Author's Note - i am truly sorry for the month long wait. i was trying to finish up my other Yu Yu Hakusho fan fic, Kori no Akuma. Now that it's done i can focus more on POTRA. Hopefully this means i can get a more regular update schedule going. Thank you all for being patient with me and continuing to read this story. A big shout out of thanks to Dreamer Forever Ni, yuki san1, Graphospasm, Silver Spirit Fox, & PiNkBunN17 for Reviewing; LilyMoonstone & 13krirla for Favoriting; VampireOnFire, LilyMoonstone, ninja enchantress, & PyroxXxManiac for Story-Alerting. Your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you! I hope you all enjoy this chapter of POTRA and please let me know what you think! Enjoy! :D

Chapter 8: Shopping or Shop-Lifting?

Kikume silently opened the window and climbed out. She easily swung onto the roof of the house and crawled next to the chimney before standing up. Her eyes watched in wonder as the sun slowly rose above the horizon – spilling wonderful orange light over the city. The air was starting to warm up and she could hear the world coming to life as birds chirped and Cicadas buzzed excitedly.

She took a deep breath, breathing in the summer air. So this was what the summer mornings in Human World felt like, thought Kikume with a smile. It was beautiful. She wondered what the other seasons would be like. She could only assume so much from watching Human World Dramas. Pictures alone could not convey the sensation of chilly fall winds brushing against your skin or soft, falling snowflakes landing gently in your hair. Those things you can only experience for yourself.

Kikume glanced once more at the sky and guessed that Shizuru and Kuwabara would be getting up soon, but she didn't feel like going back inside just yet. She wanted a little more time to herself so she could enjoy this dawn and keep it in her memories forever. This was her first morning in Human World… and it was unbelievably perfect.

Kikume sat down and leaned against the chimney as she watched the neighborhood come to life. Soon she could hear the morning news drifting up from an open neighbor window as the mother ushered her children to the table and to eat their breakfast. Kikume closed her eyes and imagined it was her, as a child, eating a piece of toast while her mother anxiously packed her lunch and shood her out the door so she wouldn't be late for school…

Kikume sighed.

If only she had had that chance… if only she had been born in this world. She would have had parents who loved her and friends to play with. It was too early in the day to feel angry at the Spirit Fox, but she still felt the empty longing in her heart whenever she thought of what could have been – what she'd lost. She had her mother's love, however brief that was, and the demon had taken it away from her. And right now, instead of the normal fury and hate that she harbored for the thief, she only felt the sense of loss and grief.

She was starting to feel depressed and that wasn't like her at all. Ever since waking up in her room a few days ago, she hadn't felt like her old self. Maybe it was because of her injuries but she swore that she felt like a part of her was missing… but what?

"Hurry up, Kazuma! You're going to be late!" called Shizuru from downstairs.

"Okay! I'm hurrying!" Kuwabara burst out the front door and rushed down the steps to the black gates. "See you later sis!"

"Have a good day, Kazuma!"

Kuwabara waved and was about to turn around when he spotted Kikume on the roof. The boy paused for a second until recognition hit him and then he waved to her too.

Kikume waved back with a small smile and watched as the human ran down the street and disappeared around the corner.

The guy's got a good eye... I didn't think he'd notice me up here.

Kikume slowly stood up and stretched her stiff legs. She must have been sitting on the roof for nearly an hour. Wow how time flies! She made her way cautiously down to the edge of the roof and swung back into the room just as Botan came back from the bathroom. The reaper exclaimed in surprise and stumbled backwards, clutching her heart.

"Dear Kami! Don't do that, Kikume! You nearly gave me a heart attack," she gasped.

"Sorry Botan," Kikume muttered as she picked up the blue dress she'd worn yesterday and began to change out of the yellow and red poke-a-dot PJ Shizuru had lent her. It had once belonged to the human when she was still in middle school and since Kikume was relatively short, it fit her rather nicely. The reaper folded the PJs neatly and placed them on the bed.

"So… um, now what?" she asked, awkwardly, unsure of what Botan's plans were.

Botan had changed into a pink blouse with white capri and upon hearing Kikume's question she smiled excitedly.

