A/N: Whoa! I'm updating (hopefully) again in under a few days! Schweet! Well, I just have plenty of time on my hands now so I figure, what the heck, right? And it's not like I don't have this story written out already either:P Oh well. It's hot, it's late, and I'm keeping myself occupied so as to avoid being alone in the dark with a thunderstorm that I think is on its way. o.o; We've been getting hammered with them lately. Ok, only one response this time since I'm movin so fast! Bwahaha!
SamiKismet: Yes, you were criticizing me in your last review, and it's a good thing! I need constructive criticism! I was not at all offended by your last review, but I did take your advice to heart because, like you said, a good writer always strives to write better than the last time. I want to be a better writer! And I appreciated that bit of advice you gave me. Hehe, I'm glad to know an editor is reviewing me. :PI hope you like this chapter! Some of Ali's past comes out!
Chapter 11: New Twists
The next morning, Ali woke up rather really to go out for a morning run. It was around 5:30 and there would not be many people about. She changed into running shorts and a tank top. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail before slipping on her sneakers and heading outside to stretch. It was still a little dark when she began running, but she didn't mind. She ran through the empty streets and headed for the cliff to watch the sunrise.
She stretched on the edge and walked around a little for a cool-down before she would turn back and head home to get ready for her first day of school. As she sat looking at the ocean sunrise, she sensed someone come up behind her. Startled, she jumped up and tackled him, pinning his wrists to the ground. When she saw his face she gasped in surprise. "Hiei! What are you doing here? You should know better than to speak up on people!"
His expression was of confusion as well. He couldn't believe she had managed to pin him down so quickly. He quickly regained his composure and responded to her. "I noticed you were gone and merely came out looking for you. Now would you kindly get off of me?" he stated in a cold tone.
Her grip was strong, and that was surprising too. He couldn't seem to shake her off. "Oh yeah, sorry about that," she said as she stood up and offered a hand to him. He got up on his own and she put her hands behind her head and walked back to the edge of the cliff. "It's kind of a reflex."
The sun was rising just above the horizon and the light reflected off the water. Hiei watched as she stood silently looking at it. "Shouldn't you be getting back?" he asked.
"Yeah," she sighed. Suddenly her eyes lit up and the next words that came out of her mouth shocked him. "Wanna race me?"
He stared at her as though she were insane. "Me race you?" He knew he could be at her house before she could leave the cliff, if he tried. "How much of a head start would you like?"
She laughed and he blinked back his surprise. "Trust me, if either of us needed a head start, it would be you," she stated calmly.
"Fine. Just don't cry when I win," he replied. He saw her eyes sparkle with excitement and decided he would go easy on her so as not to completely humiliate her.
"Deal. Same goes for you." On the count of three, they took off. Both contenders ran fast and Hiei was amazed that she was keeping up with him. He increased his speed and was no longer "going easy on her." Suddenly, he saw her smirk and then she was gone. When he got to her apartment, 10 seconds later, she was there waiting for him. "No crying, remember," she said and went into her apartment, leaving one very stunned Hiei.
She had about half an hour to get ready for school so she jumped in the shower for a very quick wash. When she got out, she changed into her new school uniform and dried her hair. She stood in front of her mirror contemplating what to do with her hair. She decided to braid it and was soon over at Yusuke's, waiting for him to get ready.
"Your friend is going to be late for her first day of school if you don't move it!" Atsuko yelled. She sighed and turned to Ali. "I'm really sorry," she said.
Ali smiled. "It's ok. At least I'll have a good excuse if I just blame it on him." Atsuko laughed with her.
"Ok! I'm ready! Are you people happy now?" Yusuke ranted. Atsuko, Ali, and Kuwabara nodded.
"C'mon Urameshi, let's get going! I can't wait to get to school!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
Yusuke stared at him with one eyebrow raised. "Are you sick?" he asked.
"Come one guys! Keiko promised to show me around but if we don't get going we're gonna be late!" Ali grabbed each one by the arm, said good-bye to Atsuko, and led them away to the school. It was a beautiful morning but Yusuke seemed half asleep. They walked in silence most of the way when Ali realized something. "Hey guys, where's Kurama?"
"He goes to a different school," Kuwabara explained. "He's too smart for us," he added with a grin.
"Oh," she said. Soon after, they arrived at the Junior High where Keiko had been waiting for them. She spotted them right away and waved them over.
"Ali!" she said as they walked over to her. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it on time. Yusuke, you jerk," she turned on him. "I'm sure it's your fault she's almost late."
