After Death: The Spirit Detectives Saga | IC

[Genkai]

Chapter One - Inclined to Take a Different Path Toward Destiny After a Bullet Canceled Classes
Part One - Death isn't Typically a Cheerful Experience...

The day began like most have for Naha Umikyo; she woke up to hear her roommate's music had been left on again. Her roommate, Kara-chan, had spent the night at her desk per usual and so the loud music was falling on deaf ears at the moment. Naha moved over and turned off the music player and nudged Kara-chan who sleepily made it to her own bed. Naha then got dressed for school wearing a long white winter coat. Under that she had a simple brown blouse and a white skirt. She had on black knee high boots and her rich caramel hair was pressed down against her back. Naha Umikyo was twenty-two years of age and had a whole long life to look forward to. She was close to her family and made an effort to visit them at least twice a month, despite the day trip it would cost on the train. The woman was hoping to do something with graphic design and marketing, maybe even fashion as well. There were so many opportunities being given to people that she was sure she would find her own perfect niche sooner or later. After closing the door behind her, she headed out of the school's apartment complex and decided to get something to eat before heading off to the library. She took a quick five minute walk to the cafe across the street and purchased an icy smoothie and a doughnut. It seemed to amaze Kara-chan that Naha could stand such brisk winter temperatures which is why she didn't bat an eye at ice cream or cold drinks when it was snowing heavily outside.

After taking about a minute to stand outside in the somber atmosphere, she engulfed her plain doughnut and continued to walk towards the Tokyo University's large impressive library. The semester had just started last week and a new week was right around the corner. It was a chilly Sunday morning and many students sought refuge in the library so maybe they'd have some company and a change of pace. For Naha though, she visited the library as often as she could, not only was it big enough to find her own space, but it also had a wealth of knowledge that she would never tire of going to it even after eventual graduation. At 9:39 A.M, Naha entered the library and about a minute later, she found her own large leather chair near the entrance. Since one could feel a sight draft whenever the door opened, none of those seats had been taken but Naha felt happy being caught between warmth and coolness. It was a lovely place to be and after getting settled, she started to sketch some random logos and designs for some potential extra credit. At 9:42 A.M a man entered but Naha didn't look up and just felt the breeze of the wind hit her legs as she continued to fawn over her sketch book. Five minutes pass and she was the second or third person to be shot in the side of the fact. Naha had been in the middle of erasing a misplaced button on a blouse when she heard the first gun shot. She looked up and the man was too close for her to even finish her breath.

Falling to the ground, she died instantly and the next thing she knew she was floating, suspending in midair. Slowly she looked around and found herself caught under the heavy gray clouds. She flailed her arms a little and quickly tried to cover her skirt. "Hey!" She exclaimed and then found herself looking down at an awful scene. Naha looked around and noticed a few other bodies fade to the same vicinity she was in. Naha felt her heart sink as she slowly tried to grasp whatever was going on. 'Okay so there was a man with a gun and he pointed his weapon at my head and now I'm here.' She was a logical person, she could figure it out but what she was thinking, just seemed so unreal. Looking down, she let out a big gasp. "Oh!" She hated heights. "How did I get up here?! Is this a dream?" She exclaimed and her eyes landed on the first person she saw, a pale dark haired woman and she leaped into her arms and clung to her. "Don't let me fall!" Naha wasn't usually this vocal about her issues but this was too much for her to handle at the moment. It took a while to notice she wasn't about to fall so she slowly released the girl she had sunk her nails into. "I'm so sorry." She tried to correct her actions but she was still very confused, almost as she was uncomfortable.

As far as days went for Chirou Uede, this one was not her favorite out of the bunch. She had spent Friday and Saturday going to the gym at school and training for the upcoming Track and Field session that by the time Sunday rolled around, she remembered her essay was due in less than twenty-four hours. This made her set her alarm clock extra extra early to head over and get some prime real estate at the library. Chirou had short dark colored hair and often wore sporty attire. She pulled on long sweat pants and a tee shirt. Over that, she had on a simple university issued sweatshirt and grabbed her stuff and ran out the door. She didn't have a roommate much to her dismay. At the moment, her roomie was studying abroad in America so for now, the small room was Chirou's to stink up with her gym socks and sports bras. After finally sprinting down the four floors to the main lobby, she was greeted by fresh air. "I'd rather be jogging than studying." She complained and rubbed her eyes. She hurried off to the library but along the way her shoes managed to get themselves untied which sent her falling to the sidewalk. Luckily her face was there to catch the fall and protect the hard concrete underneath her. Chirou rubbed her chin and winced. She pulled her hand back and saw a small glimmer of blood. 'Just great!' She thought sarcastically and a male happened to walk by and help her up. "Must be an icy pathway." She laughed it off, despite there being no ice around.

