ME: Poor Rin…seriously she's going to need a lot of therapy by the end of all this…cuz honestly, this is just the beginning. I have so much more in store for her.

Hiei: Hn…

Ghost: (smirks evilly looking at Hiei)

ME: (notices the change in the muses) You two…behave…or I swear I will make your lives hell once again…I've done it before I'll do it again.

Ghost: And we can respond in kind remember that.

Hiei: If the albino doesn't watch himself…I will jump at the chance to set him straight.

ME: (sweatdrops) This isn't going to be good…Ghost enjoys starting things and Hiei… Hiei doesn't put up with crap so he'll fight back…(facepalms repeatedly over and over again.)

Ghost: The authoress only owns her characters….

Hiei: (glaring at Ghost) Chapter start.

ME: Eep…help…

- Side Note: I am asking everyone to bear with me for a while. I got a brand new computer and it unfortunately doesn't have Microsoft word… So typing up new chapters without my usual program is throwing me off a little… So if the format changes at all, I will be trying to get it back to normal as soon as I can…—-

-Chapter Start-

Chapter 54: Good to See a Familiar Face

By that point though, I was so exhausted that I honestly couldn't have cared any less. All I wanted was to get a good rest and maybe this time it wouldn't be filled with the same terrors I had the night before. I just wanted to get some rest and be ready for whatever "training" he had in store for the next day. Although as far as I was concerned, I'm sure it was going to be strikingly similar to the nonstop hell Hiei and Genkai considered being training. It was a wonder none of us had died from it just yet. Oh well. I adjusted myself on the bed and moved the bag of clothes to the floor that I had left in the way. I was too tired to bother with getting under the covers so I just unhooked my chakram and dropped them onto the floor beside the bag. After kicking my shoes off as well, I curled up into a ball on the cushioned mattress and quickly drifted off into what was luckily a very peaceful slumber. In that moment, I did not give a damn as to what lied ahead. At least I could finally sleep.

-Next Day-

It was quiet…I slowly rolled over to be lying flat on my back and tried to pry my eyes open. The only thing I was aware of was that my entire body ached to all hell. All the fighting that I had done the day before had taken its toll and Ghost hadn't exactly…taken it easy on me. My back felt like I had been trampled and my knees felt like they were swollen to the point that I wouldn't be able to bend them. Not to mention the muscles in my arms were so thoroughly bruised I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to lift anything over ten pounds. Finally I was able to open my eyes and slowly sat up looking around the room. It was morning…although I couldn't tell exactly if it was early or late morning. I yawned and gingerly moved so I was sitting on the edge of the bed with my feet on the floor. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and moved the hair from my face as I looked around. It was strange…being in the Makai. It was strange knowing without a doubt that I wouldn't see any of my group today. It was strange knowing that I wouldn't be able to hang with the girls for some relaxation time. From this point on, every day could be more dangerous than the last and who knows what would come my way next.

Deciding to get a move on, I groaned as I got to my feet and pulled out the next outfit I was going to wear. It took some time considering how sore I was from the fighting yesterday, but finally I stood in front of the mirror making my hair look presentable and smoothing the creases in the outfit. I looked over my reflection carefully and saw just how different I looked. Comparing to what I had looked like when Hiei first saw me, I would've liked to see his reaction upon seeing me now. I smiled softly thinking about it and realized just how much I missed him. While it was true back in the Ningenkai, he wasn't there every day, but I could find him if I wanted to. Now, even if he was in the Makai with me…I couldn't just strike out to find him. I mean…technically I could try but there was no guarantee just how well that would work out for me. I stretched out my back and arms before swiping my chakram up to replace them on my hips. It was still unusually quiet and when I was finally satisfied that I was presentable, I walked out of the room. I went down the hall and when I stepped into the main living area, I was met with a quiet house. There wasn't any food that had been made and Ghost was nowhere to be seen. I wrinkled my nose somewhat and looked around…where in the hell could he be?

Moving over to the table where the fruit from Kurama's plants were, I scooped one up and took a bite into it as I looked around the house. I guess I couldn't be surprised that he wouldn't hang around the place just because I was here. That was a little presumptuous and it wasn't exactly like he owed me an explanation of where he was going to. Still…it would've been nice to at least know where he had been off to…since as far as I knew, he still wanted me to stay close to the house until things calmed down a bit. After all he didn't want his almost losing his life to keep me out of harm's way to be in vain. Honestly, I would've been pissed off if someone I had nearly died protecting went off and got caught on their own. That would be enough to make me want to punch them in their god forsaken face after I went out to save them all over again. I growled somewhat and finished the fruit I was eating as I walked over to one of the bookcases he had in the living area. I ran my fingertips over the spines of the many books that were there and came to stop on a beautifully bound emerald green cover. I gently pulled it from its place on the shelf and turned it over in my hands, completely spellbound by its beautiful nature. The lettering was silver and read, 'Before the Barrier.'

