Author's Note - special thanks to yuki san1 & WorldsAngel for Reviewing;ErgoCogitoSum for Favoriting; and XxWinterWindxX for Story-Alerting! And another big thanks to everyone for reading. I apologize if the last chapter felt like a filler. it was a necessity but i suppose i could have made it more interesting... oh well. it's over and on to a NEW chapter of POTRA! Yeah! Enjoy and if you've got the time, please tell me what you think. Much appreciated! :D
Chapter 7: Host Family
"Well, here we are! You're new home!" said Botan cheerfully as she pushed opened the metal gates. She was dressed in her usual yellow long sleeves and brown overalls and she was carrying a duffle bag over her shoulder as she led Kikume up the stone steps to the door. "You'll love it here, Kikume-chan. Shizuru and Kuwabara are great people and they'll look after you."
Kikume nodded distractedly as her eyes wandered around the house and neighborhood. She was wearing a simple blue summer dress with white sandals and a large straw summer hat. It was the only outfit the girl had for the moment – Botan had lent it to her just before they left Spirit World. She was also clutching a small drawstring bag in one hand that contained some of Kikume's personal belonging the reaper had insisted on bringing with her. However, there wasn't a single extra article of clothing in there, which meant only one thing – shopping time!
Botan fully intended to take Kikume shopping first thing in the morning. Both she and Kikume needed a new wardrobe – well, Botan technically already had one but a reaper can never have too many clothes, right? Plus, summer was here and Botan had been looking forward to wearing some cute shorts and spaghetti straps, not to mention a bikini for when she hit the beach.
Botan watched Kikume spin around and around as the girl tried to take in her surrounding and she could tell that Kikume was in awe with the Human World. There was such hunger and joy in the girl's grey eyes that it made Botan's lips twitch in amusement. Kikume was like a newborn child, experiencing the world for the first time – and come to think of it, technically, that's exactly what she was.
"Oh wow, is that really the moon?" asked Kikume, staring at the round, white orb hanging high in the sky. "It's so big and beautiful…"
"Yes and you'll get to see it every night for the next year. Come on, Kikume-chan." Botan rapped on the door and rang the doorbell. The lights were on in the two story house and she could hear footsteps making their way to the door. Botan could faintly hear the TV running the evening news as Shizuru opened the door.
The brown haired, brown eyed psychic smiled warmly and opened the door wider. "Well, if it isn't my favorite ferry girl. You're early, Botan. Dinner's still not ready yet."
"Oh, sorry Shizuru. I hope we're not a bother," said Botan as she and Kikume stepped inside.
"No, it's fine. You can help set the table since you're here. And I'm guessing this is the friend you were talking about?"
"Yes, this is Kikume. Kikume-chan, this is Shizuru Kuwabara. She'll be your hostess for the next twelve months so you have to treat her with the up-most respect," said Botan.
Kikume bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you, Kuwabara-san."
Shizuru chuckled and waved off the bow. "Just call me Shizuru. We don't need formalities in this house. It makes things too complicated."
"Oh. Okay, then Kuwa – I mean, Shizuru," said Kikume looking slightly awkward and nervous.
Botan glanced over at the living room and noted that no one was watching TV. "Hey, where's Kuwabara?"
"At the library," answered Shizuru as she headed back into the kitchen on their right. "He's been studying every day since he only barely got into Gaikou Fuzoku High School. If he doesn't keep his grades up, they'll kick him out."
"Wow, talk about pressure," commented Botan. "So when is he coming home?"
"Soon, I expect."
Just then the doorknob turned and in trudged a weary and exhausted Kuwabara. He was hunched over, dragging his feet as he muttered a low, "I'm home" and proceeded to flopped face-first into the nearest couch. His blue jacket and white shirt was rumpled and his orange hair seemed like he'd spent hours running his hand through it.
"What's for dinner, sis?" he asked in a muffled voice.
"Fish. And where the hell are you manners, Kazuma? We have guests!" snapped Shizuru, appearing in the doorway with her hands on her waist.
"Huh? Guests? Since when did we have guests coming over?" Kuwabara lifted his head an inch off the couch and met Botan's eyes.
"Hello!" she waved cheerfully.
