Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything that implies that nature. I am not using the three kings story line. This takes place several years after the dark tournament.
Prelude
Forgotten. It has an eerie ring to it that seems to haunt the person that spoke it. Even if was in just a smile 'I forgot to do the dishes,' the speaker, if she/he is thinking even slightly about what they are saying, gets chills down their spine. Something about the mind losing a memory as simple as a chore or name secretly scares the person.
The simple action of 'forgetting' can do almost anything. It can turn blood against blood and spill it carelessly. It can turn friend against friend to create the greatest of enemies. Soul against soul so that they can no longer have the strength to live.
But, in all reality, it can also allow something to live. Yet, if a life must be lived alone, forsaken, and traitored from all those that it trusts, it it really living? Or is it just another pawn in the world's never ending game?
There are legends of such souls. Some live with others of their kind, so they say. But an unfortunate few are rumored to have no similar; to exist alone in the pains of living that the Memorable can't seem to see. The simple task of breathing becomes a choice and the world grows dark through their eyes.
In the worlds where the Remembered rule, what place have the Forgotten? Is it not their only choice but to make themselves one of the Known? Is it even possible?
There are stories of one such soul. A soul that was so pure it couldn't feel even the slightest bit of emotion when it formed in the light. One so innocent that a single person was able to pull it into the darkness that it was supposed to fight. That one pain confused it so much, that it no longer cares for right and wrong. It seeks to destroy us all now, so they say. The legends of a slaughter of Thira under it's name.
Legends speak of it as though a disease, slowly infecting the world with it's unforgotten pain that the world forced on it. Legends of a single person who could destroy a continent out of pain.
Legends of a Myth.
Chapter One
Pain. Ripping, searing anguish tore through him, causing him to gag blood and double over.
The image of a woman, face contorted in unspeakable inner turmoil as she mouthed something.
"Do you realize what you've done." Velvet. Comforting and rough on the ears.
What was the woman saying?
He was falling, dark death around him.
"Do you realize?"
Hiei? Were those her words?
Maze upon maze of stone wall. It chased him. He was loosing the trail.
"No... Hiei!"
He couldn't see him. Stabbing pain. Grey eyes. She was coming.
"Of all the ways for it to end..." It was Yuskue. Something familiar.
"Damn you!" The woman screamed, lilac hair streaming about her face as she charged.
"Surely...
Blood soaked through. Stained everything
"Surely..."
Wings. Large red wings. Ice water. She hadn't moved fast enough.
"We could have done better than this?"
Tears. Blood. Silver blood. They were the same. All for him. Why him? She hated him. He hated her.
"Couldn't we?"
Why him?
The image cleared. His eyes were open now. Even though it hurt to breathe, to think. To live. He was alive, and it amazed him. "That is no longer the question." He looked around to them. The presence of Yuskue and Kurama only intensified the loss of the woman and, as much as he hated it, Kuwabara. Right now, they were both beyond their reach. It hurt. More than his wounds or his scars, or his pride, it hurt. He could have fixed it. He could have prevented it. But he failed.
He was useless.
Pathetic.
Weak.
Alone.
But he swallowed it all. They could not see it. Not now. "The real question is, what is right? To stay here and abandon everything we've worked for, of go after and forsake all that she's done for centuries." He wanted them to answer, to tell him what. But he knew the choice was to him. "What price are we willing to pay?"
Hiei woke with a start, gasping silently for air. The branch that he perched upon had denied him its original purpose of being to comfortable to sleep in. His chest still felt like someone was squeezing the life out of him. Placing a careful mask on his face he looked below him to the group -Kurama, Yuskue, Botan, and Kuwabara.
It had been a few years since the Dark Tournament. Yuskue married Keiko at eighteen, immediately got her pregnant, and now had a hyperactive one-year old that donned him Spik. He guessed it was short for Spikey, Yuskue's favorite nickname. At the moment, said detective was muttering about Keiko killing him for his extended leave.
The detective had gained the ability to move his Spirit shots at will, but it drastically cut their power. But with his added physical strength he found in his Youkai blood, it evened out well when necessary.
