A/N: If any of you are still reading, thank you. A lot happened since I last updated, so I took a break from the internet. I apologize for such a long disappearance. I hope you enjoy reading.

Thumbing through memories felt like flipping between channels on a TV. Each picture vivid and choreographed in detail, or at least seemingly choreographed since I'd already witnessed it. My talk with Botan seemed less daunting than it felt observing it from a bystanders standpoint. But I had missed much. So much. Namely, the minute changes in Kurama's expression as I mostly spoke to Botan.

Botan was completely unaware. Despite the enigma of being a cheery grim reaper, she was straightforward and displayed her range of emotions openly and raw where Kurama did the opposite. The changes in his body language and expression were nearly undetectable, trained. And I could watch the tense broad shoulders twitch, the corners of his eyes crinkle, the thinning of his lips throughout the exchange.

I may have curried favor with Botan, but he was a completely different story. Even as I proclaimed to be more open about supes the tension in his shoulders never ebbed. The entire discussion about my origin story only seemed to make the glint in his eyes sharper, severe. And rightly so, I was lying through my fucking teeth.

He didn't trust me, nor had I given him any reason to do so.

I saw my memory wisp away and I was at the beginning of the trial. Watching the two from the corner of my vision where they sat from my peripheral. Thankfully, I managed not to zone out in front of them, but I had to throw that notion out the damn window. Now, outside my memories, my body was stiffly propped in front of them, undoubtedly looking the dead-est they've ever seen me. I just hoped they didn't prod me out of curiosity from my memories.

Hushed whispers arose from Botan followed by tugging her bangs. Some strands came loose from the incessant pinching and pulling. She wrung her hands on her shirt, straightened her collar, tapped her foot, and bounced her knee up and down while mentioning several ideas to leave. Her face tightened into a grim smile as her eyes darted from me, to Kurama, to the portal, to Kurama, her only lifeline in this situation.

She was so frightened. Scared of us. Scared of me. She was uncomfortable and trying, poorly, but trying not to let it show. She hadn't meant to offend me at all. She was only grappling for a way to get out. I felt a rush of stinging guilt almost overload me. But I didn't want to break out of my memory sifting yet. I apologized too, but...

Was my apology adequate enough or was it only self serving? Did I apologize only because I knew I fucked up?

I'd have to find a way to make it up to her. I replayed it, just to confirm it to myself. Yeah, I would definitely make it up to her.

"No need." Kurama spoke, his expression cold.

I couldn't blame him. I wouldn't accept my half-assed, afterthought apology either.

Internally, I groaned. I replayed the memory again. I was fumbling everything so...so ineptly. I felt inexperienced like some rookie cop. Becoming a Justicar for supes, while I knew nearly nothing about supernaturals, felt natural. Like I had backslid into some weird calling that worked out for me, but some of my unruly people skills reemerged. Without Kuwabara's code of honor constantly reeling me in, there were some obvious drawbacks.

However, demons. I didn't know how the hell to work with them if my brief experience was anything to go on. And I had antagonized all three as well. You goddamn idiot.

Enough of that. Self pitying introspection, ugh.

I stopped the memory from looping and it had paused on Botan's relieved expression. Her furrowed brows were back to their smooth, porcelain poreless perfection. At, least she no longer looked at me with the same doubt she watched the Inquisitor. It was something.

I released the memory and it dissipated into the void of black. It wasn't actually a void. Just the black backdrop my mind had chosen for viewing my memories.

Kaito.

I resurfaced the memory and it quickly whipped to focus with crystal clarity. He was standing just beyond the red crackle barrier hung head directed at the smooth expanse of his hands. Being a cleric, his hands were normally in books rather than around weapons and I had noticed how unfairly unmarred they were for a man.

While he stared at his hands the fierceness behind gold orbs diminished and his square shoulders slumped defeated. Besides, the small movement, there was no context. He looked undoubtedly guilty, but for what I didn't have any idea.

What have you done, Kaito?

The memory began to rewind and I fixated on the slump of his shoulders and the golden slits focused on his hands. Nothing. I couldn't detect anything that hinted at what he had done.

The memory warped and shifted to Kaito leaning on the fireplace and harrowing gold slits landed on Kurama. His brows furrowed and a bead of sweat formed on his temple and slicked off his cheek. Kurama dipped his head in acknowledgement and his lips quirked into a smirk. How did I miss that?

Oh, right. The High Inquisitor. He drew all my attention as soon as I walked in the room. Kurama still seemed at ease. He had no idea.

I had brought Kurama out of spite because I was handled and watched at the behest of Koenma. Koenma so keen to interfere with supernatural dangers and Kurama so condescending when Miki warned him. Rudely, but she tried in her own way.

Then, I gave him no warning of what to come besides trusting my tiny imperative and let him experience supernatural bureaucracy much to my own detriment. Before we entered the gates, I withheld information and held the threat of conviction over his head. And, I strong armed him into revealing his nature and Botan's. My mistake again.

Brilliant.

Botan exited, or rather staggered out of the portal, thrown by Yesenia. Then Yesenia entered, looking prim in her fitting business casual outfit. Tallen never faltered or wavered. His expression during the questioning remained in absolute vacancy, until Kurama uttered. "No, I am not."