Yusuke snorted in frustration. "Well, we wouldn't have been late if the snoring of a certain someone hadn't kept me up all night," he replied, glaring at Kuwabara.
Before they could start arguing, Ali jumped in and stated, "I'd rather not be late to my first class. Keiko, could you please show me the way to the principal's office?" Keiko obliged and took her to get her schedule. Her first class was math and Keiko would be in the same class with her.
They walked together and the teacher was happy to see a new student. "Welcome to Sarayashiki Jr. High!" he said as she walked in. She handed him the slip of paper that she was supposed to give to all her teachers that told them her name and such information. "Class, as you can see, we have a new student. Her name is Ali Shinamori."
She hadn't known her last name so Koenma gave her the alias. "Hello," she said and waved to the class. The teacher told her to take a seat so she sat in the empty desk next to Keiko and in front of Yusuke. She was very intelligent and knew all the answers to all the problems. This was supposedly her first time at school.
Over all, her first day went very well. After school, they ran into Botan who informed them that Koenma wished to see them. When they arrived at his office, he seemed very serious. Kurama and Hiei arrived soon after. Koenma took on a business-like manner and began to debrief them. "Starting today, you will all be training together everyday after school until further notice."
The Tantei and Ali were astounded. "What?" shouted Yusuke. "What for? And why does she need to be here?" he asked, referring to Ali.
"She will be training with you guys." When their confused looks did not subside, Koenma sighed and turned to Ali. "You need to learn to control your power, be able to call on it at will. We cannot risk you accidentally unleashing it or not being able to protect yourself. So, you will train as well."
Ali glared at Koenma, a sight that worried the others in the room. The last time they had seen her angry, she was slaughtering demons in her way to kill Hitokiri. Now they could have sworn they heard her growl. "What do you think I've done all my life?" she snarled. "No one seems to realize that I am in control. They all seek my power, thinking they know the key to unlocking it as if it's hidden away. That's why I have to meditate everyday, to keep the power suppressed. I know what I am capable of, but no one else seems to understand that. They all think I'm some helpless little girl with freaky abilities but none know the truth."
All eyes were on Ali, her own eyes locked in a death glare to Koenma. The room was eerily quiet for a few minutes. No one dared to speak, but then again, no one really knew how to respond. After an awkward silence, Kurama spoke. "You are not human, are you?" His statement caused her to tense up a little and got the others thinking.
"You're right Kurama, she isn't." Koenma was watching her very carefully. "But she's a master at hiding it. Wolves generally are deceivers." His gaze was fixed on her and her eyes were cast down to the floor.
Kuwabara was confused. "Wait, she's a wolf?"
"Demon, actually," Hiei stated. "That's why I couldn't penetrate your thoughts." Ali looked up at him. The look in her eyes, he couldn't place it. Was it hurt? Or perhaps fear?
She sank to her knees and cried. Everyone was shocked to see this sudden change in demeanor. "I can't stay now. You all know too much. Now that you know what I really am, you're all in danger."
To her dismay, Yusuke burst out laughing. "Please, that is so cliché. It sounds like something out of an old horror flick." He kneeled down next to her. "You don't need to worry. Danger always seems to find us one way or another. We're pros at this sort of thing." The others murmured their agreements and reassured her.
Kuwabara bent down to pick up something that caught his eye. It was a gorgeous midnight blue gem that was perfectly smooth. "What's this?" he asked absentmindedly.
Ali saw it and stared at it in shock. "It's a Wolf's Pearl," Koenma explained. "They're more valuable than Yukina's tear gems, though they're formed the same way."
Ali grabbed the precious stone from Kuwabara. "I didn't realize I'd actually cried," she whispered.
Kuwabara seemed utterly confused. "You mean, you made that from a tear?" She nodded and his eyes lit up in amazement. Yusuke was amazed too. Hiei looked on in fascination.
"Wolves don't usually cry, but if a wolf demon does cry, any tears that fall become precious stones worth billions on the Black Market," Koenma explained. "Another factor in the pricing of these gems has to do with the fact that there are no wolf demons left. Ali is the only one we know of."
The room fell silent again for what seemed like an eternity. The Tantei were attempting to absorb all this new knowledge and forge a better picture of their new friend's past. Koenma continued speaking. "Well, I still want you all to train together. I've decided to make Ali an honorary member of the Reikai Tantei since I feel she may be an important asset in future missions. You'll need to build up teamwork and this will be the best opportunity." He turned to Ali in particular. "I'm curious to know, though, where you got the bow and arrows you used against Hitokiri."
