Meanwhile as everything was going down, Miyuki's eyes slowly opened up. However, she wasn't herself at the moment. Instead, she found herself being in her Spiritual form that she would accidentally get into whenever her Phoenix instincts decides to kick in and show her something usually important.
This case was no different.
The teen girl gasped as soon as she saw her pale blue, ghostly hands and her body floating in the air.
"Oh. . ." Miyuki breathed out once her mind eventually to her senses and realizes what was happening right now. But when her mind started to replay everything that happened minutes ago, her mood drops to the mud then exhaled deeply, feeling guilt ridden for making her friends and brother witness her at her worst point, and worry about her health when there are other far more important things are happening around the place. Either way, she clearly didn't intent this to happen, nor she wanted to cause trouble for others since they were already in a big one.
Now she is concerned that with this break out of her emotions, she made matters even worse. Before she can drown herself in her own shame, her ears suddenly caught the sound of people talking outside the room. Voices being muffled down by the wall that is separating her from them.
Even though she knows how rude it is to eavesdrop, her curiosity kicked in and got the best of her instincts at the moment. Without a second thought she made herself float toward the wooden wall, and dived her head right through it to see who is talking with who.
"I don't think I would have been able to sleep after all this anyways." Miyuki heard brother's voice, now words loud and clear as soon as her eyes caught sight of the trio in the hall. "So, what do you wanna discuss with us?" Asked Yusuke from Ruby who held a serious yet unbearable expression on her face. Miyuki also took notice of it, and that made her eyes go slightly narrow in suspicion, her feelings from the mall coming back to her once again.
"Let's go out to the garden." Suggested the young Water-Bender to the boys and motioned with her hand to follow her lead. The teens followed her silently, and Miyuki decided to tag along, wanting to hear what is the topic that they are about to discuss. As they were going, the girl's spiritual-self made sure to stay hidden in the shadows, not wanting to risk being spotted by any of them or scare them all with the state she is in at the moment, especially after the chaos that took place in the earlier minutes or hour.
Eventually everyone arrived into the garden. Puu woke up from his nap and Aki had already returned to her usual spot as well. The two greeted the trio with small coos and the teens returned the gesture respectfully. However, the blue Spirit Beast took notice of Miyuki's Spiritual body go into hiding from the corner of his eyes. Puu almost exposed her hiding place at the bushes, but thankfully Aki stopped him before letting out a single sound, not wanting her wielder to feel even more stressed than she already was. The other Spirit Beast eventually got the message and let it all be.
"So Ruby, what is this important thing that you need to share now and it couldn't wait for the morning?" The Urameshi boy once more asked while he and the Prince of Spirit World looked at their ally curiously. The young Water-Bender took a deep breath before looking between the boys. She knew it would have been better if she could have just waited for a better timing when all of them have a more clearer and refreshed mind, but after seeing her friend's mental state being crushed down in front of her, possibly by the news that she has knowledge of, she couldn't help but feel slightly responsible for not warning Miyuki about it, or breathe out a word when she and Yusuke had just told her that they were invited as well. . .
Either way, what had been done is done now, but she also knows if she keeps this in much longer, things could escalate pretty quickly just like now.
'I'm sorry Hiei. . . Kurama. . .' Ruby mentally apologized to them before she is about to confess the information to Yusuke and Koenma. Meanwhile Miyuki in the background leaned forward a little bit, wanting to hear everything that her friend is about to say right now. "I know we are all tired, but I didn't want to wait any longer, and yes, I could have told you all this in previous occasions, but I was scared of how things will turn out once you know about this." Ruby started off in a fast ramble since she was anxious about their reaction still. "But after seeing Miyuki, I realized it was wrong to keep this from you for so long." After she said that, she started panting softly like she was out of breath after running a marathon. The Urameshi girl's eyes went wide, a bit taken off guard because of how her friend was so nervous at this moment, and it made her feel sympathetic towards her. . .
Apparently, she was not the only one who felt concerned for the girl. So, to somewhat help the young bender to calm down her nerves, Koenma for once acted properly in the situation and offered his comfort to her.
"Hey-hey, just take it easy and breathe." The brunette teen gently told the female figure as he placed one hand onto her shoulder and gave a small squeeze of reassurance to it. "Take a minute for yourself and tell us what's going on." Seeing him, Yusuke couldn't help but scoff out loud while his arms folded over his chest.
"Pff, for once you put your heart in it there, chief." The Urameshi boy sarcastically commented which earned an annoyed stink eye from Koenma, though really, he has no right to be upset or pissed with Yusuke at this moment since what he said was no insult but the reflection of the harsh truth. So, he bit the inside of his cheeks to keep himself quiet, and just let that slide before turning his attention back to Ruby, letting go of her small shoulder and offer a tiny head nod for her, indicating her to go on with her speech.