Kuwabara snored obnoxiously in one corner and Hiei couldn't help the sneer of contempt forming on his lips. Yes, he was not the worst human, but what in the world did Yukina see in her idiotic fiancée. Yes, fiancée. He nearly gagged at the thought. At least Kuwabara cared.
Botan paced in the small clearing of trees, muttering under her breath about future punishments for late arrivals. She was probably the only unchanged one in the group, looking exactly how she did and acting exactly how she used to. Then again, she was probably several hundred years old and more than comfortable with herself.
A bemused smile on his face, Kurama watched the fairie pace back and forth. He too showed little change, but Hiei knew that he had been bribed heavily to come here. In the past few years, his debt had been nearly diminished, but along with that so had his supply of potions that allowed him to turn into Youko. It wasn't a pretty situation. The fox side stirred within him, lessening his self-control and heightening his power but also his pride. Whatever had dragged him here was apparently very important to both sides of him because he ad yet to see the slightest escape attempt from the kitsune.
And Hiei himself? No one knew. Naturally he had gotten stronger, but where he wasn't telling. But one thing was for sure.
These dreams had to go. Though they normally weren't that disturbing, they were getting clearer sense he accepted this mission.
Irritating really.
Over the past two weeks, they had been called in separately to see if they would accept this mission. Each of them had been offered something in return making it obvious this wasn't your normal tournament they had signed up for.
Botan, who had been leading the group through the island that the completion was to be held, stopped abruptly, "This is it," she said in a cheery voice. Her happiness soon vanished, changing her voice to thin and irritated. "That's strange."
After a moment of everyone waiting for her to explain, Yuskue groaned, "Fine, I'll bite. Why on earth are we standing in the middle of a deserted island with you going 'That's odd.'"
"'That's strange,'" she corrected.
"Whatever, just answer me!"
The purple-eyed fairie sighed, "We're here because this is the spot where we are supposed to meet your other two team-mates. The strange thing is that they're not here yet." Under her breathe she added. "Usually so prompt."
"Well, where are they?" Hiei growled.
"Your sixth fighter must be taking his time to be convinced to come. The problem with that is I don't know the rules to this tournament, it's illegal and your fifth fighter is the only one who knows about it."
Kuwabara, now irritated and tired, yelled with a twitching eye, "Will you stop calling them be numbers and just give us name-...wait...YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TOURNAMENT!"
Botan quickly changed the subject, "OH...um...look there they are!" she stated getting all catlike.
Walking through the thick, dark woods was two figures.
One was obviously a male. His deep aqua hair was puled back into a low-lying ponytail. His clothes were best described as an Arabian/Native American style gone gothic. The shades that covered his dark skin consisted of black and dark shades of black and green. Baggy navy pants and a loose evergreen tank top intensified his steely gray eyes. Though, despite his seven foot size, he didn't seem that intimidating as he took in the scenery with a calm, interested look as he followed shortly behind his companion.
The second person was not really...well-describable. She/he wore a long cloak that was black tinted with green. The pathetically short fighter stood maybe two inches shorter than it's fire koorime teammate.
The tall one seems pretty strong. His energy level is at least at my level, but shrimp number two seems to weak, not even a drop off power, Kuwabara thought, Yet Cloaky seems to be the leader?
Botan walked up to the taller one and gave him a slightly puzzled look. "You don't look like Perth," she stated looking him up and down.
His familiar snorted at this walking past the two blue-haired people.
"Umm..." the fighter glanced down at the fairy and blushed, "I'm his brother, Kerr."
"Kerr? Why wasn't Per-" she shut up and looked at the ground quickly.
Kerr glanced at the cloaked figure as though she/ he held the answer to Botan's strange actions.
"Who's this?" said Kuwabara as the newcomer walked by.
"Hn," was the only answer he got; too quiet to tell who or what the newcomer was.
Shadows and people,
Is there any difference?
They are as you look at them.
Just as dreams,
They are as you make them.
So is there really any difference,
Between shadow and people?
Hiei, who had been leaning on a tree, stood straight. "Why in the three realms would we need six fighters? That just complicates things.
