ME: ! Excellent! Excellent!

Ghost: How…odd…

Hiei: Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence and I've had to learn how to just focus on other thoughts. It's a taxing endeavor.

Ghost: So being this authoress' muse teaches you patience and discipline. How very fascinating.

Hiei: Unfortunately, it's in one of the most annoying ways possible.

ME: Enough chatter! Down to business! Alright, here it goes people! We're about to enter a new part of the story. The Dark Tournament will soon be drawing to a close and I figured it would be appropriate to end this fight nicely.

Ghost: What exactly is your definition of "nice?"

ME: One kickass fight scene!

Hiei: This has the potential to be interesting after all.

ME: Exactly! So, I hope you all enjoy this long time coming and well deserved fight between Morte and Rin. I only own my original characters. I own NOTHING ELSE PEOPLE OR I'D BE RICH RICH RICH! Enjoy! Chapter Start!

(This is completely irrelevant, but I felt the need to mention that the whole time writing this fight scene I was listening to BoA. The beat of her song Scream was fun to write this to.)

(Another random thing. Does anyone have any Yu-Yu Hakusho piano sheet music that I could access? Lately I was able to play Room of Angel from Silent Hill and Fukai Mori from Inuyasha, but I can't find ANY for Yu-Yu Hakusho! It makes me rather sad.)

Chapter 29: A Few Tricks Up My Sleeve

"Rin!" Kuwabara shouted in concern as I disappeared completely in the roar of the elements. I, however, remained perfectly silent. These things did not hurt me and I realized that they provided the perfect cover for me to move without her being able to detect me. The hissing sounds of the fire and the crackling sounds of the lightning concealed the sound of my footsteps as I maneuvered around the edge and the fire was so blinding that you could only dream of seeing what was inside of it. Soon I was standing on the edge of the ring just behind Morte. Only one thing went through my mind.

Payback is a bitch.

Moving as silently as possible along the rim, I waited until I was in the perfect position to make the first move. It was then that I launched one of my chakram at her from directly behind and then darted halfway around the ring to follow suit with my second weapon. They cut through the air without making a sound and Morte only realized that something was heading her way when it was far too late for her to move. The chakram sliced the skin across her shoulder and back before disappearing into the flames and lightning. I recalled them back and realized that I had successfully delivered an attack without her being able to tell where it had come from. Like clockwork, my chakram spiraled back into my hands and I held them tightly, to the point where my knuckles turned pale. They were the only thing I had control of, and that comforted me. With that in mind, I returned them to my hips and prepared for another attack.

I heard an agitated hiss come from Morte and she spun around to scrutinize the ring. Determination flared behind her eyes and the only thing on the demoness' mind was finding me. Knowing that I was safely hidden away, I allowed myself a moment to look at my comrades and see them leaning forward, trying to detect anything that would tell them who had the advantage in the fight. Only three people knew my exact location, outside of myself, and I wasn't surprised in the least to see Hiei, Kurama, and Ghost staring directly at me. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the others were searching the flames trying to detect anything, but weren't fortunate enough to be rewarded. The wound on my leg seemed to be their main source of concern and I placed my hand on it gingerly, remembering exactly how much it hurt. Blood was still seeping through the wound and there wasn't enough time for me to adequately wrap it up. It did make it a bit difficult to move, but then again, I was one hell of a stubborn fighter. This little injury wasn't going to keep me down in this fight. At least, I wasn't going to let it.

"Is this supposed to scare me pup? A little bit of fire and electricity? I've endured far more than anything you could throw at me! I raised myself in the darkest shadows of the Makai! You are nothing!" Morte roared as she raised her hands over her head. I blinked in shock as a fountain of darkness shot into the air. It rained down around the ring and the only thing that made me reassured was the fact that as soon as they touched the flames, the fizzled out of existence. Yet, I was still anxious as I watched the pools of darkness begin to form on the ground. As Morte moved about the barrier, searching for me, the darkness rose up in her presence and beckoned her to use it. I could see a world of terror reflected deep in those pools and their eerie purple shine along the edges pushed me to further cower in my self created shelter. I was reminded of the smothering darkness I had encountered with Tenchi and I felt the constricting fear surround my chest. As long as I was hidden in there, she could do nothing. Sensing this, Morte decided to act, "Very well, pup. You've forced my hand. If I can't reach you, then I will send Azra to destroy everything you once held dear. I hope you like this world, because it's the only place you'll have left when we're done! You know who is in danger and it's all because of you!"