"Now, we go shopping!"

Still grinning, the blue-haired reaper practically skipped all the way down stairs to the kitchen where Shizuru was making breakfast.

"Morning Shizuru!" sang Botan with all her enthusiasm filling her greeting.

Shizuru smiled. "Hey girls, going out I see?"

"Yup. We're going on the shopping spree of a lifetime! Care to join us, Shizuru?" asked Botan, sitting down at the table. Shizuru had prepared a simple scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast with a jug of orange juice and milk in the center of the table. The woman had already finished her breakfast and was taking her plate to the sink to rinse.

"Sorry Botan, but I have work. I've got a salon to run, you know?" Shizuru quickly washed her plate and set it out to dry. She then rummaged through one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a silver key. "Here, it's a spare to the front door. Don't lose it Botan."

Botan took the key and smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, Shizuru. I'll take good care of it. You can trust me."

"Okay, well then catch you girls later!"

"Bye!" waved Botan and Kikume as the human closed the door behind her.

Immediately Botan turned back to Kikume and picked up her fork and knife. "All right, Kikume. We need to hurry and eat so we can take a taxi to the nearest mall. We have to buy your entire wardrobe for the year, you know," said Botan and she began eating feverously.

Kikume was about to follow suite but then a thought crossed her mind and she frowned with worry. "Hey, um… Botan?"

Botan looked up after swallowing her last piece of bacon. "Yes?"

"How are we going to pay for everything?" asked Kikume. "It's not like either of us have any Human World money, right?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," said Botan without losing her smile for even a nanosecond. She quickly finished the rest of her breakfast and rushed to the sink to wash her plate.

Kikume's frowned deepened, still wondering where they were going to get the money to buy clothes. They weren't going to steal the clothes, were they? She hoped not. Maybe Koenma was going to pay for it…

"Are you done?" asked Botan impatiently. She was practically pouncing on the balls of her feet as she hovered by the sink.

Kikume looked down at her plate and realized she'd barely touched it; yet for some reason she wasn't hungry.

Kikume shrugged. She was probably just not used to her human body yet.

"Yeah, I'm done. Thank you, Botan."

Botan glanced at the still full plate and then at her with worry in her eyes but Kikume waved her off. Botan sighed and as soon as she was done with the dishes, she practically dragged Kikume out of the door.

"Wait, Botan! You forgot to lock the –"

"No time, Kikume dear. We've got shopping to do!" exclaimed Botan, her excitement once more renewed as they dashed past the black gates and onto the sidewalk. "Taxi! Taxi! Hey!TAXI!"

oo00oo000oo00oo

Surprising to say, shopping was a lot more exhausting than ferrying souls from Demon World. Kikume's feet were killing her and her hands were turning red from lugging around all their heavy bags. Personally, Kikume wasn't that picky about clothes, especially since she technically only owned two pieces of clothing – her white gi and her kimono. She would have been satisfied with buying simple T-shirts and jeans but Botan, being the ecstatic shop-o-holic that she was, dragged her to every store and made sure they bought at least one of everything.

"You can never have too many clothes," said Botan with a wink.

Kikume could only gape at the number the cashier ranged up and could not believe Botan's credit card was capable of covering it all.

"Okay Botan, seriously. How the hell did we pay for all this?" She held up the ten bags she was carrying for emphasis. "And don't you dare tell me we're using those spirit moneys humans burn for their dead."

Botan chuckled. "Don't be silly. We're using our own money of course. All of this is coming out of your paycheck."

Kikume stumbled to a halt in shock. "P-paycheck? We get paychecks?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, that's right. Didn't you know? Hmm… then again, maybe I forgot to tell you," mused Botan with a finger under her chin.

"Yeah, you think?" snapped Kikume. "If I've been getting paid all this time then where has all the money gone? I don't ever recall being handed a check ever in all of my sixteen years of existence!"

"Well, it goes to our accounts, of course. Though normally the money is translated as spirit money – like you said, the ones that humans burn for their deceased. That money helps fund the whole ferrying operation. Naturally, they're not worth a lot in human world but with all the centuries I've had behind my back, I've accumulated quiet a fortune," Botan winked.

