Here is chapter three. I'm writing these fights by memory. If there are
errors, please review, but do it nicely. Thanks. All reviews are welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe.
* * * * * * *
Lorin sat on her bed and twirled the rose form last night between her fingers. She had had an idea and now debated whether or not to try it. She had Spirit Energy right? And Kurama had explained that the rose was transformed into his Rose Whip and other weapons, by feeding it his Spirit Energy. Why couldn't she do the same thing?
She already knew how to channel her Spirit Energy. Her knife, which she had been drawn to, had been made to channel Spirit Energy. That's why Lorin had been drawn to it. Kurama had taught her to channel her Energy through that, so why not the rose? Lorin decided to try it. She stood up and held the rose in front of her. She called up her Spirit Energy and fed it into the rose.
"Rose Whip." she commanded. The rose started to glow blue, the color of her Spirit Energy. She fed it more power. The room spun around her and she saw blue at the edges of her vision. Then the room went dark and Lorin felt like she was falling.
Kurama knocked on the door to Lorin's room. They were going to train today. There was no answer. He knocked again and this time heard a quiet groan from inside. He pushed open the door to see Lorin slumped on the floor next to her bed. Surrounding her was a long, green vine full of thorns. He stared in shock for a full minute. That was his Rose Whip. Somehow she had summoned his Rose Whip.
Then his focus returned to Lorin. He gently pulled the Whip out of her hands, picked her up and moved her to her bed. He coiled the Whip and placed it on the nightstand.
"Lorin," he said softly, as he gently stroked her face. She stirred at his touch, but didn't wake up.
"Lorin," he called again, a little louder. She moaned and opened her eyes. She smiled.
"Kurama," she said. "Hi." He smiled back, relieved that she had woken. It would have been difficult to explain to her mother what had happened.
"Hi," he responded, gently. "What did you do?" She tried to sit up, and winced.
"My head hurts," she explained. Lorin looked around for her rose. She saw the Rose Whip coiled on the nightstand and smiled.
"It worked." she said.
"What worked?" he asked, "What did you do?" She told him the whole thing. He shook his head.
"D-did I do something wrong?" she asked, worried.
"No, but you did something I would have said was impossible for you. Remember I told you that each person has a natural tendency with their Spirit Energy?" Lorin nodded.
"We figured out that your natural gift was Healing and created techniques that flowed from that base, like you Last Resort attack. The Rose Whip is not anywhere close to your base tendencies, yet you did it. Granted it drained you, but that was probably just a lack of the proper summoning."
"If I'm right," he continued. "then your Power potential just grew exponentially. If you can learn and use any attack, if taught, then you could be more powerful than....than anybody. I was going to introduce you to a friend of mine who is going to help teach you. With this new development, I'm even more glad that I asked him to come today." he stopped, realizing that Lorin still looked in pain and she was trying to follow him at the same time. He smiled and kissed her.
"I'll explain it again when your head clears." he said and kissed her again. Then they sat there for a few minutes in silence. Finally, Lorin announced that she felt better. They left the room, her Rose Whip tucked under her jacket. As they walked to the park, Kurama explained again and told her about his demon friend that she was going to meet, named Hiei.
* * * *
Lorin ran to open the door as the doorbell went off. It was Botan.
"Hey, Lorin, ready?" she asked. Lorin nodded and grabbed her duffle bag. Her parents thought she was going on a trip for Spring Break. She was really going to the Dark Tournament to support her teammates. Well, she was still in training, but she still felt a part of Team Urameshi. She felt kind of bad for lying to her parents, but they wouldn't have understood. Lorin stepped outside and locked the door.
"Don't you have to say good-bye?" Botan asked. Lorin shook her head.
"Nope. There's no one home. They left on a trip to the Mountains for Spring Break." They turned and headed down her front walk. At the end, two girls were standing, waiting. Lorin blinked.
"Hey, Keyko, right?" The girl nodded. "What are you doing here?" Keyko flashed a Look at Botan, who sighed.
"They're coming to the Tournament with us." she said. "And this is Shizuru, Kuwabara's older sister. They demanded to come."
"You guys know its going to be very dangerous, right? You can't go wandering off by yourselves." Keyko glared at her.
"We know that. And what about you? It's just as dangerous." she shot at Lorin.
