fingers. "I'm going to help you."

He obviously didn't like that answer.

Her eyes widened in horror as his hand shot out, roughly grabbed a fistful of her long, white garbs, and pulled her face close to his. His snarl was malicious, his face was contorted, and his eyes—they were on fire. But why was he doing this? She only wanted to help him!

"Please!" she managed to gasp after a few moments of painful silence. "I don't want to…I mean no harm!"

He didn't budge. His claws, however, sunk deeper into her flesh, slicing through her skin like butter. Her lips slowly parted in a silent scream as the pain pierced her body like a thousand, poisonous needles. "Stop! You're hurting me!"

She might have been mistaken, but for a quick, almost imperceptible moment, his eyes changed, reflecting something more along the lines of…

Disgust? Shame?

Grunting, he threw her backwards and coughed, struggling to swallow excess blood that was beginning to flow into his mouth and seep through his lips and teeth.

She sat there, enveloped in a silky pool of blue and white, desperately clutching her burning chest. Had he intended to kill her? But why? Were his wounds psychologically as well? Or maybe he could sense the other essence that shared her soul…

The human one.

Her eyes grew watery as she muffled a soft sob and stumbled to her feet. "My only wish is to help, not harm." She paused, briefly scanning his emotionless façade for some sort of response, plea, or apology, but…his expression remained the same: dark, foreboding, and nasty. Tears began to flow from her sparkling, amethyst eyes as she allowed her long, feathery wings to emerge from beneath her pallid skin, the cloudy, gray sky mirroring her anticipated grief with tears of its own. "You stupid fool— I can heal you! Do you not understand? Heal!"

Why did she care so much? She didn't even know this man. What was it about this situation that made her so…frustrated?

'Because,' a sinister voice retorted, deep within the confines of her throbbing mind. 'Because it reminds you of her. Her bloody corpse. Her soiled garbs. Her pain-stricken expression. Her plea for you to run. The fact that you did run. Yes. You ran. You ran like a fruitless, spineless, frivolous coward!'

"No," she whimpered aloud, bringing her trembling hands to her head. "No…"

'Yes!' the voice continued. And…Kami, it sounded so much like his. Like that satanic, raven-haired fiend's! 'Face it, you foolish girl! You…let…her…die! She is dead because of you! Because. Of. You!'

"Shut up. Just shutup!" Her cries must have reached the outskirts of the forest, for sinister, demonic birds suddenly enveloped the sky, painting it black as they echoed her screams.

That voice. It was the voice of her inner hostilities, doubts, denials, and fears. It was the voice of a war that had been waging on inside her head for so many years—so many countless years! And instead of slowly terminating as that fateful day drew further and further away, the battle was rapidly intensifying, firing relentlessly at her heart and soul.

"Please stop…"

That voice…the war…if she didn't act now, she was bound to experience some sort of volatile, mental breakdown and destroy herself. What would Kaminari think of her then? Committing suicide just because she was unable to cope with the fact that her mother's incredibly long life had abruptly ended in murder…

"Then I must end it," she silently whispered, her features relaxing. "I must end it now. That voice…it will be no more."

Angry with the fox, that murderer, but most passionately with herself, the blue-haired woman slowly stretched out her arm, pointing it directly at the bridge of the fox's nose. She ignored his shocked, baffled and awestruck expression, the hot, scalding rain as it remorselessly pelted every inch of her aching body. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and fired an invisible strand of luminescent energy from the very tip of her index finger.

So he thought she was crazy. What else was new?

"Say goodnight," she silently mouthed. Before the kitsune could register what had happened, his golden eyes drooped, his jaw relaxed, and his upper body slowly slid to the ground. "You stupid, beautiful fool."

oooOOOooo

"Botan? Botan, what the HELL are you waiting for? Botan?…BOTAN!"

The blue-haired deity gasped as she came crashing back into reality. She was currently standing at the corner of a busy intersection, waiting to cross. How long had she been daydreaming? What was it she was even dreaming about? This had been happening a lot lately: short, painful blackouts that made her eyes burn and her head pound.

"Botan! Oh for the love of—WAKE up and cross the damn street! Or have you already forgotten that we're being tailed by Koenma's little spirit squad?"

"Callie."

"What?"

"Go away."

