What...what's happening? Kurama asked himself. He didn't know what was happening. His body was moving by its own volition. All he could do was watch and feel her close to him. He felt her hands come up to his shirt, touching his chest. Kurama winced, but he couldn't seem to pull away. Botan, I'm sorry was the last thing he could remember.

      Botan had stopped crying already. She glanced at the white box next to her again. She needed someone to talk to. She needed someone to take all these feelings away. Just for once, she want to let everything inside her go...before it al burst inside her.

      Kurama opened his weary eyes. His mind was still in a blur, including his sight. He let out a cough, feeling that his throat was so dry, it was hard for him to breath. He coughed again. His body felt so painful and tired. He fluttered his eyes a bit more, adjusting his focus. Everything was coming back to him now. No...it couldn't! Is he still in Yui's house? Did he..actually...let her take him? Did he?! Everything was causing him a headache. His eyes then turned watery, he didn't want to open them and see Yui's face looking down on him. He just couldn't. He knew that by just looking at her eyes would remind him of someone he had just betrayed. Someone he least wanted to hurt. "Botan" he muttered, stopping a cry from escaping in his throat. His body was getting painful, like every joint on his body was broken. His eyes then started to focus. The first thing he saw was a familiar hand in front of him. How relieved he was to see that the hand didn't belong to Yui Shiito. "Hiei!" he exclaimed happily. If it wasn't for his lack of energy, he would've jumped up on him for a tight hug. Instead, he just smiled and took Hiei's hand. He was then sitting up, leaning on something hard behind him.

      "Hn...pathetic" Hiei muttered. "Careful or you might fall off" he cautioned. It was only then that Kurama realized he was on a roof. If he remembered correctly, it was the roof of his own house. "Hiei, would you mind explaining to me what just happened?" he asked his friend. A glare was his first reply. "You idiot! I told you, I tried to warn you, now look what just happened! You almost lost yourself in there, baka!" Hiei exclaimed, his voice in a low but ear crushing tone that Kurama almost needed to cover his ears with his hands. He then glanced at his friend, the friend he had been with for years. Until now, he still hasn't let him down. "I-I'm sorry Hiei" he apologized. Hiei seemed to calm down and sat himself beside Kurama.

      "Okay, here's what happened..." Hiei started. Kurama looked and listened at him intently, afraid that what he will say is something he feared would've happened after he lost consciousness. "You see, after we parted ways at the time on the streets, I couldn't help but have a bad feeling about all these. Even before, when the time you first came into that house?" he asked, glancing at Kurama to see if he remembered. Kurama then nodded his head. "I knew something was up. Then, while I was trying to think of it, I rememered something that happened to me in reikai" he explained. Kurama's eyes widened. "In reikai?!" he asked, shocked at the little fellow's confession. Hiei glanced away from him. "I should've told you. I went to reikai and...met up with this guy" he paused, thinking of the right words to say. No other term may describe him though. He sighed and decided to use the only term he could think of. "Remember Karasu? The one you've fought in the Ankonku Bujutsuukai?" Hiei asked him. Kurama frozed. "Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Kurama asked. Hiei shook his head. "That's what I thought so as well. But I saw him in reikai and had a little talk with him. He said he will be out to get us, or that's what I thought I understood. If I listened quite intently, I must say it's still you he wanted. Maybe he's the one responsible about this girl" he told him. A thought had struck Kurama next. "Hiei!" he said, clutching the material of Hiei's cloak tight on his grip. "Did...something happen when I was---"
"Don't worry, before she could get to you, I was just in time to get you" Hiei said confidently. "I came in there just in time. She was about to take your shirt off actually" he said, glancing at Kurama with a wide grin and an evil glare. A crimson shade crept across Kurama's face. "And?" he asked, nervous that she might have gone too far. Hiei chuckled. "I said don't worry. That's the farthest part she had gone through. Before she could take it off, I came and got you away...that explains the wound on your wrist, I'm sorry, but I just had to use the window" he told him and looked away again. Kurama glanced at his right wrist. Hiei was right, he noticed that a part of Hiei's bandage had been torn off and had been used to wrap around his wound. Kurama chuckled. "Just like before, the window crushing technique was used again" he joked. Hiei winced. "You should be thankful I even helped you!" he said angrily. Kurama chuckled again and sighed. "I'm sorry, thanks Hiei" he said with a smile, staring below them. Hiei looked at him in the corner of his eyes.

