Happy Wednesday! Boy howdy, this one caused me a bit of trouble. I kept running into walls. That's what happens when I try to walk blindfolded through a maze, go figure. But seriously, this was a little harder. I kept getting distracted too, kinda a theme for me. First youtube, then other fanfics, then another one I'm thinking about writing for another anime, and finally a religious debate with my roommate while watching some Subnautica playthrough. Either way, it's here, it's queer, enjoy the "sho."

Beware, beware, be skeptical
Of their smiles, their smiles of plated gold.
Deceit so natural.
But a wolf in sheep's clothing is more than a warning.
Bah-bah-black sheep, have you any soul?
No sir. By the way, what the hell are morals?

So could you
Tell me how you're sleeping easy
How you're only thinking of yourself?
Show me how you justify
Telling all your lies like second nature.
Listen, mark my words: One day,
You will pay, you will pay.
Karma's gonna come collect your debt.

- Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Set it Off

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

My opponent faced me, our gazes meeting through the slowly dissipating mist that hung over the rotting land. The ground was soft and springy, not ideal for maintaining balance, and a sensory sweep with my energy showed several hidden sinkholes, portals to the putrid water that lay still and stagnant beneath our feet.

Like any other battle I had fought, I began by assessing the one opposite me. Strengths and weaknesses came to mind immediately, stacking atop one another in a mesh of attack plans. The smallest of twitches was telling, where the eyes would flicker to and express interest gave away his intentions. Several meters between us would give either one of us plenty of time to react to the others opening move. I was fast, but he was sturdy. Even if I hadn't spent my entire life around him, I would see that much.

And that was the crux of it, wasn't it? This wasn't a normal battle, or a normal opponent I could pick apart with all the precision of a razor blade. There would be no internal conflict over mercy to stay my hand, nor would there be the unquestioning desire to destroy what was before me.

This was Kazuma. This was my brother. This was my world.

This could be the easiest fight of my entire life, or the moment that ruined us forever.

"You may begin."

The words left the old woman, but neither of us made a move. He was wracked with nerves, I could feel it from here. I was still calculating, wondering how exactly to proceed without being terribly obvious. I could always get close enough to whisper it to him, but there was little chance of him keeping the secret. Somehow, I wasn't sure how, he would find a way to mess it up. Secrecy it was, then, as per usual.

… Well, then. Let's begin.

"Kazuma," I called, and he flinched slightly. I fought a grimace at his reaction. "You will fight me with your new weapon."

He blanched.

"W-what? Are you kidding, I don't know how to use that thing!" I gave him a very unimpressed look, holding out my right hand and focusing a small fraction of energy in the palm.

"Instinct is harnessed into second nature. Your power awoke to protect you before, and is now available for you to access." He stared down at his hands, the look of concentration somewhat comical. I debated letting him figure this out on his own, or providing that helpful hint. Looking at his energy now, it was unclear how exactly he had been able to shine so brightly before.

The veins of energy running through him were weak, despite the core in his chest being considerably luminous. I blinked rapidly, pulling the energy from my eyes and returning my sight to normal. He would need help.

"That piece of the sword seemed to focus your energy well enough," I offered, and his eyes lit up in realization.

"Oh yeah!" He shoved a fist into the pocket of his jumpsuit, producing the scrap of wood that had broken from his sheer durability. If there was one thing I could choose to list as his greatest attribute, in regards to a fight, it would be that he can withstand a great deal more physical strain than anyone I know. Even if his attacks were somewhat lacking in skill and precision, his body persisted with great tenacity.

I watched his energy once again, cataloguing the expansion of the veins as they allowed a greater flow of energy simply by being in contact with the shard of the sword. From that repurposed hilt sprung the shapeless shaft of molten plasma, sunlight in the palm of his hand that cast the sharp angles of his face into an even greater contrast. I nodded, that warmth of pride swelling in my chest again.

Then I attacked.

I ran at him as he admired his weapon, swinging my arm at his head. The violet blade was dull and wouldn't be particularly effective, but it would definitely hurt more than a simple punch.

He raised his sword just in time, a look of panic making his eyes bright. He didn't react for a moment, and I pressed harder, bringing our crossed blades closer to his face. The sweat of his brow glinted, and the proximity to danger snapped him out of whatever he was thinking. He pushed back with a strength surprising even me, shoving my blade away and taking a large step back. He raised the sword above his head.

