The crowd of demons and creatures cheered loudly as the Dark Tournament started once again. Free from the corruption of the past year, the fans of gore and violence came to the arena in stronger numbers than before.
Team Urameshi was once again fighting for the prize. They had already climbed their way through the ranks of lesser teams, and were thought to be the winning team again this year. They were down to the last twelve teams, and things were starting to get rough. The team kept a high moral, though. If they could triumph last year, they could do it again.
Hiei and Kurama sat in a small pub near their hotel. Yusuke and Kuwabara had decided on a girly show, and left them there with the nastiest (yet weakest) demons anyone had ever set eyes on.
The door swung open and footsteps were heard. A suave voice rang through the pub, saying, "Drinks for the three of us, the girl will have none." Kurama looked over and saw a man in tight leather clothing, pushing his long white mane away from his face as he took off a hat. At his hip there was a whip, and in his hand there was a silver chain.
A short man was next to him, breathing heavily through his grizzly beard. He cracked his knuckles and cackled as he sat at the bar. He popped out his eye and breathed a blue mist on it, and popped it back in, giving Kurama and Hiei a toothless grin.
The third man was a young boy, about the age of eighteen. He looked gentle enough, kind enough, until he was seen kicking a girl in rags into the room. "Get in there, ya lil' slut!" he barked, as the tall man pulled her chain. They sat at barstools and the girl sat weeping on the floor.
"To the victory of team Lyyi!" the tall one said, raising his bubbling glass. The other two followed suit, raising tankard and mug, and drinking every last drop. "Sorry, Kyna, you can't have any today, dearest." She didn't look up.
"Ah tink dat ee's talkin' to you, wee gal!" the short stocky one said.
"It's ok, Maryn, I don't need a drink," she said, not looking at him.
He stood up, dropping her chain. "But there's something I need from you…" he said smoothly, taking her hands. "Maybe we can take a bath together tonight. I daresay you need it. And, since you've been winning us so many matches, I'll be kind and give you a great reward! You'll get to sleep with me tonight. How does that sound?"
"Dreadful," she answered bitterly. Tears hit the dusty floor as a whip cracked on her back. "Wonderful, Maryn, wonderful." She fell to her knees.
"So she's the girl that's been ripping up the competition," Kurama said.
"Yes, she really has been ripping them up…" Hiei added.
"No pun intended, my good friend. But what a nasty way to treat a woman. I hear she's gorgeous, if you get to look at her. She never shows her face."
"I still can't believe anyone would treat anyone like that," Hiei said with a look of disgust as the man named Maryn ran his hands up the girl's back, licking her neck. "It's disgusting."
Kurama had had enough of it, now seeing Maryn try to ease her ragged dress off her tense body, onlookers cheering him on.
"I don't think that's a decent way to treat a lady," he said, putting his hand on Maryn's shoulder.
"I don't think it's your place to talk, pretty boy," he replied, turning around, thrusting the girl at the floor.
"If she's been winning all your matches, she should be treated with more respect than you're giving her," Kurama said, his face unchanging. Hiei was now at his side.
"She's not yours, she's ours! We bought her from her father!" he said, pulling out his whip.
"That bulge in your pants is quite unattractive. Might I suggest a cold bath?" Hiei said, after taking the whip from the man without him knowing.
"How dare you insult part of Team Lyyi!" Maryn yelled. His crew stood behind him now, ready to fight.
"The only reason you got so far was because of this girl. And now you seem to be insulting her. You should be treating her like a queen," Hiei said, shaking his head.
A small smile cracked, "A queen…"
Her eyes couldn't be seen, only her mouth. Her hair was messy and caked with filth. Her too-big dress hung over her slight figure, long arms with easily visible bones hung to her sides. Under her glove of chain mail was a blackened hand, presumably dead.
"Hush your mouth, Kyna!" the young boy sneered. "And for goodness sake, put that knife down."
"A knife master, abandon their knife? That is almost as unthinkable as how bad you're treating her," Kurama said, pulling the rose from his hair.
"Oh, pretty boy's got a rose for the ugly duckling," Maryn sneered. His face was suddenly bleeding profusely all over his leather top. It began to swell and puss; Kurama smiled while holding his thorny whip.
"Yes, pretty boy has a rose for the ugly duckling…" Kurama said. He nodded at Hiei, who smiled back and disappeared. So did Kyna. "I'm bored of this fight…though we'll get to finish it tomorrow." He began to walk silently out of the bar.
No noise, nothing. Not until he had left did he hear anything.
"Where the Hell is she?"
He snickered slyly to himself. Walking by a garden, he could smell the beauty of the flowers. 'Wonder where he took her?' he wondered. He heard a small voice crying in the depths of the garden, and began to follow it.
"I just can't thank you enough," it whispered.
"Why did you even stay with them? You could have easily killed them all!" a familiar voice asked, with an unfamiliar tone of comforting.
"They're working for someone higher, more dreadful than them. I've endured worse than what you saw in the bar." She lifted a piece of the dress to show a swollen bruise on her thigh. "And that's from one of the lighter beatings."
