A/N: Late. Sorry. But I will have something up tomorrow, and at least this is up early this morning right? xD I hope you guys enjoy. It's a bit disjointed, but...lemme know what you think.

Chiryo

Chapter 26

"What's that?"

Riko glanced back at Yusuke and Kuwabara who were both peering at her glass, which was filled with a mysterious deep red color. She waved it at them playfully and said, "Blood," in her most serious tone, then cocked her head and gave a small smile at their expressions. "I'm just kidding. It's wine."

Their expression didn't change.

"Riko, you drink?" Kurama asked, looking over and raising an eyebrow.

"You're way too young," Yusuke accused. "You're our age." He paused. "You are, aren't you?"

Shrugging, Riko tilted the glass back and took a sip. "I am, but they don't care," She said, her eyes flicking to the stewardesses who guarded both entrances. "And besides, I have a good tolerance." She took another sip and then glanced around.

Kurama noticed the action. "Yuuna's still in the cockpit." And then, "Really? Wine?"

Holding the glass out, Riko asked, "Do you wanna try some?"

"…I'll pass."

Again, Riko shrugged and then glanced at Yusuke and Kuwabara who both stepped back, Yusuke muttering something about it smelling like his mom. Riko settled more comfortably into her seat and glanced out the window. They were several thousand meters in the air, and clouds, dark clouds, could be seen at a level, although far in the distance.

"Oh, are we all making ourselves comfortable?"

The white slide door that led to the cockpit opened and then closed again as the petite form of Yuuna walked through.

…I wonder if I don't like her because there's actually something wrong with her, Riko thought, lowering her glass slowly, Or if it's because she kinda looks like me.

There were few noticeable similarities – short gray-purple hair to medium orange-blond locks, gray eyes to golden-amber ones – but the body shape was similar – both short and petite – both with little to hint that they were athletic, both with flat chests and slender limbs.

Yuuna had been smiling around brightly. She now slipped over to where Kurama and Kuwabara were sitting across from each other over a coffee table – Yusuke was sitting on a single couch at one end of the coffee table while Hiei still stood, near one of the windows. She placed herself on the sofa next to Kuwabara, who looked like he was conflicted between scooting away and scooting closer to the girl.

And just what is she? Riko wondered. She certainly couldn't tell. Demon, human – they all looked and felt basically the same to her. She took a step back towards the concession table – a bit dangerous several thousand meters in the air, but it looked secure enough. She picked up the wine glass and refilled her glass.

As she did, Yuuna asked, "So. You guys had questions?" Her voice was very bright, almost like pattering raindrops.

"Yeah. What's going on here?"

Riko turned around in time to catch Yuuna tilt her head to the side and blink, wide-eyed. "What do you mean?" She asked, chirpy. "You've just passed the preliminaries and are about to enter the location of the Wadoshi Games."

"Where?" Kurama asked.

Shaking her head, Yuuna said, "We can't tell you that. It's a secret."

"A secret?" Scorn literally dripped from Hiei's voice. "There are windows."

…Funny how his attitude is amusing when it's not directed at me, Riko thought as she walked back over to the couches and sat down next to Kurama, directly across from Yuuna. She looked at the other girl as she did so, but unfortunately, the girl had turned her attention to Hiei.

There was a smile on her face, the same bland smile, but somehow scarier. "That's an illusion." She nodded at the windows. "Nothing you see outside is real right now."

The statement was followed by almost a dozen eyes darting towards the windows and then back at Yuuna.

"Why the secrecy?" Kurama asked, voice level.

"It's more entertaining this way," Yuuna replied. Her eyes twinkled. "If you wish to invite anyone to come watch, they'll have to come this way as well."

…Twinkling eyes, what is she, an elf? Uncharacteristic irritation was starting to bubble in the pit of Riko's stomach. "How's this going to work? What's going to happen when we get to wherever we go?" And then, the question that she had been trying to hold back, "And what part do you have in this?"

Now, Yuuna turned to face Riko, and the irritation seemed about to boil over, and it was all Riko could do not to throw her wine glass at the other girl. Why was she so annoyed?

Yuuna's voice stayed chipper. "I'm going to be your guide. I'll be the one informing you of your next fights, your schedules, your rooms… Any questions that you have, they'll come through me." She sat back a bit and continued, "As for what will happen – well, you're going to get registered, receive IDs – you have to keep those on you. Unauthorized personnel aren't allowed where we're going." Her smile remained constant. "And if you don't have your ID, you will be killed."

Everyone was silent for a moment as this not so savory information was digested. A beep broke the silence. Yuuna looked down at her wrist and then stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on something."

…I wonder what she'd do if I said I 'I don't excuse you', Riko thought crossly. The other side of her mind told her, Breathe, Riko. Breathe. She lifted her glass to her lips and drank slowly as Yuuna walked over to the cockpit and stepped through the sliding door.

The moment it closed behind her, Kuwabara announced, "I don't think she's human." He paused and then added, "Or demon."

