Author's Note: If you are curious as to what she chooses to wear during this, simply google the 'Tripp Black Moto Tutu Dress', look in images, and it should be the first picture. :)


"Botan, do you want to come with us?" asked a bright and cheerful Maribella the next morning over the phone. It was funny what a semi-decent night of sleep did for her. While she was still dreadfully low on energy, and still incapable of reaching her magic, she had enough energy to be peppy in the morning and reapply her scar-free skin illusion. This little fact did not go unnoticed by Hiei, who upon seeing it had snorted and rolled his eyes. Maribella had simply stuck her tongue out at him as he'd turned away and straightened the tank top she was wearing. It was hard enough buying clothes without having to worry about how they would look over scars.

"No," I'm trying to dig up info on what attacked you yesterday. You go ahead and have fun," Botan's voice came through very statically, causing Maribella to wrinkle her nose. It was really annoying. While Botan was talking on a cell phone, she was also in spirit world and they didn't get great reception there. Which meant that most conversations like this were filled with static, just like if there was a haunting going on.

"All right, talk to you later," Ari said before pocketing her cell and turning to the assembled group of… two. Kuwabara and Hiei. Yusuake had refused outright once he'd learned what they were going to do, and Kurama? He'd said that he would attempt to meet them at the address she'd given him earlier that morning but couldn't promise anything.

"Okidoki," Ari said with a beaming smile, "Seems like it is up to use three to go and do the shopping! When is your sister going to get here Kuwabara?"

"Any minute now," he said as he checked his phone to see if Shizuru had texted him that they were down at the base of the mountain.

Turning, Maribella struck an attack pose and pointed at the stairs leading down. "Then why don't we go down the steps to wait for her so she doesn't have to wait for us?" She suggested.

"Why don't we just take a portal and meet her at the mall?" Hiei grumbled loudly. "It'd be quicker."

"Because, Hiei," she said with an almost sweet note to her voice. "We can't let humans see, and we are going to a mall and shopping center. Wholely impractically." With a laugh she started to skip along the way to the stairs and then start descending. "And I'll get to meet Shizuru sooner this way!"

Kuwabara fell in behind her though he didn't exactly skip. "And Yukina," he reminded, a happy glow seeming to take over his face.

With her back to Hiei, Ari missed the thoroughly hostile look that the fire demon had given Kuwabara at the mention of Yukina. But she wasn't daft enough to miss the wave of energy that came off him. She glanced over her shoulder. "Isn't she the ice maiden you saved?"

"Yeah! And she's so beautiful!" The next ten minutes as they descended the mountain was filled with Kuwabara's lamenting antics of the gentle, sweet Yukina, and of how they'd saved her, before she'd gone back to the ice world, but then returned in search of her lost brother at the Dark Tournament and found Kuwabara instead. It was all quite a beautiful story, if one could stomach the flowery and over the top love that Kuwabara was spouting out about soul mates and how the two of them just connected.

Hiei grew more and more unhappy with each passing moment, and Maribella, while a demon who believed in the ability to find love and a soul mate, was even beginning to look a bit green at the gushing details.

Thankfully they were saved from having to listen more as the car came into view, and Kuwabara ran ahead with a "Yukina, my love!". Standing just about the same height as Maribella and Hiei, Yukina was dressed in a traditional light blue kimono that complimented her teal hair, which was pulled back by a red ribbon that matched the kind red eyes she gazed up at Kuwabara with. Maribella's head tilted to the side, and she made a small hm sound. Those eyes; she'd seen them somewhere before, just not with the same kindness…

Her stormy grey eyes flicked to Hiei at her side. The shared eye color was uncanny. They were so similar. But… Hiei was a fire demon, not an ice one because… well, weren't the ice apparitions a strictly female sect which didn't tolerate males for the most part? Hiei caught her watching him, and with a scowl, stepped forward to climb into the car.

