Huge thanks and shoutout to nuarthiel on tumblr for the gorgeous cover art! :) Check her out if you haven't already. Her work is astounding.


"Thank you!" Botan beamed at the vendor as he handed her a block of castella cake.

Rows of food carts flanked the sunlit pathway. The warm spring air was infused with scents of fried dough, sweet desserts and savory meats. Hiei sidestepped a couple of giggling children before refocusing his attention on the grilled squid on a stick. Despite his adamant refusal to attend the festival, he wound up caving in to the ferry-girl's pestering in the end. Botan pulled him to and fro, leading him through the crowd of yukatas with gentle touches and excited chattering.

"This isn't so bad, right?" she asked.

He nodded absentmindedly.

"You know…." she paused to finish the rest of her castella with a satisfied hum. "There's another festival next week-"

"No."

"But it's not much different than this," she tried. "And if you're enjoying yourself tonight, then surely you'll have a decent time then, too."

"All that sugar must have affected your brain, woman. I never said I particularly liked this."

"Hiei!"

He masked his smirk behind a pointed bite of his ikayaki. It was far too easy and far too amusing not to rile the ferry-girl up. And, as he learned over the course of their tentative friendship, she was quick to anger, but just as quick to forgive.

They continued walking down the path and test-tasting new and unfamiliar foods under the rapidly slinking sun. Everything was dyed in shades of orange and amber, washing them in a chiaroscuro of diminishing daylight and elongated shadows. He released a controlled breath as he tossed the empty skewer into the trash. He should have felt at ease, but he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that blanketed his mind. Something big was looming on the horizon. He could feel it in the wind as it kicked up. The air was suddenly charged with danger and death.

"What's wrong?" Botan questioned, taking notice of his change in countenance.

"It's nothing," he dismissed.

There was no sense in alarming the ferry-girl when he himself couldn't even determine the root cause for his sudden unease. Whatever it was would rear its ugly head eventually, so he forced his features into a more neutral mold as he continued on. Botan didn't seem all that convinced, blue brows wrinkling as she stared at him for a moment or two longer. When she realized he had no intentions of elaborating, she fixed her gaze back on one of the sweets she had been insisting he try.

"Are you sure you don't want any?" Botan tempted, waving a trio of dango sticks at him.

"Positive."

They carried on, nearly making it to the end of the line when he felt a sharp spike in energy that was more intense than anything he had ever experienced before. It wasn't far, he realized. He could reach it in time if he left now.

"What was that?" Botan asked, eyes wide and unblinking as she stared back at him.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," he vowed, fingers itching for his absent sword as he faced the direction of the distortion with a determined frown. "Stay here, ferry-girl. Don't you dare follow me."

And then he shot off in search of that gargantuan power. He faintly registered the sound of Botan calling his name, but it was swallowed in the throng of people as he raced past the crowd and out of the main street. The ferry-girl would only be a liability and he wasn't sure if he could face whatever it was that was waiting for him in the distance while managing to keep her safe. He cursed as he felt that far off energy beginning to slip and fade away, but he continued on regardless. Tall buildings and bright lights blurred into the background; the voices and bustle of the city became mere echoes as Hiei's feet led him further and further away from all signs of life.

The fire-demon came to an abrupt halt when he arrived at ground zero. He was unsurprised to find Yusuke at the center of it all, the ruined remains of a demolished construction zone scattered at his feet. There was fear in the detective's unfocused eyes, plain and simple. He had sunken to his knees, stock still and distant to the world around him. Kuwabara was no better, his face a few shades paler and eyes blown wide open in disbelief. His hands trembled as they gripped the railing of the only structure that remained intact.

"What in the three realms happened here?" Botan's voice echoed in the hollow space.

Hiei turned to view the ferry-girl as she leapt off her oar and banished it with a flick of her wrist. The fire-demon didn't even have the energy to be angry as he watched her hop over a metal beam and crouch down at Yusuke's side. He should have known that the interfering woman wouldn't stay put. It was a waste of breath to chastise her now.

"Well?" Botan pressed, concern lining her brows as she helped the detective to his feet. "Will someone please explain what's going on?"

