Disclaimer: I offically disclaim Yu Yu Hakusho.
***
Kurama released the neko, pushing her away from him as he drew "the" rose from his hair. "Your stubborn ways leave me no choice," he said, raising it above his head. "I must defend myself. I admit, I hadn't planned to need to." Aruma sneered as light enveloped the rose. "ROSE.......WHIP!" he cried, leaping into the air. As the thorns slashed at her head, the youko Queen raised her swords, slashing at the weapon in vain.
"Damn you, kitsune!" she roared, flipping backwards to push off from the wall and meet Kurama in the air.
"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before," he whispered, making her smile. "Look, we have to keep this up as long as possible. I'll corner you and strike you with the handle of my whip. It may draw blood." Aruma merely gave him a look as she blocked another blow. "What?" Rolling her eyes, the warrior landed on the stone arena and sheathed her swords, bringing her hands together.
"YAMI NO MAKAI!" She roared, creating a dark bolt of energy and firing it at the kitsune. He flipped over it and landed by her, examining the small rip in his shirt.
"I belive that almost hit me," he said in mock awe. "You must be getting better as we go. Very well." He launched himself at her, thorns flashing violently. "Now!" he whispered, and Aruma fell backwards, hands blocking her head. "This is it, my rose," he murmured, raising the rounded handle of his weapon. "You're free." He closed his eyes and brought it down swiftly, knocking the neko into blackness. After making sure there was no blood, he bent and slid his arms around her, drawing her up to him. As he started towards the stairs, Anata roared from his watching place.
"That warrior belongs to me!" he screamed. "You are not allowed to take her!" Kurama set the warrior at the doorway, turning to stare at the shadowed tyrant.
"I have every right to take her," he said calmly.
"Who says?" Anata bellowed.
"This does." Kurama reached into an inner pocket, drawing out a photograph of a trio of smiling girls, all with black hair. Two had bright brown eyes, one with startling green, remniscent of a certain red-haired youko standing in the background. Leaving Anata sputtering for words, he turned and picked Aruma up again, carrying her to the windowed room. As he entered, Hiei lifted an inquizitive eyebrow. Kurama merely shook his head and laid his love by the koorime. "Watch her for me. I've got something to do." Without another word, he exited the room, leaving his friends puzzled.
Don't you just HATE it when he does that?
***
Koenma stood on his desk, furiously clicking his remote. "Where'd he go, dammit?" he roared, throwing the remote down in frustration.
"Oy! That's my head!" Kuwabara yelled.
"I know! I was aiming for it!" Koenma sat back into his chair with a moan. "Dammit......now that Kurama's lost our cameras, we may never find him!"
"If you were aiming for my head, you should have hit the floor," Kazuma grumbled.
"What was that, oaf?"
"You heard me, binky breath!"
"You wanna piece of this, you big dumb ogre?"
"I AM NOT A BIG DUMB OGRE! I AM KUWABARA THE MAN!"
"Whatever, rooster-head."
"That's it!"
"Bring it!"
***
Kurama stopped at the bottom of a long stairwell. The room was pitch- black; he could hardly see his hand in front of his face. But he was here. The kitsune could feel it.
"I thought I should thank you," he called into the blackness. Suddenly, a light in the center of the room sprang to life, making Kurama shield his eyes. Above the light sat a little old man, gnarled and bent from age, yet somehow carrying an air of respect around him, like a king.
"I thought you would."
"Can you tell me when--"
"No." Kurama lowered his gaze to the stone floor.
"I thought you might say that."
"I thought I was the Oracle." The kitsune gave a dry chuckle.
"You are. And again, I thank you. I never would have found her without you."
"I know. I wish you and your Queen much luck in your future. You're going to need it." Acknowledging this last piece of advice from the future-seer, Kurama turned to go.
He knew his and Aruma's destiny.
Now if he could just convince Hiei of his.......
***
"Next fighter, report to the arena!" Hiei and Aiko stood together.
"Aiko, sit and rest."
"Hiei, plant your ass." Struggling to stay upright, she glared. "You're not stopping me."
"Yes, I am," he contradicted, laying his hands on her shoulders. "You're still weak." She shrugged his hands away.
"Never call me weak, koorime."
"Fine. You're injured. Now sit down while I take care of this fighter." The call sounded across the arena again. Aiko started for the stairs. "Aiko, ptos!" the koorime yelled, switching to the ancient languge of Obekeme[1]. "Fi meme o nwod ereht, melmel eb dellik!" Aiko, stop! If you go down there, you'll be killed! She stopped and turned, the scars on her cheeks glistening in the firelight.
