Notes: While this story is a reimagining of the canon, I will not waste your time by rewriting unnecessary parts of the story that everyone in the fandom already knows. This story will mainly consist of the scenes that are altered significantly - whether by her actions or her relations with the other characters - by my OC's presence. As such, parts of the canon will be either glossed over or skipped entirely. The canon is the story of Yusuke Urameshi, so aside from character relations, I do believe an additional character like Miwa would not change the key canonical outcomes.
Miwa is a character that has undergone literal years of revision, and very little of who she originally was still remains. After all this time, I feel like I have finally settled on a version of Miwa that I am happy with and finally begun putting her story into words, and I hope you enjoy her.
Edit: I was using section markers that I suppose were not allowed by the site's formatting. I have updated this chapter with working section markers. I apologize if the chapter was confusing to readers of the previous version.
Chapter 1: Demon Thieves
Raining. It just had to be raining.
Yusuke's first case as Spirit Detective was a much more urgent assignment than he would have liked. Hell, he had only just learned how to use the Spirit Gun just a few hours ago, and Koenma sends him after the most wanted criminals in all of Spirit World to retrieve the three Artifacts of Darkness, fresh from the vaults of King Yama himself. Yusuke swore quietly to himself when he plucked a large plant from the ground in the forest. He held it over his head, checking that it was sturdy enough to withstand the rain, and continued his trek through the forest. A loud sigh escaped his lips as Yusuke thought to himself how much he would have loved to bitch out at Koenma right about now.
But…he had to admit, finding them wasn't as hard as he first thought. Yusuke had no idea if anyone else could see it – no one was around for him to ask – but an eerie light was shining through a small patch in the middle of the forest. He could see it from afar, and if he looked closely, there seemed to be no rainfall within that eerie light. Light…or maybe it was some form of Spirit Energy? Surely thieves capable of breaking into the vaults of Spirit World would not be so careless to leave such an obvious sign of their location that any schmuck walking through the woods could see them. It reminded Yusuke of the weird horns he saw in the creep that was blackmailing Kuwabara. The creep's friends couldn't see the horns on his forehead, but Yusuke could. Maybe this was the same.
Yusuke smirked as he continued through the bushes and trees. To think it was this easy to find them. He could return the items to Koenma, and they would all be back before King Yama found them to be missing. The pillar of eerie light was only visible through the trees at this point, and it wouldn't be long until Yusuke reached them. In fact…he could even hear voices, and…trees falling? He stopped. Now was the time for stealth if there ever was one. He slowly approached the eerie light, and finally he was able to see a faint image of the people he needed to…arrest? Capture? Yusuke scoffed quietly, pushing stupid thoughts about terminology to the back of his mind and focused on the figures he could see through the trees. The plant he grabbed to protect him from the rain provided him a good cover.
The tall burly man with a deprived glint in his eyes: Gouki
The dark haired girl with a black pouch strapped to her back: Miwa
The boy with long red hair and a somber expression: Kurama
The mastermind dressed a cloak as black as his hair: Hiei
The Spirit Detective who found them all in one place: Yusuke Urameshi.
He grinned a proud, toothy grin. Hiei was the one cutting down trees with the Shadow Sword, Gouki tossed the Orb of Baast into the air as if playing with a toy, and Kurama held the Forlorn Hope in his palm. Hiei and Gouki's voice echoed through the trees, discussing some sort of plan to use the Artifacts of Darkness to create an army of demons. Hearing the plan straight from the thieves' mouth somehow helped Yusuke feel the urgency Koenma had tried to relay to him earlier that day. Lost souls, a granted wish, and demons created by the cut of a sword. Three artifacts each in the hand of a dangerous criminal. To have something like that on top of the wrath of King Yama…Yusuke remembered the fallen child he saw before coming to the forest. If they used the Artifacts of Darkness to create an army of demons, there would be even more kids with lost souls. His eyes narrowed in anger.
Then, as if seeing all the items together became a trigger, Yusuke suddenly realized something strange: Three Artifacts of Darkness, and four thieves. His gaze stopped on Miwa, who had yet to move or speak and stood a couple steps behind Kurama. With the two of them standing so close, he realized their clothes seemed to match, almost like uniforms of the same school, but Yusuke had other things on his mind. Koenma had only told him of three items being stolen, and Miwa didn't seem to have anything on her. …What is her purpose here? For a short moment, he thought he saw her glance at the Forlorn Hope, but then Kurama finally spoke.