I walked over to one of the wonderfully cushy chairs and plopped down to snuggle myself in quiet happily. Once I was good and comfortable, I flipped it open and started to read.

I wasn't exactly sure how long I was reading…but considering it was a book that was well over six hundred pages and I was near halfway through; it must have been a long time. I was so fascinated with the stories of demons that turned into Gods in the Ningenkai. There were a few stories that I knew fairly well from the research into gods and goddesses I had done on my own. Though some of the real sides were…astounding in their own rights. I was chewing on the inside of my cheek absolutely enthralled with it all. I was practically on the edge of my seat with all of it. It was true that in school history wasn't always my favorite things to read about, but when it came to things that I actually cared about, I could be drawn in farther than anything else. I would fall into a trance that would take the physical contact of someone touching me to rouse me from it. One such trance had taken over me at that point and I was taking in all the myths that surrounded the Ningenkai…and realized that they had truth in the fact that some demons had been the basis for it all… They were so powerful…how many of them were S-class? That's what truly bounced along my mind. How many of them were as powerful as Raizen, Yomi and Mukuro? Maybe some of them were even more powerful…after all, there was plenty of the Makai that the Reikai didn't know anything about…and by the set up, there was plenty that was never shown in the Manga or Anime. That being said, there would be plenty of demons…that would strike enough terror into my heart that I would wish they were just stories told to the future generations.

I was so lost in these thoughts that I nearly jumped clean out of my skin when a hand was gently placed on my shoulder. I slammed the book shut on my finger to hold my place and bit my tongue to stop the stinging in my finger. I tilted my head back to notice that Ghost was mere inches away from his face. His hair was draped around his face and the tips of it were tickling my face from the faintest brushes. Upon looking up…the only thing I could see was his face. His dark eyes were in the exactly place to stare into mine and I glanced to see his lips, slightly parted but almost thoughtful as he was looking over me. I felt both of his hands rest on my shoulders for a second before gently coming up to touch the sides of my face. My hands subconsciously lowered the book that I was holding and I blinked looking back to his eyes. What was flashing there in his eyes? What was hiding there just behind the surface? What thoughts were bubbling to the surface of his mind?

"Ah…Ghost…Can I help you?" I asked finally after a few moments of the two of us staring at each other. I was slowly but surely beginning to get used to his invasion of my space and I was sure that this was just another ploy to get me all bothered.

"You were so interested in that book. I didn't feel it right to disturb you even though I've been here for a few hours. So I made us food and something to drink; waiting until the last possible moment to disturb you. I assume that you're hungry?" Ghost stated leaning a bit closer to me. I could feel his breath brush my face and I realized that he was effectively making it impossible for me to move my face at all. This was proving to be…tedious.

"Food sounds like a good idea. Uh…are you going to move?" I asked arching my brow curiously. Something strange flashed through his eyes before he closed them and dropped his hands to the side as he stepped back away from me. This sudden motion was strange and almost…distant for him. Far more distant than I was accustomed to coming from him. I slowly turned around, still holding my place in the book with my finger and looked over him carefully saying, "Is something wrong? Did I upset you?"

Ghost kept himself from making contact with me as he shook his head, "No, it's nothing at all. Don't worry about it. By the way, if you're tired of holding your place in that book with your finger, there is a ribbon on the table you can use if you want. I'll finish preparing the food. Come over so we can eat."

With that he walked away from me like nothing happened. I blinked in confusion and then looked to where he had said the ribbon was and immediately saw it. It was blood red and I thought about how it matched my eyes. It hadn't been there before and I wondered if Ghost had put it there while I was reading and was waiting for me to snap out of it. Reaching over, I picked it up and slid it through my fingers, thinking over the exchange I had just had with the fighter. He was acting strange…and I wasn't quite sure why. The ribbon fell perfectly in the crease of the book between the pages and I closed it quietly before placing it on the table. It wasn't until I went to stand that I realized my entire body was stiff from the position I had been sitting in while reading. That alone told me it had been more than just a few hours that I had been reading. Exactly how long had Ghost been there without my realizing and why hadn't I sensed him? It was true that I zoned out but in my current state there is no way I could've been that far gone. Then again, I was residing with a demon whose name was Ghost. I had already seen multiple reasons as to why that name was perfect for him…was it honestly surprising that he could completely hide from me?

I turned to the table where he had the food laid out and moved to the chair I had sat in before. Almost immediately, Ghost had taken his place and motioned for me to do so as well. Soon we both were eating the meal he had cooked and drinking the tea he made…that I was damn sure was more coffee than tea. At first it was quiet…he was still not making eye contact and I tried to figure out just what I had done to cause him to act in such a way. It didn't make sense to me and I wondered how in the world I could fix it. Yet after halfway through the meal, I still didn't have a clue. Just when I finally decided to come out and say the first thing that came to mind regardless of the consequences, Ghost beat me to the punch, "Rin…do you wish to become stronger than you are now?"

