Third Person POV
Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Mitsukai travel quickly (or as quickly as possible with Kuwabara along) to a small forested beach where a boat will carry their team, and many others, to Hanging Neck Island, the location of the Dark Tournament. The three competitors and their medic wait somewhat patiently for Mitsukai's brother to show up with their fifth fighter. The demonic competitors surrounding them were busy chattering about eating Kuwabara and about what they'd ask for when they won. Kuwabara was busy complaining about Yusuke's tardiness, while the other three wondered about the fifth fighter.
"If Yusuke doesn't have the fifth fighter when he shows up, I guess I'll just have to be your fifth," Mitsukai says pleasantly, knowing fully that neither of her two demon comrades wanted that.
"No, Kai, we've already had that discussion," the ever-calm Kurama states, looking down at the small angel. She sighs but continues smiling.
"Well, if Yusuke doesn't pull through, we won't have a choice." Kurama smiles down at the determined girl. He and the angel had gotten closer, not as close as she and Hiei, but close enough for the fox to feel a certain…attachment…to her.
Before any more can be said on the matter, a pirate announced that it was time to set sail. "We're still missing a guy!" Kuwabara yells stupidly.
"We'll take that for a withdraw. That's the rule," the pirate responds. Kuwabara looks at him stupidly, gaping at him.
"Sorry! I'm here! I'm late…" Yusuke says, stepping out of the dense forest with a person beside him. Mitsukai takes in her brother's form and the short, mysterious form of the masked person beside him.
"Yusuke!" Mitsukai says happily, sending her brother a smile.
"What were you doing?" Kuwabara angrily exclaims.
"I'm so tired," Yusuke says, shakily walking forward.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Kuwabara asked the exhausted, ragged boy.
"Yusuke," Hiei says. Yusuke is immediately slashed at by a barrage of sword attacks by Hiei, dodging each one effortlessly.
"Fast… I'm having a hard time following…" Kuwabara mutters. Kurama and Mitsukai watch on quietly.
"What a greeting," Yusuke laughs as he catches Hiei's blade with his fingers.
"I see that you've made a little progress," Hiei concedes with a smirk.
"A little!?" Kuwabara exclaims angrily, sweating a little.
"Don't panic. You've also progressed," Kurama assures the bumbling human. Mitsukai walks up to her brother and gives him a small hug, smiling up at him.
"It's good to see you, Yusuke," she says to him.
"Hey, sis!" Yusuke wraps his muscled arms around his sister's small frame. "What were you up to the last few months?"
"Hiei and Kurama trained me!" she beams, taking a step back so she is now standing between the aforementioned demons.
"Really?" Yusuke asks, looking at the two demons.
"Yes. She improved greatly at healing and sword fighting. She was even able to beat Kuwabara," Kurama complimented, smiling down at the now blushing female.
"That's awesome, sis!"
"K-kurama is over exaggerating," she stutters. "I'm still not strong enough to compete…" she says sadly. A flash of guilt passes through Hiei's eyes and he reaches his hand up towards the angel. His hand drops quickly and guilt turns to rage, however, as Kurama pulls the disheartened girl into a warm hug. Mitsukai squeaks as she is hugged by the fox, her face glowing a bright red.
"You are very strong, Mitsukai, but you are too kind-hearted for this tournament. That is why you cannot compete," Kurama whispers into her ear, sending fantastic shivers down her spine. Kurama glances towards Hiei, smirking at the anger in the imiko's eyes. Mitsukai, also looking in Hiei's direction, pushes herself out of the fox's grip.
"Don't tell me the little one is the fifth?" Hiei grunts, forcing his eyes away from the angel with a small smirk.
"What, him? I didn't even see him!" Kuwabara yells (yet again).
"Don't worry. That one will be a lot of help," Yusuke assures the group.
"No matter. Yusuke and I will be more than enough," Hiei says cockily.
"Let's get going," Kurama tells the group, gently taking the blind angel's hand to lead her. Before he goes, however, he sends another smirk at Hiei.