"Sorry. I must withdraw from this alliance."
Hiei and Gouki turned on him, demanding that he red head explained himself, but Kurama refused to give in. "Your years of hiding yourself in this human world have made you just like them! Spineless and ready to be walked on!" Hiei roared, and then his wrath turned to Miwa, "And I suppose you want to follow after him," he spat.
"Of course," was all she said, unfazed by Hiei's anger.
"Fitting answer for a servant girl," Gouki mocked, but Miwa did not respond to the insult. "If you two want out, then you have no right to the loot." Gouki looked to Kurama with his hand extended, "Now give us the pretty little mirror."
"I can't. I have great need for it myself first."
This only provoked Gouki's rage, and the burly man threw his fist in a powerful punch towards Kurama's face. Despite the incoming assault from a man twice his side, Kurama did not seem alarmed, nor did he make any moves to dodge, but Miwa shifted her position as if she intended to retaliate instead. Yusuke sighed. Through Kurama and Miwa's betrayal, the thieves' camaraderie was beginning to collapse. It was time for the Spirit Detective to step in and break it in his favor.
"Excuse me, neighbors!" he yelled out into the clearing, coolly revealing himself to the four criminals, "Couldn't help but notice there's no rain falling here. Maybe next time you guys go stealing some magic toys, you should hide it where it is not so obviously sunny. Just a tip."
"Who are you? And how do you know about the artifacts?" Clearly Hiei was not amused with his entrance.
"Give us your name," Gouki growled.
"Oh thank you; hoped you'd ask." Yusuke grinned. This train of dialogue couldn't be more badass if an actual screenwriter personally spoon-fed the lines to them. "Hello boys!" He threw away the branch and struck a pose, "The name's Yusuke. I'm a Spirit Detective."
"Spirit Detective?" parroted Gouki.
"Don't worry. He's just one of Koenma's fools," Hiei dismissed, "He must be the only human they could round up; his spirit energy is pathetic."
The insult stung a bit, and Yusuke frowned. Despite Yusuke's grand entrance, Kurama seemed to pay him no mind, and in the end he just turned his back and walked away. "Sorry, but I don't have time to be arrested," were the only words he left behind. Miwa did not move at first, but she gave Yusuke a long, hard stare. The moment did not last for long, but in that moment, he felt like she could see right through him. It almost made him step back. Yusuke returned the look, trying to figure out what it meant, but without a word, she turned her back to even her former comrades and followed after Kurama. Yusuke watched them leave, and he realized that…he had known she would do that. So those two are working together, he deduced. That may be a problem later on.
"Stop! Kurama! You can't just walk out on our plan!" Hiei angrily gave chase, but not in the way Yusuke expected. He leaped high into the air and phased out in a sharp whisper of air. What…?
In the end, only Yusuke and Gouki remained in the clearing, and the large, burly man made no moves to leave. Now that some of the weirdness had calmed down, Yusuke only now realized just how huge Gouki was, but when Gouki pulled out a small, white blob of…something…out of the orb, and ate it, the fear and apprehension in Yusuke's stomach quickly turned into anger. This creep had the Orb of Baast. This creep was responsible for that fallen little boy he saw in the streets. This creep just ate that little boy's soul. This creep would be the first of the band of thieves to meet Yusuke's fists.
No time for snappy wisecracks. This creep needed to get his ass kicked.
Yusuke faced the Kyuukonki with everything he had…only to wake up at home with the unfortunate knowledge of his own ass getting kicked by an eater of children's souls.
{00}
"Hey Yusuke, can't you just admit that it would be easier to lean on my shoulder?"
Yusuke could barely even walk, forced to limp around town with a large stick he found as a makeshift cane with Botan hovering around him, trying to make sure that Yusuke was okay. His body hurt all over, even in places he didn't think could hurt, he felt exhausted, but he refused Botan's repeated offers to support him as he walked. He had somehow managed to defeat Gouki, but how lame was it that he still got beat up so bad he was forced to walk around like an old man? Being supported by Botan in public was one thing he didn't think his pride could stand, but limping along with his makeshift cane was not much different. If Kuwabara saw him like this… Ugh, the thought irritated Yusuke to the core. But…he did it. He got the first artifact back. Hopefully, if there were any goodness in the world, recovering the others would not be as dangerous. He was tired, exhausted even. Yusuke had a duty to collect the remaining artifacts, but right now…right now he just wanted to rest.
