Tori the Hanyou: Wow, yes, last chappie was just about the shortest ever,
so I hurried up with this one. Yeah, I really only wanted to base it in
Kagome and Kurama's mating thing, so I dunno if you can guess what this
one's about.
Here's the answer to the lil game at the top of last chappie: Major Kurama Kagome Fluff! (Or Kagome Kurama Fluff)
Winners (tosses cookies to them): Kanna Fan
Now, here are the review answers:
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Nah, sorry, but here's your update!
Kanna Fan: You're welcome, and as for all that other stuff u said before, ya, my style of writing is to put loads of cliffies. I'm thinking about a sequel, but I'm not too sure. I'm gonna ask the reviewers about it in the last chappie of this story (which shouldn't be too far from now ;-;) I liked working on this fic, and I'm hoping I can do a sequel, if anyone wants it. Well anywho, thanks for reviewing, and here's the next chappie!
starangel4899: sad, I hate it when siblings ruin stuff for you, I oughta know, I got a big bro and a lil sis, both are very abusive. Not much I can do about it, though, they're the 'perfect' ones after all, I'm the one who always gets yelled at (sigh). That's family for ya. Thanks for reviewing!
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Fighting Back
Chapter 16: Mating Rituals, Part 1
()()()()() Now, let's go back in time to about...say...when the group split up, except this time we're going to follow and see what became of Hiei and the disobedient girls... ()()()()()()()()()()
"Hurry! In here, Botan!" said Tori to her friend as they raced into the front door of the aquarium, making a sharp left and running down the stairs into the tank area. Tori smiled as Botan caught her breath.
"Tori...do you really think it...was wise...to do that?" she panted. Tori nodded.
"Now come on, let's go see the animals!" She tugged on Botan's arm, and the Grim Reaper reluctantly followed.
They walked down each isle, happily looking at all of the sea creatures to be seen. Tori looked with interest at the sharks as they passed by. "You know what a Great White Shark is, Botan?" she asked.
Botan nodded.
"I hear it's that awful creature that eats people and is one of the biggest sharks of them all," she said, shuddering, "a lot of the people I've taken to Spirit World died because of that monster."
Tori shook her head.
"No, Botan, you've got it all wrong. First off, Great Whites don't normally eat people. They'll usually only attack surfers because the surfers look like their favorite meal: seals. Think about it, a long, oval shaped body with four appendages paddling along, it'd look like a seal to me if I had shark eyes," explained Tori.
"That still doesn't tell me why some of the people I took weren't surfers," said Botan.
"Sharks are all very curious. Sadly, their sense of sight isn't all that good. So, when they see a foreign object, their first instinct is to bite it to investigate it. That's usually what happens when they attack non- surfers, but the shark could also be fighting back, if the human was bothering it. Also, Great Whites are big sharks, growing to be between 15 and 25 feet long, but the biggest of them all is the whale shark, which can be up to 40 feet long, and it doesn't even eat meat."
"Well then, if you know so much about those monsters, how come they're not in this aquarium?" asked Botan.
"Great Whites have never been sharks that could be successfully kept in captivity. No one knows why, it's usually problems with stress, or they get mysteriously ill. Personally, I think it's God's will so that no one will put one of his best killing machines in a glass box on display," explained Tori. Botan sighed.
"Oh well, I still don't like them," she said. Tori smiled.
"That's ok, not many people do, even after learning the facts," she said.
They continued on, watching all of the animals. Botan seemed to develop a great liking for the porpoises and dolphins, but Tori just about glued herself to the killer whale tank wall.
"My favorite animal in the sea," she said as Botan came up. One of the whales came over to see them, and it opened its mouth to make a loud clicking sound, and Botan's eyes widened.
"It has big teeth," she said. Tori giggled, imitating the whale's clicking sound. It stopped, and looked at her curiously. She giggled again. The whale soon let out a beautiful call, and it echoed throughout the tank. The other whales came over.
"So that sound calls its friends over..." muttered Tori.
They all looked at the two girls. Botan watched them curiously as they exchanged clicks and squeals.