"It was Toguro, wasn't it?" Kurama stated. They all turned their attention to the left, where he stood. The waxing crescent moon was slowly rising behind him, but the fox's expression was cast into shadow for the most part. Even still, Hiei could see the terse outline of his frown. "I found it hard to believe the brothers were defeated back in Tarukane's mansion. Their reputation precedes them, even in the demon world."

"Shit," Yusuke cursed, his voice hoarse. "I've never seen such power before."

"Me either…" Kuwabara said. "It was haunting."

"I assume he didn't come just to exchange pleasantries," Kurama surmised. "Did he say anything important?"

"He invited me to some tournament," Yusuke revealed. "Although it was more of a threat, than an invitation, seeing as he promised to kill everyone I know and care about if I failed to show."

Botan let out a horrified gasp. Hiei and Kurama exchanged weighted glances.

"The tournament… did he tell you its name?" Kurama asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I think it was called the Dark Tournament," Yusuke recounted, folding his arms over his chest. "Apparently it's a big deal with all the shady types."

The fire-demon's hands clenched into fists, blunt nails digging into the meat of his palms. As much as he enjoyed fighting, the Dark Tournament wasn't a contest he was a fan of. It was corrupt in every sense of the word. Nothing but a scheme for greedy tycoons to line their pockets and expand their wealth. Hiei had no plans of becoming a pawn or spectacle for anyone, least of all the sort of humans who had taken great pleasure in abducting his sister and hurting her for profit.

But Toguro had effectively backed them all into a corner by using Yusuke's family and friends as a bargaining chip. There was no chance any of them were walking away from the tournament without competing.

Botan's communication mirror cut through the stilted silence.

"I need you back here stat!" Koenma trilled through the speakers. "It's terrible. The Toguro brothers are alive, they murdered Tarukane in cold blood and we've just received a mandatory invitation to the Dark Tournament!"

"You're a little late, sir…" she replied.

"What?"

"I'll explain soon. I'll be there in a jiffy!"

"I suppose we should join you," Kurama suggested.

"That would be for the best," Botan agreed. "There should be a portal not too far off from here…"

The rest of the night flew by in a series of reactions as they all came to terms with their current predicament. Koenma shot off into frantic explanations about the tournament, its committee and the black market players supporting its backbone. Yusuke met the news with a thin and flimsy attempt at bravado, while Kuwabara's rattled and grim silence rang loud within the office. Kurama remained as composed as ever, but the hard set of his eyes spoke volumes. Botan and the blue ogre stood side by side, neither of them able to hide their apprehension.

When it was over, their pointless meeting with Koenma solidified what Hiei already knew: there was no backing out, not when their hands were tied with more red tape than the fire-demon cared to understand.

There was nothing left to do now but prepare for the worst.


Once upon a time, Botan found it nearly impossible to believe Hiei's claims that Kurama was even more cutthroat than he. It took some time, but after witnessing day after day of brutal training sessions, she was finally starting to reconcile the image of Kurama, the perfect son and student, with Youko, the former bandit and ruthless warrior.

She still remembered that very first time she saw Kurama approach Kuwabara with an unwavering set of his shoulders and a serious glint in his viridian eyes.

"Hiei cannot prepare you for the viciousness of the upcoming battles. Your weakness and his honor make him go easy on you," the fox said with a deadly calm. "I will not."

He proceeded to pull a single rose out of his hair and then transform it into his signature whip. It shouldn't have made for such a menacing picture, but she couldn't help the shiver that ran through her.

Hiei came to sit beside her, sharp eyes examining the battle. Although, calling it a battle was a bit of a generous term. It was more of a beatdown than an even match, she realized as she winced at the sight.

"I did warn you," he reminded her lowly.

"Yes, but it's one thing to hear it from you and another to see it for myself…"

"Get used to it," the fire-demon replied, the slightest hint of pride curving his lips. "This is Kurama's true nature."

Weeks had passed since that very first session and each day brought them closer and closer to the tournament's inception. Genkai took charge of Yusuke's training, summoning him back to her temple for another round of grueling drilling and intense conditioning. Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei met up regularly in the same clearing, conditioning their minds and bodies in an effort to prepare themselves for the Dark Tournament. More often than not, Botan joined them with high energy food, snacks and drinks.

