Chapter 24 – Diana

"I'm trying everything I can."

"I think this might be my ninth life. I just wish I could have seen my girls set up in a safe place to live in peace before now."

"Surely this is only your first of your nine lives? You've still got eight more! Don't give up, I will find a way to save you."

"I just wish I'd had more time."

"That's a common complaint from the dying."

"No, Koenma, I needed more time. I needed more time to get the rebels to safety and I needed more time to get back to living my own life."

"Living your own life?"

"Believe it or not, as a little kitten, it wasn't my dream to become a fugitive when I grew up. I wanted to learn more about all the different demon plants and I wanted to compete in the dark tournament."

"I thought you said you were weary of fighting?"

"I'm weary of fighting off bounty hunters. I never get bored of challenging myself. I just needed more time. I'd finally found someone I could learn from too."

"Yasashi, there is a way to stop all of this. The crystal of change could save your life."

"You want to turn me into a spirit?"

"Basically yes."

"But I don't want to live in spirit world. I want to go home. I want to go back to my friends and dancing."

"Dancing?"

"That's all we do. Me and him. I don't know, maybe he doesn't see it that way. I had a plan, but like all my other plans, I didn't think it out very well and I waited too long to act it out."

"I think you're becoming delirious. You should rest."

"I can't stay in spirit world. I have to get back. I never asked for anything for myself, but I need this one thing, just for me. I need to go back. I need to see him again. Even if it's just for one last dance. That would be enough."

"I don't know what you're talking about Yasashi, but I have the crystal here now. If I put this inside you, it will save your life, but it will take your demon energy and you won't remember anything about your demon life after the crystal has been embedded. It's a harsh trade, but it's the only way I have left to save you now."

"Then let me die. If I have to forget, it's not worth it. It's not fair. I'm tired of being cheated out of my own life. I'd rather die with my memories than live an eternity without them."

"Surely you can't mean that?"

"I was supposed to find a safe place for us. And then I was supposed to have a life of my own. I never got to have anything for me. That was all I wanted. I just wanted something for myself. My own life. I wanted to just be me and not some name on a wanted poster. Every time the moon was full – and sometimes even when it wasn't full – I would see him. Usually at the lake with all the hate fish – I think it's called Hate Fish Lake – and we would just dance."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yoko Kurama."

"Who?"

"He's part of a group of thieves, he's got a bit of a reputation as a bandit, but there's nothing he doesn't know about demon plants. I was supposed to find a safe place for the girls to live and then I was supposed to train with him. I never told him that – because I didn't get enough time to – and I was supposed to get stronger and prove myself to him. I think I might have been in love with him. I don't know, I didn't have enough time to find out. He was the only thing I just wanted for myself, and the moment I started to want him, the moment I started to think about what my life might be like if I wasn't a "hero", I died. It's not fair. Why can't I have something just for me?"

"You can still have a life and it can be lived peacefully. With this crystal."

"No."

"Trust me Yasashi. I will make sure you have a good life here in spirit world."

"I just wanted that one thing. I want to remember. Even just one dance."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Just let me keep just one memory. Just one last dance."

Kurama lifted his head from the document, which he had read at least seven times already. Night had long fallen, but there was a brilliant full moon that was casting enough light over the water that he could still see the distant blob that was Ping Island. As he looked out at it, he wondered if it was funny – in a sickeningly ironic sort of way – that he had given Botan a cat ornament by way of an apology earlier that day, and he wondered if her love of cat-related things and her ability to pull cat faces had anything to do with the fact that she was in fact a cat demon in disguise.

He wondered if she would ever remember who she was or any of the things she had said to Koenam during the final moments of her life as Yasashi.

Yukina grabbed the mirror to her chest, covering it with her hands and watching fearfully as Botan rose to her feet, a strange look on her face.

"Are you alright?" Yukina asked.

Botan looked over at Hiei before answering.

"I suppose so," she said. "Maybe Koenma won't be so angry with me for breaking my oar if I bring that mirror back to spirit world with me."

She held out her hand towards Yukina, who simply stared back at her.

"Don't worry sweetie, I won't tell him where or how I found it," Botan assured her.

Yukina looked down at the mirror, once more seeing her own reflection as something other than the literal, before slowly holding the mirror out towards Botan.