"They sound just like dolphins," she said.
"They are dolphins, the largest member of the dolphin family," said Tori, "it's actually quite funny, they're called killer whales, but they're dolphins."
They continued their walk through the aquarium, and Botan kept checking nervously over her shoulder. "What's wrong?" asked Tori.
"I don't like it. I feel as though we're being followed," said Botan. Tori looked around.
"I don't see anyone."
"Can we go, Tori? Please?" asked Botan. Tori stared at her.
"What's the matter, Botan? Weren't we having fun?"
"Yes, yes, I had fun, but we really should go, now," said Botan.
"Why?"
"I-I don't know; I have a very bad feeling."
"Botan, I don't..."
"No, you should really listen to her, Tori," came a cold voice from behind Botan, who just about freaked out, "she knows when someone is following you, tracking your every move."
Tori stared into the shadows. The glow of the tanks wasn't helping much, but she could just barely make out a familiar silhouette.
"Hiei?" she asked.
He stepped out, facing her, his red eyes flashing dangerously. Botan trembled and hid behind Tori.
"You can go, Botan," said Hiei, "I'm not holding anything against you."
Botan looked around Tori's shoulder at the demon, and one glance from him sent her towards the stairs.
Once she was gone, Tori saw the glint in Hiei's eyes, and she turned and tried to follow Botan, but Hiei was in front of her before she could take a step.
"Didn't I specifically tell you NOT to go running off?" he asked. Tori didn't respond, she only stood still, letting him come closer. She wasn't running away. "Didn't I?" he repeated. Tori stared defiantly at him. "I asked you a question," growled Hiei.
"Which I don't have to answer," muttered Tori. She turned and started walking in the other direction.
Once more, Hiei's demon blood boiled, and before Tori had gotten very far, she felt steel arms wrapped around her own, and sharp fangs pressing against her neck, threatening to pierce. She froze, feeling her heart begin to race again. What was he doing? Was he...biting her? "Hiei?" she asked warily.
He released her, but kept a firm hold on one of her arms, spinning her around to face him.
"Don't EVER run off like that again, unless I say so," he muttered stiffly. Tori's eyes widened.
"Unless you SAY so?? Who the hell do you think you are?? You can't just...TELL me what to do and expect me to do it! The world doesn't work like that!" snapped Tori as she tugged on the arm that Hiei still gripped tightly.
Now she'd done it...
Suddenly, she felt herself zipping through the air, and soon she was out back of the aquarium, held in Hiei's arms. They took off through the air before anyone could see them, heading for the ocean.
Hiei had a weird look in his eyes as Tori saw them, and she once more felt a flash of fear slip in and out of her body.
He scanned the ocean, soon spotting a huge rock far away from the pier. He soared over to it, seeing an area cut out on the back so it was flat with a wall behind it. Deep water surrounded the rock. The word 'perfect' flashed through Hiei's mind as he flew down, dropping Tori on the flat part of the rock, landing next to her.
She only glared at him and scooted away to look down in the water. Yeah, it was pretty deep. She thought she saw a strange shape pass near the rock, but she couldn't be sure. She felt Hiei's eyes on her, and turned to look at him.
The sun was beginning to set, emphasizing the red in his orbs. Tori wrenched her gaze away and continued to stare into the water, thinking of any possible way she could jump into the water and swim back to the pier without Hiei noticing. Sadly enough, she'd have to do without the Hiei not noticing part, because his eyes were constantly fixed on her.
It wasn't long before Hiei's demon blood began to triumph over him. He fought hard to keep it down, but it slowly took over, bit by bit.
Tori heard growling behind her, and she turned to see Hiei's eyes shut, and he gave another growl before flashing them open, directly at her. Tori gulped, and decided to try her plan anyway. She fell forward, but before her face was an inch away from the water, she felt herself being pulled back up, and tightly wrapped in Hiei's arms.
"You're not going anywhere, Tori," said Hiei, and Tori heard a sinister tone to his voice.
"What do you mean? Of course I am!" snapped Tori angrily. He glared, tightening his arms.