"…Wha? What the hell is that supposed to—ack! BOTAN! WHY THE FREAKING HELL DID YOU DROP ME?" The small calico watched in horror as her life-long companion contentedly shoved her hands into the warm pocket she had once occupied, and hurried across the street…without her. Bounding after her sulking form, she roared, "YOU HEARTLESS WOMAN! I DEMAND YOU PICK ME UP, THIS INSTANT! I SWEAR, THIS IS ANIMAL CRUELTY IN ITS MOST ADVANCED FORM! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME? Dammit…BOTAN! THE GROUND IS STILL WET!"

oooOOOooo

"Well…now that Hiei's gone missing and we've finally ditched Kuwabara, what do ya say we get crackin'?"

Kurama slowly shifted his eyes in the spirit detective's direction, raising an amused brow in the process. "Cracking,' you say?"

Yusuke laughed as he and the red-haired fox slowly made their way down the dampened sidewalk located somewhere within the midst of downtown Tokyo. "Yeah, you know, as in 'let's get goin'?' Or in this specific case, 'let's start searchin'.'' I mean, the faster we get this over with, the faster I get to go home and veg-out in front of the tube."

"Ah. I see."

The spirit-detective grinned as he threw his arms behind his head and lowered his lids. "So tell me. Do you know this girl?"

Seemingly unfazed, Kurama replied, "No. I don't know her."

Struggling to suppress his surprise, the spirit detective cracked open one eye and half-laughed, half-cried: "Wha? Are you sure? Cause I was under the impression that you—"

"I love her."

Yusuke stopped dead in his tracks as his red-haired friend slowly walked on ahead, his clasped arms slowly slipping until they fell slack at his sides. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finally managing to verbalize a few of his befuddled thoughts: "So…I'm guessing that means you know her then…right?"

Kurama ceased his walk a few feet ahead. "Yes. I do."

"So why didn't you tell me about her then?"

"I did."

"You did?" Yusuke scratched his head in confusion. "Uh…when was this?"

Kurama turned towards his bewildered friend, his emerald eyes dark and cold like the sky. "Do you remember the first time I spoke to you…on the roof-top of the hospital that housed my dying mother?"

"Yeah…"

"I had briefly mentioned that I intended to return to Makai after I had finished recuperating here, in Ningenkai, because I needed to search for someone…someone that I had unintentionally left behind, did I not?"

Yusuke racked his brain for a moment, bringing a finger to his forehead. "Yeah…yeah, I think I remember. Cause then you said that you would have left five or six years ago, had your mom not fallen ill."

Kurama nodded. "That is correct." He paused for a moment, his forehead scrunching up in what appeared to be anger…with himself. "You know, even though I know the truth behind my painstakingly difficult decisions, I still feel as if I had willingly chosen to abandon her." He looked away after he finished, concealing his troubled eyes behind their lids.

Yusuke frowned as he followed the lead of his friend who had started to walk again. "Maybe I've misunderstood something, but…shouldn't the fact that we're about to find this broad make you somewhat, oh, I dunno…happy?"

"It only seems logical, doesn't it?" came his soft reply.

"Well yeah. I mean you said yourself that you loved her, so…why do you still seem to be so troubled by all of this?"

"Because," Kurama began, letting out a long, tired sigh. "Botan knew me as Youko Kurama. She never knew me as Shuichi Minamino."

Yusuke snorted. "So? When we find her, you can tell her! It's not like you gotta keep it a secret!"

"Really? Who's to say that she'll believe me?" the kitsune half-retorted, refusing to face the boy that strolled next to him. "Who's to say that she'll remember me?"

"Kurama, I don't under—"

"It's been over fifteen years since I left her, and I did it without saying so much as a goodbye." He lowered his face towards the ground, obscuring his handsome features behind his long, red mane. "Who's to say that she's forgiven me?"

The only reply that followed the fox's despondent words was the sound of the light rain as it came in contact with the cold, wet ground, their footsteps as they splashed through unavoidable, shallow puddles, and their soft breathing as it escaped their mouths in visible, white puffs of air…

Silence.

oooOOOooo

Hiei was not happy; not happy at all. In fact, he was so unhappy that he was pissed. Royally pissed. Then again, he had every right to be, didn't he? After all, anyone who had undergone the agonizing process required to insert a mystic eye into their heads had every right to expect it to work properly and efficiently; not lead them in goddamn, mother-fucking circles like a brainless dog on a leash.

"Stupid…why the hell am I doing this again?" he seethed aloud as he soundlessly and sightlessly leapt from tree-top to tree-top. "Ah yes, I remember now: because Koenma is a complete and utter dumbass. That's why."