"But you, on the other hand, are paid differently. Your currency comes from Demon World and since they have no customs of burial, we've been taking taxes from the Demon Kings in exchange for ferrying their dead."

"Then what kind of currency do they use?" asked Kikume curiously. She'd only vaguely heard about the Demon Kings. She'd been told that she needn't worry about them since she rarely went that far into demon world. All she knew was that there were three Kings and each of them could kill her just by blinking. That had been enough incentive for her to keep well clear of Demon World's deepest pits.

"Hmm… let me see." Botan scratched her head as she tried to remember. "Um… I think they're called Ruromari stones. I hear they're really valuable and extremely rare in Demon World so the Demon Kings pay one for every hundred souls you ferry."

"You know… that doesn't sound like much. I feel like I'm getting ripped off. How much does that translate in the Human World?"

"Um, not sure but I don't think you'll ever come close to running out of money if you stay in Human World for the next fifty years," said Botan.

Kikume whistled. "Wow. That's a lot of money."

Botan nodded. "Exactly so let's shop to our hearts content Kikume!"

Kikume laughed nervously as she saw Botan's fiery passion reigniting in her amethyst eyes and she quickly tried to save her aching hands and feet another four hours of torture.

"W-why don't we take a break and have lunch?" she suggested. "I didn't eat a lot at breakfast and now I'm starved."

"Oh, I completely forgot!" exclaimed Botan. "I'm so sorry, Kikume. I got so caught up in shopping I forgot about lunch."

"It's fine. How about that café over there?" pointed Kikume. "It's such a nice day today. We could eat outside under those red umbrellas."

"Great idea! We're indoors anyways so we get both the sunlight without the heat and mosquitoes!"

As soon as the two reapers stepped into the restaurant, a waiter courtesy bowed and showed them to a table outside, like they requested. He handed each of them a menu and then handed them a small list of their special wines, asking if they would like to try any. Botan waved him off with a "no thanks" before opening her menu to scan the selections.

The terrace they were sitting on had black, intricately carved railings and a dozen silver-rimmed, glass tables set out. Only two of them were occupied, not including theirs, so it was relatively quiet. Down below, on the ground floor, were humans going about their shopping. Their voices were slightly muffled since they were on the third floor but Kikume noticed that there were relatively more humans now than there was when Botan had dragged them into the mall earlier that morning.

Must be rush hour now, thought Kikume and then returned her attention to the menu.

Suddenly, Botan's cell phone rang, chirping excitedly. The blue haired reaper checked the caller ID and hastily picked up.

"H-hello?" she said nervously. "Oh no! I completely forgot… must have slipped my mind. Er, where did you say you were?"

Botan paused to listen. "Okay, I'll be there in a second." She quickly hung up and smiled weakly as she got out of her seat.

"I'll be back in a jiffy. I have some… er–errands to run. Don't go anywhere, okay Kikume?" And without waiting for an answer, Botan dashed off, back inside the restaurant.

Kikume frowned at Botan's hasty escape. Running off like that made her seem really suspicious. It was like she was trying to hide something. Was she up to something?

Kikume got up and leaned over the railing. She instantly spotted Botan running through the mall with her sky blue hair trialing after her in a ponytail. Kikume leaned over as far as she could to try and see where her wayward guide was running off to but lost her as soon as Botan disappeared around the corner.

Kikume sighed and contemplated going after her. She was weighing the consequences of disobeying Botan and staying put when the waiter cleared his throat from behind her.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you ready to order?"

"Oh, er…" Kikume hastily picked up the menu and frowned at the unknown names that danced across the page. What the hell was a Mahi Mahi?

"Um… what do you recommend?" she asked with a nervous smile.

The look the waiter gave her told her either he thought she was a complete idiot or at least illiterate.

oo00oo000oo00oo

Botan gasped for air as she finally arrived at the front of the travel agency. She skidded to a stop and doubled over to catch her breath with one hand on the door to hold herself up.

"Sorry – I'm – late," she wheezed out to the redhead who was leaning casually against the wall. "I – was – preoccupied with – some things."

