Eternal Worlds

Chapter 1: The Deity

Kurama winced deep within his head. Here we go again… he thought somberly before a hoard of girls went gushing over him. Like the gentleman her truly was, Kurama smiled sweetly at the girls before him before his sharp senses caught hold of certain deity's spiritual aura. Looking ahead, he saw Botan standing below the shade of a tree looking at him, she was biting her lower lip to prevent from laughing out loud but her eyes shone with fervent amusement. He stood there for a while looking at her, enraptured by her subtle beauty, before he shook himself mentally. Excusing himself from the ladies, he gracefully made his way to the deity lounging under the tree. His emerald eyes widened in surprise as he saw the uniform she was currently donned… their university uniform.

"Ohayou Botan-san. Daijobou?" he asked her as he stopped before her.

She giggled and stood on tip-toe to look at the girls glaring dangerously at her in jealousy. "They look like they're ready to kill me." She told him while giggling uncontrollably.

The red-haired kitsune laughed with her. "Is there something wrong Botan? A new mission perhaps?" he asked her quietly.

The deity's pinkish violet eyes widened before she lowered them. She fiddled with the hem of her uniform. "I…er… um… no there's no problem that I know Kurama-kun… I just ummm…"

"What's wrong Botan?" he asked her worriedly. This was not like their deity at all.

Lifting her head, Botan looked directly in his emerald gaze. "I need your help Kurama… I know that you're the only one who can help me…" she whispered.

Kurama looked around him and nodded. Grasping her upper arm, he led her to a relatively secluded area where no one could hear their conversation. Lowering his things to the ground, Kurama held out a hand to assist the blue haired deity to sit by him. As Botan sat comfortably beside him, she looked ahead at the track and field runners practicing their laps.

"Botan?"

Botan smiled sadly and turned to the kitsune seated beside her. "I'm sorry to have bothered you Kurama, demo, you're the only one I could trust with this secret… and you're the only one I know who could probably give me an answer."

The kitsune looked worriedly at his friend. "What's wrong Botan? What happened?"

"I've been having these dreams for almost a year now. Its always the same and it's scaring me… every time… every time in my dreams, I turn into a full blooded youkai. Sometimes, I see myself being killed by a youkai… I can feel his claws ripping into my body…" she shivered violently. Tears falling down her pretty face, she tried to smile brightly at Kurama. "These doesn't mean anything… ne Kurama-kun…ne?"

The kitsune could only look at her worriedly. "Does Koenma know about these dreams of yours Botan?" he asked her gently.

She shook her head vigorously. "Iie… iie… I dare not tell him. He already has a lot on his mind to add my troubles to his problems…"

Kurama looked at the field and thought quietly. "Botan… I can't tell you anything for now… I have no idea what's triggering those dreams of yours, maybe you need sometime off your duties. They may be the reason for your nightmares."

The deity looked at him incredulously. "I've been doing this for centuries now, how come this is only happening now?"

He bit his lower lip. She was right, she was doing her duties for centuries now, but she only had these dreams recently. "But don't you think that you should take a break from your duties until you can figure out what those dreams mean? If its affecting your sleep and your work, then I guess its time for you to take a break. Even just a short one."

Botan sighed. "I wish I really could do that Kurama-kun, but who will do my duties when I'm gone. That would be really selfish of me."

The kitsune stared at her dumbstruck. She would rather let herself suffer that let others suffer? "That's… that's really thoughtful of you Botan…"

The deity merely beamed at him brightly before she jumped up. "Ooops! Gotta go! Duty calls! Thanks for listening Kurama-kun…"

Kurama stood up as well and nodded. "Botan…" as the deity turned to him he smiled gently at her, "If you ever need someone to talk to, remember that I'm always here to listen."

She really beamed this time. "Thanks Kurama-kun… you don't know how much that means to me." She told him before she mounted her oar and soared up to the heavens.

He stood there looking up at the sky even when he couldn't see her anymore. A frown marred his beautiful features. Something was wrong… something was definitely wrong and it involves Reikai's deity of death.

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"Che, what's this meeting all about now?"

Yusuke grumbled as he stretched his arms above his head. Kuwabara sat on the floor beside him cracking his knuckles. Hiei arrived earlier and now sat silently on the branch of a tree. Kurama was the one to arrive last, they were all in Genkai's temple where Koenma himself called a meeting.

As the Reikai prince arrived, the rest of the tantei had positioned themselves around to listen to what the meeting was all about and why it had to be done so secretively.

"Oi, Koenma, you usually send Botan to tell us about any meetings, what happened?" Yusuke asked him as Koenma sat before them.

"Yeah… what's up anyway?" Kuwabara chipped in

Koenma sat quietly before lowering a folder before him. "You have a new mission tantei…"

Yusuke let out a whoop. "Alright! Finally! We get to kick some ass here!"

Koenma shook his head. "Not this time Yusuke. This mission is in need of secrecy and stealth."

Yusuke stood quietly before he sat down before the prince. "This mission really serious Koenma?" he asked

Koenma nodded gravely. "Very serious. I'll tell you everything but none of you must tell a soul about this, is that clear?"

Four heads nodded quietly. Koenma sighed and removed the documents from within the folder. Kurama's eyes widened when he realized that hey were all looking at Botan's files. Kurama held one picture, "Koenma… this is…"

"This is Botan's files. These files have been kept secret for centuries. I only found out about these files about a week ago. These files contain who and what she was before she came into Reikai's gates."

Hiei and Kurama's eyes widened at the file before them. "She's a youkai!" came the fire demons surprised voice. Yusuke and Kuwabara scrambled up to look at the file in Hiei and Kurama's hands then back at Koenma for confirmation.

Koenma sighed. "From what Enma-dioh told me, Botan was sent to Reikai after a youkai killed her. Her spirit a bit dazed, Enma-dioh pushed all her memories in the deeper part of her brain, having not being able to erase it completely."

"So, what does this mission have to do with her?" Kuwabara asked him

"Everything." Came the answer

Kurama's sharp eyes rested on the Reikai prince. "There has to be more to it… doesn't it?"

"There's a youkai currently tearing Makai looking for her. It won't be long before he goes to Reikai and hunts her down."

"Why on earth would a youkai tear all of Makai looking for her!" Yusuke asked exasperatingly

"Unless…" Hiei looked at Koenma, "that demon has something to do with Botan? Doesn't he?"

"That youkai stole something from Reikai a thousand years ago…" Koenam told them

"What did he steal?" came the kitsune's question

"The former deity of death…Shizume."

Four jaws slacked open. "Who the heck is this Shizume?" Kuwabara chocked out

"She is Botan's mother, and the very person you are about to retrieve in Makai." came the quiet answer

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AN: whooeee! Two chappies in oro, 3 hours? Oh well, hope you enjoy this! Ja ne! again revies!

Aoi-chan