ME: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! (running around like a chicken with its head cut off.)
Hiei: It's twenty-six chapters into this torture and I still cannot comprehend the things that send this baka onna into a fit like this.
Ghost: I do believe it's because she realized how long it took her to update last time and she worked ten times harder to try to make up for it with this one. She's running on sugar and little sleep…and she's worried that she may have lost some of her reviewers because of it.
Hiei: If she would only pay more attention and use what intellect she has, as scarce as that may be, you wouldn't have to clarify any of this for her.
ME: (begins to have a panic attack)
Ghost: Oh dear…what shall we do?
Hiei: A simple remedy that I have found the most effective. (smacks me upside the head and knocks me unconscious.) Enjoy the silence
Ghost: Uh-huh…well the authoress would like to point out that she doesn't own anything from Yu-Yu Hakusho. Please review and enjoy the Chapter. Chapter Start.
SPECIAL DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of McDonald's either…had to say that.
(I tried to make this update come a little faster and last a little longer as an apology to all my readers for the long delay. Hopefully this won't happen again and I plan to update at least once a month. I definitely plan on more than that, but if school conflicts I'll do what I can.)
Chapter 26: IS THAT HIS FACE?
The die was thrown into the air for the final time and I bounced on the balls of my feet…well tried to anyway considering I was still pretty injured from the beating I took. I was completely beside myself to see this next fight and couldn't wait to see the end of it all. It was a bit of a fangirl moment, but could anyone blame me? I was DYING to see what Genkai was going to do to his fugly face. Haha! I heard it clink against the ground and we all leaned forward to see the word that came up. YES!
Mask.
Both of the "old" fighters stepped into the ring and examined one another. By this point Genkai already knew that her opponent was hiding behind a disguise and wasn't impressed. Of course, when was she ever impressed by the enemies that we fought? She was one tough old bat and she'd been in so many fights it would take a hell of a lot more than anything these fools have to impress her. I snickered and said, "So, why don't you show that "old" fool how the real fighters dance around the ring?"
"You knew as well I see. These morons are so full of themselves. Hopefully our boys won't ever get this bad," Genkai responded with a sniff of contempt that reminded me of Hiei. I laughed and shook my head.
"Trust me, Genkai. You'll make sure of that," I said as she turned around to face her enemy. She didn't respond and she didn't have to for me to know where her mind went. By the way her shoulders sagged, even though it was only for a second, she was thinking that I was wrong and when she was going to die. I withdrew for a second and took a breath. That was going to be something I didn't quite know how to handle just yet. What was I going to do when Toguro took down one of the few people I had confided in and the rest of them would soon find out that I knew it was going to happen. I had set myself up for failure that time and there was only one thing I could do. Sleep in the bed I made. With that on my mind, I took a break and returned my attention to the fight.
"Ho ho… you up to it? You must be rather tired…" he asked contemptuously of Genkai. The psychic merely arched her eyebrow for a second and seemed to lose interest in her enemy. I'm sure she was beginning to exhaust her patience for being underestimated.
"And you can stop putting on the old and feeble act. Is there any further point in the pretense, whoever you are?" Genkai asked in annoyance. The entire stadium seemed to freeze and stare in shock. Hiei, Kurama and Ghost leaned in closer to see what she meant and the old man's face twitched for a moment. I smirked.
"Nothing gets past those eagle eyes. Just ask Yusuke. He's suffered under them a lot longer than any of us have," I laughed and crossed my arms. For someone as old as Genkai, she sure did have the eyes of a hawk. I hoped my eyes would stay that good when I got older.
"You "never judge a book by its cover," eh? I'd even concealed my aura level. Disguises are something of a hobby you see," he said as he calmly reached up to the side of his chin. I snorted and growled something fairly colorful about him needing a disguise just to please his own mother. Kurama chuckled slightly and Ghost had to put his hand over his mouth to keep his face straight. I could've sworn that even Hiei cracked a smile and I noticed a vein appear on the forehead of Genkai's opponent. His eyes narrowed on me and I played the innocent act, looking around as if someone else had said something instead of me. His grip was a little tighter on the edge of his disguise as he said, "When I'm finished taking out the rest of your team, I'm coming after you, you annoying female! I've heard enough of your aggravating voice. Ah, well…might as well unveil now."
The crowd was absolutely shocked. They couldn't even comprehend why he had disguised himself, let alone make it seem like he was a feeble old man. I yawned in boredom and wanted nothing more than for the match to start…just so I could see how badly Genkai would jack him up. This was one of the best fights in my opinion because not only did Genkai make him look like a total fool as she danced circles around him, but she did it all without exerting any aura of her own…and that was besides the fact that she didn't have any to spare in the first place.
"The answer to the question I'm hearing from the curious audience is quite simple. I did myself up as an old man because frankly, I hate senior citizens. Assuming the guise of what I scorn boosts my aggression. Aging…Pssh! It's grotesque! A veritable sin!" he stated as he ripped off the face and outfit of an old man and stepped forward in the get-up that he prized so much. His pink clown suit glared against the light of the stadium and I gagged at seeing the hearts on his face and belt buckle. What I said next was so wrong, but officially made Genkai's day a hell of a lot better.