Today's training seemed to be progressing a bit better than the previous ones. Kuwabara was dodging more attacks than usual and blocking the strikes that were too fast to avoid. It was impressive how far the psychic had come from Yusuke's rival delinquent. Like clockwork, Hiei came to sit down in the empty spot to her left. She rooted through the bags and handed him a bottle of water and a pork bun.

"How's our favorite psychic faring?" she asked lightly.

"Just barely improving," Hiei reported after draining the bottle in a matter of seconds. He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth and frowned. "At the rate he's going, it won't be enough."

Hiei was always more critical than need be, so she simply took his words in stride while waiting for him to finish off the last of his pork bun. Under the dappled sunlight, the dark blue highlights in his hair were easily visible and the red of his eyes were shaded softer. He was a far cry from the monologuing villain she'd first met in the warehouse. And as she watched him track Kurama and Kuwabara's movements with a vested interest, she realized just how far he'd come from the solitary foe who preferred to do everything on his own. Even if he didn't often show it, he cared about the team. He wouldn't bother training with them otherwise.

Hiei's eyes met hers and she realized she was blatantly staring. Clearing her throat, she picked up the trails of their last conversation. "I heard Genkai was really putting Yusuke through the ringer."

"As she should. The Dark Tournament isn't for the lax."

"And Koenma's still on the lookout for a fifth teammate..."

Hiei made a derisive noise as he reached for a second helping. "I'm surprised he hasn't ordered you to join yet. After all, his track record for half assed decisions is astoundingly high."

"That's not fair," Botan defended. "Lord Koenma has a lot on his plate, you know. I'm positive he'll find somebody worthwhile before the tournament starts."

"Preferably someone more experienced than the oaf."

Botan followed Hiei's gaze to where their remaining two friends stood. Kuwabara was wrapped up in a web of thorny vines, thrashing around in vain. She winced as one of the thorns drew blood.

"You can do it Kuwabara!" she spurred on, even as he began to turn as blue as his school uniform. "Don't give up!"

Kurama tightened the vines viciously and the psychic let out a pained yelp.

"Oops," she intoned, bringing her fingertips to her lips. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all…"

"Either he suffers now or dies later," Hiei reasoned. "And don't bother cheering him on. The crowd won't be wishing for his victory."

"That's a terrible thing to say!"

"It's the truth. Few make it out alive when both the audience and contenders prefer brutality over all else."

Botan's brows furrowed over the downward slant of her lips. Everything she learned about the tournament brought a new slew of doubts and fears. It seemed less and less likely that they would make it out okay.

"You shouldn't waste your energy on premature worry," he reminded her evenly. "The tournament hasn't even begun."

Botan snapped out of her bleak musings and found herself staring back at the fire-demon. Lately, it felt as though he was putting in a genuine effort when it came to their budding friendship. She wasn't sure what triggered the shift between them, but she had no intentions of questioning it. A slow, warm smile spread over her expression as she nodded.

"You're right," she agreed, all her worries chased away in an instant. She scooted closer to the fire-demon with piqued interest. "So, how's your training coming along? Have you come up with any new techniques?"

"A few," he answered. "But nothing remotely concrete."

"Well, I'm sure you'll perfect them with time. You always pull through when it matters most."

An unreadable look passed over his eyes, his expression flashing somewhere between disbelief and conflict. It was obvious that the fire-demon was unused to kind words of praise or encouragement. The last thing she wanted to do was make him uncomfortable, so she turned her attention back to the skirmish taking place a few feet away.

Kuwabara lasted a while longer, before eventually tapping out. The fire-demon wasted no time as he stood up and shed his cloak and scarf. The afternoon sun glinted off of his blade as he drew it and tossed its sheath aside.

"Good luck!" Botan said.

Hiei smirked, anticipation curling his lips as he walked away. "Luck has nothing to do with it."

