[Pan across Spirit World. Ghosted flashback from the original series of Itsuki taking Sensui into another dimension.]
Itsuki Voiceover: Your Spirit World will have to create another enemy so you can keep on fighting; as that is, after all, what you do.
* * *
[Inside Koenma’s office, Botan stands in front of a perturbed Koenma.]
Koenma: Botan, I need you to have Fubuki do something, [pause] without Kaisei.
* * *
[Snow gently falls around Genkai’s compound. Two pairs of feet crunch in the snow while ascending steps. It is Yusuke and Kayko, with Kayko holding Kazuki. They reach the temple. Yusuke taps on the door. The door slides open with Yukina on the other side.]
Yusuke: Not too late for the party, are we?
Yukina: [shakes head] We just started.
[Kayko and Yusuke enter the room and take off their coats and boots. Kuwabara jumps behind Yusuke and chokes him in a headlock.]
Kuwabara: About time you got here, you punk!
[Yusuke flips Kuwabara, landing him on his back. Yusuke falls on him as they sprawl.]
Yusuke: What, you missed me? Sorry to break it to you, but I’m already taken.
Kuwabara: You know that’s not what I meant!
Yusuke: Yeah, sure. And being single has nothing to do with it?
Kuwabara: Oh lay off, the timing hasn’t been right.
[Yukina looks down with her hand covering her mouth. Shizuru approaches.]
Shizuru: [to Yukina] Nice to see someone’s having fun.
Yukina: Will they be okay?
[Shizuru slides open the door and walks over to Yusuke and Kuwabara’s brawl.]
Yusuke: I don’t believe it, but you’ve gotten weaker!
Kuwabara: Oh I’ll show you weak!
[Shizuru picks up Kuwabara up by the collar]
Kuwabara: [side-phrase] Hey! Let me down!
[Shizuru starts punching his face with her free hand.]
Shizuru: If you boys are going to rough house, then take it outside!
[Shizuru throws Kuwabara out the door. He slides face first through the snow. Shizuru slaps the door to shut it and brushes her hands off.]
Shizuru: There. That takes care of that.
[Sounds of running to the door are heard. The door moves back and forth a few times, then Kuwabara busts back into the room. His skin is all blue with icicles hanging from his nose. He falls to his knees in front of Yukina, grabbing her shoulders. Yukina is taken aback.]
Kuwabara: [chattering] Oh, my dear sweet Yukina, I think I got frostbite! Can you make it all better, please?
Yukina: Ummm…
[Kuwabara lowers his hands to grab Yukina’s hands and brings them up to hold his face. Kuwabara turns from blue to steamy red.]
Kuwabara: Ah! I feel better already! You’re amazing!
Yukina: [hesitant] But, I didn’t do anything.
Kuwabara: Sure you did. That’s the power of our love shining through!
[Yusuke and Kayko walk over to Kurama and Midori. Midori sits, rocking a baby girl.]
Yusuke: What’s up? How are you guys?
Kurama: Fine. Natsuko has been quite the bundle of joy.
[Yusuke leans to get a look at Natsuko.]
Yusuke: So we got pipsqueak and pipsqueak junior? Nursing or bottle?
Midori: [controlled anger] I’m not in the mood, Yusuke.
Yusuke: Come on, Kazuki’s all ready for his Christmas kiss.
[Midori attempts to hit Yusuke with her free hand, but he catches her fist. Kayko slugs Yusuke from behind, knocking him over. Yusuke’s foot twitches in the air.]
Kayko and Midori: Don’t talk about our children like that!
[Yusuke springs upright.]
Yusuke: Geeze! Since when did you become such grouchy old hags?
Midori: Shut up, dimwit.
[Kayko sits with Kazuki near Midori. Yusuke makes a face at Midori as he retreats from the girls.]
Yusuke: Old hag pipsqueak. [to Kurama] What’s the deal? She’s as crabby as the old bat.
Kurama: [sighs] Recently, sleep has been a scarcity at our house.
Yusuke: [experienced acknowledgement] Kids do that to you, huh? Welcome to the club. But you don’t see me biting everyone’s head off for it.
[Party scene still shots with sounds of laughter: Kuwabara flirting with Yukina; Yusuke sneaking into the kitchen; Kayko and Midori chatting; Yukina and Shizuru bringing food from the kitchen, Shizuru dragging a knocked out Yusuke by the foot; Kazuki and Natsuko playing on the floor, Kazuki pulling Natsuko’s hair.]
* * *
[Yusuke and Kuwabara come outside into the chilly night air. Kurama follows, gently closing the door behind him. The three begin walking and see blue hair coming up the shrine’s stairs. Botan arrives with Kaisei and Fubuki behind her.]
Yusuke: Who invited her?
Botan: Greetings chaps! You’re not leaving so soon, are you?
Yusuke: Nah, we’re just going for a walk. We finally got the babies down, and the girls needed naps.
Botan: Babies? Oh, I want to see the adorable little things! Come on Fubuki!
[Botan grabs Fubuki’s wrist and runs off inside, leaving Kaisei.]
Fubuki: Hey! Wait!
[Dismayed, Kurama raises a hand to quietly call after them.]
Kurama: Please don’t [sigh, finishes sentence] wake them.
Yusuke: I say we split before the wives wake up. Then they’ll take their anger out on Botan instead of us.
Kurama: [desolately] Or bottle it up until we get home.
[Yusuke irks. Kaisei takes a step towards the trio.]
Kaisei: Mind if I join your walk? We need to talk.
Yusuke: [not listening, groaning] Yeah. Sure.
[The four start walking into the woods. Kuwabara nudges Yusuke.]
Kuwabara: So what’s with the fake ring?
Yusuke: What fake ring?
Kuwabara: Tch. I noticed when we were wrestling that your wedding ring didn’t seem like real gold.
Yusuke: They really are turning you into a brainiac at that university. [grumbles] Hmph. I think I might have lost the real one while we were in that flying Foliage Fortress. This one was the best I could do to cover it up.
Kuwabara: Oh, so you lost your wedding ring, [sly] and Kayko hasn’t noticed yet?
Yusuke: Shut up! If Kayko finds out, she’ll kill me!
Kuwabara: [snickering] Well, there are these concert tickets coming on sale soon…if you get a couple for me and Yukina, then maybe I was ‘mistaken’ about it being phony.
Yusuke: Oh! You wouldn’t dare!
Kuwabara: Ho no?
[Yusuke starts pounding Kuwabara. Kurama and Kaisei stop walking and turn towards Yusuke and Kuwabara. Sweatdrops appear on the back of their heads as they watch.]
Yusuke: How about I convince you of your ‘mistake’ by letting your face feel how real this ring is!