"I said, no," he whispered.
Tori struggled to break free.
"And I said YES! Now let go of me!" He didn't.
That's when Tori tried one of the stupidest things ever: she drew out her claws. "I swear, Hiei, if you don't let go of me..."
Snarling, Hiei flipped her onto her back, holding down her hands, staring daggers into her eyes.
"You're in no position to make threats," he muttered dangerously, "now stay still." Tori stared at him unbelievably. Why was he doing this? What was going on?
Tori decided to finally obey him: just about the smartest thing she'd done all day. Seeing that Tori wasn't going to try anything, Hiei got off of her, and pulled her back into his arms.
Silently, yet in a puzzled manner, Tori rested her head against Hiei's shoulder. She had no idea what was happening, but she heard Hiei's quiet growl of approval.
About an hour later, Hiei stood up, helping Tori to her feet. They flew back to the mainland, and Tori didn't say a word. She HAD to talk to Kagome when they got back, maybe she'd know what was wrong with Hiei.
They soon arrived at the hotel, and went inside, heading up to their rooms. Tori found it quite annoying how Hiei stayed right by her the entire time, giving any guys who looked in their direction a death glare.
When they opened the door, Tori practically flew away from Hiei and jumped behind the couch, where Kurama and Kagome were sitting with a pale- looking Botan. The minute Botan saw Hiei, she squeaked and hid with Tori. Kagome gave them both a very puzzled look, as Hiei gave Kurama a strange glance and went into the other room.
"I...err...need to use the restroom," said Botan as she ran into the bathroom and shut the door. The sink turning on was all that was heard.
"Um, Tori? Why are you two acting like this? It's like you're afraid of Hiei," said Kagome.
"I guess he gave Botan a scare," said Kurama, "I'm not too sure about you, though, Tori."
"Kagome, I REALLY need to talk to you," said Tori, getting up and going out on the porch. Kagome nodded, and stood up, walking to the door, when she heard a warning growl. She turned around to see Kurama watching her, but his eyes flashed a dangerous gold.
"Remember..." was all he said. Kagome gulped, and quickly went back to sit next to Kurama. Tori watched with confusion.
"Kagome?"
"Tori, you're gonna have to talk to me with Kurama, too. I'll explain the day after tomorrow, ok?"
"I'm sorry, Kagome," said Kurama, "he's keeping tabs on us, that's for sure."
"Who?" asked Tori.
"I'll explain when I said I would, ok?" asked Kagome. Tori nodded. She came over and sat next to Kagome on the couch.
"Hiei's acting weird," started Tori. Kurama and Kagome exchanged glances.
"How so?" asked Kurama. Tori blushed.
"I...I dunno, he was...just...he acted...odd," she said, stumbling over her words.
"Dominating?" asked Kurama. Tori raised her head.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Kagome gasped.
"Kurama, you don't think..."
"Yes, Kagome, I do," said the kitsune.
Tori looked from one to the other.
"What??? Tell me!" They both gave her pained looks.
"Sorry, Tori, but I'll have to tell you later," said Kagome.
"What the hell is going on?? Hiei's confusing me with his little possessive act, and all you two can do is make it worse! Can anyone help me here??" asked Tori.
"No, I'm afraid not," said Kurama, "all I can say is, you'd better try to get used to what Hiei's doing, and follow his orders, or else you'll make him very angry."
"I already found that out the hard way!" said Tori.
"Oh, dear..." said Kurama, "well then, just try not to let his behavior bother you too much."
"Why can't you guys tell me?" asked Tori.
"It's a demon policy," said Kagome, "I can't tell you about that, either."
Tori sighed in exasperation and flopped backwards on the couch.
"What am I gonna do?" she mumbled.
The couple shrugged.
It wasn't long before Yusuke and Kuwabara came in from their arcade rave. Tori decided not to get caught up in their talk about who got the highest score on what game, and she climbed into bed, going straight to sleep.
(The next morning)
Tori went out for a little morning walk, stopping down in the lobby to grab a small bite of breakfast.
