Chapter Three
The next morning they met in Koenma's office again. Neither Hiei, nor Onyx, mentioned anything about their midnight meeting. So nobody knew anything. They briefly made eye contact though, each regarding the other with a silent, mutual respect.
The portal lay on the opposite side of the room, glowing and swirling like a blue and black vortex of plasma.
Koenma bade them farewell. "Botan is already there, and I have made arrangements for Yukina and Keiko to come. They will have VIP seats and be monitered by one of my trusted agents."
Yusuke nodded and slung his pack over his shoulder. He led the others over the portal and before he went into it, he gave Koenma a jaunty wave. "Back into the fire." He said. He calmly stepped into the portal and was gone.
Miki was next. She laughed and skipped through it. Aqua followed her "little sister" with the calm grace of a regal queen.
Kurama followed, just walked through, followed by Hiei and Onyx.
Koenma turned on his TV and watched as Team Urameshi appeared on Hanging Neck Isle once again.
The portal deposited them a few yards from the cliff in front of the hotel. Taking a deep breath, Yusuke led his team to the hotel that would house them for the Dark Tournament.
They walked through the gold revolving doors and looked around. Miki was wide-eyed, mouth open, a look of pure enjoyment on her face. She gazed at Kurama, who smiled warmly.
"Exciting, isn't it?" he asked nicely.
Miki blushed and giggled, looking away quickly. Kurama chuckled, he was good with children.
Aqua gazed around the elaborate hotel with calm interest, eyeing the large fountain in the reception area fondly. Onyx stood like a statue, the same expression on her face as usual.
The hotel manager walked up to them, beaming. "Urameshi-dono!" he exclaimed, "How good it is to have you again. We have for you the finest suite in our hotel. Come, come! I'll show you to your rooms. Koenma-sama said you'd be coming and reserved only the finest for this year's favorites!"
"Wow, the Tournament hasn't even started and we're already the favorites. How special." Yusuke said with a wry grin.
"Don't get too cocky, Yusuke," Kurama said, "We don't know what this year has in store for us."
"I know, I know," Yusuke replied, chuckling.
The manager unlocked their room and gave Yusuke and envelope with the extra card keys and bowed. They filed into the room and the manager left them, going to see to his other duties.
Miki ran to the balcony, "Ohhh! This is so flippin' awesome! We're on the top floor! I'll get good flying starts from up here." Then she ran through the short hall and inspected the two doors across from one another. She opened one and walked in. After a while she walked out. "I guess that's the boy's room, our luggage isn't in there." She walked in the other room and yelled, "I get the bed by the window!"
Aqua smiled at her adoptive sister's antics and followed her into the girl's room.
The layout of the suite was simple, but pretty large and exquisitely decorated. There was the living room and entrance nook, on the right side was the short hallway to the rooms. Each room had three beds and a bathroom with a shower, tub and two sinks.
To the left of the living room was the kitchen/eating area, a table with enough room for 8 sat by a large window looking out over the ocean. The suite was large and spacious, giving enough room for a lot of people if needed.
Yusuke walked in and fell backwards onto the couch. He dropped his bag on the floor beside him and sighed. "Another year. I didn't think I would have to go through with this again. Maybe it will be easier this year."
Kurama sat in an overstuffed armchair and gazed out the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. "It will be easier. Only the finals will be difficult."
"Aren't you the one who said not to get cocky, Kurama?" Hiei asked from the other chair across from the low coffee table.
"I'm just keeping our spirits high," the kitsune said.
Hiei gave his well-known 'hn' and said nothing more.
Onyx walked into the kitchen area slowly, as if sneaking up on something.
"Is there something-" Yusuke started to ask as he sat up, watching Onyx wide-eyed. He was silenced with a look from those eerie silver eyes.
Onyx turned the corner and squared off with the kitchen. There was a frightened yelp and a whisper with a loud echo. Onyx raised a clawed hand and a paralyzed demon floated towards her. The others gasped. Someone tried to get a head start on the Tournament. The Whisperer brought the demon into the living area, just as Aqua and Miki came out of the room. Miki gasped and Aqua raised her eyebrows, both hurried to the rest of them.
"What happened?" Miki questioned, wide eyes shining.
"We almost had an assassination," Yusuke replied, "But Whisper caught the slime ball before he could do it."
"Go Whisper!" Miki cheered.
"Where did you find it?" Aqua asked the shadow girl, who pointed to the kitchen.
