Depths of Darkness

Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only the characters of Colaban, Hina, and Yuto are mine. I suggest that no one under twenty-one read this story as it is a bit graphic and dark, as the title indicates. Also, there is an alternate ending.

Chapter One- Secret Mission

Hiei took in the picture of the demon on Koenma’s view screen. He was very good-looking with his tanned skin, dark eyes, and rich brown hair. He could easily pass for human…except for the two black horns on his head, but even the horns added to his looks. “So,” he said. “He’s wanted for murder and rape?”

“Murder mostly, but he has engaged in slave trade and rape. He’s been most clever in evading capture and has built himself quite a business. Arresting him will not be easy, even for Yusuke.”

“If Yusuke is the one to arrest him, then why did you send for me?”

“Colaban will be on the lookout for Spirit World operatives, so Yusuke will need a disguise. I was hoping to borrow your blood for that purpose.”

Hiei’s eyes narrowed. “You know I’m part fire demon and part ice apparition. You’ll have to choose one to use.”

“You’re quite correct. I have already chosen the ice apparition side and I have a way to activate that side since it’s dormant in you.

“I also have a request, Hiei. The place Colaban frequents is a club where only pairs can get in. Will you accompany Yusuke into the club? You can claim to be siblings and serve as Yusuke’s backup.”

“Hn, fine. Give me two syringes and allow me to use them on the detective.”

&&&&

Yusuke walked into Koenma’s office, the doors sliding shut behind him. “Okay, Koenma. What’s this mission about?”

“Well, it’s dangerous for one thing.” Koenma pushed a button and the view screen came on and Colaban’s picture appeared. Here’s your criminal. His name’s Colaban. He has built up an impressive business, but he’s committed slave trade, rape, and murder. It’s the latter two that he’s wanted for; the only thing is that he’s been clever not to get captured. However, we have tracked him to a club in Demon World. You, Yusuke have to arrest him and in order for you to do that, you need a disguise.”

“What, you want me to put on some lame costume?” Yusuke scoffed. “There’s no way in hell that would work.”

“Not a costume. You’re going in a better disguise…as a demon.”

At that moment, Hiei approached with an empty syringe in one hand and a filled one in the other. Yusuke backed up to the door, but it refused to open as Koenma had locked them the moment after Yusuke entered. Yusuke back away from the syringe-wielding fire demon. He looked at the prince who was sitting at his desk. “Hey, Koenma! You can’t be serious!”

“Yusuke, relax. Colaban would attack you or successfully escape the moment he sees you. But, if you’re in disguise, you’ll be able to arrest him. Hiei offered to donate his blood for the disguise.”

“You said nothing about this type of disguise!”

“Hn. Deal with it, Detective,” Hiei said. He stabbed an empty syringe into Yusuke’s arm to withdraw a blood sample before injecting the other syringe. Yusuke felt like his blood was on fire and he also felt dizzy. He sank to his knees before passing out.

Yusuke’s first thought upon regaining consciousness was, I’m gonna kill Hiei and maybe Koenma too. He sat up and looked down to push up off the floor. He froze when he saw a pair of breasts on his chest. She screamed in horror. She jumped to her feet and glared at the prince and the demon.

“All right. Explain,” she demanded.

“It’s simple. It’ll be very easy to get near the suspect as a female demon. As you know, Hiei has fire demon and ice apparition blood. I simply triggered the ice half in the blood sample. It’s this part that also changes the gender.”

Yusuke looked at Hiei. “But you don’t change to a girl.”

“My fire demon blood is stronger and I was born male. The ability to become a female ice apparition is dormant in me.”

“So, I’m an ice apparition? Like Yukina?”

“Yes. You’re an ice apparition with all the abilities included,” Koenma said. “Now, ahem, I suggest putting on some different clothes before heading after the suspect. Botan’s waiting outside to help you.”

“So Botan was in on this?”

“Of course she is. She’s your assistant, after all.”

&&&&

“Oh, Yusuke, you look adorable!”

Yusuke eyed her reflection warily. Her hair had grown to mid-back, still black but with a white starburst like Hiei’s. Her eyes were wide and a soft red and her face was delicate-looking and quite feminine. Her body was slender and was cloaked in a deep green kimono. She even wore socks and shoes like she had seen Yukina wear.

“Botan, I’m really a guy and guys are not adorable.”

“Well right now you’re a girl and trust me, girls describe guys as adorable. You know, you really could pass for Hiei’s twin sister, except you’re taller.”

“Yeah…I kind of noticed that.”

“That’s good, actually. See, Koenma wants to send Hiei in as backup and if you both enter the hideout together, the two of you can say you’re twins.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, dear. Koenma didn’t tell you? The hideout is a club where only couples can get in and they don’t have to be girlfriend and boyfriend.”

“So, that’s why I’m a girl.”

“Partly. The other reason is the get close to the demon you’re arresting. After the mission’s complete, Koenma will use your blood sample to change you back.”

&&&&

“I don’t know about this,” Yusuke muttered to Hiei as they lined up to enter the club in Demon World. She looked around uneasily causing some of her now tied-back hair to fall over her shoulder. She pushed it back, feeling annoyed with it. She was still mad about being forcibly changed into a girl and she would make it clear that she would not do another mission like this again; Botan could do it since she was already a girl.

“Hn,” Hiei grunted as they approached the front doors. A pair of tall horned demons flanked the double doors and the one next to Yusuke leered at her in a way that made her skin crawl.

“Hey, beautiful. How about ditching your boyfriend and go somewhere private with me?”

“Before Yusuke could snap out a response, Hiei sprinted up to the demon, the tip of his katana against his throat. “I suggest you leave my sister alone,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.

The demon gulped and nodded slightly. Hiei glanced back at the other who promptly faced forward. He sheathed his sword, took Yusuke’s arm, and steered her inside. “Come on, Hina,” he said as they entered.

“Hina?” Yusuke asked skeptically.

“You needed an alias. Hina was my mother’s name, so respect it.”

Yusuke nodded. She knew how Hiei was when it came to family and how important it was to him, even though he kept his feelings well hidden. After all, he care greatly about Yukina but you wouldn’t know that, looking at him and the way he interacts with his sister.

The place was dimly lit, loud, and crowded. It looked like a normal club back on Human World to Yusuke, except the customers and employees were demons. There were demons, dancing, drinking, or having conversations.

Hiei zipped off into the crowd while Yusuke sat at the bar, her back to the bartender. Hiei was making himself scarce since he was merely backup and a way for Yusuke to get inside. Her job was to find the suspect and get close enough to arrest him. She knew she would have to lure him outside to arrest him and that meant turning on the charm and trying not to gag at her actions.

She gazed around the dance floor and along the walls before glancing up and down the bar and spotting him. He was at the end of the bar, entertaining a pair of girls with what was no doubt stories of his crimes. He wasn’t ugly; on the contrary he was exceedingly good-looking for a demon and Yusuke was sure he was a smooth talker if he was able to engage in slave trade, rape, and murder. It was the last two crimes that put him on Yusuke’s case list.

Her suspect, Colaban, looked over at her as if sensing her eyes on him. He spoke to his companions before wending his way to Yusuke. He sat on an unoccupied stool and flashed a charming smile, for a demon. She gave a shy smile before dipping her head.

“No need to be shy, my dear. My name’s Colaban. And you are?”

“Hina,” Yusuke replied softly.

“Hina.” He looked her up and down in a way that was the opposite of the bouncer demon. “You’re an ice apparition. I heard your kind don’t leave their ice world.”

“True, but there are a small number of us who do. I left to find my twin brother and learn about the world by traveling with him.”

“You don’t say? Is your brother here?”

“He’s in here somewhere. We got separated in the crowd.” Yusuke was proud of her acting. She remembered everything she had learned about Yukina, seeing as she needed to pass for Hiei’s sister.

But, she wanted to get this mission over already. The sooner she could go back to being a guy, the better. She slid off her stool, shot Colaban a flirty yet furtive look, and tilted her back to the exit. He gave her an equally flirty look and nodded before getting up and following her to the exit.

Hiei watched Yusuke from his spot against the wall. She had caught Colaban’s eye and he came over to engage in conversation. Too easy, he thought. Yusuke doesn’t seem to realize how…attractive she is right now. Not that I’m attracted since I know that’s not her real appearance or gender for that matter. He saw Yusuke slide off her stool and head for the back exit with Colaban right behind her. Ah, the arrest will soon take place. I’ll give it five minutes before I go out there myself.

Yusuke kept a look of disgust off her face as Colaban ran a hand through her hair. Instead, she arranged her face into an expression of contentment. She heard him murmur, “So soft.” She knew he referred to her hair. She had to admit that she was an attractive girl and it was those looks that caught Colaban’s attention. Maybe I should be considered for more missions like this, now that I think about it. I’m starting to like looking like a female version of Hiei. Perhaps I just needed to get comfortable being a girl. Her thoughts were such that she actually closed her eyes as Colaban initiated a kiss.

Suddenly, a gag was tied over her mouth and she felt her ankles and hands being bounded. She opened her eyes in time to see Colaban grab her and sling her over his shoulder before heading for the open space. Yusuke screamed behind her gag and pounded on his back with her bound fists, but he ignored her protests. Indeed, he chuckled as he walked.

“I apologize for the rough treatment, Hina, but I find you attractive and I decided that I want you for myself. I know other things about your kind than I let on. I know your tears form rare, beautiful jewels. I plan for you to produce those jewels so that I can sell them for a lot of money. I also want you for your body. Oh, I can’t wait to explore it.” He laughed in delight and Yusuke felt a sick feeling in her stomach.

I’m going to end up like Yukina; a prisoner. He’ll force me to cry and he plans to rape me! Wait, I’m not an ice apparition, I just look like one so I can’t make Hiruseki stones. I hope Hiei realizes something is wrong and backs me up or gets the rest of the team.

Chapter Two- Mission in Danger

Hiei burst into Koenma’s office, Kurama and Kuwabara already assembled. He had given them no explanation when he called except to say that Yusuke was in trouble. Koenma, Botan, and he were the only ones who had known about the mission and that Yusuke was currently a girl.

“Hiei, what is going on?” Kurama asked.

The fire demon ignored him and spoke to Koenma. “I saw them leave though the back exit. I waited five minutes for her to make the arrest, but then I sensed something was wrong. I went out back and there was no one there. I think she’s been kidnapped and it’s my fault!” Hiei shut his eyes and clenched his fists. He had been used to Yusuke being a strong fighter that he hadn’t realized that in her current state, Yusuke couldn’t use her spirit gun. Furthermore, he was supposed to be her backup in case she needed help and he had failed.

“Who’s she? Who’s kidnapped?” Kuwabara asked.

“Yusuke’s been kidnapped,” Koenma answered, eliciting gasps of disbelief from Kuwabara and Kurama. Hiei opened his eyes and looked at Koenma. The Spirit World prince said, “We need to tell them everything.” Hiei nodded before standing to one side of the desk, facing his teammates.

“Yusuke was called for a solo mission with Hiei as backup. A demon called Colaban is known for dealing in slave trade as well as rape and murder. He knew he would be wanted on the rape and murder charges and was on the lookout for Spirit World operatives. Therefore, Yusuke needed a disguise. I thought it would be perfect if Yusuke was a female demon.”

“What!? Urameshi’s a girl!?” Kuwabara exclaimed.

“It was only for the mission. I needed a blood sample to disguise him. I tuned to Hiei.”