"I'll kill you first!" I roared, lunging out of the wall of flames. Pure and absolute anger compelled my actions and all reason had been abandoned. How dare her threaten my family and my home! At that very moment, Morte had been standing directly in front of me and I was able to wrap my fingers tightly around her throat. Once I had, I latched on digging my nails into the flesh of her neck. The momentum threw both of us to the ground and I landed on her chest, staring down into her surprised face. Anger raced through my veins instead of blood and I tightened my grip hissing, "I never knew I had it in me to kill someone before I met you. After every demon you've put me up against, I can honestly say I'm grateful. I know now, without a doubt, that I can finish you off right here and now and not lose any sleep over it!"

"Heh, not today pup!" Morte screamed as she grabbed my arms. A strange feeling came over the skin that she touched and I glanced to see a strange pool of darkness begin to cover my arms. It wrapped around me like a tight fitting shirt and began moving up both of my arms. At first there wasn't anything indicating that this was an attack and it soon covered all the way up to my shoulder. Then it happened. Suddenly, this strange coating constricted over my skin and I screamed, feeling as though my bones were going to break. Not surprisingly, I released the demoness and she quickly overpowered me. My back slammed against the ring and Morte stomped her foot down in the middle of my chest. I wasn't quite sure how she had gotten there so fast in the first place, but the pain was beginning to cloud my judgment. My arms still seared in pain and I realized that I was now at a serious disadvantage. My opponent merely smiled at me and growled, "I told you before. You're nothing compared to me. That is my Blanket of Darkness. It completely paralyzes whatever part of the body it touches and then constricts around it as tightly as I wish it to. If I really wanted to, I could've shattered every bone in both of your arms. There's nothing you could do about it."

"Come on, Rin! Show her what you're made of!" Kuwabara shouted encouragingly to me. There was something else said from Hiei at that point and I heard Kuwabara throw a fit about not being supportive of a teammate. I glanced over and saw Hiei fix the frizzy haired fighter with a death glare that told him to shut his mouth before he shut it for him. Realizing that they were distracting me, I quickly pushed the sound of their voices aside and turned my gaze back to the female before me. Of course, Morte couldn't just let her little moment of triumph go.

"Now would be the time to start begging me for forgiveness. At the slightest wish, I could destroy your arms beyond repair and crush your ribs underneath my foot. You're nothing compared to me, Rin Ishida. Admit your defeat," Morte demanded as she pushed her foot down harder on my sternum. Tears of pain clouded my sight and it was impossible to breathe correctly. All I could do was take sharp, shallow breaths and even that was difficult. Morte did have a point…and at that moment there was only so much that I was able to do. It was then that my defiant nature kicked in and I wanted nothing more than to prove to Morte that she was not as all powerful as she thought she was.

"I don't know about being compared to you," I grit through my teeth and blinked away the tears of pain. I quickly assessed the situation. My arms were thrown out on either side of me and Morte was reaching for her weapons, surely to deliver the final blow. There wasn't much time and if I was going to get out of this relatively unhurt, I would have to think and think extremely fast. I looked beyond Morte to stare at the sky as I continued confidently, "But I am worth something in a fight and I'm not going to just lie here and let you win!"

A streak of lightning shot out from the barrier surrounding the ring and caught Morte straight in the middle of her back. She was sent flipping over me and using only my legs, I managed to roll to the side and get up to my knees. Both of my arms hung uselessly at my sides and my balance was off due to this handicap. It was almost as if lead had completely covered both of my arms and dragged them down so I could barely lift them off the ground. I bit down on the corner of my mouth and quickly thought of some way to get rid of stuff covering my arms. Unfortunately nothing came to mind and all too soon, the female fighter got to her feet once again. I cursed her ability to quickly jump back on her feet. She merely snickered and shook her head.

"You're resourceful, pup. I'll give you that, but it doesn't really matter so long as I still have that control over you. So, what's it going to be? The slow painful way? Or quick and somewhat painless? I'd be more than happy to make you suffer if that's what you truly wish," Morte laughed dusting herself off. She threw a thoughtful glance at the stuff on my arms and I felt them tighten uncomfortably. Wincing, I took in the surroundings around us. There had to be something that I could do. Aside from the pain of Morte squeezing the bones to the point where they almost broke, my arms were completely numb. There was no feeling in either of them and I couldn't move them at all. What had she done to me?