"Hiei, Dem evol, De evah ot od siht. Rof eht ronoh fo eht Yami." Hiei, my love, I have to do this. For the honor of the Yami.
"Tahw ronoh si ereht ni gniyd ta eht dnah fo e gnil ekil reh?" Hiei roared. What honor is there in dying at the hands of a weakling like her?
"Dre t'now eid!" I won't die!
"Nmad ti, Aiko! Mermer ydob t'nac ekat ti! Lla mermer chi si nio ot laeh mermer seirujni!" Damn it, Aiko! Your body can't take it! All your ki is going to heal your injuries!
"Hiei! Meme t'nac kepe Dra htiw meme syawall!" Hiei! You con't keep me with you always!
"This is the last call for the next fighter!" Hiei looked desperately at his love before she turned to go.
"Don't you dare help me, koorime." Ruby eyes turned to the floor, Hiei moved to the window. He felt a sharp tug on his pants. Looking down, he saw Aruma sitting against the wall, staring up at him.
"Od meme kown ereh Kurama si?"she asked. Do you know where Kurama is? He stared at her, incredulous.
"You speak Obekeme?"
"Hai. Where's Kurama?"
"Right here," the kitsune answered, coming in the door to kneel by his neko. Hiei stared down at the arena, gauging the next of Anata's warriors. It was a young-looking girl with dark blue hair that hung loose to her waist, wearing a simple tunic that seemed to slip over her head like a white bedsheet with a hole cut in it. Her eyes were like ice, sending chills up Aiko's spine. Hiei's own eyes widened.
"A water demon," he whispered. "Aiko's fire. She's at even more of a disadvantage!" Kurama stood by his friend, also watching the youkai below.
"Hiei," he said, knowing full well the koorime wasn't listening, "Give her a chance. She may be able to handle it." Hiei's eyes never left the arena as Aiko dodged blasts of water , sometimes managing to launch a fireball at her never-moving advesary.
"That's easy for you to say, Kurama. Because the only woman you've ever loved isn't down there right now, risking her life for pride, ignoring her obvious injuries. It's easy for you to say because you can protect your friends. How many times has Yuusuke saved the oaf? How many times have you told me you would lay down your life for your ningen mother? I can't do that, Kurama. Something in me prevents me from being the hero, from protecting those I love." Two ebony teargems clattered to the windowsil, making Kurama's head shoot up. It was true. The koorime was crying. Of course, he didn't wipe the wetness away, because that would prove he had been crying. "She went down there knowing she would die. And I--" his voice broke. "I couldn't stop her, because I love her too much." For once in his life, Kurama stayed quiet. Nothing he could say would comfort his friend. What he said was true. Aiko would most likely die in this battle. And then Hiei would disappear for Kami knows how long, mourning the loss of his beautiful little youko. Perhaps--no, not now. To tell Hiei the truth would only upset him more. He needed to watch Aiko.
It could be the last time he ever saw her alive.
***
Aiko stopped as the barage of water finally subsided, leaning to rest on her knees. "You know," she panted, "I don't even know your name." Smirking slightly and sure of her victory, the indigo-haired demon spoke in a voice cold as ice and slightly shrill. It ran chills up Aiko's spine worse than the eyes, like jumping into a river just after the ice melts.
"I am Mizukiiri," she said, not bothering to attack again. This girl was injured, weak. She was no threat.
"I'll carve it on your headstone." Aiko raised her hands with the heels of her palms together, at her waist. Faintly, she thought she heard someone yelling. Ignoring it, she continued with the incantation. "Dre llac ot Dra eht Lanrete Nogard. Yebo Dra dna od Drem lliw. Ni eht eman fo eht Yloh Emalf, Dre nommus meme." I call to me the Eternal Dragon. Obey me and do my will. In the name of the Holy Flame, I summon you. Power filled her, as it did when she first used this attack. Wait......something wasn't right.....Aiko stopped the incantation. Suddenly, it exploded within her. It hurt......so much........ripping apart inside her chest......she screamed, collasping on the stone arena. Still smirking, Mizukiiri took the first step she had throughout the entire fight and walked up to the writhing Aiko.
"You never should have tried to invoke the Eternal Dragon," the woman whispered. "It holds too much power for your weak, frail little body." She placed her palm directly over Aiko's head. "Now I'll extinguish your flame forever." Suddenly, Aiko's eyes shot open.
"YORTSED!" She roared, and flames shot from her entire body, forming what looked like a giant serpent.
"No!" the unfortunate Mizukiiri screamed. "It can't be! I felt it! You were dying! How did this--" Her voice died with her body as the flames engulfed her, eradicating any evidence that she ever existed.