Kerr was the one to reply, taking the focus off of the cloaked figure and Botan talking in hushed voices that even Kurama could not hear. "The teams in this tournament can range from one person to thirty. Six was chosen for our group so the larger groups wouldn't threaten us and we would still be small enough to go undetected." His voice was deep, rich, and devoid of the anxiety that the others felt.
Yuskue on the other hand was not ashamed to show that pressure, "How in the hell could a tournament be held like that?"
"Simple, it's a free for all."
"Wha?"
"The winning group is the last one still standing on the island. The only way to get other teams off the island is by knocking out or killing all the members of their team.
"The teams will start attacking when red energy is blasted into the air. When this is done, the team can fight any where at any time on the island and any weapons can be used except guns can be used. Theses are the only rules other than having to stay on the island."
Those are rules? thought Yuskue with a sweat drop.
"Speaking of which, I should be leaving," said Botan straightening up from whispering in the newcomers ear. "Don't want to be here when the fun starts!" With that, she pulled out her oar (don't ask me from where or how, she just seems to do that all the time) and flew away.
-30 Minutes Later-
"That's it, I can't stand it anymore!" Yuskue exclaimed since the crimson sparks had yet to fly. "This forest gives me the creeps!" The spirit detective stomped off ignoring Kerr and the Kurama's pleas to stay with the group
He soon found a clearing and happily fell backwards into the long grass. "Ah! Open air!" he groaned happily with a stretch. And he stayed happy until he sensed an odd energy coming from the opposite side of the clearing.
Jumping to his feet, Yuskue stared as the seven to eight foot tall demons began to surround them in a gang-like fashion.
Dang, and I thought the lower demons were ugly. The creatures standing before him where double mouthed and a moldy green with eight eyes a piece. Definitely not the prettiest things to walk the worlds.
The tallest, And ugliest, thought Yuskue, began to talk in a low, cackling voice, "What is the matter? Are you lost?" The demon snickered as though he was being funny. After a moment the rest of the idiots followed suit, though not quite as enthusiastically.
"It appears you friends have the right image of you," sneered the spirit gun master, "Stupid, that is."
The leader glared, then smirked insanely as he took a step forward.
"Back off or you'll regret it creep," Yuskue growled.
"Really? I doubt that-" but he was cut off by a strange glow covering all of them except for Yuskue. After a minute is stopped and the demons wheeled around to see Kerr standing there.
"Why you little," a random one growled.
"I don't appreciate you threatening my teammate," the tall blue head replied. "Especially before the party starts."
"So are you gonna try to take us on or not?"
He pretended to think about it, "...No...but she might." He raised a finger to indicate the spot above the leader's head.The fifth fighter, now revealed as a female, was standing there.
Before anyone could look up, let alone react, she had already pulled out a dagger and forced into her stools shoulder.
While jumping down the group attempted to swing fists randomly at her which only resulted in doing damage to each other.
Speaking in a calm, empty, young voice she stated, "Killing or knocking out an opposing team before the sign will get you disqualified before you can blink."
The demons at this point were spooked. A tiny female something with no spirit energy had just challenged them, without pulling down her hood! The head honcho, probably due to his stupidity, was the only one unfazed, "I'll see you when the slaughter begins!" He added as an after thought, "Girly!" which was, at least by what Yuskue gathered from Kerr's flinch, an even dumber act.
"Girly?" said five in a hollow voice, "Then, yes, I'll see you later."
The gang turned and left without another word.
Yuskue could feel the females strange gaze from under her hood before she turned back towards the way they came from.
Yuskue stood there for a moment, staring. Then followed deep in thought. Some eyewitnesses could have they saw smoke rising from his ears.
The fifth fighter did not sound older than twelve if not younger. He also could have sworn that he had heard that voice before.
"HEY!" he bellowed, "WHAT'S YOUR NAME!" They were practically back to the group by this point.
"You already know...sort of." Her voice was plain and unemotional as they entered the clearing with the others sitting in it.
Kerr came back quietly and politely a moment after them.
