Quick Author's note: Yes, they have smartphones. Deal with it. Happy reading!


"No way! It really is you!" Kuwabara said before fishing a smartphone from his pocket as Maribella began to smile and do the same.

"And it's you!" Maribella laughed, turning on the phone in her hand.

"And I'm me," Yusuke said dryly, an eyebrow raising as he, Kurama, and Botan watched the two. "And that's great. So what's going on?"

"We are on the same team for this game," Maribella explained vaguely as she and Kuwabara began to compare their phones.

"We've been talking for ages. Man this is so cool," Kuwabara exclaimed. "So your RL name is Maribella? That's cool, and you are a demon too?"

"Yeah, air and water cross breed. You are a spirit detective? Damn that explains some of your jokes now!" she laughed. "Like the one about the sword donuts shish kabob's! I read the report on that."

"Oh yeah," Kuwabara chuckled, seeming quite proud of himself over that. "Cool! Now we can coordinate better. I was worried when you dropped off the face of the planet and stopped replying a month ago Ari."

"Yeah, got my ass handed to me by a fire rat; was out for like 3 weeks. Then couldn't use my hands for two weeks. Just now getting the nerves back. Should be back to kicking ass on the game soon though. Give me a few days before we start attacking again," Maribella cautioned.

"Sweet!"

Botan, Yusuke and Kurama all watched this exchange with confusion. Kuwabara knew Maribella? Just how lucky could one guy get?

"So are you from Europe or Spirit World?" Kuwabara finally asked.

"I grew up in the Makai, and then twenty years ago my family and I moved here, and then I joined the Spirit World as a detective about five years later. I was stationed in Europe since we'd moved there after making it across the barrier," Maribella explained, "My family has always held that peace between humans and demons is to be an important ideal. So I figured I could help by being a Spirit detective and keep the demons from destroying the worlds."

"Neat," Kuwabara said before the two of them got lost for a few moments in a converstaion about how other members of the game were. A soft cough from Tyrus who still sat on the porch like entrance brought Maribella back to the present.

With a soft wheeze of laughter, Maribella smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. it's a game that encourages teaming up and we are in the same guild. We've chated on mic and web came a few times. Enough to know one another but not recognize immediately. It's so weird, seeing him without a pair of headphones on and with a kitten on his shoulder," she explained.

"And her with short hair. It sucks that you had to cute it," Kuwabara pointed out.

"Actually it was burned off. I'm lucky not to be bald."admitted the young woman.

"O-kay." Botan drawled, as if not sure how to take the fact that they already were friends. Most found Kuwabara a bit off putting, well with the except of Yukina. That however was a different story all together. "Anyway Maribella, the last of your housemates is-" she turned to point to Hiei but he had already vanished to wherever he usually vanished to when he didn't want to deal with people.

"Hiei; I read the file on him. Fire demon, antisocial. Probably won't deal with him much," Maribella summarized. She was almost glad of that fact. If she had to face a fire demon close up so soon… She suppressed a shudder and smiled instead. "So, where can I stay for my time here Botan?"

"I made up an area for you on the southeast side of the dojo. It gets the most wind and has a view of the lake out that way. Three rooms in total and direct access to the outside, and practice rooms," Botan said.

"That sounds perfect Botan, thank you," the young woman agreed before looking at the remaining three young men. "Well, it was great meeting you, but I am in need of a bit of rest. I'll retire for a little if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Kurama said with a bow of his head. "You are still recovering so it is all good."

"And with that settled," Botan practically sang, looping arms with Maribella. She began to drag her away towards the inside of the house. "I thought you'd arrive later this evening, or I would have had them more prepared to meet you. They are nice… well, everyone but Hiei. He's rude but shouldn't bother you. If he does, just tell me and I'll get Lord Koenma to talk to him!" Okay, so Botan was a bit frightened of Hiei. That was totally normal and who could blame her right? It wasn't like he tried to get to know anyone there.

Maribella shook her head before replying, "If he bothers me, I'll douse him with water. That should get him to leave me alone. After all, he's a fire demon, and water and fire rarely get along."