"Well, actually, no, I'm different. You understand that Yusuke and Kuwabara have powers, right? Well, I have powers too, enough to protect myself... and you, now." Both girls nodded and a miserable Botan took them all to the Tournament, muttering, "Koenma's going to kill me."
* * * *
Lorin sat next to Botan and the other girls as they watched the first round. Kuwabara had already fought and lost. Kurama stepped into the ring. Lorin felt her heart quicken in worry. She knew there was a very real possibility he could die in this Tournament. That's why she was here. To watch, to be there for him. He didn't know that she had come. She wanted to surprise him. She frowned as Kurama and his opponent, Roto, just stood there. The match had started, but neither one had moved. Suddenly, to Lorin's horror, Kurama lowered his hands. They moved behind his back. What was he doing?!? Roto struck Kurama across the face and he stumbled back.
"Oh, my," Botan said. "What is he doing?" Lorin glared at her.
"I don't know. He's gonna get killed." Lorin watched as Kurama was hit again and again. He was bleeding freely and Lorin could feel his pain. The fight went on and on. He fell to the ground and lay still for a moment. That moment was an eternity. He got to his feet, slowly, too slowly for Lorin. She jumped to her feet. The stands were silent, watching.
"KURAMA, IF YOU DIE, I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!" Lorin's voice rang out in the silence. All members of both Teams whirled to find the origin of the voice. The demons around them, turned and glared at her. She glared back. Kurama looked up toward her. He raised a hand in salute. Still glaring, she raised her hand in response.
"YOU HEAR ME KURAMA? I MEAN IT! IF YOU DIE, I WILL HUNT YOU TO THE ENDS OF SPIRIT WORLD AND KILL YOU. SLOWLY!!!!!" She felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see Botan.
"I thought we were keeping a low profile," she whispered. Lorin shrugged.
"Some things needed saying." she retorted. Botan laughed nervously.
"Maybe we should go elsewhere to watch the rest of the fight." At that moment Kurama said something and Roto laughed. Then Roto turned into a huge bush of flowers. Lorin sat down hard, surprised and shocked at that ending. She hadn't even seen Kurama's attack. What had he done? Since there were flowers, she knew he had done something. She put her face in her hands. She felt a touch on her shoulder and looked up to see Botan.
"Don't you worry. He'll be fine." she said and gave her a forced smile. Lorin watched in tense concern as Kurama made his way off the fighting ring. She let out the tiniest sigh and relaxed a fraction as he made it safely off. She watched anxiously as the other two matches were fought. She relaxed a little more when Kurama wasn't forced to fight again. She stood as the team made their way out of the arena and joined the girls as they made their way to the guys rooms.
Lorin stopped just inside the doorway. Suddenly she was very nervous about seeing Kurama. Keyko stopped near Lorin, it looked like she was nervous too. Botan and Shizuru had no such qualms. They strode into the center of the room and Shizuru started yelling at her brother. Lorin felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Kurama smiling at her.
"I didn't die," he said. She touched his chest with her hand and leaned into him. She could feel that his wounds weren't that bad. He would Heal fine. She relaxed into his embrace. She felt tears coming to her eyes, but tried to hold them back. She realized at that moment, just how much she had been afraid that he would die and how much she didn't want to lose him. Kurama held her a little tighter and wiped the tears from her face.
"Why didn't you fight back?" she whispered, choked. She felt him tense a little. He was quiet for a moment.
"Roto threatened to kill my mother if I did." he said, whispering. Lorin looked up at him in shock.
"Your mother? Shiori?" Kurama nodded and Lorin saw a tear fall down his face. Lorin wiped it away and hugged him tighter.
"I don't want you to die." she said. He stroked her hair.
"I don't intend to. If Roto hadn't pulled that trick, he would have been dead in a few seconds."
"HEY!! That's mine, Urameshi!!! Give it back!" Kuwabara's voice rang out. Lorin and Kurama turned to see what was going on. Kurama kept one of her hands in his. Kuwabara and Yusuke were fighting over a cookie. Hiei was glaring at them both. Lorin moved to stand next to Hiei. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He glared up at her. She smiled back and dropped her hand after a second.
"Hello, Hiei. You fought well." Hiei grunted.
"Lorin. It was a stupid fight. There was no challenge." He snickered.
"Well, then maybe I'll spar with you later. I can give you at least more of a challenge than Zeru did."