Shrugging off her awkward little stumble, she limped off to see the nurse, just in case. Or maybe she was still trying to continue to procrastinate on her stupid essay. Anything was better than doing dull as dirt research, even getting poked and lectured by the school's nurse. Chirou headed into the building which house the medical area and luckily for her she didn't have to wait too long before someone could see her. The nurse cleaned up her wounds and patched her up. The woman warned the student to be a bit more careful and to watch where she was going. "Yes, yes of course. Thank you." She bowed and let herself out and walked down the hallway, holding in a loud annoyed grunt until she pulled the door open and stepped back out into the cold misty air. "This day isn't meant for me." She huffed and clenched her fists. 'Maybe a snack will cheer me up!' She considered and spotted a cluster of vending machines on her way toward the library. She put in her coins but the machine wouldn't budge. It was currently 9:00 A.M and she hadn't eaten in hours. Since she did a lot of training, she needed to eat a lot of small meals during her day and at the moment, she could use something tangy or salty. "Oh come on!" She begged and knocked her head against the glass and decided to call it a day. Clearly the universe was telling her something. With another annoyed sigh, the girl dragged herself and her bag toward the library and by the time 9:19 A.M rolled around, Chirou had found a place upstairs. She sat in front of a computer and began to distract herself with music and funny videos.

Just as she was starting to feel a little better, she got a text message from her teacher, reminding her that she needed to buckle down for a new semester. She rolled her eyes and nodded. 'I guess so.' She didn't bother to reply back until serious progress was made so she put her phone on the desk next to the PC and started to open a document to work while she listened to some old J-POP tracks from Utada Hikaru. When the time was 9:49 while she had her own music turned up, she felt a hotness in the back of her neck. The attacker had come up the stairs and ended up shooting her once in the neck and then in the back. She slumped over her keyboard as white pain enveloped her. She closed her eyes and trusted the darkness around her. The next thing she felt was a cool breeze and she opened her eyes. She was floating somehow, somewhere. 'Am I dead?' She thought to herself and reclined back into the air and crossed her legs and folded her arms. It was a tough truth for anyone to swallow. Down below the cries from the growing crowd were making it hard to think. There was so much on her mind, and yet it seemed like nothing at all. She saw a male with short scruffy brown hair and floated over to him. "What's going on?" She asked him as if they were on the street down below looking at the same exact thing. "Do you think we're really...dead?" Chirou asked him, wondering that maybe if someone else thought they were dead, then maybe...just maybe it might be possible that she was a ghost.

"Dead...you think we're dead?" Naha asked Chirou.

"What else are we?" Chirou sighed. "I thought this day couldn't get any worse. But at least I don't have to do my essay tomorrow eheheh." She laughed a little.

"This isn't funny. This isn't a joke." Naha chirped.

[guinness]

Mornings were by far the most important aspect of the day. It was a lesson Nako's father had taught her at a young age. He was a man full of useful knowledge and wisdom, given his age this was to be expected. It was said that the human body grew mentally as it aged, mistakes helping shape the way the mind thought. These mistakes helped clear away the youthful arrogance that plagues the mind at young ages. When one is young they believe themselves untouchable, unable to feel the steely hands of consequence. Such thinking was complete folly, the greatest of the great were not above punishment, without it the mind would never grow. That of course was not what her father taught her, rather a tidbit she herself had picked up on in her still young life. Never stop learning or growing, roadblocks are meant to be overcome. That was her motto.

What her father taught her on the other hand was the need for preparation. He said that the morning is not only the start of the day, it was the beginning. Now those two words may seem synonymous for many, but they held far different meanings to her. A beginning is the first act in what will be be many to come. Taking notes would be the beginning of gaining an exemplary grade in said class. It was a process that led to a result. As many slept or begrudged even waking, she rose, preparing for great things. On this particular day that process required thought provoking reading, Sir Edgar Allen Poe fit the bill on this day. She quite enjoyed the dark underlinings of his work, the passion that seeped through the pages. Reaching the final sestat she began to recite it aloud in a whispered tone, “Over the Mountains. Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride, The shade replied-- If you seek for Eldorado.”

