The Birthday Tournament
By Rain Darkwood
Chapter One: Surprise Responsibility
Air parted noisily as Botan sliced through the sky, on her way to Yusuke's place. She descended gracefully, sitting with both legs together on the right side, and saw that the light in Yusuke's bedroom was on. Ever the opportunist when it came to great entrances, Botan smiled wickedly and directed her path straight at Yusuke's open window. With a precision only an accomplished oar-rider could attain, the grim reaper flowed like silk into the room and unmounted, her oar disappearing as she exclaimed, "Nothing but net!"
Yusuke was laying on his bed, his his head buried in a martial arts magazine. "What?" He hadn't seen her top-class performance.
Botan pouted. "How is it you can appreciate fighting and not even notice my skill at flying? It took me decades to master that sort of thing! I swear, Yusuke, you have no sense of sophistication!"
Yusuke jumped in mock surprise. "Well, wait a sec! Only one person talks to me like that... When did Keiko get trapped in Botan's body?"
Botan put her hands on her hips and glared at Yusuke with a look that read pure wrath. "I'll have you know that Keiko's got a good point about your attitude... it needs an adjustment!"
Yusuke ignored her and laid back down to focus on his magazine. "Yeah, whatever you say. You'll be singing a different tune next time you need me to slay some high-class demon with low-class ideas."
Botan's expression turned smug as she crossed her eyes and turned her back to Yusuke. "Speaking of missions, I've got something completely new for you."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"You'll be heading to spirit world to act as a judge at King Yama's Birthday Tournament!"
"WHAT!" Yusuke nearly fell off the bed.
"I know!"
Yusuke looked up at Botan distractedly. "Huh? Oh I'm sorry, Botan, I wasn't listening. This journalist, he keeps talking about Maeda like he's the greatest Sumo in history..."
Botan was livid. "YUSUKE, PUT THAT DUMB BOOK DOWN AND LISTEN UP! THIS IS IMPORTANT!"
"Oh, fine... Now, what is this super important and totally different mission you want me to do?"
"You are to be one of the guest judges at King Yama's Birthday Tournament. This is a big honor."
"King Yama's what? And they want me to JUDGE? Not FIGHT?"
"Well," Botan twiddled her thumbs. "This is a competition for fighters hand-picked from the three worlds, and..."
Yusuke interrupted. "Wait a minute, I'm Koenma's personal problem solver. Why can't I compete?"
Botan was nearly wailing in frustration now. "You never want to fight in tournaments anyway!"
"But now I feel like I'm not being allowed!"
"Well, you aren't!"
"WHY?" Yusuke was really turning indignant now.
"Well, government employees are automatically disqualified, for security reasons! But who cares, you're gonna be a judge, that's much better! And you get all the best deluxe accomodations, as a guest of honor!"
Yusuke's look of anger dissolved into curiosity. "Deluxe... accomodations?"
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Yusuke had taken his time packing stuff for his trip, and for him that meant it took a full 15 minutes. He pulled his backpack onto his shoulder and went into the living room, where Botan was watching TV as she waited for him. It was a sappy romance story on one of the movie channels, the kind that Yusuke could never stay awake through, even for Keiko.
"Hey, I'm ready to go. How exactly are you going to take me? ...Don't tell me I'm gonna have to get on your little broomstick."
"It's an oar!"
Yusuke laughed. "Cool down, you sure are easy to set off tonight. Someone a little tense?"
"Well, this is an important occasion, and they are expecting you to be on your best behavior... well, most of them... Koenma knows better..."
"Hey, I can be very dignified." Yusuke thought for a moment. "Wait, are you saying you've been on edge because you're afraid I'm gonna screw this up!"
"Yusuke, let's be serious. You definitely have a tendency to act silly and completely out of line."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fact is, I've got a seat as judge in this tournament and you don't, so don't go telling ME I've got no class." Yusuke smirked and crossed his arms, apparently sure that he'd won this battle.
Botan turned off the TV and turned excitedly to him. "That reminds me, I'd completely forgotten! You could sort of say that the judge panel is a... theme this year."
"Theme? What theme do I fit into?"
"A Spirit Detective theme of course! This year's judges are you, Hiei, Kurama, Koenma, Koji, and...myself!"
"Oh man, not you too... I'd better get a seat by Kurama or Koji. I couldn't stand sitting through a tournament listening to you or the infant talking all the time... Hey wait a sec, if it's Spirit Detective themed, why isn't Kuwabara going to help judge? And I thought Kazunori was always around Koji, where's he?"
Botan frowned at Yusuke's initial insult, but answered anyway. "Kuwabara has lots of studying to do, and turned down his invitation. HE cares about his schoolwork, unlike a certain hopeless thug I know. And Kazunori will be there, but in the audience. Koji is basically filling in for Kuwabara, and the point system requires 6 judges, not 7... I don't take Kazunori to be the judging type anyway."
Yusuke broke out laughing. "Yeah, imagine him trying to see over the counter! What a riot!" After he finished laughing, Yusuke spoke again thoughtfully. "Speaking of short people, I really can't imagine Hiei agreeing to this..."
"Well, he and Kurama are still a bit in debt to Koenma. Not that Kurama would mind judging the tournament, but Hiei required a little... persuasion." Botan materialized her oar stepped up next to Yusuke. "Are you ready then, or what?"
Yusuke climbed carefully onto the oar and mumbled, "I don't think I'm gonna like-"
But it was too late. The final word of his muttering was turned into a long "WHOA" as he was carried off into the dusk sky on Botan's oar, grasping around her kimono for dear life. She laughed cheerily as they ascended, crying out, "Don't worry, we'll be there before you know it!"
End of Chapter One
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A Note to Readers
This fic is intended to feature several OC's from other writers. 8 OC's are needed for teh story, and I currently have 3 signed up... So if you don't already know, go to my forum, "The Spirit World Lounge", and submit an OC for the great King Yama's Birthday Tournament!