The girl closed her eyes and eventually got to pull herself together. . . She nodded back weakly and took a breath before speaking up.
"What I wanted to say is that, Yusuke. . ." Ruby started steadily, but trailed down a little at the end as she turned to the said teen boy. "You and Miyuki. . . You are not the only people who were invited back to Demon World." As this was finally out in the open, the boys' eyes went slightly wide while the ghostly figure in the bushes lowered her head down in sorrow now seeing what this is about. However, her eyes then went narrow again when she realized something.
'Wait. . .' Miyuki thought to herself as she snapped her head back up and look back at the three teens. 'She. . . she knew. . . ?'
"What?" The boys questioned, stunned by the information still. "What do you mean we aren't the only ones?"
"Who got invitations?" Koenma asked, getting serious about the topic again.
"Hiei and Kurama." Right after the information came out of the Water-Bender's mouth the boys exchanged worried glances with each other. As for Miyuki, she felt like her heart is about to crack once again, her eyes opened up wide in horror as her mind was reaching for the denial switch. . .
First her partner Hiei, and now her childhood best friend, Kurama. . .
'No. . .' Miyuki thought to herself in a bit of despair as her ghostly hands held onto her spinning head.
"What?!" The ex Prince of Spirit World exclaimed in a whisper shout.
"A-are you sure about this?" The Urameshi boy asked his friend, hoping that what was being said right now was some kind of misunderstanding. Anything. But sadly, the girl in front of him nodded her head in confirmation while giving an apologetic look to her friends clearly wishing that what she is saying is not true either.
"I was right there with Kurama when those demon messengers came to give that. . . Spirit of Word or something to him." The Water-Bender continued on, the tension getting thicker in the air, and even Miyuki held her breath as she listened silently to the entire conversation and let her mind drink in every word of information. "One of the Demon Kings named Yomi wants Kurama's help in order to come up with some strategy that could cause the last fall of Mukuro once Raizen dies. He also mentioned about unifying all of Demon World as one nation under his hands the moment the other two kings are thrown out of the loop."
"That's absurd." Koenma couldn't help but comment it out loud, mainly because of how the idea was just so out of reach, especially since he has many knowledge of that very realm, and how things work, and how demons are most of the time.
"And what about Hiei?" Yusuke butted in with his question, wanting to know how that Fire Demon was involved into all this and how she was able to get this kind of information about him. "How do you know he got an invite? But even if he did get one, did he like. . . accept the offer?" The statement made Miyuki's eyes shot down while her hands got in front of her view. . . "I mean, this is Hiei we are talking about. He is not the type to help out some random stranger that he doesn't know shit about." Of course, she agrees with her brother's words, because that's pretty much how the Fire Demon is functioning. . . however after talking with him. . .
"He just happened to pass by for some reason." The young bender continued on. "So, he knows about Yomi and Kurama. Not only that he said that a messenger also visited him too, and revealed us the message Mukuro sent. From the looks of that letter, Lord Mukuro was not really keen to the Yomi's idea of unification, and plans on striking him down as soon as Raizen is out of the picture. Either way, believe it or not, Hiei accepted the invitation and once he gets back to Demon World, he will be training to be Mukuro's right hand, or something like that." As soon as those words came to light, Yusuke couldn't help but feel the anger bubble up inside of him. "He did say that he has no interest in helping that person but. . . he sounded or at least looked interested in the offer." That made Miyuki feel another strike hit her in the heart once again, now feeling slightly doubtful about herself.
"What?!?!" The Urameshi boy asked in a demanding tone, clearly his temper showing it's ugly head out in the open by the disbelief he felt toward Hiei's decision. "How could he accept something just like that!?!" Yusuke was floored by this for sure. "He knows nothing about this Mukuro guy, yet he still goes to him?! Are you fucking kidding me?!?"
"Kurama and Hiei, each invited by a different king. . ." Koenma breathed out to himself, clearly shocked by the news as well, once again, feeling awful but also responsible for what he had done to his team. . . But within seconds he shook his head violently to snap himself out of the daze and try to put himself back into the topic at hand. "W-well Yusuke, like Ruby mentioned and knowing Hiei, he has always been his own boss so far, and I don't think that will ever change, meaning he won't be helping them." The brunette teen pitched his own opinion in which stopped his Ex-Spirit Detective from ranting things away for a minute. " However, he had also been waiting for a chance to get back to his own home from the very start. So, looking at the situation from his perspective, he probably agreed to this, only for his own benefits-." The wording did not sit well with Yusuke and of course it made him explode at the once the heir of Spirit World.