The fire demon took over. “My blood contains the genes of fire demon and ice apparition. It’s the ice side that was triggered by Koenma and used on Yusuke, but not before acquiring a sample of his blood to change him back afterwards. I saw her lure Colaban out back to arrest him, but now I believe Colaban abducted her.”

“But, why?” Kuwabara asked.

“He may be planning to rape her. It is what he’s known for.”

“We have to save her,” Kurama stated.

“Precisely, why I summoned you,” Koenma said, holding up a piece of paper. “Here’s where he lives. It’ll take time to get there, plus it’s heavily guarded. Please get there quickly.”

&&&&

Colaban placed Yusuke on the bed and removed the gag and the restraints. “Welcome to my home, Hina.” He sat down next to her and reached out to cup her cheek, but Yusuke pulled away and swung her fist to hit Colaban with enough force to knock him off the bed.

Yusuke was stunned. What the hell? That punch was supposed to send him through several walls and while he was down, I would escape. Great, I lost most of my strength. What was Koenma thinking, making me a girl?,p> Colaban stood up and glowered at her. “What was that for, Hina? I thought you wanted to be with me.”

“Shut up,” Yusuke snapped, dropping her charm act. “My name is not Hina. I’m Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi and you’re under arrest.”

Colaban laughed. “Are you now? Very clever disguise, detective. I was completely fooled.”

Yusuke felt hope bloom inside her. Perhaps, Colaban would come quietly; after all, her skills as a detective were legendary among demons. “Well then, how about we head to Spirit World and-,”

“Who says we’re going to Spirit World?” Colaban interrupted. “You’re still my prisoner. You may really be a guy, but your body is still female and I will have my way with it.”

Why is arresting demons never easy? she thought as Colaban pushed her back and proceeded to tie her to the bed with the rope he had used to bind her earlier, removing her clothes as he did so. He removed his clothes as he stared at the body before him. He had planned to rape her back when he started talking to her. He recognized her as an ice apparition and his desire grew from that knowledge. It grew even more when he learned that it was the spirit detective in disguise. It would be the highlight of his criminal career to rape the spirit detective. He moved on top of her and ran his hands over her body. He cupped her breasts, moved down to the flat stomach, and over to the hips. He slid his hands down the legs before reaching up, cupping her chin and kissing her lips.

He pulled back and Yusuke gasped before saying, “It doesn’t bother you that I’m a guy?”

“No, doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve raped males as well as females. Besides, you keep forgetting that you are female right now and it would be a slap in Spirit World’s collective face if I rape the famous spirit detective.” Colaban moved down and started thrusting into her.

Yusuke screamed her pain. She thought lovemaking was supposed to be pleasant and it most likely was, but this wasn’t pleasure sex, it was rape and it was painful! Colaban would thrust harshly, remove roughly and would roughly treat her body before thrusting in again.

Yusuke felt humiliated and weak as well as powerless to stop him. She felt a very painful thrust as well as tears gathering in her eyes from the pain. They spilled from the corners of her eyes as she cried, “Stop, please, stop!”

“You know, I think I will,” Colaban said as thrusted one more time. He pulled out, crawled over to her left side, grabbed something, and then reached over and grabbed something from the right. He looked at his hands and smiled. “Oh, yes. These are beautiful gems.”

“What?” she said weakly.

“You know you cried, right? It seems pain produces wonderful jewels. Thanks, Yusuke.” Colaban gathered his clothes and strolled into the bathroom, laughing triumphantly.

Yusuke moaned. She ached all over especially between the legs. She saw marks on her body that were probably going to become bruises and worst of all, she had cried gems just like an ice apparition! She was at the mercy of a demon who would have his way with her. Her only question was would he kill her when he was finished with her? Koenma’s words suddenly came back to her: You’re an ice apparition with all the abilities included.

If I have all the abilities, then that means I have demon energy instead of spirit, so I can’t use any of my attacks. But, maybe I can tap the ice powers I now have and use them to escape. If not, I can only hope that the others get here soon.

&&&&

Kuwabara touched down in Demon World with his teammates. He gave them a brief glance and then a double take: Kurama had taken on his demon form. I guess we can’t screw around on this mission. We need to get there fast and save Urameshi as well as arrest Colaban.

“So, how far are we from his hideout?” Kuwabara asked.

“Technically, it’s his mansion, not his hideout,” Yoko corrected.

“And judging from Koenma’s information,” Hiei said, examining the paper. “It seems to be a three-day journey, even moving at top speed.”

“Three days? Why so far away? Can we cut that down to one or two days by travelling at night?” Kuwabara asked.

“Any intrusion into his territory by any means other than on foot and we risk setting off a security alarm. I also advise no night travel. Nighttime in Demon World is dangerous. Better and safer to sleep then, particularly with a fire.”

“He’s right,” Hiei said. He looked up. “We still have plenty of time to begin our trip before nightfall. So, let’s get going.”

The trio began moving as fast as they could, Hiei in the lead. He growled to himself softly. This is all my fault. If I had realized earlier that Yusuke wouldn’t be able to use her attacks, I would have prevented her abduction, Colaban would be in jail, and Yusuke would be a he already. If I find Colaban first, I’ll kill him; the mission be damned.

&&&&

Colaban strolled into the bedroom hours after his first sexual encounter and saw Yusuke still naked and fast asleep. You know, it would be nice if Yusuke stayed female. She’s quite attractive and she can’t stop my advances and since that’s the case… He reached up to the ropes and untied them from both wrists. The feel of her hands being freed woke Yusuke from her sleep. “Huh? What?” she said as she sat up and saw Colaban sitting across from her.

He pushed the tray he had brought in toward her. “Here. I know you must be hungry and thirsty so don’t even think of knocking it over.”

Yusuke, who had thought of doing just that, felt her stomach grumble and decided to give in to her hunger. She was somewhat aware that she wasn’t eating in a ladylike fashion, but she wasn’t concerned; she wasn’t a real girl after all, so how she conducted herself didn’t concern her one bit. Her lack of clothes did concern her, but she had a feeling that Colaban wasn’t going to accommodate her by bringing her the clothes she had been wearing.

She swallowed some water before saying, “Why are doing this?” She gestured at the tray.

He grinned in a sadistic and lustful manner. “Well, first I want to keep you full of energy for when I rape you again. I also want more Hiruseki stones to sell.”

“Yeah, well, forget it. You’re not getting either.”

“Oh, I will. You see, in addition to providing you with substance and energy, I put a paralyzing drug in the food and water. It should take effect any second now.”

“What!? You…!” Suddenly, Yusuke fell backwards, unable to feel her arms and legs. She was still awake and aware, but unable to move. Once again, she wouldn’t be able to stop Colaban from raping her again.

He grinned as he climbed on top of her. He ran a hand through her hair before burying his face in it and inhaling deeply. Her hair had a flowery scent that surprised him since he knew his victim was really a boy. He moved his face to Yusuke’s cheek and started kissing and licking it. He trailed kisses across the cheek and then brought his lips down on hers. He used his tongue to force her lips open so that he could explore her mouth. She didn’t fight back due to the drug paralyzing her for most part. She could still feel what he was doing to her and would still be able to talk, but that was all.

He pulled away from her lips and began trailing kisses down her chin and to her neck where he licked and suckled before moving to her shoulder, licking at it with fervor. Yusuke finally moaned at his licking and in his aroused state, he bit down on her shoulder, turning her moan into a scream. Her scream excited him even more and he moved to her breasts, cupping and squeezing them hard and he heard her gasp.

“Stop it! Stop it, you bastard!” she spat.

Colaban laughed. “Not a chance. I’m far from done. I am thoroughly aroused and I haven’t finished exploring your lovely body. I’m enjoying this immensely and I plan to do what I have to in order to keep you female. Perhaps, find a way to break your spirit and make you a loving and complacent mate.”

“I will never be your mate and I will not allow you to keep me female!”

“I might already be doing so,” he said, sliding off his pants. “You see, my home is heavily-guarded and armed. There is little chance of anyone getting through. Trust me, I have time to make you willing to do what I want.” He then thrusted into her making her cry out. He pumped fast and hard and he savored her screams as well as the tears pouring from her eyes. He fired his substance into her, his scream of ecstasy joining with her scream of pain. He eased himself off her, pulled on his pants, grabbed the jewels, retied Yusuke to the bed and left the room, humming happily while Yusuke lapsed into unconsciousness.

Chapter Three- The Escape Plan

Yusuke groaned as she opened her eyes. She was sore and sticky. She so wanted a bath. She came to the realization that she could feel her arms and legs again; the drug had worn off. She looked over and up at her bound wrists. If I could just get free, I might be able to escape or even fight back. She closed her eyes and tapped the demon energy inside her. A cold breeze rippled down her body, but she didn’t shiver. That’s it, I’ve tapped it. Now, to use it.

She opened her eyes and they were glowing white. She stretched her long delicate fingers toward the ropes and managed to touch them with her fingertips. A coat of frost covered the ropes on her wrists and it raced down the entire length on both sides. The frost hardened to ice and when Yusuke strained her arms, the ropes shattered into pieces of ice.

She sat up, rubbing her wrists as she looked at the ice shards. Not bad for a beginner. Maybe my Spirit Detective training helped. Now, I need to get dressed and get out of here. I don’t care about arresting Colaban; I just want to get as far away from him as possible.

She rolled to the side of the bed where her clothes lay on the floor, wincing slightly at the bruises from the first and second sessions. She had just gotten to her feet when the door opened and Colaban came in with a tray for two. “Good morning, my ice detective. I have a cozy breakfast for two. Oh, don’t worry there’s no drug in any of it this-,” Colaban broke off when he saw Yusuke standing beside the bed. She braced herself for the explosion.

“Well, well. You broke the ropes, or should I say shattered them?” He looked at the water spots on the sheets and carpet and…smiled. Yusuke couldn’t believe it. Why would he smile?

She was so stunned and confused by his actions that she sat back down on the bed. Colaban sat across from her and put the tray down between them. He pressed a cup of tea into her hands which brought her attention to him. “You seem pleased that I broke free.”

“Oh, yes, quite pleased. I figured sooner or later, you would access your ice powers. I want my mate to be able to defend herself.”

Yusuke swallowed her bite of croissant before saying, “I told you before, I will not be your mate. Is that why you’ve been acting nice to me sometimes?”

“Yusuke, I’m not just a demon, I’m a businessman. I see this opportunity as a business deal as well. In order to win over the client and seal the deal, I need to wine and dine my client. Of course, a little bit of flattery is necessary too.”

That would explain his “ice detective” comment earlier, not to mention bringing food and drink. If he so desires me, why hasn’t he used a drug to make me want his attentions? Heh, maybe he hopes to win me over by treating me with kindness.

“Now, then,” Colaban said, putting the tray aside once the food and drink were consumed and sliding closer to Yusuke. “I think we need to work on our relationship. No sex this time, just casual exploring of each other’s bodies.” Colaban ditched his clothes before tenderly brushing stray hairs from Yusuke’s cheek with the side of his hand so that he could place his hand there.

Yusuke was both melting at his touch and disgusted by it. He knows how to please a girl as far as touches go. Hmm, I think I have a plan. I’ll pretend to be reconsidering about being his mate and the next time he goes to rape me, I’ll use my ice powers to freeze him and escape. But first, I need to turn on the charm.

Colaban was brushing more loose strands off her face when she put her hand on it and gently lowered it to her lips where she kissed the palm while her fingers caressed his knuckles. She released the hand before leaning forward to run her fingers across his muscular chest. She moved her hands to his shoulders and kneaded them with her fingers.

“Mmm,” he said softly. “That feels good. You’ve got the magic touch, my dear.”