"Thank you for bringing it to me," Botan said, taking the mirror and stuffing it up a sleeve of her kimono. "Excuse me though, I really must go: without my oar, it's going to take me a little longer to finish my duties…"

Yukina watched her turn away and start to walk through the forest, following no particular path as she went. Once she was out of sight, Yukina turned to Hiei, finding him watching the point where Botan had disappeared, looking slightly perturbed.

"It didn't work," she said to him. "I-I was sure it would work!"

"Didn't the file from spirit world say there was only one way to reverse the effects of the crystal?" Hiei asked, his eyes still looking out in the direction Botan had left. "Cutting it out is the only way, and, for her own safety, that can't be done until her name is forgotten in demon world."

"But Yasashi said there was two ways," Yukina insisted. "And in the file, Koenma spoke of the "reflection of revelations", a mirror that showed the true nature of anyone who looked into it and made them realise that what they saw was their true nature. I thought she would see herself as a cat demon and realise who she really was."

Hiei turned to look at Yukina, his face still a little tense.

"So did I," he said.

Kurama stuffed his hands into his pants pockets as he neared the only house in the street that was still fully-lit. He had been hoping for an early night after having so little sleep the night before and wandering the streets at two in the morning on a weekday was never the best way to pass time, but as he had arrived home to find his mother distraught, he had agreed to go out and find his stepfather before he killed his son for (yet again) sneaking out to an all-night house party. As he approached the house in question, he was both amazed that none of the neighbours had called the police about the noise and surprised that none of those at the party had the good sense to realise how much attention they were drawing to themselves.

He walked up the garden path, stepping over a girl in a miniskirt who had passed out halfway through writing what looked like her phone number onto one of the paving stones with a lipstick. Even though the front door was already open, the noise magnified immensely when Kurama stepped over the threshold, and he had to fight the urge to choke as he drew in a breath of hot, heavy air that reeked of alcohol, smoke, cheap perfume and sweat. The party really was a popular event, as he had to push his way through crowds of people, surprised to see that some of what Kokoda had said was actually true: some of the people in attendance were at least ten years older than the party hosts.

Kurama eventually found his stepbrother standing in the kitchen, his shirt open, a half-empty beer bottle in one hand and a girl in the other.

"Shuichi!" he yelled when he noticed Kurama approaching him. "You came!"

Kurama shook his head, pushing to get closer before answering, already knowing that his soft voice would not carry over the general disorder around them. Once he was at Kokoda's side he started to tell him that he needed to come home, but stopped abruptly when he noticed something on his stepbrother's back, visible through his sweat-soaked shirt.

"Is that a real tattoo?" he asked instead.

"What?" Kokoda echoed, looking genuinely lost.

"Is that a real tattoo on your back?" Kurama pressed.

"I got a tattoo?" Kokoda asked, releasing the girl at his side and literally dropping his bottle of beer.

Kurama took a step back as the bottle fell on the kitchen floor at his feet and began spilling out, waiting patiently as Kokoda wrestled himself free of his shirt.

"What does it say?" he asked, turning his back to Kurama and looking back over his shoulder with what Kurama thought was an inappropriate level of cheer.

"You got a tattoo and you don't know what it is?" Kurama asked.

"What does it say?" Kokoda asked.

Kurama looked down at the unfortunately badly etched tattoo of a pink bunny rabbit sitting in a green cocktail glass on Kokoda's back for a moment before deciding to be diplomatic.

"We should go," he said.

"No, wait!" Kokoda said, turning to face him. "There's girl here who's about your age, she's not really hot, but she's really easy. I'll introduce you."

Kurama effortlessly pulled his arm from Kokoda's grasp, leaving his stepbrother to stumble slightly as he had obviously been expecting Kurama to let him pull him through the house.

"If you don't come home with me now, your father will come here and take you home by force," Kurama warned. "Be wise and come with me. I won't tell anyone about your tattoo."

Kokoda appeared to think over his options.

"Do you really want your friends to see your father dragging you out of here?" Kurama pressed.

"God, you're always so sensible, Shuichi!" Kokoda moaned.

However, he did pick up his shirt and start towards the door. Kurama followed him, relieved when he did not hesitate to leave the house entirely.

"Didn't you ever go to any parties when you were my age?" Kokoda asked as they reached the street outside.

Kurama smiled patiently, not wishing to have to answer.