She headed out into the streets, watching the early morning duelists. She noticed that there weren't many people left in Battle City. The stronger duelists had eliminated them all. Tori had never considered herself a very strong duelist, so she knew the only reason she was still in the tournament was because she hadn't dueled many people.
Sighing, and adjusting her duel disk to a more comfortable position, Tori walked out into the park. She followed the little stream as it went on its way, meandering through the grass.
There was only a couple of people here, but no duelists, thankfully. Tori felt the light breeze kick up, and blow her dark blonde hair off her shoulders. Her brown eyes stared thoughtfully into the running water below her as she sat down on the stream bank, leaning against a tree trunk.
'Why couldn't Kurama and Kagome tell me? What the hell did they mean by demon policy? I swear, if there're any other freaky things going on, I'd like to know RIGHT NOW!' she thought.
Almost as soon as she completed that mental statement, she heard the grass rustle behind her. Whirling around, she was soon face-to-face with none other than...
"Y-Yugi?" she asked, her throat drying up. He smirked, his amethyst eyes flashing in the light from the sunrise.
"Why hello Tori. Fancy meeting you here," he said with subtlety. Tori scooted away from him as he sat down next to her.
"What do you want?" she asked, not daring to meet his gaze. He watched her.
"You, of course. You've had me worried sick for the past six months. I was beginning to wonder if you might be dead," said Yugi.
"Might've been better off if I was," muttered Tori.
"Don't say things like that. Even though I can sense your anger towards me, I don't care. I still have feelings for you," he said. Tori turned to see the look on his face. It was devoid of any sinister emotion, completely unlike what she'd seen the other day.
"Yugi...I...can't. I can't love you anymore," said Tori, "you hate me, you wanted me gone."
"Tori, that was Marik's work, not mine..."
"That's not the point, Yugi! The insults had only been the last straw! Even before then, I felt our bond breaking. You were starting to scare me, a lot. I couldn't live my own life with you, you just kept me under a spell almost the whole time."
"It was to make sure you didn't run away..."
"Wouldn't you have taken the hint if I did?? If I'd wanted to run away, wouldn't that have shown you how you were treating me?? I cared about you before, Yugi, and I thought I could be happy with you. I was, for a time, happier than I was with Riku, but then I saw your true side, and I'm not talking about Yami," said Tori. Yugi sighed.
"I can change, you know..."
"It's too late, Yugi. You've broken my heart, and I can't forgive you for that." 'Not like how Kagome continuously forgave Inuyasha,' she thought to herself.
"Then tell me something, who was that other guy you were with?" asked Yugi, scooting closer.
"He's Hiei, one of the demons I have to work with," said Tori.
"Have to?" asked Yugi.
"Yes, I'm supposed to help look for these...err...things, and I was assigned to work with Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kagome."
"But why do you have to? Did you have a choice?" asked Yugi. Tori sighed.
"No, I didn't. But I don't care anymore. I've gotten used to it. This choker was what prevented me from running away from them, or attacking them. At first, I admit, I truly hated it. I felt like a dog on a leash, just like how I felt with you."
"Tori, come on, you gotta see it from my point of view. There were other guys who wanted you, and keeping you near me was the only way I could think of to fend them off," said Yugi, coming closer, "besides, it was also my way of showing that I cared."
Suddenly, Tori felt his arms wrap around her, and she gasped, struggling.
"Let go of me!" she snapped. She tried to reach down and bite one of his arms to make him release, but he used one of his hands, tilting her head up to meet his.
"Come back to me, Tori," he whispered, and Tori caught a glimpse of the Millennium symbol on his forehead.
"No..." she muttered, feeling his shadow powers pry once more into her mind.
Yugi smirked. He'd won. He'd done it. She was his again.
But that all changed, when he felt an enraged power blast into him, knocking him off of her, and stopping his spell.
He looked up, seeing one furious Hiei standing protectively over Tori. The look in his crimson orbs was ultimate death, blazing with the light of the sun.
Yugi stood up, facing his opponent, glaring, his amethyst eyes flashing.