"Possibly." he replied. He blurred for a second, then was back. He had the cookie in his hand and was breaking it in two. He handed her one half without a word. She took it as Kuwabara and Yusuke realized that the cookie was gone. They turned as Lorin and Hiei put the last pieces in their mouths. Lorin wished she had a camera for the looks on their faces. Kurama chuckled. He had moved next to Lorin. She looked at him.
"Do any of you need my Healing?" she asked. Kurama nodded.
"Yusuke and Kuwabara are in bad shape." he started. Both boys protested that they were fine. "My wounds will Heal on their own by the next fight, but I will let you Heal them if it will make you feel better. And Hiei is alright except for his right arm. But I don't know if he'll let you touch it." Hiei glared at both of them. Lorin gave him a small smile.
"Well then, I should start with Yusuke and Kuwabara. I want to look at your wounds at least and I will tackle Hiei last." That statement caused the two boys to crack up.
"Tackle Hiei!!!!!" Kuwabara said, laughing. "I'd like to see that!!!" Lorin did her impression of Hiei's Death Glare. She pushed him and Yusuke down on to the couch and placed a hand on each one's shoulder. She send her Healing Power through them. They were asleep in no time.
Kurama led her into his room. She turned to close the door and turned back to see a shirtless Kurama. She blushed and he smiled gently. His chest was covered in bruises and a couple of long gashes. The bruises were easy enough to Heal, the cuts were a little harder. She traced her Healing Energy over each one with her fingers. She knew her face was red and she was very aware of the fact that he had no shirt and that they were alone in his room. He slid a new shirt on when she was done, this one with no holes in it. She smiled at him and fled out of the room. She risked a glance back and saw understanding in his eyes and a little amusement.
She found Hiei's room, knocked, then entered. Hiei looked up startled. His arm was black and burned horribly. Lorin walked over to him, but didn't touch him.
"Can I try to help with that, Hiei?" she asked softly. Hiei glared at her.
"What makes you think I need it?" he shot at her.
"I know how much power you used in that attack. I also know something about burns. I know how much that has to hurt. A human would be on the floor, writhing in pain. Even though you're a lot stronger than most humans, it would still hurt a lot." She still didn't move, just waited. If she pushed it, Hiei would refuse to let her help. He glared at her for several minutes. Finally, he stuck his arm out at her.
"Fine," he spat. Lorin moved her hands so they weren't quite touching his arm and started to try to heal him.
* * * *
Lorin decided that she didn't like the seat she was sitting in. It was too uncomfortable, so she was sitting on the edge of her seat the whole time. Or maybe it was because she was watching her team closely, especially Kurama. But where was he? Neither he nor Hiei were on the field and the fight was just about to start. Someone near her cleared their throat. Lorin looked up to see a man in a black suit standing next to her. He had a scar across his right eye.
"May I sit here?" he asked, pointing to the seat next to her. His voice was polite and cultured. She nodded.
"That's fine. No one's sitting there." She turned back to the fight. It had started and still Kurama and Hiei weren't there.
"Cheating." she muttered. "Somehow the other team is cheating."
"Cheating? How so?" It was the man sitting next to her. She turned to him, surprised.
"Well, I don't think I can point to a specific rule they are breaking, but I call it cheating. Kurama and Hiei aren't there. They would never leave those three to fight by themselves, unless they were forced to."
"And you believe that the other Team is responsible?" he asked.
"Well, I think it is highly likely. It's too much of a coincidence that they only have three Tam members here too. If it wasn't their Team keeping Hiei and Kurama from the fight, their other two Team mates would be here."
"That certainly makes some sense." he replied. They were silent for a few moments, watching the fight. Lorin sighed.
"I should be down there." she muttered again.
"You can fight?" the man asked. Lorin mentally rolled her eyes. She would HAVE to remember not to mutter aloud anymore. This man's hearing was too good.
"Yes, I can." she said. "If the Tournament was held a month later, I would be down there."
"So, you are not fully trained, then?" he asked, curious.
"No, I am trained, but my teachers wouldn't let me fight. They wanted me to be completely comfortable with my skills. But I could be a match for any of the demons they've fought already." She paused. "I'm Lorin Nickols, by the way." He smiled at her.