"Oh wait, I remember what you did when you were my age," Kokoda said after a short pause. "You went antiquing with dad and you did gardening with your mom. Don't you ever get bored? Don't you ever want to just break out and do something exciting?"

"What can I say, Kokoda?" Kurama calmly replied. "I just don't have the heart for such endeavours like you do."

Kokoda moaned and walked on a little further before complaining about feeling unwell. Kurama supported him on a little further before stopping and waiting patiently as he vomited down a storm drain, and then Kurama carried Kokoda on his back until they reached their own front door. Once they were inside, both Kokoda and Kazuya started yelling, and although it had been Kurama's plan to intervene and bring them all to order – as he usually always did when such an event occurred – he instead backed out of the house and turned to look over at one corner of the front garden.

There was not a single plant in either the front or the back garden of the house that Kurama had not planted – or helped to plant – himself, and so the sight of a plant that was both new and unrecognisable was both interesting and suspicious to him.

As Kazuya accused his son of being a wild child and Shiori pleaded with him to lower his voice, Kurama crossed the garden to the bush that had newly appeared. It was as tall as his hips, but the ground around it had not been newly disturbed, meaning it had not been newly planted there and therefore must have grown from an existing, smaller plant. In fact, he thought as he studied its location a little closer, it appeared to have grown from the raspberry sundae he had bought the week before; despite the fact that the plant had been devoid of flowers after Tora had torn them off.

And, for some inexplicable reason, the plant had not only grown immensely and bloomed with the expected pink and cream peonies, it had also sprouted several red roses. Kurama thought that maybe a climbing rose had become engulfed by the peonies, but both types of flower appeared to be coming from just the one plant. He touched a hand to one of the peonies, a faint hint of demon energy tingling against his palm.

Yasashi must have mutated and grown the plant when she had come to populate his garden with her raspberry sundaes; though he wondered why she had not mentioned having done it when he had encountered her in demon world.

Maybe it was just her way of sending him some sort of message, and the plant had survived by chance because Yasashi too had survived by chance – albeit in the body of a spirit and unaware of who and what she really was.

At the sound of Kokoda threatening to move out of the house, Kurama turned and started back inside. He first encouraged his mother to go back to bed, gently but firmly taking hold of her shoulders and guiding her upstairs.

"You're such a good boy, Shuichi," she said as he eased her into her bedroom. "I never had any worries like that with you."

She turned around and kissed him on the cheek, before putting her arms around him. He smiled and returned her embrace, taking some degree of solace from the knowledge that he had exceeded her expectations of a well-behaved son.

"Try to get some sleep, I'll make sure they stop fighting and get to bed," he said as Shiori released her hold of him.

She touched her hands to his face and smiled up at him lovingly. He waited until she had released him and turned to go to bed as he had suggesred before leaving the room and hurrying back down the stairs.

"Please, it's late, we're all tired, it's not prudent to bicker like this," he said, holding up his hands.

"Yes, we have work and school tomorrow," Kazuya agreed. "But we're not done here, we'll be talking about this again tomorrow!"

Kokoda pulled a face at the back of his father's head as he turned to leave.

"Let's just go to bed," Kurama said to him.

"I feel sick," Kokoda replied.

"I'll put a basin by your bed," Kurama offered.

"Okay."

As Kazuya and Kokoda retired to their respective rooms, Kurama collected a basin from the kitchen, bringing it upstairs and placing it by Kokoda's bedside before finally moving to his own bedroom, where he gladly shut the door. He quickly changed into his pyjamas and got into his bed, lying down facing the wall and closing his eyes.

And, at the exact moment that he started to feel comfortable in his bed and as though sleep might finally come, Kurama realised that there was someone in his room.

Kurama opened his eyes, pausing long enough to acknowledge that he could not feel a powerful aura or any malicious intent, but that he could definitely hear someone moving about behind him, before he turned and sat up in his bed.

"Oh hello."

Kurama pushed his bedsheets aside and turned fully around, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, switching on his bedside light and frowning as he watched Botan close the book she had been holding and then throw it down onto the floor. She turned to face Kurama then, the strangely serious look on her face making her almost as unrecognisable as the business suit she was wearing, complimented by a pair of slightly clumsy, thick-framed glasses, her hair scraped up into a tight bun high on her head.