Then he stopped. Conflict flashed in his emotional eyes, but I knew I had little choice. With my mouth set in a hard line, I spun in place, the momentum granting my kick to his stomach enough force to lift him off his feet. He landed on the grass, looking as though he might retch.

"Do not hesitate again," I warned him. He stood back up, holding his stomach for a moment and shooting me a half-hearted glare.

"Alright, I got it. I won't hold-"

He raised his sword once more with a yelp as I lunged forward, forcing him to block yet another strike to his middle. I did not relent, pulling back only enough to attack from a different angle, giving him time to adjust before launching my assault.

He blocked furiously, his footwork sloppy but effective as he evaded the dull blade. Our difference in height was something of a challenge, in that I was not attempting to kill him and so was limiting my own range of motion. However, I altered the size of the energy blade to nearly two-thirds of my height, giving me reach enough to avoid such close quarters. Not that it was necessary, as he did nothing but defend. While it was enough for me not to hit him at my current speed, it wasn't what I was looking for. He backed away, ducking and weaving around the huge sickle.

Something prodded at me from inside the confines of my skull, a pressure that was neither intrusive nor painful. I felt the familiarity of coldness returning to me, and latched onto that piece of myself. I frowned, sharpening the blade just at the tip.

I darted forward, pushing energy into my legs to achieve speed too great for his eyes to follow. Flitting between his legs, I dragged the point across his left calf, somersaulting away before he could turn. He let out a sharp cry of pain, one knee buckling just slightly before he whipped around, facing me with a look of hurt. I pushed down the guilt. I didn't have time for it.

"I am not your sister," I told him, and the momentary dismay in his gaze annoyed me. "In this moment I am not family, I am not your better, and I am not a girl. I am your opponent. I am your equal. I am your enemy."

With that point made, I lifted my right hand, spirit energy focusing in the palm. The sword came as instinct, the simple, elegant design both foreign and familiar at once. It was something like a broad sword, and I shifted my stance to hold it up with both hands, though there was no weight. The rudimentary weapon ran parallel to the ground, pointing straight at his heart. I could see it, beating frantically like a bird in a too-small cage.

"No you're not," he shouted back, and I frowned. "Dammit, you're my baby sister! I'm not supposed to fight you, I'm supposed to protect you."

I scoffed.

"You cannot protect someone stronger than yourself. If you were ever to try, you would only get in the way."

Inciting him to rage wouldn't be effective, at least not in my case. He would never attack me out of anger. But out of pride? Perhaps there was a chance. My threat of disowning him seemed to work well enough to convince him to enter into this farce. Wearing down on that point could easily backfire is I wasn't careful.

I cast a glance towards Yusuke, blinking energy into my vision to observe his core for a split second. At the rate of his auras growth, he would be back to full power in approximately fifteen minutes. I wasn't sure if I could drag this out long enough, but I could at least buy him a few minutes rest.

I returned my attention to the fight, disappointment weighing coldly and heavily on my chest. Kazuma had neglected to take advantage of my distraction. He kept his distance, his eyes downcast. Giant arms trembled, though it was not the weightless sword that made him so weak. If this was to continue, I would have to break down his resolve. Not that my own, more selfish motivations didn't have impact on my decisions here, but it would have to happen sooner or later. Now was simply convenient. Two birds, one stone, potential for accidental suicide.

The pressure in my mind, soft and tentative, became a pounding, drums so close and so loud they shook my entire body. Each nerve ending dulled and disconnected, my body feeling lighter than it ever had before.

I charged him again. And again. And again. Each pass of my blade left another scar, another line of red along the blue of his uniform that he had no hope of deflecting. I blocked out his cries of pain. Nothing was fatal, I reminded myself. Just flesh wounds, painful but otherwise unremarkable.

One slice after another, one or two a bit deeper than I intended. My hands were hot, from the energy or from blood? My heart was loud, far too loud. My stomach churned. My face felt contorted and tight, but fell lax again as the drum beat became concussive explosions of cold calm.

He moved, taking a step towards me. It was exactly what I wanted, but I still rammed my elbow into his ribs, knocking him back and delivering another slice to that same area. Warmth splattered onto my face.

"Ru-Ru!"
"Taru, stop!"

I tripped.