It was if a shift wrenched his entire body. What once was a listless body teemed with fury and disbelief. He really hadn't expected us to take it there. He turned in his seat and the bauble on top of his cane flared to life. Daisuke stood up immediately. I hadn't noticed the ruby bulb glowing at the apex of the black cane. But, Daisuke saw it and instantly knew.

Seven feet of pure hatred towered over my five, five. Black strands whipped wildly behind him as I heard the crackle of a barrier forming.

The memories fell away again and I was watching Botan and Kurama futilely search bare walls in the alleyway. I would have laughed at their looks of doubt as I turned away from Octavius, but the situation was too dire to be amused. Botan scratched her head nervously as a bead of sweat emerged from her forehead. I grasped their hands and Kurama stilled, his narrowed eyes roamed over the offending limb.

So that was when it happened. Also, he does not like to be touched.

Now, we loitered the bottom of the stairwell looking into the chaos that was the usual at the tavern. Pixies whizzing, harpies chasing, satyrs winking, sylphs sylphing, and...Kaito being a sneaky son of a bitch in the corner of the room.

What the shit. Kaito was leaning against a column with his broad back to the entrance, but I recognized the tweed draping his form. He glanced over his shoulder as we stepped through the threshold and shrunk away from the column to venture deeper into the tavern, but before he did he eyed the Incubus who had his back turned towards the patrons of the bar.

He knew.

The memory zipped back to the beginning and I watched with rapt attention. I had to be wrong or misinterpreting something. There was no way; but the memory played out the same. And each time, I only grew frustrated,

Pixies, harpies, satyrs, sylphs, tweed, Kaito, Lucas, fuck.

Then what was he doing there and how did he know? Yesenia who was inhabiting her usual spot by the entrance, stood and approached us at the bar. As pissed as I was at Yesenia for defecting, it didn't reach the absurd amount of mixed confusion and annoyance as I wrestled for a reason why Kaito was interfering in my case.

He just magically shows up at the right moment to prevent Yesenia from making a scene and I bought it because of our rapport. What am I...green?!

I realized, 'Yes, yes I am.'

His usual grin grew wily and arrogant as I asked him to assist me with the case. I had actually allowed him to interfere, but he would have found a way, anyways.

'Yoko?!'

Was that Miki? She wasn't in my memory so why was I-

'Yoko.'

The memory blinked out of existence as I felt my body jolt. That time was Daisuke, with a tone that meant murder if I didn't heed him.

'Wake up!'

I lurched forward, eyes wide, and struggled with an intake of breath. My lungs were desiccated and I rasped as air finally filled my lungs. With hours of disuse, a dead body would just dry out and I hoarsely coughed as each breath felt harsher. Normally I'd only ever zone out for two hours and I slept for three, so it never managed to get this bad. I clutched my chest and looked towards the barrier that was still crackling at the entrance. Miki was standing just beyond the exit.

The trial wasn't over. The trial wasn't over. Why am I awake?

"Yoko, move!"

I leapt forward without any destination in mind and barreled into an end table. The crash sent the end table and my body flailing to the other side of the parlor. I heard coiling like ropes behind me and dashed again curling my arm around a column so that I pivoted around in the direction of the noise.

Like snakes, vines writhed and rapped the floor latching onto anything in its path and swallowing it among green limbs. The end table crunched and splintered as it bent from the force. Attached at the end of the vines was a flower. No, not a flower. A gaping maw that salivated and tasted the air with a serrated tongue that was centered among thick, waxy petals.

I released my hold on the column and the momentum from twirling around the column launched me behind the couch beyond Botan and Kurama. The plant was wrapped around the column but slowly unraveled itself and I twitched my leg in anticipation to dodge as I waited for it to strike at me again. Instead, the petals shrunk inwardly and transformed into a spear like bulb.

"What were you trying to do?" Miki's fist created crackling ripples as she futilely banged the wall from the other side of the barrier. Mr. Hara stood two feet behind her, but his menacing gaze was locked on the leafy spear coiling on itself.

I stared in utter disbelief at the vines that encompassed the room. With each step I took backwards, they closed the gap and searched for me. My eyes darted back and forth trying to find the source and finally landed on Kurama arms crossed against his chest expression composed. Botan was crouched on the couch with both of her feet tucked underneath her body. She warily looked down at the vines disappearing beneath the seat. Kurama serenely peeked at me from over his shoulder with the hint of a smirk.

Kurama's the cause? I didn't have time to contemplate my revelation as a vine shot forward and snapped at me. I leaped backwards in a haphazard attempt to put more distance between the encroaching foliage and my back smacked against the wall behind me. My fingers reached for my gun instinctively and I growled as I realized it was missing.

I spied my gun dangling from one of the vines across the room. And panicked seeped into my gut. My gun had become somewhat of a good luck charm; It was my safety blanket and my 'out' if any investigation became hairy. However, the seemingly normal gun was enchanted to blow as a precaution if I ever became separated from my gun or if anyone reached for it. I would be able to survive the blast, but at the cost of a limb. Attachable, I was assured by Charles who dabbled in the gun's creation. However, demons and apparitions...I couldn't be sure about. I didn't know the all the effects of enchantments on demons yet.