"Well, why not make this fun? I'm not staying down Morte. You might as well kill me, because I will haunt you until the day I stop breathing," I answered as I got to my feet. I smirked and prepared for what was going to happen next. It was about time I learned how to fight with my feet anyway. Of course…this fight just became entirely improvisation so long as my arms were bound the way they were. The pain began to increase and there was only a little amount of time left before the bones would break.

"I was hoping you would say that," Morte said as she rushed me. For the moment she had place her twin blades in their sheathes and planned to use her fists. This gave me the time I needed to focus my balance and begin weaving in and out of her punches. Morte was vicious and didn't give me an inch of slack, but that was fine by me. This only pushed my own fighting ability further and allowed me to grow stronger. After realizing her rhythm, I watched for an opening and once it presented itself, I spun on my heel and roundhouse kicked her in the gut. She stumbled back and in the meantime I ran forward focusing on sending a current of lightning through both of my arms. Time was running out as I advanced on my enemy and I pleaded with my powers to awaken the use of my arms. I moved closer to her and still there was not a single twitch of feeling. Dread was swelling in the middle of my chest. Finally it worked. The lightning shattered through the darkness and I brought my fist back to land one wicked right hook to Morte's face. Pure astonishment stopped her from retaliating in time and I could've sworn I heard her jaw pop when my fist connected with it. Of course she flew back and I was given a moment of relief. I was absolutely shocked that my plan had actually worked and I used that moment to breathe.

"Damn. I'm never taking my arms for granted ever again!" I laughed shaking my head as I flexed my arms back and forth. The injury on my leg was no longer my major concern and I pushed the pain to the back of my mind. I couldn't allow myself to get distracted anymore. This fight was getting more and more dangerous by the second…and I kind of liked that. Perhaps I had spent too much time around my friends after all. It seemed I was beginning to get as crazy as they were when it came to fighting. I grinned and unhooked my chakram from my hips. With a rush of adrenaline that I had never felt before I called out, "Let's go, Morte! I'm just getting to the fun part!"

"I'm glad you think so! This will be the last fun you ever have!" Morte replied as she jumped to her feet and unsheathed her blades. She twirled them around her body and I could see the fire flare in her eyes, but this was not a fire caused by hate. Instead of hate, it was anticipation. This battle awakened something within both of us…and it reminded me of watching Yusuke. This is what it was like to fight and not just because you had to. This was a fight that I actually wanted to finish and I couldn't wait to see what would happen. Morte had reached a point beyond hating me. At that moment, we were just two fighters about ready to give it our all.

"Give me your best shot!" I hollered as we ran into battle once again. We met in a clash of metal and flurry of movement. Our feet were practically gliding across the ground as we danced circles about each other, thrusting our weapons in such precise directions that they never strayed off course. Our constant motion spun us in frantic circles and we were continually locked in the embrace of contact. There were mere seconds of time that we were not attacking each other and the fluid motions we ran through were mere coincidence. Our actions were not thought out and we merely fought as our hearts told us to. Fighting instinct was what drove us on and at one point we were locked in such close quarters that her hair spun through the air, lingering close to my face. Ignoring it, I drove forward and she slid to the side, twirling as she went. Without even knowing what had happened, I reached out and snatched a handful of her hair. Flicking my wrist back, I yanked her off balance and spun around to throw her to the ground. I soon heard and thud and jumped up to throw my chakram down at her, but Morte was quicker than I thought. I watched her rock onto her back and then flip to land on her feet like a cat. Her head snapped up to look at me and I watched a smile cross her face. In that instant I knew she had something devious up her sleeves. She rose to meet me in the air and it was then that I noticed her weapons had been stabbed into the ground. She must've have used them as leverage to flip back onto her feet, but if that had been the case, why had she left them there on the ground?

"I will take the Yin-Yang Eye from you here and now, Rin! Prepare to die!"

