Yellop! Me again! Yay! I'm so glad I had finally gotten to writing this. Although I didn't get as many reviews as I had wanted , I will not let my wonderful, wonderful reviewers down.
To those who had just read, and not bothered to review: Shame, shame on you! I know you exist, coz I've got LOADS of hits (186+!). Why can't you guys just REVIEW? I mean, we, the authors, slave all day (or in my case, night) on our work, the least you could do is leave a nice little word of compliment!
But thanks to all those who had reviewed anyways! I'm very, very glad you like! Please, please, please don't forget to review this one either.
PS; this time is MUST get at least 8 reviews of I WILL NOT CONTINUE.
That said, REVIEW:)
Azure-pink eyes opened to the coolness of the midnight wind. The eyes, which had once been so bright and full of mirth, now seemed sorrow and empty.
A transparent body awoke and was lifted out of its lifeless, physical counterpart.
Botan stood up, feeling the sensation of loss overwhelm her senses.
'This is my second time...' said Botan in her spirit form, lowering her eyes towards her physical body. Tears rolled down the cheeks of the spirit woman, but Botan failed to experience the sensation of grief; all she knew now was that she had died... and it was his fault.
'Botan?' a voice suddenly exclaimed, breaking Botan's train of thought.
Botan swirled around, only to come face to face with another Deity of Death.
'Ayame?' said Botan, as though the name sounded foreign to her.
The questioned ferry-girl, Ayame, looked from Botan's spirit-form, to the dead body lying neatly on the ground, with wide, uncertain eyes.
'Is this... do my eyes decieve me?' said Ayame, timidly moving up to Botan and pushing her hand right through the spirit-girl's chest. Ayame gasped, jumping back.
Botan slid on a fake grin as she remarked, 'So Koemna sent you, huh?', like it was the most natural thing in the world. If one hadn't caught on to her words, one would have thought she was merely talking about the surrounding weather or so.
'Yes, he did,' said Ayame, trying to mask her uneasiness with her usual look of cold nonchalance. She failed miserably. 'But I had never expected – you of all people!'
The smile never left Botan's face when she shrugged.
They stood like that for a while longer. Standing in complete silence, Botan had taken her time in wiping the smeared blood from her face with the sleeve of her kimono, while Ayame just stood, staring, transfixed on the dead figure of Botan on the ground.
'...How...?' said Ayame at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Botan looked up from what she was doing. Although she had managed to wipe most of the blood of her face, there were still traces of it around her eyes and lips. The bloody effect only added to the sardonic look on Botan's face, as her eyes flashed out of fury and hate, and she menacingly hissed out the name, 'Hiei...'
Ayame gulped silently, taken aback by the fear that made her spine tingle after Botan had said that.
'Umm...' said Ayame, eyes darting to a tree..., a bush..., anything but Botan's sharp, unmerciful gaze. 'I suppose we should go now. Koenma... I'm sure he'd like to know.'
Botan nodded, dropping the fiersome look and nasty tone of voice, as she climbed onto the back of Ayame's oar.
The ride to the Spirit World didn't take long, and the two women had spent the entire journey in silence; one because she was much too afraid of the look she had gotten before, and the other because she was far too contempt on planning revenge towards the one she had considered guilty for her death.
Once they had finally arrived, both women slid off the oar and proceded towards Koenma's office.
'Perhaps,' said Ayame, ceasing Botan from entering the two large doors that separated that now separated them from the Prince of the Spirit World. 'You should wait outside first. Knowing Koenma-sama, the news won't be taken very likely.'
Botan nodded in understanding, stepping back from the entrance way to allow Ayame to pass.
As Ayame dissapeared through the door, Botan took a seat on one of the few chairs at the waiting lounge. Before she could ease herself properly enough, however, the a thunderous scream – one that she recognized as her boss' – broke the sound barrier of the entire Spirit World.
'WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT????!!!!!' came the ear-splitting scream of the toddler.
Botan smiled inwardly, taking that as her cue to enter.
'BOTAN!' exclaimed the shock-stricken baby prince from his desk as Botan entered the room. 'Are you all right? What happened?'
