Well, Yusuke shows up in this chapter, but don't expect the others for a while…at least while you know who they are. More likely than not you'll see Keiko, Hiei and (Youko) Kurama, Yukina, Koenma *duh, definitely*, and maybe (serious maybe) Botan and Kuwabara. I've got a few plans…^_^…But not for a while.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original YYH characters. I do, however, own Sakura, Mamoru, and all the grumpy fighters they'll run into in this tournament.
Yu Yu Hakusho: Blossom
Chapter 2: To Find An Apprentice
Mamoru glanced at his own reflection in the window of the moving bus and grinned at what he saw. He looked pretty tough if he did say so himself. His hair was still falling down in his eyes, sure, but the dark green jacket over blue jeans and a gray t-shirt made him the spitting image of his grandfather, if he did say so himself.
His stop was next, and he could hardly wait! His grandfather's letter had been full of excitement, alright. Seams he was looking for an apprentice to inherit his most powerful technique, the one he'd learned from his master…The Spirit Wave. He wanted, of course, to make sure he had the strongest student possible, so he was holding a kind of tournament…a series of tests almost identical to the ones that the previous master had apparently put him through to earn his right. They were gonna be tough, Mamoru knew that, but he could handle it.
"I'm gonna pass every single one!" he thought to himself as the bus pulled to a stop. "Well, about time!" he exclaimed out-loud, grabbing his bag and jumping off the bus as soon as he got to the door.
The first thing he noticed was that he was not the only one getting off here. He blinked a moment at a vibrant red flash, almost ready to yell 'fire' before he realized it was hair. Then with a second glance he realized it was that new transfer student…Sakura, he thought her name was…Koubai.
She was certainly dressed differently than she'd been at school. Her hair was pulled back modestly again, but this time held out of her eyes with a small, flowery hair ornament. She was dressed rather elegantly, but still like she was ready to fight anyone. It was a kind of tunic, dark, dark red and reaching her knees, with a high mandarin collar and golden yellow trim. The bright red rose from her bag was now tucked into the lapel of the tunic. It was tied around her waist with a thick yellow sash, over a sort of white martial arts outfit, the kind with long, loose sleeves and legs. Even her shoes seamed ready for a kind of elegant dance, thin slippers that would slid easily on a tile floor and were rather delicate compared to his thick, chunky hiking boots.
She brushed her hair back a moment, not noticing him. She was too preoccupied with a piece of paper in her hands. "This is it…" she muttered quietly, talking to herself. "This is the place…"
She started forward, climbing up white marble stairs. With a shock, Mamoru realized she was heading for his grandfather's house. Could she…?
"Hey, Kou…er, Sakura!" he called, chasing after her. The girl stopped, turning around in surprise as the boy ran to her side. "Hey…remember me? From class?"
"Yes…" she said quietly, thinking a moment. "Mamoru…is that right?"
"Yeah, that's me." Mamoru grinned, then his eyes grew more curious. "Are you going up that way? To the temple?"
"Um…I guess." Sakura shrugged. "I thought that maybe I could…train…with the master that lives there."
"Train?" Mamoru gasped. "Don't tell me you're after the Spirit Wave training, too?"
"I…suppose so…" she whispered, nervous. Spirit Wave? What was that?
"Look, I hate to disappoint you, but I'm the one who's getting that Spirit Wave technique." Mamoru's eyes glinted wildly as he bragged. "Master Urameshi is my grandfather!"
"Your…grandfather?" Sakura's green eyes grew wider and wider.
"Yup!" Mamoru grinned. "He's been training me for the past year, I've even got the first step to the Spirit Wave all down! It's called the Spirit Gun."
"Wow…" Sakura sounded a little expectant. "So are you gonna show me?"
"Uh…I would, but…" Mamoru blushed, a bit sheepish. "I can only fire one shot a day. I'm still kind of a beginner."
"Really." Sakura sighed coolly, glancing up at the steps. The letter echoed a moment in her ears, and her green eyes gleamed with determination. "Well…Be that as it may, I'm gonna try anyway!"
Mamoru blinked as she started up the stairs before him, then smiled a bit. "Hm… This should be interesting."
He hurried up after her, catching his schoolmate before she got too far. The two of them walked up together, occasionally mentioning something about school or homework but mostly not talking.
Almost to the top of the stairs, Sakura stopped, her eyes wide. Mamoru looked back. "What's the matter?"
"There's something here." Sakura whispered quietly. "I feel…something dark. It's near-by, and really, really strong."
Mamoru blinked, glancing around. There was a faint purple glow ahead of them, a barrier his grandfather had erected to keep the worthless ones out. Those with the spirit energy to use the attack were passing through, but the rest of them were pushed away. If they came too fast, the wall could throw them back past the street. But it wasn't a dark or powerful spell either way.
"I don't see anything." he said pointedly.
"I don't see it either." Sakura snapped. "It's strong, it's dark, it's powerful, and it's up ahead of us, at the temple. I don't have any idea what it could look like."
Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "What are you, psychic?" he asked under his breath. Somehow he doubted she had the Spirit Energy to make it past the barrier, and even his grandfather didn't have the awareness to sense something so indistinct that far away.
"You're just being paranoid." he sighed, impatient. "Come on, let's go!"
He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her up the steps. The usually calm, poker-faced Sakura was taken by surprised and practically dragged over several of them before regaining her balance.
Mamoru slowed when he reached the barrier, pausing a moment by the glowing purple. "It's just to keep the selection possible, so nobody's humiliated." he said to Sakura. "If you don't make it through, you don't have the energy for the Spirit Wave."
"I figured that." the girl wasn't next to him. She was already standing on the other side of the glowing purple wall, one hand stuck into the pocket of her pants and the other gently fingering the rose tucked into her lapel. "Well, are you coming?"
Mamoru stared a moment, then slid through the barrier himself. It felt kind of like being covered with a wet sheet for a spilt second, then he re-appeared on the other side.
About ten more steps and they were standing in the courtyard. Even with the barrier up, there was still at least fifty fighters who were grouped there. Sakura licked her dry lips nervously. All these opponents were at least a head taller than either herself or Mamoru, and several years older.
"Hn. And I thought the competition was gonna be tough." a man behind her scoffed to the one next to him. "But that barrier must've just been a chance of luck. How else could those two kids have gotten in here?"
"Kids?" Mamoru glanced around curiously. "Gee, I don't see any kids. Do you, Sakura?"
His classmate didn't answer, just continued to look quietly at the ground. The man who'd spoken before growled. "Look in the mirror, short stuff." he spat. "You and your little girlfriend just run along now and go play games or something."
Mamoru turned to face him. The man was about a head taller than he was, Sakura only came to his chest. His hair was long and matted, a dirty black, and his eyes were dark coal pits. There was a long scar running from just above his right eye to the right side of his chin. He was dressed rather gruffly, in a tattered brown shirt and torn black pants, with no shoes.
The man looked down at him with a smirk. "Whattya got to say to that, kodomo?" he hissed.
Mamoru's eyes narrowed in fury. "I'll show you…" he growled, rolling up his sleeves, but Sakura put a hand on his shoulder.
"Mamoru-san." she whispered quietly. "Now is not the time for fighting. Master Urameshi certainly would not approve."
"What…?" Mamoru exclaimed. The man laughed.
"Well, the little girl's got some sense!" he snorted. He grabbed Mamoru by the collar, looking the boy in the eye. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way. I'll be the one to get Urameshi's technique, just you wait and see."
He wandered off in the other direction, still laughing. Mamoru growled under his breath, spinning on Sakura. "Why'd you stop me? I could've taken him!"
"If he's really any trouble, you'll fight him soon enough." Sakura reasoned, her green eyes locking pointedly on his brown ones. "Otherwise it'll just be a waste of time and energy, with a chance of getting yourself beat up before you even get a chance to try…"
There was a crash of drums and the two large double doors began to open. "Quiet everybody!" someone shouted from the front. "The Master's coming!"
The entire courtyard was silent as footsteps came from inside the temple. "Well well well." the voice came from inside. "Isn't this a great turnout?"
The figure stepped out into the sunlight. He was tall and strong-looking, though thin, and was smiling a pleasant, comforting smile. His eyes were brown, slightly faded from age, and his hair was a fading greenish-black. He was dressed in a loose coat like a they sometimes wear in Karate or Tae Kwan Do, dark green with blue trim, tied over a white shirt with a blue sash, over blue sweat-pants. His shoes were the same style as Sakura's, just built a bit thicker.
"That old man is Master Urameshi?" someone behind them scoffed. "He doesn't look so tough."
"Sense the lot of you got in here, I'll take it you're all strong enough to learn the technique." he smiled, laughing a bit. "When I started this out I decided I wouldn't try to trick you folks with stupid games, like my old mentor did."
His eyes scanned the crowd, still smiling slightly. Then he spun on his heels. "Right then. The first true test is in here. Follow me."
The crowd watched as he disappeared into darkened room, then slowly…very slowly, hesitant to know if this was truly the master they wanted…they followed him.
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I need a little help. Can you guys give me some ideas as to what techniques the opponents can use? I mean, I've got a demon in the crowd, sure, who wouldn't? But I still have several others who need techniques…I need at least 2 or 3 more, so far including a martial artist and an acupuncturist. Even if I don't use them here, I'll use them for future missions! (Uh…ideas of something that could be stolen would be nice, too. It's all still in the works, you know?) Please review and tell me anything you want done! (except including Kuwabara…I told you he was a maybe)
A little explanation on the names (There are REASONS I call people what I do)
Sakura - Cherry Blossom
Koubai - Plum Tree
Mamoru - Earth
Words To Know:
Imoto-san - (Forgot it from CH.1) Little sister
Kodomo - Child