      "Hey" Hiei muttered, his voice soft and low, not much audible. "Kurama, you do know what will happen in a week by now, do you?" he asked, hoping the question won't bother him much. Kurama looked at him and thought. After the thought had struck him, he fell silent. "Koenma and Botan. Since you told Yusuke and the others to come, I guess they're really going. Yusuke said that they ddn't want Koenma to be disappointed on his special day" Kurama was still silent. Hiei took a deep breath "Hey, are you listening? I really want to tell you something about it" he said, a small grin spreading across his face. Looking up, Kurama stared at his friend curiously, but didn't say a word. Hiei gestured him to come closer and whispered somethig in his ear. And for once in a very long time, Kurama smiled a genuine smile.

      A week had gone through, which seems to be one of the quickest week in her whole life. Botan sighed, ignoring the women around her who was fixing her attire. Botan sighed. Only a miracle could save her now. She closed her eyes, hearing the women's tiny requests for her to stand still and straightly. botan opened her eyes, only to see herself staring at the full-body mirror in front of her. She was completely white, from head to foot. The dress wasn't that bad. A gown, or should she say, a wedding kimono, whatever they call it. It was completely white, even the clips on her hair was white. Even her complexion seem white. Pale to put it in a more appropriate word. "I want to be alone" she said, putting down her arms for the women to stop fixing them. The women paused for a while before they bowed down before her. Her former ferry girl companions, it felt weird to get them bowing down on you. She sighed again. Looking at herself in the mirror once more, she fell down on her knees, feeling the cloth in her body stretch so lightly, it was so hard for her to move. As if she was chained in place, no where to go. A miracle. A mircale seldom happens, not in a million years and most probably not now. She only hoped he wasn't there, maybe she could forget about it as the ceremony goes. She closed her eyes halfway and looked down. Clutching the garment one more time, she finally stood up and went out the door.

      Enma Daioh looked around. Everybody seems to be there. The bride and the groom are right there in front of him. He cleared his throat and coughed deeply. "Okay, we'll start" he announced. The whole room suddenly fell silent. Botan could feel the coldness of her hands from the tension building up in her. Her heart was about to leap any minute now, and she couldn't do anything about it. She then felt her mind blocked out when she felt Koenma's hand on hers. She shifted her gaze on him, seeing him smiling down on her, trying to make her feel better. Botan's eyes soften as she smiled back.

      Koenma could feel her hands cold. She was nervous, he could tell. He sighed inwardly, trying to supress the jealousy he still felt inside him. She was still thinking about Kurama, he knows that. But right after this, she would be his and nothing can be done against it. He only hoped his father would hurry the ceremony up. The time tension was giving him a hard time.

      "Okay" Enma said in a loud voice, looking down at Koenma. "I do hope you're serious about this" he said, giving Koenma a questioning stare. Koenma only nodded. Enma then glanced over at Botan. Botan was motionless in the king's gaze. The only comfort she had was when koenma held her hand tighter in his. She could feel cold sweat running on her temples.

      "What's happening?" Kuwabara asked. Keiko glanced at Yusuke while Yusuke had his stare down the floor the whole time. Keiko understood what he meant and she fell silent as well. "Where's Kurama and Hiei?" he asked again. Like before, no answer came to him. "Hello?!" Kuwabara said, waving a hand in front of Yusuke and Keiko's eyes. "They're not coming, Kuwabara" Keiko whispered. Kuwabara gave them a questioning gaze. "Why not?" he asked. Yusuke sighed. No use hiding it from Kuwabara, everything will be all over anyway. "It's because---"

      A loud explosion suddenly startled the whole palace. All heads turned behind them but no one was there. Only, they heard a voice. "Long time, no see! Sorry about this, but I just can't let you all enjoy this" he said and clouds of smoke began exploding in the whole room. The pillars where falling, the roof starting to crack. Clouds of smoke filled the whole room, almost impossible for anyon to see. "So long! I hope I didn't destroy much, see you!" the voice said again and seemed to have disappeared.

      "What was that?!" Yusuke asked as he shook his head. He sat up from where he had fallen off, trying to remember what happened. "Keiko!"
"Yusuke, I'm here" Keiko's voice sounded from behind him. She seemed to be trapped under some rubble. Yusuke went to her aid and helped her up. Kuwabara, Shizuru and Yukina seem to be alright as well, even everyone else in the place. He then glanced in front of them. Enma Daioh was crouched, protecting Koenma and...and...

      Koenma glanced at his empty hand, remembering for sure he was holding something in it a little while ago. He looked around, his blood turning cold in his veins. He looked around once again, only to realize she really is gone. "Botan!!!"

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