"Well, would you look at that, I think I found Ronald McDonald's fugly, reject cousin who flunked outta make-up school," I growled shaking my head sadly. Genkai responded with barking laughter and I instantly knew that since McDonald's had made its way to Japan that she understood my reference. Kurama also understood and shook his head muttering something about me knowing the right things to say to make the situation very awkward indeed. Suzuki clearly was resisting the urge to lose his temper and merely flicked his hair, which could I say looked like someone had stuck their finger in an electric socket and kept it there for a few days. This idiot was just an overall disaster. If you had to have gravity defying hair, at least have the bad-ass nature to back it up.
"I plan to make my mark long before my wrinkles start to show. And everyone will know my name!" Suzuki called holding his arms out proudly. I rolled my eyes and just counted the seconds until his time in the ring would end. Of course he was as long winded as the rest of the cocky fools and continued, "And my name will spell pure, unholy horror! Winning this tournament will be the first step!"
"Hmph…idiot," Hiei muttered indifferently.
"You have NO idea how right you are," I said with a sigh.
"You're all here at the beginning to witness this moment for posterity. I am Suzuki, the Beautiful Fighter…man of a thousand faces – and moves! When you speak of me speak well, and don't forget the "Beautiful" part," he said waving a finger like a teacher would. Koto went to town on commenting on this new opponent. Meanwhile, I tried not to gag. He had to have a thousand faces. That way when he got rejected in one face he could quickly switch to another and try again.
"You say you're beautiful and yet you hide your face? Perhaps you are, in fact, quite ugly?" Genkai inquired making it clear that she didn't understand this sentiment he had. She was not alone. Suzuki merely brushed her off.
"A legend is forever, so what does it matter what face it has? People are fascinated by the unknown, and their fear of it fuels their imaginations. Take gods and devils for example. Women a century from now will wonder, "That beautiful, powerful fighter…what did he look like?" I get a thrill imagining how they'll debate over that," Suzuki ranted quite happily as he disappeared into his own little world. He looked around and continued in a much more excited tone, "I find your type repugnant. This I promise, that once I win I will have all the old and infirm put to death! Along with anyone who challenges my fiat! Only followers – my followers – will be allowed to win!"
He outstretched his hands to the audience as though he was welcoming them into his world. The reaction he received was quite the opposite. I watched as the whole audience turned on him and threw his "generous" offer back in his face. While I completely agreed with them I still felt the same as earlier when they had turned on our group. If they didn't have the guts or the muscles to come say it to our faces, they should've kept their big mouths shut. Which is why what happened next seemed somewhat justified in my opinion… Or maybe it was only justified because they had pissed me off so much earlier…that might've been it.
Suzuki picked out the area of the audience that annoyed him the most and without even giving a second thought, shot an aura blast straight into their midst. Quite a few of the demons saw it coming and managed to dive out of the way, but the few who didn't soon became a part of the small crater that was left over from the impact. It didn't take long for the smoke to clear and all of us to see what was left. They instantly fell silent and didn't utter another syllable against the laughable clown. He looked at them plainly and said, "I'm quite serious."
"This clown's nuts," Hiei stated simply while Kurama nodded in agreement.
"Allow me to amend my earlier statement. I think I found Ronald McDonald's fugly, reject cousin who flunked outta make-up school who's on drugs when he should be on happy pills," I muttered shaking my head slightly. It was hard to keep myself from laughing with everyone else, but in order to pull off the "comedic" effect, I had to say everything with a straight face…that was almost impossible for me!
"You just don't let-up do you?" Ghost asked with a grin beginning to peak out of the side of his mouth. I smiled and shrugged it off. It was good to know that he was just as amused as I was about all this.
"I'll be here all week…hopefully," I stopped and thought about it for a moment. It would be at least a week for the finals from what I read on the schedule Genkai had thrown into my face. At least that's what I remembered. Maybe it was a week and two days…I couldn't remember, but I knew that I still had some time before I would have to face Morte in the finals. I looked up and saw that Suzuki crossed his arms as was getting ready to continue on his little rant. I groaned and growled, "Why do they all have to be so god damn talkative!"
"You will appear in a passage of my story titled, "Genkai Gets Flattened by Suzuki, the Beautiful Fighter." I'd advise you not to try the Reflecting Mirror Blast. It works by matching harmonics, right? Well, I can change my aura harmonics at will," Suzuki held up his pointer finger and released some of his aura. I could see it change every few seconds to prove his point and couldn't help but be impressed. That was definitely useful against someone like Genkai. Juri waved them into the fight and I silently cheered for the official start to the battle. Suzuki lunged at Genkai shouting, "Get the picture? You'll just have to try something else…if you can! Rainbow Cyclone!"
He threw multiple aura attacks with ranging harmonics to surround Genkai and send her flying out of bounds. There was a huge explosion as she crashed into the wall and Juri jumped on her job to start the count. To the inexperienced eyes, it seemed that the battle was over and Genkai had been beaten without even any effort being put into it. We all knew differently though. I whistled and said, "That's one tough old lady. She's going to make this clown look like a ragdoll."