"My name is Sakyo. It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled at her. She nodded. Her attention was drawn back to the fight as Kurama and Hiei flew in, literally. The fight was long and drawn out. Even after they defeated the Team, they had to defeat the evil Doctor. Lorin winced as a slight pause occurred between fights. She could tell that her Team was having problems.
Then came the announcement, saying that Team Urameshi had to be checked by the nurse. Lorin growled as Hiei and the Masked Fighter were trapped in the tent, unable to fight. That meant that only Kurama and Yusuke could fight. Those were not good odds.
"Stupid Committee. Why can't anyone fight fair here?" she said to Botan, who was on her other side.
"Because the Committee can be swayed by other things." Sakyo spoke from her left. She turned to face him.
"The Committee is getting on my nerves." she ground out. He chuckled and stood.
"Well, I must be going. I hope to see you all again." he bowed and left. Lorin returned to the fight. Kurama was fighting first and that meant he was fighting until he couldn't anymore. Her eyes never left that red hair. She flinched as if she was the one being struck every time Kurama was hit. Kurama lasted two full fights and part of a third. Well sort of. The last one he was unconscious, and getting beaten, so that really didn't count. She did have to admit that she liked the way that Touya fought. He was a skilled fighter, thinking, not just striking out.
Yusuke's fight was short but very painful. For Bakken. Yusuke didn't care for how Bakken had beaten up Kurama. Then Yusuke moved on to Jin. Lorin again was impressed with Jin. He fought with honor and treated Yusuke as a worthy opponent. The last fighter stepped into the ring. Yusuke just had to beat one more fighter and then they could rest.
The loudspeaker came on. Lorin jerked her head up. Yusuke had been disqualified. That was impossible!!! How could they win now? Hiei and the Masked Fighter were still trapped and Kuwabara was in no condition to fight at all. And Kurama. He had a Death plant in him. How could he fight? There was a long silence. The loudspeaker came on again.
"The Committee has decided that due to the unusual circumstances of this round, Team Urameshi will be allowed to use their Alternate fighter." Lorin frowned. Alternate Fighter? When did they get an Alternate Fighter? The Loudspeaker sounded for a third time.
"Would Lorin Nickols please report to the field immediately!" Lorin shot to her feet. That was her. How did the committee know she was there and could and would fight? No matter now. She had to get down to the filed. Lorin ran down the stairs two at a time.
* * * * *
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe.
* * * * * * *
Lorin sat on her bed and twirled the rose form last night between her fingers. She had had an idea and now debated whether or not to try it. She had Spirit Energy right? And Kurama had explained that the rose was transformed into his Rose Whip and other weapons, by feeding it his Spirit Energy. Why couldn't she do the same thing?
She already knew how to channel her Spirit Energy. Her knife, which she had been drawn to, had been made to channel Spirit Energy. That's why Lorin had been drawn to it. Kurama had taught her to channel her Energy through that, so why not the rose? Lorin decided to try it. She stood up and held the rose in front of her. She called up her Spirit Energy and fed it into the rose.
"Rose Whip." she commanded. The rose started to glow blue, the color of her Spirit Energy. She fed it more power. The room spun around her and she saw blue at the edges of her vision. Then the room went dark and Lorin felt like she was falling.
Kurama knocked on the door to Lorin's room. They were going to train today. There was no answer. He knocked again and this time heard a quiet groan from inside. He pushed open the door to see Lorin slumped on the floor next to her bed. Surrounding her was a long, green vine full of thorns. He stared in shock for a full minute. That was his Rose Whip. Somehow she had summoned his Rose Whip.
Then his focus returned to Lorin. He gently pulled the Whip out of her hands, picked her up and moved her to her bed. He coiled the Whip and placed it on the nightstand.
"Lorin," he said softly, as he gently stroked her face. She stirred at his touch, but didn't wake up.
"Lorin," he called again, a little louder. She moaned and opened her eyes. She smiled.
"Kurama," she said. "Hi." He smiled back, relieved that she had woken. It would have been difficult to explain to her mother what had happened.
"Hi," he responded, gently. "What did you do?" She tried to sit up, and winced.
"My head hurts," she explained. Lorin looked around for her rose. She saw the Rose Whip coiled on the nightstand and smiled.
"It worked." she said.
"What worked?" he asked, "What did you do?" She told him the whole thing. He shook his head.
"D-did I do something wrong?" she asked, worried.
"No, but you did something I would have said was impossible for you. Remember I told you that each person has a natural tendency with their Spirit Energy?" Lorin nodded.
