Prologue

Dawn was not her favorite time of day. Dawn was an evil hour, especially when she'd been up far too late the night before, keeping an eye on some demons who had just crossed into the human world.

But dawn was also a beautiful, peaceful hour in which she could do a small bit of exercise without being remarked on, and she never really had been able to pass that up. Getting out before most of the people in this town, before the cars clogged up the streets and the noise made the day less lovely, had been her master's idea.

It was a good one, like most of Master Genkai's ideas. It let her reach for unfamiliar energy before it posed a threat, and didn't get muddied with the other hundreds of humans that would be wandering around soon enough.

Kimiko Urameshi let the shade drop over her window, yawning as she pulled on her usual jogging clothes, and tied her long hair back into a tight braid. Lucky for her, she didn't have work until the afternoon hours, so she could take a nap after she finished her route. Maybe she could even decide if today was going to be the day she actually did something about a certain shop on her route.

She stretched a little as she stepped out the door, patting the pockets of her windbreaker for her phone, keys, and headphones, then locked the door behind her and headed down the stairs to street level. There was a slight mist on the road this morning, which she rather liked, since it lent itself to an ethereal air.

She stretched a little more, taking in a deep breath of the crisp morning as she put in her earbuds and started the music, then set off along her route. It wasn't quite the same as when she went to her master's compound and stretched out her mind; here in the city, thoughts fell into patterns, but sometimes that wasn't such a bad thing. It gave her a chance to analyze what her next move could be.

It was funny to realize she'd been in the city for eight years now, and working at the same bookshop for all of that. But then, routine had been a comfort in her life, and she'd had to carve this one out with minimal help. Her working hours had enough flex to them to be enjoyable, and most of the time she liked her manager, her boss, and the coworkers that came and went. Botan especially was a fun person to be around, occasionally complaining about Koenma working them much too hard when he ordered new stock that they had to somehow fit into the store, and never protested when she asked for time off to go train with Master Genkai, or visit her family two towns over. Funnier still to realize that she regarded most of it as her territory, even though she'd run across other demon hunters every now and again.

Well, it was hard to forget the place where one made their first kill.

She pushed that thought away with a faint shudder; she hated having to kill. She would if forced, but her preferred method of dealing with demons was beat them senseless, and send them back. Or even just talking to them, because sometimes they were just freaked right on out. Those ones usually weren't in the human realm by choice, though.

She rounded the corner, absently noting a car that passed by, stirring up the mist into new patterns that curved lazily around the sidewalk. It was going to be a hot day, again, but that's what July was all about; heat and suffering. She was going to have to get a week soon, and go visit her master, just so she could walk down to a beach that would be empty and enjoy it on her own. Maybe drag her brother and his wife along too... Keiko and Yusuke were fun to be around, most of the time.

Another corner put her on the block she liked best, the one with the fuzzy energy. It was funny, this energy had shown up two years prior, and while it was demonic, something that probably should have put her on edge, there was something to utterly benign about it that she never really bothered to pay it any attention. Well, all right some attention, but the shop owner seemed no threat.

When it had first shown up, she'd done a little bit of snooping; she didn't know too much, but she knew just enough to keep her content. The shop was owned by a young man, roughly around her age or a little older, with long red hair, and eyes that were a startling shade of green. According to rumor, he wasn't seeing anyone, and she had often passed his shop to see it teeming with women. She had seen him too, of course; usually as she made her second lap of the block he'd be there, cleaning and tidying up in preparation for the day.

Not that they'd exchanged two words, but sometimes when she passed, he turned to catch her eye, and offered up a faint smile. Most of the time she nodded in reply, but every now and again she would smile back, either feeling bold, or shy. She could at least confirm the fact that he was very cute.

This was definitely not the day to talk to him, however. Which was, admittedly, what she'd been saying regularly ever since she'd admitted that she might want to.

The mists were thicker as she rounded the third corner, and she slowed, feeling more than the usual run of energy. She reached into her pocket to turn off her music, and pulled out one of the earbuds, listening carefully. After a moment she abandoned her jog, her pretense of being normal, and jumped up to the top of a nearby three story building to get a better view.

She hadn't come by demon-hunting on her own. She had been directed towards it by a series of letters that had started not long after Yusuke had almost been hit by a car. The incident had shaken him enough that he curbed some of his delinquent tendencies for a bit, and had left her feeling strangely vulnerable. He'd drawn much closer to Keiko, and his friendship with Kazuma Kuwabara had evolved from just punching the tar out of one another to mutually antagonistic encouragement. While they had all been willing to involve her, she had often felt that she was just a little off-set from them. Different, but in a way that didn't make much sense.