Hiei glanced back at me and I turned my attention to him. There was a warning in the corner of his eyes, but I quickly dismissed it. I had already decided that I was going to tell them what I knew about their future and the things to come. Hopefully, I would have Genkai, Kurama, and Hiei's help when it came down to it. That way there would be less questions asked and more plans made against our enemies in the future. At least that's what I hoped. Although…I still wasn't sure how Yusuke would react when he found out I knew Genkai was going to die.
"Mmm… A rainbow-hued blast of various harmonics is a most exquisite beautiful move, and my favorite," Suzuki chuckled while Juri began counting how long Genkai was out of bounds. The freak of nature clown put his hands on his hips and said, "Huh! That it? There're nine-hundred and ninety-nine other moves I wanted to show her."
"As if your pea-sized brain could even remember that many attacks," I barked at him distracting him for a second. He turned his attention on me and finally had to say something back.
"It would be easier to take those air-headed comments if they were coming from someone as beautiful as that Morte, but since they're coming from the ugly duckling it's merely laughable," Suzuki said with his eyes flashing evilly. He smirked and continued, "Maybe a little of my make-up would make you desirable enough to one of those oafs you call teammates."
"What did you say you colorblind freak of nature? How about I show you how to dress properly for a fight so you don't look like you should be hung upside down from a tree branch and beat until you drop some candy? I can already here the kids now. Piñata! Piñata!" I shouted angrily, shaking my fist at him. This promised to be an even more detailed name calling match, except that Genkai appeared from the rubble calling away Suzuki's attention. She dashed forward with a speed that rivaled Hiei's and every single member of my team watched her effortlessly snatch the clown nose off of his face and land inside the ring, silencing Juri's count. We all gave a little chuckle at the "beautiful fighter's" oblivious nature.
"Ah…tougher than I thought," he accessed her with very careful eyes. It was clear that he was trying to act mysterious and cool, but that made me only laugh harder at his expense. It was now Genkai's turn to have some fun. She tossed her new "trophy" into the air almost proudly and gave a very small grin. The old woman was having way too much fun with that.
"That's a shapely nose you've got. You should show your face. Might help your legend," Genkai said while all of us got a kick out of this. Even Kurama seemed deeply amused. Suzuki was completely shocked and stared at his real nose instead of fake one that he had before. We saw his horrified stare and he began to throw a tantrum like a little child.
"Y-You witch!" he exclaimed in fury.
"As I said, I'm no champion of justice. I'll take down anyone I don't like," Genkai stated like the bad-ass she was. She pointed at Suzuki with a superior smile and continued in such a way that made his anger boil beneath the surface, "No need to waste any aura on you, either. I'll just use my fists. I had to have a strong physique to withstand the unimaginable pain of becoming the successor. Compared to that, your attacks are like pound cake."
"You…old…crone…You dare mock me? Graah!" Suzuki flexed and like Toguro, but on a much smaller scale, his muscles bulged and exploded across his body. Even I had to admit that he would've looked like a real formidable opponent…if it hadn't been for that damn glop on his face that he called make-up! He stared at Genkai and laughed maniacally saying, "Then I'll save my aura, too! Ha Ha, how d'ya like my Explosive Flesh of Steel? It's Toguro's move! As you can see, I can do just as well as he can!"
"You think so? I don't. You'll lose and why? While you're a genius at creating weapons tailored to others…that gives you no edge in combat. Even Shishiwakamaru was stronger than you," Genkai said with a biting edge on the tip of her tone. I could see it slice into Suzuki's pride and the fool rushed in headfirst without even planning his course of action. Now, I would finally get to see one of my favorite beat downs from the great Genkai!
"Shut up!" Suzuki screamed in rage as he attempted to beat down Genkai with brute force. He slammed his oversized fist down on the ground where she had been standing, but Genkai being small and swift effortlessly jumped out of the way and she retaliated with a beautiful right hook to Suzuki's face. You could already hear his nose begin to break.
I threw my arms up into the air like I had just seen an amazing field goal and squealed, "Score! It's good!"
"Does she usually get like this?" Ghost asked of Kurama and Hiei. The three of them merely shook their heads at me and decided that it would be best to leave me to my own little problems. They refocused their attention on the ring.
"We've found that at times like this, it's best to just let it go," Kurama advised sagely.
"Not that there's much sense to be had when it comes to that baka onna," Hiei sneered causing me to stop and rub the annoying pulsing vein on my forehead, but I quickly put that aside because Genkai moved to further beat Suzuki into the next millennia.
He slid across the ring floor from the original hit and the old woman jumped into the air just above him. She waited only a few seconds before crashing down with both of her feet firmly planted in the middle of his back. I heard several of his bones crack and the Reiki Master swung around to stand directly in front of him. This was one of those times where I watched her kick him straight in the face and felt my eyes flash green with jealousy. No matter how long I could stay in this world and try to fight like her, I would NEVER be able to be even a fourth as good of a fighter as she was. Or as graceful. I envied her so much. Yet, I was distracted once again. It was time for the grand finale!
