Hello! There it is the third chapter of Forever and Now!I'm sorry if the begining was slow, but things are going to get better!

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She wants to be free

He walked down the street distract. The trees swayed in the breeze, which was so blustery that leaves were blown from them. At the same time the sun had became warm, and its light passed through the branches. It was a usual spring morning. The birds were singing in harmony and the roses were coming into flowers, as the couples walked together, hand in hand, saying words of love to each other. The few women and girls that were alone stared at him, holding their breaths when he passed.

Kurama didn't cared, after all, that was getting usual to him. Every day, at his previous school, Meiou School, his fan club followed him to everywhere. Thousands of letters were sended to the red head there. LOVE letters. Never mind.

Kurama, or better, Shuuichi Minamino, the most crowed bachelor in his last school, hated that attention. However, he was always very polite with all these crazy girls, even if they got him annoyed every day.However, he really wanted to be differente when he started college infour weeks. Nevertheless, after that talk with Yusuke a few minutes ago, he couldn't stop thinking about that, and was so absent-mind that he even realized when some classmates called his name, when he sat down on a bench at the park.

Above all, those girls didn't have any personality. Wouldn't they ever realize that he had eyes just to one girl? Of course not. They didn't know one girl that was always the way she wanted. She didn't had afraid or shame of showing who she was. And she was Botan.

And knowing Botan very well after three years, he had sure she would give anything for a day at Ningenkai. However, it has been two months since the last time he saw her pretty face, and she didn't send any news. And because of that, he was already worried. But most of all, he missed her.

He looked to the blue sky, as the wind puffed his blood hair. These feelings weren't usual to a demon. Had he became more human because of Botan? Over time, loving her had felt like the most natural thing in the whole world to him. It had been too far to easy, and it would never happen to the cold and infamous thief of the Demon world, Youko Kurama.

But that wasn't the final prove to the red head. He was still the demon thief of Makai, dangerous and unfair. And that was why he never told him feelings to Botan. It wasn't safe. It would never be. Besides, how would he know if she felt the same?

Despite that, he still wanted to have her at his side. She was part of his world and she was part of his soul. He wanted to touch her skin and look into her beautiful purple eyes. But that time, he could only close his eyes and imagine her face, and that wasn't enough to him. He wanted her to be there for him, like how she did trough all those years with him.

Kurama was sitting down on a rock, while the strong wind made his face cold. Genkai's death was still fresh in everyone's mind. In addition, the kitsune had another thing to forget, but he couldn't.

"Karasu" Kurama murmured to himself. The integrant of Toguro's team was much stronger and faster than him. He had been watching his fights and knew that he wasn't able to defeat Karasu. He only wished that he could do more for Urameshi Team. However, he would fight until the end. His end.

"I will try to win with all my forces," Kurama said starring at the sky. He didn't imagine where the things would come. "Even knowing that I'm going to die trying it". It was exactly at that moment when he heard a movement between some bushes near him. Kurama stood up in a very fast movement as he prepared a rose from his head. He moved towards the bushes, looking for someone, when he recognized a pair of purple eyes of a girl lying on the ground.

"Botan! What are you do…" Kurama suddenly stooped his question when he noticed her eyes were red and water was coming from them. She was crying. He gently put her on her on her feet, brushing her tears and blue hair away from her face. "Botan…Why were you crying down there?"

"I was looking for Yusuke… then … I… heard you talking about the fight" she said, in a way who asks apologizes. "You… you weren't speaking serious… right?

Kurama didn't know what to say, so he nodded.

Her face quickly frowned as she looked away from him, tears coming down her cheeks. "First Genkai… now you are pretending to leave to?" she asked, her voice lowers than a whisper. Surprised by his own action, he wrapped his arms around Botan, feeling how weak she looked.

"Botan, listen to me" he said into her ear, as he felt her tears at his chest. "Tomorrow we will have a hard fight, and that's why I said those things… because I don't know if I can win…" de completed slowly, and she suddenly got away from his grip, giving a few steps back.

"No… please… I can't take this anymore" she said before feeling to her knees, covering her face with her shaking hands. "I'm not able to take my love one's souls to Renkai…"

Kurama rushed to Botan's side as he finally understood it. She was a ferry guide and lady of death. Koenma must had trusted Genkai's soul to Botan, until she arrive the palace of the sprit world.