“I feel so much tension,” she answered in soft, tender voice, pressing her fingers in deeper. “Or are those muscles I feel?”

“It’s tension all right. Being a businessman can be stressful and I end up tense.”

Yusuke continued to massage; first the shoulders, then down the arms, and back to the chest. Colaban reached out to cup and stroke Yusuke’s breasts. He was tender and gentle as opposed to the previous times. His hand moved to her stomach and she shivered at his touch. “Yusuke?” he asked, slightly concerned. Was she disgusted at his touches, despite her soft words?

“Sorry. That area’s a bit sensitive.”

“I imagine it would be more so if you were pregnant.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, yes. I’m guessing that you wouldn’t, am I right?”

“I may…reconsider the idea. I may decide to be your mate, after all.”

Colaban’s eyes widened. “You would?”

“Maybe. Your touches feel so good and I started thinking that being with you wouldn’t be so bad.”

“You’re starting to realize that being my mate and staying a girl would be preferable to fighting with me and getting hurt as a result?”

She smiled charmingly. “Yes, absolutely.” She put a hand on his cheek and ran it down to his lips.

He kissed her palm before standing, getting dressed, and picking up the tray. “I will return later, my ice detective. Perhaps, we couple then.”

“Yes. I would like that.”

Colaban stood in the doorway for a moment, drinking in Yusuke’s naked body before closing the door and leaving.”

The moment he was gone, a look of absolute disgust crossed Yusuke’s face. She couldn’t believe what she had to do and that Colaban actually bought into it. Then again, maybe I can. He kept saying he wants me as a mate and for me to stay a girl. I merely said what he wanted to hear. Now…I need to practice my powers before he comes back. All my “sweet talk” will be for nothing if I can’t freeze him into a block of ice.

She held up a hand, palm face-up, and focused on her power. She had no idea what ice apparitions did with their powers, but she had seen Hiei’s fire moves and since she was an ice apparition due to his blood then she could adapt his moves for her ice. She bore down and a plume of ice erupted upward before fading out. Damn. I managed to freeze the ropes, so what’s wrong? Maybe I can freeze objects by touching them like I did the ropes. She spied a jug of water on a windowsill and went over to it before touching it with a finger, focusing on her power. The jug and the water within froze over. Good. Now, what else can I practice on?

&&&&

Yusuke fell asleep after practicing and deeming herself ready. She had learned to freeze any size object she chose as well as unfreeze it, much to her surprise. All she had to do was touch the frozen object and will the ice to return. She unfroze everything she had touched so that she would be fully charged when she attacked. Right now, she was curled up with the covers over her body and her clothes draped neatly over a chair. She needed her clothes easily accessible once Colaban was frozen. She was so exhausted from practice that she didn’t hear Colaban come in.

Colaban entered, quietly closed the door, and smiled at the sight of Yusuke sleeping. She is so beautiful and looks more so when asleep. This could be my future: A beautiful mate asleep in bed when I arrive from work, maybe a child or more in a few years. He removed his clothes, climbed into bed behind Yusuke, and gently shook her shoulder. He heard her murmur something before rolling over and blearily opening her soft, red eyes. She focused on him and sat up with a gasp.

“Hello, my dear. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Yusuke stifled a yawn. “Hello, honey. It’s all right. I was just so tired.”

“How come?”

“I was strengthening my powers. Practicing wore me out. But it was worth it. I’ll be able to defend myself just as you hoped.”

“That’s good.” He pulled the sheets to expose Yusuke before he climbed on top of her. He planted a loving kiss on her lips as he caress her arms. He felt her fingers run across his body gently and lovingly. His hands ran over her sides and rubbed her hips before moving them to her butt and down her legs.

He brought his hands up to brush back her hair and brush her cheeks. She smiled as she put her hands on the backs of his own. Her smile didn’t waver as she turned on her power. Colaban yelled in pain as he jumped off her and the bed, his hands encased in ice so cold it burned and it was spreading upward. He looked at Yusuke who had a smirk on her face and her eyes were full of cold satisfaction.

It was a trick! She pretended to think of being my mate and practiced her powers to use them against me! She’ll pay for this!

He flexed his energy ever so slightly and the ice vanished in a hazy vapor, making Yusuke’s mouth drop. He advanced on her with an ugly look on his handsome face. He swung a hand and cracked it hard across her face. “You ice bitch!” he screamed. “You’ll pay for your deception! You’ll pay most dearly! I’ll make you wish you had been willing to be mine!”

He reached under the bed and withdrew a long whip with sharp barbs running along its length. He snapped it and it cracked across her shoulder. She gasped at the strike; the barbs had bit into her skin something fierce. She gripped her shoulder, feeling blood on her fingers and exposed her back to her foe. She heard the whip crack again and hit her on her back. She gasped again and fell on her front. Colaban snapped the whip over and over until Yusuke’s back was bleeding and covered in whip marks. He growled as he tossed the whip aside, climbed behind Yusuke’s legs, pushed them apart and began roughly thrusting into her, his fingers pressing on her skin harshly. Yusuke screamed, tears pouring down her face. He kept going until he was spent. He eased off and sent for a couple of guards to throw Yusuke in the dungeon while he went to the bathroom to calm down and further plan his revenge.

&&&&

Yusuke stared in dismay at the dark bruises on her legs that now joined the bruises she had sustained already. She had woken up from her torture and rape to find herself in a cell. The marks had stopped bleeding, but still felt raw and very sore. Well, that was a stupid plan, now that I think about it. I should have remembered that his energy’s just as strong and could dispel my ice. Now, he’s had me thrown in his dungeon. I guess he’s done trying to win me over, but not done torturing and raping me. A sudden thought struck her and dread settled in her stomach. Will he eventually kill me?

Chapter Four- Revenge and Rescue

A guard approached her cell the next morning, her third day since being kidnapped. He tossed her a robe and waited until she had put it on before saying, “Master Colaban requests you presence for breakfast.” He unlocked the door and as she stepped out, he meaningfully tapped a miniature flamethrower attached to his belt. The meaning was clear: If she tried to ice the guard, she would get burned. She nodded in understanding and followed him upstairs.

She looked around as she followed the guard; she hadn’t seen any part of the house except the master bedroom and the dungeon. There were security cameras lining the hall every few feet and guards patrolling the halls as well. She saw that the wall had tapestries and paintings on them and sitting on the floor were pedestals with vases or busts perched on them.

If I didn’t know a demon lived here, I would have thought it was a rich old man or woman.

The guard reached a set of double doors and opened one of them. He gestured that Yusuke should enter and she did so, the door closing behind her. The dining hall was likewise elaborately done up with a long table and about a dozen chairs. Colaban was seated at the far end and a place had been set at the sea on his right; clearly she was to sit there. Colaban smiled as she sat. As he poured some juice, he said, “Yusuke, I decided to forgive your little stunt yesterday afternoon. I also regret my actions; that ice was so cold it burned. I truly think we can have a relationship. Despite my wealth, I am unable to find a mate and thus I get lonely.”

Yusuke said nothing; she was busy thinking about yesterday. She thought about her charm act and how she acted during her torture and rape. Her thoughts brought her to some shocking conclusions: She had become more emotional and her behavior was more like a girl, kind of like Yukina which made sense. She was horrified with the conclusions and resolved to start acting more like the guy she really was. I will escape, she thought as she drank the juice and started on the breakfast that had been placed in front of her. It’s possible he’ll try to rape me after breakfast, but I will fight back.

Colaban watched Yusuke consume her meal with great satisfaction. She didn’t know it, but he had put a drug in her food. This was his revenge. The drug would make her agree to whatever he wanted and want it very much. He no longer wanted her as a mage or for her to stay a girl. He simply wanted to rape and torture her, nothing more. The drug would convince her that she wanted torture and rape, especially if Colaban suggested it.

He knew it would take a little time for it to take effect, fifteen, maybe twenty minutes at most. That was fine; he was enjoying his meal and planning on which he would do first: Torture or rape? If he raped first, chances were one or both of them would fall asleep and it would give Yusuke’s system time to expel the drug and its effects. Plus, if only Yusuke fell asleep, she wouldn’t be able to scream during the torture session and he so wanted her to scream. So, if he tortured first, Yusuke would be sore when he raped her, but still under the drug’s effects.

Yes, I’ll torture her first. I have a variety of torture devices already laid out and ready to use. Perhaps Yusuke will suggest which one to use and when. He waited until he was sure the drug had taken hold before standing and holding out his hand. “Well, Yusuke, shall we head to my room for a couple of activities?”

“Okay,” she answered immediately, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her out of the dining hall and up to his room. Her expression was serene and calm as well as more feminine than before.

Oh, yes, he thought when he glanced back to see her face. She is willing to do as I say. If I did desire her, she would do whatever it took to make me happy. But, that would only last until the drug wore off.

Once in the bedroom, Colaban said, “All right, drop the robe and lay face-down on the bed.” She immediately did so and seemed excited about it.

“What activities did you have in mind?” she asked.

“I was thinking I would torture you and then rape you. I also expect you to produce a lot of Hiruseki stones during both activities.”

“Anything you say, Colaban. Could we start with the whip? I loved the pain I got from it last time, especially with the barbs.”

“We certainly can. I also have lead pipe and a knife I want to use.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, yes. You should definitely use those too.”

Colaban smiled evilly as he grabbed the whip and brought it down on his willing victim as hard as he could. The crack and the cry of pain were delightful to his ears and prompted him to continue using the whip. Some of the marks and scabs were re-opened by the whip’s barbs and began to bleed anew with Yusuke screaming and crying the entire time. He laid the whip aside and grabbed the pipe. He swung it and brought it down on an open wound. Yusuke screamed in pain and delight. He reversed the angle and pressed the end hard on her arms and legs. She gasped from the pressure before saying, “Yes! More, more!”

“You got it,” he replied. He put the blade of the knife close to the flame of a stubby candle before returning to bruising Yusuke’s skin with the pipe. He saw that a large number of jewels had already been shed and hoped to double or even triple that number by the time he had finished raping her.

He put the pipe down and grabbed the knife once the blade had heated. This was going to be the last torture item and would sure increase the number of jewels. He pressed the flat of the hot blade on the small of her back and the gasp and cry were very satisfying to him. He brushed her hair aside to apply the blade to her neck before applying it to both arms and legs. Each application prompted screams and more tears. Both he and Yusuke were panting as the torture session ended.

“Now, the rape will begin,” he said, spreading towels over the bed, stripping off his clothes, and rolling Yusuke onto her back and onto the towels. Her back was still bleeding and he didn’t want the sheets stained. He saw lust and want in Yusuke’s eyes and he enjoyed the fact that she didn’t realize that what she wanted was sick.

“You ready, sweetheart?” he asked as he straddled her hips.

“Yes,” she growled. “Give it to me fast and hard. Really hard.”

“Oh, I intend to.” He rubbed and pressed his fingers into her back, smearing the blood across it. He slid downward, rubbing and pressing into her hips and her thighs. He saw tears spill from her eyes, most likely because he had told her to make stones.

He pushed her legs apart and began to thrust with reckless abandon. He pushed as fast and as hard as he could and her screams were loud and high-pitched. He gave the hardest thrust he could manage and felt himself fire into her. You know, it would be sweet revenge if she ended up pregnant with my baby, especially if it looked just like me.

Yusuke had passed out from the thrust and as Colaban withdrew, he saw blood covering his manhood and dripping out from between Yusuke’s legs. “You bitch,” he sneered, delivering a backhand slap to her face; she was still unconscious. Colaban called for guards to take Yusuke to the dungeon as went to the bathroom to wash up. As much as her being pregnant would be perfect revenge for her deception, I think I’ll go downstairs tomorrow and kill her. Then, I’ll send her body to Spirit World to let them know that they will never arrest me.

