A/N: Welcome all to Yu Yu Hakusho: Tournament of Threes. And to those of you returning from the Ansatsusha Saga, welcome back! Yes this is in fact a sequel, I'm sorry. And yes some of it won't make sense unless you've read Ansatsusha. Please enjoy.
Overview of the Ansatsusha Saga: Yeah right. Like I'm going to go through and explain everything that happened in the last saga. That could be a chapter in and of itself. So either go and read the saga for yourself, or deal with it and start this story. I don't care either way. Of course if you just got done reading it, it should still be fresh in your mind, right? Anywho, all you need to know is that a week has past between the end of Ansat. and the beginning of the Threes Saga. That should mean nothing to you unless you're done with Ansat. So go read it if you want to. Okay okay, I'll drop it and shut up. Anyway, on with the actual story!
--
"Yes, this is a tournament like the Dark Tournament, for lack of a better example. You all have been invited with personal invitations." Koenma said, brandishing two pieces of paper in the air above his desk. The gang had convened in Koenma's office: Yusuke, a newly healed Kuwabara, Kurama, Misaki and Hiei. Botan was also standing in on the conversation.
"However, this tournament is triples."
"Is what I heard about Misaki being allowed to enter the tournament true?" Botan questioned.
"Not that you could stop me if I wanted to go," she spoke up.
Koenma glared at Botan, "She has a personal invite as well as the others."
"Why wouldn't Misaki be allowed to enter?" Kuwabara asked.
"Long story." Misaki said.
"So are you entering two teams into this tournament?" Kurama asked.
Koenma consulted the invites, "Yes, the instructions on the invites are here. They also assure us that none of the teams from the same origin will meet each other until the finals, assuming both teams make it that far." Koenma stopped reading and got a troubled look on his face.
Misaki reached over and snatched an invitation from him. She actually grabbed the one with her name on it, "It seems that they've already picked out the teams for us. Or at least they've requested the pair they want on each team and say that they don't care who the third is. Hiei, it says that you and I are on a team."
"Then I suppose that makes me your third, if they're aren't any objections." Kurama said.
"And this one asks that Yusuke and Kuwabara be on a team." Koenma read off."I wonder why they only divided up pairs." Botan said as Misaki passed her the invite.
"They've done that for a long time."
"Well then who's our third?" Yusuke protested loudly.
"Yeah, what about us?" Kuwabara chimed in.
"I'll do that." Genkai stepped out of the shadows.
Misaki grinned, "You'd better make it to the finals old girl."
"And just who are you calling old Misaki? You've been around longer than I have." Genkai retorted.
"Well. I presume that no one has any objections?" Koenma looked around the room, "Then that's settled. Team Urameshi and Team Ansatsusha, you leave early tomorrow morning."
-very early the next morning-
Everyone shuffled into the limo-looking car except Misaki. Koenma was giving her last minute instructions as he wouldn't be able to attend until the semi-finals. He claimed he was to busy right now, but everyone knew that the invitations said the team's manager wasn't allowed to attend until then. Once Koenma was finished, Misaki waved to him as she got inside the car; she closed the door and the limo began moving. "Koenma says it'll take a while to get there." She said, but realized that she was speaking for no reason; they all had fallen back asleep once they hit a seat. Yusuke and Kuwabara where sprawled out; Hiei sat with his arms crossed a seat away from her, looking uncomfortable while leaning against the door, but nevertheless asleep; and Kurama was seated towards the front of the limo slumbering as well. Misaki shook her head and sat down by the other door, looking out the tinted window at the everlasting darkness.
The trip seemed to drag on forever. Misaki immersed herself in her thoughts, not asleep but deep in her own mind. Her eyes gazed blankly at the floor in front of her but even within herself she was restless.
"Misaki!"
She looked around abruptly at the shouted words.
"I thought you wouldn't ever hear." Hiei said crossly. He had at last slipped off into a light doze when the Jagan woke him up. It felt Misaki's edginess and jerked him from his slumber.
"Sorry."
"You're restless. Why?"
Misaki glanced at him from the corner of her eye before facing him, seeming to size him up. "There isn't a good reason I guess."
He continued staring at her. He had been woken up and he expected a direct answer.
"I suppose you aren't just going to let it drop, are you?"
Hiei sat back against the door, cross-legged. It was obvious he wasn't going to let it drop. "Besides. You can't sleep. This will pass time for you."
"That's you, always looking out for other people." Misaki rolled her eyes.