"I KNEW IT!" Everyone in the clearing nearly jumped out of their skins. "Your the little girl Koenma sent us to rescue on our last mission! The one that was guarded by that weird demon that could walk through walls!"
"It was a changeling," she stated bluntly ignoring the mass of people that was now staring at her.
Yuskue stopped and thought. More smoke. Is this why we needed her? To tell us about this island? Botan did say she was the only one who knew. But then why did Kerr reply and not her?
He thought back on their previous mission. They had once again been stuck in a fortress. But this one put Maze Castle to shame.
-Flashback-
The gang ran through a horribly musty castle for another search and rescue mission. The smell was horrendous and they were constantly finding themselves tripping over the same skeletons and running through the same puddles off blood. Eventually Kuwabara just stopped.
"I can't stand it! We've been going around in circles for hours! We're not getting anywhere!"
"Well at least there hasn't been and alarms or traps," teased Yuskue.
"Stop it, Urameshi, you'll jinx us!"
"Do you two ever shut up?" Hiei tried, knowing that he'd only get dragged into it.
The two slowly turned and began to say something about his size when they realized why he butted in.
Kurama was examining a section of the wall were stone pattern did not connect to the rest. He places an ear to it and closed his eyes listening. With a triumphant smile, he pulled away and knocked on the wall three times.
Nothing.
Then something. The wall shook slightly and slid away to reveal a new passage.
Yuskue just stared until he final snapped out of his stupor, "Kurama...your still good at seeing the details."
"As I've said before, Yuskue, 'Seeing the normally over looked is my job.'" the kitsune said with a sly smile.
Hiei rolled his eyes and started down the the hallway. The others soon caught up and Hiei allowed himself to his normal position in the back.
The passage ended in a giant room filled with lit incense burners. These gave off the feeling of light-headedness and insecurity. But even through the thick smoke they could see a girl tied tied to a pillar.
She was on heavily bruised knees. Her hands were around the pillar behind her back. Sturdy ropes binded her along with golden colored cuffs, one on each wrist. Her body pulled strongly against them yet it was obvious by her limp body and closed eyes that she was unconscious. She had boyishly short medium brown hair that seemed to be dripping from a mixture of blood and sweat from the know obvious heat. The rest of the girl's body was thrashed to the point that she barely had shreds of clothes on.
Yuskue's stomach churned.
"That's not right!" Kuwabara exclaimed as he started to go green. "She barely looks 10!"
The detective just nodded in agreement, staring at the girl some more.
Hiei's face was blank as usual.
Kurama did not wait for permission to walk forward. "The first thing we need is to untie her." This snapped Yuskue back to reality. Kurama began to sever the ropes as Yuskue positioned himself to catch her when she fell. A few minutes later the fox unwrapped the last knot that bound the young one. She fell straight into Yuskue's open arms. He just simply sat on his haunches, holding her, staring at the golden bracelet that were matted with her blood and still clung to her.
Kurama walked to the other side of the pillar and took the girl out of the arms of the dumbfounded Yuskue.He pulled out a leather wrapping from his shirt and unrolled it to reveal several tools in which he used to pick the locks of the strange bracelets that held the captured.
The 'clink' that echoed through the room from the first gold keeper did not seem to loud, but the second seemed to rock their heads.
She remained motionless.
"Is...she even alive?" Kuwabara ventured shakily.
"Yes," was the quiet reply, "But just barely. She's lost a lot of blood and her life energy is l-" he stopped. The girl was stirring in his arms.
Her eyes flickered open. That's a strange shade of brown, thought Yuskue. They seem to be fogged over...like...I don't know.
His thoughts were interrupted by Hiei, "Are you blind, ningen?"
She inhaled deeply and pushed herself off of Kurama's lap. An action to which he highly opposed. She then took one look around the bunch though they never focused on none of them. They stayed strangely locked with Kurama's last. "Damn it, Koenma," she said closing her eyes. "You had to send someone after me." Despite that her words were of those of irritance, her voice was plain and emotionless. She turned her head, opened her eyes, and looked at the fire koorime. "No, my lenses are just scratched temporarily." With that she stood causing her wounds to open again, This of course sent Yuskue's stomach into another fit. The sound of dripping blood, tearing skin, clothes peeling off flesh, and the fact that all of this was coming from a ten, maybe eleven year old girl only made him want to vomit more.