A horrified gasp left my lips as the vine holding my weapon slithered its way to Kurama. If he touched it…

'I could only imagine Kuwabara's face if I had to tell him what happened to his friends. His friends that shared a part of his life that I wasn't privy to,' I thought darkly. 'But they're his friends.'

I planted my foot against the floor and the other on the wall behind me and with as much strength as I could muster I pushed off. The force of the launch sent me soaring above the couch and soon plummeting towards the gun and the couch. I briefly heard shifting from behind me and from my peripheral spied vines stretching to snatch me from behind, but I couldn't turn around to spare a glance. Time was of the essence and I had to reach the gun before Kurama touched it.

As I soared towards my destination, Kurama's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers. The speared vine snapped to action immediately. And it honed in on my location.

'Oh, damnit. He thinks I'm reaching for my gun to use it.'

If I dodged the spear, I wouldn't reach the gun in time. There wasn't much I could do to change my trajectory while soaring through the air anyway. I resigned myself to being a pincushion at the expense of Kuwabara's friends. At least, I wouldn't have that talk with him.

Just as Kurama's fingers reached the gun, I was on him. I smacked the gun from his fingers and twirled around so I was facing both Botan and Kurama and shoved their faces into my chest hoping it would shield them. If this were a less serious matter, I would remark on two strangers buried into my breast-

A sharp crack before a hard thud met my ears. My body jerked forward violently and my eyes widened as a searing pain erupted from my back. A choked cry escaped my lips and blood sluiced from my agape mouth. The implosion from the blast rocked the room and the couch harshly slid several yards backwards. Normally, an explosion could not elicit pain like this. My nerves didn't allow it, but this was an enchanted bomb. Every single one of my nerves were on sensory overload from the damage and I tightly clutched the back of the couch while tremors of shock wracked my body.

"NO!" I heard Miki's terror-stricken screech from just outside the barrier.

I shuddered, and looked down and saw vines slowly breaching the skin of my collarbone. So, the spear had hit it's mark too. I felt a mass dislodge itself from my back and I convulsed and sunk into the two bodies underneath me. Botan was still, but breathing shallowly while her limp body sagged against my stomach. A few bits of rubble had created cuts alongside her cheeks and arms from the blast, but she was mostly unharmed. My slate eyes met stunned viridian orbs. The blast had thrown Kurama back into the couch and he sported the same minor cuts along his face and under the sleeves of his shredded jacket. The vines still danced and slithered along the ground.

At first I gurgled, struggling to get any air passage from blood quickly coagulating in my throat. Finally, I managed a hoarse whisper. "Please, stop-" Every syllable, became harder and I felt the blood slush down my pipes. "The vines-"

Kurama simply gazed off to the side and the vines slowly receded into the palm of his hand. It was like watching a movie in reverse. The vines slowly circled his palm and then inverted into a seed the size of a watermelon rind. It was eerie to witness.

"How bad-" I sputtered and blood sprayed from my mouth and dotted Kurama's unblemished face. Kurama simply wiped his face and seemed completely unaffected.

I turned my head to the side and the movement sent a ripple of agony down my nerves. I groaned and my breath hitched as I caught a glimpse of my reflection from the glass of a shattered painting. My tattered coat loosely hung from my arms revealing the damage to my back. My ribs jutted outwards in different directions and I could see my vertebrae exposed. The charred bits of my back drooped lifelessly from thin connective tissue. Other parts were puckered and shriveled. Somehow, my beanie managed to remain clipped to my hair, but it was melted into my now matted hair.

Unable to bear looking at the mess that became with me I looked back towards the couch and focused on the wall behind it. I could feel the black swarm my vision. "Time."

"Three minutes left." Mr. Hara warned from the barrier.

Only three more minutes and I would be free from this room. I heard Kurama shifting underneath me and with every movement it was like a warm beacon alerting my hunger. My body was aching fiercely, but it still had enough inertia to bite whatever was in front of me.

'Please.' I silently begged. 'Please.'

"Nakajima. Are you al-" Kurama questioned.

I gurgled in response and continued to ignore him. Instead, I took interest in the wall behind him and anything to distract me while the seconds seemed to endlessly go by. I finally heard the crackle of the barrier fizzle out and a wave of relief washed over me as arms tightly wrapped around my waist and I was roughly pulled off the couch, out the parlor, and out of sight. The parlor and its contents turned into a blur while Mr. Hara dashed through the house. The halls of the house shifted obscurely from the speed he was maintaining and I knew from the direction where he was taking me. Unceremoniously, he dropped me onto the kitchen counter and shoved a frozen parcel of questionable meat into my hands, but the source didn't matter.

I ate. Feverishly, I ate.

NOTES: I hope that after such a long break this chapter still flows with the story line. I remembered the gist of what I wanted to convey, but I forgot a lot. Hopefully, this will bring new ideas and a better story overall. Hopefully. Until next time.