Author's Note: I am so sorry that it's taken me this long to update. First I was trying to finish Enough, which I did, and then I got distracted by my other non-anime stories. I haven't forgotten this story though, and I'm going to do my best to update a little more often. Huge THANK YOU to everyone who has followed and favorited, despite seeing how long it was taking me to update, and an even bigger THANK YOU to my reviewers! This chapter is for all of you!
Quick Note: If a line of dialogue starts with an asterisk (*), that line comes directly from the English Dub of the anime.
Post Date: 24 January 2018
Word Count: 8380
Chapter Six
I Converse Better With Insults
Dark Tournament: Day 2
[Episodes 28-32]
1990 December 27
Corey
"This is such bullshit! Botan!" I yell up at the ceiling. Seconds later, there's a loud knock on my bedroom door. It's about time! I scramble away from my messy bed and over to bedroom door, and I hurriedly push my frazzled bedhead off of my face. Instead of seeing Botan, however, I am looking up at Kuwabara. Way up. I know I'm short, but he really is abnormally tall.
"You're not even dressed yet!" We're supposed to be heading down for our match, soon, but I still haven't heard from Botan. Which means I have no idea where Takahiro is, and he's the one with all of my clothes and my weapons. So all I've got on is my fluffy blue robe.
"My clothes haven't been delivered yet. You think I can fight in this?" Kuwabara looks down at what I'm wearing, and I try not to smile when his cheeks are dusted in a light pink. The robe goes down past my knees so it's not even showing anything indecent, but Kuwabara seems like an actual gentleman.
"What about what you were wearing yesterday?" he asks as his eyes meet mine again. The thought of putting on my dirty clothes makes my nose wrinkle, and I cross my arms under my chest as I look up at the very tall human.
"They're dirty and disgusting, from training and walking around in the woods yesterday. I'm not putting those back on. Nuh-uh. No way," I say and shake my head for a little extra emphasis. Kuwabara reaches up to rub the back of his neck, and I can tell he's trying to think of a solution. Which is a good thing considering my only solution right now is to go fight demons in a robe. Maybe it will confuse or distract my opponent enough for me to get the upper hand?
"My clothes would be too big on ya. Hiei's closer to your size, but I don't think he's the sharing type. I can bring ya some of Urameshi's clothes. They'll be big on ya, but they should work," Kuwabara shrugs.
"Perfect! You don't think he'll mind?" Kuwabara has already turned around and started walking off, so he answers while looking over his shoulder.
"Nah, he's still knocked out anyway." Knocked out? Our supposed leader is still unconscious? He must have gone through some hellacious training if he's still recovering. I just hope he decides to wake up sometime soon. Like, before we all die.
It doesn't take Kuwabara long to find some clothes, and I smile in thanks after taking the small bundle of clothes. I close the bedroom door behind me and then drop the clothes onto my messy bed, and the clothes are simple enough. Loose blue pants, training pants and not jeans thankfully. A plain white tee shirt. The lack of underwear makes sense, because I'm not wearing some dude's underwear. That's where I'm drawing the line. I can't put my old panties on though, that's just a little too gross for me, but I can put the binder back on. I hang the robe back up in the bathroom and then grab my binder off of the counter, and I pull it on while walking back out into the main part of the bedroom. The dark blue pants go on next, and it's a good thing there's a black belt with them because they're definitely too big around my waist. I slip the white shirt on last, ignore the way it hangs down to my thighs, and then bend over to roll up the bottom of the pants so that I don't trip. Looks like I'm going barefoot today.
"Alright, team! Let's go kick some ass!" I yell as I walk out of the bedroom. Hiei is turned away from me and looking out of a window so I can't see his facial expression, but Kurama smiles politely in my direction. Kuwabara walks out of his room next, with Yusuke slung over one shoulder, and we start to leave the hotel room.
So we've got an angry antisocial midget, an unnaturally attractive demon, a freakishly tall human, a leader who is pretty much comatose, and a halfbreed that's wearing clothes at least two sizes too big. If we win this tournament, it'll be a freakin' miracle.
Takahiro
The demons around me are yelling about the traitors that make up Team Urameshi, Corey's team, but I keep quiet. I promised Corey that I would keep my head down and stay out of trouble, which isn't difficult for me. Corey is the one that's impulsive and speaks without thinking. She also acts without thinking, which is how we got into this situation in the first place. Not that I blame her. My sister saved a girl's life, and she shouldn't be punished for it. Yet here we are. I shift forward to sit on the edge of my seat as the teams join up in the center of the ring, and my eyes narrow as I take in Corey's appearance.
"I still have her clothes," I remember as I take in the baggy clothes. She must have borrowed something to wear from one of her teammates, but the clothes make her look so small. I know my sister is strong, stronger than all of the demons I'm currently sitting around, but she looks almost fragile in the oversized clothes.
While I'm looking at my sister, a ring of fire surrounds Team Urameshi before rushing towards the stands. Corey and her teammates are untouched, one of them looks like he's unconscious, but a large portion of the audience has been set on fire. It looks like no one is really safe at this tournament. I'll have to keep my guard up. The first match is decided, and it's a small demon kid and a large human. Botan told us about Corey's teammates, and I'm sure that the tall human is Kazuma Kuwabara. Which means that the other human, Yusuke Urameshi, is the one taking a nap. This is Corey's team? These are the people she'll have to depend on to stay alive? The human isn't even attacking!