"So, it's you," he muttered.
"You know it is. Stay away from her," snarled Hiei.
"I really don't think a pathetic demon can stop me. You have no idea who I am, do you?" asked Yugi.
"So, you're good at playing cards, yada yada, Tori told me all about it, that doesn't change the fact that I can dice your head off any second I choose," snapped Hiei.
"I'm not just a duelist, you know. Obviously, Tori didn't tell you of my powers," said Yugi. Hiei's look didn't change.
"So what? You have abilities. I really don't care. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a demon, born and bred with the power to kill," he said.
"Your weak and stupid demonic talents would not be enough to stop me," said Yugi, smirking.
Hiei just about lost his temper. Yugi had hit the demon's weak spot: his pride.
Without anything else, he disappeared. Yugi's smirk grew, thinking he'd scared him off. But, that was before he felt a blade run across his back, and he whirled around to see Hiei with the smirk on this time. "How'd you get over there?" asked Yugi.
"It's a little talent I like to call super speed. Let's see if you can top that," said Hiei.
Yugi glared.
"You know it." He spread his arms, his Millennium Puzzle beginning to glow. Out of the puzzle spewed some sort of black cloud, surrounding the two combatants. "Let's take this to the Shadow Realm, shall we?" asked Yugi. Hiei thought for a second. There was another one? He knew about the Demon, Human, and Spirit Realms, but he'd never before heard of a Shadow Realm. Koenma would have a fit about this one...
When the black cloud had completely covered their new battlefield, Yugi reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out a fine white gold chain, which held small white charm shaped like two outstretched wings.
Hiei watched as it glowed slightly, and then Yugi was rising into the air. "Looks like I can fly," said Yugi. Three words appeared in Hiei's mind, 'The Flight Pendant.'
He smirked, rising into the air.
"Oh, well what do you know? It appears I'm gifted with that ability, too," he said. Yugi slightly scowled, but it disappeared quickly.
Yugi held out his hands, apparently concentrating. Soon, a long sword appeared in them, created of black energy.
"Meet my Shadow Sword. I created it myself," said Yugi, watching it with a fond pride.
"That's child's play. An oaf I know uses that same trick," said Hiei, holding up his own sword. He glanced down at his right wrist, where underneath his black sleeve rested the bandages he'd wrapped around his arm to seal the great power hidden within. 'I shouldn't have to resort to using the Dragon on him. He's not worth it,' thought Hiei, 'for now, if my swordsmanship fails, which it won't, I'll simply stick with the flame that I've mastered.' He looked at where Tori had been lying on the ground.
Yugi followed his gaze, knowing what he was thinking.
"Do you really think I'd have brought her here? Her mind would have soon been swallowed up by the countless shadows that lurk in these corners. Then what kind of soul mate would I be for her?" asked Yugi.
"If you're talking about mindless, then you'd have been perfect. Sadly, though, I still wouldn't have allowed it," said Hiei.
Yugi glared. He held up his sword.
"If you think you can take the power of the Pharaoh of Egypt, then just try me," he said.
"Right...you're the Pharaoh of Egypt...I'll believe it when I see it," said Hiei. Yugi charged, zipping straight at him. Hiei, of course, dodged, and struck Yugi another blow across the back with his sword.
They clashed, sword against sword, will against will, human against demon. This wasn't just a battle for Tori anymore; it had become a war over pride. Hiei himself was quite surprised of the skill that Yugi used to wield his weapon. He was much better at handling a Spirit Sword, or 'Shadow Sword', than Kuwabara.
Hiei back flipped to avoid a horizontal cut from Yugi, but the duelist acted quickly, and finished with a combo attack just as Hiei landed, striking deep into his side. Hiei gritted his teeth. It was the first time Yugi had actually hit him, and it was a deep blow.
The battle continued for what seemed like hours, each sword strike becoming fiercer. Hiei dodged another of Yugi's deadly combo attacks and spun around to make a nice cut along the length of Yugi's arm. He was just about to thrust into his shoulder, when Yugi's blade came up, blocking the attack. They held the swords there, trying to push forward, each never losing his hold.