&&&&

Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yoko crouched on a cliff edge that overlooked the sprawling mansion and saw heavily-armed guards marching around the perimeter or manning the weapons mounted on the roof. A high fence with sharp points on the top encircled the building and a heavy steel door doubtlessly protected another door behind it. The steel door itself had a barred door in front of it.

“Man, Koenma wasn’t joking about the security,” Kuwabara commented.

“Yes and I have no doubt that there are more guards inside as well as security cameras,” Yoko pointed out.

“Hn. The security doesn’t bother me. I was hoping for a big fight.” Hiei still blamed himself for Yusuke’s abduction even during the three-day hike to the mansion. Hiei unsheathed his sword and charged down the cliff’s sloped side and into the midst of guards before either of his teammates could make a move. By the time, they did and joined the fire demon, he had annihilated half the perimeter guards and the roof weapons had started firing.

Hiei must feel real bad about failing Urameshi, Kuwabara thought as he slashed through some guards. Not that he failed, technically. He just thought Urameshi could handle it.

Kuwabara noticed that he was avoiding using a pronoun when he thought of Yusuke. He knew that Yusuke was in disguise and yet couldn’t bring himself to think of Yusuke as a she. Maybe it’ll hit me once I see my friend.

Yoko had taken a roundabout path to the mansion by sticking it the woods. He reached the edge of that faced the eastern side and swiftly used his whip to scale the fence, avoiding the sharp tips. He entered through a window and used his whip again to destroy the cameras that lined the hall. I need to find the control room so that I can disable all of the security measures simultaneously. He took off down the hall, eliminating more guards and cameras as he went. He found the control room quickly and with one long crack of his whip, took out the demon there and tore through the computer consoles.

Hiei and Kuwabara saw the fence retract into the ground and the barred and steel door rise up into the door frame while their opponents lay dead or severely injured. “Looks like Yoko destroyed the controls,” Hiei noted with a smirk. “Good.” He headed for the door with Kuwabara right behind him. I only hope Yusuke’s still alive.

&&&&

Yoko prowled through the house, searching for Colaban. They were required to bring him in alive, but Yoko knew Hiei would be more likely to kill Colaban, so it was imperative that the silver fox found him first.

He found him in a room located in the center of the house. He had been sitting in an elaborate chair, but rose when he saw Yoko enter. His eyes looked Yoko up and down in an appraising manner. "You are just as beautiful as the legends say. You are perfect for my next victim.”

Yoko didn’t deign to answers. Instead, he flicked his wrist and Colaban was ensnared far faster than he thought possible. He strained against the whip, wincing slightly as the thorns digging into his flesh. He continued to struggle, however, until he saw the tip of a razor-sharp sword at his throat. He looked past the weapon to see a demon who could pass for a male version of Yusuke.

“Where is she?” he growled. “Where’s Yusuke?” He pressed the tip of his sword meaningfully against his throat and a few drops of blood seeped out.

Colaban’s confident demeanor evaporated at the implied threat and the feel of the blood drops. “In my dungeons, in the basement,” he said instantly.

“Hiei, I suggest you and Kuwabara go rescue Yusuke while I take Colaban into custody,” Yoko said.

Hiei nodded as he sheathed his sword and turned to join Kuwabara at the doorway; the human had a large bed sheet folded over one arm and Hiei gave it and him a quizzical look as they headed to the basement.

“Something tells me that jerk’s kept Urameshi naked all this time,” he explained.

“I would agree,” Hiei said as they entered the basement and spied an unconscious naked girl in one of the cells. Hiei was horrified when they reached the cell where Yusuke lay. Yusuke’s body was covered in bruises and whip marks, her legs were smeared with blood mostly like her own, and dried tear stains marred her cheeks, a couple of Hiruseki stones on the floor beside one cheek. She was unconscious and yet Hiei wasn’t sure if it was safe to touch her. Kuwabara stepped in with the sheet he had yanked from a bed upstairs which he wrapped around her before scooping her up and running out of the cell with Hiei right behind him.

Chapter Five- Recovery

Yusuke was aware of something soft under her: A bed. Her body was exposed, but it didn’t hurt: She was being healed. Was I rescued or is one of Colaban’s servants taking pity on me? She opened her eyes blearily and blinked to see a familiar face looking concerned. “Botan?” she said hoarsely.

“Yusuke! Oh, thank goodness! No, don’t try to move,” she said, gently putting a hand on Yusuke’s shoulder. “It’s just us here.”

“Wouldn’t have mattered if everyone was here,” she murmured. “What happened?” she asked a little louder.

“Hiei and the others rescued you and caught Colaban who’s being sentenced right now. Trust me, Koenma will give him a harsh sentence; life in prison or death, I say.”

“I’m with you there. Botan, I just went through the three longest, hellish days of my life.”

“I believe it, considering how bad you looked when I walked in. I did my best to heal your injuries. It’ll take several times for me to heal them before they fade, but maybe the Spirit Wave will take care of them when I’m not healing.”

“I doubt it. Botan, I can’t use any spirit attacks because my energy is demon right now. I tried to fight back by using my ice powers but it just made him angrier.”

“Well, it’s over now and once you’ve rested up, we’ll have you back to your old self.”

“Thanks, but I could use a bath right now.”

“I think all we can do is a sponge bath. Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, anything. Please, Botan.”

“Coming right up.”

Soon, Yusuke was sitting up and sighing happily as warm water moved over her body thanks to a sponge in Botan’s hand. The water felt so good and hoped that some soap would be added to the sponge. Her hopes were answered and the soap added to the good feeling. Soon, Botan was drying her off and handing her women’s pants and a shirt before cleaning her hair with some dry shampoo.

“There! That should feel better,” Botan commented.

“Physically, yeah. But not completely better.”

The despondent tone in Yusuke’s voice caught Botan’s attention. Sitting next to her friend, she said, “Yusuke, do you want to talk about it? It might help.” She knew Yusuke was a typical guy who hated to talk about his feelings as well as display them, but perhaps the three days she had spent as a girl had broken down her walls.

Yusuke was silent for a moment before her face contorted into a look of anguish. “How could he do all that?” she howled. “Why would he want to hurt someone like that? I tried to fight back, but he was stronger! He abused me and raped me every chance he got! The worst was when I cried and at times like that, I felt like less of a person!”

Yusuke seemed to be on the verge of tears, but she blinked them away. Botan felt her heart break at seeing Yusuke looking so vulnerable, an unusual thing for both of them. She pulled Yusuke into a comforting hug. “Shh. It’s all right now. Don’t think about it anymore. Get some rest and then you’ll be guy again.”

“Thanks, Botan. Talking did help,” Yusuke said as she laid down and fell asleep.

Botan left and headed to Koenma’s office where everyone was gathered. Everyone had either a grim face or a worried one; Koenma was one of the worried faces. “Botan, how is she?”

“She’s emotionally scarred. What he did to her seems to have broken her spirit. The sooner she back to normal, the better.”

“Yes, that’s what rape does to the victim,” Kurama said. “Yusuke will need every bit of support we can give.”

“More than you know, Kurama,” Hiei said, looking and sounding grim.

“What do you mean?” Botan asked.

“I took a look at her with my Jagan on the way here. It would appear that she’s pregnant.”

“What!?” Kuwabara exclaimed angrily. “She’s pregnant with that bastard’s child!?”

“Well, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Botan said. “Yusuke will be a guy again and that’ll solve the problem.”

Hiei shook his head. “It’s not that easy. You try to change her back now, the sample will be wasted and she’ll never change back. The only solution is to let the pregnancy proceed and a few hours after birth will be the ideal time to change him back.”

“You’re saying that either the child or Yusuke’s body will stop the human blood from working?” Kurama asked.

“It’s an ice apparition’s way of protecting the child from harm.”

“How do you know all that?” Kuwabara asked. “I get that you’re half ice apparition, but still.”

“I asked Yukina about ice apparitions. When I learned that half of me was ice, I wanted to know more about them and Yukina was willing to share a lot of information. One thing she didn’t share was how long a pregnancy could last. We should be sure to ask when we get back to Genkai’s.”

“Yusuke needs to know,” Koenma said.

“She’s sleeping right now,” Botan protested. “She needs to sleep in order to heal a little and when she awakes then we tell her.”

“Very well. Botan, you and Hiei will tell her.”

&&&&

Yusuke opened her eyes and lay there. Her body was still sore but at least it and her hair were clean. If only she could have her mind washed clean as well. I’m a guy, but I’ve been acting like a girl, most likely because my body is female and probably influenced my thoughts and actions. I always considered rape as a sick thing before I experienced it. Now, I know how humiliating and breaking it is. That’s what’s happened to me: I’ve been broken and I don’t know how to move past it. Even when I change back, I’ll still have problems dealing with it.

She heard footsteps approach her room and the door opened to reveal Hiei and Botan. The ferry girl went to Yusuke’s side and started healing again. “So, I’m going to change back after this?” she asked. She saw Botan bite her lip and Yusuke looked at Hiei.

“It’s not that simple,” Hiei said. “I used my Jagan to look over your injuries and I discovered that you’re pregnant.”

“What?” she whispered.

“An ice apparition that’s pregnant will destroy any attempt to harm the baby. If we tried to change you back, the blood sample will be destroyed and you’ll be stuck as a girl. We’ll change you back after you’ve given birth; it’s the only solution.”

“No!” Yusuke screamed. “I will not have that monster’s kid! No, no, no!”

“You don’t have a choice!” Hiei snapped.

“The hell I don’t! I could kill myself and that would solve the problem!”

Hiei sighed and used his Jagan to put Yusuke to sleep. As he and Botan left, he said, “You might want someone to watch Yusuke to make sure she doesn’t commit suicide.”

“I didn’t expect her to overreact like that, but then again, I do understand why.”

&&&&

Three pairs of eyes widened at Botan and Hiei’s report. “Suicide?” Kuwabara finally said. “She’s seriously considering suicide, just to avoid having the baby?”

“That was the last thing she said before I used my Jagan to put her to sleep,” Hiei said.

“Well, we will not let that happen,” Koenma stated. “I will definitely have Yusuke put on suicide watch to make sure she doesn’t succeed.”

“I recommend that the team be the ones on this suicide watch,” Kurama suggested.

Koenma nodded. “Agreed. Any volunteers for the first watch?”

Kuwabara stepped forward. “I’ll take the first watch.”

“And I’ll take the second,” Botan added.

“All right. Kuwabara, go ahead and start now. Botan will relief you in say, half an hour?”

Kuwabara nodded and left the office. A second or even a third watch won’t be necessary, cause I’m gonna talk Urameshi out of contemplating suicide. Kuwabara walked into the room to see Yusuke awake and staring at the ceiling. He knew she was still alive as she was blinking every few seconds. He cleared this throat and Yusuke struggled to a sitting position, wincing slightly. He found it hard to believe that this girl was his close friend; she seemed so fragile and weak; like Yukina. Well, Urameshi is an ice apparition like Yukina, so it makes sense. But fragile and weak are not what Urameshi is and I’ll make sure she gets her fighting spirit back.

“I would have thought that Botan had healed all those bruises,” Kuwabara said, sitting in a chair by the bed.

“Most are gone. It’s just stiff muscles.”

“Botan and Hiei told us how you reacted when they told you you’re pregnant.”