There wasn't much time to think about what was said as she brought her fist forward and caught me in the jaw. The sheer force of the blow threw me further into the air and she bounced through the wind, ready to land another hit. I growled and prepared to block another punch to my gut, but was stopped as a strange feeling washed over me. Soon, I felt as though my body was weighed down by lead and I couldn't move. My breath caught in my chest and Morte's knuckles smashed into my stomach. An explosion of light and darkness erupted around us and it sent us flying to opposite sides of the stadium. My body slammed into the very top of the audience seats and the wall beneath me crumbled. Rubble fell all around me as I then hit the ground and proceeded to flip head over heels down the stairs. I couldn't count how many steps my body had connected with and by that point, my head was so fuzzy that I was astonished to even know what happened next. There was the constant feeling of my head smacking into the stone steps and then my body following soon after. Just as I reached what I estimated to be the middle of the staircase another explosion of darkness enveloped me and I was thrown into the air. By that point, I lost all of my bearings and I no longer knew what way was up or down. For a few sweet seconds, I was lost in the air, feeling nothing of the world around me. It was almost nice. Then it was broken as my stomach seared in pain from another attack connecting. I was sent crashing down and slammed into the bottom wall that separated the audience seats from the outer area of the ring. The stone shattered like glass and I struggled to focus my attention. If I lost consciousness, there was no doubt in my mind that it would be over and lord only knew what would happen next. I felt the ground beneath my body and managed to call a small shield around me to prevent the rubble from completely crushing me.

"What the hell was that?" I heard Kuwabara cough as the loud crunching of rock began to subside. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked around to see dust covering the whole stadium and the sound of people trying to figure out what had happened. Frankly, I wish I knew myself. I had lost all sense of what was around me and I couldn't even tell where anything was anymore. What in the hell happened and why had it been so powerful. There was no possible way that Morte had done that and there was an even smaller chance that I was the one who did that.

"Morte! Are you alright?" Azra suddenly called out over us all. Silence fell around my group as we listened for any reply. There was no immediate answer and for a fraction of a second my heart rose. Was Morte dead? Would I win this match and finally be released from the constant fear of her looming behind the shadows? Yet, I should've known better to hope for such a thing because after a minute, I heard her trademark agitated growl.

"I'm fine. Just wasn't prepared for that wench to release a wave of power like that. Did she even survive it? I'm inclined to think she did because her barrier around the ring is still there, but I wouldn't mind being told that I was wrong," Morte hissed in response. I looked up from where I was lying and saw her supporting herself against the edge of the ring with a pool of darkness pushing back the barrier I had created. The dust was beginning to settle and everything was beginning to clear. I could see the outline of my friends and could sense Hiei using his Jagan to get a clear view of what was going on. Knowing that if I gave her a chance Morte could use the situation against me, I mustered all the strength I could in my arms and crawled out from under the rubble. As soon as the last bit of my shield slipped out from under it, the mound that was hovering over me crashed to the ground. If that had been me, there would've been no way I would've survived it. I now officially worshipped the fact that Hiei and Genkai had been such slave-drivers in training. They made it so I could access my powers even when I was on the verge of collapsing in exhaustion.

"Damn straight I survived it. I told you before, Morte. I won't let you win," I choked through the dust as I struggled to my feet. It was almost impossible and it felt as though they would slip out from under me. My head was still throbbing painfully and the heavy lead-like feeling weighed down on my chest. Ignoring it, I staggered over to the edge of the ring and pulled myself straight into the protection of the self created barrier. The feeling of my own aura comforted me and I took in a deep breath. Realizing that the barrier had outlived its usefulness, I called it back and took into my body the power it used. My vision cleared and I narrowed my eyes on Morte who was standing at the edge of the ring. There was a large gash on the side of her face that was bleeding and just below her left eye was slightly swollen. Apparently it had done a number on her as well. Something inside of me still wanted to rage against Morte and I could hear a soft echo in my mind. After listening harder, I realized what it was.

Kill…Kill…Kill.

"What's wrong pup? You've seem a bit pale. Realizing that this was a mistake?" Morte cackled as she too jumped into the ring. I brought my hand up to cover my right ear and focused on something else other than that damn mantra echoing through my head.

"You've used me and then tried to kill me when I was of no more use to you Morte. It's about time you've told me what the hell you want with me! You took me away from my home and my safety! What the hell is your obsession with the Yin-Yang Eye and why do I have this strange voice in the back of my head!" I screamed in aggravation. I could feel the power pulsing through my body and the voice became stronger. The harder I tried to ignore it, the louder it became and the only thing helping me focus my mind was the fact that I could still sense the seal that both Ghost and Hiei had placed in my mind. It was still keeping me in control.

"Oh I see…you bluffed your way into this fight. You never really knew what it was that made you the perfect target for my plans…Well, it doesn't matter. I might as well let you know what's been brought on the world. You see, the Yin-Yang Eye is a source of limitless power. Created in one of the most magnificent massacres in the Makai's history! Somehow, someway, those meddling fools of the Reikai got a hold of it and hid it away. After years of tracking and waiting, we found the key to getting it back and to our surprise it was in a simple package. You couldn't suppress its aura. We weren't sure how or why, but amazingly the only way to get that jewel back was through you. That's why you were brought to this reality, where the key could be awakened by the very thing that brought the Yin-Yang Eye to existence in the first place, fighting instincts and the desire for power. Not even I know the specifics, but I know one thing for sure. There is something about you that can lead me to what I want. Once I get it, I will have limitless power!" Morte exclaimed as she shifted into a fighting position. Of course this information shocked and confused us. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and noticed Koenma stepping forward.

