* Yuu Yuu Hakusho Manga Translation *
* Volume 2: The golden awakening *
* Chapter two (10): Forbidden game! *

Yuusuke: I wonder how was the boy whose dog died the other time.

Botan: Oh! Let's go see how he is then!

Note: The boy was the one in chapter 3 who was always being bullied. Because
of his misery after his dog Jirou's death, Yuusuke put up a great show for
him and helped him set up a new life again.

Man on ground: Refer to details on book 1!

Other person kicking: Hurry up and start!

(at a school, the boy talks happily with the others)

Yuusuke: Wow, he sure looks fine!

Botan: ... hmm... is that so?

Yuusuke: Isn't he having a great time with his classmates?

Botan: That part is true, but... there's a very strange shadow behind him!
That's what I'm worried about...

(a creepy shadow lurks behind the boy, seemingly possessing him)

(the boy and his classmates walk past an old house)

Girl by window: (waves)

Boy: Hi!

Classmate: Hey! Who're you waving at?

Boy: Nothing!

Classmate: There's no one at that house!

Boy: Eh? But that's impossible!

Yuusuke: Possessed by a spirit?

Botan: I should say, he's being targetted by a spirit. A kind person is
easily possessed, if the boy was a little more firm everything would be fine.

Yuusuke: Impossible. Didn't you see the way he waved? The little lecher.

Botan: Smart!

(at the boy's house)

Voice: Come... let's play together!
(a hand reaches out from somewhere)

Voice: Come on! Heheh... over here! Quick!
(boy climbs steps of old house in dream)

Girl: Welcome! let's play together!

Yuusuke: (observing everything) His soul's just escaping in the night to
have some fun. Would it matter? Surely it's all right?

Botan: The boy's a normal human, without strong spirit power. His soul has
been forcibly dragged out! If this continues on, the body won't be able to
take it! It's like a painless operation, where the body gets digged at a
little, day by day.

Yuusuke: Then why're we still behaving like sitting ducks?

Botan: That's right! Such a job belongs to humans of the same genre. You
must go forth and stop him from treading on forbidden territory.

(Yuusuke walks through the window)
Yuusuke: Yo, boy! Hurry up and return to your body!

Boy: Who are you, big brother?

Girl: We're just having some fun together.

Yuusuke: Little girl! The boy is a living soul! He cannot play with you, do
you get it?

Girl: ... And are you going to stop me? I hate you!

Yuusuke: Doesn't matter if you do! Let's go, boy!

Boy: No! I want to play with Sarashi*! (slaps away his hand) She only has me
as a friend!

* Note: Erm, I think that's how her name is pronounced in the anime, but for
simplicity sake, I'll call her Sara from now on.

Yuusuke: Boy.

Boy: She's been alone from the past! I want to play with her, to make it up
for her previous loneliness!

Yuusuke: I understand how you feel! But if this goes on, your body...

Sara: Don't bother us! Get out!
(she sends a blast)

Yuusuke: WOAH?
(Yuusuke gets blasted away)

Yuusuke: ... u... EH?

Botan: You're awake? You've been asleep for a few days, ever since that girl
blasted you out of the house.

Yuusuke: WHAT? That... I lost to that little girl? How could it be? It may
be a moment of unawareness, but it's the first time I lost in a fight! And
to a little child!

Botan: Hey! That wasn't the problem at all! A spirit does not get their
strength from raw power, but on the force of it's 'longing'. The heart's
longings form the reservoir of strength. Now, the boy is the most important
thing.

Mom: Are you all right? You've been getting weaker and weaker lately.

Boy: Nothing of the sort! I'm getting on real fine! Ah... *starts getting shaky*

Mom: Boy!! There *is* something wrong! Is it a fever? Are you in pain?

Boy: Relax! Nothing's wrong!

Botan: And the worst thing is, he doesn't realize it himself! He must have
forgotten what happens in the nights. His body is crumbling, but... if this
goes on, he'll be dragged into the spirit world by Sara.

Yuusuke: Is that girl's 'longing' so strong?

Botan: I've checked. She was extremely lonely when she was alive... she
lived in a kindergarten all her life until half a year before she died, when
her family brought her to stay in that house. Her parents grew weary of
taking care of the sickly Sara, and often stayed out.

"Sara: Where are dad and mom?

Girl in front of tv: Gone working, will be back soon.

Sara: (watches kids playing outside): ... how nice! I wish I had friends...
to play with me..."

Botan: After becoming a spirit, she continued harbouring such hopes, sitting
by her window. The boy managed to sharply discover this.

Yuusuke: And, if this goes on, the boy shall be... pulled into the paradise
by that girl's 'longing'?

Botan: Impossible! If this goes on, she'll never reach the paradise! Sara's
powers are not of evil origins, but ever since they increased they became
coated over with strong evil traits, to the point of even involving other
parties. Even if she only wanted to make friends, before reaching the
Reikai, she would have entered into a lost world of darkness! Walking
towards an entirely lightless world of evil longings, a world even worse
than perhaps hell itself!