Botan ceased his noisy ramblings with a soft, yet bitter smile.
'I died, Koenma-sama, that is all,' she said simply, as though the whole ordeal meant nothing.
Bowing politely to her superior, Botan awaited her invitation to take a seat. Once she had received confirmation she was looking for, Botan silently slid into one of the seats in front of Koenma's desk. Ayame took this precise moment to leave.
'Botan, please, explain!' demanded Koenma, his eyes practically popping out of his skull.
Botan recited her death scene in the shortest way she could, watching, with pleasure, how Koenma reacted exactly as she hoped he would on Hiei's behalf.
'I'll KILL him,' muttered the toddler prince menacingly, as he punched his right fist into the palm of his left hand.
Taking this moment to her advantage, Botan dared herself to voice the favour she had been so longing to ask from him.
'K-Koenma-sama?' said Botan timidly, as she averted her eyes from the anger-filled ones of her boss. 'D-do you mind if I... voice... a... a last favour... you know, before... I... pass on?'
Koenma blinked, momentarily forgetting his rage. 'What?' he snapped. 'You mean like a deathwish?'
Botan looked up from the torn sleeves of her blood-drenched kimono. A terrible look, one that Koenma was unsure of, fleeted pass her pink eyes, making the Prince of Hell himself shudder involuntarily. 'Exactly...'
'W-what?' said Koenma, uncertainty creeping over him. 'Is this really the same Botan?'
'Please, Koenma,' said Botan, now locking her gaze with her boss, rendering him unable to turn away. 'I would... like to take revenge on my murderer.'
'What? The demons?' thought Koenma, though deep down he knew exactly what she was talking about. 'She wants to take revenge on Hiei...'
'What are you going to do?' enquired Koenma, hastily making sure he kept his voice free from any stuttering.
'Why...' said Botan, very, very softly, the look in her eye now clearer that ever. 'I want to kill him, of course.'
Koenma had to literally catch himself from falling over. 'Botan?' he thought to himself. 'KILL?? Who IS this girl?' but out loud, Koenma had the decentcy to somewhat keep his composture.
'You, more than anyone, knows that killing is unacceptable, Botan,' said Koenma outloud instead. He had his hands clasped and resting on the surface of his desk. He wore a look of proffessionalism to keep himself from exploding outwardly.
Botan nodded in understanding, but her eyes still shone with that same, ruthless, unmerciful gleam. 'I will fully accept the consequences of my crime, Koenma.'
The two locked gazes for a long time. Koenma took this silence to fully process all that was being told before him. He also took this time to study her face – to search for any sign of reluctance or uncertainty. There was nothing. Nothing but the cold, heartless fact:
She really does want to kill him.
At this, Koenma was still very shocked. For all his years of knowing Botan, he had never thought of her as the type of person who would seek revenge. She was always a sweet girl. Polite, kind, optimistic... what happened to that Botan?
But, then again...
As Koenma moved from her stoic, stubborn eyes, towards her blood-stained kimono, sweat drenched sky blue ponytail, shredded skin, and the many bruises and burns that caked her fair body, another conclusion was made.
Of course she would want revenge? Who wouldn't? He had watched her die for goodness sake! And it was the fault of her optimism to put so much faith into him.
'In fact,' Koenma mused in his mind. 'If she hadn't offered to do it, I would've gone and killed him myself!'
Finally, after a few long, tormenting minutes of silence, Koenma said; 'How...?'
Botan didn't need to ask him what he meant by that. She knew him long enough to know exactly what was going on in that round, baby head of his.
Hiei was a ruthless, ex-convict. He posessed the almighty Jagan eye. He was a fire demon. He was the sole weilder of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. Plus, he had super accuracy and mighty strength. How was she, Botan, Ferry Girl, going to match up to his standards? Much less, kill him?
Botan smiled at the bitter irony of it all.
'I'll find my way, Sir,' she said at last.
Koenma stared at her a while longer; but this time with eyes that shone with worry. It was as if he was desperately begging for some sign of reluctance in her choice. But Botan had made up her mind. She wasn't one to turn back either.