The fight is interesting and not quite as bloody as I thought it would be, but I can't help my wince when it looks like the human's neck has been broken. He seems fine, he has to be stronger than the average human to have been chosen for this tournament, but that still had to have hurt. The weapons come out after that, sword against yo-yo, and I cross my arms as I lean back in my seat. The human is being thrown side-to-side, all over the place really, and it's hard to watch. I'm not a stranger to fighting, but I don't enjoy watching the fights. The only positive is that it's not Corey in the ring.
*"YUSUKE!" The loud yell catches my attention, and I look away from the sky and down a few rows. There's a girl standing up, and I take in a deep breath. Weaved in between the many different scents coming from all of the demons is the distinct smell of a human, so that really is a human girl in the stands. She's sitting next to someone with blue hair, before running off, so that has to be Botan. I've been looking for her since yesterday.
The human girl, another human woman, and Botan move down to the wall lining the bottom of the stands. I quickly get to my feet and move around the demons next to me to reach the stairs, and I keep my eyes on the sky as I quickly walk down the stairs. Botan yells something right before I reach them, and I clear my throat after she's done yelling. She turns around after making a quiet eep sound, and I raise a brow as our eyes meet. She reaches one hand up to rub at the back of her neck as she adopts a sheepish expression, because she dropped me off in my room yesterday morning and then promised to be right back.
"Takahiro! How nice to see you!"
"He's not human, is he?" the woman standing behind her asks. She seems older than the first girl who yelled, maybe in her early twenties, and the other girl only glances at me before looking back at the ring. Kuwabara is still alive.
"No, he's not. Takahiro is Corey's brother, the fifth team member. Takahiro, this is Shizuru and Keiko. Shizuru is Kuwabara's sister, and Keiko is Yusuke's girlfriend." Botan finishes the explanation with a teasing smile, and the girl that looks to be my age flushes a little but doesn't say anything.
The fight finally comes to an end, with Kuwabara losing but still alive, and the three girls sigh at the loss. They should be celebrating. It's rare for fighters to actually survive. The next fighter from the other team steps into the ring, and the fox demon goes into the ring next. Botan said his name was Kurama and that he was older than he looks, so maybe this fight will be better than the last one. Before anyone else can say anything, Botan hops over the wall and goes to join the team. Maybe she can keep them focused. Maybe. She at least pulls the team leader away from the ring so he won't get accidentally harmed.
"Yo! Hiro! Where the hell have ya been?!" I smile politely at the two human girls and then walk over to where Corey is standing next to the wall, and I lean my elbows against the wall so that I can look down at her.
"In my room, since yesterday morning," I say and look down at where Botan is sitting next to an unconscious Yusuke.
"Why didn't you come find me then? Look at me! I look ridiculous!" Corey yells and waves a hand over her torso. She does look like a child playing dress-up.
"Botan disappeared, and the front desk said that team members' rooms were confidential," I answer and look at Botan again.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Corey! Keiko kind of forced the truth out of me about Yusuke's whereabouts, and I had to bring Keiko and Shizuru with me," Botan quickly rushes out.
"Keiko is Yusuke's girlfriend, and Shizuru is Kuwabara's sister," I explain to Corey.
"Ah, gotcha. So, Botan, are there any rules against me killing Kurama's opponent? Because that's one dirty trick." Corey crosses her arms after the statement and leans back against the wall, and she's right about the demon using dirty tactics. What kind of fighter threatens an innocent? Only a coward would do something like that. It seems as if no one needs to step in and help Kurama though.
"I think Kurama has everything under control," I say as we continue to watch the fight. Corey and I both have better hearing than an average human, so we can both hear Kurama's conversation with his opponent clearly.
*"You believe in mercy, don't you?"
*"No."
Kurama's opponent falls to the ground as a bush, and Botan has rejoined the others while Corey has stayed next to the wall and cheers. Yusuke is still unconscious but mumbling in his sleep, and Corey is talking about how pretty the giant death plant is. One thing is for sure, Kurama isn't the kind of demon to cross. He looks normal and pleasant enough, but it's clear that he's smart and powerful. Of course, Corey is only concentrating on the aesthetics of the demon's kill. She keeps saying the other demon deserved it for threatening Kurama's mother.
"Are you going to fight now?" I ask Corey. She stops waving her arms around and talking about pretty colors to look up at me, and her blue eyes are wide as she smiles.
"Absolutely not. For one, I already fought on the boat. For two, all my opponent would have to do is cut this belt off and I'd lose."
"You fought on the boat?" While the two teams are deciding who is going to fight next, Corey quickly explains about the big fight on the boat that carried her and the team to the island. A preliminary fight, which ended in every demon on the boat being killed. I'm not even surprised.
"Hey, Hiei's in the ring! Kick his ass, Hiei!" Corey yells and thrusts a fist in the air. Immediately after yelling, fire erupts from the ring and starts incinerating the audience again. I hear Corey sigh as she jumps up onto the wall and quickly creates a barrier, which protects this section of the stands. It means that the fire doesn't touch me or Botan and Yusuke below me on the ground, and I look over my shoulder to see that Keiko and Shizuru are sitting in the stands behind me. So Corey is using her barrier to keep everyone safe.