Stumbling to a halt, I caught myself before I could become one with the ground. My chest was heaving, my eyes blown wide. The ice that numbed my limbs struggled to hold on as the fiery heat of blood scorched my cheek. I wiped my face with my good sleeve, glancing down at the smear of red.

Calm. Down. Now.

Slowly, I got my breathing and heart rate under control, turning to face my brother. I anticipated a bloodbath, but it seems I was able to hold back enough.

The red was plentiful, but nothing was in an area that would cause excessive blood loss. He was standing easily enough, only his hands clutching the sword shaking from whatever emotion he was currently struggling with. We were almost there, but was it even worth it?

"Fight back."

He raised his sword, eyes shining.

"Why!? Why do you want me to fight you? This isn't right and you know it!"

… Right? Who was he to talk to me about what was right? Who did he think he was talking to? I ignored him, stalking forward. There was no need for sudden attacks when he wouldn't stop me anyways. I repeated my command.

"Fight back.

I swung the simple blade and he blocked, admittedly doing well to hold off the force of my arms pressing down on him. He held my gaze with mixed fear and trepidation. The fear disgusted me. The hopelessness would give me no pleasure. His defeat would be inconsequential.

My brother? No, he couldn't be. The person I bound myself to was stronger than this. Or perhaps I had been deluding myself, and the one I had chosen was just as pathetic as the rest. And with that realization, the cold became a frost that I could feel behind my eyes. The ground below me could have frozen over as even my blood seemed to chill. My heart thumped steadily as calm washed over me in icy waves. The imprints of mercy were washed from the sands of the arctic shore, leaving a smooth surface behind for hard shells of dead creatures to take root. Warmth was crushed under the black ocean, pressure and cold reducing all living things caught in its embrace to shards of stones, rolled and smoothed down to nothing.

She narrowed my eyes and pushed back, throwing the young boy several feet away. The piece of the sword fell from his grip and the disgusting excuse for a weapon dissolved into the air.

She smirked.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing, Crazy!?" She ignored the imbecilic boy.

This dead land was free of those pesky wards, the energy of the spirits long since erasing whatever purifications the old human hag had inflicted upon us. It wouldn't be enough just yet, and the moment we left, those torii would do their job once more. She should choose a new focus, as clearly this brother was a poor decision on my part.

The world existed as though through a filter. Her thoughts and sensory information bombarded my own along with what I could see. Words were muffled, and my vision was unreliable. An overlayment turned the scene to a rosy hue.

The demon trash Kurama would suffice. We could exist for him for a time. It was a better alternative than the idiot child Urameshi, who still found it suitable to shout profanity at her despite her clearly advantageous position. Then again, anything was better than this mewling little caillteachán.

I couldn't move, but by her command. I couldn't speak, except for her words.

She looked at the imitation of a sword she had been using, reshaping it to a dignified short-sword with prongs on either end of the braided hilt. At the pommel there was a knob in the shape of a head and face. Nostalgia blossomed, memories flitting invisibly and inaudibly across our mind; flashes of images of such a blade, silver glinting when running red in the midst of a smoking battlefield. Not one unlike these grounds, in fact. Her eyes flickered back down.

"You aren't worth my time," She told my brother with a frown. She brought my blade down to sever his head from his neck, the color somewhat bleached.

A bright shaft of yellow-orange met the pale mauve halfway there. Her expression morphed into one of shock, looking back into blazing, nearly black orbs.

She was wrong.

"No," Kazuma snarled, his energy pulsing brighter as he stood, straining to push her back. "I just got you back. You're not leaving again!"

He forced her back, the bright citrine shade of his sword intensifying briefly. She looked down to see the shard of wood still on the ground. How did he-

With a scream, he brought the blunt weapon down for the first time, swinging with all the grace of a flyswatter. She was still in shock, and raised her defenses too late. The two weapons collided, sending her flying off to the side. The contact was a blast of warmth, a concrete wall of heat that sunk deep into the cold of our body, touching the frozen heart.

We sailed through the air, blood raging to life again, fire circulating through our veins as we hit the ground and tumbled-

"Taru!"

Wind rushing by my face, loud in my ears, carried Yusuke's voice across the marsh.

My body felt overheated, sensory data overwhelming me as I rolled to a stop over the rotted grass. Smells and colors were too potent and bright, and I flinched away from it all with hands indecisively flitting between my face and the throbbing on my arm. I took a gasping breath, my lungs expanding gratefully as though they had been deprived of oxygen for too long. Confusion wracked my brain and I blinked my eyes back open to take stock of my situation.