Kuwabara plopped down next to her with a weary sigh and Botan began tending to him without any preamble. They fell into this routine so often that there was no need for words. And although he looked worse for wear, his injuries weren't anything the ferry-girl couldn't remedy.

"I think you did rather well today," she noted once he was all healed up.

"Thanks Botan," he said, but his smile failed to reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

He observed the two demons duking it out with a frown. "No matter how much I train, it still feels like I'm falling behind."

"You can't think like that, Kuwabara," she consoled, blue brows wrinkling in concern. "It might be hard to notice, but you're making great progress."

"…You don't have to lie for my benefit."

"I mean it! And you don't have to just take my word for it," she said, leaning in closer and whispering conspiratorially. "A certain fire-demon acknowledged that you were improving, too."

Kuwabara perked up, just the slightest bit. "Shorty really said that?"

Botan nodded with a grin. "I'm certain you'll become a force to be reckoned with by the time the tournament rolls around."

The psychic blushed all the way to the tips of his ears as he basked in the compliment. He lifted his gaze up to the blue sky, leaning back on his hands. "I guess you're right," he conceded. He watched a couple of puffy clouds float by, his expression turning reflective. "I wonder how Urameshi's doing…"

"Genkai's probably whipping him into shape as we speak."

He chuckled. "I'm not sure who's worse between her and Kurama…"

"It might be an even tie," Botan replied. "Although I suppose their tough love approach is for the best. The Dark Tournament isn't for the faint of heart…"

Kuwabara's charcoal eyes blazed with renewed resolve. "No matter how tough it is, I'll face it like a man. After all, I've still got a score to settle with those rotten brothers."

"That's the spirit!" Botan rallied, pushing the convenience store bag closer to him. "And you might as well refuel before round two. I brought your favorites, after all."

The psychic brightened as he pulled the beef bento out. "You're the best, Botan!"

.

.

.

Before they all knew it, the night of Team Urameshi's departure was upon them. The forest was eerily quiet as they trekked through the dirt and grass, heading towards the shore where the ship was moored. Overhead, heavy clouds obscured the stars and moon, draping them in darkness instead. Yusuke and Kuwabara led the group onwards, catching each other up on their respective training regiments, while Kurama strode quietly beside the enigmatic fifth member of the team. Botan chose to hang back with Hiei and bring up the rear.

The sound of leaves rustling had her inching closer to the fire-demon.

"Scared, ferry-girl?" he taunted.

"No!" she denied weakly. "It's just a little creepy out here, is all…"

"You should have just stayed in the Spirit World."

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't see you boys off?" she countered. "Besides, I wanted to get a peek at the elusive fifth member. Koenma's been so tight-lipped about them…"

They both glanced at the fighter with varying levels of interest. The newcomer was shorter in stature than Hiei and slimmer in frame than Kurama. Their head was swathed in a white cloth, leaving nothing but a single hazel eye visible through the slit in the wrappings. Botan hadn't heard them utter a single word yet, and it seemed as though the fighter was intent on keeping entirely to themselves.

"They're so hard to read," she said quietly.

"I don't care what they are, so long as they can hold their own in the ring," he replied.

"I suppose you have a point there…"

When they eventually emerged from the forest, they found the ship waiting in the distance. All manner of demons were already climbing aboard and the captain was impatiently hurrying everyone along. Botan made quick work of bidding everyone farewell, but when she turned to Hiei, she hesitated. This was it; there was no turning back now. As the others went ahead, the fire-demon held his ground, bag slung over his shoulder and red eyes pinned on her. He must have noticed her shift in disposition because his stoic expression twisted into a questioning frown.

"I don't know why I feel so emotional," she said with a huff. "It's not like we won't see each other tomorrow."

"What?"

"Lord Koenma and I are booked for the next boat," she informed. "It's scheduled to dock just in time for the first round."

"You're going," he realized.

"Of course I am!"

"Don't bother," he replied. "Demons look down on humans, but they despite spirits. You'll only be putting yourself in unnecessary danger."

"No more than you boys are."

"We don't have a choice," he reminded her.

"Neither do I. There's no way I could stay behind while you're all fighting for your lives," she argued. "Besides, who'll be there to patch you five up after each round?"