Genkai reared back her fist and then just went to town, furiously pummeling Suzuki's pathetic face. I laughed and watched her land well over thirty, no, over forty punches to his face. She moved with such speed that one could barely see her fists make contact, but it was clear they had when his head went back and forth in different directions. No one even had the chance to see his normal face before Genkai practically destroyed any beauty it may have had. I laughed even harder when she nonchalantly pulled back and just gave him a small "hmph" to signify that she was done. He was beaten to the point of delusion as he stared, or at least tried to through his puffy face, and gasped before crumbling to the ground, "Qu…Quack…"
No one uttered a single sound as Genkai stood back and then ran her hands through her hair as realization dawned on her, "Hmph! Never got a look at his real face."
Unsure what had just happened, Juri announced who the winner was and the audience went into a hesitant uproar. Our little rag-tag team of fighters was really beginning to throw them all for a loop, and quite frankly it was only just the beginning. They couldn't have any idea whatsoever was going to come up for the final round of the tournament, and even though I was happy that I had made it this far, I couldn't help but feel extremely anxious. The next fight I would have would be against Morte…and that meant I had to bring everything I had to the battle.
We made our way out of the arena and while we were somewhat tired and injured, we now had a new teammate and things were looking up…temporarily. Ghost seemed to fall right in with the group and we had made it through another ordeal. There was only just one thing left for all of us. I smiled and said, "We made it all the way guys…It's great."
"Yes, but now we're in for the fight of our lives. Our opponents are clearly in a league far beyond those we've fought already," Kurama said sighing slightly.
"That's true, but all of you have grown in ways that your opponents can only dream of. We must use the time we have now to heal, and prepare ourselves for the real battle. It's just over the horizon," Genkai said looking down the hallway distantly. It was easy to tell where her mind went and I felt a lump settle in my chest. We walked outside in silence and knowing that I was going to need a pillar of strength for what was coming out I slowed to a stop. They noticed my hesitation and all turned to me. It was difficult, but I masked my face with a smile and decided to single Hiei out to tell him what was coming next and figure out what should be done.
"Please go on ahead guys. I have something I need to talk to Hiei about before I tell you all what I have to say. We'll head back to the room soon," I said looking at Hiei for a moment. His face was a complete mask of emotion as he simply stopped and waited for me. It could've been my imagination, but I swore I saw something strange flash behind his eyes. Kurama arched his eyebrow slightly, but quickly took charge of the situation before anything else could be said.
"Alright. We'll be waiting," with that, the kitsune ushered everyone away leaving Hiei and I alone. Ghost looked tempted to hover in an attempt to find out what I was about to do, but I could literally see the wheels turning in his head. He ultimately decided that he would wait, just like everyone else. He offered a small wink at me and disappeared with a smile. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Then I turned and walked into a clump of trees away from the entrance of the stadium so we could get some privacy. Hiei silently followed suit. Soon we stood in a small clearing nearby and there was absolutely no one around us. A sense of fear overwhelmed me and I struggled to calm myself. I had to talk to him and I had to tell him what was coming. I needed to have something to fall back on and at that moment, Hiei was the only one I thought of.
"I hope you dragged me away from the group for something important. I'm growing tired of you constantly wasting my time," Hiei said leaning against a tree and relaxing. Aggravation snapped inside me and I spun on my heel to glare at him. Why couldn't he just give me a chance to talk for once!
"What's your problem with me? If anything I've been getting stronger and being able to take care of myself more! Why are you being such an ass?" I snapped crossing my arms. Hiei's eyes instantly narrowed on me and I could see the annoyance radiating off of him. I swallowed and tried to remain calm. This wasn't going to be good…I could tell. How long had he been bottling this up for?
"I don't have a problem. I merely state fact when I say we'd be better off with that acid ray of sunshine than you. You are constantly being attacked, constantly hurt, constantly needing saved, and constantly needed to be babysat. On multiple occasions Kurama and I have switched guards over you. We have better things to do than worry about you're pathetic life," Hiei answered coolly. I froze in my tracks and tried think straight.
"I…I never once asked you guys to do that…" I muttered in emotional turmoil.
"No, but unfortunately we are burdened by you and your ineptitude in combat."
"But-"
"We're constantly reminded that we have a child to look after. A child not even fit to clean the shoes of the weakest trash in this tournament."
"I'm not-"
"Oh, but you are. Morte controls you. Sends you to attack us. It's unfortunate that Yusuke is so trusting and refused to rid us of your problematic life. Kurama and his foolish kind heart will also be the death of us all. Of course it's natural to expect this from a fool like Kuwabara."
"That's not fair!"
"A weak minded human sentiment. That's the exact reason you are a death sentence for us all. There is no "fair" in our world," Hiei lashed out viciously causing me to withdraw. I always knew Hiei didn't like the fact that I wasn't as strong as the rest of them. Even Kuwabara, who Hiei didn't care for, could put me to shame and the apparition held that against me. I felt as though I had been betrayed, even though I didn't have a right to…and I just wanted to cry. I tightly bit the inside of my lip and tried to compose myself to talk in a level voice…that is until Hiei got his last crack him, "I bet you were as worthless, if not more, in your reality than ours."