I was on the ground, no serious injuries aside from minor pain. It would bruise, but otherwise wouldn't be an inconvenience. My limbs were heavy as though weighed down by shackles, yet I remained unencumbered. What happened before this? I attacked my brother, told him not to hesitate, we were locked in combat where he primarily blocked, then…

I could hear heavy breathing, looking up to find my brother standing just a few meters away, holding aloft the bright swath of sunlight that was his manifested energy. The piece of wood was gone, energy vessels opening on their own to allow this feat. But it was not the sword, nor was it the blooming pride I felt, which grabbed my attention.

Pure molten rage boiled over in his eyes. I couldn't be sure if he was looking at me or through me, though his blind fury seemed oddly focused. He lifted his arms once more, and I barely had time to raise my defenses, power shooting hotly through my arm. The force of his blow was jarring, both to my weakened body and my sensibilities.

What!?

"If this is the only way I get to keep you, then I'll do it! Just don't leave again, okay?" His growled out request for assurance touched upon something in the back of my mind, the smallest twitch telling me something wasn't quite right.

Then, that something came back to me.

My vision blurred and my head spun, words and actions returning to me in a vast compilation of sounds and colors- colors tainted by an overlayment of Rose Light. Words and actions that, upon further reflection, sent a sickening guilt surging through my system. Words and actions that were not my own… And my rage matched his, if only for a moment.

There was no time for that now. I blinked rapidly to clear my eyes and threw off his attack, rolling to the side and switching the focus of my energy. The power now ran through my legs, muscles searing as I vaulted backwards out of his reach. He turned to give chase, but he was still relatively slow. I charged a blade over my arm, noting it was significantly smaller than my initial weapon. It would have to suffice.

"I'm not going anywhere," I assured my brother. He blinked in surprise, the darkness beginning to leave his gaze, and I was unsure if that was preferable at the moment.

I darted forward before he could get a word out, striking at his chest in a manner that was easily blocked. He took a step back after deflecting, but rather than retreating as he had done before, he was only shifting to deal a blow of his own. He swung his blade of sunlight, which I batted way with ease. He was hesitating, but at the very least he was fighting back.

He gained more confidence every second, each exchange of blows a little more serious than the last. His eyes were alight with focus that I hadn't seen in years, his body falling back into form that he had long since abandoned. Instinct morphed into recognizable technique, though I did not take advantage of his predictability.

I rolled to the side, springing up from the ground and stabbing out at his throat. His eyes grew wide in momentary panic before his arm rose impulsively to elbow me in the ribs. I grunted from the impact, the pain somewhat surprising, but allowed the momentum to carry me back rather than fight it. I landed on my hands, flipping back to my feet and igniting my arm once more in a single motion.

"Gah! Ru-Ru!" His guard was lowered, looking me over with a concerned eye. I smiled at him, almost a grin, and it was real.

"Stay focused, you're doing so well." The praise seemed to go ignored, but that was perfectly acceptable. He couldn't understand it yet, the poor idiot. He grimaced when our weapons collided again, but did not falter. Instead, he pushed my assault away and took his first step forward.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he made a swipe at my left flank. It was easy enough to deflect, allowing me to turn into the movement and plant my own elbow squarely in the center of his torso.

"I am myself."

He groaned in pain and I slipped away between his open arms, taking a moment to assess Yusuke's spirit energy. Shock caused me to waver for a moment. The aquamarine burned brightly through his entire body, and appeared for all intents and purposes to be completely recovered. With how slowly the spirits were replenishing our energy, he should only be approximately halfway there. I pulled the energy back from my eyes to meet his gaze.

His glare was volcanic.

I was distracted, and it seemed Kazuma learned from his mistakes. I had barely enough time to shield myself from his sudden attack. The moment seemed to freeze, Kazuma pushing down on me like the sun beating down on a blazing jungle. I looked back up at him, my mind racing.

"Kazuma, you need to forfeit now."

His eyes grew wide and he recoiled as though slapped, jaw dropping open in outrage.

"Say what!?" I winced, bracing myself against the ground as he unconsciously pressed harder.

"I only needed you to fight me long enough-" I never got to finish.