"I believe your friend has been set on fire," I say and point at the ring. Since Corey is standing on the wall now, she has to look down at me before looking out at the ring again.
"Can you set a fire demon on fire?" The question has barely left Corey's mouth before Hiei is back on his feet, which is an answer in and of itself. Corey and I are both silent as we watch Hiei's next attack, and I can feel every muscle in my body tensing. Dragon of the Darkness Flame? I read about it in one of Father's books, and it's one of the deadliest attacks that I've ever read about. Both for the opponent and for the wielder. "Get 'im, Hiei!"
"Your team members are insane," I whisper as the Dragon is released. When it's all said and done, the only thing left of Hiei's opponent is an outline on the wall.
"Insane and badass. Way to go, hot stuff!" Hiei stops at the edge of the ring at the sound of Corey's echoing yell, and I can hear my sister laughing as the fire demon glares in her direction. Then Hiei is talking to Kuwabara and exiting the ring, but I can tell by his posture that he's hurting. I'm surprised he even still has his arm after that attack.
"Look, Corey, a drunkard is getting in the ring. Surely you can take him on," I say and smile. Corey drops down so that she's sitting cross-legged on top of the wall, which makes us nearly eye-level, and she shakes her head so hard that her long ponytail whips behind her.
"Drunk or not, there's something about that guy. He just killed two teammates, and I didn't feel even a little bit of energy."
"Hey, Corey! It's your turn!" Kuwabara suddenly yells. Corey's grinning and shaking her head again, and Kuwabara starts yelling at Yusuke. Except the team leader is not leaning up against the wall anymore.
"I wanna see what our leader can do," Corey says. The crowd is starting to chant Kill-Yusuke, and Corey just rolls her eyes. "Buncha idiots! Could you be any less original?!"
"Don't antagonize the crowd," I say and tap her knee. She crosses her arms and huffs, but she doesn't yell at the crowd anymore so that's progress at least.
"I'm putting my money on Yusuke. What about you?" Corey asks as the drunk rambles on.
"Rooting against your team would be counterproductive, I suppose." I smile when Corey looks down at me, and she laughs as she props her elbow on my shoulder. We both settle in to watch the fight, to see what the leader of Corey's team can really do, and something tells me that it's going to be a very interesting match.
Jezebel
"He's not much of a thinker, is he?" I ask quietly as I sit down next to the small hooded figure. Faded honey eyes glance over at me, and I can hear the quiet sniff that she makes.
"He might surprise you." Her voice is quiet, but the sharp tone is exactly the way I remember it. It hasn't even been a whole year since the last time I saw her so I don't know why I expected her to be different, but it's almost a relief to hear her familiar voice. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to see what your student could do," I answer honestly. I warred with myself for months about this decision. Even when reserving a room, I was still debating on whether or not to actually come. In the end, curiosity won.
"And?" Those eyes are watching me again, and I feel like a student myself again as she looks directly into my eyes.
"He's powerful, his Spirit Gun is impressive, but he agreed to a Knife-Edge Death Match. So he's strong but not very smart." I've watched all of the fights, analyzed each of the fighter's fighting styles, and I can tell that Yusuke Urameshi is the type to act without really thinking things through. This is who she chose over me? This is her chosen student?
"He may be a dimwit, but there's more to him than meets the eye." My fingers tap against my knees as I continue to watch the two opponents in the ring trade punch after punch, and they look like they're evenly matched.
"Quit bein' such a good guy and punch 'im in the balls!" The yell comes from the girl sitting on the wall that runs along the stadium, and she's the fifth fighter of Team Urameshi. She's also the only one who hasn't fought today. There's a boy standing next to her, a demon, and it looks like he's lecturing her.
"This kind of fighting is barbaric," I whisper as the fight continues.
"This whole tournament is barbaric." When I glance over, I realize that we are sitting exactly the same way. Knees and feet pressed tight together, arms stuffed into our sleeves, and our eyes trained on the fight but still scanning the crowd in our peripherals.
"When I heard, I thought it would be you down there." My eyes flick over towards the girl sitting on the wall, the fifth fighter, before looking back at the center of the ring.
"So did I." She's always been honest, and it looks like that hasn't changed either. She normally throws in a riddle though.
The fight continues as the crowd rages, screaming praise for Chu and death threats at Yusuke, and the sound is almost deafening. I've never liked being around large crowds, the noise makes me feel like I'm drowning, but I can't leave now. I came here to see the student in action, and I'm not leaving until I know how this tournament ends. Not just this match. I need to know how it ends. Maybe then I'll be able to understand why she chose him. Maybe then I'll know what makes him so different. What makes him better.
*"The winner of this match, and the winner of the battle, is Team Urameshi! Led by Yusuke Urameshi!" the announcer calls after Chu has been on the ground for a ten count.
"What do you think?" I look away from the ring, where Yusuke is talking to Chu, and over into faded honey eyes.
"I think there's more to him than meets the eye," I say and smile.
"Hmph," she says and gets to her feet. She walks past me to reach the stairs, but she pauses before starting up them. "You shouldn't be here, Jezebel."