“Yeah. I keep re-living every rape and then the bombshell that I’m…pregnant.” She laid back down again.

“You shouldn’t torture yourself like that, Urameshi.” He saw tears prickling at the edges of Yusuke’s eyes. The idea of Yusuke crying was too much to him; this was not how his friend should be acting. “Hey, it’ll be all right.”

“No, it’s not all right!” Yusuke exclaimed, sitting up suddenly which sent the tears flying from her eyes and clattering to the floor as they turned to stones. “It’ll never be all right! I’ve been abused, raped, broken, and now pregnant on top of it! You have no idea how terrible it was! He was a real monster!” She took a shaky breath, wrapped her arms around herself, and lowered her head.

“Urameshi, listen to me. Yes, I have no idea how terrible it was, but you need to get over it. The demon’s in jail and been sentenced to death. I heard he’s been told you’re pregnant and he just laughed.”

“Of course he did. He got away with raping Spirit World’s Spirit Detective.”

“Damn it, Urameshi! Don’t you get it!? He can’t hurt you anymore! This self-pity state isn’t you! It’s not the person I know you are! And as for the baby, if you don’t want it, you could give it to someone else who’ll raise it. But, I’ll bet you’ll want to keep it because you’ll grow attached to it as it grows.”

“You think so?” Yusuke asked, sounding interested instead of sad or angry.

“Course I do. Think of this, if you raise the child, you can make sure it won’t grow up to be anything like its dad.”

“My god, you’re right. I can raise it right. Maybe Keiko would like to help once I explain and we get married.” Her voice held hope and sounded cheerful.

“That’s the spirit, Urameshi. See, everything will be fine.” At that point, Botan walked in; half an hour had passed and it was time for the second watch. Kuwabara left, pleased that he brought his friend out of her depression and that she would raise the baby to be a kind demon.

Chapter Six- Aftermath

Yusuke was soon well enough to be allowed to head back to Human World with the others. It was suggested that Yusuke stay at Genkai’s until she was male again and Yusuke readily agreed; she couldn’t see herself going home and trying to explain why her mother was going to have a temporary daughter. She probably wouldn’t believe me anyway since I don’t really look anything like my guy self.

They arrived at a small hill above Genkai’s home and headed down toward it with Yusuke trailing behind. Some of her injuries were still there, mostly scabs and a few scars and she hoped Yukina would be able to take care of them. She was also a little nervous and embarrassed about showing herself to Genkai and Yukina. There would be questions and the answers were going to be hard to say as well as difficult to hear. It has to be done so that they understand and can help.

The door to the inside was pushed open and the team filed in. “Genkai? Yukina? We need to talk,” Kurama called. His call brought their friends to them. Yukina had a warm smile until she saw Yusuke and then she wore a curious expression. Who was this girl, an ice apparition like herself?

Genkai was likewise curious. She could immediately tell that she was a demon. Her features looked similar to Hiei; the girl could pass for his twin sister, more so than Yukina. “We’re here, Kurama. What’s wrong?”

“It started with an arrest mission, but a rescue aspect was soon added.”

“A rescue,” Genkai repeated. That explains the girl. “And where is Yusuke? I figured he would have been in on this.”

“Yusuke was the one we had to rescue and that’s her.” Kurama gestured to the girl.

Genkai’s eyes widened as she stepped up to her apprentice. “Yusuke? How did this happen?”

“I was supposed to arrest a demon, just me. I needed a disguise to get near enough to arrest him because he would be looking for someone from Spirit World to come after him. Koenma took a sample of my human blood before sticking me with a syringe of ice apparition blood. Hiei was sent as my backup.” She nodded at him.

“She got the demon, Colaban’s attention, but he abducted her before I realized what had happened. I went back to Spirit World to get the others and tell them what happened.”

“Meanwhile, Colaban was raping and torturing me the three days he held me, even after he learned who I really was. He drugged me on two occasions. One was just to paralyze me. The other was making me agree to what he wanted. The others got me out and while Botan was taking care of me, I was told that I’m pregnant.”

“Oh!” Yukina suddenly understood why Yusuke was still a girl.

“Yeah,” Yusuke said, correctly interpreting Yukina’s comment. “Koenma still has my human blood sample as I have to let the pregnancy proceed.”

“And why is that?” Genkai asked.

“Because an ice apparition’s body will do what is necessary to protect the baby,” Yukina answered. “If Yusuke wants to be male again, she needs to have the baby and then a few hours after birth would be the first opportunity to change her back.”

There was silence for a couple of minutes as awkwardness descended on the group. It was broken when Yusuke gave a small gasp and put a hand on a pant leg. “Urameshi?” Kuwabara asked.

“Sorry, one of my bruises throbbed,” she said apologetically.

“I thought you said they were gone.”

“I said most were gone, plus I still have some scars and scabs.”

“Yukina, take Yusuke to a spare room and tend to…her,” Genkai said. “The rest of you can go home.” The ice maiden nodded before leading the detective to another room. Genkai’s suggestion made it clear that Yusuke was staying there for her entire pregnancy and she was grateful that she didn’t have to ask for a room and have to explain why.

Yusuke sat in front of Yukina as she worked to heal some of the scars and bruises that Botan couldn’t do anything to heal them. She was thoughtfully silent as her injuries were being tended to until she said, “Yukina, as I said before, I was told that I’m pregnant. I want to know if you could confirm this and how long it will last.”

“Of course I can,” she replied. She moved her glowing hands over Yusuke’s abdomen. The hands stopped glowing as she pulled them back and nodded. “Yes, you are definitely pregnant. I know you didn’t want this, but you have no choice but to carry it and give birth. The entire thing will take three months.”

“Three months,” she repeated. “Okay, so I’ll be a girl for three more months. Well, that’s better than the nine months humans have.”

“There is something you need to know about the birth process,” Yukina said. “At the moment you give birth, you’ll shed a single tear that’ll be different from the other tears you’ve already shed.”

Yusuke inwardly groaned at the thought of crying again, but merely nodded and said, “Thanks for telling me.”

&&&&

There was a knock at her bedroom door at Genkai’s home the next day and she winced slightly as she sat up. “Come in.” The door slid opened and Hiei entered, sliding the door closed behind him. She smiled slightly. “Hey, Hiei.”

Hiei looked at her for a moment before lowering his gaze. Her words and tone were typical Yusuke, but the voice wasn’t. She probably didn’t blame him for anything that happened, but he sure did. If he hadn’t agreed to donate his blood, Yusuke wouldn’t be female, pregnant, and tortured. The image of her lying in the cell, naked and battered, was burned in his mind.

“Hiei?” Yusuke prompted.

Hiei clenched his fists and closed his eyes. “Yusuke, I’m sorry,” he said evenly. “This is all my fault.”

“You didn’t make Colaban kidnap me or do all those awful things to me.”

“Yusuke, if I hadn’t agreed to the plan, none of it would have happened.”

“Actually,” Yusuke said softly. “Even if I was male, he still would have raped and tortured me. He probably would have killed me long before any of you got there.”

“He confessed that he had planned to kill you the next day if we hadn’t shown up hours after your recent rape and torture.”

Yusuke paled. “He was?”

“Yes. You must have ticked him off for him to plan that, even though he’s committed murder before.”

“Yeah. I was trying to freeze him solid so that I could escape. Obviously, it didn’t work. Anyway, everything I went through is not your fault, Hiei.”

“I suppose.”

“Trust me, you’re clear. All I want to deal with are my injuries and the baby. I just hope the baby doesn’t look like him.”

“I hope so, too. But, you might have twins. Ice apparitions can have daughters without needing a man. My mother met a man and you know the rest.”

“Twins!? Like one’s not enough?”

“It could be just one. I’m just telling you so you’re prepared.”

“Hiei, you can determine that with your Jagan, right?”

Hiei smirked. “I know what you’re saying.” He closed his eyes and Yusuke saw a glow under the bandana and then it faded. Hiei opened his eyes and nodded. “Okay, I sense only one baby. You can relax.”

“Thanks, Hiei”

“Hn. Get some rest, detective.”

Yusuke closed her eyes, but her mind was dwelling on the baby. If it’s a girl, I think I’ll call her Hina. I think Hiei would like that and it might lessen whatever guilt he’s still feeling.

Chapter Seven- Keiko and Hina

“Yusuke, you have a visitor,” Yukina said a few weeks later, sticking her head in the door.

Yusuke put down the comic book she was reading. “Send them in,” she said rubbing her one and a half month belly. The door slid open and Yusuke felt like all the blood had drained from her face: It was Keiko!

Keiko stared at Yusuke as she slowly entered the room. She had been told what had happened and she thought she had prepared herself, but it was still shocking to see her boyfriend as a girl and pregnant as well. “Yusuke,” she whispered.

“Hi, Keiko,” she replied softly.

Keiko reached the side of the bed. “Oh my God, Yusuke!” she cried as she flung her arms around Yusuke. “I was told you were a girl. But I just couldn’t picture it until now.”

“Believe me, it took a while for me to get used to seeing me like this, too.”

“Are you saying you like being a girl?”

“No, I’m just saying I had to get used to being a girl when I found out I was pregnant and have to stay this way until after having the baby.”

Keiko’s eyes trailed down to Yusuke’s stomach. “Yeah, that was the other thing I had trouble picturing. I can’t believe what that demon put you through.”

“You and me both. I only hope it doesn’t look like him.”

“Maybe it’ll look like you. I mean, you do make a pretty girl.”

“So I’ve been told.” Yusuke took Keiko’s hand and put it on her stomach.

Keiko blinked. “I felt it move.” She smiled at Yusuke. “So, you want me to be its mother?”

“That’s what I thought. I might tell it the truth when it’s older, like say the age we are now?”

“I think sixteen would be better.”

“Okay, Keiko. Sixteen it is.”

&&&&

Yusuke gasped as she bore down on the labor pains, a month and a half. She had no idea how painful giving birth was, which made sense since she was really a guy and never thought of having sex at her age. Yes, she acted like a pervert with Keiko and with that in mind, she resolved to be less of a pervert from now on. After all, she and Keiko would have a baby to take care of very soon.

She cried out as another stab hit her and she pushed. She felt something between her legs and at the same time, a tear slid down her cheek. After several more pushes, the cry of a baby made Yusuke fall back against the pillow, a relieved and exhausted smile on her face.

“Well, Yusuke, it’s over,” Genkai said. “Three months and your baby’s here. A few more hours and you’ll be male again.”

“Uh, Genkai? What is it? A boy or a girl?”

“Oh, sorry. It’s a beautiful girl.” Genkai passed the bundle to Yusuke.

She could hardly believe her eyes: She looked just like her! There was no trace of her father anywhere! At least on the outside. She had the same red eyes and black hair with white starburst. She couldn’t help but smile as she gazed at her daughter. She allowed Genkai to place the baby in a bassinet a few minutes later as Yusuke slipped into an exhausted sleep.

Yusuke awoke a few hours later to a fiery burn in her blood. She gasped at the feeling and then moaned in a voice that got lower and deeper. Then, she understood: She just had her human blood injected and she was returning to normal. The pain faded and Yusuke sat up and saw his male body which he had missed so much. He saw Hiei, Yukina, and Genkai standing around him. “Heh. Welcome back, dimwit,” Genkai said.

“Thanks, Grandma.”

“I made this for your daughter,” Yukina said, holding up a loop of string from which hung the jewel that Yusuke vaguely remembered shedding when the baby was born.

“Thanks, Yukina.” He watched as she put the jewel around the baby’s neck. Yukina gazed at the baby for a moment before looking at Yusuke. “Have you thought of a name?”

