Thank you all for the warm reception to this fic! Every single comment warms my heart. I hope you enjoy this installment.

Hiei followed Botan's energy signal to a backroom in Genkai's temple. It was decorated with all manner of silly trinkets and baubles; a sure sign that the ferry-girl commandeered the space as her own. As he stepped through the threshold, he noticed a mess of thick books and sprawling scrolls on the opposite end of the room, along with a poorly rolled up futon. He found it odd that she needed a room at the temple at all, but it wasn't his place to know or care about her affairs.

Seated at a low table in the center of the room was the bluette herself. She had yet to detect his presence, eyes glued unblinkingly to the small print of a large tome.

"Never pegged you for a bookworm, woman," Hiei announced as he approached her.

Botan glanced up, greeting him with a smile that was far too pleasant for the occasion. "Just doing a little research!"

He raised a brow, prompting her to continue.

"A major problem with Enma's reign was the misinformation and lies. They rewrote history, glorifying the Spirit World, while villainizing the Demon World," she explained. "I've been going through our compendiums and finding areas of interest. Events that we can investigate to find the truth."

"What's the point?"

"Well, if we want to create a better world, we need to start taking accountability and learning from the past," she said. "We can't do that if all our records are made up of blatant lies."

Hiei's gaze narrowed as he examined the tome. There must have been thousands more like it in the Spirit World, rife with biases and inaccuracies. There was no doubt they'd be inundated for years to come if they truly committed themselves to this task.

"Koenma's already started garnering aid from Enki and the three kings, hoping to get the cooperation of their historians."

"Is that why you four were prancing around Mukuro's fortress before?"

"We weren't prancing around!" she denied hotly. "But yes. That is one of the reasons we stopped by."

"Mukuro doesn't care about the Spirit World or its library."

"It's much more than that, Hiei. This is our chance to do better, to be better."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. It seemed like a futile endeavor, but far be it for him to tell her that.

"Anyway, there's a lot of work to be done, but every little bit counts. So, here I am - looking for points in our history that those in Spirit World might have embellished on. Some are a bit more blatant and obvious than others," she informed, flipping towards the middle of the book and pointing at a passage. "For instance, look here."

Curiosity led the fire-demon to sit down beside her and indulge in the woman's request.

"They painted poor Kurama out to be a vile, moralless, corrupt soul. And Shunjun was the 'brave hero' who ended Youko's frightening reign of terror," Botan recounted incredulously.

Hiei scoffed.

"Ridiculous, isn't it?" she agreed. "Kurama's quite possibly one of the nicest–"

"That's not what I'm concerned with," he cut in, jabbing a finger at the end of the page. "It says here that Shunjun cornered and mortally wounded Kurama, but there's little chance a spirit lackey could have taken Youko down alone. It had to be an army of them. And they must have sprung a coordinated surprise attack."

"The SDF aren't your average fighters, you know."

"Youko Kurama wasn't your average demon," he stated. "He was much stronger and much more ruthless than the Kurama you know now. He had an arsenal of weapons at his fingertips and could dispose of an enemy before they even blinked. There's no question that this piece of history is a fabrication."

"Wow…"

"What?" he challenged, hackles raised.

The woman's smile turned downright devious as she arched a slender blue brow. "I had no idea you were such a Youko Kurama fanboy, Hiei!"

"Fan-what?" he spat out in disgust.

"It makes perfect sense, though! When we take into account both of your origins and the age gap, it's only natural that you'd admire the Legendary Bandit!" she deduced, avid interest sparkling in her amethyst eyes. "Was he your childhood hero?"

"No—"

"Did you ask your guardians to tell you bedtime stories about his biggest heists?"

Hiei's frown deepened. While it was true that the bandits who raised him recounted the saga of Youko Kurama, they weren't shared for the same childish reasons that the woman was implying. The purpose of those stories was to instill fear and terror. Nothing more. "Don't be ridiculous."

"You hesitated," she pointed out, her excitement growing as she clapped her hands together. "Oh, this is too precious. I bet you wanted to be just like him when you grew up!"