But that was not meant to be.
The alarm on his wrist suddenly began to go off, flashing a conspicuous red light as if mocking his desire for even the shortest of breaks. Yusuke could feel Botan looking worriedly over his shoulder at the compass. Her fingers gripped his shoulders tightly, and Yusuke felt his own fingers gripping his walking stick even tighter. Dammit…He had been through hell just to defeat Gouki, but really, if any of the thieves found him now…he was in trouble. The compass showed the demon coming ever closer, and all he could do was stand there, waiting for the thief to show himself amongst the civilians passing him by. Would they really attack in such a conspicuous place? …Would he be able to protect everyone in this crowded street? Yusuke gripped his cane tighter.
Almost directly ahead of him, a familiar red shade of hair breached through the crowd. His hands were stuffed calmly in his pockets, and his expression was…very firm. His gaze was focused straight ahead of him, just to Yusuke's side, as if he hadn't even seen the detective. Kurama, the mysterious thief who declared his intentions to leave Hiei's plan, approached Yusuke and Botan, his gaze unwavering, his expression unchanging. Realizing this, Yusuke felt a chill run down his spine, but…he didn't feel fear. His grip loosened. Kurama's expression was truly unreadable, but…Yusuke didn't feel afraid at all. Rather, he just felt that something was…off.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of fighting you, nor do I intend to flee. In fact, I've come to ask you a favor."
Yusuke didn't expect that. After capturing the weird tapeworm monster that took over the guy that stole Kuwabara's cat, and after fighting the horned monstrosity that was Gouki, Yusuke's image of demons had been fixed on just that: monsters. He didn't expect that a demon, much less one who broke into King Yama's vault, would ask him for a favor. "Are you crazy?"
"Give me three days. After that, I will gladly return to you the Forlorn Hope."
Then Kurama walked away. Just as expressionless and nonchalant as the time he abandoned his comrades and left the forest.
{00}
Three days…
Three days…
According to Botan, the Forlorn Hope would be at its most powerful in three days time. Just what could Kurama be using it for? Using it to control the demons Hiei created seemed to be the original plan, but according to what Yusuke overheard, Kurama had other ideas. Now healed from his wounds, Yusuke was walking through town again, and Botan followed as his self-proclaimed assistant. Yusuke decided to trust Kurama's promise that he would return the mirror in three days, going with his instinct that Kurama had looked, if nothing else, sad that day in the forest, but Yusuke looked down at his compass again. He believed Kurama's words, but he still had Hiei and Miwa to think about. Hiei had the Shadow Sword, and surely he would be difficult to defeat if Gouki was any indication, but Miwa…as far as Yusuke knew, Miwa didn't possess any stolen items from Spirit World, and Hiei didn't specify a role for her when discussing their plan. She followed Kurama when he first left the group, so he thought that they were somehow working together.
He remembered the look she gave him before she had followed her companion that day. It was a long, hard stare, and her dark blue eyes seemed to bore into his soul. Unlike Kurama, her expression wasn't unreadable. She was thinking, studying, and calculating just what kind of person the boy who called himself a Spirit Detective was. Miwa was searching for something in him. That much Yusuke knew, but what she was looking for, he had no idea. Yusuke didn't think about it until now, but she wasn't with Kurama when they met in the city. Yusuke hadn't seen her since he first confronted Gouki.
"Botan," he said, still looking down at his compass.
"What is it, Yusuke?" Botan, who had been trailing behind him all this time, came up to stand at his side and looked at him quizzically. "Are you worried about Kurama?"
"Well, yeah…" he started, "but that's not all." If there were only three thieves, their plan to use the Artifacts of Darkness would make more sense, but a fourth member… "Are you sure only three items were stolen from Spirit World?"
Botan nodded. "That's right. There were other items in King Yama's vault, but they only seemed to be after the three Artifacts of Darkness. Everything else was left behind."
Yusuke frowned. "…It doesn't make sense." It had been bugging him ever since he first saw the four thieves together. "If she didn't take anything, why did Miwa break in too?"
Botan, who realized what Yusuke was trying to say, slumped her shoulders a bit. "Even if she didn't steal anything, you still need to bring her in as an accomplice, Yusuke."