It was one of Poe's last works, said to have been Poe's reaction to the California Gold Rush in 1800s. She on the other hand saw it more as a form of self projection. Poe was truly the narrator of the poem. His El Dorado was true happiness. He spent his entire life searching for yet soon succumbed, riding, boldy riding to his eventual death. Life consumed by a valley of shadows. What made poetry and art so wonderful was the mere fact that it could be interpreted in so many different ways. It could connect with others on levels that may seem inconceivable to many. The ability to draw out a raw emotional feeling is what truly made it special. She could see some of herself within the poem as she to was searching for her own El Dorado. Little did she know just how much she truly had in common, the irony of her particular choice of entertainment soon becoming apparent.

Placing the book of poetry down in front of her she picked up a apple danish, drizzled with frosting. Nibbling on the pastry she turned her gaze towards the rest of the library, eying most of the other students. Many seemed to be dressed in rather ragged clothing, looking unfit to be in such a fine establishment as this. She much preferred elegant attire, her flowing ice blue dress and black closed toe heels being a testament to that. The dress itself made her standout due to its non revealing nature, rare among women nowadays. A sad fact of the times. Her gaze shifted towards the front entrance of the library where a man entered, he seemed cloaked in darkness, baseball cap shrouding his face. She had realized too late that he was her shadow, bullet piercing her neck, causing blood to splatter across the pages of her book, body soon collapsing forward.

What came next surprised even her. She appeared to be floating upwards, away from what was once her body. If she was still conscious with the cognizant ability of thought it had to mean she was on a spiritual plane. She was positive death had overcome her, what this was still mystified her. She had never been a religious woman thus never put much thought into the concept of heaven or hell. She did however believe that spirits existed in some form. Where they went was a topic of much debate, it seemed as if the debate would soon be ended. Part of her hoped it was not as anticlimactic as seeing a big golden gate filled with winged creatures. While a beautiful sight such a image would lack true artistic value.

Her mind had to take a brief pause as a woman appeared to be attempting to cling to Nako. Did she not realize they were dead? She supposed death was handled differently to some so this may very well be a traumatic experience. Admittedly the way Nako was handling the situation was surprising even for her notably calm standards. She felt no sorrow or confusion, only intrigue. She spoke, addressing anyone that cared to listen. “It would appear as if we are inner spirits or perhaps souls may be a more familiar a term to many. I do believe we may be ascending to heaven perhaps? I do not believe in such a thing, but ruling out such a result would be quite foolish. If I may, we should not fear what we have become as fear will not change such things.”

[FiroIV]

The days and night for Aki have always been blurred. It wasn’t because of his inability to sleep properly like a normal person without nightmares, but it was because of his inability to follow a proper sleeping schedule like normal people. Each and every day he tries to follow his sleeping schedule to wake up at 7:00 am and go to bed at midnight, but the times where he actually followed his schedule would be easier to count rather than the time that he actually didn’t. When he woke up on the dot at seven in the morning he felt that this day was going to be rather special. The sad thing was he just didn’t. know how special it was going to be.

It was a rare occurrence for him after all, being awake at the time he wanted, so he spent it the way any young man should. Shower with music while singing and dancing like nobody’s watching. He was off key and looked awkward, but hey he had the time, he was happy to be awake and his roommate and friend was passed out on the floor because of too much partying and drinking. Ichigo was a good friend, a little too nonchalant and a party-boy, but his love for life and ability to pursue his dream always amazes Aki.

“Yo. Ichi. Wake up…you have to go to work.”

He was trying to wake up the passed guy with his foot to his face. It was just a light nudging and shaking here and there, but it did the trick for a while. The most that he got out of the bastard was a “Hnnng wblrt gaarbaga.” It was a garbled mistranslation of the word “Heeeeeh laaaa-teeer.” Aki didn’t exactly know how or why he understood that, but he did and it was good enough for him to leave a note saying to clean up the mess he made, dress himself properly, make sure to go to work and if he needed Aki to he would be in the library all morning to work on a research paper much to his dismay.
It was a chilly morning bike ride, not exactly the perfect weather, but it was okay since their apartment was pretty close by. Their apartment was one of those that were rented out to students complete with all the necessary amenities, fully furnished, in a pretty new and high-tech complex and a bill that would under all normal circumstances put a hole in their wallets. It was a good thing that Ichigo was already out of college and now a full-time employee for a big company. Their deal was for Aki to cook, clean and take care of the household stuff that Ichigo could not bother to deal with and Ichigo paid the bills that although Aki can pay for by himself because without the need to pay the bills Ichigo would just be a NEET. It was a rather symbiotic relationship.