She mentally rolled her eyes at the memory as she moved from rooftop to rooftop, tacking the energy; the onset of depression thanks to a bizarre mix of hormones and the slow awakening of her ability to feel ghosts and energy had not really been the best thing in the world. But the letters certainly had. They had offered encouragement of a sort that she rarely got; the kind that based absolutely nothing about her on the actions—or lack thereof—of her brother.

True, she had never been able to write back because she had lacked a return address—and had been made to suffer through her brother teasing her mercilessly about a secret admirer—but whoever wrote her knew enough about her to write sincerely about both her strengths and her weaknesses. And after a few months of them, had directed her towards Master Genkai.

She stopped on a flat roof, then peered over the edge into a blind alley where a very confused demon appeared to have just taken a tumble among the garbage. He didn't seem to be causing trouble, just... a little stuck. She watched for a few moments until he righted himself, brushing off some of the grime, then whistled a little, making him jump, and stare wildly around before he looked up. She lifted a hand slightly, then jumped down, neatly missing the pile.

"Lost?" she asked amiably.

"Uh... Yes?" the demon ventured.

"Looking to settle, or get back?"

"Settle, definitely settle."

She stifled a grin, nodding. She'd heard enough about the demon realm to understand why some would prefer to get the hell out.

"Okay. You should blend in all right. Just stay out of dark alleys unless you're trawling for muggers or something."

He did look normal enough. Maybe a shade too pink for a human, but most wouldn't notice it so long as he covered up enough. His hair was dark and rather shaggy, his eyes were a shade of gray-green that could be passed off as color contacts in a pinch, and he even had managed to acquire a nice shirt and slacks. The shoes were a bit scruffy, but on a whole, this was one of the better outfitted demons she'd met.

"Aren't you... going to attack me?"

"Nah," Kimiko shrugged lightly. "I don't see a need for it. I only attack demons who are attacking humans, or who want to fight me. You're just a little lost, which happens to everyone in a new city. You have an idea on where you're going?"

The demon blinked at her, then nodded.

"Okay then. Remember what I said about the alleys. See you!"

There was no point in attacking someone who wasn't going to cause trouble, though she knew there were plenty of hunters out there who did. They seemed to think that all demons were bad; Kimiko knew otherwise, and treated them like the intelligent beings that they were. As long as they didn't cause trouble, she saw no reason to go out of her way to hurt anyone.

She headed out of the alleyway, and checked the time on her phone; jumping roofs had taken her off her route, and of schedule... but it was getting too light to go back the way she'd come. With a sigh, she reinsterted the earbuds, and started the music again; one circuit wasn't going to kill her... and she wanted a nap anyways. She'd just have to miss out on seeing the demon florist this morning.

He had to admit that he was glad to see her quickly trotting past on her way to work as the noon rush hit. Her morning routine, as far as he could tell, was well-set, and even he had a part in it; it had been a bit disconcerting to only see her pass by the one time in the early morning hours.

Shuichi Minamino had little time to dwell on his relief, however; his customers demanded his attention with words and gestures, flirting openly or subtly as was their way. He easily deflected the flirting as was his way, though he and his assistant were kept busy with bundling flowers, taking money and making change.

Some days it felt as though the shop was not truly empty until after closing... there was usually one person, if not more, browsing the flowers and shrubs he had on sale. It made him rather grateful that he could slip out for the afternoons once the part-time help arrived, and relax in the greenhouse that took up most of the lot the shop and apartment stood on. Humans were fascinating, but often times, prolonged contact made them very exhausting as well.

Not that he was inclined to go anywhere at the moment; he might not necessarily be putting his botany degree to good use, but he rather liked the quiet simplicity of owning a flower shop. Especially when he could, quite easily, grow the flowers overnight and have them ready to sell in the morning.

There was something about the air of this city that was comfortable too; oddly familiar but not entirely in a way he could pinpoint. He often picked up flickers of demon energy, but nothing that made its way to where he might have to deal with it. For which he was rather grateful; he liked having a human life, even if he hadn't come to it entirely willingly. And he preferred to avoid demon hunters as well; his energy was not human, and he knew it.

As the first of his afternoon workers walked in, he slipped out, and headed back to the greenhouse to work, allowing himself a few moments to think about the mystery that one woman was. Having never spoken directly to her—she hadn't set foot in the shop, though she'd looked in a few times—he had only theories, but those were based on his observations, and he had always been very good at those.

At best guess, she was a demon hunter of some sort; he could sense she had the energy to take on some of the lesser demons that wound their way to the human world, and her gait when she walked suggested much practice in some form of martial art, if not more than one. She also, every now and again when she passed in the morning, had that too-wary look of someone who was expecting to be jumped.