"Oh, don't mind me," she said. "I'm just creeping about in your bedroom, touching all your stuff, messing up the feng shui of the room and watching you sleep. You know, like we friends do to each other from time to time…"

"Ah," Kurama said with a nod his head. "Well, Botan, truth be told, that was the real reason why I bought you a gift. I was trying to apologise for what I did – wait, what are you doing?"

Kurama turned, his eyes widening slightly as Botan sat down onto his bed, sitting closer to him than seemed reasonable.

"Oh this is the part where I sit on your bed and say lots of charming things to you," Botan said, her face still far too serious for Kurama's liking.

"Yes, well, I did want to apologise for all of that," Kurama assured her. "And could you possibly keep your voice down?"

"Keep my voice down?" Botan repeated, her voice no quieter than before.

"Yes," Kurama said softly. "Please."

"Why?" Botan asked, her voice still too loud for his liking. "In case someone overhears us talking? Would you get in trouble if they did?"

Kurama laughed nervously.

"It's been an eventful night for my family already," he said. "I really wouldn't want to have to explain to them why I have a girl in my bedroom at this hour."

Botan smiled sympathetically and Kurama started to relax.

"We can talk tomorrow," he suggested. "I should really get some sleep now though, and I'm sure you will be missed in spirit world, so you should be off too."

Kurama held out a hand and stood up with the intention of showing Botan the way out.

"I need to talk to you about something."

Kurama looked back over his shoulder.

"Tomorrow?" he tried.

"No," she replied. "Right now."

"It's urgent?"

She nodded solemnly and Kurama reluctantly sat back down.

"What is it?" he asked. "Did Koenma send you?"

Botan shook her head and then reached a hand up to her hair, her fingers feeling at the tightly rolled bun of hair on top of her head for a few seconds before she stopped and brought her hand around, holding up her thumb and forefinger in the air between them.

"It's about this," she said.

Kurama squinted at the barely visible dandelion seed Botan was holding, the body of the seed pinched between her fingers, the feathery end standing upright above the tips of her fingers.

"A dandelion seed?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

Botan moved the seed into the centre of her palm and closed her fist around it.

"What do you think would happen if I channelled my spirit energy into this seed?" she asked.

Kurama frowned, silently wondering why she was asking such a question. A small part of him wondered if someone had told her who and what she really was: but if that was the case, she seemed surprisingly calm for having heard something she ought to – without access to her memories – find ridiculous.

"That was the seed of an ordinary living world weed," Kurama patiently explained. "Only someone versed in control of plants could turn it into any sort of weapon. Without the correct skills and knowledge, you would struggle to control even a demon plant."

"Really?" Botan asked.

"Yes, really," Kurama replied.

"That's strange. Because I got some of these seeds stuck in my hair earlier today, and this happened."

Kurama gasped in spite of himself as green vines snaked out from between Botan's fingers. Some unfurled into dandelion leaves and one grew to almost two feet tall before sprouting a flower with a face as big as Kurama's. He stared at the over-sized flower for a long time, unsure what to think about what he was looking at.

"Well," he eventually said. "I would say that this means that you have the ability to make plants grow."

"And I can turn them into weapons," Botan said.

Kurama shook his head and started to tell her that all she had managed to do was make the plant grow larger than usual; but when the flower face split in two, opening jaws of serrated teeth that snapped at his nose, missing biting him by only the narrowest of margins, he stopped. When he heard movement in another part of the house, he began to panic that a member of his human family would walk into the room and find a girl sitting on his bed holding a giant, vicious flower, and, as though she had sensed his concerns, Botan smiled and opened out her fist, the flower and its leaves retracting back into the seed they had sprouted from.

"That is definitely odd," Kurama said. "But we can talk more about it later."

He thought that perhaps she had accidentally managed to tap into some of her skills as an animal demon, allowing her to control plants. He wondered if she had told anyone else, and what Koenma would think when he found out that one of his ferry girls could manipulate plants so.

"You seem to be in a hurry to get rid of me," Botan said, flicking the dandelion seed away from herself. "Are you worried about getting caught with a girl in your bedroom still?"

"Yes," Kurama replied. "So if you'll just–"

"Don't worry Kurama," Botan interrupted him. "I'm not really a girl."

Kurama hesitated before smiling and nodding as he realised that she was referencing a similar conversation they had shared after leaving her bedroom in spirit world.

"Right," he said. "You're a ferry girl pretending to be a girl."

"Oh no, it's worse than that: I'm a demon pretending to be a ferry girl pretending to be a girl."

