Chapter 7: Training?

It didn't take me long to heal "Hey, Arcana, I'm going to be gone for the weekend," I looked up at Yusuke as I shut my school bag up.

"Oh yeah? Where you running off too?" I asked, he explained that Botan had asked him to go to a tournament that was being held to find Genkai's apprentice "Oh, oh! I wanna come! Can I?" I asked as I jumped up excitedly, he shrugged.

"I'll ask Botan, I'm sure she won't mind if you tag along. Besides, I want to have someone who will make this more challenging for me," I cheered excitedly "I'll meet up with you at our usual spot so go on and get ready," I nodded then took off towards home.

-Hours later-

"Ugh, slow down you two!" he panted heavily, I stopped and looked back at him slowly climbing the stairs.

"C'mon, slow poke! Gale and I are beating you!" I laughed as he glared at us both, Gale had decided she was going to come with us so she can help keep an eye on me for Hawk. She stood quietly, sticking close to me as possible, I stretched my arms above my head and popped my back "Yusuke, do you want one of us to carry you?" I grinned as he shot me another glare as he slowly caught up to us and we bounded up the stairs like little mountain goats, leaving him behind again.

"Quit it!" he snapped as he followed after us, we stopped at the base of another set of steps and he finally caught up "Well this is weird," I nodded as I shivered from the feeling of the energy radiating from the building, he started up the steps and we followed right behind him.

My eyes widened at the sight of the huge group that was waiting for us at the building "Day-um, look at everyone here," I whistled.

"Didn't think there was going to be that many people here," my sister instantly shied up closer to me, hiding behind me to keep herself hidden from all the men's prying eyes. She clung to my arm as we followed Yusuke into the throng of people "I don't like this," she softly whispered, tightening her grip on my arm, I patted her arm to calm her down.

"Yusuke!" my attention snapped over and I saw Kuwabara standing in the midst of everyone, he ran over.

"Sup, I didn't think to see you here," I fist bumped him as Gale shyly waved at him then hid back behind me, he explained why he was here as I looked around the group and noticed that we were the only girls here. "Damn, I thought there would be at least a few girls here to fight," I sighed, everyone's attention was instantly snatched up by a loud booming noise and everyone instantly quieted down as hushed whispers about Genkai was being spread around.

The doors slid open and she quietly walked out "My, my, a lot showed up today," she stated, I shifted a bit and my sister pressed up even closer to me. "Now let's go ahead and get things started around here," she said while looking out over the crowd.

"I hear the tests she administers are extremely difficult," I heard two men whisper as we all looked on at her.

"Now for the first test…" she paused for dramatic effect, I tensed up slightly to expect a free for all "You will all draw lots," I hit myself in the face with my hand as others fell to the ground in shock. She pointed to an old pot that was sitting next to her "You will all draw lots and whoever has a red one will go on to the next test, the others will end up going home," I sighed softly, odds are that I wouldn't even make it to the next stage.

I dragged my sister into the line so we could draw our lots "Sister, I don't want to do this anymore, what if you don't make it in and I do?" she shook slightly as she held on tightly to my arm.

"Then don't draw, I'm not forcing you to but she may not let you even stay if you don't, and if you get forced into a fight then withdraw or say you'll let me do it," I stated as I picked up a random lot, she looked into the pot then drew her one, clinging back to me as we walked back down to join Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Go ahead and open them, remember, red will move on," I ripped open mine and looked in, finding mine was red.

"Hell yes!" I cheered, I looked over and noticed the other three had red lots as well "Awesome, we're moving on to the next round!" I bounced up and down excitedly.

Suddenly, two big burly men started snapping at Genkai about their paper not being red and boasting that they were the strongest fighters in the region, they attacked her and she sent them flying back "Whoa, that is awesome," Gale whispered.

"Red papers, follow me now," I nudged Gale and we quickly followed after the group as we were led into a huge room filled with game, my eyes lit up in excitement. "This is your next test, if you can pass two out of three then you will move on to the next around. We have the Jaken game, this will test your spirit awareness, then there's the punching game, this shows your spirit's strength and the karaoke tests your spirit's ability to adapt and grow stronger," I looked around and noticed the others games. "Before you ask, the other games are mine and I don't think you need to play those," she stated as she looked around "Now go one and get started, we haven't all day," I broke from the crowd and walked over to the karaoke machine.