“Yeah, I had one in mind for three months, hoping for a girl. Her name is Hina.”

Yukina’s lips parted slightly in surprise and her eyes widened. “That was my mother’s name.”

Yusuke knew that, of course, but pretended to be surprised. “It was? Wow. Koenma gave me that name as an alias to lure Colaban. I had no idea it was your mother’s name. Is that okay?”

Yukina smiled and nodded. “It’s fine, Yusuke.” She looked at the baby again. “It suits her.”

Yusuke nodded and looked around. “Where’s Keiko?”

“She showed up about an hour ago,” Genkai replied. “I told her to let you sleep and then she could come in. I’ll go get her.” Genkai and Yukina left and a couple of minutes later, Keiko came in. She smiled at the sight of her boyfriend as himself and the bassinet next to him. “You feeling okay, Yusuke?” she asked.

“I’m still a little tired, but I’m fine. Glad to be myself again.”

“I think everyone is.” She nodded at the bassinet. “So, that’s her? Genkai said it’s a girl.”

“Yeah. Her name’s Hina.”

“Hina,” Keiko repeated as she looked into the bassinet. “Oh, Yusuke. She’s beautiful and she looks like you did.”

“I was relieved when I saw her. I look forward to us raising her to be a sweet, kind girl. Perhaps she’ll be a fighter or a healer.”

“One thing at a time, Yusuke. I told my parents about us adopting a newborn and they want to help us with Hina. I think they’re proud that you’re acting more responsible.”

Yusuke nodded. “That sounds great.” He yawned and Keiko gently pushed him down. “You need sleep, Yusuke. It’s been a long three months.”

“No kidding,” Yusuke murmured as he slipped into sleep, dreaming about his daughter’s future.

Chapter Three- Reconsideration

Yusuke groaned as she opened her eyes. She was sore and sticky. She so wanted a bath. She came to the realization that she could feel her arms and legs again; the drug had worn off. She looked over and up at her bound wrists. If I could just get free, I might be able to escape or even fight back. She closed her eyes and tapped the demon energy inside her. A cold breeze rippled down her body, but she didn’t shiver. That’s it, I’ve tapped it. Now, to use it.

She opened her eyes and they were glowing white. She stretched her long delicate fingers toward the ropes and managed to touch them with her fingertips. A coat of frost covered the ropes on her wrists and it raced down the entire length on both sides. The frost hardened to ice and when Yusuke strained her arms, the ropes shattered into pieces of ice.

She sat up, rubbing her wrists as she looked at the ice shards. Not bad for a beginner. Maybe my Spirit Detective training helped. Now, I need to get dressed and get out of here. I don’t care about arresting Colaban; I just want to get as far away from him as possible.

She rolled to the side of the bed where her clothes lay on the floor, wincing slightly at the bruises from the first and second sessions. She had just gotten to her feet when the door opened and Colaban came in with a tray for two. “Good morning, my ice detective. I have a cozy breakfast for two. Oh, don’t worry there’s no drug in any of it this-,” Colaban broke off when he saw Yusuke standing beside the bed. She braced herself for the explosion.

“Well, well. You broke the ropes, or should I say, shattered them?” He looked at the water spots on the sheets and carpet and…smiled. Yusuke couldn’t believe it. Why would he smile?

She was so stunned and confused by his actions that she sat back down on the bed. Colaban sat across from her and put the tray down between them. He pressed a cup of tea into her hands which brought her attention to him. “You seem pleased that I broke free.”

“Oh, yes, quite pleased. I figured sooner or later, you would access your ice powers. I want my mate to be able to defend herself.”

Yusuke swallowed her bite of croissant before saying, “I told you before, I will not be your mate. Is that why you’ve been acting nice to me sometimes?”

“Yusuke, I’m not just a demon, I’m a businessman. I see this opportunity as a business deal as well. In order to win over the client and seal the deal, I need to wine and dine my client. Of course, a little bit of flattery is necessary too.”

That would explain his “ice detective” comment earlier, not to mention bringing food and drink. If he so desires me, why hasn’t he used a drug to make me want his attentions? Heh, maybe he hopes to win me over by treating me with kindness.

“Now, then,” Colaban said, putting the tray aside once the food and drink were consumed and sliding closer to Yusuke. “I think we need to work on our relationship. No sex this time, just casual exploring of each other’s bodies.” Colaban ditched his clothes before tenderly brushing stray hairs from Yusuke’s cheek with the side of his hand so that he could place his hand there.

Yusuke was actually melting at his touch and not disgusted by it. He knows how to please a girl as far as touches go. Hmm, I think I may reconsider his plan for me. I love how his touches make me feel and if I want to continue this good feeling, being his mate would be worth it. I just need to turn on the charm and let him know that I’ve changed my mind.

Colaban was brushing more loose strands off her face when she put her hand on it and gently lowered it to her lips where she kissed the palm while her fingers caressed his knuckles. She released the hand before leaning forward to run her fingers across his muscular chest. She moved her hands to his shoulders and kneaded them with her fingers.

“Mmm,” he said softly. “That feels good. You’ve got the magic touch, my dear.”

“I feel so much tension,” she answered in soft, tender voice, pressing her fingers in deeper. “Or are those muscles I feel?”

“It’s tension all right. Being a businessman can be stressful and I end up tense.”

Yusuke continued to massage; first the shoulders, then down the arms, and back to the chest. Colaban reached out to cup and stroke Yusuke’s breasts and again it felt good and it confirmed her decision earlier: Yes, she’ll be his mate. He was tender and gentle as opposed to the previous times. His hand moved to her stomach and she shivered at his touch. “Yusuke?” he asked, slightly concerned. Was she disgusted at his touches, despite her soft words?

“Sorry. That area’s a bit sensitive.”

“I imagine it would be more so if you were pregnant.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, yes. I’m guessing that you wouldn’t, am I right?”

“I have…reconsidered the idea. I decided to be your mate, after all.”

Colaban’s eyes widened. “You have? You will?”

“Yes. Your touches feel so good and I started thinking that being with you wouldn’t be so bad.”

“You’re starting to realize that being my mate and staying a girl would be preferable?”

She smiled charmingly. “Yes, absolutely.” She put a hand on his cheek and ran it down to his lips.

He kissed her palm before standing, getting dressed, and picking up the tray. “I will return later, my ice detective. Perhaps, we can couple then.”

“Yes. I would like that.”

Colaban stood in the doorway for a moment, drinking in Yusuke’s naked body before closing the door and leaving.

She smiled contently, positively glowing at Colaban’s happiness and that she was the cause of it. He kept saying he wants me as a mate and for me to stay a girl. I was against it, but all that flattery was sweet, his touches were great, and I did think earlier that I like looking like a female Hiei. I can stay the way I am and be Colaban’s loving mate, perhaps even give him some children. Now…I need to practice my powers. After all, he wants me to be able to defend myself and I certainly don’t want to disappoint him or myself.

She held up a hand, palm face-up, and focused on her power. She had no idea what ice apparitions did with their powers, but she had seen Hiei’s fire moves and since she was an ice apparition due to his blood then she could adapt his moves for her ice. She bore down and a plume of ice erupted upward before fading out. Damn. I managed to freeze the ropes, so what’s wrong? Maybe I can freeze objects by touching them like I did the ropes. She spied a jug of water on a windowsill and went over to it before touching it with a finger, focusing on her power. The jug and the water within froze over. Good. Now, what else can I practice on?

&&&&

Yusuke fell asleep after practicing and deeming herself decent for now. She had learned to freeze any size object she chose as well as unfreeze it, much to her surprise. All she had to do was touch the frozen object and will the ice to return. She unfroze everything she had touched so that she would be fully charged when she decided to demonstrate what she learned. Right now, she was curled up with the covers over her body and her clothes draped neatly over a chair. She needed her clothes easily accessible once Colaban decided to let her wear clothes again. She was so exhausted from practice that she didn’t hear Colaban come in.

Colaban entered, quietly closed the door, and smiled at the sight of Yusuke sleeping. She is so beautiful and looks more so when asleep. This will be my future: A beautiful mate asleep in bed when I arrive from work, maybe a child or more in a few years. He removed his clothes, climbed into bed behind Yusuke, and gently shook her shoulder. He heard her murmur his name before rolling over and blearily opening her soft, red eyes. She focused on him and sat up with a gasp.

“Hello, my dear. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Yusuke stifled a yawn. “Hello, honey. It’s all right. I was just so tired.”

“How come?”

“I was strengthening my powers. Practicing wore me out. But it was worth it. I’ll be able to defend myself just as you hoped.”

“That’s good.” He pulled the sheets to expose Yusuke before he climbed on top of her. He planted a loving kiss on her lips as he caressed her arms. He felt her fingers run across his body gently and lovingly. His hands ran over her sides and rubbed her hips before moving them to her butt and down her legs. Yusuke moved her hands up and stroked his horns and she was rewarded with a hum of contentment. Perhaps his horns are a sweet spot. That’s definitely worth noting. She gave a murmur of content as Colaban continued to run his hands up and down her legs. God, that feels so good! Perhaps, this time will be more gentle and loving since I’ve agreed to be his mate.

Colaban grinned at Yusuke’s response to his rubbing. He wasn’t sure if Yusuke would ever succumb to his charms, so he had been pleasantly surprised when she confessed to reconsidering the notion of being his mate, staying a girl, and she may even desire to be pregnant. “Hmm, Yusuke? What do you think about carrying my child?” he asked as he moved up to cup and stroke her breasts.

She put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him closer, his hands pressing down on her breasts. He saw red eyes full of lust and desire. “Oh, yes,” she said, her voice low and breathy. “I would love to have your child.”

“Then, let’s do it. I promise to be gentler than I was the last two times.”

“That would be nice.”

“All right, then.” He inserted his manhood into Yusuke’s body and began to slide it in and out, gently and slowly before going faster and faster, but always gentle each time. She moaned with each thrust, but soon she was saying, “A little harder, please.” Her voice had a pleading tone to it and he found he could hardly say no to her.

“You’ve got it,” he answered before thrusting harder and faster still. She screamed in delight and her screams excited and aroused him in a way he hadn’t felt before. What was it with this kid? He was feeling true attraction and love for her and why not? She had already given herself over to him. She’s mine. No female’s ever returned my affections, mostly because I just wanted to rape them. But, Yusuke, she’s different. Yes, she’s originally a guy who had been planning to arrest me. Now, she’s decided to stay with me and together we’ll have a life and a family. It’s my dream come true.

He kept thrusting, harder and faster with each insert. Yusuke continued to scream in delight and when he fired into her, she screamed his name in absolute ecstasy. He responded by calling out her name as well before rolling over to lay beside her. He panted from the effort and he heard her breathing just as hard. He looked at her to see complete and total affection for him in her eyes. They sparkled for a moment before a tear escaped from both her eyes and became stones that joined a small pile between them. He felt bad that he made her cry during their coupling, as much as he wanted to have jewels to sell.

He brushed some strands from her face. “I’m sorry, my dear. I didn’t mean to make you cry this time.”

“It’s all right,” she answered. “They were made out of love, not pain and I think they are even more beautiful.”

He looked at them a little closer. “You know, I think you’re right.” He gathered them up and put them on the bedside table before turning back to Yusuke and pulling her toward him so that her head was against his chest. He sighed as he hugged her and fell asleep with his arms around her. She snuggled her head against his chest and fell into a contented sleep, feeling safe and secure in the arms of a demon she had hated and now loved deeply.

Chapter Four- Rescue?