Hiei didn't answer.
Misaki sighed, "Alright. You look as if you have questions. Care to have them answered?"
He hesitated. Yes he did have questions for her.
"You explained what I assume to be the beginning of the world, or at least part of it."
"You assume correct."
"Yet you cleverly left yourself out of the narrative. Also, you didn't give a name to the physical embodiment of ice. And what was the Dark person talking about when he said that there is an eternal battle between you and him. And if I'm wrong, do tell."
"Okay, okay." Misaki held her hands up in defeat. "I hadn't thought anyone would notice my absence in the tale."
"Then you take us for fools."
Misaki opened her mouth to retort but she shut it, shaking her head. "Anyway. Ice was simply known as...well...Ice. Or—" She stopped, the words not making it past her lips. "And Dark, he..." Misaki realized that she didn't really want to answer these questions. Any questions but these.
"If you won't answer those, then put yourself in the narrative." Hiei ordered. "Explain what exactly 'Elements' are."
"I can do that much. Some elements are alive. Well, sort of." Misaki frowned, "This is harder to understand than I thought."
"Try me." Hiei crossed his arms.
Misaki collected her thoughts and started again. "An element, when it is sentient, exists in its true form. For example, before Eldred took on a human body, he was quite simply, air. Wind. He saw those who existed on the ground, walking and there was a desire that is born into all who become Elements to have a physical form. So he pulled his molecules together and took on the shape that you have seen him in. With such a body came the limitations of flesh and so a loss of power. Though since he was in every sense still air, he can control it. We believe that at one time there were others who exists before and could change back and forth between body and element, but no one has discovered the secret."
"We?"
Misaki ignored him and went on, "Once Eldred came into a body, he could sense other elements who were sentient and he sought them out. When Stefen, or at least Stefen as 'earth', saw Eldred, the desire to become human overwhelmed him and so he converted. The same thing happened with Aldeve, though both she and Coahtu saw Stefen and not Eldred. Then Aldeve found Ice who in turn found—" She cut off abruptly but the word was at the front of her mind and Hiei heard it as if she had spoke it out loud.
"You."
"...Yes...me."
Hiei caught another impression from her thoughts. "Brother. Ice was your brother. So what exactly does that make you?" He meant, 'what element did you come from?'.
"He isn't my brother. Not by blood. Elements don't have ties by blood. Though with the first Elements, the ties were with the one who helped an element change into human form."
"He was the one who was killed."
Misaki nodded after a moment. "Yes. Ice. And that is the reason why the Master of Fire died."
Hiei waited for her to continue, but she didn't speak. She began talking through a link in their minds. With the unspoken words, she could convey feelings that simple speech could not allow. Something that was fire or of fire had killed her brother, whom she was very close too, and so Misaki began hunting after all fire. Hiei could feel her satisfaction through the memories as she stood over dead beings, slain by her hand. All of them were of fire. And yet he also felt her anger. None of those who died was responsible for Ice's death. As she loomed over the Fire Master, Misaki could see in her eyes that she knew who had done it. But even on the brink of death, the Master of Fire kept her secret. Misaki slit the woman's throat in fury. Other memories Hiei became immersed in, rich remembrances.
Finally he came upon the 'sleep question' and learned that none of the Elements could sleep. While in a human body, they felt unbelievable vulnerable and thus did not fall asleep since that is their most vulnerable state. When waking, they are slow and defenseless and it takes them much longer to awake than an average being. But how did they know this if they never slept? Each of them had certain circumstances that had to occur before they would fall asleep. They had to feel perfectly safe. Each circumstance was different for each Element and there was no pattern between them. It was rare that an Element found their sleep because there had to be certain conditions, but it had been known to happen on occasion. In fact, Misaki had just recently fallen asleep, he learned, and he searched for her 'circumstance'.
The connection between them was broken so fast that Hiei's head slammed against the window behind him from whiplash. He grimaced and saw that Misaki was shaken up.
"I...I'm sorry. I...it..." A heavy fog had fallen over her mind.
The Jagan Eye was still reeling and Hiei shook his head a little. He realized that he had never been tied so closely with another telepath. "Don't apologize."
The fog lifted a little and Misaki saw that it was lighter outside.
Hiei still wanted to know about her sleep, in spite of himself. With just the Jagan as company, his mind seemed emptier. "...How did you manage to fall asleep?"