"It must be hard to you, Botan" Kurama said concerned. "And I'm very sorry that you have to pass for this."

"Don't be" Botan said wiping her own tears away. "Death can't have any type of consol… you know this… I can't be weak" she said trying to look strong, but Kurama realized that the smile she was trying to show now was only a mask to her pain. She wasn't only a ferry guide, she was a human too. "Just… just promise that you are going to survive… I don't want to take you away from your family and escort you to the spirit world".

"I would love to be escorted by you to Renkai"

"Don't play with this" she said after she stopped crying and both stood up again. She was a little angry, but Kurama could see her blush. "I wish that one day I could be free from death… not from my own… from the others". She closed her eyes dreamily before opened they again. " Any way… you still didn't promised to me".

"I…" he started to say, but was cutter of by her serious look. He couldn't say no. " Alright. I promise. You got what you wanted, huh?"

"No". She slowly put her head on his chest. Kurama felt a little nervous and his face got hotter than fire. "I want you to know that I, Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, the girls and even Genkai will be always on your side… You don't need to be afraid" she said and Kurama relaxed at her calm voice. All he wanted to say was how he loved her, but he knew he couldn't.

"I'm sorry". It was all he could say.

That day he felt more secure between her arms and got the straight to keep his promise at the final against Karasu. However, he also got the chance to know an other side of Botan.

A vulnerable side. She was vulnerable to herself.

Once day, Botan told Kurama that when someone dies, a ferry guide leads the soul to Renkai in order to be judge by Koenma. Moreover, when Botan died a long time ago, she wasn't judge. She was choose to be a new ferry girl. Being a soul, she was immortal and invisible to living people. However, when she met Yusuke, she became his assistant, and although she won a human body, and lived exactly like one, not immortal and invisible any more, she wasn't an official a human and still had to guide souls.

Concluding, she was indeed weak to death.

Being exactly like an human, Botan was able to die and get old. In addition, as a ferry guide, she was defenseless to the death of so many people. And that was why she wanted to be a human like Kurama or why she was so courageous in relation to risking her life, as she did in so many occasions… because she didn't wanted to take the souls away from their love ones anymore. If she dies, she would be judge like any other human and wouldn't have to guide anymore. The same would happen if she become a human… she would have a normal life… she would be free.

She tried to hold her tears. Wasn't the fate funny? For the long time that she was at Tarukane's house, she had been hurt with the worse ways in the world, just to make her fell pain. All because she was a woman from the land of the ice, and her tears, were precious to everyone. When Yukina, the ice demon, with light green hair, and beautiful red eyes cried, her tears, of sadness, happiness or any other feeling, always became beautiful gems. And that it was why they caused her so much pain: to make her cry. However, she never had to hold her tears. She felt herself so cold when she was alone at that mansion, that it was as if she had no feelings. No sadness. No pain. Just nothing.

Nevertheless, after three years with the gang, and living with Genkai at her temple, she felt with feelings again. She chose to be the sweet and innocent Yukina that herself missed for a long time. She had already felt despair, happiness, and, of course, sadness along so much time with her friends. And now she was feeling sadness again. But this sadness was too strong, making her wish that she was cold again, unable to cry, as she was doing now.

Yukina guarded the gems of tear that had come from her sad eyes. She knew what the reason of her depression was. She didn't want to be alone in her life again. Never again. On the other hand, the words of Genkai that day on the beach, when Yusuke came back from her older land, kept resounding every single day inside her mind.

"I can't believe she will leave soon" Yukina whispered to her self, alone in her room, more gems falling on the floor. Genkai said about her dead that day, and the ice maiden didn't believe her at first. But, at the present moment, she was feeling that something wrong was about to happen. Currently, the unhappiness that everyone was feeling, before the finals of the Dark Tournament, when Toguro murdered Genkai, was becoming comprehensible to her. She really understood it. For the reason that Genkai was like her family. The old woman was the one who was taking away from Yukina the pain of an old lost.

Her brother.

