First request fic! They wanted:

Could you write a story with Botan in it? Anything will do! kthnxbai!

This made it a lil more difficult actually, but I hope you like this. Hints of Botan/Koenma.

Botan watched closely as sixteen year old Yuna Hiruga giggled over the latest fashion trends with her best friends on the phone. Yuna was currently going on about a new shade of nail polish called, "Pearl blush." All the girls-if they were "cool"-needed to wear "Pearl Blush" on Wednesdays. It would be a new trend.

Botan wondered what about this particular shade of nail polish denoted someone's, "coolness factor."

As Yuna continued to rave about the polish, Botan looked at her blank nails. If she indulged in such activities, would it make her more human? She had been human once... would she feel human again if she tried the latest trends, called friends, and giggled loudly?

She supposed she would need friends first...

But would she feel... anything if she acted as the giggly teenage below her?

Yuna grew silent, and Botan snapped her attention to the teenager. Yuna was done talking and began to ready herself for bed. Yuna had to brush her hair one hundred strokes, then shower, then brush her hair one hundred strokes again before she felt ready for bed. After choosing between the stripped pajama set, and the spotted pajama set, Yuna pulled a picture of the boy she liked from a book. Yuna sighed girlishly at the boys image, and kissed it many times, before tucking it back in her book.

She stretched, yawned, and then threw herself into bed, before falling into a hasty sleep.

Botan gently lowered herself from her oar to Yuna's pink carpet.

Yuna would die sometime before midnight tonight due to a house fire.

In the mean time, Botan glanced at Yuna's face. Yuna was so bubbly, and peppy... did that carry over in death? Could you be cheerful in death?

Timidly Botan reached out for Yuna's nail polish, and with a nervous hand untwisted the cap. Borrowing just a little, Botan applied the "Pearl Blush," to her left thumbnail. Holding her hand before her, Botan felt her heart flutter. This...this was nice.

Botan smiled, gazing at the small color she applied to her nail. She was so lost admiring the bit of color she missed the first wisps of smoke entering Yuna's bedroom. Botan came aware of the smoke at the sound of Yuna coughing in her sleep. Looking to the teen, who would soon come to pass, Botan only hoped Yuna remained asleep. It would be easier.

Looking back to the nail polish, Botan picked it up carefully. She turned it once over in her hands, before tucking it into the sleeve of her kimono.

One day she hoped to laugh with girls who were Yuna's age, and together the could wear nail polish and giggle about boys they liked...

She wondered later, as Yuna sobbed quietly on the back of her oar, if that was ever possible for reaper. Botan glanced behind her, and she wondered if she should say anything. She didn't normally say things to the dead... well sometimes if she had to. But she was really supposed to ferry the souls, their comfort and rest would be later in the afterlife.

"...You know the boy you like is going to name his daughter after you. He always admired you and wanted to see you naked!" Botan suddenly blurted.

Yuna looked up at Botan with red and wet eyes. She was staring at Botan as if she had three heads. Botan offered a rusty sheepish smile and muttered, "That...that wasn't maybe the best ice breaker was, it?"

Yuna scrubbed her face, and sniffled, "Um...No. No it wasn't."

An awkward silence passed over the pair, before a tiny giggle escaped Yuna, "That was...kind of weird."

Botan chuckled, relieved to hear the girl laugh, if even weakly, "Yes sorry... I don't talk much to the people I pick up!"

"You make it sound like you're a taxi service!" Yuna snorted, her laughter a little watery.

Botan grinned, "I kind of am when you think about it!"

By the time the pair had reached spirit world, Botan had felt more alive than she had in many, many years. When she allowed Yuna in to Koenma's office, Botan felt lighter than she had before. Perhaps she could greet all of her ferries... after all why did death have to be so scary.

Fifteen years later...

"Don't move!" Shizuru scolded as Botan tried to pull away from the eyelash curler.

"But it's freaky!" Botan whined.

"Oh come on you scaredy-cat!" Keiko giggled as she applied a second coat of blue nail polish to Botan's fingernails.

"I don't see why I have to do this torture! Why not you two!?" Botan whined, even if no real complaint hung to her words.

"You're the one who mentioned you thought Koenma was cute, and you can't go in to work looking the same every day! Not if you're going to catch a man!" Shizuru answered with a tut.

"He won't be able to resist!" Keiko agreed, giggling with excitement as she closed the blue polish.

Botan flushed red, her heart beating hard. Carefully she held her hand before her face, trying not to turn her head as Shizuru continued to poke and prod at her face. She looked at the blue polish and remembered a bottle of pilfered polish that sat on her desk in spirit world. She had revered the stolen nail polish like a charm... and it felt nice to think she was finally getting what she had wanted all those years ago.

Shizuru placed the eye lash curler down, and picked up some tweezers, "Okay, Botan, turn your head to me!"

Botan cringed, trying to remind herself that she had wanted this...

End