Misaki was staring out of the window into the distance and Hiei wasn't sure if she had heard him.
"As an element, without the body, there is an absolute protection. Nothing can harm because nothing usually knows a sentient being exists within the element. Thus there is no pain. No loss. Complete serenity. No limitations. No matter what the advantages of a body are, there is no feeling like that anywhere. And yet for some reason, that desire for the unknown, for a body that is imperfect and limited, is rooted deep within. It is a craving that only one thing can satisfy. If by those circumstances, whatever they may be, if there is that feeling, that perfect shield, perfect protection, then there is sleep. A sleep where dreams of that first form carry the sleeper away. For Stefen, he had journeyed into the center of the earth and he slept listening to the flow of molten lava about him. It is connected with sound, something that we are more attuned too. For Eldred, he slept on the back of a Nightmare as it flew through the air."
"And for you?"
Misaki hesitated, "A heartbeat."
"Then you should be sleeping all the time."
"Not just a heartbeat, otherwise that would be true..." She looked back out the window and Hiei knew he wouldn't get anything else out of her.
--
Misaki woke them all up when the limo stopped.
"We're here."
They all yawned and stretched as they got out of the car. The four followed Misaki as she walked for the entrance.
Two large oni stood on either side of the gateway. Misaki showed them the invitations and they nodded, opening the gate to let her pass. The rest of the group was farther back.
"Hey, did Misaki's hair color change?" Yusuke rubbed his eyes to look again.
Her hair no longer held the usual silver highlights.
"Who do we let know that we're here?" They heard her asking the yellow oni as they walked up.
"Enter your teams on down the hallway. They'll be expecting you."
"Thank you." Misaki bowed formally.
The oni grunted but seemed pleased.
"It's this way," she motioned for the boys to follow.
"And what other direction would it be, oh fearless leader?" Yusuke asked.
"Shut up."
They made their way down the hall until they reached a dead end with a booth in the wall. A bright girl popped up behind the glass, her purple cat ears on the top of her head flicking in excitement.
"The teams requested from Koenma, no?" She asked enthusiastically.
Kuwabara put a hand on his head as if he had a headache, "Waaay to cheery for this early in the morning."
"Like Botan." Yusuke added.
Misaki leaned on the counter. "Yeah, we're—"
"Just a minute please!" She said happily.
A metal sheet snapped down, covering the glass and Misaki moved her arm off the counter before it closed. "Oh great." She rubbed her forehead with her knuckles.
"What—" Kuwabara was interrupted by high pitched squealing noises.
A legion of tiny low class youkai materialized out of nowhere, surrounding them.
"What the heck are these things?" Yusuke fended off one that was poking his side with a pitchfork.
Misaki leaned her elbow back onto the counter, looking bored, "Entrance exam. This is annoying." She raised the other arm and pointed a finger to a red dot on the ceiling. The guys looked up. The dot was destroyed with the slightest spirit energy and Misaki rapped impatiently on the metal as the legion flickered away.
The metal rolled up and the cat-girl was standing sheepishly behind it.
"This is an invitation-only tournament, baka onna. Tell your employers that having any sort of trial for us to pass when we've been specially invited is the biggest waste of time I think I have ever heard of."
"You disposed of them rather unconventionally," She sniffed.
Misaki saw that arguing was going to get her no where so she slipped the invitations under a raised portion of the glass, "Register the teams invited from the Spirit Detective Agency."
The cat-girl took the invitations and looked them over, typing something onto a keyboard near her. She glanced up to see the six team members, typing something else. She held the invitations over a candle at her elbow, watching it burn a strange pink color. "To make sure they aren't fake." She explained. She checked the screen of the computer, "Since you're all from the same place, we have to assign the larger accommodations to keep you together. They're much nicer than the single ones." She put in quickly as she misinterpreted Misaki's expression to be one of disgust.
Misaki snorted, holding out her hand.
The cat-girl pulled two small rectangular slips of paper from underneath the desk and gave them to Misaki, "If you step into that transport on the floor, it will take you to your room door." She was in a hurry to be rid of them.
A faint circle appeared on the floor a few feet away, pulsating with a green light.
"Thank you." Misaki turned and stepped into it, the guys following her.
--
There is an alternate title to this saga: The Saku Saga. There are many different meanings for 'Saku'. As a noun it can mean plan, scheme, device or fence. As a verb: spare, split, tear, blossom or flower. Just a little Japanese translation for you. Thanks for reading!
-lotsm