Yusuke awoke to find herself alone and naked. I guess he went to work, though I don’t know what he does for a living. She stared at the chair where she had draped her clothes; they were still there and she wondered if she would be allowed to keep them on if she went and got dressed. Only one way to find out, she thought as she got out of bed, went over to the chair, and started to pull her clothes on. She had just finished tying back her hair when Colaban walked in and smiled at her.

“Ah, good, you’re awake and dressed too. I have breakfast waiting.” He offered an arm to her and she took it, looping her arm through his as he guided her through his home. He pointed out some points of interest and she listened to every word. He noticed her attentiveness and deduced that their sex last night was no trick on Yusuke’s part. She did love him and was willing to have his child. He opened the dining hall doors to reveal a lavishly decorated room complete with a long table with many chairs. There were two place settings at the far end and it was here where Colaban and Yusuke sat with him at the head and her on his right. The servants brought out the food and poured juice into the shiny silver goblets.

“This looks wonderful,” Yusuke complimented as she began to eat. She noticed that she was eating in a ladylike fashion, but it didn’t bother her; she had decided to stay a girl, so she needed to act like one.

“Thank you, dear. My chefs use only the best ingredients and they are also the best in their profession.”

Yusuke nodded at this. “It shows. By the way, I was wondering. What kind of business do you have, anyway?”

“I’m glad you asked. I can’t believe I didn’t tell you earlier. I specialize in making jewelry and clothes for high-profile demons. My clients pay well and I make sure that my merchandise is worth the price. Of course, your Hiruseki stones fetched high prices and the ones from last night were the highest-priced ones.”

“I’m happy that they brought in a lot of money.”

“Would you be willing to make more?”

“Whenever you want. You know, I’ve never been happier in my life than I am right now.”

“I feel the same way.” A servant put a small covered dish in front of Yusuke. “That makes what I’m going to say even better.” He put a hand on the cover and removed it to reveal a small black box. He picked it up and opened it to reveal a gold ring with a spiral design etched on the band. It was topped with a large diamond encircling one of Yusuke’s Hiruseki stones. “Will you marry me?”

Yusuke’s eyes widened at the exquisite detail of the ring as well as the size of the jewels. She beamed a huge smile at Colaban. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Colaban lifted Yusuke’s left hand and slid the ring onto her third finger; it was a perfect fit. He continued to hold her hand as both examined the ring as well as its placement. Finally, Colaban said, “Yusuke, I promise to make you the happiest demon alive.”

“And I promise to be worthy of that honor.”

“I have another surprise for you. In the center of this house, I have new clothes for you, including a choice of wedding dresses. Would you like to see them?”

“Yes, I would.”

“Then, come along and choose what you like.”

&&&&

Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yoko crouched on a cliff edge that overlooked the sprawling mansion and saw heavily-armed guards marching around the perimeter or manning the weapons mounted on the roof. A high fence with sharp points on the top encircled the building and a heavy steel door doubtlessly protected another door behind it. The steel door itself had a barred door in front of it.

“Man, Koenma wasn’t joking about the security,” Kuwabara commented.

“Yes and I have no doubt that there are more guards inside as well as security cameras,” Yoko pointed out.

“Hn. The security doesn’t bother me. I was hoping for a big fight.” Hiei still blamed himself for Yusuke’s abduction even during the three-day hike to the mansion. Hiei unsheathed his sword and charged down the cliff’s sloped side and into the midst of guards before either of his teammates could make a move. By the time, they did and joined the fire demon, he had annihilated half the perimeter guards and the roof weapons had started firing.

Hiei must feel real bad about failing Urameshi, Kuwabara thought as he slashed through some guards. Not that he failed, technically. He just thought Urameshi could handle it. Kuwabara noticed that he was avoiding using a pronoun when he thought of Yusuke. He knew that Yusuke was in disguise and yet couldn’t bring himself to think of Yusuke as a she. Maybe it’ll hit me once I see my friend.

&&&&

Yusuke was admiring the various wedding dresses when an alarm began to shriek. She jumped in surprise and looked at the flashing red light on the wall with concern. Colaban, however, looked at it with amusement. “It seems we have uninvited guests. I suspect our guards and the roof weapons will take care of them or persuade them to turn back. Now,” he turned back to his fiancée. “I suggest this long veil. It will make a good show when I lift it to give you our wedding kiss.”

Yusuke ran her fingers over it; it was silky smooth and slid over her fingers easily. “Yes, it is perfect and I think I see the dress I would like to wear.” She picked up a hanger that had a dress with short puffy sleeves, a plunging v-neckline, and a narrow waist that finished with a tight skirt and a lacy cover over it. The front of the skirt had a slit up it that would reveal Yusuke’s legs as she walked. A medium-length train extended behind it.

Colaban grinned at the dress, particularly the skirt’s front and the neckline. “Yes, I like it. We’ll put that, the veil, and the rest of your clothes in our bedroom. I’ve got a walk-in closet they can go in.”

&&&&

Yoko had taken a roundabout path to the mansion by sticking it the woods. He reached the edge of that faced the eastern side and swiftly used his whip to scale the fence, avoiding the sharp tips. He entered through a window and used his whip again to destroy the cameras that lined the hall. I need to find the control room so that I can disable all of the security measures simultaneously. He took off down the hall, eliminating more guards and cameras as he went. He found the control room quickly and with one long crack of his whip, took out the demon there and tore through the computer consoles.

Hiei and Kuwabara saw the fence retract into the ground and the barred and steel door rise up into the door frame while their opponents lay dead or severely injured. “Looks like Yoko destroyed the controls,” Hiei noted with a smirk. “Good.” He headed for the door with Kuwabara right behind him. I only hope Yusuke’s still alive.

&&&&

Yoko prowled through the house, searching for Colaban. They were required to bring him in alive, but Yoko knew Hiei would be more likely to kill Colaban, so it was imperative that the silver fox found him first.

He found him in a room located in the center of the house and he wasn’t alone; Yusuke was with him. She stood beside the demon, holding his hand, and looking at Yoko with something like alarm on her face. Colaban looked at the fox with annoyance. “Didn’t anyone teach you that it’s rude to barge into someone’s home, uninvited?”

Yoko didn’t deign to answer. Instead, he flicked his wrist and Colaban was ensnared far faster than he thought possible. Yusuke screamed as he strained against the whip, wincing slightly as the thorns digging into his flesh. He continued to struggle, however, until he saw the tip of a razor-sharp sword at his throat. He looked past the weapon to see a demon who could pass for a male version of Yusuke.

“Let her go!” he growled. He pressed the tip of his sword meaningfully against his throat and a few drops of blood seeped out. “I said, let her go.”

“Hiei! Stop it! He’s not holding me!” Yusuke exclaimed, pushing the sword away and freezing the whip into shards before turning to Colaban and using her power to heal the marks.

“Urameshi! What are you doing?” Kuwabara said. “He’s the enemy. We here to arrest him and rescue you.”

“I don’t need to be rescued,” she replied coldly, turning around to face them.

“Huh?” Kuwabara said. He glared at Colaban. “What did you do to her?”

“He did nothing, except be charming,” Yusuke said. “He expressed a desire that I be his mate and stay female and I found that it’s not such a bad idea. Earlier, he proposed and I accepted.” She held up her hand to show off the engagement ring.

Her teammates stared at her and then at the ring. This couldn’t be right. Yusuke fell in love with her captor, decided to stay female, and accepted Colaban’s proposal? There was no way Yusuke would do that willingly. She had to be under the influence of some kind of drug.

Hiei sheathed his sword and pulled out the syringe filled with Yusuke’s blood. “Hn. Time to wake up, detective,” he said as he zipped forward and jabbed the needle into her arm, injecting the blood into her. He removed the syringe once it was empty and stepped back. Yusuke’s change into a female demon had been immediate and he suspected that her change back to a human male would be immediate, too.

Yusuke was horrified when Hiei stabbed the syringe of her human blood into her arm and emptied its contents into her bloodstream. They were trying to take her away from her beloved! I won’t love him if I’m a guy! Or will I? I suppose I still will because I’m still attracted to him. I won’t let them break us apart. I’ll fight them if they try. She waited to feel her blood burn as well as feel dizzy. It didn’t come. She looked down to see that she was still female. Why didn’t I change back? Not that I mind. I prefer to stay as I am as well as where I am.

“What the hell?” Hiei said when Yusuke failed to change back. His Jagan flared to look Yusuke over and his eyes widened at what he saw: Yusuke was pregnant! Damn, no wonder it didn’t work. Pregnant ice apparitions’ bodies destroy any attempt to harm the unborn child. I used the only sample of Yusuke’s blood and her body destroyed it, leaving her as a female demon forever.

“Why didn’t it work?” Kuwabara asked. “Shouldn’t Urameshi be a guy already?”

“It didn’t work because she’s pregnant,” Hiei stated flatly. “An ice apparition’s body will destroy any attempt to harm the child. That syringe contained all the blood I took from her before the mission started and now it’s gone. Yusuke will never be able to change back.”

“Well, good,” she shot back. “I love him and we are getting married. You can tell Koenma that I quit as spirit detective and I’ll be living here from now on.”

“Urameshi...” Kuwabara said, stunned.

“You heard my fiancée,” Colaban said. “She loves me and we’re getting married. Go and don’t you dare come back. If you do, I will personally kill you.”

The team exchanged looks before leaving the room and the house. Kuwabara glanced back at it as they left. “I can’t believe that Urameshi would willingly marry that demon or that she’s having his kid.”

“Clearly she is,” Yoko said. “Somehow, she became attracted to him and eventually fell for him. It seems there is nothing we can do. We have no way to change her back and she has made it clear that she wants to stay.”

Chapter Five- Wedding

Koenma’s eyes went wide as the team made their report. “Yusuke’s pregnant and in love with Colaban?” he gasped in shock.

Hiei nodded. “We’re not sure how she fell in love with him, but it’s clear that he managed to impregnate her because when I tried to change her back, it failed and only by being pregnant could the attempt fail.”

“I want an explanation from her,” Koenma demanded. “She can go back to Colaban if she wants to, but I want to hear from her first.”

“That will be difficult,” Kurama said. “Colaban made it clear that if we came back he would personally kill us.”

“I’ll go,” Botan spoke up. “You said if you three come back, he’ll kill you. But, he didn’t say about killing someone else who approaches.”

&&&&

Yusuke had watched her teammates, or ex-teammates since she had just quit, leave before putting a hand on her stomach. I’m pregnant? That’s why I’m still a girl? Well, that’s wonderful news! I’ve been wanting to have Colaban’s child and now I will be!

Colaban took Yusuke by the waist and brought her up eye level before giving her a passionate kiss which Yusuke returned with equal passion. Once they parted, Colaban said, “Well, we got our wish. We’re going to have a baby and it’s thanks to it and your body that you will be staying female.”

“I know. I’m happy knowing that I’ll be living here with you and giving you a child.” She gave a little giggle. “You did say before that you would like to see me pregnant and now you’ll be able to.”

“It’ll only be for three months. I know a lot about ice apparitions and their methods of producing offspring. They can actually have daughters on their own without needing men. I heard that twins could result if they meet a man and have sex with him.”

“I know it’s happened at least once not that long ago.”

“Ah, so it is possible. My dear, we could be expecting twins ourselves.” He put a hand to Yusuke’s stomach and smiled.

She put a hand on top of Colaban’s hand. “So, do we wait until after I give birth to hold the wedding or should we have it soon?”

“Soon. After all, you have a dress already and I simply need to be fitted for a tuxedo as well as someone to wed us. That’s really all we need.”