Hiei's lips pressed into a tight line. She knew that he couldn't deny how potent and useful her healing techniques were. It would be foolish to turn her down.

"I'll stay out of trouble," she promised.

Hiei raised a skeptical brow. "I find that extremely hard to believe."

"Really, I will!" she insisted. "It's you boys I'm worried about."

"It's far too late for regrets or worries now," he said, staring out into the sea.

The water was rough, waves crashing loudly against the shore and rocking the moored boat. A couple of rain clouds were forming in the darkened sky. The air was thick and heavy with humidity. Botan swallowed thickly; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the right words to say. She opened her mouth to say something - anything - when a loud fog horn assaulted her ears, followed by the captain's shrill voice threatening to leave any stragglers behind.

Hiei turned to face her again. "It's time."

"Right," she agreed, forcing all her doubts to vanish behind her smile. "I'll see you soon."

Hiei nodded.

Botan watched him walk away, hands clasped over her heart as twin storms of hope and despair warred within her chest. There was nothing left to do but put all her faith in the team and pray for the best.


Hiei scowled as he viewed the ensuing match. The crowd's boisterous rooting and yelling roared in his ears, making it hard to think. As the underdogs of the tournament, it was to be expected that nobody wanted or expected them to make it out alive. It didn't help that their team leader was sleeping like an infant and one of their members was being suspended in the air like a puppet on strings. He and Kurama already managed to claim their victories and they only needed one more win to advance, but with the current state of affairs, he wasn't sure if that would come to pass. Kuwabara was slammed back into the ground and the audience hooted and hollered.

This entire tournament was a farce. From the corrupt committee, to the showboating contestants, to the barbaric audience. Hiei was already tired of them all. And it didn't help that he felt a familiar energy drawing near, much too close for comfort. Shoving his injured hand within the confines of his pocket, he turned to see the ferry-girl trouncing over to them.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"I should be asking you that, mister!" she shot back. "You had me worried to death with that fake out you pulled! When Zeru's attack connected, I actually thought you were gone…"

Hiei's blithe retort died on his tongue as he considered the remnant traces of fear lingering in her eyes. His ruse didn't just pull one over on Zeru; it fooled nearly everyone. He didn't stop to think about what the ferry-girl might have felt if he had actually fallen to the enemy's attack. He never had to consider such things before.

"Honestly, was it necessary to scare us all like that?"

He masked his surprise with a quip. "It was a simple feint. You should learn to discern the difference between truth and misdirection."

"Excuse me for not being well versed in the art of battle theatrics," she huffed. Her anger didn't last long, though; it never did. "And you call me the dramatic one…"

"Hn."

"And you!" Botan whirled around to fix her eyes on Kurama. "You gave us all a scare, too! It's almost as if you boys enjoy making us worry."

"I apologize; I was merely gauging the enemy's strength."

"I suppose I can't fault you for that…" Botan acquiesced. "In any case, I'm really glad that you're both okay."

"Hn. It would be shameful to lose in the first round. Case in point…" Hiei pointedly set his sights on Kuwabara, who was still flailing around in a matrix of threads.

"He's doing his best!" Botan defended. "And at least he's awake."

They all turned their attention to the sleeping detective.

"Get it together Kuwabara," Yusuke grumbled under his breath. "Stop screwing around…"

"Is he…?" Botan trailed off with a lift of her brow.

"Yes," Kurama confirmed. "He appears to be lucid and fully aware of our current state of affairs. An impressive feat, really."

"Well, I think it's high time he woke up," Botan decided, crouching down to eye-level with the sleeping teen. The bluette grabbed his collar and shook him a bit. When that didn't work, slapped his face lightly. "Spirit World to Yusuke, come on now! Wake up!"

"It's futile," Hiei informed. "The detective refuses to wake. You should leave him be and return to the stands. This is no place for a ferry-girl."

Botan set her hands on her hips. "The team trainer shouldn't be so far away from the action, should she?"

Crimson eyes raked over her form. She was wrapped up in a floral kimono, even more intricate than the one she normally wore. "I'll let you know when I actually see a team trainer."