She looked for him during so much time since she discovered about him and left from the iced land. Her search for him leaded her to the painful way in Tarukane's hands. But that didn't matter to her, and, although she was always the strange having the sensation of his presence around her, she was losing her hope and optimism. I t wasn't possible that he was near from there. He would certainly appear for her, right? He wouldn't stay in darkness and make her fell pain. Yukina just wished that, sooner or later she could find him. But that desire was close to a dream. Even Hiei had already tried to help her, with his power and jagan, in her search, and he didn't find her brother either. Additionally, Yukina knew, in some way, that Hiei and her friends would never lie to her about this.

Yukina stood up from the floor and opened the door of her room, and walked outside, starring at the beginning of a shining sun of the pale morning of spring, which had just awake from the night of the last day to start a new one. She loved that temple, away from the city, and it would always be her place. Her home.

"Yukina". The green haired girl looked to her side surprised to see Genkai standing just a few steps away from her. Yukina quickly showed a smile and held the tear gems firmly in her hands. "You woke up really earlier today than usually" the old woman said.

"I know… I tried to see the sun rising, but I'm late" Yukina lied, trying to keep her sweet voice inside her mouth.

"Yukina…. Have you been crying?" Genkai asked to the girl, and her eyes wide in surprise. How could she know about this? Yukina felt Genkai's eyes on her, like trying to read her mind. Sometimes, it seemed like she could do this.

"No… I…" Yukina tried to say something, but she felt nervous. She didn't want to lie to Genkai, but she didn't want to talk about that too.

"You don't need to tell me" Genkai said giving the ice maiden an eyebrow. She knew that Yukina was thinking about her death and probably Hiei. Genkai didn't want the girl to suffer, but the fate was like that. Treacherous. In addition, Yukina was a very especial girl. "I just want you to know that you can trust me… Al right?" With that, she turned to walk again. "I almost forgot… Kuwabara is here… again".

"Thanks, Genkai" Yukina said as she smiled happily. Kazuma always made her good surprises. In fact, she always liked him more than a friend. She noticed that everyone usually thought about her as a silly girl, but although she was innocent and sweet, she knew what Kazuma wanted to mean, when he acted lovely around her… and she felt the same about him.

Yukina giggled a little as she walked to the room where Kazuma was waiting for her. She opened the big door to her side and came in, exactly before the carrot haired boy give her a huge smile. The ice maiden couldn't help it, but blushed a slight when he offered her some flowers.

"Yukina! How have you been!" Kuwabara asked a tiny embarrassed. He was usually to that, after all, the love he felt for Yukina, although nobody understood, was everything for his heart. Yukina's naturalness made him fell comfortable.

"Kazuma! I have missed you!" Yukina said. And it was true. Kazuma made her forgot her sadness and made her happy with so much simplicity.

"Yukina" Kuwabara Knelt in front of her, his temperature going up and up, as he always did when he wanted to say some love words. Somehow, she truly believed at his words. "I was felling very alone without you, my beloved Yukina! And now, I'm here to contemplate your beauty!".

"There it is. The Kazuma I know" Yukina thought as she smiled cheerfully. Before, she wouldn't understand what he wanted to mean. However, she had learned the meaning of this. The meaning of love.

The ice maiden giggled a little at this thought. She understood, but was still funny. She held his hands and smiled again. "I'm glad you are. Very glad." She said. "Now, tell me, how have you passed, Kazuma?"

They talked to each other for a long time, and they did not realize a pair of the brilliant red eyes, the same eyes of Yukina, watching them, by the open door, at distance. He looked deeply to the girl that he would never call his sister, and whispered her name before quickly disappear.

Botan felt the warm wind on her features, as she flew on her oar in the direction to the human world. There was a long time she didn't fell the sensation of flying on her oar, as she was doing now. Released of her duties through the past two months, all she did during this time was stay in her room with her nightmares that didn't stop and afraid of a torment that had already became part of the past. One way or another, she liked being away of ferrying this instance. Even though she was always trying to do a great job, working hard, she didn't enjoyed guiding souls very much. She would always prefer being Yusuke's assistant.

When she met him and started helping in his missions, her work as a guide was almost forgot. Besides, she received the most wonderful gift she could ever dream. A human body. She wasn't a ghost anymore. Although that meant that she could get old and even die, she didn't care. She has never been so happy before. Botan was almost a human. Almost. She still was ferry guide. Nonetheless, she kept dreaming with the day she would be an official human. The only way she could be free.