That's when he noticed something odd. She hasn't groaned, flinched, panted, or even winced from those wounds!
Yuskue wasn't exaggerating, either; her face remained as blank and emotionless as her tone. No pain filled her eyes. She simply stood there, muttering something illegible.
"Well, let's get the baka back to Koenma," Hiei said impatiently.
The girls eyes flickered to Hiei and he immediately started to open his mouth to ready himself better to counter a return comment or glare, but neither came. The girl stared for a moment. No comeback. No sneer. No snide remark. Nothing except for, "Hm, yes, I suppose we should, shouldn't we?" No dislike tainted her tongue.
They all nodded, breathing slowly. She isn't the prettiest thing, but she isn't bad looking. She would be better off if she was older and smiled...then again...I don't know what her smile looks like, were Yuskue's thoughts.
Slowly the group began to walk toward the opening they came from, but the rocks and the bricks slid in their way.
"That's not going to open," Kurama said.
Quiet, then, "He's here."
They all wheeled to face the blank girl.
"Who?" Yuskue questioned.
"A lackey for sir."
"Sir?"
"The leader."
"SIR?"
The girl shrugged, "That was the only name I heard for him around me."
Kuwabara laughed, "Man, he must be a fa-" but he was cut off by the small girl's footsteps.
What the hell is she do- Yuskue's eyes widened. Holy Cheese On Rye! WHAT IS THAT CHICK THINKING!
In one swift movement she had turned around, pulled out Hiei's katana, and shoved it through the chest of a male demon who was halfway through the floor, his feet hidden by the stone grounding. With the blade still running through his chest, the girl pulled it upward, forcing the rest of the male's body out of the ground, and twisted it, sending the demon sprawling across the floor. Holding the sword in a very know-how manner, she ran straight toward the guy and stopped the strip of medal only inches from his nose.
"Listen, changeling," she said to an unmoving demon thanks to the katana, whose owner, Hiei, was becoming very p.o.'ed, "I'm injured, grumpy-"
"-When aren't you-" the demon cut in more as a statement than a question.
For some reason she choose to ignore it and continue as though he had said nothing, "-and you have something of mine." Once again, threatening words, but no threat behind them. Despite that a look of horror slowly came over it's strangely attractive face. Carefully, the shifter pulled out a dagger and handed it to her. She took it with her spare hand and examined it, all the while keeping him pinned.
The dagger's blade was made of dark blue crystal that was cut roughly and reflected the light in an unnatural way. A steely gray hilt was wrapped in black leather. All in all, it seemed deadly to a fault and gave off its own aura.
Shoving the weapon in her belt, she again held out her hand, "And?"
The demon muttered something under his breathe , eyes still on the katana, and handed her a bag, that when she took it, it sounded like marbles. She kept her hand out and the shifter handed her a polished stone, which the female the put it in the pouch that.
She began to tie the bag around her belt and began to walk away.
The demon stood quickly, drawing a dagger. That's when the others saw that the hole in his chest had healed, even the shirt had repaired itself. Pulling the dagger over his shoulder, he flung it at her. It headed straight for her heart.
The girl slowly turned around and grabbed the blade just centimeters from her chest. Her hand began to drip heavily with blood seconds after she caught it giving Yuskue the impression that she was holding it pretty tight. The female looked creepily from the blade to the changeling.
It took a step back, eyes nearly popping out of his head.
She stared back for a moment then dropped the the weapon so the blade stuck in the rock and crimson fluid.
"...Karaz?" her tone for once was actually slightly threatening.
The demon let out a small gasp as though he was going to faint, then sunk through the floor.
The girl shrugged and walked back to the group.
The question came from Yuskue before he could think, "Karaz?"
She paused as if thinking, "...his name."
"Yours?"
"...you can call me Mia."
-End Flashback-
Ya, thought the detective, Then she used that demonic knife, cut through the air, opened a portal, and brought us back, making us all feel stupid.