"Well…yeah. I mean that's kinda the point of me staying behind in the Makai when everyone else went back…mind you I wasn't planning on being taken care of the way you are now, but…yes I want to get stronger," I responded somewhat derailed. After all that silence and all that brooding, that was the first thing that came to his mind? Or was he merely distracting me from something else. Was it coincidence that he only spoke just in time to keep me from saying a damn word?

"You're quite a bit stronger than the last time I saw you. There's no denying that and I see it when we've been fighting, but you are still unrefined as a fighter. You have quite a bit of potential from all the training you have done with your comrades and on your own in the fights and experience you've had. Now you just need the chance to hone it and make it your own. I can help you do that…if you would be willing to let me try my hand at it. It's a different approach than most I am sure, but one that might allow you to take everything you have learned from all your experience and make it something uniquely yours," Ghost mused as he looked over me thoughtfully. I tilted my head to the side as he spoke and thought it over carefully. What he said was true. I had trained with quite a few people…Genkai, Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei… Each fighter had their own approach to fighting and would handle a situation in their own special way. Then take my experience in the actual fights I had been a part of and how I had been trying to pull all different aspects into one. There were times when I had succeeded but there were others when it had been messy and barely considered a well thought out action. Perhaps…it would be better to see just what kind of tactics Ghost had in mind.

"Hmmmm…well Ghost, if you'd be willing to offer that, I'd be pretty foolish not to accept it. I've seen you in a fight and I've see what you can do…not to mention you have far more experience than I could ever hope to imagine. I would be honored to learn from you," I said with a small smile. This was an opportunity that I would not pass up.

"Very well…but there's something you must understand," Ghost said as he slowly pushed the food away from him and stood. Instantly I saw something change in his demeanor. This was no longer my friend standing before me just a few feet away. This was a hardened fighter who had been through many things. This was a fighter who looked in the face of death and walked away. This was a demon who even though once stood even with me in the Dark Tournament…had a few tricks hidden up his sleeve that he hadn't let anyone know about. In his usual surreal manner he hovered over to be standing beside me and continued, "I have no delusions that I am not nearly as strong as Yusuke or Hiei or any of the others in your group. I do not pretend to be such, but I do have knowledge that they do not. By accepting this, you are becoming my apprentice and thus privy to this same knowledge in time when I deem you ready to know it. By becoming my apprentice you are submitting yourself to my whim and my demands. You will do as I say and you will not question. You will train until I tell you to stop and even if you are reaching the brink of insanity you will push on until I give you permission to break. If I am to train you, you are essentially giving me your mind, body and soul to meld and change you into something else. Am I understood?"

I could sense the chill in his words. He wasn't trying to scare me. He was making a point. If Ghost was going to invest in me what all those before me had failed to be worthy of, I had to be ready for absolutely everything that entailed. Ghost would not half ass train me. Not that any of those before him had done a half-assed job but at the same time, none had solely been MY trainer. I was Genkai's second pupil to train when she was finished putting Yusuke through the ringer. Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke were working on training and honing their skills when they spared and worked with me. They were not my "master" in the sense Ghost was proposing now. He would focus on training me…making me reach my physical and mental breaking points…and once finding them would force me to overcome them. Ghost would run me into the ground the same way Genkai had run Yusuke into the ground. This was different and this was something that I had to take extremely serious. So, I slowly stood to be facing him and made eye contact with him. I took a deep breath and said, "I understand and I accept those terms. Ghost, I hope I can prove to be a worthy apprentice."

"Give me your dominate hand," Ghost stated as he reached out his left hand to me. I reacted instantly and extended my right hand. I didn't even see him move, but I felt his hand clasp tightly around my wrist. There was heat…almost like his fingers were on fire. I winced and looked down in shock…only to see something else that caused my breathing to catch. The heat wasn't just imagined…his actual hand was glowing a bright red…and it was seeping into my wrist where he was holding me. Then the pain came. It felt like hot iron was branding my skin and I bit down on my lip as I watched six different lines of heat spread across my wrist. These six lines wound themselves completely around like a bracelet and were intertwining in a way that almost reminded me of Celtic Weaving. As soon as all six likes connected and bonded together the pain intensified and I went down to one knee in front of Ghost. At this point I was able to breathe again but I was panting from just how much pain I was in and sweat was beginning to bead across my forehead from the strain. Yet, Ghost didn't let go and in fact started chanting something under his breath. I was faintly reminded of the fact that it was almost like the chanting Rando had done in the anime and manga, but was quickly distracted from that by the fire turning to pure ice. Mind you…it still hurt like a son of a bitch but instead of the pain of fire burning into my skin, it was pure numbing cold…to the point where it was agony on where the fire had been before it. Finally, though, the markings on my wrist turned pitch black and Ghost released me allowing me to brace myself on the floor on my hands and knees. He stepped back while I composed myself and waited until I could shake away the daze.

