YYF14: Yay! The document manager is letting me post! Okay, thank you, agapeNuria, for reviewing. This story's getting close to the ending. Two more chapters after this one, I'm thinking, and then it's going to be another long story. There is a hint in the second paragraph here, and in the next chapter. Well, nothing much else to say, so... R&R, peoples!

The group began the journey back to the temple. Now that they knew the terrain, it went quicker than it had taken getting there, but it still took too long for Yusuke's comfort. All in all, it took them about half an hour to get back to the temple, and Botan was quickly woken up, along with Yukina. The two were shocked at "how much trouble the boys could get into in one night," but they were very helpful, and soon everyone except Yusuke and Koenma were A-okay. Yusuke's cuts were healed, but they would still leave bruises for a few days, since they were deep. As for Koenma's injuries… all Botan was able to do was slow the blood flow. It was harder to heal a spiritual being, she said, because they have a different body makeup than that of a human, and healing was a very different process with them.

"D'you think he'll be okay?" Yusuke asked as Botan was tying a cloth around Koenma's forehead.

"I sure hope so, Yusuke," Botan replied. "Even if his injuries heal physically, they may not heal mentally. This was a very traumatic experience. Being taken twice, and violently, and then being whipped with a demonic device… This isn't the sort of thing that goes away in a few days. He'll probably have nightmares. You have to be gentle with him. His vacation that his father put him on lasts until September, and then you two have a very strange mission that I don't know all the details about."

"At least he'll get some chance to rest," Yusuke said, shrugging.

"Yes… Oh dear…"

"What is it, Botan?"

"That whip. Do you know anything about it, besides how it looks?"

"No, why?"

"Because it was a demonic whip, and it might have some nasty side effects."

Yusuke sighed exasperatedly. "Why does everything weird have to happen this week? First, I find out Koenma's hurting himself, then I find out we're soul mates, then I tell Keiko and she gets pissed at me, then Koenma gets taken away and tortured by Sensui, we all get knocked up, and now I find out he might get some stupid side effect from a stupid demonic whip! Why can't life slow down?"

"He'll be okay, Yusuke."

"But we don't know that! God…"

Botan patted his arm comfortingly. "Even if there's an effect, it won't be a bad one," she said reassuringly. "The energy doesn't feel dangerous."

Yusuke shrugged. "I guess."

-------

Three days later, Yusuke was sitting next to Koenma's bed, worried. Koenma had been asleep this whole time, and not even Genkai knew exactly why. Genkai had suggested that maybe his body needed extra time to heal because of the severity of the injuries.

At noon, Botan came in and sat next to Yusuke, handing him a bowl of soup.

"You need to eat, Yusuke. He'll be fine."

Yusuke didn't say anything, accepting the soup and starting to eat. Botan frowned anxiously. Yusuke had been like this since they had gotten back. He hadn't left Koenma's side. She understood that it was hard for you to have your soul mate injured and not be able to do anything about it, but Yusuke had to just relax. A few silent minutes later, the two heard a small noise that sounded like a groan. Botan blinked.

"Yusuke, did you hear-?"

Yusuke shushed her, and they listened again. This time they heard a sigh like the one you make when you wake up. Yusuke's eyes widened.

"Koenma…?"

Koenma sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He looked over at Yusuke and Botan, both who were very relieved that he had woken up.

"Hey, Yusuke, Botan." A delighted look came over Yusuke's face.

"K-chan! You're okay!"

Koenma shrugged, looking to the side. "I guess… Yusuke, where's the Mafuukan?"

"It's in my pocket," Yusuke said, perplexed at how Koenma was acting. It didn't seem right. He took the Mafuukan out of his pocket and gave it to Koenma, who put it in his mouth.

"…Yusuke? Botan? Could I be alone for a minute?"

Yusuke blinked, confused, but nodded. "Sure…" He and Botan left, but stayed right outside the door.

Once they had left, Koenma sighed and hugged his knees to his chest. That had felt so awkward, with Yusuke… now he was in a conflict of whether he could continue to love, or if what Sensui had said was true and he shouldn't love because he didn't deserve to. It was so confusing… He looked down at himself and sighed again. Cuts and bruises covered his chest, arms, back… new, more painful marks had been made from the whip, and his lower body was sore. Maybe Sensui was right… he couldn't love Yusuke…

A dull purplish black color on his sheets caught his attention. As he watched the color, it slowly changed to a lavender color, and Koenma blinked in confusion. Where was the color coming from? He put a hand up to his forehead as a headache was starting, and the color disappeared. Koenma frowned and lowered his hand. The color came back. Koenma slowly untied the cloth that was on his forehead, and laid it aside. The cloth was plain white, so it couldn't have been causing the color.

As he turned his attention back to the sheets, he was startled to see the color brighter than before. The color turned to a dark yellow, and he made a frustrated noise, the color turning to a dark shade of orange.

"Koenma? You okay?" Yusuke asked, him and Botan entering the room. "We heard you- what the? What's wrong with your forehead?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Koenma asked, frustrated. "I can't see it!"

"Yusuke, what's wrong- Koenma-sama!"

The color turned to an orange-red, flickering with black.

"Can you tell me what you're talking about?" Koenma asked impatiently, trying to keep calm. He was sure it was nothing too bad, otherwise they would have done something besides stare by now.

"Your… forehead… it's changing colors…" Yusuke said hesitantly. "Here, look at it from my view."

Yusuke used their link to show Koenma what he was seeing. The "Jr" mark on Koenma's forehead wasn't the normal black color anymore. At the moment, it was the orange-red color, but it was quickly changing to a dark lavender.

"What- how did that happen?" Koenma asked nervously.

"Probably from the whip," Botan suggested. "But why it changes colors, I don't know."

"Well, maybe they're his feelings," Yusuke put in. "They have been changing when his feelings do. When he was angry and frustrated, it was orange-red, but then when he got nervous, it changed color."

Botan suddenly started to giggle. When the boys looked at her in annoyance, she just laughed more.

"Now we'll be able to tell when Koenma-sama is feeling whenever we want, if we figure out what each color means," she explained, her laughter slowly subsiding.

Koenma suddenly felt uncomfortable. If Yusuke could tell what he was feeling, he wouldn't be able to hide his feelings if they came up at a bad time. The color changed to wavering between a dark blue and violet, and then settled back the purplish black as Koenma's thoughts turned depressed again. Yusuke frowned.

"K-chan?"

Koenma flinched slightly.

"Don't, Yusuke… Just don't…"

Yusuke blinked. "Don't do what?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why?"

Botan tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yusuke, outside, please."

Once the two had left the room, Yusuke turned to face Botan, a serious look on his face.

"Botan? Why's he so depressed? The whip's effect isn't so bad."

Botan sighed. "It may not be just that, Yusuke. He's acting reluctant to love. Did Sensui say something to him?"

Yusuke thought for a moment, then swore mentally.

"Sensui was calling him worthless, and he kept saying that it was Koenma's own fault that this happened and he deserved punishment… Will people ever stop playing with his mind?"

"Be gentle with him, Yusuke. He may be better off than he was when he first got here. He has you to make him feel better."

"Oh, don't get all mushy on me, Botan."

"Fine, fine. Just go in there and act like you used to. Be casual. I have to go back to Spirit World, though, so you're on your own. Bye."

And with that, she disappeared.

YYF14: Well, that was kinda weird... I don't know why that was the effect, but it was a random thought that I got and I liked it, so... yeah. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter and I'll try toupdate this afternoon since I won't be able to tomorrow. Grandparents have an anniversary party and we're going. Anyway, ja ne till later and review if you wish!