"We figured out that your natural gift was Healing and created techniques that flowed from that base, like you Last Resort attack. The Rose Whip is not anywhere close to your base tendencies, yet you did it. Granted it drained you, but that was probably just a lack of the proper summoning."
"If I'm right," he continued. "then your Power potential just grew exponentially. If you can learn and use any attack, if taught, then you could be more powerful than....than anybody. I was going to introduce you to a friend of mine who is going to help teach you. With this new development, I'm even more glad that I asked him to come today." he stopped, realizing that Lorin still looked in pain and she was trying to follow him at the same time. He smiled and kissed her.
"I'll explain it again when your head clears." he said and kissed her again. Then they sat there for a few minutes in silence. Finally, Lorin announced that she felt better. They left the room, her Rose Whip tucked under her jacket. As they walked to the park, Kurama explained again and told her about his demon friend that she was going to meet, named Hiei.
* * * *
Lorin ran to open the door as the doorbell went off. It was Botan.
"Hey, Lorin, ready?" she asked. Lorin nodded and grabbed her duffle bag. Her parents thought she was going on a trip for Spring Break. She was really going to the Dark Tournament to support her teammates. Well, she was still in training, but she still felt a part of Team Urameshi. She felt kind of bad for lying to her parents, but they wouldn't have understood. Lorin stepped outside and locked the door.
"Don't you have to say good-bye?" Botan asked. Lorin shook her head.
"Nope. There's no one home. They left on a trip to the Mountains for Spring Break." They turned and headed down her front walk. At the end, two girls were standing, waiting. Lorin blinked.
"Hey, Keyko, right?" The girl nodded. "What are you doing here?" Keyko flashed a Look at Botan, who sighed.
"They're coming to the Tournament with us." she said. "And this is Shizuru, Kuwabara's older sister. They demanded to come."
"You guys know its going to be very dangerous, right? You can't go wandering off by yourselves." Keyko glared at her.
"We know that. And what about you? It's just as dangerous." she shot at Lorin.
"Well, actually, no, I'm different. You understand that Yusuke and Kuwabara have powers, right? Well, I have powers too, enough to protect myself... and you, now." Both girls nodded and a miserable Botan took them all to the Tournament, muttering, "Koenma's going to kill me."
* * * *
Lorin sat next to Botan and the other girls as they watched the first round. Kuwabara had already fought and lost. Kurama stepped into the ring. Lorin felt her heart quicken in worry. She knew there was a very real possibility he could die in this Tournament. That's why she was here. To watch, to be there for him. He didn't know that she had come. She wanted to surprise him. She frowned as Kurama and his opponent, Roto, just stood there. The match had started, but neither one had moved. Suddenly, to Lorin's horror, Kurama lowered his hands. They moved behind his back. What was he doing?!? Roto struck Kurama across the face and he stumbled back.
"Oh, my," Botan said. "What is he doing?" Lorin glared at her.
"I don't know. He's gonna get killed." Lorin watched as Kurama was hit again and again. He was bleeding freely and Lorin could feel his pain. The fight went on and on. He fell to the ground and lay still for a moment. That moment was an eternity. He got to his feet, slowly, too slowly for Lorin. She jumped to her feet. The stands were silent, watching.
"KURAMA, IF YOU DIE, I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!" Lorin's voice rang out in the silence. All members of both Teams whirled to find the origin of the voice. The demons around them, turned and glared at her. She glared back. Kurama looked up toward her. He raised a hand in salute. Still glaring, she raised her hand in response.
"YOU HEAR ME KURAMA? I MEAN IT! IF YOU DIE, I WILL HUNT YOU TO THE ENDS OF SPIRIT WORLD AND KILL YOU. SLOWLY!!!!!" She felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see Botan.
"I thought we were keeping a low profile," she whispered. Lorin shrugged.
"Some things needed saying." she retorted. Botan laughed nervously.
"Maybe we should go elsewhere to watch the rest of the fight." At that moment Kurama said something and Roto laughed. Then Roto turned into a huge bush of flowers. Lorin sat down hard, surprised and shocked at that ending. She hadn't even seen Kurama's attack. What had he done? Since there were flowers, she knew he had done something. She put her face in her hands. She felt a touch on her shoulder and looked up to see Botan.