Kurama's face dropped and Botan smiled.

"What?" he said.

"It's a funny thing, the crystal of change," Botan said. "The only way to reverse its effects is to cut it out. But there is another way to reverse the memory erasing effects of the crystal: a spirit world treasure called the reflection of revelations. It was lost, but apparently Hiei and Yukina managed to find it. Together. Which I thought was very sweet."

Kurama opened his mouth but words failed him.

"I haven't told anyone that I know," Botan continued. "Not even Hiei and Yukina. I wasn't sure if I should tell anyone, but I did know that I wanted to come and see you."

Kurama nodded.

"Okay," he said.

"There's something very important we need to discuss," she said. "A little unfinished business, if you like."

"There is?"

"Yes. We discussed the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman and the relationship between Clark Kent and Wonder Woman, but we never spoke about what sort of relationship Clark Kent and Diana share."

Kurama smiled.

"This is my best Diana costume, by the way," Botan added.

"It's not accurate," Kurama answered. "You look more like a female Clark Kent."

"I thought that's what Diana would be. And since you are being so pernickety, you obviously are an expert on the subject, and those comics obviously belong to you, not your stepbrother, like you said before."

"Sometimes it's nice to have something to read that isn't a textbook."

"So who is it that likes reading comic books about superheroes? Is it Shuichi because he's human and he likes reading fantasy, or is it Yoko, taking solace in his own fate to live a double life by reading about someone else who does the same and is considered heroic for doing so?"

Kurama frowned.

"You've given the matter more thought than I have," he concluded.

"I've thought about a lot of things today," Botan replied. "After the mirror helped me realise my hidden memories, instinct took me back to demon world. I went far enough to see the rebels setting up home, but I didn't approach any of them. Only Tora knew that this was the body I had in spirit world, none of them would have recognised me, and though I know I could have explained myself to them, I didn't know if I should. I feel like I caused them so much bother returning to them for just a few days, and things were starting to look good for them: they have a peaceful place to live, they've been joined by some defectors from Jagasame's side and Hiei's theory about Jagasame losing interest in them seems to be true. If word got out that I was still alive, even in this form, all that would change. The hunt would be reinstated, and the peace the rebels have found would be ended. I can't go back to them until some time has passed and my name has been forgotten, just like Hiei said – and yes, I'm as surprised as you are that he was so sensible and thought it all through so carefully – but now that my memories have been returned to me, I don't know that I can spend the next thirty or so years pretending to be contented being a ferry girl."

"Surely it wouldn't take thirty years? You could probably be back to full strength and the rebels settled and strong enough within ten years – or perhaps only five years."

Botan chewed on her lip and Kurama started to sense that he was missing something else.

"There is just one other thing," she said. "It's something I should have been honest about before."

Kurama nodded and opened the top drawer of his nightstand, retrieving the document he had stored there.

"Does it have anything to do with this?" he asked, passing it to Botan.

She stared with wide eyes at the document in his hand, making no attempt to accept it.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It's Koenma's report on your death," he replied. "Well, his report on your first death that is… You certainly are proving to be a cat of nine lives…"

"Ah," she said, turning to look at the bedroom door. "Is it true that my last words are in there?"

"I believe so. There is a conversation recorded here that took place between you and Koenma. He doesn't explain why he noted it all in such detail, but it is in here."

"Ah. I see. I'm too late again."

"Too late for what?"

"I didn't want you to see that."

"Why not?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly fitting for the heroic rebel leader to die begging for something selfish and I wanted to tell you about my plans and my feelings for you myself."

"So… This is all true?"

Botan looked up at Kurama.

"Has Hiei spoken to you about this at all?" she asked.

He shook his head and then she turned back to watching the bedroom door.

"He thinks the SDF were able to mortally wound you because I had mentioned meeting you at the hate fish lake when the moon was full or not-quite full," she said. "He thought they used that information to wait there for you and trap you."

Kurama paused to consider Botan's words before shaking his head.

"If that were the case, I'm sure they would have acted much quicker and caught me sooner than they did," he said. "And besides, I wasn't attacked by the hate fish lake or during the night, so there's no possible way that what you said condemned me. Is that what's been bothering you?"

"Yes," Botan replied. "I wasn't going to tell anyone that I had become aware of who I am, but I had to clear my conscience. I had to make you know that I never sold you out – not intentionally, anyway."