"SHUT UP!" I screamed and brought my hand back. I threw it forward with all of the strength I could muster and caught Hiei right across the jaw. It could have been the force being the impact or sheer surprise that I actually struck him that caused him to move, but whatever it was, he hit the ground sprawling. I didn't even bother look as I turned around and blindly ran as far away as fast as my legs could take me. I fought to keep the tears from coming, but failed miserably. Rivers were flooding down the sides of my face and I pushed myself to run even harder than I had before. The strain I was putting on my legs rivaled that of the time when I ran to stop Morte from attacking Yukina and I could instantly feel the pain setting in, but for once I didn't care. I pushed harder and didn't watch where I was going.
That is until I heard something…and it was a dangerous something too…Morte and Toguro. I froze in my tracks and grabbed the nearest tree to stop myself. I hid behind the thick trunk as fast as I could and struggled to silent my sharp breathing. It took a moment or so, but once I was able to control myself, I scurried into the tree and hid myself among the leaves. Peering down just below me, I saw Morte standing with her back to me and Younger Toguro looking at her with his hands in his pockets. I smothered my demon energy as quickly as I could and managed to stay as still as a statue. It wasn't quick enough however because I saw Toguro's eyes flicker over his sunglasses and stare intently at me. My heart plummeted and I knew without a doubt, there was going to be no way out of this for me. If I had been smart, I would've just kept on running.
Yet, instead of bringing this to Morte's attention, Toguro returned his eyes to the slender female and said, "So what exactly is so special about the Ishida girl? Why are you after her so desperately? I was under the impression you had given up on her usefulness."
"It's not her so much that I'm after. It's something that she can give to me. I was a fool to think I could get it without her. Have you heard of the jewel called the Yin-Yang Eye?" Morte asked crossing her arms tightly over her chest. It was clear that she was trying to act calm and collected, but I instantly noticed the nervous twitch in her left ear. She was as deeply afraid of Toguro as I was. Which was fascinating…
"I may have heard something about it. Was that the same Yin-Yang Eye that caused a blood bath in the Makai a long time ago? Rumors have reached even our meager human world and from what I understand it was created by a massacre of many different lives leading up to its creation," Toguro said taking off his glasses. Once again, he glanced at where I was perched in the tree, but instead of telling Morte, acted as though I was just another forest animal.
"Yes it is the same Yin-Yang Eye. It was something that my brother and I read about in a cult within the Makai. That story is for another time, but Rin is the key to that. I want it," Morte answered passionately staring coldly at her temporary teammate. She made it perfectly clear with her body language that she told him this information only because she was beginning to run out of options and that he was not allowed to take an interest in me as well.
"I see. You needn't worry. Urameshi is my only concern in this tournament. What you do is nothing I care about, but I can't help but be curious. Why is she the key?" he asked curiously. Half of me wondered if he was asking this of his own volition or if he could sense my heartbeat pick up at the mention of what Morte's true intentions were. The demoness growled and flicked her hair. I caught a glimpse of her face and saw that her stress was beginning to put lines in her once flawless face. That's what you get biotch!
"How should I explain this? Her soul and being are nothing of importance. There's nothing deeply special about her and nothing that I desire from her other than the Yin-Yang Eye. The mere fact of the matter is that she is compatible with guarding the jewel and therefore is of significance to me. She is the only obstacle in my way and once I find what I want, she'll no longer be anything worth keeping around," Morte answered simply. I blinked in surprise and struggled to stay perfectly still. So, apparently I was important, but not as a specific person. I was just the luck of the draw…What the hell? That may have answered some questions, but it raised plenty more. Nothing Morte did made any sense to me and
"I see…Well, no one knows anything about that jewel around here and if you want to keep interest in it to a minimum I would suggest not repeating anything you just said to me to anyone else. You and your brother can have your prize, just leave Urameshi to me," Toguro said eyeing Morte seriously. She shivered slightly and put a few more feet of distance between her and Toguro.
"If you get rid of Urameshi, I won't have another obstacle standing in my way. You can have him. I just can't have him rising up and getting in the way of what I want. Got it?" Morte growled suddenly trying to play the tough act now that she had put some distance between the two of them. Toguro didn't seem fazed and simply allowed it to roll off his shoulders.
"As you wish," he answered calmly seeming to disappear into his own world.
"Well…I'll take my leave of you. I have some things I need to tend to," Morte said spinning on her heels and without even looking back walked off. I watched intently as she left and as soon as she was out of sight I heard her sprint away as fast as her legs could take her. I released my withheld breath and closed my eyes.
"Why didn't you say anything? She's your teammate," I asked as Toguro replaced the sunglasses on his face. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to run if he wanted to fight me, I carefully climbed out of the tree and stood against the trunk of it. The muscled man looked between the trees that Morte had left between for a moment before turning to face me. I felt his shadow wash over me and I swallowed hard.
"Her interests are of no concern to me. If I thought it would make Urameshi riot to become even stronger I would allow her to have free reign. Otherwise, you aren't anything to me. Just another face passing in the crowd."