"Not in the slightest—"

"You probably had a bunch of limited edition Youko Kurama plushies stashed away somewhere!"

"Ferry-girl–"

"Along with a Youko-eared headband," she snorted out.

"Woman-"

"And a cute little detachable tail, too!"

"Botan," Hiei barked, his glare turned glacial. "If you value your precious voice box, you'll quit while you're ahead."

She pressed her lips together in a vain attempt to stop her laughter but it was to no avail. "I'm sorry, Hiei - I just can't stop picturing you as an adorable little fire-demon with Youko posters on your cave wall."

"I didn't live in a cave, you fool!"

"Okay, okay!" she soothed, hands raised in defense as she tried and failed to choke down the last peals of laughter. "I'm done, I promise."

"Just get the damned antidote," he grumbled.

"Yes, master," she droned, pushing herself up from the table and taking a stand.

Hiei could still hear her stifling a few giggles as she headed for the kitchen. He huffed, drumming his fingers impatiently over the worn wooden finish of the low table. The ferry-girl was as insufferable as she was demented. The sooner this whole ordeal was over, the better.

In his boredom, he flipped through the pages of the tome passively. Colorful notes were posted to various pages, each one filled with Botan's thin, flowy cursive. Her thoughts were surprisingly critical and apt. Much more organized and succinct than he ever expected from the lackadaisical, carefree woman. He supposed even she could buckle down when the situation called for it.

"I'm back!" Botan sang as she re-entered the room with two mugs in her hands and lowered herself into the seating pillow opposite of Hiei.

She'd added hot water to the powdered antidote in an attempt to turn it into a tea, however, the resulting concoction was a murky, bubbling pool of thick green liquid. He watched her nose crinkle as its steam rose and tainted the air with a pungent aroma.

The ferry-girl grimaced. "It looks more like a poison than a cure…"

"Hn. We'll just have to trust that Genji isn't completely senile," Hiei replied, closing his hand around his mug.

"Right…" Botan agreed, clinking her vessel against Hiei's stationery one warily. "Bottom's up." The ferry-girl only managed an experimental sip before she was pulling away with a gag. "Ugh. This is awful!"

Hiei downed his portion in one go, ignoring the bitter aftertaste as he set the ceramic on the table. "It's necessary."

Botan forced herself to finish the brew with great effort, face twisting in disgust. "I should have brought chasers…"

Hiei watched her set her cup down, confirming that it was indeed empty. Satisfied that she had done her part - he didn't know what the consequences would be if one of them neglected to follow the rules, after all - he spared her one last glance, before taking a stand.

"Leaving so soon?"

The woman's voice sounded faintly disappointed as it reached his ears but he continued walking. "Obviously."

"You're not planning on retiring for the night, are you?"

Hiei paused, looking back at her from over his shoulder. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Even after what Genji said?"

Truthfully, he tuned the old man out when he wasn't prescribing their problem and its subsequent remedy. Hiei had no clue what she was getting at and his blank expression revealed as much.

Botan sighed. "We're robbing our counterparts of their time whenever we cross over and occupy their bodies! It isn't fair."

"I don't care."

"You should!"

Hiei turned to face her fully, eyes narrowing. "And what do you expect me to do? Stay awake until this nonsense runs its course?"

"Well, no... that would be unrealistic. But the longer we stay awake, the less chances we'd have of crossing over!"

"Easy for you to say, ferry-girl. You don't need sleep if you revert to your spirit form."

Botan's gaze faltered for a moment, lips pulling into a troubled line. "It's not that simple."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Things are touch-and-go in the Spirit World right now. Koenma's still trying to amass political support and there's reason to believe a violent coup may be in the works," she explained. "He thought it best if I laid low in the human world for a while. At least until things were safer."

Hiei frowned. He had no idea the state of their world was so volatile, but he supposed it made sense. These were turbulent times; everyone was vying for power and willing to do whatever it took to get it. The ferry-girl was the easiest target of all - being not only a human and demon empathizer, but also a staunch supporter of Koenma's unorthodox ideals.

