Hiya! This's Lizard, and I'm back with another story, a tournament, to be specific. What'll happen when the boys find themselves participating in an event even more deadly than the Dark Tournament, more terrifying than the Chapter Black tape, and more intense than anything they experienced in the Makai? Well... okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. But the thing is, I need some characters for the other teams. For submission info, see the bottom of this chapter, but DO NOT submit a character via a review. If you do, it will be ignored and deleted (if I can figure out how...). I don't want to get my account frozen, okay? Oh, and QuickEdit hates me so --- means a break in the story and ----- means the end of the chapter, 'k?

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH. Never have, never will. I do own the Tournament of Dreams and the original character who appears in this chapter.

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Chapter One:

Legends Reborn

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Winter
Season of ice, season of solitude, season of Death
Only one left standing, snow around It stained with blood
Eyes are dimmed by waking nightmares
Heart is frozen by unshed tears
Mind is numbed by countless battles
Soul is aching with intense guilt
It clutches tightly to shards of ice
Pieces as fragile as Its shattered dreams
Pricking its palm with unforgiving memories
Droplets of blood shine accusingly from the cuts
Mixing with the blood of friend and foe
Merging together on bloodstained hands
It watches, fascinated by the glowing colors in a world of gray
And then it smiles, smiles at Death
Steps willingly into His arms
Warm and comforting, harsh and cold
And now Death is smiling too
And He hides it from the world in his gentle embrace; His kiss bringing bittersweet relief
Death's Kiss is tender as a lover's
Holding fast to this lost soul
Leading it on another journey
And now none are standing, and the snow is died with blood
In this season of ice, season of solitude, season of Death
And so it ends.

-Author Unknown, Lore of Nightmares

Legends are told of a tournament of Death, a trial a thousand times more vicious and cruel than the Dark Tournament. None who attended it ever returned, and their disappearances remain a mystery. Are they dead, or held captive? There is no answer. No one knows who holds these brutal slaughters, or what their motives could possibly be. The only written record ever made was a poem, scrawled on the inside of the back cover of a book found on the shores of the River Styx, the river of Death. Now, a century and who knows how many tournaments later, the book sits dusty and forgotten in a shadowy corner of the Great Library. Few remember the tournament, or the horror it had caused. Even now, when all can sense the dark powers rising, they pretend otherwise, trying in vain to hide the truth from themselves.

And the Nightmare begins again.

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Yusuke Urameshi walked down the sidewalk, hands thrust sullenly in the pockets of his windbreaker and shoulders hunched in a futile effort to ward off the chill.

"Damnit!" A sudden gust of air tore by, snatching away his words and mussing his gelled hair. With a snarl and a muttered something about killing a certain wind master, Yusuke stopped and fixed his hair as best he could, refusing to budge until assured that it was by no means lying flat and neat. Sighing as this was the fourth time this morning, his friend stopped to wait, long red hair whipping energetically in the brisk autumn wind.

"You'd think they'd cut me some slack by now," Yusuke grumbled as he caught up to Kurama, alias Shuichi Minamino and continued walking. "I mean, I've saved the world from too many demons to count, kept everyone from being brainwashed into becoming psycho killers, and prevented three mass demon infestations, yet they still expect me to keep up with homework." Three years had passed since Yusuke had hosted his tournament, and he had just returned from his exploits and training in the Makai. Life upon his return had gone back to normal, though how he had gotten into high school he would never know. A normal life meant normal rules, and so he was headed, unwillingly, to high school for his junior year.

Stopping abruptly again and crossing his arms, Yusuke made it clear he was not moving, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just skip today."

"Yusuke..." Kurama began warningly, preparing to repeat that Keiko had demanded that Yusuke come and had forced Kurama into the job of seeing Yusuke got as far as the school building. Instead, however, he paused for a split second before whirling around, his rosewhip seeming to manifest from nowhere in his hand.

Without wasting time, Yusuke leapt to his comrade's side, blue light glowing around his right hand for those who were spiritually aware to see, "Another one?" He glanced around before focusing in on a nearby tree branch, eyes narrowed at a pair of soft leather shoes similar to booties peering from the leaf cover on one of the lower branches about twelve feet off the ground. "Who's there?"

"Fast you are, as they say," a thickly accented voice remarked softly, obviously having trouble speaking the human tongue. Its owner stepped into view moments later, revealing himself to be a young elfin child no older than fourteen around Hiei's height. Upon seeing their wary battle stances, he smiled slightly and held out his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Fight you, I will not. I am merely a messenger who comes with a note for you and your friends." Still smiling, he reached to the rope belt tied around his pine green leggings and removed a scroll which he opened with a flourish. Smoothing the bottom of his baggy sleeved white shirt in a motion of formality, he cleared his throat and began to read, either unaware or uncaring that the boys could kill him whenever they chose.

"Yusuke Urameshi, Spirit Detective and heir to Raizen, your presence is requested at the Tournament of Dreams as captain of this competition's guest team. Although teams must normally consist of seven contestants, all able to fight, after careful study and consideration, your team has been deemed an exception." Here the boy paused thoughtfully, his eyes scanning ahead as he fingered the silver embroidery around the neck of his lace-up shirt. "You teammates will be as follows: Kurama, the spirit fox and heir to Yomi; Hiei Jaganshi, the holder of the Jagan Eye and heir to Mukuro; and Kazuma Kuwabara, the ningen." The boy made a face as he spat out the last name, looking nauseated by the idea of an actual full human participating in the tournament. "If any one of your team members is not present, you will be instantly disqualified from further competition. The ferry leaves for Midnight Island in two weeks exactly. We look forward to witnessing your powers in full." Abruptly, he snapped the announcement closed and slipped it back into his belt.