"I never thought that you had sold me out," Kurama assured her. "I was just surprised to read the things you said. I had no idea you wanted such things. It was as surprising to me as it was to hear what you said back in demon world about how you had thought about returning to spirit world."

"I just wanted more time."

"And now you have it. So what now?"

"Well, I do have to stay hidden – or rather, stay undercover – until things settle down a little in demon world. But I thought that I should train while I'm in this form. Everything I learned as Botan transferred over when I was returned to my demon body: including the advanced healing. Hiei suggested I use this time to get stronger, so that when I do go back to demon world I'm strong enough to deal with Jagasame."

"Hiei seems to have understood and planned a lot of complex things lately."

"Yes… Still, he did raise a lot of very valid points. And that is the other reason why I'm here: I wanted to ask you if you would help me train."

Kurama smiled and Botan turned to look directly at him.

"I'd like that," he said. "And you seem to have a good head-start if you're already able to manipulate your energy into common weeds."

"I saw you admiring my handiwork on your way back here," she said. "I did that in this body too."

"The rosebush?"

Botan nodded.

"I see," Kurama said.

"I think it's best I don't tell anyone else that I can remember who I am now," she added. "I'm trusting you to help protect that secret."

"I can do that," Kurama said.

"I'd dearly love to tell them all the truth, but for their sake as well as my own, I need to stay hidden."

"Do you think you can keep up the act? It's not easy pretending to be someone and something that you're not. It's especially not easy pretending to be weak: least of all for proud creatures like us."

"I was hoping that was another area you could help train me in, "Shuichi"."

"Perhaps you don't find that so amusing now that you are in the same situation."

"Actually no, I still find it hilarious that you're sitting next to me in fleece pyjamas and that you're on edge in case your mother catches you with a girl in your room."

Kurama's smile faded and Botan's grew.

"But for the most part, you're right," she conceded. "As long as you are Clark Kent, I'll be Diana."

"I expect to remain as Clark Kent until my mother's passing," Kurama pointed out.

"And I think that ought to be about long enough for me to get stronger, for my name to have been forgotten and for Jagasame to have gotten older, fatter, weaker and more careless."

"I see. In that case it seems we have more time to dance."

Botan smiled.

"Exactly," she agreed.

She then stood up, took one last look around the room and then leaned over the bed, opening the window. She summoned her oar and sat onto it, but Kurama stood up, holding out a hand to halt her exit.

"Did you overhear all the things I said to Yusuke about you that day you were flying alongside Puu on our return from demon world?" he asked as she met his eyes.

"I heard you calling me a "magnificent creature", if that's what you mean," she replied with a smirk.

"Did you also hear me say things would be different if I was given another chance to meet you as I am now?" he asked.

Botan became serious as she nodded.

"Good," he said. "Come here on Sunday afternoon. My mother's making dinner for us."

"She-she is?" Botan asked.

"Yes," Kurama replied. "She wants to meet the girl who's been keeping me up at nights."

Botan smiled.

"Okay," she said. "I can do that. I'll see you on Sunday."

"It's a date," he said.

Botan nodded and then started to fly out the window, but Kurama grabbed a hand at her oar, catching it just above the blade, bringing Botan to an abrupt halt halfway out the window. Keeping hold of her oar, he jumped up onto the bed and leaned into the windowframe to bring himself up to eye level with her.

"Just one more thing I promised myself I would do differently," he said.

Botan started to tell him that she agreed with him completely about making the most of second chances, but she stopped when he touched his free hand to her face. Together they leaned in, their lips meeting in a light and tender kiss – though the contact was brief as the sound of someone getting out of bed in a nearby room reached their ears.

"You know, I'm sure Clark Kent didn't live with his mother," Botan commented.

"And I'm sure Diana didn't collect aesthetically displeasing cat ornaments," Kurama replied.

"Fair point, well made," Botan conceded.

"We probably need a little time to figure this out a little better."

"See you Sunday?"

Kurama nodded and leaned forwards, managing to land one more brief kiss before the sound of a bedroom door opening broke them apart again. Botan flew out the window, pausing to wave, and then rocketed off into the sky. Kurama closed the window behind her and quickly buried himself in his bedsheets; even the sound of Kokoda throwing up in the bathroom sink could not ruin his happiness at the moment.

THE END