It was a very simple answer and one I wasn't exactly prepared for. I swallowed and looked down at the ground. The man who was standing before me was the definition of danger. He would kill Genkai in a matter of days and then would practically bring down the entire stadium in the final battle against Yusuke. He could butcher me and no one would even know what happened unless he allowed it to be known. Toguro was death in itself…and yet he wasn't as cruel as I thought. He wouldn't kill me or even be a part of killing me for no apparent reason.
"You know what's going to become of Genkai don't you?" Toguro asked causing me to flinch. He moved to stand directly in front of me and when I looked up he was right in my face. I fell against the tree on instincts and sucked in a fearful breath. God please don't let him kill me! This monsterous figure who stood before me practically caused me to disappear into his shadow and I remembered back just before the Dark Tournament. How close he had been when he punched the tree behind me and how mere inches separated me from being killed.
"W-what do you mean?" I stammered trying not to double over in a panic attack. He brought his hand up and lifted my chin so that I would stare right at his eyes.
"Morte has told me everything about you, under the condition that I allowed her to be in the Tournament and the change the rules for the honorary fighters that she handpicked to go against you. You know everything that's going to happen. You even know how this tournament is going to end. Whether Urameshi wins…or I do," he said simply causing me to tremble in fear.
"I-I…y-yes…I m-mean…" it was impossible for me to even form a coherent thought.
"It's tempting, I have to admit, when there is someone directly in front of you who knows your future to demand them to tell you what it is. Especially when that person is weaker than you. You have a sense of power that just rushes through you and a voice in the back of your head urging you on," Toguro said still forcing me to stare into his eyes. I saw them behind the sunglasses and could barely even bring myself to blink. Staring at him something slowly began to truly dawn on me. This wasn't a story anymore…this was life. He wasn't just some big baddy…he was a person standing right before me, holding my life in his hands. Those tormented eyes I saw behind his shades froze my insides. Yes, it was true that he chose his path and made his own decisions, but there was something horrible behind those eyes. A dark sorrow that I could only imagine was eating away at him from the inside.
"I…I wouldn't know…power isn't exactly my strong point…I'm sure you've seen that," I responded this time managing to eliminate most of my stammering. As for any other indication of my fear, I was sure he could see it plainly on my face.
"Would you like to hear something I find rather fascinating?" Toguro inquired releasing my chin and stepping away from you. I sensed his power recede and he hid his hands away in his pockets once more. I breathed for a second before looking at him more carefully. What was he playing at? Toguro chuckled and said, "I haven't dealt with many females since I broke ties with Genkai…but when I have they never bring themselves to look in my eyes for extended periods of time. For some reason, there's something there that wards them away and it makes it difficult to read them because they're hiding so much. Morte is no different in that matter…and yet you stare at them like you're trying to analyze what you can see. Due to that, you've given me a chance to see your own mind…"
I stopped and looked at him in shock. He's seen into my own mind? How was that possible? He didn't try to force his way past my barriers and just simply left me alone? What could he have possibly seen while I stared back at him in absolute terror? Besides me constantly reminding myself to breathe and remember not to lock my knees, I was pretty sure I wasn't thinking anything worth hearing.
"It's interesting how fate works. You were given a special gift coming into this world… Remember what it's like for those who don't have the foresight to see what's coming and how strange it is when they find someone who does. Use that power wisely and don't allow it to isolate you from your environment. You can still die here and it would be dangerous for you to detach yourself so far into the game," Toguro advised and then turned to leave. He didn't even offer a second look back at me and he disappeared into the forest just like Morte before him. Once again, I was completely alone.
"WHAT THE HELL?" I screamed collapsing to my knees and banging my head against the tree trunk. I tried to stop my body from shaking so badly. The biggest baddy I had seen yet, and I forced myself to not even think about what was coming up in the future, stood mere inches away from me and I still somehow managed to get away with not even a scratch on me! It was fricking insane! I fought to breathe normally and looked around to see if I could sense anyone else coming toward me. The last thing I needed right then was someone to put something else on the overflowing plate I had in front of me. When I finally managed to calm myself down, I went through everything I knew.
So, it turned out my original purpose of being brought here wasn't just to kill Yusuke. That was a side mission to make sure that he wouldn't get powerful enough and get in Morte's way. That seemed pointless to me in the first place because there wasn't even one instance when I was stronger than Yusuke, even when I was taken over by that strange power inside of me. Now, it was revealed that Morte wasn't alone. She was working with her brother. That fact alone made me feel just about ready to puke. Morte by herself was enough to kill me, but now she had back up? When was it going to end? She pulled me out of my world and into this one because she was after some kind of jewel called the Yin-Yang Eye, which from what Toguro said had a bloody past. I wasn't sure how, but I was the one who could bring her this jewel. I was nothing special by myself, but she chose me because…I'm "compatible" with the thing… That was greek to me, but at least I knew some of Morte's motives now… Although when it all came down to it I still couldn't do anything to stop her in whatever the hell she was planning and I had a shit ton of more questions than I had answers. That wasn't going to do anything for me in the long run.
"What the hell am I going to do now?" I muttered pushing myself to my feet and tried to figure out where I was going to go, now that I had the last heart-attack I wanted to have that day. Then again, I never have it that easy and just when I was beginning to calm back down I sensed Hiei somewhere close by. Damn it! It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was looking for me and at that very moment…he was the last person I wanted to see. So I turned and ran. I couldn't say how far I ran or how long, but when my mind came out of autopilot I realized three things.