"That's just wrong." A stare into the stars, looking up into the unending sky. "What did you say your name was?"
"Kyna," she said, lifting her head to the sky, showing a gorgeous face. "The Master of Knives and Magic." She looked over at Hiei, smiling.
His face was struck with horror. One side of her face was absolutely stunningly beautiful. The other was full of scars and stitches, even missing an eye. She shook her hair over the disfigured half, and looked down. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. She shifted her feet uncomfortably.
Hiei put his hand on hers, almost involuntarily. The glove of chain mail was cold on his hand, and her skin was even colder. He looked down and saw the deadened hand, and pulled his back. He stared at it in awe as she picked it up, and it moved. She held it up to her face and pulled the hair away. The bruise was on her right leg, her dead hand was on her right, and the ruined features of her face were on the right. And now when he looked, her hair was short on the right.
The left side of her body was beautiful and untouched. The hand was delicate, the eye was blue, and the leg was unharmed.
"I know I am quite an eyesore in this form. This is in between my human and mage form. The human form of me is the right side, the mage is the left. I live two lives, and have two separate halves. It's a curse, from a long time ago. I have to achieve purity in on half or the other to become a whole person again."
"In battle, I am either one form or the other, whichever I choose. The rumor that I am beautiful is from when I'm in my mage form. The rumor of the once lovely maiden is my human form. It's all very complicated."
"I find it amazing," Hiei said, putting his hand on her cheeks. He could feel the difference. Cold, rough, damaged against warm, soft, and glowing. He closed his eyes.
"Hiei," Kurama said, knowing the conversation was over. Hiei jumped up with a startled look in his eye, and sighed.
"Kurama," he said, looking up at his good friend.
"Yes, that is my name. And yours is Kyna?" he asked.
She nodded, and smiled. "Thank you both for saving me, I'm so grateful." She bowed quickly, and Kurama shook his head.
"No thanks are needed, but there is the issue of where you are to be staying. You could share a room with Botan-"
"The Guide of the River Styx?" Kyna quickly shut her mouth and giggled. "I'm so sorry. I've met her and Koenma before. They helped to bring me back to life!"
"Well, it's settled, you're coming with us." Kurama held out his hand and helped her up. "I've heard much about you, Kyna. Much about you."
"I suppose you would have," she said, her face hidden under hair.
"I'm going to run ahead and tell Botan and the others, make sure they aren't too drunk," Hiei said, standing up from the bench. Kurama smiled and off he went.
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Hiei," the red haired young man said, walking casually alongside Kyna.
"Oh." She looked away from him. "You're so wonderful looking, if I showed you my face you'd never forgive me."
"That is not so," he said, his hands coming out of his pockets. They stopped at a corner, and she looked up at him. She shook the matted hair from her face, and there it was. The half and half girl, beauty and beast. It was an exact split down her face and neck. He did not flinch with fear, instead he smiled. They continued their walk, the hair pushed behind her ears.
The hotel was alive with bright lights in almost every window. They entered the lobby together, Kyna shielding her eyes in the light. Demons and fighters watched as they entered. Those on the left side of the room were in awe; those on the right were frightened. Kurama pushed the button and the elevator door opened.
"We're on the top floor," he said gently, leaning against the wall of the moving elevator.
A ding. Doors rolled opened slowly and they got out. "This way," he said, leading her to room 6966, unlocking it with his key.
A number of unusual things surrounded Kyna as she entered. It smelled good, it was clean, and she felt kindness. Kurama urged her to sit down on the couch between two strange looking gentlemen. One was ungodly ugly, while the other was plain, but strong. She smiled and sat down, her back cracking as she inhaled.
"This is the girl I told you about," Hiei said.
"So you're the one who's been winning all of those matches! I must say, I'm almost afraid to fight you. You have a fierce rep. Though, I thought you were a guy…" the one with black hair said. "My name's Yusuke Urameshi." He held out his hand.
She reached out with her gnarled hand and shook his. "I'm Kyna. And no, I'm not a man. Though my human form can be quite deceiving at times."
The red haired one opened his mouth and blurted, managing to spit all over her, "I'm Kazuma Kuwabara! The match I saw with you in it was totally amazing! You were using magic and summoning and stuff! Awesome! I have a keen sixth sense."
She turned to him. "I sense that you are overly excited and you want to see my mage form again." She smiled as she saw Botan walk into the room. "Botan!"
"Kyna? Oh, it has been ages! How are you? Still have that nasty curse, eh? Well, you'll have it fixed in no time at all! You got out of death all right! Look at those clothes, looks like you need some new ones, what do you think?" Botan rambled on.
"That would be nice," she said, but before she could say another word she was whisked into a room and showered with clothes.
"I heard all about how those terrible people treated you. Rags for a champion? I think not!" She looked through her closet, hoping to find something suitable. "How about this? It'll look marvelous after you take a nice hot bath and get something good to eat in you."
Botan held up a short white dress. It was lacey, but very nice. Kyna smiled and took it in her hand, and Botan led her to the bathroom.