"What do you mean? The Yin-Yang Eye was destroyed by my father years ago. There's no possible way you could ever find it," Koenma said narrowing his eyes on her.

"Wrong! You may need to check your facts prince-boy!" Azra barked with a laugh. Instantly he became the center of our attention and he shook his head, "Do you honestly believe that your father would destroy such a source of power? He merely masked it and made it difficult for demons to find. Although none of us could've imagined how he would hide it away so no one could find it. Your father is a power-hungry as the rest of us. The only difference is that due to his position in the Reikai that he must check himself. We are not bound in such a way and we've found the key to regaining what was once ours to begin with!"

"How did my father get a hold of it in the first place?" Koenma snapped sounding frustrated. I looked back at them all and blinked in confusion. The rest of the group was likewise confused. Even the demons of our groups didn't understand what he was talking about. Apparently, this was an extremely well guarded secret and was a story so old that it was no longer common knowledge.

"Enough of the history lesson! It doesn't much matter who had it and how they got it! All that matters is that I know Rin has the key to get it back and I will kill her to get it!" Morte screeched as she suddenly darted forward. I barely managed to slide to the side and step back. Unfortunately, this was exactly what she wanted. Morte slid her blade from it's sheathe and thrust it toward my face. I could feel the metal tip of the weapon slip across my cheekbone, cutting a thin line into the skin, and she then proceeded to throw a ball of concentrated shadows into my diaphragm. Stumbling back, I covered the cut across my face and reached for my chakram. Morte pounced and began slamming punch after punch into my body. At first I wanted to fight back, but something stopped me. Instead of dodging or blocking, I planted my feet firmly in the ground and stood against her vicious onslaught, not wincing or shying away. This change in attitude did not affect Morte as she continued lashing out against me, but I could sense her brother bristle in anxiousness. Every punch that connected with my undefended body made him tense and focus on me intently. The rest of my comrades were likewise concerned. If there was thing I didn't do, it was just stand there and take abuse. It just wasn't who I was. Then again, I wasn't feeling like myself. This seemed to put everyone on edge.

There was a strange tension in the middle of my chest. It felt like a piece of string was being pulled on from both ends and the middle was beginning to fray from the stress. The fibers were beginning to snap apart and unfamiliar thoughts started racing through my mind. It was obvious from that point on what was happening. The key that Morte was searching for was the exact same thing that had taken over me in the middle of my fight with Ghost. It was the same thing that caused the voice in my head and it was the same thing that was surging power throughout my body. The seal that both of my comrades had placed on it could not hold it back and I now understood why. Deep inside, I didn't want it to be held back. Subconsciously, I was tearing away the hard work they had done to protect me and counteracted every measure they had taken. I wanted to steal a power that was not mine in the first place. I was no different from any of them except for the fact that I hadn't been able to recognize what it was. Now…there was nothing left to hide.

One final punch was all that was needed to snap the string. I reeled back only long enough to spin and slam my knee into the middle of her gut. As she fell back, I grabbed her by her throat and proceeded to crush my knuckles into the middle of her face. Releasing her to free my hand, I turned the tables and lashed into her just as she had done to me. She was unable to plant her feet firmly on the ground as I had and after each fist I threw into her, she was sent scrambling back. I grinned viciously and allowed this power to flow through my limbs. It was just about to take control of me when a strange image passed through my mind. I closed my eyes and regained my composure. This one little memory was enough for me to control the power and still allow it to flow through my body without succumbing to it. I spun on my heels and kicked her back once again. This time she flew out of the ring and was sent skidding across the grass into the wall. I stopped at the edge of the ring and stared at her seriously. My breathing was ragged and I could feel the exhaustion beginning to attack my endurance. Amazingly enough, I was able to stand tall and look down my nose at my opponent, thinking that she wasn't worth anything in this fight. My confidence grew as she struggled to sit up and a sense of pride ran through me. This fight was a good as done and I was the winner.

"Don't get cocky you dimwit!"