"W-What…was that?" I stammered in shock.

"Remember back in the Dark Tournament when I used the Seven Point Restriction? I focused on seven points in your body and used them as channels to seal your power? Well, in a sense this connects me to your six senses…Sight, Hearing, Touch, Scent, Taste and Spiritual Awareness. While you are training, I will use this to my advantage and it will help me in seeing where you need attention. This effectively marks you as my apprentice and when I deem you a master from your training I will remove it. Understand this, Rin, until you achieve that you belong to me," Ghost stated calmly as he stepped back and returned to the chair he had been sitting in before. I slowly sat back on my knees and cradled the arm close to my chest and looked over the markings on my wrist. Then I looked back at him and chewed on my cheek for a minute. Though I understood what he meant…an apprentice did belong to their Master…I wasn't sure that was all it meant…this was surely another way for him to keep tabs on me even if he wasn't in the immediate vicinity. Yes…I accepted this. I knew that I would be giving up quite a bit in order to be trained by him…just as Yusuke had given up a bit to be trained by Genkai…but good lord…This was a little unnerving. I looked up and he continued, "This also…explains to me a little about the power coursing through you that I sensed at the Dark Tournament…and just how it works…things I will need to know in order to adapt my training regimen to your specific needs."

"Ok," I hissed quietly as I pulled myself together. Forcing myself to my feet despite my spinning head, I braced my shaking body against the table and looked at him calmly, "So…when does everything start?"

"Tomorrow…I need time to put together my beginning tests of your power…and after that you could use some rest. I did essentially just bind your senses to mine…in a sense anyway. Besides, it gives me time to assess and figure it out. Although from our past fights, I already have a good starting point," Ghost stated calmly as he returned to eating his food. He was…back to normal. I arched my brow in confusion and slowly slipped back into my seat; immediately reaching for the tea, hoping that it would return some of the energy I just lost in whatever the hell he did to me. After taking three large gulps, I started to settle back into myself and looked over him carefully.

"Ghost…why did you think of me becoming your apprentice?" I asked bluntly.

He only smirked, "You're not one for beating around the bushes are you?"

"Not really. Subtlety was never my specialty," I replied calmly. Not to mention the fact that…well if I was supposed to be his apprentice and let him know so much about me…what was the point in holding back? He wanted to be my Master then by divinity above I would make him realize there was more to me than he originally expected.

"Very well. There's only one simple reason as to why I chose you and honestly hoped you wouldn't turn me down Rin. I've seen you fight. I've seen you weak and I've seen you strong. Through everything I've seen, you're the only one I can see taking my skills and surpassing me. I can see you taking what I have to offer and pushing it to a level I couldn't even imagine. None of those other fools even had a hope at learning what I had to teach let alone mastering it. I see that and so much more in you…that's why," Ghost answered as he too took a sip of the tea before him. I blinked in shock and froze. That…how could he think so highly of me? I didn't understand it in the slightest. Ghost looked over me carefully and smirked as he said, "Oh don't act so surprised, Rin. You have always been the odd one since you've been here. You know that and I told you…I'm nowhere as strong as Yusuke, Hiei or Kurama. However, you can get there and if you take my skills to that point…then I can be satisfied that someone else has learned what I had to teach."

I was speechless. I couldn't believe it…and it was amazing… I almost wanted to cry that he thought so well of me. Not to mention I wanted to reach the point where I could almost be on par with the rest of the group. I didn't ever think I would be dead even with them, but I could at least not drag them down as much as I did now. Ghost was giving me that opportunity and…damn it I was taking it! Nothing would stand in my way! I bowed my head gratefully and said, "Thank you, Ghost."

"I hope to be thanking you, Rin. When I see my own skills take even the most powerful bastard down that even I couldn't fight," Ghost answered as he stood once more when he was finished and started clearing the table. He left my food alone and I looked at the plate in thought, still trying to comprehend everything that was going through my mind. Once he was finished, Ghost moved to the front door and looked over his shoulder saying, "Finish your food and don't worry about cleaning up. Then you can take that book and relax before bed. Make sure you get some rest before tomorrow…because you're not going to know what a good night's rest is for some time. I'll wake you tomorrow…and you'll begin your own personal hell."

And with that he was gone. I was alone in the cabin…and my mind was spinning through everything that just happened. I absentmindedly finished my food and tea before rising from the table. At first I couldn't move. It was all too much. I was about to be trained by one hell of demon who made a name for himself in the Makai…He was one hell of a fighter and I had seen that first hand in the Dark Tournament. Not to mention a decent amount of time has passed since then…how much stronger was he now? In fact…where was I on the power scale? I was curious. Finally after at least fifteen minutes of standing there in thought, I was able to move to take the book off the table where I had placed it and walked into the bedroom. With everything that had just transpired…I couldn't focus long enough to read. So, I put the book on the bedside table, thinking that whenever Ghost would give me the time I would read it and plopped down on the bed. Why was it that I had literally done nothing that could be seen as physically taxing, but I was exhausted nonetheless? It annoyed me, but I knew…quite a bit happened that I didn't understand. Also, I knew what was looming overhead. Ghost would be just as much a slave driver as Hiei and Genkai had been…and due to the damned mark he placed on my wrist, he would soon know the exact limits I could be pushed to almost as intimately as I did. That concerned me quite a bit actually. While it was true that Hiei and Genkai had the same innate talent of knowing the limits I could be pushed to…Ghost would know them far more intimately and could push and push and push until they were reached…Just what kind of result would that bring out in me I wonder?