"Anymore?" Aqua continued, Onyx replied with a slight shake of her head.
"Wow, some people may detest us like last year." Kurama said, closing his eyes.
"Or they want to win," Hiei remarked dryly.
Onyx clasped her hands together and the demon disappeared with a scream and a nasty squelching noise.
"Where did you send him?" Aqua questioned.
Onyx bared her fangs in a kind of evil grin the others didn't like the look of.
The days leading up to the Dark Tournament, numbering four, passed by pretty quickly. They registered with the committee, showing they were here, explored the island again and brushed up on fighting moves. The newcomers were really good, as far as they could tell. Onyx wouldn't fight though, but spent her time meditating, hovering a foot off the ground, legs crossed, arms crossed and head bowed. They didn't really bother her, all except Yusuke, who did so once. He tapped Onyx on the shoulder to tell her they were going in, and he was rewarded with a mental kick that sent him flying. No one bothered her for anything during meditation after that.
It was on the fourth day that they met up with Chu, Jin and Touya. The 3 had formed a team together, Team Mashuruki. They had others, of course, who were introduced and quickly were as comfortable with Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei as Chu, Touya and Jin were.
Yusuke and the others were walking out of the hotel when they heard a familiar voice. "OIY! Urameshi!"
They had looked back and Chu, Touya and Jin were walking towards them, three others with them. Yusuke and Chu had hugged like old brothers, Touya and Kurama had shook hands, friendly respect obvious in their stances and manner and Jin had lifted Yusuke up in the air with a laugh and dropped in.
"You ain't gonna win the Dar' Tou'nament this yea' Urameshi!" Chu challenged jokingly.
"Oh yeah?" Yusuke replied with a grin, "Just watch us!"
Then Chu remembered his other team members. There were two guys and one girl. All stood there, staring warily at their team act buddy-buddy with a competing team. The guy with buzz-cut black hair was Dankin, the guy with shaggy blonde hair was Honokodo, and the blue-haired girl was Shena.
"And who are these fine ladies you have on your team?" Jin asked, hovering cross-legged in the air, grinning.
Miki jumped up and down twice before Aqua laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm Miki! But I like to be called Hawk!" She gently pushed away Aqua's hand and flew up to Jin, emerald eyes wide. "Where are your wings!" she asked astonished.
Jin laughed and patted Miki on the head. "She's a cute little one ain't she? I don't need wings, little Hawk! I'm a master of the air."
Miki grinned happily and imitated Jin, sitting cross-legged and hovering in the air.
Aqua gave a small bow of her head, "I am Aiden, or Aqua, pleased to meet you."
She and Touya stared at each other for a long time.
"The ice-master, Touya," Aqua finally said at last, "It's is an honor."
Touya smirked not unkindly. "You're the water princess from Grand Lake."
Aqua smiled, "Yes I am."
Miki flew down to eye level with Aqua and Touya, she poked the ice apparition. "Are you always so formal and boring?"
"Miki!" cried Aqua.
"What?" the girl asked, oblivious, "I was just asking!"
Touya chuckled, "It's okay."
Chu eyed Onyx warily, who stared at him without blinking or moving. He leaned down to Yusuke, who cocked an ear so Chu could whisper into it.
"Hey, mate, is she safe?" the bigger man asked.
Yusuke giggled nervously, "She's just like that. She hasn't said two words or really done anything. Her name is Onyx, or Whisper, as Hawk wants us to call her."
Chu nodded and stepped towards Onyx, who was still staring at him. "'Ello there," he asid, sticking out a hand, "How are you?"
Onyx merely blinked.
Chu slowly lowered his hand, smiling nervously. He turned to face Yusuke, "Gives me the creeps that one."
Yusuke nodded vigorously.
They all walked to the arena together, Miki chasing Jin in the air, and vise versa. Touya and Aqua stuck up a conversation about water and ice bending. Chu, Kurama and Yusuke were talking about what to expect from this year's tournament. The 3 new members on the other team talked amongst themselves. Hiei and Onyx brought up the rear, silently walking, looking ahead.
Hiei looked out of the corner of his eye at his teammate. She was mysterious, foreboding, and all in all, that kind of attracted him. He wanted to find out all he could about this female it seemed no one really knew anything about. But most of all, he wanted to find out how well she could fight.
The arena drew near and the group paused for a moment.
"Here we go again." Yusuke sighed, "Another exciting Dark Tournament."