I froze and felt as though cold ice water had been dumped on my spine. What was I thinking? This entire time, Morte always seemed to pull a trick out of her sleeve that I hadn't seen coming and it was just enough to continually knock me on my ass. There was no reason for me to be getting this full of myself. All I had to do was let my guard down long enough for her to come back and get the upper hand. I tensed and crouched on the ground reaching for my chakram to prepare for another onslaught. Both of us were nearing our breaking points and I prayed that the end of our match was getting closer. Morte slowly pushed herself to her feet and used the wall behind her for support to look at me. Her hair fell like a curtain over her face and only slits between strands allowed me to see what had become of her. Bruises were beginning to form on her face and a steady stream of blood was pouring down the side of her face as well as her broken nose. Absolute hatred flashed in her eyes and I could see her gnashing her teeth against each other. Fighting instinct no longer drove her and I could see the desire for vengeance take over Morte's mind.

"Its time to die, pup!" Morte screamed and suddenly threw her hands out before her. A stream of shadows shot forth from her fingertips and before I could move, the attack slammed right into both of my eyes. I screamed out as I stumbled back holding my face. Unlike the illusion she had used on me before, I was positive that this was a new attack that wrapped its way over my eyes, officially blinding me. I closed my useless eyes and was forced to rely on other things. Of course, I wasn't as skilled as the rest of my comrades at such a disadvantage and I could hear Morte run toward me. The sound of her feet pushing off the ground came to my attention and I wasn't sure where she was. It didn't take long. In an instant, the shadows left my eyes and as I looked up, Morte came crashing down on me. She slammed her knee into my chest and my back met with the floor of the ring. Still in a state of shock, I couldn't even breathe before Morte had raised both of her blades over her head and buried them into each of my shoulders, pinning me to the ring. I screamed as I felt blood soak the clothes around the new wounds.

"Rin!" Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted at the same time as I gasped in pain as she drove the blades even deeper into my shoulders. It had reached the point that I couldn't even scream at the pain anymore. The only thing I could do was curse my own stupidity. I knew that if I let my guard down that Morte would take advantage of it and low and behold, look what happened. IDIOT!

"Nicely done sister. I was beginning to wonder if she was too much for you. It's good to see that you were merely having an off day," Azra's smooth voice cut through the air. I heard him sigh and continue, "Not that I haven't enjoyed this, Morte, but it would be nice if you wrapped this up and we could get on with our plans. I am about burned out on seeing this demoness still alive."

"You have no idea, Azra. This pest has been bothering me for far too long," Morte answered as she stared down at me. There was only murder in her eyes and the fire that had been caused by pure fighting instinct had been extinguished. All that was left was the woman who wanted to kill me. Fear tugged at the corner of my mind.

"If there's a secret move to get out of this, Rin may want to do it now," Ghost whispered in a stunned voice. Koenma said something under his breath, but the pounding in my head drowned it out.

"Agreed…This isn't going as well as I would've hoped," Kurama replied in a voice that was strained. Even through I could not look at them, I could imagine the expressions on their faces. To my surprise, Hiei remained absolutely silent and I couldn't even sense if he was still there. I tilted my head back to try and see but I couldn't. Instead I focused my attention on Morte as she placed her hands firmly around my throat. She began to strangle me and leaned down close to whisper something in my ear.

"You could've been something great, Rin. It's a shame you have to die like this. Although, in all honesty, you're of little consequence. Your friends will live the lives they were meant to…that is until I get my hands on the jewel. Everything you ever loved…will be mine."

Fire erupted inside of my chest and I grit my teeth together. The fog caused from the lack of oxygen quickly cleared and I screamed in anger. I was unsure what happened after that, but I was faintly aware of kicking Morte in the chest and ripping the weapons out of my shoulders. When I got to my feet, a raging inferno surrounded me and the only thing on my mind was a plan. It was a last ditch effort to win this fight and if it didn't work, nothing else would. Protected by the flames I had unconsciously called to surround me, I held my hand out before with the palms open face up. Taking a deep breath, I focused on splitting my demon power into two parts. A faint glow surrounded my hands and a half of a yin-and-yang appeared on each hand. My power began to split and was flowing into each hand. The doppelganger was beginning to form and I almost stopped upon realizing something. In my rush to initiate my plan, I had focused clearly enough on the quantity of power that was forming in each hand. The amount of power that was pooling in my left hand was a bit stronger than the power that was in my right hand. The split was nearly complete and there were only seconds left for me to make a decision. Knowing that this was going to be a pain in the ass, I made my decision and reabsorbed the amount of power I wanted and threw the other half as hard as I could into the doppelganger. As soon as she stood next to me, we quickly shifted into a fighting position and allowed the inferno to fizzle out, leaving us to be standing in the middle of the ring.