"Own selfish benefits my ass, and what about my sister's feelings, huh?!" The teen boy almost shouted out, making his own sister's spiritual - self flinch back, clearly not expecting this kind of reaction from him. "Did he think about how she would feel about it?! Did that ever cross his god damn mind even once?!?! Or does that son of bitch think that now they are not a couple anymore, he can finally be a free bird and just do whatever he pleases, while leaving her in the dust without any explanation, especially after everything they had gone through together?! What we had gone through together?!?" Hearing him say that made Miyuki look at him in a bit of a shock because she had never heard Yusuke ever including or even think about her feelings in the matter. Well, not until now.
The ghostly teen girl in the bushes leaned closer again, only to accidentally hear the leaves loud rustling above her head. She shot her head to the voice's source, but all she was able to see was the branch moving up and down for a second before it completely stopped. Her eyes went narrow in suspicion, thinking that someone was probably there but got away before she was able to see who it was.
"I think that's the least of her problems at the moment. . ." Ruby's words stunned the boys. Or at least surprised Koenma while Yusuke felt a little pissed, but thankfully the brunette male next to him shuts him down with a hand he raised in the air, giving him a strict look in the process.
Meanwhile Miyuki turned back and looked at her Water-Bender friend with sadness in her eyes.
"What makes you say that, Ruby?" Koenma questioned her carefully. At that, the young Water-Bender could feel her confidence she had a moment ago start to ditch her to deal with that part of the problem.
'SHIT!' Ruby thought to herself when she realized what went out of her lips, but thankfully she was able to think of something that could make some rational sense in her explanation. "I. . . I just. . . think that maybe that had been. . . discussed already. . ." She was slowly able to make up a convincing lie to the boys, or more like Yusuke, and from the falling expression on their faces, they seem to have bought the reason hook line and sinker, which made Ruby let out a small sigh of relief, but feel crappy about lying through her teeth all at the same.
But in this matter, she had to. . .
"You. . . you don't think that maybe. . . ?" Yusuke breathed out his own guess before his glance went to the woods, the very direction where Miyuki headed not too long ago.
"I'm not really sure about it myself, but maybe. . . just maybe that's why she left us in the mall in a hurry." Ruby once again covered Hiei's and Miyuki's case. "Maybe she left to talk with Hiei about this. . ."
"That. . . would actually make sense. . ." Once more the Urameshi boy slowly began to agree with that theory and now he couldn't help but feel slightly distraught the more he thinks about this possibility. His memory immediately went to the train station where he had seen both his twin and that Fire Apparition have an interaction with one another, and how the two looked like they still respected and deeply care about one another, even thought they were not seeing each other any longer.
So of course, anyone would think of the possibility of them have some sort of contact in rare occasions. This strongly lead Yusuke and Koenma to Miyuki possibly arranging a meeting with Hiei and have the Demon World conversation. A conversation that must have ended up so chaotically that it left Miyuki emotions mixed into a big bomb which eventually exploded.
But even so, Hiei's acceptance to the invitation still pissed Yusuke off greatly.
However, there was one thing that both him and Koenma didn't get at the moment.
"But that doesn't explain your statement from earlier." The brunette teen boy reminded them with the start of this topic.
"It does." The Water-Bender girl insisted. " I already said this before, but Miyuki already knew about that Hiei wants to get back to his world. She had that knowledge even before they got together for the very first time." Then she let out a bitter sigh as she briefly prepared herself for the next thing that she has to bring up from the painful past. "However, seeing Miyuki the way. . . we did tonight. . . My bet is that something must have happened between Hiei's and Miyuki's exchange that triggered this kind of reaction from her."
"But what exactly?" Yusuke asked the million-dollar question.
"Maybe disagreements, or a big argument, but we can figure that out later once she is awake and wants to talk about it with us." Koenma pointed out, his voice and expression turning serious as his gaze was piercing Yusuke's stare. "But right now, let's focus back on the elephant in the room. Both you and Miyuki are invited by the head king, Raizen, who as rumours said it is on the verge of death. " He paused for a second before turning to face Ruby. "And there is also Yomi who asked for Kurama's presence, and Mukuro who requested Hiei."
"Correct." Ruby confirmed it and, in the end, the brunette teen boy inhaled deeply and scratched his brown locks on top of his head.
"This is turning into a huge dumpster fire." Koenma sighed in frustration. "Not only you four are involved in another cross fire in less than a few months, but you will all be forced to be separated and fight against one another as enemies." Then the brunette teen boy looked up to the sky thinking deeply while feeling frustrated about the situation as well, but only now he felt like his patience is slowly reaching its end.
"Let's face it Koenma, evil pops out of nowhere all the time and since we pissed them off, thanks to Spirit World, they will sure keep target us, even though we were fired and all. " The Urameshi boy listed up the facts with heavy sarcasm in his voice, but at the same time looking somewhat composed and solemn, mainly because of how this very fact was not only true, but he somewhat. . . expected it in a way. How that got build up into his system ever since he was brought back to life twice.
