Chapter 10
For the next week, Sam and Kyrie trained diligently by themselves. Pushing themselves to near exhaustion, pushing to their limits day after day. Yusuke and Kuwabara had finally gotten out of the medical wing a few days ago, suffering some mild bruising to their egos. As for Hiei and Kurama, they hadn't been seen since taking the boys to the medical wing. After finally being properly introduced to Koenma, Kyrie asked him where Kurama and Hiei were. Giving her the evil eye for a moment, Koenma had finally explained their absence.
Thinking back on that meeting a few days ago, and the unexpected answer, Kyrie frowns. "I wonder what kind of reconnaissance mission they are on," Kyrie mutters.
Looking up at her friend hovering on her back, in the air, close to the ceiling, Sam smiles. "A little worried that Kurama might get hurt?"
Kyrie, staying in the same spot, but turning on her side, looks down at Sam, half merged with the ground. "Oh, and you're not worried about Hiei? I've seen the way he looks at you…and the way you look at him. A little something going on you want to mention?"
Sam's eyes snap back up to Kyrie. "What!? Jeez, we only knew them…what…a day before they left. How could something be going on!?" Sam concentrates on a piece of the floor for a second, severs it, and sends it flying up at Kyrie. Kyrie laughs and breaks the piece with a concentrated burst of air around it before it comes halfway to her.
"Come on. Let's practice with Yusuke and Kuwabara. I'm sick of practicing like this. With Genkai gone, we were supposed to train with Kurama and Hiei, I believe, but they are gone as well. We'll never learn anything of value if we keep training by ourselves like this. Let's go find the guys," Kyrie says, coming down and landing on the floor.
Sam nods and emerges from the floor. "Yeah, this is boring. I want to do something different."
"Be careful what you wish for." A male voice says roughly. Sam and Kyrie turn toward the voice. Finding Hiei, the girls are shocked. Hiei heads over to them, looking from one to the other and then back again, Hiei sighs. "I hope you are ready for this. It's going to be dangerous. Come, it's time to meet up with Genkai, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. We leave now." With that he turns around and starts to walk off. Sam and Kyrie look at one another and frown, but follow him.
Running ahead of Kyrie, Sam catches up with Hiei. "What do you mean? What's going on?"
Hiei looks her dead in the eye and responds. "We are all going to a demon tournament. Kurama and I just got back from a recon assignment from Koenma. We were looking for a demon lord. This demon lord is the second in command of the North American Demon King. We found out on our mission that this demon lord will be the one to face in the tournament as the last fighter. Also, if he is defeated, the team that defeats him will be able to go see the Demon King of this continent. That is were we are going, to the Mirrored Tournament. It is rumored, though, that the team that gets to the final match with the demon lord, has to go through one more trial before facing off with the demon lord. No one knows exactly what it is though. No one has made it to the demon lord before. All that made it to the final match with him, had to go through that one more trial, and all have died during that trial. I told Genkai and Kurama that you two shouldn't be allowed to go, but we have to have seven people to participate, therefore, you two are going." Sam looks at him, stunned. Hiei looks back at her. Something flickers in his eyes. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you."
Sam snaps out of it, angered. "We aren't helpless, thank you very much. We'll show those demons at the tournament, and we'll show you too." With that Sam stomps off in front of Hiei. Due to that, she missed the small smile on Hiei's face, as well as the flicker of appreciation and admiration in Hiei's eyes.
At that time, Kyrie catches up with Hiei. "So where is this tournament being held?"
Hiei's smile vanishes and his eyes go cold. "On an island off of the US. I believe it used to be called Hawaii."
"Oh, wow, I always wanted to go to there," Kyrie says. "In the catalogs left over from before the takeover, it says the place used to be beautiful. I wonder if it still is."
"I doubt it," Hiei replies.
With that they enter Koenma's office. Sam is there already, helping Botan with something. Genkai and Koenma are strategizing. Kurama is saying goodbye to his mother, Shiori. Yusuke is doing the same to his mom, Atsuko, and his girlfriend, Keiko, and Kuwabara is being annoying as usual to his sister, Shizuru, and fawning over Yukina. Hiei walks over to a corner and leans against the wall, watching Yukina out of the corner of his eye. Kyrie shakes her head at the chaos, smiles, and starts to walk over to Sam and Botan. On the way over though, she looks around, making eye contact with Shiori, Kyrie smiles. Shiori walks over to Kyrie.
"Hello," Shiori says in a quiet, weak voice. "I'm Shuichi's mom, Shiori. I haven't seen you before."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Kyrie. I'm new here," Kyrie replies, already liking Kurama's mom.
"Oh, how nice. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"No, the pleasure is all mine, I assure you." Kyrie bows.
"Oh, you are such a sweet girl. My son could use a girl like you at his side," Shiori says. Kyrie blushes.
Kurama, coming up behind his mom, hears the comment and blushes as well. "Mother-"
"Now, now, Shuichi. You need a girl. Someone nice and pretty, like this girl. Don't argue, it won't do you any good. You know I'm right." Shiori looks up at her son and smiles. "Well, I better be off. You be careful, come home safe and sound. I'll be waiting for you. Once again it was nice to meet you," Shiori says to Kyrie, "perhaps when you get back, you and I could have some tea together."
Kyrie looks up at Kurama and smiles. Looking back at Shiori, Kyrie replies, "That would be very nice. I'd like that."
With that Shiori leaves, followed by Yukina, Shizuru, Atsuko, and Keiko.
"All right. Now, it's time to leave," Koenma says, suddenly taking on his adult form. Sam and Kyrie stare, amazed.
Sam's eyes start to twitch. "What the heck!? If you can do that, why don't you just stay that way, instead of looking like a baby!? It makes no sense!"
Koenma glares at her. "I think I'm starting to dislike you as well as your friend. You two are very rude. This is not my original form. If I stayed like this all the time, it would tire me out, all for no reason."
"No reason," Sam mutters to herself. "How about getting some respect?"
"What was that!? Did you say something?" Koenma asks, glaring at Sam.
"Nope, not a thing," Sam replies innocently. Kyrie laughs.
"Alright, now we are going to first, go by train, then by boat, to the island. Once there we will stay for two days before the tournament starts. Use those two days to scope out your opponents. We won't know who you'll fight until the time the match starts, so look at everyone cautiously. Everyone be careful. Let's go."