"Oh. Hi, Botan…" he grumbled and face-planted once more into the black leather couch.
"Is he all right?" asked Kikume in a quiet whisper.
"Oh, don't worry. He's always like that when he's tired." Botan chuckled. "You should've seen him and Yusuke after they finished the Four Saint Beasts case – using wooden crutches just to get out of bed. Haha! Now that was funny."
"The Four Saint Beasts?" Kikume frowned and furrowed her brows, like she was concentrating on trying to remember something. "They sound vaguely familiar…"
"Oh, they're ancient history now so you don't need to worry about them," said Botan patting the girl on the shoulder.
Kikume shrugged it off. "Okay."
"Hey Botan, who are you talking to?" asked Kuwabara, his face still implanted in the leather couch.
"She's talking to the other guest that you should have greeted, you moron!" snapped Shizuru and came around the couch to kick her brother's butt. "Now are you going to greet her properly or not?"
"Ow! Okay okay! Calm down, sis!" Kuwabara leaped to his feet and scrambled around the couch to get out of Shizuru's range. "Sheesh. How was I supposed to know we were going to have guests?" he grumbled.
"I told you last night," snapped Shizuru.
"I was half-asleep. How was I supposed to remember?"
"– and the night before that! And the night before that! Should I keep going?"
Kuwabara flinched. "Er, no… I get it." Kuwabara turned nervously and faced Kikume. "I'm Kazuma Kuwabara. It's nice to meet you." He bowed stiffly.
"I'm Kikume. It's nice to meet you too, er, Kuwabara-san?"
"Just call him Kuwabara. Everyone else does," said Botan. "Right, well I'm starving. When can we eat, Shizuru?"
"The fish still needs to be fried, but Kazuma can do it –
" – what? But sis –"
" – so Botan would you mind setting the table while I show Kikume to her room?" asked Shizuru as she undid her yellow apron and then turned to her younger brother. "Watch the fish. If you let it burn, I swear I'll beat your sorry ass into an early grave."
"Yes, sis." Kuwabara hurried off to the kitchen while Shizuru led a slightly nervous Kikume down the hall and up the stairs.
Botan followed Kuwabara into the kitchen. It was a small room with a little wooden table for four on her left. The sink, fridge, and stove were linked by a tile counter on the opposite wall, and to Botan's far right was a back door. Kuwabara was tying the yellow apron Shizuru had been using earlier around his waist and then picked up a clean pair of chopsticks before moving to the stove.
Botan glanced uncertainly at the numerous wooden cabinets before finally asking, "Where are the plates, Kuwabara?"
"Over there in the second cabinet on your left," he pointed.
Botan hopped onto a small wooden stool and opened the cabinet to pull out four plates. The silence in the room was a little awkward so Botan decided to lighten the mood with some small talk.
"So how's school?"
Kuwabara shrugged as he flipped the fish with the chopsticks. "It's okay I guess. I have to study a lot cause if my grades slip I get kicked out. It's tiring but I'm getting by."
"You must be working really hard... It's nice to know at least one out of the four of you decided to take the academic route," commented Botan as she set the table.
"Yeah… but I think Kurama said he's going to come back and finish school – though I don't know how he's going to do that since he's going to be stuck in Demon World starting next month."
"Oh, that's right. Kurama hasn't left for Demon World yet, huh?" muttered Botan. Then she suddenly realized what that meant and the blood immediately drained from her face. Her hands began to shake so badly that she nearly dropped the plates she was holding.
"Oh dear, this isn't good…"
"What is it Botan?" asked Kuwabara, looking up curiously. "You look really pale… Is something up? Does it have something to do Kurama?"
"Sssh!" hissed Botan, slapping a hand over Kuwabara's mouth and glancing nervously back at the hallway, worried they were being overheard.
"What?" asked Kuwabara's muffled voice. "What's going on, Botan?"
Botan quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him down, under the table before speaking in a very serious and low voice. "Listen to me carefully, Kuwabara. You must not – I repeat – must NOT under any circumstance mention Kurama's name around Kikume, do you understand?"
"Why not?" whispered Kuwabara.
"Because she will go berserk!" hissed Botan. "And trust me, that is not something you want happening. You remember what happened when she went up against Sensui, right?"