Botan could already see the city down there as she bit her lips as second though came to her mind. There was another way. If herself died, her spirit would be gone as every single human she ever escorted. The last thing it could happen was her escorting herself to Renkai. However, after that, no more. Maybe, that was why she was brave. Botan shook her head sending the though away. She didn't want to die to be free. She wanted to be a human like Kurama and Yusuke.

The blue haired girl saw the park, not Keiko apartment, coming closer under her. She knew why she was visiting the park instead of her best friend's and Yusuke's place. Because it was the park that brought her the best memories of her the years she shared with the gang. The best memories with a certain red head that she always admired more than a friend. The one who was always protecting her. The gentleman and sweet Kurama.

"I can't stop thinking about him" Botan though when she suddenly realized her feet touching the green grass of the ground. She quickly jumped up and made her oar dematerialized on her left hand, looking around to make sure anyone had seen her fluting in the air. The place she stopped was empty and surrounded by tress and bushes, without any sound of kinds and adults could be heard. She started walking by the place, towards the part with movement, and started hearing the laughter and gossip from the people having fun. Botan couldn't help it but smiled, and left that sound penetrates in her mind as she sat down next to a tree. A sakura tree.

She closed her eyes, not paying attention at some boys looking at her. Her though traveled from that place and remembered from her last meeting with the gang at that park.

"Yusuke! Come back here right this moment!" Keiko shouted to Yusuke angry, holding her skirt that the spirit detective had lifted up a few moments before. Just like when he was only fourteen years old at the high school. Now, that Keiko, Kuwabara and Kurama were finishig school in two weeks and were going to start college three months after that, as Yusuke was going to come back to school, with new responsibilities and many changes, everyone was missing the old times.

All the gang, without Hiei, was watching the two in their usual argument, and they couldn't help it, but laughed, since Yusuke was on the ground supplicating Keiko's pity. Kuwabara was next Yukina, teasing Yusuke as he always did. Shizuka, at the same time, was asking Keiko to finish with Yusuke, bringing him down faster. Kurama was smiling politely, but was giving the impression of holding himself from laughing harder.

Botan, in the other hand, was not paying attention at the two lovers. She was so absent mind as she looked to Kurama that was next to her left side, still smiling at the scene. "He is so handsome smiling" Botan though hypnotized at the sound that he made when he started laughing harder, as soon as Keiko finally slapped Yusuke firmly on the face. She only realized how much she was glancing at him, when Kurama suddenly turned his face to Botan, his green eyes penetrating deep in her purple ones, looking the ferry girl in surprise and confusion.

"Botan, are you all right?" Kurama asked gently to her.

"Damn it! Caught in the act!" Botan thought blushing furiously. For those few seconds she had stared at him, she lost herself from time and thoughts. She looked to the ground, trying to avoid his look, which was making her embarrassed. "No… I'm… I'm OK Kurama… It was nothing…" she finally answered, in a not convincing voice.

"I'm sorry Botan, but something is telling me that you are not OK" Kurama replied still gently. In many occasions, Botan thought that Kurama could read her mind and look through her soul. He always new how she was felling for inside, no matter how she tried to hide. Kurama knew her very well and he was always there to comfort her.

"I just… It's just… Do you think this the end of all things?" Botan asked looking to him. She didn't even realize that Keiko and Yusuke had already finished fighting and were calling then for the lunch. Her mind was for making this question to her for a long time. "Do you think that now, with the accord between the king of Makai and the demons, we will be able to live here in peace?" she completed.

"I don't think so, Botan" Kurama said, and the security on his voice surprised Botan. "It will always exist the ones who broke the laws… And we will always be who we are" Kurama said finally, and Botan realized that he wasn't only speaking about their jobs as Spirit Detectives, but also about their past. Kurama was the Youko thief, Hiei the forbidden child and murderer, and Yusuke the son of Raizen with blood from the evil kingdom from Makai... Botan imagined if even Kuwabara would never live in peace. She looked away from Kurama with the head down, her worries evidentially passing by her head.

"Don't worry, Botan" he said putting a hand under her chin, making the ferry girl look again inside her eyes, his face close to hers, that she could fell his breath. "As long that we all can count on each other, there is nothing to be afraid".