"I tried to give up! I wasn't gonna fight you but you made me," he seethed, gritting his teeth and leaning closer. Two shades of energy reflected in the whites of his eyes. "I'm not just gonna stop now, not after what just happened! If I have to beat you to make you stay then… then-!" His anger faltered for a moment, and that was enough relief of pressure for me to slip out from under him, elbowing the back of his knee as I went and sending him crashing face-first to the ground.

He landed with a yelp that was cut off when he ate the decaying grass, and I took a few steps back. My arms remained bare of energy.

"I don't need to fight you anymore, and I don't plan on losing," I informed him as he pushed himself up with a furious scowl, face twisted and contorted. He was in no mood to listen, but I pressed on, hoping my sincerity might make it through that thick skull of his. "You have no chance of victory here. You'll only embarrass yourself."

I could feel the sting as that comment struck his pride, and I would have slapped myself for that moment of idiocy if it was not such a serious situation. He was on his feet in an instant, lips drawn back in a snarl. I sighed internally.

"No way! You don't get to go do all that and just call it off when you feel like it! You're not the only person that matters here. You can't expect me to just do whatever you want just because you want it, that's not how it works!" I clenched my jaw.

It took only a pulse of energy running through my body and stopping at my feet. I moved with speed too great for his eyes and stopped just behind him. I grabbed the edges of his shirt just as he realized where I was, then with another quick burst, I propelled myself up and over his head, dragging the blue fabric along with me. He let out a startled noise, somewhere between a choke and a yell, as his arms were suddenly forced upward and his vision was obscured.

I landed at his front, forcing him to bend over to follow his shirt. I twisted the ends to keep him in the dark, then moved to the side to kick the back of his knee. He dropped with a shout, but it was cut off immediately when I moved just beside him, the tip of a violet blade pressed against the point where his jugular pulsed. He stiffened immediately, his adam's apple bobbing when he gulped reflexively.

"I'm sorry, Brother, but that is how it works," I told him in a casual tone. "I promise you an explanation, but only if you forfeit this match. I mean it when I tell you that you have no chance of winning."

"You won't kill me," he fired back, and though his face was hidden, I could imagine he looked somewhat unsure of that sentiment. "You're Ru-Ru, you're my little sister."

I sighed, pulling my energy back under my skin where it hummed pleasantly.

"You're right, I won't kill you. But I also won't lose to you. I have a job to do, Kazuma. I need you to respect that, and do as I ask. Please."

I waited with words yet withheld in my chest. He remained silent.

"Zu, please."

His body flinched visibly, but then relaxed with shuddering breath. His shoulder slumped forward in defeat.

"Alright, okay, I give up."

I sighed in relief, releasing the ends of his shirt. He struggled to bring the fabric back down where it belonged, but jerked away when I attempted to help. When he was finally situated after several seconds of floundering, he fixed me with a deep scowl. I merely stood, offering him a hand up, which he refused. His silence was frustrating.

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you," I offered, but he only looked away, the anger still present. I frowned, turning to head back to the group. Genkai was waiting rather impatiently, if her face was anything to go by, and Yusuke looked two seconds away from joining us on the field.

"Why did you have to say those things?"

Normally so rough, his softly-spoken question got my attention with alarming ease. I looked back at him over my shoulder to find he hadn't moved an inch. He refused to look at me, avoiding my eyes and focusing on a point somewhere below my head.

"Those things?" I asked, as there had been many things said, and not all of them had been by me.

Another thought for another time.

"That you weren't my sister, you were my enemy and all that stuff," he explained, eyes glistening. "Why'd you say all that? I know it's not what you really think. You were just trying to hurt me. Just… why?" His eyes shut tight and his voice cracked.

"Why did you want me to hurt you?"

I froze, breath catching in my throat. The mists around us shifted as the air turned to ice, a moment of time when my mind ran completely blank. What could I say to something like that? Do I deny this and coddle his sensibilities? Do I disparage his fear? I searched everywhere for an answer, only to find that there was nothing I could tell him that logic and reasoning could concoct. The rational part of me saw no answer to this.

It was instinct that answered him, and my throat grew tight even as I spoke.

"Because if you're strong enough to hurt me, I can't ever hurt you." I blinked, listening to myself as words kept falling, and they were indeed my own words. "If you can disassociate me enough to protect yourself from me, there is no one in this world who can cause you pain. If I die, you can move on. If I… disappoint you, you won't be haunted by lost trust forever. You will be strong, and you will persist, no matter how much someone toys with your feelings."