"Hello Hiei," Yukina greeted kindly before smiling over at Maribella. "You must be Maribella. Kazuma says we are going to take you shopping today. My name's Yukina. The woman in the car is Kazuma's older sister, Shizuru. Welcome to Japan."

"it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Yukina. Kazuma has sang your praises all the way down the mountain just now," Maribella grinned, "And it is good you will be there. A friendly human female's eye, and a female demoness' opinions will help greatly with my tasks today."

"I a looking forward to it as well. I've never had the chance to go to a human mall," the ice apparition said just as happily.

"Then we shall endeavor to make it a good experience," Kuwabara declared, gaining a giggle from Yukina which made him smile triumphantly.

With that, they climbed into the car. Yukina sat in the front seat next to Shizuru who was driving. In the back, the ordered ended up being Hiei, Maribella in the middle and then Kuwabara against the opposite door. It was so crammed that Maribella was squeezed between them. She tried not to touch either of them, in case it disrupted her illusion, but inevitably, Shizuru took a turn fast and Maribella slid in her seat up against Hiei's side.

They both stiffened, gazes meeting before she shifted back into her proper seat. A tingle sensation radiated from her b are arm that had pushed up against Hiei's sleeve covered one. She reached over and rubbed it, shaking her head a little and looking forward. That had been strange. Could she be allergic to Hiei's clothing?

When they finally arrived at the malle, chase began. Hordes of people moved in a million different directions; children begged for new things while adults chattered about this or that. Ari grinned and without mercy began dragging everyone into different shops. First thing first though—clothes for herself and Yukina. Oh yes, Koenma would be paying hugely for today.

With Shizuru, Hiei and Kuwabara as a judge panel, Maribella had Yukina parade in and out of the dressing room, trying on shirts, skirts, pants, dresses- you name it, she tried it on. Outfits of mostly blues and greens were eventually purchased for the demoness. And then, it was Maribella's turn to runway walk her potential new outfits.

If there was one word for the clothes she showed them it was Gothic. Blacks paired with the deepest, riches shades of blue, purple, and red, skulls, lacy fabrics, corsets and corset style dresses, skirts and pants with buckles, dresses that she layered over black jeans which hugged every curbe and blessed every muscle of her body.

The four watching her were shocked at first, and then Shizuru seemed to embrace it fully, giving criticism and praise where she thought it was needed. Yukina watched with growing fascination. Kuwabara gaped for the longest time before joining his sister in telling Maribella what didn't look good or what did. Hiei…

The fire demon stared. Where he'd been glaring or nodding approvingly on Yukina's clothing when appropriate, he simply stared at Maribella's outfits, drinking each in. Last night, in her tank top and baggy pj pants she'd been wearing, she had been gracefully in her movements. The pale moonlight had sprinkled her skin with a bit of unearthliness. If he was being honest with himself, in these new clothes, she was gorgeously deadly. And that made him nervous. And temperamental when a pair of workers at the store they were at offered their compliments and numbers. With a smug smile, Maribella even accepted the numbers, damn her!

It was at that moment that Hiei took a firm hold of his emotions and thoughts, and returned them to keeping a watch. Despite this, he did continue to watch her coming and going in new outfits appreciatively.

Finally, Ari settled on a Tripp Black Moto Tutu Dress, and a pair of black stockings to wear about the rest of the day and paid for all the clothes. Then, once again, they were off. Pet shops were visited until she found the perfect cat house—a four tiered home with play toys attached and hideaways for Eikichi. Then they walked, entering any story they passed that caught any of their fancies. During this part she watched everyone subtly, taking note of what they paid attention to and what they didn't.

It wasn't long before Kuwabara and Hiei were ordered by Shizuru to take the bags back to the car before everyone's arms fell off, with a firm, "We can take care of her just as well as you two can for ten minutes!" when Hiei tried to argue. While the two guys were gone, Ari ran back into two of the previous stores they'd visited and picked up two bags, neither of which she let the other two girls peak into, lest Hiei read their minds and realize what she'd gotten them. Once the two returned, she asked them for help to find something for Yusuke and Kurama.