"Neither should you, Grandmother." Another huff is her reply, and Yusuke starts yelling at the crowd before either of us can say anything else. The entire stadium goes silent, and my grandmother slips away while I'm still looking down at Yusuke Urameshi.
"I'll figure you out, Urameshi. Before this thing is over." I slip away before the crowd can start getting rowdy again. I'm going back to my room to get rid of this headache and then I'm going to go over everything I've learned today.
Corey
"That was amazing! Did ya see that?!" I yell and shake Takahiro's arm a little. We're walking back towards the hotel, so that I can finally get my clothes and weapons, but I'm not sure where the rest of my team is. Oh well. It's not like they can leave the island, so I'm sure I'll run into them sometime soon.
"I also heard the loud boos from the crowd at the end. Your team leader certainly has a way with words," Takahiro says and looks over at me with a small smile. Yeah, listening to Yusuke yell at the crowd after beating Chu had been pretty awesome. (Of course, I didn't miss Yusuke flipping off a giant-looking dude at the end. Botan told me and Takahiro about why the rest of the team is fighting in the Tournament, so I'm sure that the big guy was Toguro. I'm really not looking forward to the fight with his team, because that guy had been scary looking.)
"Yo, Kurama! Hiei!" I yell as I spot long red hair and spiky black hair. Kurama stops walking instantly, but Hiei continues on. It doesn't matter, because it doesn't take long for me and Takahiro to reach where Kurama is patiently waiting. Then a moment later the three of us are walking next to Hiei. "Teammates, this is my brother, Takahiro. Hiro, meet Kurama and Hiei."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Takahiro," Kurama says quietly. He's looking at us both curiously, so I know that he can tell that we're not blood-related. I'm a half demon, lightning demon at that, and Takahiro is a full-blooded dog demon. Hiei doesn't say anything, just grunts and keeps walking.
"Adopted brother, but we've known each other since we were five," I explain to Kurama. A little bit of understanding comes into his (unfairly attractive) eyes, and I hear Hiei snort quietly.
"Perhaps Koenma should have had the real demon fight instead," Hiei says without looking over at us. Takahiro's eyes are narrowed in a glare, but that's just because he doesn't understand that Hiei is kind of an asshole.
"Nah, Takahiro's an angel. I'm the criminal, so I get to fight in the death matches." I lightly nudge Takahiro's ribs with my elbow, and the tension in his shoulders slowly eases. He just needs to learn how to speak Hiei's language, that's all.
"You were useless today," Hiei says and finally glances over at where I'm walking. The skin around his bright red eyes looks tight, like he's in pain but trying not to show it, and I make sure that my eyes don't look down at his blackened arm.
"You guys totally had it handled, and I fought on the boat. I'll fight next time," I shrug. Hiei just makes another sound and doesn't say anything else, and it looks like Kurama is smiling just the tiniest bit.
"Are you staying with Corey in her room?" Kurama asks. I'm walking between the fox and Takahiro, and Kurama is looking over the top of my head at Takahiro.
"No, Koenma let me have my own room. I think it's best if we keep separate rooms for now," Takahiro answers quietly. We talked about room assignments, in depth, in the weeks leading up to the Tournament. In the end, we decided to stay in separate rooms. Takahiro was worried about stressing me out with his own anxieties, and he thinks that I should bond with my team or something like that. I think it's all ridiculous, but it's whatever Hiro wants.
"You're gonna bring my clothes and weapons though, right? Because I don't think I can pull this look off for much longer," I say and look down at the baggy clothes I'm still wearing.
"Yes, Corey. I can't let you be seen fighting like that," Takahiro sighs. My reply is cut short as we walk into the hotel, and this place kind of gives me the creeps. There's humans staying here that want to watch a bunch of demons fight to the death for a good laugh, and there's demons all over the place that want to kill us. It's all very unsettling.
Thankfully, it's just the four of us in the elevator. We stop at my floor first, and I tell Takahiro our room number before stepping off. I stay in the hallway and watch as the doors close, and Takahiro smiles a little before the doors close completely. I let out a quiet sigh once he's gone and turn around, and I make a quick sound as I jump back a little. (It wasn't like a scream or anything, okay? I was just a little surprised.) Kurama is standing in front of me, and he smiles a little like he's trying to calm a frightened animal.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he says quietly. Definitely like he's trying not to spook a frightened animal. I don't know if I should be insulted or thankful. I lean to the side to look around him, but Hiei is nowhere in sight.
"I'm good. Is everything okay?" I ask. I can't think of a reason why Kurama would wait for me, we're teammates but not friends, and he turns around so that we can start walking towards our room. Our steps are slow, and I keep glancing at him from the corner of my eye.
"I heard your explanation to Kuwabara, about how you came to be on our team. It seems a little harsh," Kurama finally says.
"The punishment doesn't fit the crime, you mean?" Kurama inclines his head in my direction but doesn't say anything, and I blow out a small sigh. "Apparently, I was already on Spirit World's radar. I've killed demons before, but I was usually a bit more discreet about it. Plus, I didn't just use my spirit energy in the middle of a city. I used my demon energy."
"Your brother didn't fight with you?" It's phrased as a question, but I've got this feeling that Kurama already knows the answer.