"I know…" But…he just couldn't figure it out. Did she even fit into their plan to use the artifacts? Yet, Kurama had his own plans for the mirror. Was it something as simple as she wanted to help him steal it for his own goals? After all, Gouki even called her a "servant girl." Yusuke shook his head. No…she wouldn't have looked at him the way she did if it were that simple. He and Botan reached a small park. The sun was nearly set, and the children had already gone home. In the orange light, the empty swings swaying slightly in the wind appeared lonely. "There has to be something else going on," he said out loud.
Yusuke's compass suddenly began lighting up. Who…?
"You're right. Kurama and I both, we have our own agenda."
A voice behind them made Yusuke and Botan turn around in shock to a large jungle gym. At the top sat a girl, and her shadow stretched across the park to Yusuke and Botan's feet. Her legs dangled over the bars as she looked down at the detective and his assistant, and a small laugh escaped her lips, amused by their surprise. She still wore the same uniform as when Yusuke first saw her, and her dark, shoulder-length hair tussled around her neck as the wind blew from behind. Once again, Miwa and Yusuke met eyes, but this time, it wasn't that hard, calculating look from the forest. It was a somewhat…melancholy gaze, that was the only way Yusuke could describe it, and it seemed to betray the smile adorning her face. Botan let out a small gasp and took several steps to hide herself behind Yusuke, and Miwa laughed again.
"You don't need to be afraid. I'm not here to hurt anyone."
She raised her right hand to the middle of her chest, and her fingers lightly clutched at the fabric of her blouse. The black pouch she had strapped onto her back when Yusuke saw her in the forest was no longer there. He raised an arm to protect Botan, but just like with Kurama, he felt no fear. Not like Gouki, not like Hiei…Yusuke sensed no hostility from her. Miwa stood up on the bars of the jungle gym and gracefully jumped down. There was still some distance between them, and Yusuke could hear Botan take another step back.
"So what?" Yusuke said, lowering his arm. This felt just like when Kurama had approached him in the city. "You just wanted to have a nice chat too?"
Miwa's expression changed. "That's right." She looked amused. "I wanted to speak with you, Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi."
"I don't suppose you're going to get the Shadow Sword back for me, are you?"
Her smile disappeared, and she ignored his attempt at humor. "Kurama has already promised to give the mirror back, hasn't he?"
Yusuke's eyes widened a bit. He wasn't sure what he expected to hear from her, but it wasn't that. "Yeah, he has. But you… Aren't you two working together?"
Miwa's smile returned, but it wasn't the same amused look. It was a sadder, solemn expression. "In a way, I suppose we are. Our goals are the same, but the ways we want to go about it are drastically different." She folded her arms across her chest. "There was nothing I needed in King Yama's vault. Like Kurama, I was also aiming for the Forlorn Hope."
Botan shifted uncomfortably behind Yusuke. "Did she hear us talking?" she asked quietly.
Yusuke didn't answer her. "Then what are you two trying to achieve?"
"Kurama will probably explain that to you tomorrow. I just want to ask you for a favor, Spirit Detective."
"Jeeze, not even a week and I'm already getting asked for favors from demons." Yusuke smirked slightly. "It's tough being so popular." This time, Miwa didn't ignore his humor and returned the smirk. Yusuke thought to himself for a moment. "What kind of favor? It's about the mirror, isn't it?"
"…I also want Kurama's wish to be granted." Miwa started slowly, "But I have a duty I need to fulfill. I might…no, it is unlikely that I will succeed, but I'm going to do whatever I possibly can to meet that commitment. For that, I would like to ask for your help." Miwa uncrossed her arms and returned them to her side. Yusuke wasn't sure what she was talking about; she was being annoyingly vague. Her hard, calculating look from the forest returned, boring into Yusuke as if she could see his very soul. Just where is she going with this?
"I want you to stop Kurama from using the Forlorn Hope."
The wind picked up again, blowing between them like an old Western film. Yusuke and Botan both gasped slightly at Miwa's proposal, but nothing about her suggested that she was joking. "But…didn't you help steal it?" was all Yusuke could muster.
"Yes, I did, but I don't want him to use it. If the Forlorn Hope is the only way his wish can be granted…" Miwa paused, "then I would rather be the one to use it in his stead."
Yusuke was very confused. "Why would you need to do that?"