One, the forest was beginning to look somewhat dark.
Two, I had no idea where exactly I was on the island.
Three, my legs were beginning to feel like I had strained them too far this time.
That's when the trouble started. Something caught my foot and I crashed onto the ground in a heap as pain seared through my ankle. Instantly I felt one of the bones crack and I knew it was going to take a full night to heal it up. I growled at myself for my own stupidity and pushed myself up to my knees. I whipped my head around and realized that I had done something else that was completely stupid and irresponsible…I have no flipping clue where I was. I growled to myself and slapped my forehead saying, "Oh shit."
The sun was beginning to set and the woods around me were getting dark. The night starting to catch a chill and I sat up to inspect my ankle…and it didn't look pretty. The bone was definitely fractured and the skin was swelling with this god awful shade of blue and purple decorating the sides. I rolled my eyes and glared around at the woods in furry. All of my bottled up emotions unleashed themselves and I as I let out all of my energy I screamed, "DAMN IT!"
Flames and currents of electricity spiraled around me and flared out to the trees, effectively bringing them all to the ground. I let it all rage out for a good five minutes before recalling everything back and putting the stopper on top of my emotions. I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down. Then I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the destruction I had caused. The trees were scorched and their bark started to peel off. There was nothing really left after my rage except for the skeleton of plants that had been there before. I shook my head and muttered, "If Kurama could see this he'd have my head."
Silence answered my voice and I was forced to think about how I was going to get back to the group now. And once I had that figured out, I'd have to figure out what the hell I was going to do when I saw Hiei face-to-face again. After all, I had slapped him. No one dared touch him unless they wanted to fight him…so that basically mean that there would be a full out war the next time I saw him. I sighed and cradled my head in my heads wishing I was back home, safe and sound. Tears fell down my cheeks once again and I tried to nurse my injured pride.
"Not that was a power surge!" Jin's energetic voice rang through the air. I instantly looked up to see the red-head hovering over me with a big grin over his face. He winked and said, "Gotta watch it with you, I do. Might just end out singed."
"What are you doing here, you crazy bastard?" I asked laughing slightly. I quickly wiped away the tears that stained my face and shook my head to clear it. Then I returned my attention to the wind demon and smiled a little more realistically.
"Well, I just noticed that black haired fella from your team running around and heard him say somethin' or other about you runnin' off. Decided to look fer ya myself and well here ya are," Jin answered floating down to sit beside me. He grinned and sat there for a moment not quite sure what to do. Never being good at hiding my feelings, I knew he saw how upset I was and didn't know how to approach it.
"Oh? What led you my way? My annoying voice or the burst of power?" I asked laughing and looking away to hide my face. The last thing I wanted right now was to show this kind of weakness to Jin. It was too damsel in distress for my taste.
"Uh…listen here. The little black fella is pretty close by. Do ya want to wait here for him or do ya want and escort outta here?" Jin inquired making me look back at him. I was shocked at what he was asking and he rubbed the back of his neck saying, "I don't know what happened, but I figured you were tryin' to get away from him. Just tryin' to see if ya need any help," Jin whispered in a conspiring tone as if we were planning to pull off the greatest prank of the century or something. I laughed and shook my head.
"No, that's alright. I kind of have to deal with him…I slapped the bejesus out of him earlier and I'm sure he wants revenge for it…probably gonna kick my ass," I replied looking at the red-head with a smile. I saw his ears twitch in amusement and he floated into the air above me. Deciding it would be better for me to face Hiei without showing weakness, I slowly pushed myself to my feet and ignored the pain from the twisted ankle. My demonic body was already working on healing it and the pain was beginning to disappear.
"Well, if ya need me, I'll be floatin' around I will," Jin offered with a smile. Just as I was about to reply, Hiei suddenly appeared in the clearing before me. It was silent for a moment as the swordsman's eyes took in the scene. His sight narrowed on the flying demon directly above me and he clenched his fist. When he finally spoke, it was a clearly forced for calm kind of voice.
"It would be best if you left," Hiei directed at Jin.
"Oh? What makes you think that now?" Jin responded causing a slight vein to appear on Hiei's forehead.
"Disappear before things take a turn for the worse," Hiei stated firmly and I sensed his power spike in warning. Not wanting to watch this break into a full out fighting match I quickly stepped in to intervene.
"Cool it, Hiei," I ordered him coolly. He seemed surprised that I spoke to him in such a way, but he complied and I turned to Jin, "You gotta have better things to do than watch a klutz like me fall flat on her face every ten minutes. It's alright. Get going and I'll see you later, Jin."
The wind demon remained silent and merely nodded his head. He then took off at top speed and left me alone with the one person who had every right in the world to kick my ass up and down the full length of the island. It was my fault for slapping him earlier, but I wasn't about to just let him get away with the things he said to me earlier. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and stared at him with a very cool stare. Silence followed Jin's departure and when at least three minutes passed, it seemed all we would do is just stand there staring at one another. Irritated and ready to just have some time to myself, I turned away from Hiei and began to walk away saying, "I really have no interest in just standing here. If you have something to say, just say it. If you want to pay me back for slapping you than do it. Otherwise, I'm tired and I'm going to go recover."
