"Daddy is in trouble… He will be hurt… On his mission… Daddy will get hurt…"
Shizuru remembered Samaru's ominous warning he had said nearly an hour earlier. She knew Hiei was strong and could handle things, and she probably wouldn't take Samaru seriously if she didn't know that his predictions were about 95 percent of the time correct. What if he really is in danger…? she thought as she stared up at the ceiling of her house as she lay alone in bed. Picking up a cigarette and her lighter, she hastily lit up and quickly went through a few smokes. Sighing, she snuffed her last one out in the ashtray on the bedside table and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Pulling on a dark red, sleeveless shirt over her silk undershirt, Shizuru made up her mind. She was going to go find Hiei… But I can't leave Samaru here by himself… she thought, biting her lower lip. I guess I'll just have to bring him with me. Who knows? Maybe he can help…
She walked quickly to Samaru's bedroom and pushed open the door. There was a loud creaking sound as the old, wooden door swung open, revealing Samaru, half-asleep, silhouetted in the eerie moonlight.
"Samaru…" Shizuru called. "Samaru…"
Samaru's periwinkle-blue eyes snapped open and he rolled over under the covers to stare at his mother. He blinked, his way of saying, "What is it?"
"Samaru, honey, come on…" Shizuru walked further into Samaru's room and held out her hand. "We're going to go look for Daddy."
Samaru sat up, his head cocking to one side, letting his whitish-gray hair fall past his shoulders. "Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked cryptically in his quiet, portentous voice.
Shizuru hesitated for a moment. She didn't like the way Samaru had said "Are you sure you want to do that?"… it sounded very foreboding… After a minute's pause, however, Shizuru answered, "Yes." I won't lose another man in my life! I can't! Not now after all these years… "But we won't be going alone," she assured her son, who only blankly stared back at her. "I'm going to call my friend Botan; she can help us."
---
The phone rang in Botan's duplex late that night. Botan's two children, Talya and Michiru, were sound asleep on air mattresses that they had brought from Luna's, and Botan was the only one up. Please don't let it be the landlord or the bank… Botan moaned.
She picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Botan? It's Shizuru."
"Hello, Shizuru…" What could she want…? And at this hour…?
"Listen, you know about that mission that Hiei and Yusuke were sent on, don't you?" Shizuru asked on the other end.
"Er… yeah…" Botan sighed, not really wanting to be reminded of it.
"My son Samaru had given me a warning earlier tonight," Shizuru said, "and now we're going to try to go find him."
"But why?"
"I want to make sure… make sure he's safe," Shizuru finished quietly. "I'm worried about him."
Botan said nothing.
Shizuru continued, "Anyway, Botan, my question is, could you give us a lift to Spirit World? We're going to try to find out where they went."
"But, Shizuru… I can't leave my kids here!" Botan cried.
"Chill out, keep your shirt on, Botan," said Shizuru. "I'm sure we can dump 'em at Luna's house, couldn't we? Please, I really want to see Hiei!"
Botan sighed. "All right… I'll come and pick you up in a few minutes…"
---
"You mean Koenma went with them?" Botan asked Koenma's blue ogre, Jorge, when the three of them flew into Spirit World on her oar. "He's not here?"
"No, and he left Jorge all alone…" Jorge wiped away his tears and sniffed. "Jorge wanted to come with…"
"There, there…" Botan comforted the poor, lonely ogre with a pat on the shoulder, then asked him, "Well, do you know where he went?"
"He went to some guy named Kakugai's house in northern Alaska."
"I see…" Shizuru said with a nod. "Come on, Botan, Samaru, let's go…"
---
A/N: This chapter was boring, yes, but it was one of those obnoxious-yet-necessary fillers. The next one will be better.
NEXT TIME – BROKEN FRIENDSHIP!