He ceased his quick, imperceptible bounding as he landed atop a thick branch that sat amidst the dense foliage of a tall Red Maple. It appeared that his Jagan eye had led him to a large, open, park-like area that sat directly across from a busy intersection. Strange thing was that it was the exact same park and intersection that his eye had insisted he visit four times before…

'What the hell! Is she evading my eye? No…that's just not possible, because A) my Jagan eye is never wrong, and B) she isn't even aware that I exist. Unless…' His angry thoughts came to an abrupt halt as a harsh realization distressingly dawned upon him 'Why that little bitch! She must have known the girl's location all along…which explains her unanticipated visit to Reikai. She must have wanted to know what Koenma was up to, and once found out, she left to go inform her missing friend." He growled viciously under his breath, his pitch-black aura livid with spite and fury. 'I swear, if I ever see that damn cat again, I'll skin her alive.'

He was about to teleport away when a familiar voice reached his ears. It was soft, indicating that its owner must have been at least a couple blocks away, but it was also telepathic, so he was able to figure out whom it belonged to without giving it much thought.

A sadistic smirk crossed his lips as he unsheathed his sword. "Heh. Looks like the little bitch found me. I'll have to remember to thank her…after I finish skinning her, of course."

And just as quickly as he arrived, the black-haired apparition was gone.

oooOOOooo

"Aw, come ON, Botan! Say something already, will ya?"

"Something."

Callie stopped in mid-walk, a front and back foot poised immobile in mid-air. Then, as if she had suddenly received a massive kick to her behind, she bolted forward, puffed out her fur, and took a nasty swing at the one of the girl's legs. "NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! That is NOT what I meant! And I KNOW that you know that that is not what I meant! So quit playing games with me and SNAP THE FRICKEN HELL OUT OF—"

"Callie."

The kitty quickly ceased her ranting and stared up at morose girl with wide, circular eyes. "Yes, m'darlin'?"

Botan shifted her narrowed, amethyst gaze in her companion's direction, continuing to walk as if nothing had happened. "Tone it down a bit will ya? They'll hear you."

Callie let out a vicious howl before retorting, "What the HELL! Are you SERIOUS? I'M SPEAKING TO YOU TELEPATHICALLY, YOU STUPID DUMB—"

"I wasn't referring to them," the blue-haired girl snapped, pointing to a couple of oblivious bystanders. "I was referring to Koenma's little search party."

Embarrassed by the fact that she had been one word away from calling her loveable Mistress an 'ass,' the calico softly replied "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I…I kinda forgot about them."

Botan rolled her eyes. "I know. Which is precisely why I reminded you." They walked on in silence for a couple of moments before she added, "Can you feel them?"

The tiny calico paused in mid-walk for a moment to shake out her fur. "Yes. And it's quite unnerving, if ya ask me." She shivered. "Hey, now that we're on speaking terms again, do you think you could pick me up?"

As they rounded a bend in the road that led to a more quiet and desolate section of the darkening city, the purple-eyed demoness smirked. "No."

Callie gasped, her mouth falling agape to reveal several, shark-like teeth. "Wha? But why?"

"I don't feel like it."

"But…but I can make myself REALLY really small! Yeah! You won't even be able to tell that I'm there! …Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Uh-uh."

"Erm…pretty please with sugar on top?"

"No."

"How about with whipped cream?"

"That's like eating gelatin in foam form."

"Okay, forget the whipped cream. How about chocolate chips?"

"I prefer vanilla."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"'Yes', as in you'll pick me up?"

"How about 'no,' as in 'forget it?'"

"What if I make it vanilla chips?"

"No."

"What the—who doesn't like vanilla chips?"

"Callie?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Why you little…(mumbles something inaudible). Okay. What if I were to put a cherry on top?"

"Cherries have pits. Pits are gross."

"Aw, come ON Botan!"

"Hey. What'd I say about that mouth of yours?"

"Erm…oh! If you pick me up, I promise that I'll keep my abnormally-large-mouth shut for the rest of the day! …Or night. I can't exactly tell which it is anymore."

"No."

"...Wha? Are you KIDDING me? How much longer am I going to have to beg before you finally give in?"

"I dunno. A while."

"What the…! Do you realize just how UTTERLY ridiculous you are being right now? I mean, how hard could it possibly be to pick me up off the ground? I'm a two-pound kitten for Kami's sake!"