I sighed and rolled over onto my side with my hands clasped behind the base of my neck and brought my elbows tight over my face. The panic and anxiety were starting to set in. Ghost had plans for me. I could see that when I looked in his eyes. So…what was going to come of it? Would I be able to reach the level that Ghost clearly thought I could? Would I still be the same person by the end of it? Or would I be like…him? Cold and able to kill without even batting an eye…True there were some kills I could do already without being concerned with it. Yet, I wasn't sure if I could reach that point…at least not how I was currently.

Somehow, my body slipped away and my mind went from working consciously, to figuring things out in dreams instead. It was maddening and chaotic. Things were racing through images without giving me the change to comprehend them and then other things were freezing in a constant still frame, not leaving until I had memorized every inch of what I could see. Some of the images were absolutely…terrifying. Some were…astounding. Some were clearly just works of my own imagination, but for the most part, many of the images were guesses at what I could possibly do with the powers Ghost was going to teach me. No doubt he would push me to a whole new level that I couldn't had imagined before. Yet, there was one thought that continued to reoccur to me. I wanted to become powerful and then show just how much I had progressed to Hiei. Standing before him with a new edge in battle and him no longer being able to call me a burden was something I desperately dreamed of. I wanted to prove that he hadn't wasted his affections on some weak little fool. I wanted to prove just how dangerous I could be.

- The Next Morning—-

"Get up!" a commanding voice roared through my mind. Instantly, I rolled out of bed and landed on all fours on the floor. It felt like a hand punched through my chest and fingers were curled tightly around my sternum. It was agonizing and yet, I got to my feet knowing well it was just Ghost. It was strange. I felt like I could feel his presence all around me, but when I looked around he was nowhere to be found. I held my hand against my chest trying to relieve the pressure that was weighing down on it.

"Ok…What the hell is this?" I asked knowing Ghost could hear me.

"The full effects of your apprenticeship. I have full access to your physical and mental readings. In human terms, you could imagine that I have medical hook ups monitoring your vitals as well as your mental status. Except that its directly linked to my mind. This way I can push you to the absolute limits without killing you or breaking you. Now, come outside. Its time to get started," Ghost's voice echoed through my head. Knowing it would be better to just do as he said than ask anymore questions, I quickly prepared myself and walked out to the back where I had been sparring with him before. Of course he was standing there…but I nearly choked on the air I was breathing when I saw him. Up until this point, I had only seen glimpses of the body beneath Ghost's clothes from rips and tears caused by fighting. Even when I was helping him back to the cabin from almost being poisoned, I hadn't paid attention to his physical being. Now, I couldn't really look anywhere else. He was standing in the middle of the yard in simple fighting pants and no shirt. While I knew he wasn't scrawny by any means, I was genuinely surprised by the muscles of his chest. It was almost perfect; like an artist had chiseled his form into marble. His pale skin only made the lines and shadows of his muscles more pronounced and I wondered if a normal human tried to punch it if it would be the equivalent of punching stone. Not only was his chest muscled, but so were his arms…and those abs…I caught my eyes starting to linger at the muscles by his waist and pants line when his thoughts broke through my mind once again, "You do realized I can hear everything you're thinking correct? I don't know if I should be insulted by the fact that you didn't think I was in such good shape or flattered at where your attention has been fixed for about two minutes now."

My face flared with heat of rushing blood and I looked away to focus on his feet. He was so thoroughly amused with himself and threw back his head laughing. In an attempt to save even the smallest shred of my dignity that I could, I looked at him and said, "Well… It's not like I get out much…Can we get to work on this?"

Ghost only smirked in response. Then he disappeared and before I could blink, the back of my head was splitting in pain. My vision went white and I landed face first into the dirt. My body was still reeling from the shock and I was turned onto my back by a foot wedged under my ribcage. When I could see, Ghost was standing over me with his arms crossed over his chest. Upon noticing the haze cleared, Ghost said, "I have some base readings now to work off of. Your embarrassment, your surprise and you in pain. How your heart beats and how your breathing regulates itself. Not to mention your thought processes. These are important if I am to push you to your breaking point and teach you how it can be used to reach a potential you don't know about now. So…Get up."