"Never call me weak or frail," Aiko whispered as the darkness pressed onto the edges of her vision. With a last smirk, she passed out.
***
"Aiko," Hiei whispered, pushing past Kurama to the stairs. With a smile, Kurama scooped up the half-dozen teargems that had fallen to the floor. That was something he was pretty sure the koorime would want hidden from the other Tantei. He winced as he stood. He was already starting to regret giving Aiko that extra energy. Oh, well. It was for the best. Even though it would be harder to get Hiei to come back to Ningenkai now, it was for the best.
But Botan was starting to get up for the next fight.
That was almost definetely NOT for the best.....the kitsune had never seen her fight, so he couldn't class her strength properly, but her oar wouldn't be much use against the demon entering the arena below.
*** [1]-Obekeme is the languge I made up for my characters to speak because I don't know enough Japanese.
***
Akimi:Woo-hoo! These hour-long type-fests really work!
Tien-Su: Even though it means sacrificing your biology essay....
Akimi: I honestly don't know what you're talking about. **glare**
Tien-Su: **sweatdrop** Oh, yeah.....there IS no biology essay! Eh heh.......
Akimi: I TOLD you Hiei was going to be mega-OOC. He's OOC in this entire fic, he's just mega-OOC right there.
Tien-Su: For the love of Kurama, stop saying OOC!
Akimi: xP Reviewer recognition!
Kyoko: How could you pop up if this fic is set BEFORE YOU WERE BORN? You will not show up. I will not show up. Aruma is the only TTT member who is going to show up. STOP ASKING ME!
Akimi: **sigh** That's my onee-chan for you......Queen of the Mary Sues......
Tien-Su: **twitch** Mary......**twitch** Sues? **twitch**
Akimi: Oop. Gomen, Tien-Su-san. Chapter preview!
In Chapter Seven: Botan fights a wind master (without an Irish accent) and shows just what she can do with that oar. Meanwhile, Anata is planning something horrible and slightly more intellegent to do to the Tantei.
Akimi: I really really suck at previews......
Tien-Su: You really really suck at writing fics.....
Akimi: **bashes with LARGE-MALLET-OF-SUCK-THIS!!!!!**
Tien-Su: Ew.
Akimi: **sigh** Ja matte, minna-san.
Tien-Su: Ja!
***
Kurama released the neko, pushing her away from him as he drew "the" rose from his hair. "Your stubborn ways leave me no choice," he said, raising it above his head. "I must defend myself. I admit, I hadn't planned to need to." Aruma sneered as light enveloped the rose. "ROSE.......WHIP!" he cried, leaping into the air. As the thorns slashed at her head, the youko Queen raised her swords, slashing at the weapon in vain.
"Damn you, kitsune!" she roared, flipping backwards to push off from the wall and meet Kurama in the air.
"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before," he whispered, making her smile. "Look, we have to keep this up as long as possible. I'll corner you and strike you with the handle of my whip. It may draw blood." Aruma merely gave him a look as she blocked another blow. "What?" Rolling her eyes, the warrior landed on the stone arena and sheathed her swords, bringing her hands together.
"YAMI NO MAKAI!" She roared, creating a dark bolt of energy and firing it at the kitsune. He flipped over it and landed by her, examining the small rip in his shirt.
"I belive that almost hit me," he said in mock awe. "You must be getting better as we go. Very well." He launched himself at her, thorns flashing violently. "Now!" he whispered, and Aruma fell backwards, hands blocking her head. "This is it, my rose," he murmured, raising the rounded handle of his weapon. "You're free." He closed his eyes and brought it down swiftly, knocking the neko into blackness. After making sure there was no blood, he bent and slid his arms around her, drawing her up to him. As he started towards the stairs, Anata roared from his watching place.
"That warrior belongs to me!" he screamed. "You are not allowed to take her!" Kurama set the warrior at the doorway, turning to stare at the shadowed tyrant.
"I have every right to take her," he said calmly.
"Who says?" Anata bellowed.
"This does." Kurama reached into an inner pocket, drawing out a photograph of a trio of smiling girls, all with black hair. Two had bright brown eyes, one with startling green, remniscent of a certain red-haired youko standing in the background. Leaving Anata sputtering for words, he turned and picked Aruma up again, carrying her to the windowed room. As he entered, Hiei lifted an inquizitive eyebrow. Kurama merely shook his head and laid his love by the koorime. "Watch her for me. I've got something to do." Without another word, he exited the room, leaving his friends puzzled.
Don't you just HATE it when he does that?
