Part 2: Reality Check
There was a loud crash as Reiko's window was shattered. Looking at her mirror she could see the ghastly creature that ruptured her silence. Almost impossible to describe, it had long claws and teeth with such an odious smell. The closet thing it could be related to would be a sort of lizard wolf creature that stood up on two legs. She stumbled to her side table where a four inch blade and .44 magnum rested. But before she could get the drawer open she was pinned at least three feet above the ground against the wall. Its clawed fist was gripped tightly around her throat and she began to choke and gasp for air. She clawed at it, swinging her feet. She closed her eyes and attempted to teleport but was unable. Her eyes opened to tiny slits as gurgles came from her throat. She noticed glowing black inscriptions written on the under part of its wrist as she was on the brink of unconsciousness.
She was just about gone when something suddenly came down on the creature's arm, slicing it in half. Reiko hit the ground hard, the hand still clenched around her throat. She shakily removed its claws from her neck gasping for air when she did; not only did her own blood drip from her neck but the creature's blood covered her overcoat and face. No sooner after she fell, the creature's mutilated body dropped to the ground in front of her. Her eyes widened in horror. If it wasn't for her lack of air she would've screamed. Her vision blurred and she started to feel woozy. She looked up but could only make out the dark silhouette of a rather short male before she blacked out...
"Damnit Hiei," Koenma growled out, sitting at his desk and putting his head in his hands, "You weren't suppose to barge in and just take her!"
"Hn," Hiei snorted, shoving his hands in his coat pockets, "You really wanted me to just leave her with a dead demon at her feet?" he snarled back. Koenma groaned, sucking fervently on his pacifier, trying to think of what to do. With an exasperated sigh, he folded his arms to his chest and let out a successful 'hmph' and nod.
"Very well. I have one last thing I need you to do before you leave." he stated, Hiei rolling his eyes in response.
Reiko woke, jolting forward in a hospital bed, finally letting out the scream she had been holding in. Sweat rolled down her face and arms as Goosebumps covered her skin. Her breathing was rapid as she looked around at the white walls and curtains.
"Are you alright?!" a nurse said, throwing back the curtains, but this only caused Reiko's reaction to be worse. She crawled back on the bed until she hit the wall. The nurse's ears twitched and her tail swayed; she was a type of primate apparition. "Oh dear," the nurse flustered, closing the curtains and beginning to talk with another person on the other side.
Reiko swallowed hard as thoughts ran through her mind. 'Where am I? What is this place?' She tried to teleport but failed. She gnawed at her lower lip, looking for any escape.
The curtains were pulled back yet again, this time a rather chipper and human looking girl-with the exception of her bright blue hair-stepped out. "Reiko? Hi, my name is Bo-" Botan blinked when she saw the empty bed. "Ohhh," she whined, "Koenma's going to kill me!"
Reiko tore off the bandages around her neck and threw them on the ground as she ran down the halls in a white robe, barefoot. 'This can't be happening.' Reiko thought, pressing herself against a corner wall when she saw two apparitions, 'This can't be real,' she took a deep breath before turning the corner and continued to run.
"Oh no you don't!" Botan chirped, appearing out of mid air, sitting on her oar. Reiko let out a yelp, falling back.
"W-w-what are you?!" Reiko stuttered, resting back on her arms. Botan jumped off her oar as she made it disappear.
"My name is Botan and I'm the Grim Reaper." she responded, hands on her hips. Reiko's eyes twitched.
"The Grim...Reaper?" she restated with a chuckle of disbelief. "No way. I have to be dreaming."
"Nope! You're not dreaming Reiko! I am the grim Reaper and you," she said pointing down at her, "Are in the Spirit World."
"The what?" she scoffed as Botan walked over and held out her hand.
"If you come with me, Koenma will explain everything." she reassured. Reiko stared at her hand for a while, completely confused and unsure. With a sigh she took Botan's hand, standing up.
'Dream or not,' she thought, 'Nothing too bad could happen...I hope.'
When Reiko walked into Koenma's office she was sure she had gone crazy. The only other person in the room was a toddler sitting at a desk. Koenma looked up from his paperwork.
"Oh, Botan, I see you have our little escapee."
'Okay, now I know I'm dreaming.' Reiko thought as Botan pushed her forward.
"Yes sir. All in one piece." Botan stated a little too happily. Reiko looked back at Botan with a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me expression.
"Good, good. Have a seat then." Koenma said to Reiko, waving at a chair in front of his desk. Reiko reluctantly took the seat.
"Now then, let's get down to business." Koenma stated, pulling a file off of a tall stack and opening it. "Anayama Reiko. That is your name, isn't it?"
"You're the boss, you tell me." She scoffed, not taking the situation seriously in the least. Koenma looked at her unenthusiastically, clearing his throat before continuing.