Aki arrived in the library earlier than expected which was good because the extra time allowed breathing space for him to find a nice spot to call home for the next few hours. It was this small not really secluded spot, but tucked away in the corner between a huge bookshelf and rows of tables just beneath a window where the morning sun glazed the small lounge chair and table. It was perfect.

The next hour and a half was dedicated to him going up and bout gathering resource materials, flipping through pages, typing away at his laptop and writing his notes. It was work, but he manged to enjoy it enough that the time seemed to fly and his normally busy mind floated away from its body until some event would come up that needed his full attention. This event came in the form of a startling scream that was cut off by a gunshot. A few more screams came before Aki’s consciousness fully came back to his body only to be cut permanently moment later when he stood up from his chair, stepped an inch or two and was then shot in the chest by someone he did not know, see or even realized was right in front of him. The very last image he managed to see was the bullet that took away his life.

The way things happened felt like it was a cross between being stung by a bee and being drunk. There was this momentary feeling of immense pain that eventually subsided into a feeling of nausea infused with ecstasy. It was an odd feeling, but the moment it all stopped the only thin that really bothered Aki was the scenery. Gone were the books, the stacks and the people and all that was left were piles upon piles of white clouds that stretched out into the heaven. It was peaceful looking, but dreadfully dull.

“Well this place is fun. I wonder if I’m dead and this place is heaven or hell. Probably heaven since theses thing look like clouds. Unless this is my personal realm of hell that does nothing except bore the people as torture….Hello? Anyone out there? If I’m dead can I please say goodbye as ghost and haunt my relatives or something? Or haunt that guy who I think shot me. Hellllooooo?”

Aki had no idea where he was or what will happen next, but he did know that if he was dead at least it was relatively painless and now he had no more work to do. There were a lot of things to be sad about, the dying part for one, but he knew he’d die someday it was just a bit pitiful that it had to happen today. At least he had a good life.

[Genkai]

Naha's question got only an odd response and Chriou released the woman and the group could only pause until there was a suddenly clash of thunder as the sky flashed. And in front of them stood, or rather sat atop her oar, a blue haired woman. "Sorry I'm late everyone, there was traffic like you wouldn't believe hahaha!" She laughed but her joke seemed to get little response. "Well my name is Botan and I'm here to collect all of and take you back to the Spirit World. You see there, we can better assess what to do about each you, because well no one was supposed to die today. This man's actions were completely out of left field." She tried to explain, her voice sympathizing softly. "It's really put a strain on things but I can assure you that Koenma-Sama will be able to find places for each one of you." She smiled and clasped her hands together. "I've never really had to transport so many people so do try your best to hold on." She instructed. Chirou and Naha looked at one another and then to the others in the group. Naha leaned forward and took hold of part of the wooden oar and Chirou followed suit. Botan waited until everyone was holding on before she took off, flying higher into the sky until a spiral cloud sucked them in.

Normally she would begin by giving everyone a tour guide but she decided to just concentrate on getting every soul back to Spirit World within one piece. And should any of them get to stay for any reason, she would be just fine with giving them a tour. As they flew along, many golds and pinks flew by. The colors were almost so entrancing that Chirou nearly fell asleep but before she knew it, she heard Botan cry out, "We're here everyone!" They were placed down in front of a large temple-like building. Botan got to her feet and dusted her pink blushing kimono off and checked her hair. "Follow me and you'll be able to get some answers." She assured them once more and began to lead the group down a narrow hall way and soon they came to a simple door. She pressed a button and spoke into it. "Botan here, I have the batch of souls from Tokyo University." There was a grumble and a shuffle and the door slowly lurched open. Naha swallowed and felt her legs turn into cement as they were shown the inner works of their current location. There were ogres everywhere, behind the desks, on the computer, doing everything save for getting people coffee. Well maybe they even did that too. "Come along, stay close me." Botan hummed and headed inside.

With an uneasy scratching of her head made Naha the first to take the brave step forward. Botan led them along and toward one of the back offices. She opened the door and the only things insider were a large monitor and a desk. Behind said desk was an empty chair. "I suppose Koenma-Sama isn't in yet." She found it odd but turned around to the others. "Lord Koenma will be able to figure out a place for all of you. Some may move on soon but others may not." She opened her little black book and began to look over the summaries of those who had been killed to see if she could get a better idea as to what might come of them. As she was doing that, the side opened up and small footsteps could be heard. Botan turned around to see Koenma hopping back into his desk chair. "Sir, I'm back with the group as requested." She said.