Yuusuke: Then... we must stop them no matter what!

Botan: However, her 'longing' created by loneliness is terribly strong! If
you cannot stop them, you will be pulled into that world along with them. To
be perfectly frank, you stand no chance in this affair at all!

Yuusuke: ... Jirou in paradise told me to look after the boy... I won't run
away with my tail in between my legs!

Botan: Yuusuke...

Yuusuke: In any case, tonight! I shall draw the conclusion!

Sara: Hi! I've a favour to ask of you!

Boy: What's that?

Box on left:
Botan
Date of birth, age, blood type, all unknown.
Likes to surf around in the skies.

Sara: Actaully, I have to go to a very far place now. Are you willing to
come with me?

Boy: A faraway place...

Sara: Paradise! I'll be afraid if I go alone!

Boy: ... eh...

Sara: Ai! Come along with me!

Boy: Ah! Wait... wait a minute!

(Sara grabs his hand)
Sara: Come on!

Boy: Ah! Wait, Sara! But, I'm still alive!

Sara: But are you willing to go with me? Nothing will go wrong, if you keep
on holding my hand. Come! Hurry... It doesn't matter! Two's a company.

Botan: Wait, Sara. (she floats down) Only you are unable to enter the
paradise. You need an escorter.

Yuusuke: That's right! Release the boy!

Botan: Sara, even if you wish to go the Reikai now, you will not find the
way, and get eternally lost!

Sara: You again... I'll not forgive you this time!

Botan: Yuusuke! It's too dangerous!

Yuusuke: ... how can we beat a retreat now? No matter where I get hit to
this time, I'll come back and claim the boy's soul!

(Sara moves quickly forward)

Yuusuke: !!

Sara: Then I'll blast you to the extremes of the galaxy!

Botan: Yuusuke!!

Boy: Sara, stop!

(Sara's hand goes out, but nothing comes out of it)
Sara: Eh? Eh? HUH? HEY!

Botan: ... what the... Ah! I got it! While she was playing with the boy
these few days, her longings have been satisfied, therefore, the dangerous
powers have disappeared.

Sara: ...

Yuusuke: Oh yeh? So doesn't that mean you won't be able to throw anymore
tantrums? Heh! Don't be naive! Hand the boy over!

Sara: No! I want to bring him to the paradise with me! I want to be with
him! I will never hand him over!

Yuusuke: What an ignorant child! Here's how we should treat kids who don't
behave!

Sara: YA!

Yuusuke: SPANK! SPANK!

Sara: AH! That hurts! It really hurts! I won't do it again!

Botan: He's so rough!

Sara: I'm sorry! I was really lonely! Whether I was afraid or suffering,
I'll always be alone! No one would be beside me... Boo hoo hoo...

Boy: ... be good! Don't be so heart-broken! I may not be able to go now...
but once I reach the paradise, we'll be able to become forever friends!

Sara: ... really?

Boy: Mm! Let's hook our fingers on it!

Yuusuke: Hey... he'll forget about this once he wakes up won't he?

Botan: Hah! I'll remind him about it when he dies. Well, that went well!
Once you're in the paradise, time passes in a flash!
[very quickly]

Yuusuke: Shall we play for a while more before you go? I'm like a spirit
now, anyway. I'll replace the boy and play with you till you're satisfied!
Will that do?
(puts her on his shoulder)

Botan: HEY! It wasn't easy persuading her to go and you...

Yuusuke: I meant to give her more time before she really went! Though I
don't know what the paradise is like, she'll be very lonely if she went
without memories of playing with friends! Are you unwilling to allow her
more time to play?

Botan: Well... this...

Yuusuke: Hm? Hm?

Sara: Uuu... u...

Yuusuke: Eh? What's wrong? Does your backside still hurt (from the
spanking)? Did I use so much strength in it?

Sara: But... this is the first time... I've been scolded... first time I've
been carried on someone's shoulders... I'm really so happy...

Botan: Tears of happiness, then...
(and then...)

Mom: [calls the boy's name twice] Ah! You're finally awake! You scared me
there! I thought you were sleeptalking, then suddenly fell silent... I
thought you were dead!

Boy: I think I dreamt... of something that's not too clearly remembered...
but... it's slightly unhappy, slightly scary, and slightly sorrowful...

[later]
Boy: ... (as he stares at old house) *Haven't been seeing the girl
recently... could she have moved?*

New girl: Ah! Good morning! What are you looking at?

Boy: Ah! Julie!

* Another note: the name reads something like Julie, so erm... sticking with
it! ^^x

Boy: No... nothing much!

Julie: Let's go to school!

Boy: Okay!

Yuusuke: ... These kids are too much!

[And as for little Sara...]
Sara: Brother Yuusuke! Let's play! Be my horse, quick!

Yuusuke: I beg you, go to paradise in peace!
[... she's still in this world...]

END TRANSLATION
20/1/99
(c) 1991 Togashi Yoshihiro
Translation: fwah@geocities.com