"Oh Hiei, ever the skeptic. But have I got a surprise for you!" she informed, as she shed her ornate kimono in a fluid motion. Underneath, she wore a plain yellow dress shirt tucked into a pair of brown slacks with suspenders. "Tada! In addition to being the spirit detective's assistant and pilot of the River Styx, I'm also a licensed trainer."

Hiei continued to stare at her wordlessly. The ferry-girl held more titles than anyone else he'd ever known.

Botan's bottom lip pushed out into a pout as her proud posture deflated. "I was hoping for a better reaction than that…"

"This is no time for your eccentricities," he gritted. "Return to the stands and stop drawing attention to yourself."

"Yeah," Yusuke mumbled after an impressive snore. "It's dangerous down here. Stop makin' us worry."

Hiei bristled at the statement. Kurama and the masked fighter didn't comment, but he could feel their eyes on him.

"How nice of you boys to care," Botan said with a fond smile. "But I'll be just fine!"

As if to disprove her point entirely, a chunk of the ring went sailing in their direction. Hiei incinerated it before it could complete its descent, cutting a pointed glare at the ferry-girl as a shower of dust rained over them.

"I suppose there's no harm in watching from a safer distance," she announced through a nervous laugh. "And I'll take our fearless leader with me while I'm at it…"

Hiei watched her drag Yusuke's prone form to the wall that separated the ground floor from the stands. When he was satisfied with their positions, he turned back towards the ring. The announcer's voice rang out as she gave a detailed play-by-play of Kuwabara's brutal beatdown. Between their haphazard team leader and their resident psychic losing to a child's playthings, they painted the perfect picture of incompetency.

Hiei sighed. It seemed as though he would be picking up the slack until the bitter end.

.

.

.

Although Team Urameshi managed to win the first round by the skin of their teeth, their victory was nothing worth celebrating. Kuwabara was bruised and battered, Kurama's human body suffered the consequences of his meticulous battle strategies, the detective remained ignorant to the fact that he was nowhere near Toguro's level and the masked fighter had yet to prove their mettle.

To make matters worse, his arm was in bad shape, the limb falling like dead weight at his side. The dragon's power came at a high price, but it was far better than the alternative of defeat or death at the hands of one of the contenders. Hiei attempted to flex his fingers experimentally, unsurprised by the responding pain that lanced through each digit. The dragon had essentially rendered his arm useless, but he wasn't down for the count. He needed to test his limits; see what he could do on his own. After all, he couldn't rely on anyone but himself in the ring. If he summoned the dragon and it wasn't enough to finish his opponent, he would need to learn how to fight with this handicap. And so, he concealed his hand once more and turned away from the team.

"Would someone tell me what the hell Keiko and Shizuru are doing here?" Yusuke asked, glaring pointedly at the ferry-girl.

"Don't look at me like that, Yusuke; they deserved to know what was going on!" Botan replied hotly. She shifted away uncomfortably, pressing her index fingers against one another as she mumbled under her breath, "And besides, they're scary when they're angry…"

Yusuke opened his mouth to retort, but was headed off by his woman.

"Did you think you could run off to a dangerous tournament without a word, Yusuke?" she berated angrily. "I thought we agreed: no more secrets between us, remember?"

"Busted…" Kuwabara muttered under his breath.

"You're not off the hook, either, baby bro," the elder Kuwabara warned. "Not after that embarrassing display in the ring."

"Hey!" Kuwabara barked, flushing red. "That Rinku-kid was a lot trickier than he looked!"

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, because yo-yos are so damn underhanded."

"Urameshi!"

Hiei turned away from the scene with a scowl. As usual, none of them were taking any of this seriously. They didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation at all. Deciding not to stick around for act two or their little display, the fire-demon took his leave. He had his own problems to face.


"Kanpai!" Botan cheered, clinking her can against Keiko's and Shizuru's jovially.