"Excellent, Botan." Koenma said and climbed onto his desk and waddled to the edge and looked at everyone. "I doubt Botan here has given any of you a lot of answers to why you are where you are. Well this is Spirit World and I am the ruler of it." He said proudly. "For many many many centuries the Human World has been ravaged by demons and other vile creatures from Demon World. We in Spirit World do all that we can to protect innocent lives. Many years back, we had a pain in the ass come and help us, he too died unexpectedly. His name was Yusuke Urameshi and he went through an ordeal to get his life back and in doing so, he also became a Spirit Detective. I've poured over all of your files and have decided to have three of you may have what it takes to pick up some of the slack and help us down in the Human World." He concluded. "Chirou Uede, Nako Kai and Aki Yuushi...are you up for the task of teaming up to get back to the living world and become something that no one must know about?"

Chirou Uede stared blankly at the little toddler, unaware if this whole thing was a joke or not. It sure seemed like it! Or she had to have been dreaming, maybe she was still safe on campus or maybe she had fallen asleep in the library. Maybe the killer was a personification of her teacher in her dream. Maybe this was just nothing...nothing at all. She looked to who she assumed were Nako and Aki rubbed her mouth a little. She didn't know them and they didn't know her. She felt a bit sick in the head, not sure what to even say to what seemed like a wacky proposal. Do something, get your life back and then what? Save the day like Ironman or Batman? What was up with that? Chirou took a slow step back and looked down at the ground, trying to think of everything she would be missing, everything that she wouldn't do if she didn't agree to what Lord Koenma was asking of them. There was no way she would ever know for sure if she had the right choice set in her mind. One minute she was trying not to fail a class and the next, she was dead. Things were slowly pushing themselves into perspective. She shook her head. "I..." Finding herself the first to break the silence, she continued carefully. "I will try. Whatever it is, I will try." She said in a faint but raspy voice as if oxygen were hard to get into her lungs. "I don't want to die, I want to live and if I have to become some weird freak who saves people, so be it." She finally said, not even sure what she said near the end.

The tiny lad gave a nod and looked to the others but before Aki or Nako could speak, Naha, the blond who wasn't selected let out a timid sob. "So...so what? I...I have to be pushed aside like I'm nothing? How could I not be saved?" She quietly asked. Though she wasn't the only one who hadn't been picked among the recent victims who were also standing in front of Koenma. "What's wrong with me? I can do whatever you want me to!" Naha protested, putting a heart on her chest. "Please...I can't...I can't...this cannot be the end of me. It's not fair!" She cried and sank to her knees. Chirou felt a wave of guilt and bit her lip, wondering if Naha could take her place. But would Chirou really sacrifice her life for another. "What reason could you have for picking them...and not us?" Naha whispered and looked up at Koenma was tearful eyes which continued to spill tears down her cheeks. "I can't-"

"I'm sorry, Naha-san but these three are the most capable with the most potential." Koenma sighed and looked to the others who were passed up. "I promise we will take care of all of you..."

Botan licked her lips and moved to help Naha back to her feet. "Now if the other two do decide to go through this ordeal with you, we can head back to the world of the living and get to work right away." Botan explained, though it did pain her to say such positive things when many souls felt so helpless.

[FiroIV]

Aki really didn’t need an answer anymore because this blue haired girl was most definitely someone who looked like she belonged in the afterworld. She also mentioned Spirit-World and the fact that no one was supposed to die, which to Aki sounds great because it means that they weren’t meant to die. He was being optimistic maybe a little too optimistic, but hey he could have been in hell. He had a lot of questions of course, but the beauty that was above the skies was too captivating for him. It was simply too pretty for his inner, vague and rather shy artist to comprehend. “Afterlife’s pretty cool looking.” The inside of the building was not an exception, the demon’s doing desk jobs were off-putting at first, but they just added to the surrealism that the spirit world has shown.

Just like before his mind was filled with questions, but still this dreamlike was just too much. The fact that this Koenma person, the guy who what can be assumed as the leader of the afterworld, was a child was just the cherry on top to the cloud icing angel cake that is the afterlife. Aki had many, many questions, specifics and other things, but when Koenma was walking to his chair and then successfully trying to sit on it Aki’s first expression was to fawn at how adorable this baby was. Koenma had this huge hat with ”Jr” on it and he also had this blue pacifier on him. Aki honestly just wanted to pinch his cheeks, cuddle with him and play with the guy with string like a kitten.