With a great, heavy sigh, Koenma said, 'Botan, as one of my top Ferry Girls, you a permitted to carry out one wish... I will grant you a new body, and return you to the living.'
Botan's eyes sparkled with something other than hate, rage, and bitterness for once. A new light shone through her cotton-candy pink eyes. A new sensation: Excitement.
Suddenly, Koenma turned grave, and he looked a lot older as he continued his speech. 'However,' said he, speaking as if he was sucking on something bitter. Making the decision as one of the downfalls of his position as Prince of Hell. 'If you were to carry out this evil deed... neither I, nor anyone else from the Spirit World, can assist you from your consequence. Your loyalties to the Spirit World will be cut off entirely if you choose to proceed...'
Botan gave her boss a hard, determined stare. Her eyes seemed focused on the task at hand, and her jaw was unmistakably proving her determination for the job.
With another, very deep sigh, Koenma got up, transformed into his teenage form, and motioned for Botan to follow him.
Botan got up without a word and allowed him to lead her into a bright, shining blue room. She stood, transfixed, at the entrance at first, as though absorbed by the many orbs of light dancing around inside.
'Step inside, Botan,' said the now teenage Koenma gravely. 'It will replace the body you have now so that you may return to the living with it.'
Botan's eyes flew to Koenma's face at once. 'But, Sir,' said she, looking as though she did not plan this. 'If... possible... I had wanted to return with this body. To show, Hiei...'
Koenma gave Botan a hard look. 'The room will determine exactly what look you will come out with.'
Sighing inwardly at the fact that she would not get her wish, Botan stepped inside.
Bright, multi-coloured flashes encircled Botan's old body. The coloured orbs of lights twisted and twirled around Botan; as though doing a mad ritual dance. Botan shut her eyes, taking in the sensation of surreal bliss as the the locks of her sky-blue hair was lifted up, as if by an invisible wind. Botan's kimono started to writhe away until it had turned into dark, black ash. Botan's long, slender arms were lifted to her side as well. Botan released a deep, anguish-filled sigh as she allowed the light to take her.
A bright whit flash...
A pair of feminine eyes started to blink, as though trying to adjust to the light that surrounded them. Once the all the light had died down, the pair of eyes were finally able to focus; allowing anyone that stood there a clear vision of their irises.
Botan got up unsteadly, and wobbled for a bit at one spot.
Moaning, the ex-ferry girl tried to recall what had happened. After the moment of unstable emotion had passed her, Botan quickly scanned her surroundings: a small, discrete clearing shrouded in trees and shrubs. Carpeted in soft, dew-stained grass. It was probably still night time, or perhaps, very early in the morning. Botan recognized the place as where she had encountered her own, dead body sprawled tidily on the ground just a while ago.
However, Botan was no longer dead now. Far from it.
As Botan moved up to the closest river available, she darted her eyes downwards, to inspect her reflection in the water.
Botan heaved a sigh of relief at what she saw. Basically, everything was pretty much the same. The only few apparent differences, however, was her eyes, which had gone a much deeper shade of pink. Plus, she seemed far paler than she was before, as though she had the blood drained right out of her. Lastly, her outfit. Instead of wearing her usual light pink kimono, Botan was now robed in a dark, crimson coloured kimono.
Botan twirled around as any other girl would when inspecting themselves in a mirror. The only trace of her murder that she still kept, was a long, deep scar at that ran all the way up her left arm. She touched it gently, eyes hardening at once.
She was glad that the lights in the room had allowed her to keep at least one of her scars. Now, if ever she found herself dawdling, she would just look down at her arm, and keep her mind on the mission:
Revenge.
Ooookay. Now THAT was a long one.
I'm so, SO sorry. I know my work on this chapter stinks worse that crap itself, but I was kinda in a rush to get it done. You see, if I take my time, I'd probably end up not writing at all.
Oh, shit. I really hate this chapter. Please review and comment me about it.
If I don't get a good response, I think I'll just delete this chapter all together. :(
REVIEW!!