"So, Mia," he emphasizes her name, "What have you been up to."
"None of your business, Yuskue."
Amusement flickered through his voice, "I don't believe I gave you my name, so how do you know it?"
She slid down a trunk, the one next to Kerr's, and replied quietly, as though ashamed, "It's my job to know."
That's an old one, thought Yuskue. "Really? I had thought you had convinced Koenma to tell you."
With that comment, Kerr went pale and Yuskue grinned evilly hoping that this combination would get a reaction from her.
It did.
A small one, but it did.
"I really hope your not implying what I think you are." She looked up at him from under her hood.
Hiei nearly fell out of his tree even though he had been pretending not to care about what was being said, this was just too odd to ignore. She looks...older...then again she did get taller as well...she was shorter than me before, the fire koorime's thoughts echoed.
Her brown eyes were narrow and no longer glazed and unfocused and it was hard to tell whether they were brown of glossy black. Mia's face was less chubby, even sharp. Her lips were fuller as well. The mysterious person now looked thirteen.
Despite everything, it wasn't Mia's aged body that caught Yuske off guard, it was her eye's. Dark...way too dark. Something about them...they don't seem human...or even demon for that matter.
Mia finished her sentence while while adverting her eyes to the ground, "Because if you are, I think Koenma needs to know."
"You act like your not even phased!" Yuskue nearly yelled in a exasperated voice. "I was hoping that binky breathe wouldn't rob the cradle for a lo-" he was cut off by Kerr's hand.
Mia stood without support from anything. "I'll be back in a half-hour."
The moment Mia was out of the clearing, Kuwabara and Yuskue broke into gales of laughter.
Kerr became annoyed and Kurama but in his two cents, "From the fact that you laughed only after she left, I can only conclude that you fear her."
The human managed to clam himself down enough to speak between fits, "She's talented, I'll give her that, but Mia's too young and inexperienced to take ony any of us."
Kerr let out a deep laugh that dripped with sarcasm, "Mia! Young? Inexperienced! I hope you were naming antonyms about the fourth in command of Spirit World!"
Kurama had to explain what antonyms were to the two ningens before the conversation could continue.
Hiei flicked open an eye and became interested, "Fourth in Command?"
Yuskue stared. "What she do?"
Kerr just glared at him.
"Ya, but-"
Daggers flew from steely eyes.
The detective decided to shut his mouth.
Kurama thought for a minute, deciding if the painful stare was worth his question. It was. "So how did she get there?"
The newcomer shrugged. "How should I know? The only thing I got is that she's been working for King Enma for over one hundred years."
Even Hiei was visibly startled. Kuwabara stuttered dumbly before screaming, "NO! WAY! SHE'S MAYBE TEN!"
Kerr made the same gesture as before. "It's not my place to explain." He stopped for a minute then laughed, "Then again, she may still... well never mind. I've opened my mouth wide enough about her."
"And you?" asked Kurama.
He smiled with a obvious relief. "That is a much easier question to answer. I am a Thirian, a race of humans. We specialize in water and/or earth manipulation and healing mainly. The average Thirian lives about half a millennia, while the royal family can live twice as-"
"AND YOUR HUMAN!" Yuskue blurted. "Japan would have you guys in labs twenty-four seven!"
Kerr blinked, "We live under the Atlantic Ocean."
More stares, except from Kurama who had a thoughtful smirk. "Thirian...your name has been lost to this time to a much more common one -Atlantian."
Kerr chuckled, "Correct Kurama, right on the head."
Man, he's light-hearted. thought Yuskue. Wait a minute. Something hit him, "...Atlantian...?" Yuskue broke out laughing. "Yeah, and the girls an angel!"
Something flickered across the Thirian's face, but he said nothing.
"Wah? Don't tell me she is!"
Kerr's face was solemn, "No, Yuskue...she is far from it."
"Demon?"
"Why don't you ask her?"
"Cause I'm asking you."
Kerr gave another shrug that was quickly becoming his trademark gesture. "If you want to know so bad, why don't you round up your courage an-" Red Sparks shot loudly into the sky. The scent of burning wood came with them. "So...that's where she went." He shook his blue hair, smirking. "Should have known."