The offer to have him live once again did not escape his senses. There were other things that he heard, but his mind just tunneled when Koenma mentioned that they could possibly return back to life under the contract that they work for the Spirit world as a Sprit Detective. The gears in his mind were running on override. The mere mention of life once again was just too nice to be true. This whole thing in itself was kind of odd. In one moment he was doing research and in the next he was shot dead where his soul was sent to the after world where he would then be offered a labor job to get back his life that he lost when it wasn’t time yet. There were a lot of things that could really be happening, for one he could actually just be dreaming about all of this, he could also be on some kind of reality show, or maybe he was kidnapped, drugged and on some kind of trip right now. Regardless of what was really happening this was what was happening right now and even if it wasn’t real what if it was?

Aki was never much for the heavy thinking. He was the “follow your gut” type of person and his gut was telling him to just accept the offer and get his life back. It was as simple as that. “I'll do it.” It was a rather dry and unemotional reply but he was being honest. There were many things that Aki still wanted to get out of life, he may not know them right now, but the opportunity to do them was not in the spirit world, but on earth with the living. He did not want to die and he really did not want to become a spirit that would aimlessly wander the surrealistic world that is the spirit world.

[guinness]

Nako was fairly surprised by the appearance of a blue hair women. The woman’s stature appeared quite small though it was hard to decipher given the fact she sat atop a floating oar of some kind. She could of focused on any number of things, but it was the hair that caught Nako's attention. Blue did not mesh well with the complexion of a humanoid, giving far too unnatural an allure for her tastes. Now this woman was far from human, that much she was sure of. Still it did not change her annoyance at the small, monetary detail. By the time the woman finished speaking it became clear that they were a guide of some kind. A spirit meant to usher fresh souls to their proper locations. This Koenma person was more than likely a gatekeeper, having a final say on their next destination. It would be key to make a fine first impression on this man. Her manners would be impeccable as always.

Upon request she delicately rested her hand on the oar, curling her thumb underneath, gaining a sturdy grip. Before she knew it they were flying through the air, gripped by a spiraling cyclone of wind. The display itself was similar to what she imagined the inside of a tornado would look like. It was one of nature's beauties, hidden beneath a layer of unbridled destruction. To her dismay the beautiful image was gone, replaced by a Buddhist temple of some kind. If it were truly one she would quite enjoy a meeting with the originator of the religion. The philosophical debates they could engage in would be quite entertaining. This thought soon departed as the interior was filled with large unbecoming creatures. They were such a stark contrast to the magical wind display she'd witnessed prior. Perhaps this was what Tengu's truly looked like? It would make sense that such creatures would be uneasy on the eyes. She was in no possession to judge, dead as she was.

The sight of the gatekeeper would have been mouth on the floor flabbergasting had she been alive. After seeing such large creatures she had expected another large oafish being, commanding presence that would send a shiver down her spiritual spine. What she bore witness however was a child, pacifier sucking child. Was this meant to be some form of sick joke? How could a child possibly be the ruler of this domain? It didn't make any logical sense to her, none of this was as she had envisioned and such things frightened her. She'd always had issues with control, being completely out of her element only made things worse. Why did some lonely nut job have to go and ruin her day? She could have been reading fine literature instead she's taking orders from a baby.

She had to compose herself, baby or not this being was in charge. Who was she to come in barking orders and pretending like she ran the place? Placing her ego in check she listened carefully as it spoke of a job known as a spirit detective. These detectives were meant to save lives though the job description was quite vague. She did not like that vagueness one bit however being as polite as she was she'd wait her turn, allowing the others to voice their own opinion. Two of her fellow spirits promptly said yes with little to no thought seeming to be put behind it. Naturally they both more than likely wished to be alive. Nako could not fault them for that. The third spirit seemed to have a tantrum as she'd been deemed of lower potential.

Finally it was her turn in the order to speak. She would voice her concerns in a calm and concise matter. “Ahem, Lord Koenma I would like to thank you for this fine opportunity, naturally I shall except. I would be quite the foul not to. That said I have concerns on what this job entails. You say we are detectives, keeping the human world safe. Would I be correct in assuming this work is similar to that of a police officer? We are meant to keep the criminals or in this case demons in check. The more pressing question however is this, what happens to our souls if a demon were to take our life? Would it drag us down to their own dominion? I suppose I speak for all us in saying that is a rather unappetizing prospect.”