"No, he was looking after the girl that the demon had been chasing." Takahiro is a skilled fighter, he's strong, but…Takahiro doesn't really like fighting.
"You're also stronger than he is." It doesn't sound like Kurama is insulting my brother, so I squash the brief flash of anger rising in my gut.
"It's the combined spirit energy and demonic power. It makes me a little tougher than most." I'm not sure if that's true for other halfbreeds, because there's not very many of us.
"I think you're a true asset to our team, Corey. Just be careful," Kurama says as he opens our hotel door. I follow him inside the room and look at how his hair barely even moves as he walks.
"Careful's my middle name," I quip as I fall back to sit on the couch. Hiei is nowhere in sight, so I'm guessing he's in his room. Kuwabara and Yusuke aren't in the room, so who knows where they are? Kurama gives me one last indulgent smile before walking over to the bedroom he's sharing with Hiei, and I relax back against the couch as I wait for Takahiro.
"Today was…not what I was expecting," I think as I look up at the ceiling. The fights had been brutal, for sure, but no one on my team died. Not even all the demons on the other team died, which is rare in this tournament. Hell, I didn't even have to fight. Which I might feel a touch guilty about, but it's not like I'm itching to get into the ring for a death match. That doesn't make me a coward either. It just means that I'm not a complete idiot foaming at the mouth for a fight. I like to believe that I'm a little bit smarter than that. More practical, maybe.
My thoughts are cut off as the hotel room door opens, and I twist around to look over the back of the couch. Kuwabara and Yusuke spill into the room, yelling about something, but they both freeze when they notice me looking at them. Kuwabara even reaches up to rub at the back of his neck, and Yusuke recovers first and walks farther into the room. Kuwabara mumbles something before walking off and disappearing into his bedroom, and I twist back around as Yusuke moves to sit down on the couch across from me.
"Huh, I'm not used to seeing you conscious," I say as he just continues to look at me. He's still barefoot and shirtless, with cuts and bruises showing on his bare skin, but he looks almost relaxed.
"Kuwabara said he gave you my clothes." His eyes move over what I'm wearing, the rolled-up blue pants and baggy white tee shirt, and I grin as his eyes meet mine.
"My brother has my bag of clothes, and I didn't know where he was. Don't worry though, I found him and he's bringing my clothes down. So you can totally have these back after I have my own clothes. They're not really my style anyway," I ramble out. Brown eyes just continue to look curiously at me, and some black hair falls into his eyes as his head tilts just a little.
"You hatin' on my clothes?" He's wearing a tough-guy look, and I'm still grinning.
"Nah, I just prefer things in my own size. They're really soft though, I wasn't expecting that. You don't care that I went commando, right?" The hardened look on his face melts as his eyes widen and his jaw drops, and my head falls back as I start laughing at his shocked expression.
"You can just keep those," he says while I'm still laughing like a lunatic. I have to reach up to wipe the tears from the corner of my eyes, and Yusuke's smiling just a little when I look across at him.
"Such a good team leader. Thanks for the new set of PJs." Yusuke's nose wrinkles a little at that, and I just barely manage to stifle another laughing fit. Man, I am seriously starting to lose it. Yusuke shifts a little and crosses his arms, and I'm thinking of telling him that he needs to go shower all the blood off when he speaks up.
"Kuwabara also told me about the fight on the boat. You took out all those demons?" I can feel blood trying to rush into my cheeks, and I pull my legs up onto the couch so that I can cross them.
"Just one fighter from each team, and I helped kill a few more when the rest attacked us. It was no big deal though. They were all pretty weak," I say and shrug.
"And then you carried me?" This time my eyes widen a little in shock, because why did Kuwabara have to share that little bit of information?
"Well, someone had to do it. You were really out of it, and I'm stronger than I look." He doesn't seem upset about being carried around by a girl though, which is a relief. Most stuff doesn't really bother me, but I hate being underestimated because of my gender.
"Uh, thanks then, I guess."
"That's the worst thank-you I've ever heard." I'm smiling though to let the team leader know that I'm not serious, because he didn't even have to thank me. It's not like lugging him around was that big of a deal.
"Bet I can make a worse one," Yusuke says with a grin of his own. Before I can challenge him to test that statement, there's a quiet knock at the door.
"Aha! That would be my clothes," I say and jump up. I jog over to the door and quickly open it up, and Takahiro holds out a large duffel bag and my staff. I take both with a grin and turn around, and I hear the door close as Takahiro follows me inside. I look up to see that Yusuke is still sitting in the same spot, but he's looking past me at Takahiro.
"Brother, Takahiro. Team leader, Yusuke," I say in way of introduction. I'm mostly too busy looking at my staff to give a proper introduction, because it feels good to be holding my preferred weapon again.
As far as staffs go, it's pretty simple. Nothing fancy or even ornate. It's just plain silver, five feet in length so it's just a little taller than I am, with runes carved down it. The runes just help the metal combine with my dual energies, and it helps me conduct my lightning. Dad gave it to me for my tenth birthday, and I started training almost immediately. I love my daggers and I can fight just fine with my fists, but I've always loved my staff.
"What the hell is that thing?" Yusuke asks. I look away from the staff and at where he's still sitting, and I place one end of the staff on the floor as I grip the middle of it.