Kuwabara frowned and scratched his head. "Huh? What are you –?" Suddenly Kuwabara's eyes widened. "W-wait a minute, don't tell me Kikume is that ferry girl from Demon World – the one that could fire a billion Spirit Arrows?"
Botan nodded. "Yes, that's her – though I'm surprised you didn't recognize her right away. She's kind of hard to forget…"
"I've had other stuff on my mind – like school – but are you crazy, Botan? You mean to tell me that miss psycho-reaper is going to be living in my house?" exclaimed Kuwabara and sat up so suddenly that he banged his head on the table. "Ow! Dude, she's going to kill us!"
"Sssssh! Quiet!" Botan slapped her hand over Kuwabara's mouth again. "And no, she won't. Kikume is in no condition to so much as summon a toothpick. Her spirit energy was completely drained after she took on Sensui and she only recently regained consciousness."
"But it's been a whole month –"
"Exactly. Koenma sent her here because her spirit is too weak. She needs a body to protect it while it recovers. That's why he sent her here – to you and Shizuru. You're the strongest human in Human World, Kuwabara. Your Spirit Sword and Shizuru's spirit awareness are Kikume's only means of defense. Koenma wouldn't trust her safety to just anyone. Kikume plays a key role in Spirit World affairs and Spirit World cannot afford to lose her."
"So I'm her body guard for the next year?"
"Yes."
"Man, this sucks! On top of school work, I have to protect her too? Shouldn't this be something for Urameshi to do? He's the Spirit Detective!" complained Kuwabara.
"Ex-Spirit Detective, remember? King Enma fired him after he resurrected as a Mazoku."
"Oh, yeah… right." Kuwabara frowned and sat back with his legs crossed and arms folded. "Okay, fine. I'll protect her but you gotta tell me what that girl has against Kurama. What's her deal? She was practically shouting death threats at him in Demon World."
"Er, well it's… complicated. Let's just say they have a really bad history from sixteen years ago and Kurama probably doesn't remember it but Kikume does… very, very well, I might add. And she's been plotting her revenge ever since."
"Man, that's intense. What the hell did Kurama do to her?"
"Um, I don't think I should say... but just make sure you don't mention Kurama's name around Kikume, okay? Call him by his human alias, Shuichi, if you ever run into him. She won't know they're the same person."
"How come?" asked Kuwabara curiously.
"Well, according to Koenma, Kikume only knows Kurama in his demon form – meaning she only knows Yoko. As long as she doesn't know Shuichi Minamino is the same person as Yoko Kurama then she won't, uh… well she won't –"
"– go psycho-reaper on him?"
"Yeah… that."
Kuwabara sighed. "Okay, so how long before she gets her powers back? I need a timeline here so I know when to keep my eyes on the skies," said Kuwabara.
"Actually I'm not sure… maybe a few months? Definitely not any time soon so she can't get into too much trouble for a while. But you can bet that as soon as she can summon her oar she'll run off somewhere in Human World. The girl has been obsessed with this world since the first day she was born."
"Hasn't she ever been to Human World?"
"No and that's why we should probably take her around the city as much as possible these next few days so she doesn't get lost, and her obsessive excitement for this world can die down a bit. After that she should be fine."
"I hope you're right, Botan. The last thing I need is to skip class to clean up another one of Spirit World's messes." Kuwabara sighed again. "Okay. Thanks for the info, Botan. Better get back to the fish before it –"
"KAZUMA!" roared Shizuru as she pounded down the stairs.
Kuwabara blanched. "Oh crap!" He scrambled out from under the table just as Shizuru stormed into the kitchen roaring like an enraged dragon with flames shooting out of her nostrils.
"YOU BURNED THE FISH! I CAN SMELL IT ALL THE WAY UPSTAIRS!" she shouted, eyes ablaze in fury.
"Ah! I'm sorry, sis! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!" begged Kuwabara, shrinking away.
Shizuru shoved past him and threw the pan with the fish – which was currently on fire – into the sink and turned on the faucet. Smoke rose up and threatened to set off the fire alarm, but Shizuru quickly cracked open the window and fanned the smoke out.
"Phew." Then she rounded on her brother. "What were you doing when I told you to watch the fish? Now there's nothing to eat for dinner!"