"You may have heard, but there's a heavy price for using the Forlorn Hope." Miwa's eyes narrowed, and Yusuke felt a strange feeling of dread in his stomach. She stared gravely at the ground. "…I can't let Kurama pay that price."
Botan finally spoke up. "And what is that price?" She stepped out from behind Yusuke's shoulder, by now realizing that there would be no fighting during this meeting, and she was just as confused as Yusuke.
"…It doesn't matter," Miwa said offhandedly. "If I say too much, Kurama may figure out that I spoke with you. I just want your help in stopping him."
Her vagueness was beginning to annoy Yusuke, but he didn't like how her words emphasized the weight of the cost for using the Forlorn Hope. Her hands were balled into really tight fists, shaking slightly under the strength she put into clenching her fingers together. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. The girl he saw before him was very different from the demon thief Yusuke saw in the forest. She had been calm, collected, even against the rage of Gouki and Hiei back then. It was a fitting demeanor for someone capable of breaking into Spirit World's most guarded vault. But now…she was clearly troubled, frustrated, and maybe even…scared? Just what was she trying to do? What was the price of using the Forlorn Hope? Was it something so bad that she, a felon, would come to a detective, assigned to capture her no less, for help? "Why do you need to go this far?"
Miwa was silent for a few moments. Then she turned her back to Yusuke, instead choosing to look at the distant sunset. Yusuke heard her laugh slightly, again as if she were amused by what he said. "I told you, I have a duty to fulfill. And…" She turned, looking back to him with that hard, calculating gaze. "I think that you would try to stop him, even if I hadn't asked you."
"Then why bother asking?" Yusuke had given up on her giving him any real details. He would have to wait for tomorrow, he surmised.
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I just would feel better knowing I might have someone trying to help me."
"And here I thought I was getting popular with demons." Yusuke sighed and shook his head slightly. "So I'm just a backup plan for you, huh?"
"More or less."
Yusuke appreciated her honesty for that question. "You're not giving me a lot of info, so I can't make any promises."
"That's fine. As long as you try." Miwa began walking away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yusuke Urameshi."
As she walked away, Yusuke took the opportunity to really look at the girl asking for his help. He hadn't noticed before, but Miwa's dark hair had a slight blue tint to it, and it cascaded straight down to her shoulders, covering her ears and framing her face. For some reason, it made Yusuke think of water flowing down a waterfall. Her short hair easily revealed her pouch-less back, making Yusuke wonder just what it was and why she chose to not wear it that day. Miwa had clutched her chest where the strap should have been when she claimed she had no intention to fight, making Yusuke even more curious about its significance. She was about as tall as Botan, and somehow the image of her still wearing the red school uniform just didn't seem to match his impression of her as a demon thief. If Yusuke ever saw her on the street, he would just think of her as a regular human schoolgirl. Gouki was able to blend in with a human appearance; perhaps there was more to Miwa's appearance than Yusuke could see; she certainly didn't have any horns on her head. Like Kurama, she had approached him asking for a favor, going against Yusuke's original impression of demons. Perhaps there were monsters among demons, but those two…those two were something different.
He only got one glimpse of her blue eyes before she turned a corner, leaving the park and out of their sight. Yusuke and Botan both did not chase after her. All of that talk, but Yusuke felt even more confused than before she appeared. Sure, he had learned a few things, like there was a heavy price for using the Forlorn Hope and Miwa's desire to save Kurama from it. That was why she assisted in the heist, and since Gouki referred to her as a servant girl, she held no significance in their original plan to use the artifacts other than to assist in the break-in. Miwa said she and Kurama had a similar goal, and the mirror was somehow the key to achieving it, and all the while she was looking for a way to use it before Kurama could. Her involvement was a lot simpler than he first thought, but at the same time very complicated. Her desperation to save Kurama, enough so that she would ask Yusuke for assistance, seemed far beyond the dedication of a mere servant girl. She had spoken of a duty to fulfill, but for some reason, Kurama was refusing to let her do it.
"Just what is going on with those two…" Botan said, as if she were voicing Yusuke's thoughts aloud.
Notes: This is a story I have had in my mind for a very long time, and it may be using some tropes I have noticed in YYH fanfiction over the years: inserting an OC into the canon story, or a back story involving one of the main boys. However, I have noticed that stories that use these common tropes will still win me over if I enjoy the character or its execution. I heard that clichés are only okay when performed well. This is my attempt at that. As such, constructive criticism is always welcome.