Since the team was off doing their own thing, Botan suggested they have a girls night in to get better acquainted. And if it served to distract them all from the very real danger they were all in, it was all the better. Snacks and magazines were scattered around them while the television played a drama in the background. The trio of fast friends was dressed down in pajamas, riding high on the coattails of Team Urameshi's first victory. It was the first time she had ever spent with Keiko and Shizuru one on one like this and she was enjoying herself greatly. The two were much more amicable when they weren't ganging up on her and demanding answers, she realized with a cat-like curl of her lips.

"What's got you grinning like that?" Shizuru asked.

"Oh nothing. I'm just happy that the three of us can spend some quality time together."

Keiko nodded. "It is nice to do something relatively normal, even if we aren't out of the water yet."

Botan fully agreed as she took a sip of her peach cider.

"I am curious, though," Shizuru began. "How did Kazuma get wrapped up in all of this?"

Botan set her drink down as she recounted the events. "Well, as Yusuke's self-proclaimed rival, the two ran into each other quite often after Yusuke's revival. Kuwabara's heightened spiritual awareness quickly tuned him into Yusuke's supernatural activities and the rest was pretty much history," she recalled. "He joined the very first mission without any hesitation or contemplation, refusing to be left behind. And he's stuck by Yusuke's side ever since then."

Shizuru's expression softened in reflection. "That sounds like my baby brother."

"Hiei and Kurama joined the team shortly after. And while they may have started out as enemies, they quickly became indispensable allies," Botan filled in. "The four of them make a pretty formidable team. There's little they can't overcome."

"Still… it's hard to believe that they're forced to fight against all these monsters…" Keiko said with a shudder.

"Demons, dear," Botan corrected. "And not all are necessarily bad or violent. Although, you'll find that the Dark Tournament draws a rougher crowd than most. Even the audience was especially crude and nasty…"

Shizuru shrugged. "They're not much different than some humans I know."

"And spirits," Botan agreed.

"I guess… there's good and bad in every world," Keiko concluded.

"Precisely!" Botan replied.

Suddenly the door was thrown open, slamming against the wall loudly. Hiei stood in the threshold, eyes locked onto Botan. Keiko let out a tiny gasp of fear and even Shizuru stiffened a bit at Botan's side. She supposed if she and Hiei weren't on such good terms, she would be on guard as well. There was a desperate look in his eyes and as her gaze traveled downwards towards his right arm, she noticed how mangled and bloodied it was.

Her eyes widened at the injury and she stood up without realizing it. "Hiei, you-"

"Come with me."

He didn't bother waiting, trusting that she would follow as he whirled around and began stomping away.

"Botan wait!" Keiko called out.

But she was already out of the room, trailing after him until they entered the boys' empty suite. She glanced down at his injury, lips puckered into a moue as she took in its current state. It wasn't nearly this mangled and bloodied after his fight.

"I need you to heal me," he stated, before she could get a word in.

"How did it get so bad?" she asked.

"Training," he answered bluntly. "I need to continue, but these injuries are a nuisance."

"So … what you're saying is: you want me to heal your arm so that you can hurt it all over again?"

"It's simple conditioning. You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"I'd hardly call it nothing! You're in terrible shape. And you're the one who did this to yourself, not an enemy. Can't you see how concerning that is?"

Hiei's jaw was clenched with stubborn anger, teeth gritted as he spoke. "I'm not asking again, Botan. Heal me or leave me be; I don't have any more time to waste here."

They were at a standstill, eyes locked and neither willing to back down. Despite the tense line of his posture and the aggressive rise of his energy, Botan wasn't afraid. Hidden in the angry shadow of his eyes was desperation and urgency. Hiei was clearly at the end of his wits. She couldn't begin to know how he felt, but she knew she had to do something to help. She bit her bottom lip, letting out a defeated sigh as she glanced down at the state of his arm. "Oh fine!"

She set her hands above his arm and began the healing process. The surface level injuries had faded soon enough, but Hiei still didn't have much range of motion. His face remained tense the entire time as he came to the same conclusion that she did: her white magic was ineffective against the damage inflicted by the dragon. But she couldn't give up. She had to keep trying. Blue brows crinkled under the weight of her effort as she expended more energy than was usually needed.

"That's enough," Hiei interrupted.

"I just have to try a bit more."

His free hand closed around her wrist and she was forced to break her concentration.