"Forgive me. I think I'm coming down with a serious case of lethargy."

Callie growled, but didn't respond.

Botan's smirk returned. "What, no snappy comeback?"

Silence.

"Well fine then. It's about time you shut up any—"

The deity was cut off as an unnatural burst of air and energy whizzed past her face, knocking her hood straight off her head.

It appeared that the two of them were no longer alone…

"Sorry to cut your little conversation short, but I have more important things to do then listen to the two of you ramble on about nothing in particular."

Botan stiffened, but did not turn around. "Callie…come here."

The unseen character laughed. "Heh. I'm afraid that she's a little…preoccupied at the moment. But you wouldn't know that, would you? Not unless you have eyes in the back of your head."

Callie let out a vicious howl. "You GODDAMN son of a fucking BITCH! GET THE HELL OFFA ME, BEFORE I—eep!"

"I'd keep your pathetic mouth shut if I were you, wench. You're in no position to order me around."

Tightening her fists, the blue haired deity quickly spun around, causing her long, silky mane to swish around her head and body. Her eyes widened in disgust at the sight that lay before her: there was a strange, male apparition, decked in black, towering over her feline friend; and he had the tip of a long, sharp sword directed at the very center of her furry neck. She bit her tongue as Callie flashed a desperate look. "Get the hell away from her."

The man smirked. "Not until you agree to return to Reikai."

Botan narrowed her darkening, amethyst eyes. "I knew that Koenma had sent a spirit detective after me, but I wasn't aware that he had resorted to hiring vicious assassins as backup. He must have been pretty damn desperate." She glanced down at Callie who was currently cowering under her captor's blade, wheezing as his foot pressed her harder into the pavement. "Hiei…was it?"

The black haired apparition snarled. "What do you take me for? A Fool? I know that she's telepathically feeding you information as we speak, so you can cut the psychological crap. It won't work on me."

Botan scoffed. "What the hell are you talking about? She told me about you boys earlier. Do you have no grasp of time?" She shook her head. "Now…would you mind releasing her?" A vicious snarl spread across her lips as she gingerly cracked each of the knuckles on her right hand. "You're starting to suffocate her."

Hiei slowly shook his head in sarcastic dismay. "I'm afraid that I can't do that. You have yet to make a decision."

"Regarding the current situation?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you mocking me?"

Botan smirked. "Actually, I was just about to refuse to comply with your demands."

Callie squeaked in terror as the blade pressed deeper into her skin. "Bo…tan?"

"Now release her before I—(yawn)—get really pissed. Excuse me. I haven't had much sleep this week."

Hiei's mouth fell agape. "Why you imprudent, little…you are mocking me, aren't you? Just because I appear to be less of a challenge than most other demons you've encountered." His shocked expression grew sadistic. "It's a shame you underestimate me." He lowered his crimson gaze towards the shivering feline that sat helpless beneath him. "Because I'm really going to enjoy skinning this bitchy, little—oof!"

The speedy apparition gasped in horror as a foot materialized out of nowhere and relentlessly slammed into the side of his face. Winded, he flew a couple of feet off to the side and crashed hard into the empty street, cracking the concrete.

Callie coughed and gasped as she rolled over onto her side, changing into her human form in the process. "Ug..."

Botan rushed to her side. "Are you okay?" She cursed bitterly underneath her breath. "He cut you."

The feminine feline forced a weak smile. "Eh, it's nothing that I can't…oh. Thank you."

The blue-haired deity flashed the girl a quick, reassuring smile as she removed her glowing head from her neck. "You're welcome. Now hurry up and get really, really small. We gotta move quickly. Backup is bound to arrive at any moment…"

Callie snorted. "Oh, so now you're willing to carry me…tch. Figures." She shrunk down into a tiny, black-haired kitten no larger than a fist. "How's this?"

"Good, now get in." She motioned to the large, gray pocket in the front of her sweatshirt. As Callie climbed in, she added, "And that guy was so not attractive."

Callie grunted, although since she was so small, it sounded more like a squeak. "CORRECTION: he WAS appealing, but after THAT little incident, his level of attractiveness has been reduced to that of ZERO."

Ignoring her silly comment, Botan stood up from the ground and brushed herself off, gently patting the pocket to ensure her friend was tucked in securely. "Now hold on. Things are bound to get rough."