***
Koenma stood on his desk, furiously clicking his remote. "Where'd he go, dammit?" he roared, throwing the remote down in frustration.
"Oy! That's my head!" Kuwabara yelled.
"I know! I was aiming for it!" Koenma sat back into his chair with a moan. "Dammit......now that Kurama's lost our cameras, we may never find him!"
"If you were aiming for my head, you should have hit the floor," Kazuma grumbled.
"What was that, oaf?"
"You heard me, binky breath!"
"You wanna piece of this, you big dumb ogre?"
"I AM NOT A BIG DUMB OGRE! I AM KUWABARA THE MAN!"
"Whatever, rooster-head."
"That's it!"
"Bring it!"
***
Kurama stopped at the bottom of a long stairwell. The room was pitch- black; he could hardly see his hand in front of his face. But he was here. The kitsune could feel it.
"I thought I should thank you," he called into the blackness. Suddenly, a light in the center of the room sprang to life, making Kurama shield his eyes. Above the light sat a little old man, gnarled and bent from age, yet somehow carrying an air of respect around him, like a king.
"I thought you would."
"Can you tell me when--"
"No." Kurama lowered his gaze to the stone floor.
"I thought you might say that."
"I thought I was the Oracle." The kitsune gave a dry chuckle.
"You are. And again, I thank you. I never would have found her without you."
"I know. I wish you and your Queen much luck in your future. You're going to need it." Acknowledging this last piece of advice from the future-seer, Kurama turned to go.
He knew his and Aruma's destiny.
Now if he could just convince Hiei of his.......
***
"Next fighter, report to the arena!" Hiei and Aiko stood together.
"Aiko, sit and rest."
"Hiei, plant your ass." Struggling to stay upright, she glared. "You're not stopping me."
"Yes, I am," he contradicted, laying his hands on her shoulders. "You're still weak." She shrugged his hands away.
"Never call me weak, koorime."
"Fine. You're injured. Now sit down while I take care of this fighter." The call sounded across the arena again. Aiko started for the stairs. "Aiko, ptos!" the koorime yelled, switching to the ancient languge of Obekeme[1]. "Fi meme o nwod ereht, melmel eb dellik!" Aiko, stop! If you go down there, you'll be killed! She stopped and turned, the scars on her cheeks glistening in the firelight.
"Hiei, Dem evol, De evah ot od siht. Rof eht ronoh fo eht Yami." Hiei, my love, I have to do this. For the honor of the Yami.
"Tahw ronoh si ereht ni gniyd ta eht dnah fo e gnil ekil reh?" Hiei roared. What honor is there in dying at the hands of a weakling like her?
"Dre t'now eid!" I won't die!
"Nmad ti, Aiko! Mermer ydob t'nac ekat ti! Lla mermer chi si nio ot laeh mermer seirujni!" Damn it, Aiko! Your body can't take it! All your ki is going to heal your injuries!
"Hiei! Meme t'nac kepe Dra htiw meme syawall!" Hiei! You con't keep me with you always!
"This is the last call for the next fighter!" Hiei looked desperately at his love before she turned to go.
"Don't you dare help me, koorime." Ruby eyes turned to the floor, Hiei moved to the window. He felt a sharp tug on his pants. Looking down, he saw Aruma sitting against the wall, staring up at him.
"Od meme kown ereh Kurama si?"she asked. Do you know where Kurama is? He stared at her, incredulous.
"You speak Obekeme?"
"Hai. Where's Kurama?"
"Right here," the kitsune answered, coming in the door to kneel by his neko. Hiei stared down at the arena, gauging the next of Anata's warriors. It was a young-looking girl with dark blue hair that hung loose to her waist, wearing a simple tunic that seemed to slip over her head like a white bedsheet with a hole cut in it. Her eyes were like ice, sending chills up Aiko's spine. Hiei's own eyes widened.
"A water demon," he whispered. "Aiko's fire. She's at even more of a disadvantage!" Kurama stood by his friend, also watching the youkai below.
"Hiei," he said, knowing full well the koorime wasn't listening, "Give her a chance. She may be able to handle it." Hiei's eyes never left the arena as Aiko dodged blasts of water , sometimes managing to launch a fireball at her never-moving advesary.