"Enough playing games, Morte!" both the doppelganger and I shouted in aggravation. We pushed against each other and dashed toward Morte. The plan was flawless, except for the fact that she could easily tell that one of us was stronger than the other. Each of us snatched up one of her blades on the ground and aimed it at her as she rushed into the final confrontation.

"What an ingenious plan. It's unfortunate that you split your power unevenly. I know exactly where you are pup! You're power is pulsing! The stronger one is the real Rin Ishida!" Morte laughed as she jumped into the air and entered the assault. The three of us entered a furious three-way sparring match and the entire time, I could my strength slipping away from me. I couldn't keep this split up for much longer and would need to stop controlling the doppelganger's action if I intended on actually finishing the fight with Morte. Of course my thoughts were cut short as Morte kicked me square in the middle of the chest. I hit the ring and just managed to sit up when I saw something that shocked and astounded me. Morte had landed in the ring a mere yard away from me and had buried her hand deep into the gut of the doppelganger. She smiled in content and looked at it saying, "You can't trick me."

"Heh…just did," the doppelganger cough as it began to fade out of existence. By this time, I was directly behind Morte and I thrust her own sword through her back. To my disappointment, I had managed to miss every vital organ in the area, but the entire blade was sticking all the way through her back and out her stomach. Her body became rigid in shock and I heard a gasp escape her lips. Unlike a number of the demons around me, I was unable to enjoy the sight of the sword sticking through her back and even though I was aware that it could worsen my situation, I jerked the sword from out of her back. My mind was dazed from everything that had occurred and I was unable to see what would happen next. As I stepped away from Morte, the demoness summoned the last bit of strength that she had and called forth an orb of shadows. She shoved it into the middle of my chest and then proceeded to punch me in the face. I skid across the ground for a few yards and then slowed to a stop near where I had stood at the beginning of the fight. I could feel the concentration of shadows in my body and it was almost like my lungs were going to collapse within themselves. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Reverse it! You are strong enough for a small task such as that!" Hiei's voice snapped through my ears. Determination shot through me once again and I closed my eyes. Amazingly enough there was still a decent amount of energy inside of me and I focused all of it in the center of my chest. It consumed the orb she had prior thrown into me and soon squashed it into nothingness. I gasped for air, feeling the ability to breathe almost normally again. I smiled at myself in pride and realized that now I had something to be proud of in this fight. I glance at Morte and winced in pain. It was pretty sad that it hurt to even move my head. The sound of my own raspy breathing echoed through my head and my vision began to blur. If Morte would stay down, that would be the end of the match and I would be declared the winner, but I knew full well that she wouldn't do that. Not even two minutes later she was on her feet and launching an attack at me that reminded me of an miniature sun covered in darkness.

I reacted on instinct and threw my lightning at the middle of the attack. It wasn't a lot, but it was just enough to cause the entire thing to explode in the center of the ring. I heard Morte hit the ground and skid while I planted my feet and managed to stay stationary. A cloud of dust surrounded us and I was not longer able to see. All of my fighting energy was officially used up and I was with only enough to stay conscious. Even that was questionable. I attempted to see through the cloud, to figure our whether or not Morte was in better condition than I was, but it was too thick to see anything outside of three feet around me. Exhaustion hit and I staggered on my feet.

The only thing that I could do was succumb to my screaming legs. They buckled underneath me and I hit the ground. Landing on my side caused more pain to sear through my battered body and I could barely focus my eyes. Morte was on her knees and the smoke that surrounded us was beginning to dissipate. Knowing that despite the fact that I was completely exhausted that this was not the end, I pushed myself to my knees and used my hands to keep myself sitting up. I gingerly shook my head and despite wanting to pass out, I looked to where Morte was and allowed my vision to refocus.

When I could finally see, it was like ice had been dumped on my spine. Morte was not alone. Her brother, Azra, was standing at her side supporting her. I glanced around in shock and saw that the smoke was still thick enough to conceal us and my heart began to sink. I was a fool to think that they would've let this fight play out fairly. Now, I was going to get what I had coming to me for being naïve. Azra and Morte were conversing in hushed tones, no doubt trying to keep themselves from being found out by the referees, and I could see that Azra had a dagger in his hand. Morte's weapons were still close by and I figured that if they played it the right way, he could stab me to death and pass it off as Morte's kill. Soon, the siblings looked up at me and I heard Morte hiss, "There's no way in hell I'll let her leave this battle alive. Kill her!"