"Pretty much that's how our life is now. . ." Ruby commented with an exhausted tone, but completely agreeing with her friend's word one hundred percent. "If only there is something we can do. . ." That is something that everyone wished to be able to do, including Miyuki who was still hiding her ghostly self in the leaves.
But then. . . Koenma narrowed his eyes, and suddenly found himself determent about something.
"We can talk about this maybe the next day." He suggested to the two teens who he turned to. "Let's just rest up and continue our talk with a clearer head."
No one protested against the suggestion, not even Yusuke who is usually the one to complain about things, especially when he is cranky. However, he for once doesn't even have the energy to make up a complaint in his mind and just went with the flow.
Miyuki took a deep breath before giving one last glance at the others and close her eyes for a moment before reopening them and order her body to get back into the room where her physical body is resting.
It wasn't difficult to find her way back in without anyone noticing her. But that did not stop her to catch a surprised for herself as well.
A visitor who was inside her room and is scanning her sleeping form that is on the medical bed.
"Hiei?" The Urameshi girl breathed out meekly and silently as a mouse while her spiritual body was hiding in the shadows of the room and watched the Fire Apparition stand beside her physical body with wide eyes and a heavy heart, anxiously asking herself why he was there and what does he plans on doing?
Meanwhile, in the outside area, the Urameshi boy walked back into the temple and lead himself into the halls. Once his frame disappeared into the dark shadows, Ruby was not too far behind and look at her friend with empathy. Although after climbing the small stairs toward the entrance, she paused on her tracks when she noticed how Koenma was still standing on his spot, looking up at the starry night sky deep in thoughts.
"Aren't you coming?" The young bender girl asked the Prince of Spirit World only to see the brunette teen exhale sadly but did not take his eyes off of the sky.
"Maybe a little later." Was all he said to Ruby, who was slightly confused by his behaviour, right before she got a somewhat stable response. "Don't worry. I just need a little time to think." Not wanting to press the matter any further the Water-Bender just inside, leaving the Ex-heir to his own thoughts. She closed the door behind her slightly, but she did give one last glance to her troubled friend, looking through the small gab she left between the frame and the door. Unintentionally, she ended up staring at him for a while, her eyes noticing how Koenma's facial expression shifted to a determined expression, but with eyes that were blazing with anger.
His fists clenched tightly against his side and now that seemingly no one was around him, he was able to let his own mind think freely, which eventually proposed him the mission that is not only beyond impossible by the first look at it, but after everything, it is also likely the only way to get a proper resolution to the problem at hand.
This is a plan that could have dire consequences if he were to go along with it. . . alone. . .
However, he also knows that if he doesn't do anything, his friends will once again suffer the consequences because of his irresponsible actions. Even though his intentions were good, but it's not always reflected by the outcome of things, or by the reaction of the people he surrounds himself with or work with.
If Genkai hadn't called him out on it for once, this would have stayed in the way it was. It's because of this narrow mindset that caused an even bigger mess than it is supposed to be.
Like the masters mentioned, Sensui is a big prime example of that, and now his other promising detective became one as well . . . That's was his fault for letting it happen. . . now he is able to finally admit it with remorse that is in the bottom of his heart. . .
But now, he is done waiting, feeling sorry for himself and hiding behind other people's back to let them deal with his mistakes. . . He had broken many things, but now he is determined to fix them. The balance is in danger, but this time around, he will get more involved and do everything in his power to make things right.
For the world's balance, the worlds' best interest at heart, and for his friends, including the Spirit Detectives who had sacrificed so much for his cause.
He will take the risk and make a change for the better. . . But for that. . . he will do the very thing that he wasn't brave enough to step up for in the previous decades.
With a short breath later, he marched back into the temple. Ruby hid inside the darkness of the corner right before Koenma arrived at the entrance door and opened it. Being too focused on his goal, he didn't even notice how he walked passed the young bender, whose eyes remained glued onto his figure, now feeling slightly concerned about him while thinking that maybe she should have waited with this talk in the morning. . .
However, what has been done it's done, she made her decision for the night, and from then on there is no changing in it now.
With a tired sigh, Ruby quietly left into the depths of the temple halls.
As for Koenma, as soon as he got into his room, he closed the door fast but quietly, lit up a lamp with a match, and picked up one paper and a pen, ready to write the letter that he will send to Botan. The letter where he will inform his Grim Reaper about to tell her to make some preparations before his arrival back to Spirit World, but this time not caring if he will get any punishment or how all this will possibly cost his life.
For once, he wants to do the right thing.
The right thing for the people that are important in his life.
The right thing for himself as well. . . And do that, in his own way. . .