"SHOULD HAVE KOWN WHAT!" Yuskue yelled, now fully annoyed with his secretive companion.
"She's gone to finish off the demons that threatened you earlier."
"Great," Hiei growled, "Another compassionate baka."
Kerr's smirk turned to Hiei. If looks could kill, the Thirian would have dead and burried even of the return stare had been shot from the corner of the koorime's eye. Stress filled the area as everyone waited for the demon to cut the Atlantian's head off.
But the smirk only fell when the owner began to speak. "Soft..." his voice was border lining pained, "Hardly. She is every bit as cold and heartless as you, Hiei -if not more so. Mia's kind are far less fond of emotion than most. They mainly plot, binding their little time and energy for the most effective attack. By the end of this tournament, I assure you, you will all believe she could take your lives."
Speaking the others' minds, Hiei muttered, "Not likely."
"Why don't we have a look?" Kerr said, his voice unreadable for the first time sense he got there. Slowly she walked into the woods.
After a moments hesitation, the group followed. As they crept through the shadows, the smell of burning flesh filled their noses ever reminding the detectives where they were and why. Eventually, after ten minutes of treading ground, they came to an open field similar to the one Yuskue had found not long ago.
Mia, still cloaked and hooded, was coming toward the search team.
"I told you I would be back," the female stated coldly stopping before Kerr.
"We came to watch the fun," he replied offering a smile -she didn't take it.
"Hm... I'm already done."
Yuskue took one look from the girl then to Kuwabara. "No way," he whispered before running out into te field. But is was way. Way WAY. The demons were lying all over the field. There was at least twice as many as before. "Wow," he stated with wide eyes. Soon Kuwabara's eyes popped as well.
"They'll be out for weeks," came the voice of their female ally from behind nearly scaring them out of their minds after seeing the bloody mess.
"You did that!" he said to a raised eyebrow. Then he thought. She made him do that a lot. "Wait...," he turned to the field once more. "They're not dead?"
Kuwabara stood dumb founded, "Their.. gone."
Yuskue nodded,"What...the...Hell?" All that was left was imprints, blood, and guts.
Mia's dull voice came from behind. "When an entire team is killed or unconcious all at the same time their bodies are removed to an side island by the Founder, the person responsible for setting up the tournament." She shrugged, "I suppose it prevent this place from becoming a reeking blood pile." She turned and walked away before they could question.
Hiei watched her pass on her way back to camp and smirked. "I was told you were unbelievable ruthless, but by the way you just knocked them out, I would say you've gon soft."
She came to a silent stoop, turned elegantly, and walked back to the koorime. "King Enma and Koenma forbid me to kill while I was under the pretext of this tournament or his rule without permission."
"Why? Why would he care, more paperwork?"
Sluggishly, she tilted her head slightly -giving him a view of the lower half of her face- but said nothing.
"Why?" he hissed, irritated at being ignored.
A smirk, so small that only Hiei could see, crept over her pale features. "They value this teams future."
"Excuse Me!" his voice burned barely over a whisper.
Her features grew ever so insane. "I lose all self control when I start to kill. Anyone in my path would be slaughtered or worse, ally or foe." She began to walk again. "But those that fall in between are even worse off."
Hiei kept himself from hitting her square in the jaw as Mia passed again. But afterwards, he couldn't control it.
Mia jumped just in time for Hiei to appear where she was standing just a few minutes before. His katana's blade was stuck two thirds of the way into the ground. The fire koorime slowly raised his head to glare at the female staring at him from under the shadow of her hood. He could feel the pressure her gaze until he could have sworn that their eyes met.
Why? ...Why did she only react at the last minute? Hiei's mind echoed over Kerr's previous words. I understand the energy part -I can't even sense her energy- but why did he mean by time?
Despite his drifting thoughts, Hiei kept up his glare. Slowly, he really could see her cold, empty, and heartless.
Why is she staring at me still? His tolerance began to shrink suddenly again as he pulled his katana out of the ground. Sheathing it, he made his way to the area in which she was slowly moving to. /Next time I won't miss/ he forced into her strong mind.