"It's my staff. I'm pretty good with it, and it helps me control my lightning." Yusuke makes an oh face, like he's just remembering what kind of demon that I am, so I'm guessing that Kuwabara filled him in on that too.
"Urameshi! Shower's free!" Kuwabara calls out as he walks back out into the main part of the hotel room. Yusuke sighs and then pushes himself to his feet, and my eyes quickly scan over his torso. He could definitely use a shower, but I'm not sure if he should nap. The last time he did, he slept for a little too long.
"Later, Corey. See ya around, Takahiro," Yusuke says and raises a hand over his shoulder. He passes Kuwabara and then closes their bedroom door, and Kuwabara looks at where Takahiro and I are still standing.
"This your brother?" Kuwabara asks. I nod, and I'm saved from having to make another introduction as Kuwabara starts talking again. "My sis wants me to eat dinner with her downstairs. You two wanna come?"
"We wouldn't want to impose," Takahiro answers immediately. He's always so polite, which is a little unfair because I feel like I'm starving. Dinner would be amazing right about now.
"You wouldn't be imposing! I just don't want to be alone with my big sis," Kuwabara says with a small laugh.
"Come on, Hiro. My teammate is asking for help. I can't turn him down," I say and grin up at Takahiro. When he sighs quietly, I know that I've won.
"I guess sharing a dinner with your teammate and his sister will be alright." Kuwabara does a fist-pump, and I let out a quiet cheer before starting to hurry across the room.
"I'll just put these up and then we can head down!" I call out. Kuwabara's alright, so I'm sure his sister can't be that bad. Takahiro will be there too, and no one can hate Takahiro. Yeah, this will be fine.
.xXx.
The dinner goes even smoother than I'd been expecting. Shizuru Kuwabara is a very blunt person who doesn't really hold back, so I like her pretty much instantly. I've always preferred being around people that don't hide behind fake kind words, and Shizuru is a straight-up kind of person. It's also clear that she loves her little brother, even when she puts him in a headlock and gives him tips on how to do better the next time he fights. It makes me laugh and Takahiro smile a little, and all of us completely ignore the shocked looks we receive from the other people eating dinner in the hotel restaurant.
"So, Hiro, you gonna sit with us during the matches?" Shizuru asks after all the food is gone. I'm still chugging down some water, and Kuwabara looks back and forth between our siblings.
"I'd like that," Takahiro says with a small smile. That's a bit of a relief. Shizuru might be a human, but I still feel a little better about Takahiro not sitting in that crowd alone. Then Takahiro is looking over at me with a concerned look in his eye. "I think it's time you got some rest though."
"What? Why? We're not fighting tomorrow," I point out. The other first matches are being held tomorrow, so we get a day off.
"Because we are training tomorrow." My loud groan causes both Kuwabaras to laugh, until Shizuru cuts her eyes over at Kuwabara. He stops laughing immediately and gulps, and I wait to see if either of them is going to say anything.
"What are you laughing at? You better train some more tomorrow too." Shizuru isn't making a suggestion, and Kuwabara ducks his head.
"You got it, sis," he mumbles. His eyes meet mine as his head raises a little, and I roll my eyes while mouthing siblings. It makes Kuwabara grin, and then Takahiro and Shizuru stand up at the same time. Our meal is free since we're fighters, so Kuwabara and I follow after our siblings at a slower pace.
The ride up to our floor is quiet, but it's not uncomfortable or anything. Takahiro and Shizuru tell both of us goodnight as we step off the elevator, and Kuwabara and I both wave as the doors close. Then we turn around at the same time and start shuffling down the hallway towards our room. I like Kuwabara. He's tough as hell for a human, and he's been a really nice guy. I've even forgiven him for constantly calling me Shorty yesterday. The hotel room is dark when we walk inside and I can't see anyone sitting around, so it looks like everyone is in their rooms.
"Night, Kuwabara," I say around a yawn as I start towards my room.
"Night, Corey." Yeah, Kuwabara's pretty cool.
My staff is propped up against the wall next to my bed, and my duffel bag is sitting on my messy bed. I quickly unzip it and root inside for a pair of sleeping shorts, and I pull out a pair of blue shorts that I usually sleep in. It only takes a few seconds for me to undo the belt and let the loose pants fall to the floor, and I brace my hands against the bed as I kick the pants off. A part of me wants to leave the pants on the floor, but I don't want to completely trash my room. So I pick them up and carefully fold them, and I shove them into the bottom corner of the duffel before pulling out a pair of panties. I feel like I'm already half asleep as I pull my panties up, then my shorts, and I drop my duffel on the floor next to the bed before collapsing onto the bed. It's time to catch a little shut-eye.
.xXx.
Smoke is thick in the air, choking, curling inside of my lungs. The ground is shaking under my feet, a continuous roar is echoing in the air, but I can't stop. My hands are raised in front of me, a dagger clenched in each fist, and I strike out against the demons swarming me. No, the demons swarming us. There's a line of heat at my back, a scorching kind of heat, but it's also comforting. I trust the person at my back with my life, and our shoulders press together as we release our energy simultaneously. Fire and lightning move through the swarm of demons, causing anguished screams to drown out that awful roaring sound, and my arms shake as I lean more of my weight against the demon at my back.