[Genkai]

An ogre approached Naha and seemed to escort the upset woman out. Koenma turned to the other three left and pressed a button. "Please bring in Toshiki Mon." He requested and another blue, barely clothed ogre came in with a pink haired male. "He will be your other member." He told them. "He had a run in with a premature death this morning but oddly enough he also attends your university." He then looked to Nako who seemed a bit outspoken about their job description. He foresa this inquiry coming from her. He was silent for a moment was Toshiki waved to everyone and got in line as the room fell silent. "Of course it's an unappealing job, police officers may get the glory and perks but they're in the line of fire. You may ask what's in it for you, well life, for one thing. And if that isn't enough then this job really isn't for you and my research has been for nothing." Koenma told her. "Should a demon come for you, it's in your skill set to know how to combat and detain them. Of course you will be training for that sort of thing. There's no way I would give a band of rookies anything too dangerous right off the bat if I can help it." He added with a laugh. If a demon were to take your life, you'd come back here and await judgement. Seeing as your deaths are no longer under our supervision, we can't do much for you if you happen to die a second time around. Consider this carefully." He warned.

Toshiki looked to Nako and Chirou and Aki and then back to Koenma. Toshiki had been briefed already and was already sure that he would take the title of Spirit Detective without much fuss. He felt like if he could do more for people, he would. This was his chance to do good, and then some. While he didn't like fighting a whole lot, he knew he would figure something out. "You already know my answer." He bowed his head and then rose his gaze, flashing Botan a toothy white smile. She giggled softly and looked around. It seemed he and the other male seemed happy with things. Chirou looked to Nako and then to the new male who entered who, despite being dead, had quite a fresh sense of life illuminating from him. Chirou slowly nodded in agreement and looked down for a moment, knowing that if she thought too much about anyone who didn't get the chance, she might start to cry for their loss. What she needed to try to do was to focus on her own gain, her second chance. While the dangers were difficult to imagine, she knew they were very real. And from the sounds of it, they would get training to help not only the world but themselves combat said dangers. Since they were dead at the moment, who was she to suddenly think that demons were a joke, that the danger wasn't real?

Botan looked around the room and Koenma appeared to bit a bit concerned himself. "Well maybe we should let you have at that pile of paperwork." Botan suddenly said and gestured to the pile which was stacking up beside his desk. Koenma paled slightly and looked from it back to the new recruits, obviously torn between doing his work or dealing with the issue at hand. He didn't like dealing with either one but eventually he waved a hand at Botan to dismiss her and the others. "Thank you sir." Botan laughed and ushered everyone back out into the main area where chaos ruled. The large door shut behind her and she could picture her tiny boss dealing with the papers at an alarming rate, one which might make one believe that he never read the papers he was approving or disapproving but in fact the time and experience made Koenma quite quick and capable of deciding things in such a carefree manner. She looked back to the others and led them back outside and down the long stretch of passageway. "Well...three of you have decided to help and that's great but we still need to know about you." She said, her eyes wandering over to the other female in the group. "Right now I'm prepared to take these tree back to the Living World to begin their trail to get their bodies back." She said but Chirou spoke up then.

"Trial?"

"Yes." Botan nodded as they reached the landing outside where various light colored clouds greeted them in a cute haze. "There is a trail you must go through to get your bodies back, and it must be done soon." She began to explain. "Your spirit energy is being drained from your body since the moment you left it and soon it'll be gone. We can't reverse that but we can try to slow it down while you complete the trial. You have to get someone who knows you, to kiss you." Before she heard a chorus of exclaims, she held up her hand and chuckled. "It's simply the way one can give energy to another in the safest way possible. It's that simple." Botan said. "Now spirits can't normally communicate with humans but they can if they're dreaming, their body is opened up better to channel spirit energy this way. However it's highly possibly that if one of you gets their body back, that they could kiss everyone else if someone was having trouble convincing a loved one to kiss their dead body." She said. "And then there's the whole idea that the body must be preserved. I'd say you'd have about three days to stop your body from being harmed and then to get back into your body." Three days was a generous amount of time but it was all they could do and there wouldn't be another opportunity again. "So if you're ready to begin, we can head back now and you can start to try to make sense of everything and help those who can help you." She finished.

"This is really weird..." Chirou blinked.

"I think it sounds wonderful, plenty of fun!" Toshiki smiled.

[guinness]

Nako cocked her head to the side, analyzing the child's response to her questioning. Much of his explanation made sense. It was true that police work was far from a glamorous job or so she imagined it to be. In her mind much of it was spent with mundane tasks such as breaking up arguing couples or arresting naked drunkards. This mundane work could often lead to a lack of experience when dealing with an actual threat. Naturally this gave the criminals an advantage as they dealt with life and death scenarios everyday. Would demons be the same? It was likely that they would be bred of combat, fighting as a means to survive the hell they chose to live. Would she be as unprepared as most police officers? The answer was more than likely yes. The reality of the situation however was that she had little to know choice in the matter. If she refused then she would be ushered towards an afterlife. At least this detective work granted her a second chance at life. Even if she died in the line of duty she'd just end up in the same aforementioned afterlife. Was there even really a risk to this proposal?