/If you are serious, then you probably won't...especially ifi it is soon./ Hiei paused. Was that an emotion behind her thoughts. It was. But he couldn't place, not even as a slight fear for her life despite her confession.
/What the heck do you mean by th-/ Something hit him. Her reply had not been a thought but a precise message. "How the heck did you speak back to me?"
"Hm?"
"ANSWER ME, ONNA!"
"Which question do you want me to answer?"
"THE ORAL ONE!" The group caught up with them.
"I can talk to someone telepathically only when they open a commection with me first. It cannot work the other way round."
"Well that's-"
"um...Hiei!" Yuskue broke in.
/Shut up, detective/ the koorime's mind snapped. Something about this girl got under her skin quicker that Kuwabara, and he wanted to know what is was now. He continued his sentence. "Nice to know. Anything else we might-
"HIEI!" the detective pleaded, but he was P.O.ed now.
"-find interesting, onna?" he called at her back.
She stopped, but did not turn this time. Nor did she reply. Hiei's blood boiled. Three long needles slowly appeared in her hidden hand so only the tips glimmered in the setting light.
"HIEI, DAMNIT, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" pierced Yuskue's voice.
He moved as fast as he could but he could still feel the acupuncture devices fling past him. Though, as he quickly saw, Hiei was not the target.
A large human looking demon collapsed where the fire koorime was just standing. Slowly the body dissolved in to a thick glowing mist and sunk into the ground. As Kuwabara and Yuskue watched with mouth agape, Mia sulked in the direction of the camp.
"Hey!" the only completely human one of the group called, "What was that thing?"
Mia stopped and Kurama could have sworn he heard her sigh in exasperation. "A Hoshimonic," she replied quietly as though afraid to speak any louder.
Yuskue and Kuwabara looked at each other and blinked.
Kurama decided to answer their confusion,"They are star demons. Their more demonic form is half horse, half humanoid. The people that saw them in the Human World called them centaurs. These 'centaurs' are called Hoshimonics because they are extremely in tune with the celestial bodies. They are amazing spell casters and rarely come in contact with people outside of their species. That's probably why he was alone."
"Oh," said Yuskue in a slightly overwhelmed voice. It had been a little more information than what he wanted.
Kurama smiled and looked to the female who was trying -once again- to sneak away. "It appears that our lady friend specializes in the nervous system."
"Yeah," said Kuwabara, snapping out of his stupor. "She killed him with a needle -dangerous."
"I only knocked him out." Her tone became slightly different, "Pray that you'll never see me take a mortal life on my own needs."
Hiei watched her walk back into the shadows of the low lying bows and his blood stopped trying to burn it's way out of his veins. Damn her..wait...how did she?...an insult of that size rarely irritated me so quickly? As the truth began to form in the back of Hiei's mind, he began to realize that threatening the Third in Command may not be the best idea. At least not until the tournament was over. She was proving herself useful so far, so Hiei would allow himself to be allied with her...for now.
Watching Mia pass, Kerr turned to follow her. The others shrugged and followed. All except for Hiei of course.
Kurama stopped at the edge of the clearing. Turning, he faced his friend. "Are you coming, Hiei?"
"Hn."
"Curious are we?" Kurama quizzed in his usual 'I-know-more-than -you' vibe as he walked toward the koorime.
"About what?"
"The girl"
"Why would I be curious about her?"
The demon fox shook his head and smiled at no one.
"What?" Hiei growled acidly.
"Hmm?" Kurama had zoned out. "Oh, well, I'm sure whatever question you have for her will be answered soon."
Hiei glared at him which only caused his demon friend to laugh.
"Now, Hiei, let's get back to the group before Kerr sends a search party for us."
The fire demon flitted next to the kitsune with another trademark 'hn' and started walking with his ally close behind.
After a moment, Hiei popped a question, "Kurama?"
"Yes?"
"Do you really think Kerr would do that?"
The plant manipulator just laughed at him and walked onward as the Forbidden Child stared at him with an innocently confused look.
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R&R