Ali looked at him, reluctant to divulge that information. Well, they'll have to know sooner or later. She sighed. "It's like Yusuke's Spirit Gun. My spirit technique takes the form of a bow and arrow. I'm also good with a sword," she said.
"There's no way you're better than Hiei," Yusuke scoffed.
She smirked. "We'll just have to have a swordfight to find out."
"Hn. You couldn't beat me if I had my right hand tied behind my back and was forced to use my left." He seemed smug and confidant in his abilities. He'd obviously forgotten how he'd lost their race earlier that morning.
"You're right," she replied. "I could beat you with my right hand tied behind my back while using my left with a blindfold over my eyes." She smirked at him and he glared.
"Is that a challenge?" he snarled. She continued to look him in the eye.
"Guys, guys! Let's not fight!" urged Kuwabara.
"No, let's fight. I can't think of a better way to train." Ali asked to be transported to the forest in which she had lived the past decade. Koenma obliged and summoned a portal and they walked through.
She seemed happy to be back where things were familiar to her and she led them to a clearing where they could commence the battle. "This is where I used to meditate," she informed them as she and Hiei took their positions.
"It won't be a fair fight," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara. "She doesn't even have a sword," he added as an observation.
"Who said I don't have a sword?" Ali stated. She walked up to a tree and they noticed the hollow knot in its trunk. She looked in and smiled. "Oh good, it's still here." She reached in and pulled out a magnificently master-crafted sword. It was a Daito blade (a/n1), a little over 2 feet long, and it shone with a luster that indicated it was polished regularly. The tsuka (a/n2) was probably about 10 inches. She tied the sageo (a/n3) around her waist and sheathed her sword.
"Where did you get that?" Yusuke asked, wide-eyed and mouth agape.
She smiled. "I kept it after I defeated an assassin sent to capture me. It used to be a piece of junk but I fixed it up a little to my liking." When they stood silent in fascination she added, "Don't forget, I used to have a lot of time on my hands." She turned and faced Hiei. "I believe you said we would tie our right hands behind our backs and use our left. I think I also stated I would use a blindfold."
Hiei looked questioningly at her. "You were serious about that?"
"Yeah. It's a good way to train our non-dominant hand in battle. You never know when your right arm could be incapacitated. This way we can strengthen our left side." She shrugged. "And with a blindfold, I'll be forced to rely on my other senses, thereby improving them."
The Tantei stared at her in amazement. In just a half hour they had seen her transform from a pure innocent girl into an intelligent and powerful demoness. She was a lot different from what they had been led to believe. "You really do know what you're doing…" Kurama said absent-mindedly. She asked him to tie their hands behind their backs and he obeyed.
"You ready Hiei?" she asked as Kurama tied the blindfold over her eyes. "A little tighter, I can still see. Ok, that's better." Kurama went back over to Yusuke and Kuwabara who looked on in awe at the two fighters. Each one was wondering who would win.
After all, no one had actually seen Ali in a real battle before so they had no idea what to expect. As she took her position in a defensive stance, Hiei decided he would go on the offensive and put her in her place. He was the superior swords master. He swung his katana at her neck, but she jumped back and avoided it. Frustrated, he leapt and swung down on her arm. This time, she brought her tachi (a/n4) up and blocked his katana. Dammit! I'm too slow with my left, he thought.
That's why we're doing this exercise, to improve that. He heard her voice in his head.
Who gave you permission to go into my mind and read my thoughts? he yelled. It bothered him that she could easily get inside his head while he couldn't get in hers.
Sorry, she thought to him. It's part of how I predict each of your moves. I'll stop if you prefer. Hiei stopped attacking and the others, who did not know of the internal conversation between the two, looked on in confusion.
"Enough of this nonsense," they heard him say. "Let's fight with no restrictions. I want to see what you can really do." He released himself from his binding and looked up to see her do the same. She ripped off her blindfold and grinned wolfishly.
"Fine. This should be interesting." Her eyes glimmered with excitement and she switched hands with her tachi.
They faced each other and took their positions once again. This time, however, Ali started off on the offensive with an attack to Hiei's left side. She was fast and took him by surprise, but nevertheless, he dodged her attack and countered with a swing at her head. She ducked and swiped her leg on the ground, knocking his feet out from under him. He fell and looked up to see her preparing to swing her tachi down on him. He quickly rolled out of the way and escaped her attack. He didn't roll far though, and he hit her in the side with the tsuka of his katana. She stumbled sideways, but regained her balance and swung around to hit his side. Again, he managed to block it with his own sword and he kicked her to the ground. He wanted to deliver the winning blow, but as he swung down, he noticed her sword was pointed straight at his stomach.