Yusuke and Riko looked at him, curious and more than a little surprised. Yusuke had felt something of the sort himself, but he had assumed that it had just been a weird form of demon energy. Riko had felt nothing of the sort and was about to ask for clarification when –

"Of course she's not," Hiei said, voice icy.

Heads turned to Hiei and then Kurama as he added, softly, "She's not alive."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Yusuke held a hand up to stop him. "What? She's dead? What? When – and where – did you get this?"

Kurama and Hiei exchanged glances. "I just realized," Kurama admitted.

"I knew when I couldn't detect her presence." Hiei looked at Kuwabara. "That didn't make you just a bit suspicious?"

Kuwabara shrugged, suddenly a bit bashful. "I just thought that I was too distracted and that she was so weak she got mixed in with all the others." He shook his head. "I didn't realize – until now –" He looked up, his eyes serious. "She – doesn't have any energy. Spirit or demon or – anything."

Following this was a brief silence as the words sunk in. Then –

"I'm sorry, but how exactly can she be dead and yet up and talking?" Riko asked. "Botan told me that the dead – well, she takes the dead to the Spirit World, and I'm pretty sure this isn't some weird little corner of it."

Again, Kurama and Hiei looked at each other, and then Kurama turned his eyes back to Riko and slowly shook his head, "I'm afraid I have no idea."

Which, of course, started a stuttering fit from Kuwabara. "Kurama doesn't know something! How is this possible?"

After a judicious moment of glares Kuwabara's way – to which he gave a sheepish grin – the mood turned serious again.

"Yusuke," Kurama said, after a moment. "Did Botan give you a replacement communication mirror?"

"Uh, yeah, she did," Yusuke said, rummaging in his pockets.

"Why don't you give Botan a call and ask her?" Kurama suggested.

"Sure." Yusuke pulled out a dark purple, compact-like item with three pink, curved, teardrop-like shapes on one side. He snapped it open and then stared at it for a second. "Uh…" He looked back up. "I dunno how to work this."

Hiding a smile, Kurama instructed, "Just say the name of the person that you wish to speak to, and it should connect you with them."

"Oh. Okay." Yusuke looked back down at the compact as Riko switched over to the arm of his couch and Kuwabara edged closer. "Botan."

The surface fogged slightly and then swirled – as if there was a tornado clearing the fog. When it was completely gone, a process that took several seconds, Botan's face appeared in the mirror, smiling brightly.

"Sorry it took me so long to answer. I was taking care of some business. What's up, Yusuke? How's the tournament going? Have you registered yet?"

"No, we're not even at the right place yet."

Kuwabara stuck his head into the picture. "Hi Botan!"

"Stop being annoying, Kuwabara. She's doesn't wanna talk to you."

"Shut up, Urameshi. You don't know that. Hi, Botan."

Botan's eyes widened at Yusuke's words and then narrowed in a smile at the sight of Kuwabara. "Hi, Kuwabara." To Yusuke, she said, "Really? But it's already been a few hours since you left. What've you been doing this whole time?"

"Well, currently, we're on a jet being flown to the tournament location." Yusuke paused and then added, "You wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?"

Botan shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't. It's actually one of the seven great mysteries of the Spirit/Demon/Human Worlds. This tournament started about five hundred years ago, and no one except the committee itself has ever found out where exactly it takes place. Even the audience members have to be taken in secretly."

"Wow," Kuwabara said. "That's pretty extreme."

With an easy laugh, Botan said, "Be glad that you're fighting now and not a hundred years before. They used to carry all the contestants here unconscious." She shook her head, her eyes misting over. "Oh the memories… They had to knock them out of course, and since these were fighters, it was not a pretty sight…"

"…Just how old are you?"

Amidst the Botan rage, Riko grabbed the compact from Yusuke and held it in front of her face. "Hi, Botan. We had a question for you? How can someone be dead and yet still alive and talking?"

The question immediately sobered Botan up. "Why? What's going on?"

"We have an – interesting – guide. Kuwabara and Hiei and Kurama say that they can't feel any energy coming from her, but looks wise, she's fine."

"Very fine," Yusuke muttered under his breath.

"…I might not know her that well, but I'm still going to tell Keiko on you," Riko informed him.

Yusuke shut his mouth.

Riko turned her attention back to Botan. "So, do you know how someone could be dead, but alive?"

"I…" Botan hesitated and then shook her head. "I don't have a clue. Does Kurama know?"

Glancing at Kurama, Riko shook her head. "Nope. That's why we're calling."

Botan nodded, thinking. "Okay, well I can –"

The door from the cockpit slid open, and Yuuna appeared in the entranceway. "I'm back ~ Just wanted to let you all know that we're going to be landing soon!" She peered at the group, smiling brightly. "Do you have any more questions? Is there anything you need?"

Kurama glanced at the scene – Riko had snapped the compact shut and dropped it, landing a very square shot on a sensitive part of Yusuke's body, and the young man was now doubled over in pain, his cuss words flowing very freely – and then back at Yuuna. He gave her a smile.

"No, we're fine."

End of Chapter 26

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