Mitsukai's POV
A few hours later, we had arrived at our destination to wait for the ship that would carry us to Hanging Neck Island. Behind us was a dense forest of plant auras, in front of us was a large expanse of a deep blue-black aura speckled with small, nearly unnoticeable auras; I assumed it was the ocean. Tens of other demonic auras surrounded us, as well, all radiating some form of blood lust. They were all talking about devouring humans, a topic I tried my hardest to tune out. Kuwabara was busying himself with verbally attacking my absent brother for being late, anger rolling off of him in waves. Kurama and Hiei were pondering the fifth fighter when I decided to pop into the conversation.
"If Yusuke doesn't have the fifth fighter when he shows up, I guess I'll just have to be your fifth." I smile a little, knowing that neither Kurama nor Hiei wanted it to come to that.
"No, Kai, we've already had that discussion," Kurama says calmly. I sigh but continue to smile at myself.
"Well, if Yusuke doesn't pull through, we won't have a choice." I feel a wave of amusement roll from Kurama's aura. I had noticed that Kurama had been feeling somewhat attached to me, but the feeling was too foreign for me to understand. Before any more can be said, a pirate announces that we have to board the ship.
"We're still missing a guy!" Kuwabara yells. I cringe a little at the volume of Kuwabara's voice. His loud mouth and idiotic statements had made it extremely difficult for me to get close to him (or even want to), but I still tried to be kind to him. Kuwabara looks at the pirate with a stupid look when the peg-legged man says that we would have to withdraw.
I almost spoke up, saying I was able to fight, but Yusuke's voice calms the thought before it comes to fruition. His familiar light blue aura popped out of the plant auras, along with a dark blue one. From what I could tell, my brother had gotten quite a bit stronger, but nowhere near as strong as the dark blue aura. I cheer my brother's name happily, sending his aura a cheerful smile.
"What were you doing?" Kuwabara booms at my brother. I send a tiny glare his way, but both his loud voice and my irritation go unnoticed by my brother.
"I'm so tired," Yusuke groans, stumbling forward. From the way his aura was waning and waxing, rather than blazing at a constant, I could tell he was thoroughly exhausted.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Kuwabara asks. Again, no one pays attention to the large oaf-ish boy.
"Yusuke," Hiei warns. I close my eyes to listen to the sound of Hiei's katana swishing through the air. He was testing Yusuke. I had learned that much about him. I heard Kuwabara mumble something about how fast the pair was.
"What a greeting," I hear Yusuke laugh, the sound of Hiei's katana silenced.
"I see that you've made a little progress," Hiei says smugly. Apparently, Yusuke had passed Hiei's test. Kuwabara yells something angrily once again, and Kurama says something in his soothing voice. I don't hear their exact words, however, because I'm already on my way to my brother's side.
"It's good to see you, Yusuke." I smile at him and wrap my arms around his abdomen in a hug.
"Hey, sis!" Yusuke says cheerfully, a small save of happiness rolling off of him. His arms wrapped around me in a large bear hug. "What were you up to the last few months?" he asked, sounding very much like a concerned big brother.
"Hiei and Kurama trained me!" I say proudly, smiling largely and stepping back to stand between the fox demon and the imiko.
"Really?" my brother asks, I feel a small surge of concern from him.
"Yes. She improved greatly at healing and sword fighting. She was even able to beat Kuwabara," I hear Kurama compliment, waves of that strange feeling attacking me. Even though I had no idea what it was, it still caused my face to heat up. It felt almost like when Maru-sama would count his money or spend time with Mari-sama.
"That's awesome, sis!" Yusuke cheers happily.
"K-kurama is over exaggerating," I manage to stutter. Then I remember what Hiei had said about my incompetence. "I'm still not strong enough to compete…" I feel a small twinge of guilt from Hiei, but it quickly changes to rage as Kurama pulls me into a hug. A small noise of surprise slips out of my throat as he hugs me, and I feel my face heat up even more.