"Er…maybe I shouldn't have made myself quite so young. My claws are exactly fully develooOOOOAAAAAAGH! DON'T LEAP SO HIGH! DON'T LEAP SO GODDAMN HIGH!"

The blue-haired deity grinned, wordlessly watching Hiei's motionless body grow smaller and smaller as they flew higher and higher into the air, and out of sight.

oooOOOooo

"Did you feel that?"

"I did."

"Where the hell did it come from?"

"I believe a few miles back; in the more deserted section of the city."

Yusuke spun around and threw his head in either direction. "Do you think it was her?"

Kurama didn't reply right away. Instead, he closed his eyes, slowly slid his hands into his pockets, and lowered his head, concentrating hard on the sudden burst of energy that had filled the air. While he knew that some of it had belonged to Hiei, the other half of it was utterly foreign to him. "I'm…I'm not sure."

"Well if it was her," Yusuke began, squinting his light-brown eyes as he stared off into the distance, "then I'd like to know what caused her to power up like that. Unless…shit, do you think Hiei found her?"

The kitsune snapped his emerald eyes open. "So you sensed Hiei as well?"

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah. I did. And I'm worried about it to. The guy doesn't exactly tend to handle things in the most gentlemanly sort of way…if you know what I mean."

"I do. Which is why I suggest we hurry—"

"THERE YOU ARE! I was starting to think you were avoiding me or something because I couldn't find you!"

Kurama and Yusuke exchanged sheepish looks as Kuwabara approached them from behind, a large ice-cream cone in hand.

"I got hungry, so I decided to stop for some frozen yogurt. Want some?" He shoved the dripping vanilla ooze under his black-haired friend's nose.

Yusuke laughed nervously, waving his hands in front of his face. "Um, that's okay. Kurama and I were just about to head down south. We think we've found her."

Kuwabara shoved the rest of the cone in his mouth. "O-kuhay. Sihounds gud ra be."

"Dude! Either take smaller bites or swallow! Geeze. Sometimes I wonder if there's actually a brain up there."

The orange-haired boy did as he had been instructed, but only so he could conjure up a nasty snarl. "Shut up, Urameshi. You've got no right to say things that also pertain to you."

"I'll pretend like I didn't hear that," came his seething reply.

"Do you really think it's wise for all of us head in the same direction? Perhaps we should split up. Cover more ground?" Kurama interjected.

Yusuke, ignoring Kuwabara's insane death looks, nodded. "Sounds like a plan. How about you head down south, I head east, and the buffoon over here heads west? We can forget north because—"

"Hey, who ya callin' buffoon?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes and sighed. "Would you get over yourself, man? We've got work to do!"

"Yes, I agree."

The spirit detective raised a black brow as he shifted his gaze in the fox's direction. "With the fact that Kuwabara needs to get over himself?"

Kurama grinned and slowly shook his head. "Actually, I was referring to the directions you proposed we take."

Kuwabara pouted, bitterly crossing his arms. "Okay fine. Pretend like I'm not here and that it's perfectly okay to make fun of me...TO MY FREAKING FACE!"

But the other two boys did not hear him, for they were already heading off in their respected directions.

Kuwabara's brow began to furiously furrow. "And walk away from me while I'm trying to defend myself…yeah." He then moped off in the opposite direction Yusuke had gone, hoping that their search would come to a quick close, because, well…

He was sort of starting to get hungry again.

"Aw man! And I spent my last few bucks on that jumbo waffle cone!" He frowned as he turned out his empty pockets, but his dismay quickly vanished as a semi-bright idea came crashing into him: "Hey! Maybe I can stop at home for like five minutes and grab a quick bite to eat! I mean, I do believe that it's on the way...yeah! I will! Besides, the guys will never know, especially since...well, they're not here!" He grinned evilly and broke off into something between a clumsy skip and a run.

Once he had reached his apartment complex, he slowed to a walk. "I wonder what time it is. Maybe dinner's ready or something." As he approached his front door, a loud, intense crash reverberated across the darkening sky, startling him half-to-death. "What the…?" Curiosity getting the best of him, Kuwabara retracted his hand from the doorknob and, supposing that the sound had originated from somewhere behind the building, slowly made his way into the back alley.

At first glance, the long, dark road looked completely desolate, aside from an old man who was throwing away a bag of garbage a couple yards down. "Huh. I guess it was nothi—"

"SHIT! That REALLY, really hurt! Grrr—note to self: the next time Botan suggests you get REALLY small so she can jump REALLY high…REFUSE!"