"Graduated this past year from Sarayashiki High, has no current job or inspirations, lives alone in her one bedroom apartment, no friends, a sister and her family-a husband and two children-, your father and his wife and her children," he read off a seemingly endless list, surprising Reiko.
"Within three years you have obtained telekinetic powers and used them to survive by stealing." Reiko froze.
'Nobody knows that,' she thought, 'I've never told anyone. I've never been caught!'
"It has also been noted that the year of your 'changes', that your mother Anayama Nasashi died. The cause of death was due to-"
"Stop it!!" Reiko yelled, standing up in a fury. "You don't know her! You don't know me!" she bolted away, thrusting open the doors and running out only to smack her face into the chest of another. She was caught by a gentle hand before she hit the ground.
"Are you alright?" said a short red headed teenager. She looked up and blushed. His eyes were a beautiful emerald that matched her own.
"I-I-" she stuttered.
"Ah, Kurama, nice to see you." Koenma stated without leaving his seat. "It's been a while."
"Indeed it has." Kurama agreed, setting Reiko back onto her own two feet.
"Hello Kurama!" Botan waved and Kurama smiled in return. "You cut your hair? It looks great!" she commented. Kurama chuckled, leading Reiko back into the room; all the while she stared at him.
"Yes. Since I started working in my stepfather's shop I had to cut it. It would get in the way otherwise." And said, stopping and looking at Reiko. "And you must be Reiko?" he asked. Reiko only nodded; he looked familiar. "Well, I do hope you'll enjoy your stay here." He said, Botan and Koenma shaking their heads 'no' in the background. But they were too late.
"My stay?" Reiko questioned, looking back at Koenma. "I'm not staying here." She insisted. "I don't care who you people think you are! I'm not doing anything you say." She snarled, raising her hand above her head. To her dismay, nothing happened. She tried a side movement with her arm this time but still got nothing.
"There's no use in trying." Yawned a groggy voice from the doorway. They turned to see a brunette still in his pajamas walking in, hair all a mess.
"Yusuke-" Kurama started to say as Reiko stepped forward.
"Urameshi?" Reiko gasped. Yusuke blinked, puzzled for a moment. "Yusuke Urameshi?" she repeated. Yusuke snapped his fingers.
"You were from my class. Reiko Ana…Ana-"
"Anayama." She answered for him.
"That's right." He said as he walked up to Kurama and her, hands in his pockets.
"You didn't tell me that much Koenma. Didn't think I'd actually know your spirit child." He mocked.
"His what?" Reiko sneered. Yusuke came up to her and led her back to the seat.
"Yeah, you're in for an earful so you might wanna sit down." Yusuke told her.
"But-"
"Trust me. I've been through this before." Yusuke reassured, seating her. She only looked up at him in confusion before everything was explained…
"So you're a demon," she said to Kurama, "You're a mazaku; did I say that right?" Yusuke nodded, "You're the Grim Reaper and you're the Prince of the Spirit World-or after life rather." She sat there silently as she thought it over. "So if you guys are so important why am I here? And why can't I use my powers?"
"First off, I've had your powers restricted for the very reason you tried to use them for." Koenma stated, causing a slight pink in her cheeks to show. "And second, you're in danger."
"Danger?" she restated, "Are you talking about those creatures-" she paused, "Demons, from before?"
"Precisely." Koenma replied.
"Okay…But why me?" she asked, causing Koenma to sigh.
"You see," Botan stepped up, taking over from there, "You have a very special something inside of you." She said, tapping Reiko on the forehead. "And because you've been using your powers demons have been able to sense you, mind you they are very weak demons but demons none the less."
"Big deal." Reiko scoffed.
"Yes big deal!" Botan said sternly, surprising Reiko. "There's no doubt rumors are being spread in the Demon World about you. You have a very special aura Reiko, and they can see that!"
"Just how special are we talking about?" Reiko asked, crossing her arms.
"It's hard to explain," Kurama said, "But before I even entered this castle I sensed a strong luminous yet dark spiritual energy coming from inside. You're powers are not fully developed and because of the balance in your spirit you could easily be persuaded or…" he paused, going silent.
"Or what?" Reiko pressured, a little worried.
"Or…overcome; to put it lightly."
"You're not making any sense." She stated with a disgruntled look, eyeing Yusuke as he slept standing up and then put her eyes back on Kurama. Kurama side glanced at Koenma before replying.
"There are demons out there with their own special abilities; some like yours, mine or Yusuke and some not. There recently has been a sort of fad going on in the Demon World; something resurrected from ancient times." He paused as Reiko looked intrigued. "There are demons that stake high prices on human spirits, especially one like yours, for the sole purpose of, well, eating it."