Instinct kicked in and I remembered the many times I hadn't gotten up when Genkai and Hiei told me to…and the pain that usually followed it. Despite the throbbing ache in the back of my head, I got to my feet and staggered while trying to get my balance back in order. However, it seemed that Ghost had other plans. Every time I got to my feet, Ghost devised a completely new and different way of putting me down. There were many times he struck weak points I didn't even know I had and in a matter of hours, I was covered in blood, gashes, and bruises from the various techniques he had used on me. Some of the attacks weren't even physical. Many times, when I would get to my feet he was assault my mind with something I hadn't been expecting. Sometimes it was the usual manifestation of my fears like hearing someone I cared for screaming. Sometimes, it was turning a good memory I had into something…terrible… Almost like he was twisting the very core of what I held dear. It didn't stop there however. No. By the end of twelve hours of this Ghost walked over to where I laid on the ground beaten physically and mentally to the point where I couldn't move at all. He told me to get up again and this time no amount of instinct could move me. Sighing somewhat, he knelt down beside me and grabbed the back of my hair. With a swift jerk, he pulled my body back so I was sitting on my knees and the pain of him pulling my hair didn't even compare to the ache of the beating I had just endured.

"I…I can't…move," I choked out weakly.

"I know…however, you have enough in reserves that if you truly needed to you could get away. Mind you, it would be a last ditch effort that would either damage some of your internal organs or knock you out as soon as you stopped moving. In absolute worst case scenario, you would actually kill due to using the last bit of life force you have. Now, I'm not going to actually put your life in danger to prove this. That's not how I work. Instead, I am going to deprive you of any luxuries until you can master this last little power your body stores out of instinct to keep itself functioning. You don't get to sleep or eat until you can call upon this and do so in a controlled manner," Ghost replied as he jerked me to my feet and threw me into the trunk of the closest tree. I had no ability to fight him and when I looked up, he was in the process of going through another series of hand signs. Inwardly, I wanted to stop him but I couldn't even keep my eyes from rolling into the back of my head. When he finished it, a flash covered my whole body and I was pinned to the tree by a wall of his overwhelming aura. It knocked the wind right out of me I felt like I was being crushed. Weakly, I choked and struggled to figure out how to breathe again. It was at that moment Ghost's voice whispered through my mind, "Don't worry…I told you I wouldn't kill you, but realize that won't stop me from pushing your body to the point where it expects to die. Until you are able to break this yourself, this is how every day will pass. Twelve hours of me putting you through every physical and mental beating I can put you through and then twelve hours of being held with only just enough space to breathe and I don't mean a deep, take it all in breathing. This is how I learned to control every ounce of my own power."

This was how two weeks followed.

Just as my mind was practically fraying from the lack of sleep, constant pain, and barrage of mental and physical attacks, something strange clicked into place. Just as Ghost finished a twelve hour beating session and was shifting into the twelve hour holding session. It was like time froze in place for just a minute and when my back hit the trunk of the tree, I imagined reality shifting. In that moment, something became clear in my mind. It wasn't that Ghost was somehow turning invisible when it came to his attacks. It was that he had such accurate control over his demonic energy and life energy that he could manipulate them into reacting as if it were that breaking point when the body was trying to keep itself alive. He did this without damaging his powers and without straining his body like it usually would have to be strained. Though there were certain points his own powers could reach that I wouldn't be able to, I could understand the basics and adapt them to match my own body. Where as he could turn invisible, or at least completely camouflage himself so perfectly that it appears he wasn't there, I would be able to adapt it in a different way. However, that wouldn't come right away. I would have to figure out how to mold it that way with time and practice. Right now however, I had one goal.

There was no way in fucking hell he was going to pin me to the god damn tree again!

I kicked the bottom of my foot into the trunk of the tree and shot forward like a bullet fired from a gun. Ghost didn't even have a chance to react. I managed to make it right behind him and placed one hella good punch to the side of his face. It was jarring enough that Ghost slammed right into the ground and I stumbled; barely catching myself before falling right on top of him. I doubled over and braced myself with both hands on my thighs. When Ghost looked up almost bemused I pointed at him and snapped, "No. No more… fucking tree. I… have had enough…of that shit!"

"Well…that didn't take as long as I thought…" Ghost muttered with a smirk. He slowly got up to his feet and dusted himself off while muttering, "However, I can't say I'm too surprised considering I was sensing you reaching that breaking point rather quickly. Yet, unlike most you didn't panic and think it was truly the end. You just broke through it and dared it to be the end."

"What can…I say…All that time…with the boys…made an impression," I growled quietly. Slowly but surely, I was beginning to breathe normally again and I straightened up looking at him suspiciously, "Normally, this would be where I would be ready for a break…but for some reason its like I just got a second wind."

Ghost broke into a full out smile, "You're learning. Let's make use of this shall we?"