"You will come, will you not?" he inquired, cocking his head and fixing the two below with curious bright green eyes. At first all that Yusuke was able to do was stare, but then he burst out laughing, catching both the boy and Kurama by surprise.

Seeing the elf's look of utter bewilderment, the Spirit Detective sought to explain himself, "You really don't know who you're talking to, do you? I've been in more fights than a shrimp like you could even try to comprehend, and I've won every single one. Besides that, I've just come back from training in the Makai. I think you might be out of your league if you're askin' me to your baby tournament. See ya." With that, Yusuke turned to leave, but stopped when the elf began to speak again, a certain note of ruthless anticipation echoing eerily when heard in the child's sweet soprano, his voice having not yet changed.

"'Baby Tournament'? I think it is you who does not understand. Attendance is not optional; rather, it is required. If you choose not to fight it is your loved ones who shall pay the price. Your Keiko," his eyes glinted devilishly upon seeing the muscles in Yusuke's back tense up, then they roved to meet Kurama's emerald gaze without fear, "and your ningen mother. Despite your... petty training these fights will be hard fought for you. The preliminaries alone will kill many indeed." The boy fell silent, watching for a reaction from beneath half-lowered lids.

"Yusuke," Kurama interjected sharply, "the Tournament of Dreams is not merely another mock Dark Tournament. Many rumors of it have been told, though there was never any proof of its existence till now. From what I learned from my days as a thief, however, there are two facts commonly agreed upon. The competitors are the most elite and skilled fighters chosen indiscriminately from all three realms, and..." Kurama closed his eyes and lowered his head in homage, "none of them have ever returned alive."

The elf glanced at him approvingly, eyes still glowing a pale perimot sheen, "You must be wise indeed to know even that much truth. Indeed, even the victors have yet to survive to tell of the happenings. For your own sake, and that of your friends, I would advise you to cooperate." With a final bow, the child disappeared, leaving Yusuke, who had whirled about with fists clenched, to stare helplessly at the tree branch where the boy had been, struck dumb for the second time this morning.

"It appears our trials are not yet completed," Kurama remarked regretfully, his rose disappearing with a speed rivaling that of the boy's departure. Recovering, Yusuke began to curse colorfully.

"On the upside," Kurama smiled wryly, "you don't have to go to school now."

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"The Tournament of Dreams?!?" Koenma's knuckles were white from gripping the notice Hiei had brought into his "office". The toddler's face was the same ghastly pale shade, his eyes wide and bulging with terror. "Are you sure?" Kurama nodded grimly in response.

"I don't see what's so awful," Kuwabara said, pounding his fist into his other hand. "We go to their stupid tournament and beat everyone up again. What's the big deal?"

"Nothing... if you want to get yourself killed. Again."

Kuwabara puffed out his chest and fixed his adversary with what he apparently thought was a contemptuous stare, "I didn't die in the Dark Tournament. I survived Toguro's finishing blow."

Hiei threw a scornful glance of his own in Kuwabara's direction, "Only because he made sure not to kill you. Who would want the stain of having sunken so low as to kill you on their record?"

"What was that, Shorty?"

"Hn." Kurama shook his head, smiling despite the situation. Three whole years, and neither of them had grown up.

"Stop it!" Startled, four heads jerked around to stare, taken aback, at the overwrought leader. "Don't you understand? This is no joke! If this truly exists, it means the rumors are true..." Koenma trailed off and reached for a file folder at the upper corner of his desk. Opening it, he shuffled through several old pieces of parchment before finding a packet of papers he wanted. "If the Lore is correct than none of it is a lie..." Flipping through the packet, he continued to mutter furiously to himself, leaving the boys to exchange uncomfortable looks.

Finally, Koenma's head jerked up, and he pressed a button on the arm of his chair, causing the screen in front of his desk to crackle into life. It displayed a worn black, leather-bound book covered in odd runes that pulsed with their own light. "That is the Lore of Nightmares," Koenma intoned in a low voice, hushed with awe and terror. "In it are tales of happenings worse than you can imagine, worse than the Chapter Black tape Sensui's followers were forced to witness. The text itself is written in blood, and it is the only known record of the Tournament of Dreams. Even so, this single record has allowed us to infer very little about the events; we know neither who holds the tournament nor why they choose to do so. Apparently, though, death is preferable to what participants are put through, and death is the path every one of the contestants chose. We never even located their souls." Kuwabara's eyes went wide, a whimper escaping his throat; Yusuke swallowed hard before Koenma continued.

"I'm afraid," he murmured, "that this is beyond my powers, beyond even my father's powers. The only thing you can do is comply... and hope."

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Well, there's the first chapter. Now for the submission info. First, go to the link at the top of the page that'll take you to my author bio. Click on the link to my homepage and go to the section labeled "YYH Fanfiction". There you should find a link to the entry form, detailing exactly what I need from you. The more info you put, the more prominent a role your character is likely to have. Anything else you need to know should be detailed on the form. I need about one member per team (not necessarily the captain) before I can write the prelims, but as long as I've got a few entries I can get the next chapter up really fast. Also, I'm not that popular a writer, so I'm mainly relying on word of mouth for characters (hint, hint).

Oh, and just 'cause I don't want you submitting through the review board doesn't mean I don't want reviews.

Next Chapter: The teams have boarded the ferry and are on their way to the Midnight Island where the tournament will get underway. In the meantime, Yusuke and co. will discover that there is more to the young elf than there appears, in addition to meeting some of their new foes and having an unannounced preliminary sprung upon them. Who else is competing and what will they have to say about Team Urameshi's past antics? Find out...