To say he looked horrified would be an understatement, but it will have to be enough of a descriptor. The dismayed and disheartened expression hurt to look at. My hands flexed uselessly at my sides, tongue turning over in my mouth as I struggled to find words, any words, that would erase that terrible face.

"I should not have done this here. This was not the time or place, but it was convenient. You wouldn't have fought me under any other circumstances. Regardless, this was inevitable." My teeth clicked as my jaw snapped shut, muscles in my cheek twitching. Heat rushed to my face that was not a byproduct of the Rush that I was familiar with. This warmth was irrational and unpleasant, and wholly uncontrollable. It came accompanied by stomach-turning guilt. That feeling, unfortunately, was becoming more and more normal.

"That's dumb!" I looked up at him, vaguely aware I was glaring. "You think tricking me like that is gonna make things better? And lying about it?" My eyes widened, and I could feel my heart beating in fury.

"I have not lied to you," I informed him coldly, and to his credit, he did not back down.

"You said I wasn't worth your time," he combated with a snarl, and I shook my head fervently.

"No, that wasn't me," I denied, only too late realizing what I had done. The admission had come automatically, though whether I had simply wanted to reveal it or been thinking about it enough to slip up could be debated. Either way, he barely seemed to notice the implications.

"Then what was it, huh?" he asked sardonically, and I found I had no answer for him. "Because it sure as hell looked… like you…"

And then there was silence. I could hear his mind processing from here, and I could only stare as he worked his poor brain through whatever realization he had just come to. Seconds ticked by, feeling more like hours. Surely Genkai or Yusuke would interject now, tell us to hurry this along and stop wasting her time. She seemed so fond of doing that until the moment I dearly wished she would.

"It looked like you, but it wasn't," he finally voiced, looking as though he had made a disturbing discovery. "You weren't you for a second there. It was like looking at a completely different person. Like that time, a long time ago…" He trailed off, though I could easily guess what time he was remembering. I elected not to think about that.

"You noticed." An accusation, a question, a sudden understanding, or all of the above?

"Of course I did," his brow furrowed, and I didn't register him coming closer until he was directly in front of me. "You're my baby sister."

His uniform was littered with rips, over half of them a result of my own blade, only distinguishable from those of previous fights by the thick ropes of blood streaking the blue fabric. He stood tall despite his injuries, despite the blood loss, despite the humiliation and degradation. His eyes were soft, so unlike my own that looking at him made me feel unclean.

I blinked, coldness settling in my chest when I realized that even after all that pain I had put both of us through, after unintentionally awakening that part of myself yet again, after manipulating his emotions for the sole purpose of giving him greater resilience… I failed.

I smiled.

"Yes, I am. And you're my big brother." He noticed the contrived nature of my expression, and did not return the look.

"What's wrong with you?" A quiet question, the third one yet that I had no real answer for.

"I don't know," I told him honestly, my synthetic smile fading away. "But I intend to find out."

He nodded resolutely.

"Alright, then I'll help. Well find out together."

I didn't have the heart to tell him no. He had enough disappointment for one day. He could wait for the rest tomorrow, or the next day. Genkai, it seemed, shared my opinion.

"If we're done with the heart-to-heart," she called waspishly. "Have you two idiots decided to stop wasting my time with this pointless match?" Ah, there it was. That was a comfort, at least, that the old woman still believed she had time that was valuable enough it could be wasted.

I gave her a look over my shoulder and a nod.

"We're finished. Kazuma?" I returned my gaze to my brother, who nodded with a smile that was closer to a grimace.

"I give up," he said loudly, looking back at the woman.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind getting out of the way so that the next fight can take place?" she snapped, and Kazuma blanched. Together, we complied with her demands, coming to stand before her side by side.

"Um, it's okay if I stay and watch, right?" Kazuma asked, hands clasped politely in front of him. "I'm not gonna get in the way or nothing, I just- well uh…" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and the old woman rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but if you interfere for either of your friends, they're disqualified." He nodded emphatically, but I had already begun walking away. A different set of glowering brown eyes followed me as I approached, and it was a struggle not to flinch.

"It seems I bought you just enough time. Your energy is completely replenished," I informed Yusuke, whose expression shifted to one of surprise.

"Is that why you fought Kuwabara?" he questioned, then gave me a look that was somewhere between scolding and furious. "Geez, you could have said something! Why'd you have to go all crazy on him like that?"