"So, I'm being kept here, against my will, in case a demon tries to sell me to another demon that wants to eat my spirit?" she said skeptically.
"Well," Kurama shifted, realizing how absurd it would sound to someone who was just introduced to all this. "Yes."
"Do you realize how unrealistic all this sounds?" she scoffed, "I mean, come on. Demons, a chipper Grim Reaper, a toddler running the afterlife?!" she couldn't help but laugh, standing up and walking behind the chair. "Think of this logically; more than likely, I'm asleep in my room right now. This is all just dream."
"What do we have to do to prove it to you?" Yusuke said out of nowhere, causing her to jump a little. She could've sworn he was asleep. He opened his brown eyes not too happily. "I know this sounds like bullshit, but really, denial isn't pretty on a girl." Reiko glared, irritated by his comment.
"Then prove it." She stated simply, "If you can prove to me that this is all real, then okay." With a grin, Yusuke took a few steps toward her.
"Yusuke-" Botan tried to interrupt but Yusuke ignored her as he took Reiko by the front of her robe, yanking her up to where her toes barely touched the ground. Reiko smirked childishly, inches away from his face.
"If this is a dream," Yusuke smirked, "Then kiss me." Reiko's cheeks flushed and her eyes widened. "Better yet, why not Kurama?" There was a loud smack as her hand made connection with his face, causing him to stumble back and release her from his grasp.
"Pervert!" she shouted, holding her throbbing hand. She had hit him hard; hard enough that her hand was pulsing. She breathed deeply as Yusuke recovered, holding his left cheek in his hand. It was quiet before Reiko spoke. "Okay." She sighed, holding herself. Botan clapped her hands together as Koenma let out a sigh of relief and Kurama and Yusuke smiled. "But I'm not staying here." She declared, causing Botan, Koenma and Yusuke to face fault and Kurama to sweat drop.
"And why not?!" Koenma exclaimed.
"I don't care how safe this place is, I'm not going to stay here," she paused, "I'd rather take my chances at home."
"Reiko, there is no where else-" Botan began but Reiko interrupted her.
"If that's true, then why introduce me to Yusuke and Kurama in the first place?" Reiko questioned, arms crossed. It became silent at that point.
Koenma let out a groan. "I was hoping to say this later, but," he sighed, "I'm in the process of creating a Safe House. Of which will be located in the Human World appropriately arranged for Yusuke and Kurama." Reiko glared, "And you." Koenma added. Kurama and Yusuke stared baffled at Koenma.
"What?" Yusuke blinked, "I don't think so. Keiko would kill me; I told her I retired."
"You did…technically." Koenma sweat dropped.
"Technically?" Yusuke growled. Kurama set a hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"Don't worry Yusuke. I'm sure once we explain it to Keiko she'll understand." Kurama then looked to Koenma. "If you don't mind, Miss Reiko can stay with me and my family until the Safe House is completed." They all looked at Kurama awkwardly. "I assure you, my mother will not mind and neither would I for that matter."
"You're not serious are you?" Reiko said, puzzled by his generosity.
"Kurama, maybe you should think about-" Yusuke started to say before he was interrupted.
"Alright," Koenma said. "I'll allow it." Kurama nodded in response.
"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" Reiko asked.
"My apologies." Kurama smiled genuinely, "Is it an inconvenience for you?"
"Well, that is…" she stuttered, "No…not…really." She hung her head, embarrassed that she had rebutted his kindness.
"Good." Koenma said, bobbing his pacifier up and down. "You'll leave first thing in the morning. I'll have Botan take you home to get some of your things and you two will meet up with Kurama at…" he paused, thinking, "Keiko's family's restaurant." Yusuke glared, eyes twitching.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Yusuke snorted.
"No Yusuke. I just figured it'd be a good time for Keiko to be filled in is all. Don't you?" Koenma said with raised eyebrows. Yusuke crossed his arms, grumbling; he really would've liked to avoid the situation entirely. "Then it's settled. Botan, take Reiko back to the infirmary and have a few more tests run as a precaution." Botan nodded before Koenma continued, "Kurama, Yusuke, I'll send you both home now. Hopefully no one will realize that you ever left." Both boys nodded.
"Come on Reiko." Botan said, "You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."
"I've got a lot more than that ahead of me." Reiko muttered, walking over to Botan.
"It was nice meeting you Miss Reiko." Kurama smiled, with a slight bow.
"Yeah, good seeing you again." Yusuke said, still a bit upset with having to tell Keiko everything tomorrow.
"Yeah…same to you." She said. Right now all she wanted to do was sleep. Tonight had to have been the most awkward night of her life and she was anxious to get it over with. And maybe, just maybe, she would wake up and it all would really turn out to be just a dream…
..::Chapter End::.