"That's easy for you to say, Kurama. Because the only woman you've ever loved isn't down there right now, risking her life for pride, ignoring her obvious injuries. It's easy for you to say because you can protect your friends. How many times has Yuusuke saved the oaf? How many times have you told me you would lay down your life for your ningen mother? I can't do that, Kurama. Something in me prevents me from being the hero, from protecting those I love." Two ebony teargems clattered to the windowsil, making Kurama's head shoot up. It was true. The koorime was crying. Of course, he didn't wipe the wetness away, because that would prove he had been crying. "She went down there knowing she would die. And I--" his voice broke. "I couldn't stop her, because I love her too much." For once in his life, Kurama stayed quiet. Nothing he could say would comfort his friend. What he said was true. Aiko would most likely die in this battle. And then Hiei would disappear for Kami knows how long, mourning the loss of his beautiful little youko. Perhaps--no, not now. To tell Hiei the truth would only upset him more. He needed to watch Aiko.
It could be the last time he ever saw her alive.
***
Aiko stopped as the barage of water finally subsided, leaning to rest on her knees. "You know," she panted, "I don't even know your name." Smirking slightly and sure of her victory, the indigo-haired demon spoke in a voice cold as ice and slightly shrill. It ran chills up Aiko's spine worse than the eyes, like jumping into a river just after the ice melts.
"I am Mizukiiri," she said, not bothering to attack again. This girl was injured, weak. She was no threat.
"I'll carve it on your headstone." Aiko raised her hands with the heels of her palms together, at her waist. Faintly, she thought she heard someone yelling. Ignoring it, she continued with the incantation. "Dre llac ot Dra eht Lanrete Nogard. Yebo Dra dna od Drem lliw. Ni eht eman fo eht Yloh Emalf, Dre nommus meme." I call to me the Eternal Dragon. Obey me and do my will. In the name of the Holy Flame, I summon you. Power filled her, as it did when she first used this attack. Wait......something wasn't right.....Aiko stopped the incantation. Suddenly, it exploded within her. It hurt......so much........ripping apart inside her chest......she screamed, collasping on the stone arena. Still smirking, Mizukiiri took the first step she had throughout the entire fight and walked up to the writhing Aiko.
"You never should have tried to invoke the Eternal Dragon," the woman whispered. "It holds too much power for your weak, frail little body." She placed her palm directly over Aiko's head. "Now I'll extinguish your flame forever." Suddenly, Aiko's eyes shot open.
"YORTSED!" She roared, and flames shot from her entire body, forming what looked like a giant serpent.
"No!" the unfortunate Mizukiiri screamed. "It can't be! I felt it! You were dying! How did this--" Her voice died with her body as the flames engulfed her, eradicating any evidence that she ever existed.
"Never call me weak or frail," Aiko whispered as the darkness pressed onto the edges of her vision. With a last smirk, she passed out.
***
"Aiko," Hiei whispered, pushing past Kurama to the stairs. With a smile, Kurama scooped up the half-dozen teargems that had fallen to the floor. That was something he was pretty sure the koorime would want hidden from the other Tantei. He winced as he stood. He was already starting to regret giving Aiko that extra energy. Oh, well. It was for the best. Even though it would be harder to get Hiei to come back to Ningenkai now, it was for the best.
But Botan was starting to get up for the next fight.
That was almost definetely NOT for the best.....the kitsune had never seen her fight, so he couldn't class her strength properly, but her oar wouldn't be much use against the demon entering the arena below.
*** [1]-Obekeme is the languge I made up for my characters to speak because I don't know enough Japanese.
***
Akimi:Woo-hoo! These hour-long type-fests really work!
Tien-Su: Even though it means sacrificing your biology essay....
Akimi: I honestly don't know what you're talking about. **glare**
Tien-Su: **sweatdrop** Oh, yeah.....there IS no biology essay! Eh heh.......
Akimi: I TOLD you Hiei was going to be mega-OOC. He's OOC in this entire fic, he's just mega-OOC right there.
Tien-Su: For the love of Kurama, stop saying OOC!
Akimi: xP Reviewer recognition!
Kyoko: How could you pop up if this fic is set BEFORE YOU WERE BORN? You will not show up. I will not show up. Aruma is the only TTT member who is going to show up. STOP ASKING ME!
Akimi: **sigh** That's my onee-chan for you......Queen of the Mary Sues......
Tien-Su: **twitch** Mary......**twitch** Sues? **twitch**
Akimi: Oop. Gomen, Tien-Su-san. Chapter preview!
In Chapter Seven: Botan fights a wind master (without an Irish accent) and shows just what she can do with that oar. Meanwhile, Anata is planning something horrible and slightly more intellegent to do to the Tantei.
Akimi: I really really suck at previews......
Tien-Su: You really really suck at writing fics.....
Akimi: **bashes with LARGE-MALLET-OF-SUCK-THIS!!!!!**
Tien-Su: Ew.
Akimi: **sigh** Ja matte, minna-san.
Tien-Su: Ja!