Without anything else being said, Ghost darted toward me and we broke out into a full out fist fight. I didn't even have time to get a hold of my chakram to fend him off. In fact, the only think I could do was use my lightning to protect my hands against his own powered attacks. As things the fight flowed with natural movement, we added kicks and various other martial arts moves. Many were taught to me by Genkai, Yusuke, Hiei and a few others I had picked up along the way. In fact, I was thoroughly impressed with some of my own moves. Yet, there wasn't much time to focus on that. Funnily enough, there wasn't anything else going through my mind than watching Ghost's subtle muscle twitches, watching how his feet positioned themselves as he moved into the next stance, feeling how my own weight shifted through stances and sensing some of the residual connection between Ghost and myself. It was like the monitor he set on me to keep watch on just how far he could push me was also opening my own mind to what I was able to do. Being stuck in one place barely able to move even enough to breathe had alerted me to just how much I moved even with the basic functions my body needed to do in order to survive. Learning how to control every little movement was the first step in learning how to manipulate my own powers and my own physical energy to conceal my very presence.

I wasn't initially aware of how long we had been fighting until something jarred me out of the trance I had fallen into. It started with something cold touching my left cheek. I froze in mid punch and Ghost even stepped back in surprise. There was another cold drop hitting my forehead and when I looked up into the sky, it was starting to rain. However, instead of normal rain, it was slowed down. Almost like I was watching frame by frame as it was falling from the sky. Upon taking notice of this though, it changed and in the few seconds I was standing like that it was like the clouds opened up to unleash a torrential downpour on the two of us. Slowly, I looked back to Ghost and couldn't stop from staring. He was breathing hard and watching his bare chest rise and fall in the rain was… quite a sight. His white hair was sticking to the sides of his face and the pants he wore likewise clung to his form from the rain. Ghost was looking up at the sky as well and almost seemed like he had forgotten I was there. Yet, while looking at him and seeing him in such a way… I found myself longing to turn and seeing Hiei standing there shaking his head at me and making some comment about how I was a baka onna.

"I can still hear your thoughts you know," Ghost said suddenly looking at me carefully.

"I'm well aware…and after the hell you just put me through to make a point…I don't honestly care," I responded back calmly. I glanced around and felt the strain starting to take effect. My legs were beginning to wobble and sighed, "So…what happens from this point?"

"I don't know about you, but I could use a few days of rest after all this. You don't know just how much of my own power I had to put into keeping you held in one place with only enough room to breathe enough to keep alive. Not to mention I haven't eaten or done anything to keep up my own strength," Ghost laughed shaking his head.

"I don't feel bad," I growled quietly.

"I didn't expect you to. Now lets get something to eat and get some rest."

Honestly…from that point on my body went on autopilot. I faintly remembered walking with Ghost into the house and eating one of the fruits from the plant Kurama had given me. Then I went straight to the bedroom and passed out almost as soon as I fell onto the bed.

-Three Days Later—-

Every fiber of my being protested waking up. Then again it didn't help matters that every muscle in my body was sore and bruised. Even my mind was hazy from everything that had happened. After fighting for what seemed like twenty minutes of trying to go back to sleep, I finally opened my eyes and slowly pushed myself up. It was quiet outside. In fact, the Makai itself almost seemed quiet. I slowly got up and changed into a new outfit. I silently moved through the rest of the cabin and wondered what Ghost had planned now. Yet, that quickly went away when I rounded the corner and saw Ghost knocked out on one of the chairs in the living area. I had to stifle a laugh and walked over to see what was going on. I wasn't sure just how long he had been asleep but when I stopped beside him, it became obvious just how far gone asleep he was. He didn't even respond when I poke the side of his face. Smirking, I walked over to the table and grabbed some of the fruit to eat, but as I did so I noticed a piece of paper lying there half folded over. When I flipped it completely open I saw a message written out in Ghost's somewhat tidy scrawl.

"Rin, I may be unconscious for the next day or so. After training with you, I had a mission that I had been neglecting and it turned out to be more of a challenge than I had anticipated after spending so much of my energy with you. Do try to keep yourself out of trouble in the meantime."

I grinned and shook my head, but before any true mischievous thoughts could run through my head, I sensed something coming off from a couple of miles to the left. I focused on it curiously, and realized exactly what it was. Ghost had said his cabin was off in a neutral zone away from the zones of the warring Demons Lords…Which meant that it was still relatively close between the three of them. What I was sensing was Raizen…and more specifically his ever growing in strength offspring, Yusuke. It had been so long since I had seen someone from my group and I couldn't resist the chance to drop in on him. So, with a glance back to Ghost to make sure he was alright, I slipped out of the cabin with my chakram hooked on my hips. Once outside, I took in a deep breath and decided it would probably be a better idea to travel in my wolf form rather than as I was. Since there was still a bounty on my head and all that. With that in mind, I shifted from standing to being on all four paws once again. I shook loose most of the tension in my muscles and took off, running just below my top speed in the direction I could not only sense Yusuke, but I could smell him as well.