"You're pushing yourself too far. The effects of the dragon are more severe than I assumed," he said.

Botan's mouth twisted into a frown. "I can help, you know."

"You can't," he replied coldly. "Your white magic isn't enough to counter the effects of the dragon."

Botan's head bowed, bangs covering her eyes. Sitting in the stands and watching them struggle was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. And now, when it was time to put her skills to use, they were failing her. Her vision was glassy with unshed tears of frustration as she looked up at Hiei again.

The fire-demon's eyes widened a fraction as he released her wrist. "…Woman-"

"Everybody's fighting for their lives and I can't even perfect a simple healing technique!" she exclaimed, hands balled into fists at her sides. "Why won't it work?"

"Don't underestimate yourself, ferry-girl. Kuwabara would have been out of commission for days if not for you."

It was true. She managed to get Yusuke and Kurama back to one-hundred percent as well. The only one she couldn't help was standing right before her.

"I still feel guilty that I can't help you at all…"

"It doesn't matter," he dismissed. "Dwelling on it won't change things."

"At least let me dress it properly," she offered.

"I can do that on my own."

"Yes, because you've done a stellar job caring for yourself until now," she said. "Come on, there's a first aid kit in our room."

Hiei trudged after her silently, his aura much calmer than it was the first time he entered the girls' suite. Keiko and Shizuru appeared shocked to see her return in one piece and even more shocked to see a subdued fire-demon striding in after her.

"Don't mind us, ladies, Hiei just needs a little first-aid and then he'll be out of here in a jiffy!" she explained.

"Take all the time you need," Shizuru said.

Keiko nodded in silent support.

Botan smiled gratefully at the two women, before leading Hiei into the bathroom. She rummaged through her supplies and began tending to him. First she washed and rinsed his arm, mindful not to rub or irritate the tender skin. Hiei was silent through it all, but the lines of his expression were tense and unsettled.

"There's no need to be so gentle," he said when she began applying a cooling ointment. "I won't break."

Botan titled her head at him. "Of course you won't, silly. I just don't see the point in inflicting any more pain on you."

Hiei swallowed thickly, the tension draining from his shoulders as she slowly wrapped his arm, wrist and fingers carefully.

"How's that?" she asked. "It's not too tight is it?"

"It's fine."

"Great!" she beamed as she proceeded to pack the bandages and ointments back into the first aid kit. When she was finished, she realized Hiei was staring at her with an indeterminable look on his face. "Is everything alright?"

"You…" His eyes fell away from hers, landing on his bandaged arm. His lips pursed into a frown, brows furrowing. He was silent for a while and she had no idea what was running through his mind, but when he looked back up at her, his fiery eyes were narrowed in concentration. "…you have my thanks, ferry-girl."

"Oh." Botan's eyes were rounded in surprise, brows hiked so high they were obscured behind her bangs. She was hardly expecting him to thank her, and certainly not with that resolved and committed look on his face. A warm smile unfurled over her features. "You're welcome, Hiei."

He glanced at the window, gaging the way the sunlight fell into the room. It would turn dark soon. "I should go."

"Right," Botan agreed, walking him to the door. As he exited into the hall, she couldn't help but leave some parting words. "Try not to punish yourself too much. I understand the need to become stronger - I really do - but there's a difference between pushing past your limits and being self-destructive."

He pushed his injured hand in his pocket. "… Are these orders from our self-proclaimed licensed trainer?"

"No," Botan laughed. "Just words of advice from a friend who cares about you."

"I see," he replied, fixing his crimson eyes on her steadily. "Then take some advice from me, ferry-girl: stop fretting over situations you have no control over. There's no point in discrediting yourself over the things you can't do. We all have our roles to play in this tournament and that includes you."

Botan's eyes widened, lips parted in a gasp, but Hiei was gone before she could even hope to reply. In his wake, he left behind a displaced rush of warm air that ruffled her hair and clothes, a faint trail of demon energy and the hazy after image of his open and honest expression. She lingered in the threshold of the door, watching the after image disappear with a smile on her lips and a renewed sense of conviction in her heart. They would all be okay; she was sure of it now.