"So, you see, I'm stuck in this human form until things are more stable at home," she continued, index fingers pointed together in that nervous tell of hers. "And since we're in the same boat, I thought you might like to stay for a while longer. We can keep each other company. It might even be a good opportunity to get to know each other better!"

Hiei's frown deepened at the ridiculous suggestion.

"What do you say?" she asked, flashing an inviting smile at him.

"I would rather subject myself to Elder Toguro's sadistic whims."

The woman's expression dropped into a look of offense. "Well, that's not very nice."

"You know I'm not a very nice person."

"Your alternate universe counterpart tells a different story," she teased lightly.

Hiei growled on principle, causing her to shrink back a bit.

The other Botan wasn't scared of him at all; he gave her no reason to be. This one, however, still possessed some modicum of self preservation. It should have pleased him. He didn't want anyone becoming too comfortable around him, much less a meddlesome soul like hers. But something strange stirred up from within when he saw the woman flinch. It must have been that other reality messing with his mind.

He needed to leave.

But before he could do that, the ferry-girl accosted him again.

"Here's a neat idea: why don't you help me with my history clean up project?" she suggested. "Yukina's been staying with the Kuwabaras and Genkai's already turned in for bed. It would be nice to have some company."

Hiei stared down at her, face devoid of emotion. The ferry-girl held something akin to hope within her doe eyes as she awaited his answer. He couldn't understand why she was so eager for him to join her. Alternate realities aside, there had never been anything remotely substantial between them. There was little reason to pretend otherwise. Shaking his head, he finally responded, "The last thing I want to do with my time is aid the Spirit World."

"Of course," Botan accepted, her tone injected with false cheer. Hiei pretended not to notice the way her shoulders fell and smile receded. "Can't blame a girl for trying! Maybe next time…"

The ferry-girl returned her attention to the large tome, giving Hiei the opportunity to take his leave. As his gaze fell away from the woman, he found himself hesitating. Botan was essentially exiled from her world. The days must have felt long without the familiarity of her daily routine in the Spirit World, but he knew from experience that the nights were always far, far longer.

An unpleasant emotion tugged at his conscience, falling like heavy stones in his gut. Perhaps it was the pesky bond that tied him to the other reality and the other woman that had him feeling this way.

Maybe it was his honor-code.

Or, perhaps he was simply going soft.

Whatever the case - he found himself dithering. He should have swallowed the bitter emotions as easily as he did the acrid brew and left. He would've been halfway to Makai by now if he had, but instead, he crossed back over to the woman decisively.

.

.

.

Hiei awoke with the sun bearing down on him and the ferry-girl's arm casually draped over his midsection. They'd fallen asleep on the floor and he had no idea how or when they ended up there. One minute they were arguing over the Hijiki Era, and the next… nothing.

As his squinting eyes adjusted to the pale morning light, he realized that he couldn't recall any otherworldly dreams. He managed to sleep through the night without a single trace of the alternate reality beckoning him over. At least the antidote was working, he thought wryly.

Botan suddenly shifted from beside him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. The fire-demon stiffened when her soft lips brushed against his pulsepoint. Their proximity ignited an unfortunately primal urge within him, sending his blood shooting down towards less productive areas. He didn't fault himself for it. Very few men could resist the lure of a woman's soft curves and intoxicating scent. Even so, he couldn't allow this to go on. He had no intention of allowing this world to mirror the other one.

With a sharp intake of breath and a great deal of effort, the fire-demon managed to slowly extricate himself from Botan's embrace. She stirred a little in protest, but failed to wake as he snatched up his scattered belongings and beat a hasty retreat.

Botan hummed to herself as she fed the koi fish outside of Genkai's temple. Last night was a pleasant turn of events. She never expected for Hiei to stay, much less help with her project, but she appreciated it all the same.

She must have fallen asleep right in the middle of their work, because she awoke the next morning sprawled off on the tatami mat instead of her futon. Crick in her neck aside, she considered it a successful evening.

Dusting her hands off from the dried fish food debris, Botan fixed her eyes to the dusky sky. She wondered what everyone was doing in her world. She could picture it all so clearly: the ferry-girls discussing the latest rumors in the breakroom, the administrative ogres typing away frantically in their cubicles, Koenma ordering poor Jorge around—

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The high trilling of her communication device snapped her out of her reverie. On high alert, the ferry-girl dug into her jeans pocket and flipped the compact open.