The room is pitch black when my eyes fly open, and I can hear my own harsh breathing in my ears as I look around the dark room. The sheet is tangled around my knees, my hair is slicked down against my cheeks and neck, and I'm covered in sweat. It's not even hot in the room, but I'm nearly soaked in a cold sweat. I'm so busy freaking out about whatever-the-hell-that-was that it takes me a minute to feel eyes on me, and my whole body tenses as I turn my head to the side.
"Your observational skills are abysmal." I can see glittering red in the darkness, and that was definitely Hiei's everything-I-say-is-an-insult tone.
"And you need a lesson in how not to invade other people's privacy," I huff. The fire demon is sitting on the other bed in the room, I can see that much, but it's too dark for me to really see his expression. My eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness yet, which is very frustrating because I'm pretty sure that Hiei can see me just fine.
"Why did you wake up with that idiotic look on your face?" Well, that confirms my theory on whether or not Hiei can see me. And what does he mean idiotic look? I woke up covered in a cold sweat after one really weird dream…okay, yeah, I might have had an idiotic look on my face.
"What? You too cool to have weird dreams that wake you up in the middle of the night?" There's a different kind of silence in the room after that, and I decide that Hiei's dreams are really none of my business. He can keep his trauma to himself. "What the hell are you doin' in here anyway? You make a habit out of watching people sleep? Because, not to judge or anything, but that's super creepy. I'm talkin' next level creepy, dude."
"You talk too much." That gets a snort of laughter out of me, and I can feel the tenseness leftover from my dream fading as I turn to face towards where Hiei is sitting.
"Don't be ridiculous, I talk the right amount." I'm smiling as I say the words, but my head suddenly feels like it's going to float away from the rest of my body. Like I just got hit by the strangest sense of déjà vu and it's making me dizzy, and I think all of the training and healthy food that Takahiro forced into me has officially turned me crazy.
"I want more of that drink." The words catch me off guard, because I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to have to be carted off in a straightjacket, and I have to blink a few times to clear my head. It helps clear up my vision some too, so I can actually see Hiei. He's sitting cross-legged on the bed, and he's only wearing a pair of black pants. No, wait, there's a bandage wrapped around the lower half of his right arm.
"Tell me if I've got this right. You snuck into my room and stared at me like a creeper so that I'd make you a cup of hot chocolate?" Is this dude for real? Does he not know how to work a microwave or something?
That's not fair. Botan told me a little bit about Hiei, just that he'd made some mistakes in his past and was sort of stuck in Human World, but that he's originally from Demon World. I've never personally been to Demon World, but Dad used to tell me and Takahiro stories. There are some parts of Demon World that are more civilized, like our cities, but most of that world is chaos. There's a very strong chance that Hiei has never used a microwave before in his life, so of course he doesn't know how to make hot chocolate. Which is just really freakin' sad, so now I have to go make the guy some.
"You're lucky that I've got a chocolate craving. Come on, hot stuff, let's get our drink on," I say and kick the sheet off of my legs. Hiei grunts quietly, probably at my little pet name, but he doesn't say anything else as I stumble to my feet and then lead the way out of my bedroom.
The main part of the hotel room is dark and quiet, so we must be the only ones awake. Which makes sense, because my internal clock is telling me that it's still really early in the morning. Probably somewhere between one and three, which is a good time for a quick drink of hot chocolate. I flip the light on in the little kitchen area so that I can clearly see what I'm doing, and Hiei leans against the counter with his arms crossed as I go through the motions of making the hot chocolate. Fill cups with water, heat up the water in the microwave, stir in packets of chocolate and little marshmallows.
I pass Hiei his cup as soon as they're both done, and he grips it the same way as he did the night before. Why can't he just use the handle? Seeing him hold the cup like that is freaky. Still, he doesn't say anything insulting as he takes his first long sip so I think we're making progress. I lean against the counter next to him as I start to drink my own hot chocolate, and I can feel his eyes on me as I drink in silence.
"You let your brother come here." I wasn't expecting him to say that, and I lower the cup from my lips as I turn my head to look at him. Hiei's looking down into his half-full cup though and not meeting my eyes.
"It's not like I would've been able to stop him. Takahiro and me, we're all that's left. Our dad died a few months ago, so we stick together." Talking about my dad still hurts, causes my stomach to clench painfully and for my chest to ache, but I'm not going to stop talking about him. I won't dishonor him by acting like he never existed.
"The dog is not your blood." My eyes narrow in a glare, but Hiei still isn't looking at me so he misses out on my pissed off look. The longer I look at him though, or at the side of his face, the more I realize that he's not trying to be antagonistic. From where I'm standing, he looks curious. Either about my family situation or the hot chocolate that he's staring down at. I'm putting my money on him being curious about why I call someone who isn't my blood my brother, because it's a concept that some demons can't understand. Demon World isn't known for accepting orphans.
"No, he's not, but it's not like that matters. We've grown up together, been there for each other, and we love each other. Sometimes blood doesn't have anything to do with who your family is. Takahiro is my brother because I chose him, just like he chose me." Hiei looks at me from the corner of his eye, but I can't read his expression now. Dude has an excellent poker face.
"Sentiment can get you killed." I'm still learning who Hiei is, but that definitely seems like a Hiei-thing to say. I shrug as I raise my cup up again, and I take a long sip as I try to think of how to answer.