"You are very strong, Mitsukai, but you are too kind-hearted for this tournament. That is why you cannot compete," he whispers into my ear. I feel a shiver run down my spine, but it was not unpleasant. I can't help but imagine what it would be like if Hiei were the one holding me like this. My skin always blazed when he touched me, something he did not do often. The few times he had touched me were to correct my grip on the katana or to reposition my feet in a fighting stance.
I redirected my focus to my current situation and felt very strong waves of anger coming from Hiei's direction. I suddenly felt very wrong allowing Kurama to hold me like he was, and I quickly pushed myself out of the fox's arms, looking toward Hiei as I did. His anger dissipated after I was out of Kurama's hold and he switched attention from us to the smallest member of our party. I was a little confused at the smug, pleased feeling now coming from Hiei' the same feeling that had been radiating from Kurama moments ago.
"Don't tell me the little one is the fifth?" Hiei grunts.
"What, him? I didn't even see him!" Kuwabara yells rudely.
"Don't worry. That one will be a lot of help," Yusuke's voice says reassuringly.
"No matter. Yusuke and I will be more than enough," Hiei says, a huge air of cockiness radiating from him. He was so confident in his abilities!
"Let's get going," Kurama says kindly, gently taking my hand to lead me. Kurama's feeling of annoyance quickly reverted back to the smug feeling it had replaced before. Hiei's anger returned just as quickly. What in the world was going on?
Hiei's POV
The onna tried to convince us to allow her to fight while we waited for the detective. Her determination and enthusiasm were attractive. The fox turns her down immediately. The oaf was busy yelling about how late the detective was. The detective showed up not long after we were told to board the ship. The onna's face lights up beautifully when she sees him, and she happily sings his name.
Hn, had the detective gotten any stronger? I was going to test him. "Yusuke." The detective looked at me and I slashed at him quickly with my katana. He dodged all of my attacks effortlessly.
"What a greeting" the detective jokes, catching my blade with his fingers.
"I see that you've made a little progress," I smirk. The oaf causes my ear drums to bleed, and then the fox says something to quiet him in his sickening voice. Ever since the fox had noticed my…closeness…to the onna, he had been getting on my last nerves. He'd been touching the onna more frequently and using his disgusting 'charms' to irritate me. The onna had mostly remained oblivious to his advances, but the way he made her face redden angered me.
"It's good to see you, Yusuke," the onna says, giving the detective a hug with her delicate arms and one of her large smiles.
"Hey, sis! What were you up to the last few month?" The detective returns the onna's hug.
"Hiei and Kurama trained me!" The onna's face lit up as she says that, and she steps to stand between me and the fox.
"Really?" the detective asks, his gaze suspicious.
"Yes," the fox says immediately. "She improved greatly at healing and sword fighting. She was even able to beat Kuwabara." I feel my anger bubbling, especially when the onna's face turns red. I should've praised her, instead.
"That's awesome, sis!"
"K-kurama is over exaggerating," the onna stumbles out. That damn fox. "I'm still not strong enough to compete…" I felt…guilty for what I had said to her earlier. My guilt didn't last long. The fox pulled the onna into him, making the onna squeak and glow even redder.
"You are very strong, Mitsukai, but you are too kind-hearted for this tournament. That is why you cannot compete," the fox whispers into the onna's ear. The soon-to-be dead fox glances at me. The onna also glances at me and she quickly forces the fox away from her body. I smirk and finally look towards the small human the detective had brought with him.
"Don't tell me the little one is the fifth?" The oaf yells something unintelligently.
"Don't worry. That one will be a lot of help," the detective says.
"No matter. Yusuke and I will be more than enough," I say smugly, feeling wonderful after the onna's actions towards the fox.
"Let's get going," the fox says sickeningly. He takes the onna's small hand and looks at me smugly before taking her away. I was going to kill that idiotic fox. Mark my words.