"Don't you worry. He'll be fine." she said and gave her a forced smile. Lorin watched in tense concern as Kurama made his way off the fighting ring. She let out the tiniest sigh and relaxed a fraction as he made it safely off. She watched anxiously as the other two matches were fought. She relaxed a little more when Kurama wasn't forced to fight again. She stood as the team made their way out of the arena and joined the girls as they made their way to the guys rooms.
Lorin stopped just inside the doorway. Suddenly she was very nervous about seeing Kurama. Keyko stopped near Lorin, it looked like she was nervous too. Botan and Shizuru had no such qualms. They strode into the center of the room and Shizuru started yelling at her brother. Lorin felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Kurama smiling at her.
"I didn't die," he said. She touched his chest with her hand and leaned into him. She could feel that his wounds weren't that bad. He would Heal fine. She relaxed into his embrace. She felt tears coming to her eyes, but tried to hold them back. She realized at that moment, just how much she had been afraid that he would die and how much she didn't want to lose him. Kurama held her a little tighter and wiped the tears from her face.
"Why didn't you fight back?" she whispered, choked. She felt him tense a little. He was quiet for a moment.
"Roto threatened to kill my mother if I did." he said, whispering. Lorin looked up at him in shock.
"Your mother? Shiori?" Kurama nodded and Lorin saw a tear fall down his face. Lorin wiped it away and hugged him tighter.
"I don't want you to die." she said. He stroked her hair.
"I don't intend to. If Roto hadn't pulled that trick, he would have been dead in a few seconds."
"HEY!! That's mine, Urameshi!!! Give it back!" Kuwabara's voice rang out. Lorin and Kurama turned to see what was going on. Kurama kept one of her hands in his. Kuwabara and Yusuke were fighting over a cookie. Hiei was glaring at them both. Lorin moved to stand next to Hiei. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He glared up at her. She smiled back and dropped her hand after a second.
"Hello, Hiei. You fought well." Hiei grunted.
"Lorin. It was a stupid fight. There was no challenge." He snickered.
"Well, then maybe I'll spar with you later. I can give you at least more of a challenge than Zeru did."
"Possibly." he replied. He blurred for a second, then was back. He had the cookie in his hand and was breaking it in two. He handed her one half without a word. She took it as Kuwabara and Yusuke realized that the cookie was gone. They turned as Lorin and Hiei put the last pieces in their mouths. Lorin wished she had a camera for the looks on their faces. Kurama chuckled. He had moved next to Lorin. She looked at him.
"Do any of you need my Healing?" she asked. Kurama nodded.
"Yusuke and Kuwabara are in bad shape." he started. Both boys protested that they were fine. "My wounds will Heal on their own by the next fight, but I will let you Heal them if it will make you feel better. And Hiei is alright except for his right arm. But I don't know if he'll let you touch it." Hiei glared at both of them. Lorin gave him a small smile.
"Well then, I should start with Yusuke and Kuwabara. I want to look at your wounds at least and I will tackle Hiei last." That statement caused the two boys to crack up.
"Tackle Hiei!!!!!" Kuwabara said, laughing. "I'd like to see that!!!" Lorin did her impression of Hiei's Death Glare. She pushed him and Yusuke down on to the couch and placed a hand on each one's shoulder. She send her Healing Power through them. They were asleep in no time.
Kurama led her into his room. She turned to close the door and turned back to see a shirtless Kurama. She blushed and he smiled gently. His chest was covered in bruises and a couple of long gashes. The bruises were easy enough to Heal, the cuts were a little harder. She traced her Healing Energy over each one with her fingers. She knew her face was red and she was very aware of the fact that he had no shirt and that they were alone in his room. He slid a new shirt on when she was done, this one with no holes in it. She smiled at him and fled out of the room. She risked a glance back and saw understanding in his eyes and a little amusement.
She found Hiei's room, knocked, then entered. Hiei looked up startled. His arm was black and burned horribly. Lorin walked over to him, but didn't touch him.
"Can I try to help with that, Hiei?" she asked softly. Hiei glared at her.
"What makes you think I need it?" he shot at her.
"I know how much power you used in that attack. I also know something about burns. I know how much that has to hurt. A human would be on the floor, writhing in pain. Even though you're a lot stronger than most humans, it would still hurt a lot." She still didn't move, just waited. If she pushed it, Hiei would refuse to let her help. He glared at her for several minutes. Finally, he stuck his arm out at her.