Kuwabara froze. 'Did that freaky, little voice just say 'Botan?'"

"BOTAN! WHERE THE FRICKEN HELL ARE YOU?"

'Yup. It sure did.'

Hearing a soft rustling sound originate from one of the large, open garbage bins, Kuwabara slowly pivoted on his feet and stared at the metal box like it was some sort of foreign object, his coal-black eyes wide as saucers. Half-expecting a person to come crawling out, his mouth widened in disbelief as a small, black kitten clawed its way out of the smelly debris and hopped to the ground "Uh…"

"Stupid pocket…stupid garbage…STUPID CLAWS! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO FAIL ME? WHY? I DEMAND AN EXPLA— uh-oh…"

Kuwabara started down at the kitten in utter horror. "I so did not just hear you talk. Because cats are not supposed to talk."

The kitten grimaced. 'Uh-oh Callie, think fast!' She meowed softly.

"Wait a minute…"

'Crap!' She meowed again.

"Wait...a...minute!"

Callie meowed yet again, except this time with much more gusto.

"Yes, yes, it's all coming back to me!"

'Oh shit…'

"I remember you now!"

'No you don't, no you don't, no you don't!'

"You're that shape-shifting feline Urameshi and I met in Reikai! The one that kicked Hiei's ass so fricken hard, he lost his ability to sit! Ha ha! Yeah! I just can't seem to remember your—hey, wait a minute. Where are you going?"

'No, you stupid twit! Don't FOLLOW me!'

Kuwabara bounded after the kitten that had suddenly bolted off down the alley, struggling to avoid large bags of garbage that had fallen into the middle of the road. "Wait! I know it's you! I remember your voice! And you have the ability to change into any kind of cat, right? So it would make sense as to why you're now small and fury as opposed to huge and ferocious! Aw, come on! I just want to know your name! I forgot!"

'Oh, shove it up your goddamn ass and quit FOLLOWING ME!' Callie mentally screamed. 'SHIT! Botan can't come down to retrieve me if this stupid moron's tailing me!'

"HERE KITTY KITTY! COME TO KUWABARA!"

'If I do that, then I may be forced to tear out your fucking VOICE BOX, you imbecile!'

Kuwabara chased her for a couple more yards until she darted underneath a tall, wooden fence and disappeared from sight.

"NO! WAIT!"

"Heh, heh— SO LONG SUCKER!"

"Hey! Who you callin'…eh, forget it." The defeated boy let out a long, tired sigh as he slowed to a halt, turned around, and headed back home. "At least now I know I'm not crazy…sheesh. I don't think that I'll ever look at Eikichi the same way again."

oooOOOooo

"Feisty little fiend," Hiei mumbled as he picked himself up off the ground, dusted off, and re-sheathed his sword. "She is going to pay for that."

He was about to teleport away when he sensed a familiar aura approach him from behind. "You know, it's too bad you weren't here three seconds ago. I could've used some of your irrefutable persuasive skills."

"What did you do, Hiei?" came his curt reply.

The black-haired apparition seethed as he whirled around to face the speaker. "What did I do! More like, 'what did she do!' Did you not just see me face down in the concrete?"

"I cannot believe that Botan would have willingly attacked you without the proper incentive," Kurama replied sternly. When his partner didn't respond right away, he continued: "So I am going to ask you once more: what did you do?"

Hiei crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders. "What does it matter? What's done is done."

Kurama gave him a disbelieving look. "Hiei, the purpose of this mission is to try and retrieve the girl; not impel her to vanish."

"That's what I was doing…'retrieving' her," the three-eyed demon retorted, making little quote signs in the air to emphasize his point. It was something he had seen the spirit detective do on numerous occasions and found it to be rather amusing.

"I see. And why is it that I don't believe you?" the kitsune replied, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know. I'm not you, am I?" came his sarcastic response.

Kurama sighed. "No, I suppose not. But your suspicious behavior has lost you your freedom." He motioned for the angry sprite to follow with a wave of his hand. "Come. We're going to search together."

"Whatever."

oooOOOooo

Callie, upon picking up the pleasant scent of her missing escort, quickly rounded the corner of the long strip mall she had been dashing alongside and entered a dark, desolate alleyway. Trashcans and garbage bins chaotically lined the fortifications of either of the surrounding buildings, giving the dark and dreary atmosphere a rather unpleasant odor. The miniature feline cringed as the foul aroma imprudently invaded her sensitive nostrils.