"It's fine. I finished with my errands while I was waiting for you," said the teenager as he uncrossed his arms and stood to offer her his hand.

Botan took it and let him pull her up. "Thanks, Kurama."

Kurama nodded and pulled out a white video tape from inside his brown jacket. "Here's the tape you requested."

Botan smiled with relief. "Thank you! You don't know how helpful you've been these last few years!"

Kurama shrugged. "Stealing the tapes from the producers wasn't much of a feat, besides it was on Spirit World's orders. Would you care to tell me why I've been ordered to break into a human television producer's office to steal these specific tapes?"

"Oh it's nothing serious," said Botan, waving her hand to try and ease the suspicious glint in Kurama's green eyes. "Nothing apocalyptic or anything. They're just for a friend."

Kurama eyes narrowed, indicating he didn't believe her.

Botan fidgeted under Kurama's scrutiny and avoided looking him in the eye. "Well, I-I guess I'll be off now... Er, call me as soon as you get the next tape, okay?" Botan turned to make a hasty get-away.

"Actually, there's something you should know," said Kurama, causing Botan to pause mid-step and turn back.

"That tape is the last one… there are no more."

Botan blinked in surprise. "What? Really? So this is the finale?"

"Not exactly…"

"Then why is this one the last tape?" she asked.

"The series was cut and the humans stopped producing it."

"Wha – why?" exclaimed Botan in horror.

"Because it was one of the worse TV drama series in media history," said Kurama as a matter of factly. But as soon as he glimpsed Botan's stunned face he frowned. "You didn't know that? The critics called it the most cliché and cheesiest love story ever made and the ratings were awful."

"S – so this is the last one? This is the last episode of Stay By Me?" whispered Botan even as the blood drain from her face.

"Yes. Why are you so troubled, Botan?" asked Kurama.

"B-because… Oh!" Botan stomped her foot. "Because this is terrible! Now what am I gonna tell her?"

"Her?"

"Her? Yes, uh her – I mean my - my uh, friend. The one I've been getting these episodes for. She's a real fanatic – I mean fan. And uh, she'll be devastated that it ends so abruptly."

"I see… I question your friend's taste in drama. The series is a far cry from reality," muttered Kurama. "But to each their own I suppose… Have a good day, Botan."

Botan sighed. "Thank you Kurama for everything. I'm just going to have to find a way to break the news gently to Kikume – I mean my friend."

Botan slapped her hands over her mouth at the slip of her tongue but that only made Kurama frown and Botan could practically see the gears turning inside the fox's mind as the name registered in his memory.

"Er, I have to go! Bye!" Botan quickly dashed off, mentally kicking herself for accidentally saying Kikume's name. Oh the countless bad things that could happen were making Botan dread returning to the restaurant terrace.

But then again, what was she worrying about? As long as she and Kuwabara don't mention Kurama's name around Kikume, the two of them were likely to never meet. In one month Kurama would be off to Demon World and it wasn't like the fox would actually go looking for Kikume. He was smarter than that.

Botan could see the terrace now. Kikume's red hair caught the sunlight and reflected vibrantly in the sun. The girl, like her nemesis, was easy to spot a mile away due to her red hair – though hers was much darker than Kurama's.

Botan sighed again and tried to think of a way to tell Kikume that her favorite (and only) TV drama had been cancelled because it was the worst piece of entertainment ever created in man's history.

"She's going to be devastated," muttered Botan as she stepped onto the nearest escalator. "And likely to do something rash… like hunt down the producers and demand they continue the series."

Botan rubbed her temple, feeling a massive headache coming on. Oh the girl was going to get the both of them in so much trouble – she just knew it! Kikume was going to take the news badly unless Botan could find some way to appease the girl's obsession.

On the second floor Botan eyes were suddenly drawn to a cute little bookstore that was having a store-wide sale. Buy any three books get the fourth free.

Botan's headache suddenly vanished and she smiled as an idea took shape in her mind.

"Well, if she can't watch dramas then why not read some?" she reasoned.

Congratulating herself on her brilliant plan, Botan quickly dashed into the bookstore and headed for the romance section.