"That means that we will continue to see everybody?" Botan asked softly to him. That was her real preoccupation. She was afraid of losing her friends, since she was a ferry guide from Renkai.

"Was that what was troubling you?" Kurama asked giving her an eyebrow. "If depends of me, we will see each other everyday. But you have to promise me that you are not going to push yourself too hard at the Spirit world and will come visit us sometimes."

"I promise" she said smiling. They looked in each other's eyes for a few seconds, when Yusuke's voice broke them apart.

"Hey! I've already called you three times!" the spirit detective yelled with a grim from where the rest of the group was sitting on the grass. "Gee, Botan! You can flirt with Kurama latter!"

"YUSUKEE!". Once again, Yusuke was on the ground, this time because of a powerful punch on his head, by a very mad Botan, who was blushing more than Kurama's hair. At the same time, she couldn't help but smile. Yusuke didn't have any idea of how he was right.

Botan closed her eyes. She had broken her promise. After that day on the park, she came back to the Spirit World, and started working hard. Although she missed Kurama a lot, she didn't fell the time passing, and didn't come visit Kurama about two weeks. Finally, when she decided to make her promise true, it was more than late.

She remembered very well...

Botan was in her way to Ningenkai, when Lord Koemma called her, saying that the Renkai's situation was very bad, and he needed her there. She did what he asked, and as a close of eyes, she founded herself wounded inside Genkai's temple. She founded herself dying. And she could never forget, everyone's enforce to bring her back, when she got kidnap. She remembered Yusuke fighting for her, Genkai and Yukina taking care of her, Keiko and Hinagheshi crying. Hiei and Kuwabara fighting. And most of all, although she was dying, she could remember and fell very well Kurama's arms around her, while Yusuke's match.

However, in the end of Yakumo, she came back to the Spirit World, and once again, broke her promise. She couldn't even imagine if Kurama and the rest of the gang would ever forgive her.

"I'm really sorry…" Botan whispered to herself as her eyes looked around the park, not realizing that they were bringing tears down. She whipped them away, looking to the kids playing around her, and once again smiled. However… something caught her sight… A flash of red. First she though she had been mistake and looked again. It was a boy. The boy was sitting on a branch a few meters from her, his back turned to Botan. She couldn't stop realizing that he had a very familiar red hair. In fact…

"It can't be…". Botan stood up from the grass slowly, studying the boy little by little just to be sure. But she already had. A smile suddenly became visible in her features, when she started to run on his direction, calling his name. The boy quickly turned around, stood up, and widened his eyes in shock, but also in happiness of seeing Botan. Without a second though, the ferry girl threw herself in his strong arms, both felling on the park's ground.

"Kurama!"

They didn't know the war was about to begin. For a long time he wished to have his vengeance. Watching, all the four, for a long time, he, a demon that once helped the Spirit World, was now ready to make his wish come true. With his new group of demons, and his new powers, he would smash the Renkai Tantei down, taking them out of the way to transform the Human world, as his Master wanted.

He was alone on the top of the hospital, looking to the city full of humans. "Humans". The worse specie that could ever exist. "They don't have to worry with nothing, because soon, they are going to be subjugated". However, there is a problem. His problem. His vengeance.

"Did you find Yusuke Urameshi?" he asked to his new allied when this arrived to the roof, and stood next him.

"Yes. He is in the city with Youko and the other human, called Kuwabara, as you said to me." The other demon answered.

"And what about, Hiei?" the first one asked.

"Back to the human world. I founded that he was released from Mukuro's work for a while and came back. I don't know why."

"Great. That will make the things easier… Call the others, we will attack soon. However, I have an idea." For a long time, that he had been watching all four, a desire came burning in his mind. He wanted them to suffer. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

"What is the idea? Maybe… kill them?" the second demon asked with sarcasm.

"No" the other said coldly, but right after a smirk appeared on his face. "Let's play a little game with them. They are weak."

"Weak? But, you said that they…"

"Their minds and hearts are weak" he continued, not hearing the other. "All humans are like that. First, I will kill the ones that are most important to all four, and after, I will kill them… slowly. I want you to found out, who they love the most."

"Do you think that it is going to work?"

"I'm sure. It's our time for revenge. Go now, Mitsurai."

"Yes, Lord Itsuki".

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