I was running for some time. Apparently he was farther off than I had originally thought. That was ok though. It was nice to stretch out my muscles and get some fresh air. Despite still being sore from the hell Ghost had put me through, I felt relatively strong and in better control of my own aura. Which made it easier for me to keep my power low and keep from being sensed as I moved deeper into their territory. I could feel the tension in the air of Raizen's territory. His refusal to feed was putting quite a strain on his followers and the arrival of his son made things even more so. I slowed my pace in an attempt to get better grasp on the bearings around me and I finally stopped when I came within enough distance to catch a faraway glimpse of the Tower that Raizen was in. I was still quite a few miles off from the main compound in which Yusuke was staying with Raizen and his followers, but the auras I could sense were absolutely astounding. Raizen…good lord he made Sesnui look like an ant power wise and he was considerably weaker than he ever had been due to his self induced starvation. Then there was Yusuke. I blinked in shock. I knew he was so much stronger than all of us, but where he was now…what little hope I had of getting closer to him in level was dashed. I shook my head and smiled inwardly. Despite all his badass-ery. He was still the lovable goofball I was glad to call my friend.

"Well what do we have here?"

"A spy no doubt sent by one of the other Demon Lords. Probably here to see just how far our young lord has come in his training."

"They sure didn't wait long did they?"

"Shit," I muttered to myself as I turned around to see two of Raizen's followers standing just a few yards away from me. Upon first glance I quickly determined they weren't a part of the main group that was training Yusuke and therefore, though they were still strong, I had a little more chance to fight them if things went down hill than I would've otherwise. I slowly put my back against the tree so they couldn't sneak up on me and slowly reverted back to my normal form. I looked over them calmly with my hands up in front of me showing I meant no aggression toward either of them. I looked between them saying, "Now before we go jumping to conclusions allow me to explain whats going on. I'm a friend of Yusuke's and I was here hoping I would be able to talk to him."

"Hm…a likely story," the first replied calmly.

"You must think us to be fools. We're not just going to stand by and let you walk into our ranks just like that."

"I figured as much…" I muttered quietly and closed my eyes. Just then I sensed them shift into battle stances and I quickly figured out just what I needed to do. I had to defend against them long enough for Yusuke to sense that I was over here and come to my rescue. Considering what I had just gone through with Ghost, I had the prefect way of doing that. I immediately called up a shield to completely surround me and I allowed my aura to spike just long enough for anyone who knew me to identify it before recalling just enough so others couldn't find me, but I knew all too well Yusuke would've had plenty of time to find where it was coming from. Now it was just a matter of waiting for him to get to me.

This sent the other two into action and they stood directly in front of me each throwing one hell of an assault against me. Their aura attacks met with the shield with a loud crash and I felt the impact jar my concentration for a moment. I quickly strengthened my resolve and leaned against the trunk of the tree. Their attacks were extremely powerful and if I let up even for a second it would be enough to let them hit me…and that shit would really hurt like hell. Luckily, due to Ghost's training, I focused on that moment when it felt like I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel of my energy in order to get away. I remembered what it felt like sending that last jolt of power through my body and how every sense was perked in an attempt to keep myself from dying. Even though I had plenty of energy to call on already, making it seem like I was in such a tight spot made it different. I could focus more effectively just how much energy spread itself out through the shield and focused a higher concentration on the exact points that were being struck by their attacks. I could actually see it spreading out through the shield and by being able to control it so precisely I felt that i was using less energy than I originally had been in the past. I smirked, this meant that not only could I keep it working for longer periods of time, but instead of just focusing on certain point I could reinforce it more effectively.

I smirked happily to myself as they redoubled their attacks and I only had to use a little more energy than I already had been. This seemed to be frustrating them and it was then I sensed something fast approaching us from directly behind them. I looked up and before they could even react there was a thin shadow standing behind them with its fists raised. I only had enough time to smile wider before there were two loud cracks that echoed and ended with the two fighters landing on the ground holding their bald heads. Standing right behind them was a rather irritated Yusuke who was slightly winded no doubt from how fast he had run to get there to see if my aura was in fact who he thought it was. As soon as he made eye contact with me a huge smile broke over his own face and he straightened up saying, "Well look who it is! The Queen of Trouble herself! Good to see you Rin!"

"Good to see you too, Yusuke. Its nice to see another familiar face in this place. One can never have too many friends around here," I laughed as I let the shield fall.

"Another face? You tellin me you've been bumming off someone else?" Yusuke laughed as he walked past his two comrades and pulled me into a friendly hug. Then he looked back at the two of them who were starting to get to their feet and barked, "Ok guys. You did your job but I can take it from here. Get back and let everyone know that I'm spending some time with an old friend."

-Chapter End—-

ME: Ok…that took way longer than I meant it too…
Hiei: Here we go with the excuses again.
Ghost: This is becoming quite the habit
ME: Nya! Ok ok I get it. I will just say this…I moved. And I lost my notes. Found them again and I'm jumping back on this train ok?! I'll get to work on the next chapter already. See everyone next time!