"Sir, is everything okay?" she answered urgently, frowning down at the distorted view on the screen. A grainy, warped pattern danced across the display, and she could barely hear a thing over the crackling static. "Lord Koenma - sir, are you there?"

It took a few moments, but eventually the static cleared and Koenma came into view. He was in his office, dwarfed by his oversized blue chair. "Yes, yes, everything's just fine. Sorry for the false alarm. Ogre must have butt-dialed you."

"But, Lord Koenma, you were the one sitting on the device!" Jorge interjected.

"That's neither here nor there, ogre!" he replied shrilly.

Botan's tight expression eased up a bit as she beseeched her boss. "How much longer are you planning to keep me away, Lord Koenma? I should be there with you. Helping."

"It's much safer for you in the human world right now. Besides, you aren't exactly on vacation. You're supposed to be studying the history books and finding obvious biases. And don't forget above the law and policies revamping project as well."

"I know, but hiding away in the human world like this feels cowardly."

"It's strategic. You're one of my most invaluable allies. I can't have you getting caught in the crossfire."

"I understand," she acceded, resisting the urge to sigh. "I'll keep my feet on the ground and continue going through the tomes. But the instant you need me, you have to let me know, okay?"

"I will," he promised. His attention was pulled somewhere off-screen. "Ogre, what did I tell you about-"

And then the connection ended. Botan looked up at the brilliant sky wistfully. Large, fluffy clouds floated across the twilight soaked expanse, casting passing shadows on the lush green grass below. It was a perfectly idyllic evening, but she found it hard to enjoy the tranquility when her friends and comrades were having a difficult time in her realm. She hated sitting around uselessly while everyone else was striving to enact real change and make a difference. It simply wasn't fair–

"What are you doing?"

Hiei's voice was as sharp as a blade as it cut through her stupor, bringing her back to reality. She blinked once dazedly upon realizing she'd summoned her oar and was clutching it tightly in her right hand.

Botan's shoulders dropped as she loosened her grip. "I… er..."

"You heard your toddler Prince," Hiei said, red eyes piercing as he came closer into view. He had foregone his cloak for a formal robe instead. He must have been in the middle of something important prior to coming here, unlike the ferry-girl who remained quite literally grounded. "Going there now will only cause him more trouble."

"I know that!" she admitted, frustration seeping into her tone. "It's just hard to sit around helplessly."

"Orders are orders."

"Oh?" Botan challenged with a raise of her eyebrows. "And I suppose you follow yours to a t?"

"Even when I was subjected to Spirit World rule I did what I was told. You can attest to that."

Botan searched her recollections and realized he was right. The fire-demon truly had followed the terms and conditions of his probation, right up until the day it was over.

Hiei pushed his hands in his pockets and glanced away as he spoke again. "You must be doing something right if you've become a target of the radical fools of Spirit World. Koenma believes you to be an asset. Trust in his judgment and live to fight another day."

His words settled over the ferry-girl with a startling clarity. Her presence surely would have caused more trouble than necessary. She'd just been so desperate to be of use that she couldn't see that. A small, grateful smile passed over her expression as she banished her oar. "You're right. Thanks Hiei."

He ignored her gratitude in favor of glimpsing towards the temple. "Let's just get this over with."

"Huh?"

"The antidote."

"Oh, of course!" Botan nodded, leading him into the compound. "Right this way."

Hiei followed her into the kitchen, where they both swigged down the bitter, unappealing brew. As she set her cup down, she noticed Hiei unsubtly checking to ensure that it was empty. The ferry-girl's lips slanted into a frown as she regarded him.

"You know, it's really insulting that you insist on watching me take my dose," she pointed out. "Not to mention, it's a huge waste of your time to come all this way for that sole purpose."

"It's necessary."

"It really isn't."

"Agree to disagree, woman."

"Fine," she relented. "...But since you're already here-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"I know well enough. Whatever you're concocting in that peculiar mind of yours won't bode well for me."