I shrugged.

"Like I said, it was inevitable. It shouldn't have happened here, but what's done is done." He looked unconvinced, but there was little time to debate this with him.

"Alright then, winner Kuwabara Hotaru. Next fight, Shorin versus Dimwit."

Yusuke gave a bark of laughter, face morphing into an easy smirk.

"Wow, think I might have to change my name after all this, I'm starting to get used to it!"

He moved to enter the battleground. I stepped aside to let him pass, catching his shoulder and leaning in so that only he would hear me.

"You'll remember, this is the demon. Even Kurama couldn't tell me what sort of techniques he uses, so be on your guard. Do not let him get the best of you. You cannot play with this one, not when our knowledge is so limited." He gave me a side-eyed glance, doe brown eyes chillingly serious.

Then, that childish gleam returned and he shook me off with a grim smile.

"What are you, my mother? Relax, this'll be a piece of cake. Then after I deal with him, I'm gonna kick your ass six ways from Sunday."

I almost asked him to promise, though I thought better of it.

He strode onto the field with his shoulders back, gait relaxed and easy. The demon lay beyond, a perfectly innocent if not excited expression on his otherwise deceitfully plain face. He looked human enough, and even looking at him now, his energy carried the hints of white that was a signature of humans. His disguise was immaculate. I could not even see the true depth of his power.

I heard movement behind me, the sound of someone stepping on very wet grass, and turned my head to briefly catch a flash of sky-blue. I knew for a fact that the sky was now blanketed grey with clouds, and that lead me to raise a delicate brow.

"Why are you still here?" I asked Botan, who gave me a pouting look.

"I told you, I'm here to support you, and so that I can alert Koenma if you fail." I scoffed, turning back to the opening scene. Yusuke and Shorin, Rando, stood across from each other.

"Do you think Koenma isn't watching? He does so enjoy spying on me. You should know." Her frown was audible, but she did not rise to the bait. Nor did she stop talking altogether, though the latter was far too much to hope for. Instead, she rounded on me, her brow furrowed in consternation.

"Oh, nevermind that! Was what you said true? Did you really put your brother through all that just to buy time for Yusuke's energy to come back?" My eyes flashed briefly to locate Kazuma, but he was standing some distance away with Genkai, just far enough away that Botan's grating voice wouldn't reach him. Neither would her muffled scream if I decided to-

"That was one reason, yes," I told her, if only to keep her quiet. "It was a choice between allowing Yusuke to fight his opponent with a fraction of his own power, or giving him time to recover. I think the choice was obvious."

She seemed to disagree.

"Hotaru, that's horrible," she admonished, and I turned to give the audacious Spirit my full attention. "You could have told him at the very least rather than putting him through that torture! You probably didn't even see how much you hurt him!"

How dare. This woman. Be alive.

"I could not have told him initially, or it may have been ruled against. You surely see how much Genkai despises wasting time," I told her without an ounce of inflection. She looked about to interrupt, so I cut her off quickly. "And if I told him as we fought, how suspicious would it look if he were to suddenly appear perfectly fine with the idea of fighting me? Not to mention, do you really think he could have made the fight look normal with the knowledge that he was only buying time for someone else?"

She frowned.

"Still, you didn't have to treat him so poorly! You nearly killed him!"

She retreated a step, eyes widening in panic, and I realized I had taken a step towards her. My arm was warm, and I didn't need to look down to see why.

"No, She nearly killed him," I replied coldly, and the Spirit's lashes fluttered, her breath coming out shaky.

"W-Who?"

I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head just slightly.

"Who indeed. I'm sure Koenma can answer that question for you, and for me. In fact, I'm certain he will." I extinguished the light covering my arm, taking a calming breath. It wouldn't do to lose my cool so soon. I needed to collect myself.

"Do not call into question my devotion to my brother. If I cause him harm, it is for his own good. And before you get it into your silly, empty little head to ask me for my reasons," I added quickly, cutting her questions off once more, "know that it is none of your business and I do not owe you any answers. You know nothing. Do not presume you have any authority over me."

I continued to stare her down as though trying to freeze the heat that had now evacuated her eyes. She looked back apprehensively, mouth opening and closing in a passable imitation of a dying goldfish. I broke eye contact with a sniff, deciding she was no longer worth the effort it took to intimidate her.