"I'm sorry, sis. I'll go to the market and buy a new one."
"You do realize the market is closed now, right?" Shizuru crossed her arms. "So, now what are you going to do, huh?"
"Er, uh… we could – um, go out and eat," suggested Kuwabara. "I know it's kinda late but I bet Yukimura-san's place is still open."
"Hmphf… fine, but you're paying," said Shizuru.
"What? But sis –!"
"No, buts. Dinner's on you, baby bro," snapped Shizuru.
Kuwabara sighed and slumped in defeat. "Okay…"
Shizuru grabbed her jacket and threw it on. "Sorry about the change in dinner plans, girls," she said over her shoulders as she pocketed her keys.
"Oh, it's no problem. Besides, now Kikume gets to experience Keiko's delicious cooking," said Botan cheerfully, trying to keep things positive.
"Who's Keiko?" asked Kikume curiously.
"Oh, you'll like her. She's a great girl – I admire her. She really knows how to handle difficult men like Yusuke. Imagine, the great Mazoku-demon, Yusuke Urameshi cowering in fear of Keiko Yukimura!" chuckled Botan.
"Well, let's get going before we die of starvation," said Shizuru and she led the group out the door. Keiko's place wasn't too far – just a few blocks if they cut through the back allies. They reached the restaurant in no time and were greeted by a very surprised Keiko.
"Hey guys. What are you doing here?" she asked while clearing one of the tables.
"We're customers, of course," smiled Botan.
"Yeah, we would've had fish for dinner but someone screwed that plan up," growled Shizuru, glaring pointedly at her brother.
"Aw, come on, sis! How many times do you want me to keep apologizing? I'm paying for dinner, aren't I?" whined Kuwabara.
"Yeah yeah… I suppose I can forgive you this time," muttered Shizuru as Keiko showed them to their seats. "So, is there anything you recommend for us tonight, kid?"
"Um, well my dad's specialty is the beef teriyaki so you can try that if you want," replied Keiko as she handed out menus. It was then that she noticed Kikume. "Oh, who are you?"
"This is Kikume. She's a good friend of mine and she's going to be staying with Shizuru and Kuwabara for the next year. Kikume-chan, this is Keiko Yukimura," introduced Botan.
"It's nice to meet you, Yukimura-san," said Kikume in a polite voice.
"It's nice to meet you too, Kikume-san. Well, I'll be back in a bit to take your orders. Take your time." Keiko smiled and returned behind the counter to help her father cook.
Botan skimmed the menu but couldn't decide if she wanted noodles or rice. She glanced over the top of the menu to see what the others were deciding on and spotted Kikume completely ignoring her menu and was busy people-watching. She had her mouth hanging slightly open as she watched a couple sitting in a secluded corner, talking softly to each other. They were laughing and holding hands while they chatted.
Botan could see the fascination and hunger in Kikume's eyes as she then moved her attention to a small family of four. The children were still relatively small – maybe three or four years old. Both were boys and they were busy playing with their toy cars while their parents watched. Botan couldn't help smiling at how loving the family seemed.
Kikume let out a small sigh of yearning and leaned her head on one hand, watching them dreamily before Shizuru brought the sidetracked girl back to their table.
"So, what are you going to order, Kikume?"
"Huh? Oh, er…" Kikume quickly skimmed the menu with a slightly confused look on her face. "Um, everything looks really good. I don't know what to try."
"How about you take Keiko's advice and go with the beef?" suggested Shizuru.
"Okay."
Suffice to say, dinner went rather smoothly. Botan only had to forcefully change the topic twice so that Kikume wouldn't be reminded of Kurama – especially on her first night in the Human World. Koenma had explained to Botan before their departure that Kikume was in a very precarious state. Her soul had been ripped to shreds due to her own foolishness and it was miracle she had survived.