"Fine," he spat. Lorin moved her hands so they weren't quite touching his arm and started to try to heal him.
* * * *
Lorin decided that she didn't like the seat she was sitting in. It was too uncomfortable, so she was sitting on the edge of her seat the whole time. Or maybe it was because she was watching her team closely, especially Kurama. But where was he? Neither he nor Hiei were on the field and the fight was just about to start. Someone near her cleared their throat. Lorin looked up to see a man in a black suit standing next to her. He had a scar across his right eye.
"May I sit here?" he asked, pointing to the seat next to her. His voice was polite and cultured. She nodded.
"That's fine. No one's sitting there." She turned back to the fight. It had started and still Kurama and Hiei weren't there.
"Cheating." she muttered. "Somehow the other team is cheating."
"Cheating? How so?" It was the man sitting next to her. She turned to him, surprised.
"Well, I don't think I can point to a specific rule they are breaking, but I call it cheating. Kurama and Hiei aren't there. They would never leave those three to fight by themselves, unless they were forced to."
"And you believe that the other Team is responsible?" he asked.
"Well, I think it is highly likely. It's too much of a coincidence that they only have three Tam members here too. If it wasn't their Team keeping Hiei and Kurama from the fight, their other two Team mates would be here."
"That certainly makes some sense." he replied. They were silent for a few moments, watching the fight. Lorin sighed.
"I should be down there." she muttered again.
"You can fight?" the man asked. Lorin mentally rolled her eyes. She would HAVE to remember not to mutter aloud anymore. This man's hearing was too good.
"Yes, I can." she said. "If the Tournament was held a month later, I would be down there."
"So, you are not fully trained, then?" he asked, curious.
"No, I am trained, but my teachers wouldn't let me fight. They wanted me to be completely comfortable with my skills. But I could be a match for any of the demons they've fought already." She paused. "I'm Lorin Nickols, by the way." He smiled at her.
"My name is Sakyo. It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled at her. She nodded. Her attention was drawn back to the fight as Kurama and Hiei flew in, literally. The fight was long and drawn out. Even after they defeated the Team, they had to defeat the evil Doctor. Lorin winced as a slight pause occurred between fights. She could tell that her Team was having problems.
Then came the announcement, saying that Team Urameshi had to be checked by the nurse. Lorin growled as Hiei and the Masked Fighter were trapped in the tent, unable to fight. That meant that only Kurama and Yusuke could fight. Those were not good odds.
"Stupid Committee. Why can't anyone fight fair here?" she said to Botan, who was on her other side.
"Because the Committee can be swayed by other things." Sakyo spoke from her left. She turned to face him.
"The Committee is getting on my nerves." she ground out. He chuckled and stood.
"Well, I must be going. I hope to see you all again." he bowed and left. Lorin returned to the fight. Kurama was fighting first and that meant he was fighting until he couldn't anymore. Her eyes never left that red hair. She flinched as if she was the one being struck every time Kurama was hit. Kurama lasted two full fights and part of a third. Well sort of. The last one he was unconscious, and getting beaten, so that really didn't count. She did have to admit that she liked the way that Touya fought. He was a skilled fighter, thinking, not just striking out.
Yusuke's fight was short but very painful. For Bakken. Yusuke didn't care for how Bakken had beaten up Kurama. Then Yusuke moved on to Jin. Lorin again was impressed with Jin. He fought with honor and treated Yusuke as a worthy opponent. The last fighter stepped into the ring. Yusuke just had to beat one more fighter and then they could rest.
The loudspeaker came on. Lorin jerked her head up. Yusuke had been disqualified. That was impossible!!! How could they win now? Hiei and the Masked Fighter were still trapped and Kuwabara was in no condition to fight at all. And Kurama. He had a Death plant in him. How could he fight? There was a long silence. The loudspeaker came on again.
"The Committee has decided that due to the unusual circumstances of this round, Team Urameshi will be allowed to use their Alternate fighter." Lorin frowned. Alternate Fighter? When did they get an Alternate Fighter? The Loudspeaker sounded for a third time.
"Would Lorin Nickols please report to the field immediately!" Lorin shot to her feet. That was her. How did the committee know she was there and could and would fight? No matter now. She had to get down to the filed. Lorin ran down the stairs two at a time.
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