"I was only going to suggest we try our hand at Genkai's game station."

"My point still stands."

"It wouldn't hurt to loosen up, you know."

"Don't you have more productive matters to tend to?"

"All work and no play makes for a dull existence, Hiei," she informed. "And now that I think about it, you never join the guys in any of their friendly competitions. Are you, perhaps, afraid of the unfamiliar?"

Hiei's eyes narrowed defensively. "I fear nothing, woman. I simply have no interest in trivial pursuits."

"But it's a fighting game. Isn't that right up your alley?"

"No."

"Surely it won't be a challenge for a full fledged warrior like yourself," she tempted. "The simulation might even help you hone your skills!"

"I doubt that."

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped if you're reluctant or afraid…" she pretended to relent with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

The taunt was childish and juvenile, but she knew from experience that Hiei could be baited if his pride was scorned. She'd seen Kurama employ the same tactic many times over and it appeared to be working for her right now. The fire-demon's jaw clenched tightly as a scowl etched onto his face.

"Fine," he bit out. "I'll play along, if only to shut you up."

Botan let out a victorious cheer as she skipped down the hall towards what had been designated as the game room. There was a worn red couch situated before the sizable television, along with some sitting pillows scattered nearby. She moved towards the game station and followed the series of instructions Yusuke left for her while Hiei took a seat behind her. She could feel the fire-demon's intense gaze on her back as she fiddled with the cords and settings.

"Do you even know what you're doing, ferry-girl?"

"Yes, just give me a minute!"

After a few more seconds of tinkering around, the game's title image flashed over the screen. Truth be told, she originally planned to play a few solo rounds against the computer in the hopes that she might be able to beat Yusuke, or at the very least Kuwabara, someday, but she much preferred this outcome instead.

"Here you go." Botan deposited a gray controller in his hand.

Hiei grasped the object awkwardly in one hand, clearly unsure of what to do.

"You hold it like this," she said, repositioning both of his hands accordingly. Her touch was feather light and gentle, not wanting to overstep any boundaries with the tetchy fire-demon. "There you go."

Hiei fixed his eyes on the television in resignation as Botan took her place beside him on the couch.

"Oh, and try not to be too rough with it! Wouldn't want to break Genkai's property."

"I know that."

"Alright, then let's choose our combatants."

Hiei settled on what appeared to be a ninja, while Botan selected the only female available: an unassuming school girl.

The game offered a quick tutorial for first time players and then they were left to their own devices. When the countdown ended and signaled the beginning of the fight, they furiously tapped at the buttons and moved the analog to and fro. Botan had to bite back her amusement as both their characters floundered for a majority of the first round. It took Hiei much longer to figure out the mechanics, and before she knew it, she managed to decimate his life bar.

"You're cheating," Hiei accused through gritted teeth as Botan's character did a little dance atop his unconscious one.

"There's no way to cheat in this game, Hiei!"

"I don't believe you, woman."

"You just need more practice is all. And maybe you should pay attention to the controls this time."

A few rounds later, their friendly competition spiraled into something much more combative and contentious. Botan was shouting at the screen while Hiei had resorted to mashing buttons like a mad man.

"Stop that infernal screeching, ferry-girl. The old woman is sleeping."

Botan clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oopsie."

Hiei smirked, seizing the opportunity to employ a finishing move on her character while she was caught off guard.

"Ah no!" she moaned miserably.

The fire-demon tempered his expression, but she could tell that he was pleased with himself. "Pitiful."

"You cheated!"

"No, you made the mistake of getting distracted."

"Well, I demand a rematch!"

"Hn. If you insist on losing again, I won't stop you."

.

.

.

Botan was the first to wake.

In her groggy state, she just barely registered that she was trapped between soft cushions and a firm body. She already knew that it was Hiei. She was well acquainted with the press of his warm weight against her, so she figured this was the other reality. But as she blinked at her surroundings, she quickly realized that she might've been sorely mistaken.