That said, she seemed like a pleasant person; if she bumped someone, she apologized, if someone smiled at her, she acknowledged it. He'd meant to beckon her into the shop more than once, but every time he'd been about to, something had come up, and he'd been needed to help, or she had turned away too soon, and he lost his chance for the day.

As he entered the greenhouse, and breathed in the comfortable scent of green, he wondered if that was always how it was going to be. He didn't mind it so much with other humans, but something about her made him... curious.

After a moment he just shook his head and picked up the hose; he had plants to tend to, and then food to fetch for supper. It was time to focus on those things, and leave what could be for later.

"Thank you for coming!" Kimiko said politely, closing the door behind the last customer of the night, and locking it with a sigh of relief. "Asshole..."

"He really was unpleasant," Yukina agreed as she lowered the nearby shutters. "I hope he doesn't come back."

"You and me both," Kimiko said, making a disgusted noise as she fetched the broom. "I hate it when people hit on us. We're paid to be polite, not put up with that crap."

"Now, now," Botan said from behind the register. "At least he paid and left quickly. Still, I don't think either one of you should walk home alone."

"What are we gonna walk out as a group?" Kimiko asked, snickering a little. "Don't you and Koenma-san have reconciling to do tonight?"

"Uuuugh, don't remind me," came the tired groan. "We'll be here half the night. Makes me glad we're closed tomorrow!"

"I can walk Yukina-chan back to her place, right Yukina-chan?"

"Oh no, you shouldn't go out of your way for me," the ice maiden protested. "You'll have a much longer walk back!"

"I don't mind," Kimiko said breezily. "I missed out on half my route this morning cause I had to help someone find their way around, and by the time I was done, I was just ready for a nap. Now I have plenty of energy!"

"If you have that much energy, do you think you can run these documents to the post office on your way home?" Koenma asked, handing her a large manilla envelope as he walked out of his office and headed for the back door. "Thanks!"

"Hey, where are you going?" Botan protested.

"Well, if we're going to be here all night, I figured a walk now would be better than later, so I'm going to pick up something to eat."

He slipped out before she could protest again, and Kimiko snickered at the annoyed look on her manager's face.

"At least he knows what to bring back?" she offered.

"Yes, but you know he's only doing it now to escape helping us clean again. Honestly..."

Kimiko and Yukina giggled.

"Well, since he's not here, I'm picking the music for that much, at least," Botan declared, marching over to the store's CD player. "Let's see... Ah, this one should be good!"

Pop music practically bounced out of the stereo speakers, and Kimiko set the manila envelop on the counter so that she wouldn't forget it before she left. Then, the three women set to cleaning.

"Oh, Kimiko-san, I almost forgot, those books your friend Kazuma was asking about have come in," Yukina said as they finished up.

"Ah, okay. I'll let him know he can pick them up the day after tomorrow," she nodded. "He should be happy to see them; apparently his sixth sense has gone a little sideways for the past couple months. I kind of feel for him. Big dope that he is, it can't be fun to have minor control over those skills."

"Is he really bad at it?"

"Well, no, but he's not good at it either. He and Shizuru can sense and see spirits, but can't do too much about them. It's always kind of bugged him, since he's a pretty nice guy, despite being a delinquent. I keep telling him he needs to spend some time with Master Genkai, but he always says he's too busy," she snorted a little, picking up the manila envelope as she passed the counter again. "I should have Shizuru get on his case. He listens to her... C'mon, let's get you home safe and sound, and we'll worry about the goober brain later!"

"Okay."

"Bye-bye Botan-san! Have fun~"

Botan's sigh made her laugh again, and they headed out the back entrance.

Kimiko liked Yukina; she was sweet and innocent, with a very kind heart. She didn't entirely understand humans, but then, she had come from a world in the demon realm that was more or less completely cut off, so she was learning a whole lot of things. Kimiko wasn't entirely certain how she'd found the shop, but she wasn't going to question it either; if she was being honest, she enjoyed Yukina's naivete. It felt like what she'd imagined having a little sister might be like.

"You really don't have to walk me home, Kimiko-san," she said, looking up at the brunette. "Really."

"Really, I don't mind," Kimiko replied, smiling a little. "Besides, I wouldn't put it past that creep to try and be a bigger creep. Now that we're not at work, I can give him a good hard kick if he tries something."

Yukina just shook her head, and Kimiko smirked a little.

"Anyways, have you had any luck in your searching, Yukina-chan?"

"No, not yet, but it's only been a little while. I'm absolutely certain that my brother is out there, though. I can just... feel it."