"Understood," Azra whispered as he slowly got to his feet. I looked at him with indifference and just closed my eyes. There was no way in hell I could do anything about this…I mean, I could even lift a single finger off the ground from where I sat, let alone put up a decent defense to keep a demon like Azra at bay.

"Why am I not surprised," I gasped as pain shot through me. My arms collapsed under me and I fell to my side once again. I rolled slightly and opened my eyes to see the siblings. I could do nothing but watch as Azra prepared his weapon. Damn it! Why did I blow all of my power in that last attack?

"You were a formidable opponent pup. We allowed you to grow too strong, but no longer," he answered and darted forward. Closing my eyes, I waited for the final blow. Astoundingly, it never came. Instead the sound of metal colliding and a brief struggle reached me. There was silence and a breeze blew around us. There was a loud collective gasp and then a very indignant Koto began to rant.

"What just happened? Excuse me, but there's not supposed to be any interference in this fight! I'm gonna have to ask you two to step out of the ring!"

"You're going to call this match for what it really is, a draw. Morte and Rin are both unable to fight. This fighter, who just so happens to be Morte's older brother, was the first to step into the ring and judging by the dagger in his hand, I don't think he was attempting to help Rin. If I had not interfered, you would have had quite the situation on your hands. As it stands, I saved you the trouble. Now call this fight," Ghost's calm, but firm voice replied. It took me a minute, but I was able to force my eyes open and see what had happened. Azra was only five feet away from me and was no doubt about to finish the job. Ghost used the smoke as a cover and swiftly put an end to their devious plan. Meanwhile the rest of my group ran toward the ring to see what was going to happen next. It was a struggle to stay conscious long enough for me to find out myself.

"Uh…What should we do Koto?" Juri asked in confusion as I heard another figure skid to a stop beside me. A pair of arms wrapped around me and I was pulled into a sitting position. To further my surprise, it was Hiei who now held me in his arms. I looked at him for a moment and he kept his gaze locked on Morte and Azra. I then followed to look at them as well. I couldn't argue that I wasn't completely there, but now I officially had no clue what was going on.

"Call it a draw, for that is what it is," Azra growled as he broke away from the deadlock with Ghost and shook his head. He hid away his weapon and walked over to his sister. He took her into his arms and I realized that she had fainted from the stress of our battle. Azra looked directly into my eyes and left me with this chilling message, "This isn't over yet pup. You're still the only way that we can get the Yin-Yang Eye. We'll be back. Fairly soon."

Shadows rose up from the ground and completely enveloped them. When the darkness finally sunk back to the ground, they were gone. A sense of calm washed over me and my body decided that it was done listening to what my brain told it to do. My head fell back limply and my eyes shut once again. After that I wasn't exactly sure what was said or what happened next until I sensed someone else enter my mind.

"Rin…can you hear me?" Hiei's voice whispered through my head. I could feel my body gently being shaken. More than ever, I just wanted to fall asleep and ignore what was going on around me, but Hiei was persistent, "Rin…Rin!"

There wasn't enough energy in me to speak, but there was enough for me to open my eyes, even if it was only halfway. I was unable to force my eyes to focus, but despite that I could still see the shadows of the group surrounding me. There was no hope of sensing who all was around me, but the way I figured it, that didn't matter. The voices I heard were enough to tell that I had been surrounded by my friends. The sounds were distinct and I knew that for the moment, Morte had been banished from the island and was no longer any concern to me. I was safe for the time being.

"Hey, if you can hear me Rin, I'm sorry about what happened about…Genkai," Yusuke said in a quiet whisper that was barely audible. I merely lifted the corner of my mouth in a smile and allowed my eyes to close once again. Soon, I was asleep, drifting away from the pain and the voices. It was nice to finally be able to rest…even though I knew it would be short lived.

-Until Next Time-

ME: I hope the length makes up for not killing Morte like everyone wants. She's too good a villain and I need her and her brother to stir up more trouble. Otherwise I couldn't stay in the Yu-Yu Hakusho world much longer.

Ghost: Indeed. I have to say that was a fascinating fight to watch.

Hiei:Who would've thought that Morte was so easy to fool.

ME: Well, she's evil, but I never said she was the sharpest sword in the shop. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will continue reading. Please drop a review and let me know what you thought!