Luckily, they discovered that by bathing the girl's spirit in the waters of the Acheron, her soul slowly mended and after a whole month, Kikume was finally able to regain consciousness. It seemed the River of Pain had some healing properties and nutrients since it was the only thing Kikume could consume during her month long coma. The water had revived the girl and Botan had made it a personal duty of hers to fly round trips to the river and bring back buckets of its water. Even now, Botan wondered if Kikume still needed to drink from the Acheron…
Koenma had explained that it was possible Kikume would need to depend on the waters of the River Acheron for sustenance from now to maybe the rest of her life. Her soul was nearly shattered. It seemed the only thing keeping it together was the river's water. And yet, when the Prince of Spirit World explained this to Botan, the Chief Pilot of the River Styx sensed that he was a bit troubled by it. Botan had no idea why the idea of the River Acheron's water would trouble the demigod but it did and that put her on edge. What was it that made the demigod so disturbed about the river's healing abilities?
"Well, guess we better get going," said Shizuru finally as she pushed back her chair and stood up. "It's the middle of the week and Kazuma still has school tomorrow."
"Okay, Thanks for coming! I'll see you guys around," said Keiko as she started to clear the table.
"Bye bye!" Botan waved and followed the others out. "Well, wasn't that a lovely evening?"
Kikume nodded. "I've never had food that tasted so good."
Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, Yukimura-san sure knows how to cook. Urameshi's a lucky bastard to have a girl like her. I bet he's missing her cooking right now in Demon World. I wonder what they eat over there… Maybe it's like weird bugs or gross things like bird eyeballs."
"Somehow I doubt that," muttered Shizuru, lighting a cigarette and let out a puff of smoke.
"Well, if you're so smart, sis, then you tell us what demons eat," retorted Kuwabara.
Shizuru shrugged. "Like hell I know."
"Humans," said Kikume suddenly. "Demons eat humans."
Shizuru dropped her cigarette, stunned while Kuwabara gaped. Both were staring at her incredulously.
Kikume blinked in confusion. "What?"
"Are you serious? They eat humans in Demon World?" asked Kuwabara, shocked.
"Er… yeah. Didn't you know? Most demons consume human flesh – their bodies thrive on the nutrients found in human tissue. There are some demons who prefer certain parts too – like Bat Demons prefer human blood over flesh while Demon Worms see human feces and intestine as delicacies. It all depends on what type of demon you're dealing with and how strong they are."
Kuwabara paled and massaged his stomach tentatively. "Uh… I think I'm going to be sick. And I've got goosebumps." He shivered.
"Yeah… me too," muttered Shizuru, rubbing her hands up and down her arms like she was cold – even though it was nearly July.
Kikume cocked her head in confusion as the two psychics turned and continued to walk in a notably faster pace. "Was it something I said, Botan?" she asked innocently.
Botan sighed and patted the girl on the shoulder. "They're just in shock, that's all. It's common knowledge for you but think of it from their point of view – humans aren't used to the idea of being food. Usually they're the ones doing the eating."
"Oh…"
The two reapers finally caught up to their hosts just outside the Kuwabara house.
"Man, this is starting to sound like a horror movie," muttered Kuwabara as he slowly trudged up steps to his front door. "Hand me the key sis. I'm going to bed."
Once inside, Botan and Kikume headed to the guest room. There was a bed and a futon set up for them. Botan went to shower first.
Under the sprays of hot water, she felt her body relax and the tension of the past month slowly wash away. She'd been so worried about Kikume that she had rarely left their room unless she absolutely had to. She, Ayame, and Hikari had been terrified they might have lost another reaper to Demon World. It'd been nearly seventeen years since she last saw Suiren and Tsubaki, and she hoped that somehow, where ever they were, they were okay. Botan liked to believe they were still alive somewhere in Demon World. Their souls hadn't returned to Spirit World so that must mean they weren't dead, right? But then, Kikume had mentioned once that there were some demons who could consume other creatures' souls. If that was the case then Suiren's and Tsubaki's souls would never return to Spirit World and be judged… they would simply disappear into oblivion.
Old tears threatened to fall as Botan's heart twisted in pain. She clutched her chest and bowed her head, mentally telling herself to think positively. But it was hard… Demon World was taking everyone away from her. First her mentor and now her friends – Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama…
Botan prayed that they may all one day meet again, under the same sky and have another good laugh together. She hoped that everyone would make it through and come back to her because she loved her friends and could not bear to lose any of them. She didn't want to feel helpless and alone again, like she did when she lost Suiren and Tsubaki.
"Please come back to me," she whispered as the hot water continued to beat against her soaked blue hair. "Please… come back."