"Don't forget you are also half air, and air and fire get along decently enough," Botan warned. "Maribella, you know this is for your own good right? Being weak like this, all of your enemies are going to try and get at you. It's why Lord Koenma sent you here. The guys might not have noticed, but you are barely standing upright and you are creating an illusion which is just going to cause problems and drain you quicker. It's not healthy to stress yourself when you are as weak as you are."

With a look at the blue haired beauty, Maribella sighed. Almost immediately the appearance of the semi-healthy young woman melted away. In it's place was a body covered in burn scars from her face down to beneath her clothes. She looked tragic next to the perfect skinned Botan.

"I have a little pride left Botan. I'd prefer it if they didn't know how disfigured the attack left me. Disfigured and weak, needing two humans and two demons to keep me alive. Pah! It's humiliating Botan. I can barely hold the illusion up for an hour when before the attack I would have been able to hold it for three or four weeks before even feeling the slightest amount of drain on my abilities. This place, my position here, may be for my own good, but I don't have to like it," Maribella said as she moved along. Tyrus moved next to her, supporting her weight as best he could while moving.

Botan watched her friend, whom she thought was still pretty even if she did have burn scars lacing up her chin and onto her cheeks. "The scars will heal with time," she offered.

"In years. Until then I will be disfigured. The bard who did this… He took my strength and apperance. I won't let him take my pride," Maribella growled.

About this time they arrived at the corridor that would lead into her little collection of rooms. "Sweetie, you will be pretty again, and stronger for it," Botan told her. "Please just… don't stress yourself so much, yeah?"

Maribella looked in and then took a deep breath. "I'm going to go take a nap. Is there a communal dinner or is it a sort of fend for yourself sort of way?"

Botan didn't like that the young woman didn't promise to not stress herself. She'd just have to come by every day and make sure she didn't push herself. "It's a fend for yourself most nights. If it isn't then one of the guys will let you know, like if they order up pizza or something."

"Ah," Maribella said before entering the corridor. The door between herself and Botan slammed shut after Tyrus had followed her in, cutting off Botan from her. The truth was Maribella was tired of hearing the pep talk from Botan. As nice as Botan was, there was only so much Maribella could take.

"Tyrus, would you please go to the Makai and get some more of the healing powder?"

You shouldn't take any more just yet. If you do, you could-

"Just do it damn it!" Maribella snapped, eyes flashing as she glared at him. He just looked at her reproachfully and sat down.

No.

Hands turning to fists, she glared mutionously at the dog who didn't move a muscle. She then turned and stumbled further into the rooms. They were all very girly, just like Botan would have thought she'd like. She finally found the bedroom and looked around. One wall was glass, featuring a beautiful picture of forest and lake. All of the glass panes could be moved to the side as they were now, allowing a fresh breeze to come in.

Unfortunately, she wasn't alone in this particular room. An unnatural shadow hovered in one of the corners, spying on her from the safety of the shadows that were naturally there. It did nothing except for watch just then. She didn't even notice as she moved to the edge of the porch outside the room and took a seat as she stared at the large grassy field with the water. Reaching out a hand towards the lake she tried to summon the water up.

Nothing.

She put all her attention on raising just a single drop of water. The lake rippled a little but that was from the wind that was blowing around them. Being at the top of a mountain allowed for plenty of wind. After about two minutes of trying, her arm dropped and her head bowed. She couldn't even do the most basic of acts.

"I'll kill him. One day I'll track him down and kill him for what he's done to me," she vowed softly into the air around her. For now though, she would train, and fight, and gain her abilities back.

Eventually she lay out on the porch, watching the water with dead eyes. A piece of her had been stolen, and for now she had time alone to wallow. But eventually her wallowing turned into sleep as sun and wind comforted her. It was how Hiei found her eventually. Laying on her side, head resting on curled arms, Tyrus against her back to support her as he also slept. She wasn't illusion covered either, scars on display for anyone who came across her.

The fire demon's red eyes took in her scarred skin, her marred face before he turned those red eyes on her room. A frown formed as he stared inside, feeling something off but not entirely sure where. He couldn't even pick up a telepathic trace of what was up. He left after that, leaving her to her snooze to go begin his own afternoon training down by the lake. She was too vulnerable for him to do his training anywhere else. He might not like to work for Koenma. In fact he despised it. But he wasn't going to have more time added to his sentence by letting the newest mission fail.