"Dirty humans."

She spotted her awaiting companion standing somewhere towards the end of the creepy road, leaning casually against the left-hand building's grimy, brickwall with her head lowered, arms folded, and legs semi-crossed. She didn't even look up as she muttered: "Nice one, Callie. Real nice."

The furry, black kitten hissed vehemently. "Oh, shut up! It's not my fault that stupid oaf heard me, remembered who I was, and decided it'd be fun to CHASE me for a mile and a half!"

"First of all, it was a block and a half. Second...yes, it is your fault."

"And it's NOT my fault that my claws didn't hold!"

"Um…yes it is."

"No, ya know what? This is all YOUR fault because YOU were the one that insisted on doing cutesy little flips and summersaults every time you jumped, making it SO much easier for me to slip out…AND I DID!"

"Just shut up and come here. I don't want any more close encounters." As the deity bent down to snatch up her feisty, little friend, an eerie chill ascended her spine, causing her to pause in mid-bend. She recovered quickly though, stuffing the cursing cat into her sweatshirt and straightening stiffly. "Fuck."

"What? Gotta pee?" inquired a tiny voice from below.

Botan cautiously exited the alleyway, scanning the near-empty street with narrowed amethyst eyes. "Quiet. We've got company."

"(gasp) Are you serious? Oh, for the love of—this isn't my fault, I SWEAR!" Callie vociferously whispered, peaking her furry, black head out of one end of the pocket.

Botan removed her hood from her head with a swift sweep of her hand, freeing her long, blue mane from its cramped prison. "Show yourself," she hissed, staring vehemently at a shadowed area a few yards down. "I know you're there."

A few moments later, a tall, dark haired boy stepped fourth into the light. Holding up his hands, he carefully advanced a couple of inches and said: "I know what it looks like, but I can assure you…it's not what you think."

"Oh really?" Botan snapped, tightening her fists. "And just what exactly do you suppose I'm thinking?"

The boy took a couple more steps forward, lowering his hands as he replied: "I'm not like the last guy you encountered; I'm all for pain-free negotiation."

The deity's tense expression deadpanned. "Um…that's nice."

"More like stupid."

The intruder ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Look. Had I any idea that stalking women was part of a Spirit Detective's job description, I would have reconsidered being resurrected and gone to Hell. I mean, let's be honest: I'd be way better than walking around with broken balls all the time."

Botan raised a brow, her upper lip curling into a disgusted snarl. "You're right, Callie. This guy is a dumb-ass."

The feline snorted. "Told ya."

The detective nervously scratched the back of his head. "Actually, the name's Yusuke; Yusuke Ura—"

"What the hell does Koenma want from me?" Botan snapped, carelessly cutting him off. "I've run away plenty of times before and he's let me be. What makes this time so special?"

Yusuke frowned. "You really want to know?"

"Of COURSE we really want to know! What do take us for, hypocrites?"

"Shut up, Callie…yes. I would like to know; especially since my personal space is being tirelessly invaded by you and your nasty friends."

The spirit detective paused for a moment. "How about I explain Koenma's dim-witted shenanigans...on the way back to Reikai?"

Botan's curious expression grew vicious as she growled: "Wrong answer."

"Hey, wait a minute. Okay, okay! Forget what I said! How about I—"

"How about no?" The blue-haired deity sneered, shoving Callie's head back into her pocket. "Good-bye."

"No, wait! Wait! I'm sorry, I didn't meant to—"

But it was too late. She was already gone.

Yusuke slammed his fist into a nearby wall. "Dammit! Me and my stupid big mouth!" He sighed and slid his hands into his pockets. "I am totally taking a nap after this wild goose chase is over. Women can be so infuriating."

oooOOOooo

Night had finally fallen, although it was really hard to tell since the sky was still enveloped in gloomy, gray storm clouds. Streetlights buzzed and flickered on and off as Kurama and Hiei strolled vigilantly beneath them, giving the desolate road a bit of a sinister feel.

Suddenly, Hiei came to an abrupt halt, instinctively reaching for his sword. "Wait a minute."

"What?"

"There."

"Where? What are you—Hiei!"

The honey-eyed demon quickly whizzed away, appearing a few seconds later atop a tall, office building across the street.