"Looks like it's a tie," Ali said, smiling. The battle was finished in under a minute and the other guys watched in amazement. She hadn't lied about being good with a sword. They still couldn't believe their sweet, innocent Ali was a kick-ass demon. She looked human enough.
Although he wouldn't admit it, Hiei enjoyed his fight with her. She had proved to be a worthy opponent. As a token of his new respect for her, he helped her up and they walked back over to the group. "You guys are supposed to be training too!" she scolded them. "If you want, I'll spar with you."
Yusuke and Kuwabara took kindly to this idea and went out to spar with her. Kurama joined them after training with Hiei for a bit and they started to work out some team strategies. When Koenma sent for them, he was pleased to hear that the session went well.
"Excellent!" he proclaimed when Yusuke informed him of their activities. "Well, it seems Ali's forest is a perfect location so you'll go there everyday after school. I'm glad everything worked out. You can all go home and rest now."
The Tantei, including Hiei, walked Ali home. Yusuke and Kuwabara couldn't stop talking about her. "You should be a trainer at the gym! Other people could learn a lot from you and you could make a few bucks too."
Ali laughed. "I'll think about it." Soon after, they arrived at her apartment and bid her good night. Each went his own way and they made plans to meet the next day. As Ali took a shower, she thought about the day's events. It really was a busy day.
After her shower she dried and brushed her hair. Instead of pajamas, she threw on a T-shirt and sweats. She put on her sneakers, grabbed a jacket and jumped out her window. The moon illuminated the streets as she headed for the cliff.
She sat and looked over the ocean and thought to herself. The light of the moon reflected off the water and she listened to the crash of the waves on the sandy shore below. She also heard footsteps coming and sat up straighter to turn around and see who it was.
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Hiei asked. "You should know better." He scolded her.
Ali sighed and looked back over to the ocean. "Yeah, I know. But lately I've been feeling smothered and I just wanted to get out in the fresh air to think for a while," she replied. He nodded and was understanding. He knew how she must feel because he'd noticed it too. He'd even commented to Kurama once about how they were all hanging around her so much.
He sat in a tree that was on the cliff as he kept guard so she could meditate. He knew Koenma would flip if he ever found out that Ali was out at night unguarded. Soon he noticed that her breathing had slowed and was going at a steady rhythm. She's asleep, he thought as he jumped down and walked over to her. He picked her up and carried her back to her apartment and gently laid her on her bed. She'd had a long day and he knew she would sleep for the rest of the night. He left and went back to the cliff where he, too, fell asleep in his tree.
A/N 1: I did a little research for this part. I had written about her sword but didn't like they way it flowed. I wanted to add a little more detail. So I googled it (love google) and went to a few different sites.This one in particularwas very informative. I learned that a Daito blade is a long blade that measures around two feet in length. However, this measurement does not include the section that is latched into the tsuka.
A/N 2: Which brings me to my next tidbit. The tsuka is just the Japanese term for the hilt, or handle. With a katana, like Hiei's, the tsuka measures about ten inches.
A/N 3: The sageo is the belt that holds the saya (scabbard) into which the sword is sheathed. At least, I'm pretty sure. There wasn't a lot of information about this term but this is what I gathered from bits and pieces that I found about it.
A/N 4: Finally, the tachi. This was something I found very interesting. The tachi and katana are examples of swords with a daito blade. However, the tachi preceded the katana and is slightly longer. It was originally used as the battle-blade of feudal Japan's bushi warrior class. If you want to read more about this, email me. For some reason, I can't post the web addresses on here.
Final A/N: Ok. This actually took me longer to type than I planned because I went and researched that information. Also, that thunderstorm I mentioned in the opening arrived and kept me up all night. It also washed out many roads and forced the closing of the Northway not far from where I live. (It happened Monday night. As I type this, it's Wednesday.) They had pictures in the paper today and oh my. It is bad. Oh well. This chapter turned out to be 8 pages typed. OMFG! Lol. The next chapter is the chapter you've all been waiting for! I'm going to start giving chapter titles one chapter before I post it. .:clears throat:. The next chapter is… .:drum rolls:. "Christmas Spirit"! YAY! Until then!