"Probably, because I'd die for my brother in a heartbeat, but it'd be worth it." Hiei's eyes move down to my chest, and I'm gearing up to give him a lecture on not staring at teammates' chests when I realize that his head is cocked to the side. He's not really looking at my chest. He's listening. "The heartbeat thing differs from halfbreed to halfbreed. Mine beats like a human's."
"Hn," is the only answer I receive. Hiei turns his face away then and starts to drink again, and I reach up to press a hand over my chest. I'm still wearing Yusuke's thin white tee shirt, so I can easily feel the strong beat of my heart. Strong, steady beats unlike the non-beating hearts of full demons. Some legends say that it means there's more human than demon in me, but I think that's a load of bullshit. My spirit energy and demon energy are pretty evenly matched.
"You know, this is kinda nice. The two of us sharing, drinking some hot chocolate—"
"You're a deranged fool."
"—you insulting me. I feel like we're bonding. Cheers." I stretch out an arm to clink my cup against the side of his, and I can hear Hiei growling as I down the rest of my hot chocolate. He's a prickly sort, but he's not so bad. At least I know who he really is and what he really thinks, because he doesn't really hold back.
"Go back to sleep, halfbreed," Hiei says as he pushes his empty cup into my hand. I nearly drop it as I struggle to hold both cups, and my eyes zero in on the bare skin of his shoulders. Hopefully, the fire demon can feel me glaring at him as he walks away. Then again, I think fighting with him will only antagonize him. (Or, maybe that's what he expects. For people to respond to his anger with their own.) Well, I've never liked being ordinary.
"Sweet dreams, hot stuff!" Hiei makes another quiet sound before disappearing into his room, and I laugh quietly under my breath as I rinse out the cups.
I should probably be pissed at Hiei for waking me up, but I'm glad he did. The dream I had is kinda fuzzy now, but I know it completely freaked me out. So listening to Hiei insult me as I made hot chocolate, at his request, has helped me to calm down. I even feel like I'll be able to fall back asleep pretty quickly, and my feet drag across the ground as I walk back to my room. I fall down face-first onto the bed and bury my face in my pillow, and I move my legs around until I can pull the sheet up a little. Once it's high enough, I reach down and pull it up around me.
"Not bad, for day one at the Dark Tournament," I think before falling back to sleep.
Ending Note: I said that there would be more POV switches, so expect even more as the Dark Tournament continues. I am going to do my best not to make things too repetitive and mainly focus on the changes, but some things are going to have to be at least a little summarized so that it still makes sense.
All in all though, this chapter was very fun to write! I like writing from different characters' perspectives, but I love writing from Corey's perspective as she learns more about her team. Also, just to make sure there isn't any confusion, that dream Corey had was a memory. She just doesn't know that it's a memory because of the mental block that Koenma put on her and Takahiro.
If there's any questions about anything, I'd be happy to answer them!
SakiHanajima1: Yeah, I feel bad for Corey and Takahiro at times because they have no idea that the people they're meeting are their closest friends. Were their closest friends? Will be? It's all very confusing. I love Kurama, I do, but his intelligence can be terrifying. And you know I listened to that song on repeat while writing that scene! I love Hiei, and let's be honest. He needs a friend, so that's why I threw in another Corey/Hiei bonding moment in this chapter! I did sneak in Jez, and she was in this chapter too! She'll be popping up more and more, and I'm really excited to expand on her part in the story. THANK YOU for the review!
StrawberryHuggles: Writing those first introductions was so tricky, so I'm glad you liked it! And the one-sided dialogue is something I've done with my friends, and it always gets a laugh out of those of us that are conscious. (Especially if the friend is a sleep-talker.) I love Hiei and Corey's friendship, so I'll definitely be expanding it as the story continues. Thank you so much for the review!
Sweet Sprinks: I'm so glad you like the story so far! Thank you for reading and for leaving a review!
FireStorm1991: There was a little more information on Jezebel in this chapter, and more will be explained about her as the story continues. I know Hiei is antisocial and kinda rude in the anime, but I still think he needs a friend. Corey's the more laidback type who doesn't get angry or offended easily, unless someone is insulting her brother, so I think their friendship makes sense. (Writing all of the time talk is confusing for me too. I have to constantly read over things to make sure that I didn't make a mistake.) Thank you for all of the lovely reviews!
allebiouqruop: I'm happy to hear that you like Corey! Writing OCs is always difficult, and terrifying, but I think of them as my babies. Especially considering how much planning goes into making them. Thank you for the reviews!
NoS: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I've got a lot planned, so I hope you continue to read and enjoy! Thank you for the review!
backoff22: In your review on Chapter 4 you mentioned being wary of 14 year old protagonists, which I totally agree with, but they won't be 14 for long. Technically, Corey and Takahiro are just in their 14 year old bodies. So after the Dark Tournament, they'll get their memories back and have the minds of…people much older. I'm going to try to be careful while writing the Dark Tournament arc and write them as believable teenagers though. (Feel free to let me know if you think I've made a mistake! I can always use some extra help lol) Moving on to the next review! I really loved writing the Hiei/Corey encounter, which was why I wrote another one. So I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for the reviews!