The warmth of the water seemed like an almost forgotten memory until then. She laid in the steaming water, relaxing her aching bones. Her naked body was below mountains of sweet smelling bubbles, and lovely bright eyes looking down on her. "Have a nice bath! Would you like some tea?"
"That would be amazing," she sighed, leaning back more on the pulsating jets. Her thoughts began to melt in the warm water. She washed her hair, seeing the color difference for the first time in a long while. She sat up to wash herself. The bubbles had begun to pop and disappear, and she could see her body before her. Stitches holding each half of the body together. She felt them all the way down the smooth plane of her stomach. A shimmering white hand and a dead black one.
The door creaked but she didn't flinch. Botan, bringing tea.
"Oh my! I'm sorry!" said a low voice. She looked over and saw black hair and a man of short stature.
"It's ok, I don't mind," she said, pulling her knees up to her body. She took the tea gratefully, and drank every sip. "Can you hand me that towel?"
Hiei grabbed the soft white towel and handed it to the girl. She stood, back facing him, and began to wrap herself when she could sense intrigue.
"The stitches? Yeah, they're ugly."
"No," he said, holding a hand out to her back, to touch them. He'd always been amazed by things of such grotesque horror. He ran his finger down the stitches on her back, eyes wide. She quickly wrapped in the towel. "Thank you," she said, and shooed him out of the room so she could change.
The dress was darling, it accented her differences. Her left side looked wonderful. Her long white gold hair fell to her waist, curling gently. The shoulder-length black and red hair accented her face, which didn't look so bad clean. She slipped the chain mail back on, and a ring on her other finger. Examining herself in the mirror made her laugh, for the dress was a touch too short. She inhaled and went out back into the room.
"Botan, you horrible person! You can see my panties in this!" she giggled, holding it down. The stitches down her chest were extremely visible, and got many stares. Botan took her back into her room.
"Here's just the thing," she said, holding something else up. A pair of black pants and a brown shirt. "It accents both of your sides nicely, don't you think?"
She smiled and tossed it on. The pants were very tight, and the shirt wasn't much better. "When I'm in a specific form, I wear something even more different!" She walked out of the room and sat between Hiei and Kurama this time. "Thank you for the tea, Hiei."
He couldn't believe it. What was this feeling? He felt something inside of him towards her, but he had no clue what it was. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to be with her. But not the beautiful side. He liked the rough side of her, the tough side that would haunt people's dreams for years to come.
"We are to battle your old team tomorrow, Kyna. Would you like us to fight them or do you wish to kill them like you did the other competitors?" Kurama asked playfully.
She smiled and asked, "I doubt there is room on your team for another. You have five."
"Actually, that stupid Koenma ran off without notice, not telling us where he went or why," Yusuke said dully.
"So, we have an opening if you'd like to take it," Kurama said.
"I'd love to," she said. She cracked her knuckles and her neck, smiling slyly.
"We have an early match tomorrow, I think we should get some sleep," Botan said, smiling. "Kyna, you can have my room, I'll take the couch."
"No, I'm fine, I'll sleep out here, don't you worry."
"Ok," Botan said, retiring into her room for the night.
The rest followed suit, save Hiei. He stood in the kitchen, nervously making tea. Kyna watched him intently.
"Is there something you need, Hiei?" she asked.
"Oh, no, I just," he looked around, "I'm just too awake."
"Same here. Come sit by me!" She patted the couch next to her.
Hiei felt as though he needed to tell her something. He sat down and opened his mouth.
He looked down at the floor, holding the cup of steaming tea. "Kyna, can I see your human form?"
"Of course, but you have to promise me you'll get some sleep tonight," she said in a mock scolding tone. She took off the ring from her left hand and held her right hand tightly. A flash of sickening green flames engulfed her body.
The smell of sweat filled the room, and the clang of metal could be heard with her heavy breathing. The stitches were gone, and the left half of her face was as mangled as the right. Knifes were everywhere on her body, each having its own special traits. She was clad in thick leather, her hair short and messy.
Hiei stared, fascinated by this girl before him.
"I know, I'm not much to look at," she said as she shrugged.
Hiei shook his head. "You're hauntingly beautiful, Kyna. Just beautiful."
She sat down, metal clanking against itself. "This is the body of one girl. The mage is the body of another. I was young, and I died at the wrong time. My body was massacred, and I couldn't return to it. Koenma and Botan looked up my problem, and saw to it that I'd have a body. The book said that I had to live in two bodies that encased to directly opposite people. I would have to go back and forth between them, and achieve purity. I had ten years; this is my sixth. This girl's body whom you see was a girl named Ky. She went off to war, posing as a man, and defeated many. She was found out and killed in such a shameful way that her soul was destroyed."
Hiei stared into the bloodshot eyes of a body that had the wrong soul in it. Such a beauty that he could not have. He didn't know what it was, but something inside of him felt deep longing. He stared up at her face, sullen and beaten, and walked back into his room.
She stared into the night, the beautiful half reappearing.