"Well, don't push yourself too hard. It's gonna get hotter soon," and Kimiko grimaced. "August is always hell."

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be too much trouble."

"Yes, you say this now. Just wait, it will be."

Yukina giggled again at Kimiko's disgusted expression.

They chatted about light things all the way to Yukina's small apartment, where Kimiko left her friend to a relaxing evening at home. Dropping the paperwork at the post office on the way back took only a few minutes, as did hitting up one of her favorite stands for some takeaway. She glanced into the flower shop as she passed it, but there was no sign of the owner; she sighed a little for the missed opportunity, and continued on home. After a brief pause to get her own mail, she climbed three flights of stairs to unlock the door and walk into an empty as ever apartment.

Her keys and cell phone were tossed into the small basket near her door as she kicked off her shoes, and the mail ended up next to her meal on the kitchen table as she changed from her work clothes into a tanktop and shorts, then opened all the windows in the apartment to get some air flowing through. She still preferred having a stuffy apartment to someone trying to break in, but she knew it was going to get miserable sooner rather than later. As always, she made a mental note to buy a fan... and then promptly forgot about it as she flopped down to eat her take out.

After eating, she sent Kazuma a text to let him know his books were in, and reminding him again that she could always introduce him to Master Genkai if he wanted, then one to Shizuru that suggested she lean on Kazuma if the books didn't pan out. Chatting back and forth with the Kuwabara siblings killed more time than she expected, and she didn't start flipping through her letters until a quarter after eleven.

"Phone bill, gas bill, rent, letter from Master Genkai, picture package from Keiko, magazine, magazine, magazine, I am going to kill him for signing me up for this crap, I swear, it's not funny..." she grumbled a little, tossing the fashion magazines to the side. "Electric bill... huh? I could've sworn..."

After a moment she grabbed the magazines and shook them; the familiar letter that lacked a return address fell out, and she made a pleased sound.

"There you are."

She dropped the magazines again, and picked up the letter. It had a specific feel to it that she'd learned to recognize from the start; these days it usually contained both words of encouragement, and a suggestion or two about demons that were not being as peaceful as they ought to be. Ignoring the rest of the mail—she could pay her bills in the morning, damnit—she unsealed the envelop and began reading.

Good job with that last one! She never even saw you coming, and you had her out before she could blink! Finding a new portal must have been tricky; it's been getting harder and harder for us to quickly open and close them, and we know that's not really something you have a lot of skill with. We've been looking about for a hunter who specializes in that sort of thing, to make your style of work easier, but so far, we're coming up empty.

Still, you've done some excellent work these past few months, Kimiko, and we're amazed at your results. Thank you for all of it. We know summer isn't your favorite time to work; it's not ours either! Hopefully we'll be able to relax through the hottest month and have some cool drinks on a beach somewhere, right?

This next one is being tricky; Rando is a master of disguises, and he's a human hunter. He doesn't hunt just any humans, however, he hunts people like Master Genkai and yourself, seeking to steal their techniques and use them for himself. We've received information that suggests he's currently hiding out in the warehouse district in your city, and would like you to take him on, if possible.

Know that, as always, there's no shame in finding an opponent is too strong for you. If you see him, and think him beyond your capabilities, that's understandable. He has, at this point, killed 99 people after stealing their techniques, and he is known to be a ruthless sort of demon, who would not hesitate to use normal humans as hostages.

And if you do decide to take him on, be extremely careful.

~KEJ~

Along with the letter was a check; payment in half just for considering the job, she knew. If she took the job and lost, she'd get another check for the same amount, if she won, she got double. While she had never been sure where the money had come from, between her work at the shop, and her work as a hunter, she was usually pretty good on funds.

After putting the letter and check away, she glanced out her window, then sighed. It was certainly dark enough to go out and be ignored by taking the rooftop route... and with it being her day off, she could spend most of it sleeping. Still, this was going to be two nights running that she got a crappy amount of sleep.

"Oh well," she muttered, getting up to change again. "Better to take a human-hunter before he knows about me, or knows I'm coming. If he's in this area... I bet he's trying to find Master Genkai."

She paused, half into her t-shirt, and snickered a little. As much as she loved and respected her master, it would almost be funny to see this Rando try and take her out. Old Master Genkai was; out of practice and power? Oh most certainly not. Knowing her, she'd beat the demon to a pulp, and then blast his ass all the way back to the demon world.

She pinned up her hair once she was doing, muttering about the lack of hairpins—something she needed to remember to add to her shopping list—then stretched out her shoulders before going to pull on her shoes and breezing confidently out the door.