"Dammit," Kurama cursed, bolting after him. "He's being reckless again."

Once he was atop the building, Hiei carefully scanned his surroundings. 'I know she was here. I sensed her less then a—heh. There you are…'

Zipping across the roof, Hiei leapt onto the roof of a neighboring building, stopping directly in front of his startled prey.

"You!"

"Him!"

Hiei smirked as he unsheathed his sword. "Are you prepared to suffer the consequences of your prior actions?"

Botan scowled, tightening her fists. "Not particularly."

He cackled maliciously. "Too bad."

Callie gasped in horror as the sadistic man came hurdling towards them, primed to slice them into pieces. 'Oh no he doesn't…' Snapping her jaw tightly shut, the brave little kitten leapt from her companion's pocket, transforming into a full-fledged lion in the process. As her clawed paws came in contact with the swordsman's body, she shifted directions, shoving them both off edge of the building. "NOW, BOTAN! RUN!"

Botan covered her mouth with her hand as she watched the two tumble 20-plus stories to the ground. "Callie! You're such a stupid fool!" Tears even threatened to pour from her sparkling, amethyst eyes, but she forcefully withheld them. She had cried so much over the past fifteen years—wasted so many countless tears. And for what? Because she had been forced to watch her mother die? Because she had been betrayed by the only person she had ever loved? Or was it merely because she was feeling sorry for herself? Sorry that she was, and always would be, alone?

Just as she was about to bolt off, a strange, unfamiliar presence appeared behind her. She snarled viciously as she whirled around to face it, her silky hair whipping in the wind. This time, a tall, red-haired boy with vivid emerald eyes was the obstacle that lay in her path. So this was the fourth and final moron that had been assigned to hunt her down: the pretty redhead. Yes, the fourth person she had encountered in the last twelve hours who was unreservedly bent on bringing her back to Reikai; back to that ever-needy Lord and his stupid servants. Well FYI: she had had enough.

Biting back the urge to scream, she hissed, "Why? Why won't you all just leave me the hell alone?"

He spoke to softly, never once attempting to raise his tone: "I'm sorry to disturb you like this, and...I know that you're probably terribly sick of listening to the same, selfish request, but…it's for your own good."

Narrowing her eyes, she retorted, "For my own good? My own good? You call stalking me until I go mentally insane good? What the fuck do you know about what's best for me?" She paused, lowering her voice to a frightening whisper as she added: "You don't even know me."

The boy's expression remained blank, as did his eyes. It was almost as if he were a hollow shell, a shadow of another being, or a robot of mechanical nature. How could anyone be so emotionless? It was unnatural. Unnatural and unsettling "You're right. Forgive me if I seem invasive."

Botan stared at him like he was some sort of psychotic fiend. "Forgive you? Just who the hell do you think you are?" She paused, inhaling deeply. "Better yet, why are you still here? Because, yes, as a matter of fact you are being invasive! And no, I do not forgive you!"

He didn't respond to her sudden outburst, nor did he seem to overly react in any way. Instead, he held out his hand and said: "If you come with me, I promise to explain everything."

Her eyes narrowed. Typical male asshole. They may have all looked different on the outside, but on the inside they were all the same! "Fuck you."

"Please. I mean you no harm. And I apologize if any of my teammates made you feel otherwise."

Botan didn't take his hand, but she didn't run either. For some reason, she got the feeling that no matter how far or fast she ran, someone would always be waiting for her at the end, ready to take her away. That's what her life was like, though: one, big lose-lose situation.

So what to do? If she went with him, all of her questions would be answered, the detectives would stand down, and she would be left alone. And yet, at the same time, if she resigned, she would be willingly submitting to the demands of four, thick-headed adolescents; and being compliant with incompetent members of the opposite sex was not something she found to be very attractive…

"Botan."

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "What."

"Come with me."

The blue-haired deity scowled and shoved her hands into her pockets, swatting his hand away with own. "Fine. Just…just don't touch me."

The redhead nodded curtly. "Of course."

Yes, she would go, but not for him. Not for him, that pompous spirit detective, Koenma—nobody. If she was going to go, it would be for herself—maybe Callie—but no one else. After all, she was a loner. She did things her own way. And if people weren't willing to accept that, well then…

They could go screw themselves.

"You're making the right decision."

She glared at the solemn boy out of the corner of her narrowed eyes and scowled. "Shut up."

Screw him and phony politeness.

Screw it all.

oooOOOooo