I looked back to find Yusuke facing two projectile fireballs heading towards him. He stared them down with his signature cocky smirk. His fist wound back, then released, meeting the first fireball with a crash that could have broken the sound barrier. The second received similar treatment, both of them careening straight back to the source. Rando had time to yelp in shock before they both collided with his middle, sending him sailing through the air.

I took a step to join Genkai and my brother, but a hand on my arm stopped me. Of course, I only stopped because I was curious how many more reasons she might give me to end her life.

"Listen, Hotaru, I know you love your brother," she began, and I tilted my head to look at her from my periphery. "And I also know you aren't exactly… sensitive."

"I am quite perceptive, I think," I replied, and she sighed.

"I said sensitive, dear. You see things, but I don't think you understand them."

I blinked.

"Excuse me?"

She gave me… a sympathetic look, removing her hand calmly.

"You seem to think hurting Kuwabara is going to help him somehow, and you're right, you don't need to explain yourself to me. But maybe consider that what he needs isn't what you're trying to give him." She hesitated, then met my eyes once more with a confidence I was certain I had frightened out of her.

"He isn't like you. He needs people to be there for him, to help him, and support him. He's just like any other human. Trying to help him, you might just cause irreparable damage to what you already have with him. He loves you too. I just don't think you should throw that away for the sake of toughening him up."

I opened my mouth to retort.

Then, I promptly closed my mouth.

The young woman seemed to tower over me now, magenta eyes pitying and gentle, and I felt no need to correct that. Her lips were turned down in a sad expression, just a twitch away from an encouraging smile. She stood there, completely defenseless and speaking to me in the way an older sister might. In the way an older sister should. She knew my power. She knew my temper. Yet she still spoke to me as though she could advise me, as though I would listen.

She knew more than she let on. This much I had been aware of for some time, ever since my very first experience with losing myself. She retained that bubbly demeanor, her senseless babbling driving me to the brink of insanity at times, despite understanding my truth. And I found myself wondering for the first time, how could she do that? How was it she treated me so casually, as though we were friends?

Botan was not my friend. She was a means to an end, and an occasionally useful piece of equipment. She was a healer, a portal, a source of information, and access to Koenma. She contributed nothing else to my life, or Yusuke's, with exception to frivolous conversation and constant annoyances, and it was with the greatest contempt that I considered her something close to my property.

She was also one of apparently four people around whom I did not bother with masks. What did that say about her then?

Did she lack the comprehension skills to understand the constant danger she put herself in, or was it something more? She couldn't possibly like me. She could not consider us friends. While I entertained the idea at one point in time, it had become far too tedious a task. She did not appear worth the effort.

Perhaps my initial evaluation was incorrect.

I could find no appropriate response, simply turning away with a frown.

"We should observe the fight. If Yusuke fails, I need to know what to expect."

I began walking, not allowing her to say much else, and I heard her sigh before following. I stopped beside Kazuma, who gave me a critical look before smiling nervously when he noticed me looking back at him.

"Hey, the fight's just getting good," he told me, glancing back behind me. A blush spread over his cheeks, dopey smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Oh, hey Botan! How did you like my fights? I'm pretty great, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, groaning internally. This was exactly what I needed, my brothers flirtations causing even more conflict. If he somehow managed to woo the admittedly not unattractive Spirit… I could very well consider the idea of applying for residence in an asylum.

I returned my attention to the fight.

I growled.

Yusuke, that absolute dolt, was standing there across from his opponent, who had just barely adopted a position resembling meditation. His hands steepled before his face did little to hide his moving lips. The words were not familiar, and I couldn't catch the sound, but the confusion on Yusuke's face was enough to set me on edge.

The malicious glint in Randos eyes was even more foreboding.

Went back and forth on the opening song quote. Initially, it was Stevie Nicks Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, and that does fit, but I wanted something a little more malicious considering our third player entering the fight. So I asked my roomie just like, five minutes ago, and she reminded me of this lovely song. So there that is.

I know we just breezed over the first part of Yusuke's fight. Sorry, but it basically repeated the beats from Kuwabara's fight in canon. Now things are getting interesting, as Rando prepares to use the "Honey I Shrank the Spirit Detective" spell. Yusuke is fully recovered and has his Spirit Gun ready to rock and roll, and if all else fails, we got the stabby stabby action from my main girl. All this and more, next week on Yu Yu Hakusho!

Meow for now!