"C'mon sis, you love singing, let's play this one first," she quietly nodded but ushered me up on the stage first, I flipped through the book that was there while scanning for a song that I would be good at. "Aha, what do you think of this one?" I pointed to a song in the book and she looked it over then nodded quietly, letting me know it was the perfect song that I could sing. I punched in the song and it started playing loudly, I bobbed my head to the beat as it started, I ignored the lyrics as they popped up on the screen.

In the daylight,
I'm your sweetheart,
You're goody-two-shoes prude is a work of art.
But you don't know me,
And soon you won't forget,
Bad as can be, yeah you know I'm not so innocent

-Genkai's POV-

I watched as they all played the games but everyone had their attention turned to the only two girls as they sang beautifully "My, my, so I ended up with at least some girls in this meat festival." I couldn't help but watch and listen as the girl in all black sang, she seemed very comfortable with herself as her purple spirit energy radiated beautifully around her.

I can be the bitch,
I can play the whore,
Or your fairytale princess who could ask for more.
A touch of wicked,
A pinch of risk-ay,
Good girl gone bad, my poison is your remedy

I heard wolf whistles as she kept singing and I shook my head "Men are just out right pigs," I muttered under my breath as the song came to an end and everyone busted out in cheers and applause, begging for an encore as she hopped down to her sister. She drug her over to the next game, the punching one, but her sister was shy and didn't try to play "Why is she here if she's not going to do anything?" I thought, watching closely as the one in black pulled on the glove.

"Aw, you don't even need to try, the high score is 175 so you can go on to the next one, girlie," one of the men called out, she turned her violet gaze to him and flipped him off with her other hand.

"How about you shut the fuck up and watch," she snapped, she turned quickly as she drew her arm back and punched as hard as she could.

A loud snap could be heard and the machine was suddenly broken, my eyes widened as the score was quickly brought up before the machine died "W-what!? That's impossible! She got a 200!" she pulled the glove off and tossed it to the next person in line as she walked over to the next machine, they all moved out of their way. I watched as the numbers slowly died down but the two twins stayed together until the top twenty people were in the room, I got down and motioned for them to follow me outside of the building to the forest that was out back.

-Arcana's POV-

I stared at the forest "Whoa," I couldn't help but be impressed at the sight of it, I felt my sister cling to me in fear and I sighed softly.

"This is known as the Dark Forest, it's been around as long as the human race and many demons inhabit this place," Genkai explained and I shivered slightly from the thought. "Your next test is to navigate through the forest and make it to the giant tree on the other side, make it there and you pass on to the next round, you have two hours to get there." she continued and some of the guys instantly darted off in fear, not wanting pant of this anymore. She laughed "Yes, run along now, anyone who has the slightest spirit awareness can feel that this forest can tear you into pieces if you let it," she shook her head slightly, I started bouncing up and down.

"Then let's get started! It shouldn't take me even an hour to get through," some of them looked over at me in shock, as if I had gone crazy.

She looked at me with a surprised look then it vanished "Well, best of luck to you all and I hope you don't die," she stated as we all lined up.

"Stick with me, sis, and I'll get us through," she nodded slightly, Genkai said go and we all darted into the forest.

-Genkai's POV-

I leaned back against the tree, waiting for the first few people to arrive as I looked at my watch to watch the time "Hey, we made it!" my attention was snapped up and I saw the only two girls walk up. "Told you I'd make it here before an hour was up!" she beamed as she walked up to me, her sister was being carried on her back and I saw a splint on her ankle "Yeah, she got caught up and twisted her ankle pretty bad, she'll be fine before the other boys get here," she stated, letting her slide to the ground as gently as possible.

She started checking on her ankle "I can't believe that you made it through so quickly," she shrugged a bit, glancing up at me then went back to tending her ankle.

"Gale, you're gonna have to sit out the next round, okay? Any more moving and you'll really screw up your ankle," she tightened the bandage.

I knelt down and used my powers to heal her "There, she won't have to sit out now," I said, she looked up at me.

"Thank you, Master Genkai," she bowed to me and I bowed back slightly as my eyes turned back to the forest.