“Great. Do you mind if I head outside and see if any of the guards are still alive? I would like to be able to heal them if I can.”

“I’ll go with you. It’s my duty to see to the welfare of my guards if they are to protect me and my home, although it’s your safety and home they will be protecting as well.” The couple left the room and out the front door to see that the guards were either dead or severely injured. Yusuke went to the first of the injured guards and started to heal his injuries. Her training as a Spirit Detective served her well as it increased her healing ability and the guard was soon on his feet, not fully recovered but reasonably well. Yusuke moved on to the next guard as Colaban stepped up to the first one.

“Master, isn’t that the girl you kidnapped? The one you said was actually Yusuke Urameshi in disguise?”

“She is indeed. But, she’s not my captive anymore. She’s now my fiancée. She came to realize that being my mate and staying a girl was preferable to torture. We’ve also learned that she’s pregnant.”

“Master that is wonderful news! Congratulations!”

“Thank you. Now, go to the Control Room and try to repair the damage done to it. I want the security system up and running by tomorrow.”

“Yes, Master.” The guard hurried inside to do his duty while Yusuke went around, healing injured guards the best she could. The ones she had already helped were ordered to bury the dead ones from both the perimeter and inside the house.

Yusuke moved to the east side of the house to find more guards, but there didn’t seem to be any. Perhaps, the woods provided a natural defense. She glanced at the trees before turning around to look at an open window. Hmm, maybe that’s how they got in. I could see Yoko using his whip to scale the fence and open the window. The bushes behind her rustled and she turned to see Botan in the shadow of the woods.

“Yusuke!” she hissed. “I want to talk to you.”

Yusuke hesitated. Did Botan really want to talk to her or was this a trick? “I don’t know. You could be trying to trick me.”

“I promise I just want to talk. I won’t try to take you away.”

“All right.” She followed Botan into the forest several feet in before the ferry girl stopped and turned around.

“Koenma wants an explanation of what happened before the guys came here to try to rescue you. I volunteered to hear it from you so that I could report back to him.”

“Well, he did rape me a couple of times. But then, he started acting nice to me and when we were casually touching each other, I enjoyed it. I wanted to keep that feeling and knew that being his mate would do the trick. He really wanted a mate and a child and I think deep down he was lonely. I fell in love, Botan. He’s not really a bad person.”

“Not a bad person!? Yusuke, he’s a murderer, rapist, and slave trader! How is that not bad?”

“When you put it that way, of course it sounds bad. My being his fiancée is changing him a little.”

“Wait. Fiancée? You’re engaged!?”

Yusuke held up her hand. “That’s right and we’ll be getting married soon once he’s got a tux and finds someone to wed us. I think he wants to see me in the wedding dress I already picked out. It won’t fit once the child starts growing.”

“Yusuke! Where are you, sweetheart?” came Colaban’s voice from somewhere nearby.

Yusuke’s face lit up at hearing the voice before calling out, “I’m coming!” before turning back to Botan. “Well, you got your answer so you can report back to Koenma.” Yusuke dashed out of the woods to her lover who led her back inside the house while Botan left for Spirit World.

&&&&

“Engaged? She not only fell in love and got pregnant, but she’s engaged as well?” Koenma said, stunned.

“Yeah, we, uh, forgot to mention that,” Kuwabara said. “I think the shock of hearing she was pregnant drove it out of our minds.”

“Wonderful,” Koenma groused. “I set out to have Colaban arrested, but my detective allows herself to fall for him and now he’ll never be arrested.”

“Hn, fine,” Hiei said. “Don’t have him arrested. I can sneak in and kill him.”

“What if Yusuke intervenes?” Kurama asked quietly. “Would you kill her, too?”

Hiei hesitated. He respected Yusuke, but the detective he knew was gone. She was now an ice apparition like his sister and with the murderous demon. Still… “I don’t know,” he answered at last.

“It’s probably best to leave them alone,” Koenma said. “They’re happy together and maybe Yusuke can reform him through her love and the child.”

&&&&

Yusuke stood in front of the mirror, admiring her wedding outfit. The dress fit perfectly and adhered tightly to her body. The white tights and white high-heeled shoes complemented the outfit perfectly. She had insisted that Colaban not see her on their wedding day, hinting that it was bad luck to do otherwise. Colaban agreed to her wishes, saying he would meet her in the center room where they had learned of her pregnancy.

She pulled the veil over her head as she grabbed the bouquet and opened the bedroom door to begin her walk down the hall. She passed a servant on the way who fell into step behind her, lifted up the train that was trailing, and continued to follow her soon-to-be mistress down the hall and a flight of stairs. Two lines of guards flanked the path to the center room and each bowed as Yusuke passed. They were grateful to her as she had healed them a week ago. She reached the double doors and a guard on either side opened them so that she could pass without missing a step.

Music played as soon as the doors opened and Yusuke slowed her walk as she stepped inside. She moved in time to the slow music as she headed for the far side of the room where a stately demon stood with Colaban on the right. She reached her fiancée and the servant placed the train on the ground, bowed, and then stood to one side to serve as a witness to the union aside from the one performing the ceremony and the two guards by the door. The music ceased when the demon raised his arms.

“This is a happy day for we are here to join Colaban and Yusuke in the bonds of marriage. The groom and bride have written their own vows for their meeting was most unusual.” He nodded to Colaban to start.

Colaban cleared his throat. “My darling, Yusuke. The moment I saw you at the dance club, I was taken by your beauty. Even though, you were in disguise, I wanted you to be my mate. You were resistant at first and that’s perfectly understandable. My life started looking up when you said you had reconsidered staying female and being my mate. Now, we stand here about to wed and we will soon be parents. Before our witnesses, I promise to love you and care for you the rest of my days.”

“I confess that I resented the fact that I had be disguised as a girl to arrest you. I had intended to make the arrest as quickly as possible. I, fortunately, underestimated you and your desire to have me. I hated you the moment I saw you and more so when you raped me. However, when you put your hand on my cheek, I felt my resistance melting. I then realized that you are a kind, caring demon who does what he has to do to succeed. I fell deeply in love with you and was honored when you asked me to marry you. Before our witnesses, I promise to love you and support you forever.”

The couple turned to pillows beside them and picked up the wedding ring that laid upon them. They turned back to one another and Yusuke extended her hand so that Colaban could slip the ring onto her finger. He extended his in turn and Yusuke put the band on his finger. They then interlaced both their hands together as the demon said, “By your vows, these rings, and my authority, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Colaban slowly and dramatically lifted Yusuke’s veil and pushed it over her head before leaning down and capturing her lips in a sweet, loving kiss. He then swept her up in his arms and approached the doors where two guards stood to pull them open. Colaban carried his wife to the grand staircase where all the other servants were gathered at its foot. Yusuke threw her bouquet over Colaban’s shoulder to the crowd and heard an exclamation of joy as she was carried up the stairs and toward what she knew was going to be a wild wedding night.

Chapter Six- Birth

Yusuke rubbed her swollen month and a half belly with contentment. It was amazing how big she had gotten in the past few weeks and was convinced that there was definitely more than one baby growing inside her. She was advised to take it easy to insure that the babies wouldn’t be harmed. She also didn’t want to harm them and so did as she told. The news that Colaban was married and was soon to be a father, drew attention and jealousy from all over Demon World. Some of Colaban’s rivals sent assassins to eliminate Yusuke and all were unsuccessful for the guards and the roof weapons annihilated most attempts. Some got inside but were brutally killed by Colaban. His murder of the assassins was viewed as protecting his wife and unborn children and no one suggested otherwise.

After one attempt with two assassins, Colaban ordered two guards to be stationed outside the bedroom at all times and he worked from his home office to further insure Yusuke’s safety. He reflected on his life since the wedding. He had stopped raping people, but still murdered and sold slaves in addition to his business of jewelry and clothes designing. Yusuke contributed to his jewelry division by providing Hiruseki stones whenever Colaban asked for them. The stone she produced were far more beautiful than the ones she had produced when she had been raped weeks ago for love was a wonderful feeling as opposed to pain.

A nursery was being decorated next door to the master bedroom and Yusuke was asked her opinion of what colors she wanted in the room. She had originally asked Colaban for his opinion, but he simply smiled and kissed her cheek. “It’s up to you, dear. Whatever you decide is fine by me.” So, she went with shades of white and ice blue to reflect her ice apparition heritage. Once she had selected the colors and how she wanted them, some furniture was moved in: Cribs, changing tables, and a rocking chair.

She had found a book on her kind shortly after the wedding and read in earnest since she reasoned that staying female meant that she needed to learn everything about being an ice apparition. The more she learned, the happier she was that she chose to remain as she was. Her pregnancy also kept her busy as she was often hungry or tired. She wondered if she was going to have twin girls, twin boys, or one of each like Yukina and Hiei. She was advised to refrain from using her powers, reminding her that defending herself was not necessary with heavily-defended house, loyal guards, and of course, Colaban himself. Her husband cuddled with her every night with her against his chest and her hand over her belly and his hand on top of her hand in a protective manner.

&&&&

Yusuke let out a scream as she felt as if the skin between her legs was being torn apart. Being pregnant was far more preferable to giving birth that was for sure! The female servants flitted around her, dabbing at her forehead, patting her hand, and standing by for the arrival of the babies. I wonder what they will look like. I want them to get here soon, but first I have to deal with the labor pains. She screamed again as a stab hit her and she pushed as hard as she could.

“That’s it, Mistress. Push when you feel the stab,” one servant said encouragingly.

“Funny that I know… what to do, considering I’ve… never been pregnant,” she panted. She gasped and pushed again.

“I think I see something,” a servant by her legs said.

“I feel it,” Yusuke countered. “Trust me, something’s definitely coming.” She pushed again and again, feeling whatever it was sliding out from between her legs. She gasped as a tear slid down her cheek and a baby’s cry sounded. There were gasps and all sorts of happy sounds from the servants as the baby was bundled and taken to the other side of the room to be washed and diapered. Yusuke wanted to know what the baby was and what it looked like, but the labor pains prevented her from asking and reminded her that the baby’s twin was ready to come into the world as well. She repeated the same process with the second baby, including a tear when it was born. The second child was bundled and taken to be washed while one servant dabbed her forehead and collected the two stones that had been shed for the twins; each stone would be placed on a cord before being put on the babies.

Yusuke struggled to prop herself on the pillows before saying, “Will someone tell me about my children?”

“Yes, Mistress. You have one boy and one girl. The firstborn is the boy. Might I say, Mistress, both are beautiful.”

“I was hoping for one of each. I’m glad I got my wish.” Two servants came forward and each put a baby in the crook of each elbow. At that point, the door opened and Colaban came striding in.

“I was told the children are here and came as fast as I could.”

“Dear, we have a boy and a girl,” Yusuke said. “Come see.”

Colaban sat beside Yusuke and gazed at the babies with her. Both had Yusuke’s red eyes and Colaban’s tanned skin, but the boy had Colaban’s brown hair and horns while the girl had Yusuke’s black hair with a white starburst.

“They’re wonderful,” Colaban said softly. “Tell me, sweetheart: Have you thought of any names?”

“I had one in mind for a girl, but none for a boy which is odd considering I wanted one of each. I was thinking of naming the girl Hina.”

“That’s a perfect name. I had a boy name in mind for some time as it turns out: Yuto.”

Yusuke smiled. “Yuto and Hina. Perfect, just perfect.”

“Just as we are a perfect pair.”

Yusuke nodded. Colaban was right: They were a perfect pair and together they would raise two perfect children to either follow in their father’s footsteps or their mother’s one day.