Her thoughts clouded her perception of reality. She'd failed to notice the new individual before the group of three. He seemed quite content, even happy with his current predicament. After speaking he flashed a smile towards the small oar women. The man's antics were far from surprising given the terms of the deal and the fact the others so quickly responded to the offer. What did irk her was the fashion sense the male possessed. It was quite lacking in subtly. He seemed to prefer a flair for the dramatic, bright pink hair that became blinding if stared at for an extended period of time. It certainly worked as an attention grabber which she supposed was the male's plan. Begrudgingly she had to admit his flair was effective though she still found such things uncouth.

The group was ushered out into ogre filled hallway. Structure seemed to be a foreign concept to these large oafish creatures. Chaos was never her particular cup of tea. The lack of order unnerved her. How could a being ever work in such conditions? It was deplorable to merely act on whims without an intensely thorough thought process. It would be quite interesting to catch an inner glimpse to the scatterbrained mind of these creatures. The inner workings would be delectable to be sure. Nako's eyes locked onto the small women briefly as it appeared time to make her fateful decision. Unfortunately she was not granted the opportunity. The other female soon to be detective spoke up, ignoring the fact that it was not her turn.

Nako's ears perked up as their would be trial was discussed in full. The trial itself seemed peculiar to say the least. They were meant to gain a kiss from another as a means to stabilize their spiritual energy. She was curious as to why it had to be someone they knew. Why could it not be a stranger? It seemed far easier from her perspective to invade the dream of a prepubescent teen than it would be her father or another loved one. She could merely pose as a metaphorical dream girl. With slight manipulation a kiss would be assured. It could very well be her first opportunity to test her natural acting ability on another outside of theatrical houses. It would be wrong to pass up such a chance. Nako cleared her throat in an effort to silence the others, taking the center stage herself. “Your offer is humbly accepted by myself. I do look forward to the journey this new occupation shall bring. Will we frequently be in your presence Lady Botan?” She turned her attention towards the others, bowing her. “If you struggle in your trial do feel free to seek my assistance. I have no qualms in kissing any of you lovelies.”

[FiroIV]

A trial? That certainly piqued Aki’s interest. The whole concept of being put to a test to determine whether or not a person was fit to the task was certainly something. It would also explain as to why almost all of this sounded rather easy. That however was not the reason Aki was excited, he was excited because it added to just how surreal all of this was. He expected some sort of duel or maybe some kind of tournament in the underworld fighting as a team against groups of demons or other spiritual beings. The thought of being able to duke it out with other people or maybe monsters wasn’t exactly appealing and in no way is it a walk in the park, obviously. However this same spine chilling feeling was what Aki truly wished out of life. The risk, the thrills and the unimaginable, if only that was the case this time.

“A kiss? That’s it? Wow. I kind of expected something more extreme like training with some kind of master spirit detective or maybe go to some kind of demon tournament to prove just how strong our spirits are, but a kiss? Wow. I did not expect that.” He really did not.

Aki was in no way angry or even sad that what he wanted was not fulfilled, he was used to such things. What he was ecstatic and nervous, the same type of nervous that a person got when they’re told they’re about to go to graduate or when parents who’ve been told that they’re finally having children. He was giddy with excitement and anticipation because, even if he has had his shares of kisses and romance before none of them have ever been made in a case where his life was on the line and none of them have ever been so surreal.

All of these happenings at this exact moment that cultivated at this very point were just some things that he knew would be a part of his life. This kiss, no his first death would be the beginning of what he knows will be a grand adventure that would carve him into the proper man that he could be. All that he needed now was to find someone who can kiss him and give him spiritual energy. Who could this person be? Who would be willing to? And why would they be willing to. He had no definite answers, but what Aki knew was that he was just excited.

“Oh wow, I mean just wow. This is just gonna be the start of something rather amazing isn’t it? I mean all of this?” He swayed his arms around gesturing to all of the things around him, the ogres who were doing office work with papers and pens, Botan the blue haired witch girl who flew them to lands above with an oar, the orange and animated looking clouds that were as soft as pillows and marshmallows, but solid like ground, the three other people who were kind of in the same position as him who he has yet to know and that kid baby who he met before. “This is just going to be the start of something isn’t it?” He didn’t want to say it, but right there and then he was happy that he died because if he didn’t die then he would have never had the chance to see all of this. And all that was left from stopping him was to find someone who could share and intimate act with him.