Tired amethyst eyes traced the paneled walls and artwork that marked Genkai's temple. The worn and old couch beneath her body was the very one that Yusuke hauled into the room for game nights shortly after the Dark Tournament. The arm wrapped around her waist bore the dragon of the darkness flame tattoo. What's more: Hiei's cedarwood scent was mixed with the faintest hint of steel and something smokier, like fire.

This was undoubtedly her reality. And the man she was tangled up with was the prickly fire-demon. Her heart picked up its pace as that fact settled in. The human Hiei wouldn't have cared that they were in this position, but the demon one would surely threaten to burn her to a crisp. She should have pulled away. She should've distanced herself immediately. But instead, all she could do was stare at his slumbering form. In his unawakened state, he seemed almost agreeable. The sun's pale beams softened his face so much so that he looked like an entirely different man.

It was then that Kurama's words about Hiei returned to her. Hie was always so strong and independent. So solitary and cold. But that other reality proved that he was capable of both giving and receiving love. She couldn't understand why this version of Hiei was so adamantly against it all.

As if sensing her eyes or thoughts on him, Hiei's features shifted as he began to rouse. Botan quickly detached herself from the fire-demon and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart while he slowly opened his sharp, red eyes.

Hiei sat up wordlessly, taking stock of his surroundings and their situation quickly enough.

"Good morning!" Botan chirped, hoping none of her nerves shook her voice. "We must've fallen asleep. I didn't mean to keep you here all night."

"It's fine," he bit out, reaching over her to collect his outer robe.

Genkai just happened to walk by and Botan's face flushed as she pushed the fire-demon away. He glared at her, but Botan was too busy enacting damage control to care.

"I-it's not what it looks like!"

Genkai ignored the awkwardness of the situation as her brown eyes drifted towards the fire-demon. "Does this mean I'm making breakfast for three?"

"No!" Botan exclaimed.

Hiei glared at her once again, before answering much more calmly. "I need to get back to the fortress."

"I see." Genkai's shrewd examination lasted for a few more moments, before strode forward with her hands clasped behind her back.

Botan sagged against the couch in relief.

"Stop acting so suspicious, woman," Hiei discouraged as he rose up from the couch. "Nothing happened."

"I know that…"

"And it's not as if this was the first time," he muttered, throwing his outer robe on in one smooth motion.

"Right - we've both been in this situation before - in the other reality."

Hiei looked like he wanted to say more on the topic, but he only grunted as he fastened his robe around his waist securely. "I'll be back tonight."

Botan nodded her agreement. Once he was gone, she made quick work of tidying up the game room and running through her usual morning routine. Dressed in fresh clothes and a newly tied ponytail, she joined Genkai in the kitchen. The reclusive woman was in the process of reheating last night's miso soup on the stove. Two fish sat on the other burner, seared to perfection based on their mouthwatering scent.

"Hello again, Genkai," she greeted, pulling out the stash of tea leaves. "Would you like the usual today?"

"That's fine," Genkai replied over the gentle humming of the rice cooker. She kept a careful eye on the stove, her back turned to Botan as she continued, "Never thought I'd see the day when you and Hiei held slumber parties."

The ferry-girl swirled around to fix the psychic with a sheepish look. "It's not like that, Genkai! We were just—"

"I don't need to know about every move you kids take. Whatever you choose to do is your business."

"It's only temporary," she reassured, depositing the leaves into a pair of her favorite teacups. "If all goes well, we'll both be out of your hair sooner than later."

"What's one more freeloader," the psychic answered as she cut the heat from the stove. "Besides, Hiei could benefit from a little socialization. And that's coming from a hermit like me."

Botan smiled to herself. Genkai had a point: Hiei could stand to part a little from his antisocial disposition. When he wasn't so busy spewing insults and nasty little opinions, he made for decent company. Her expression softened as she filled each cup with hot water. Perhaps this whole ordeal didn't have to be much of an ordeal at all. And if Hiei insisted on showing up every night with that brusque attitude, then she'd be more than happy to pull him out of it.

Once again, thank you for reading/reviewing. It means so much to us authors.

Also, it appears FFnet is busted once again. I'm not getting email alerts anymore, so I've taken to using the app instead. Hope you all have better luck!

See you in Chapter 3~