"Rin…wait," Hiei said in a tone I had never heard from him before. I glanced over my shoulder to see that he hadn't moved, but he looked like he was going to jump in front of me at any given moment. Not really caring to give him a chance, I turned back around and kept on walking. What happened next happened so fast that it made my head spin. I had to think for a moment before it all made sense.
The sound of Hiei moving at demonic speed entered my ears and I felt the wind rush past me. Not even a full second later the speed demon appeared directly in front of me and grabbed my upper arm. Then I was gently spun and pinned with my back against a nearby tree trunk. I went to push him away from me, but each of his hands pinned my wrists to my sides. We were finally face-to-face and I could see the slap mark plain as day on the side of his face. It was beyond me how I managed to put that much force into it, but I was proud that I had. I blinked at him in annoyance for a second and said, "What do you want?"
Hiei remained absolutely silent and just stared into my eyes intently. It was unnerving to be so close to the deadly swordsman and have his intense red eyes fixed on mine. His grip wasn't that of someone who was trying to hurt me, but instead like he was desperate to say something to me. Hiei looked lost for a second and I could see that he didn't know what he was going to do next. I took a breath and asked, "Hiei…what's wrong?"
What I received as an answer almost caused me to faint in complete shock. No, not even shock was a big of enough word that described what I felt like. It was like the most impossible thing ever had just walked up and slapped me across the face before turning around and sauntering away. Hiei moved forward and our lips brushed in a hesitant kiss. Once the first initial contact had been made, it was no longer unsure and I froze upon realizing what happened.
I, Rin Ishida, had just been kissed by Hiei Jaganshi…
Oh shit, I about had a heart attack. I closed my eyes and took in this new feeling. His body temperature instantly heated up my own body and his lips pressed against mine felt…calm. Soon my hands were released and I gently rested my hands on his chest. It was a great moment of calm and peace…until my stupid self broke it by pulling away and trying to catch my breath. I had been so surprised that I forgot how to breathe. I looked at him with wide eyes and said, "W…what was that?"
Hiei's eye twitched slightly and he answered, "I assumed a baka onna like you would know what a kiss was. Perhaps I overestimated your intelligence after all."
"Ok, you bloody asinine bastard, I know what a kiss is. I want to know where the hell it came from. We just went from you calling me worthless, to me slapping the shit out of you, and then you pinning me to a tree and instead of beating me black and blue like I expected you to do, you kiss me!" I gasped holding his shoulders and staring into his eyes like he had looked into mine. Instantly he seemed reluctant to speak and just looked back at me. This was the strangest thing that had happened to me since I had been dropped into their world.
His eyes said it all. Here I was, thinking that he only thought of me as a burden, when in truth I had somehow been winning him over…which was a surprise in itself. Hiei, who was always there reminding me how weak I was and how far I still had to go before I could reach any of them in level, was in fact the very one that had shown an interest in me that only my deepest, darkest fangirl could have dreamed off. All of those times he had guarded me and watched over me was not just protecting the weakest out of them all, but instead protecting someone that he genuinely cared about. It then dawned on me that all those times when Jin had been around and Ghost had said things that made him angry, it was the smallest twinge of jealousy that he would show. His critical watching me, though always ended up being used against me, was because he wanted no harm to come to me… Hiei truly cared.
Now I had to do something in return to show him that I cared as well…sorta.
"There is no way Kuwabara is catching wind of this. Or Yusuke for that matter. Not yet anyway. The last thing I need right now is them on my back and well…you might just kill Kuwabara and then you'll be in trouble with the Reikai and that's just not worth it. Agreed?"
"Indeed," Hiei said stepping back and allowing me to have some room to move. I ran my hand through my hair and closed my eyes, trying to regain what little composure I may have had. At this point, Hiei decided it was time to change the subject and said, "What was it that you wanted to say earlier?"
"What? Oh…well, I was going to whine about something that's going to happen and when it comes down to it…I may need your help to keep Yusuke from killing me," I said seriously and then launched into the situation as it stood. I neglected to mention my encounter with Toguro, but told Hiei how Genkai would sacrifice herself and when everyone found out that I knew, it was possible they would turn against me.
"Hn…that is a dangerous situation…Perhaps one you should further discuss with the old woman," Hiei said indicating the path to the apartments. Sighing, I nodded my head.
"Yeah you're right… Let's get going then," I responded and even though my ankle was still sore, I managed to match pace with him as we made our way through the trees. The walk was silent until we stood right in front of the doors that led into the building we were housed in. I stared up at the structure and said, "This is going to be a very, very, very long night."
-Until Next Time-
Ghost: A kiss hm? Well, this shall be very interesting.
Hiei: (dead silent with no intent of saying anything)
ME: (still unconscious)
Ghost: Well, seeing as I'm the only one who is in the condition to end the chapter, I shall take my responsibility. We hope you readers enjoyed this new chapter and please leave reviews to tell us what you think. The authoress plans to be updating soon. We hope to see you soon.