Both were panting, their swords trembling with the pressure, each trying to surmount the other's deadly glares. Hiei snarled and gave one final shove, knocking Yugi backwards, and dealing him a hefty blow across the head, knocking him out of the air to the ground.
He landed, and while Yugi was in a daze, he used the tip of his sword to flick the Flight Pendant off of Yugi's neck, bringing it over to himself. He stuck it safely in his pocket, and waited for Yugi to rise, being the honorable fighter that he was.
Yugi rose, and looked at his Sword. He clenched his fist, and the weapon disappeared. Seeing he had nothing to attack with, Hiei sheathed his sword as well. Yugi held out his hands, and fierce orbs of black energy escaped from them, heading straight for Hiei. He jumped, avoiding them, and reappeared across the battlefield.
Hiei clenched his own fists, concentrating his mighty fire energy into them. Smirking as he saw his hands burst into bright yellow flames, Hiei once more zipped across the area, appearing next to Yugi.
"Fists of the Mortal Flame!!" he called, and his hands shot forward in a flurry of furious punches. Yugi winced as he felt the fire attack him, rip at his body. He turned his back to block the fire, but Hiei aimed one mighty punch at the paralyzing spot on the human's back. Demons didn't have one, but humans had a certain area in the lower back region where, if they were punched, they were paralyzed for a very short time. Hiei hit, and Yugi felt his body go rigid.
The power of Hiei's shot had guaranteed immobilization for a while, but Hiei simply backed off. When Yugi regained control of himself, he turned to the demon.
"Well? Why didn't you finish me? You had the chance!" he said. Hiei smirked.
"I wanted to show you what I'm capable of doing. Clearly, I'm the superior fighter, if you didn't know about every human's weak spot," said Hiei.
Yugi glared.
Hiei turned, heading for the edge of the black cloud. Yugi couldn't resist. He held his hands together, feeling the power surge into them. He blasted a black beam towards the unsuspecting demon.
Hiei heard the beam coming, and leapt into the air, but just slightly too late. The black energy nailed him in the leg, and he clenched his jaw to keep from making a sound. He landed, favoring his right leg, which felt like it was on fire. Yugi laughed.
"Now who's the superior fighter, demon?"
Hiei stood up straight.
"Clearly, you're still not. A true fighter doesn't use cheap tricks and attack while his opponent's back is turned. A true fighter attacks when his opponent is aware of it, and able to block it, if he can. You're the lowest of the low if you pull stunts like that," he scorned.
Yugi's smirk changed back to a glare.
"Fine, then, now that I have your attention, let's see if you can take my full power!" he shouted. He started glowing with a golden light, his eyes burning with the uncontrolled power he was coming close to releasing.
Hiei sensed it all. Yugi really didn't know how to control his energy. 'Just like Bui,' he thought. (Bui's the huge, armored guy Hiei fought in the Dark Tournament Finals) Yugi unleashed an incredible amount of energy, a million beams of light heading straight for the pyre. Hiei tried to leap out of the way, but two of the beams struck, one through his already injured leg, and one through his left shoulder.
Hiei couldn't help but let a slight growl of pain escape his throat. He landed, staring at his opponent. He had no choice; it was the Dragon or die. He quickly pulled up his sleeve, tearing off the bandages on his right arm, revealing the long, black scar spiraling down it. He held the arm out towards Yugi, summoning as much energy as he could to lure the Dragon out of Spirit World. He felt it coming.
A searing pain shot up and down Hiei's arm as the dragon exploded from the end, devouring Hiei's offered energy, and turning towards the rampaging duelist.
Yugi once more shot energy beams, but the Dragon simply devoured these, too, feeding off the life energy from them.
With a mighty, screeching roar, the Dragon descended upon Yugi, soaking up almost every ounce of his strength. With nothing but a trembling body and a trickle of life energy left, Yugi collapsed to the ground as the Dragon went back to Spirit World, full.
The black cloud disappeared, and Hiei kept his footing, though he was very tired. He didn't like summoning the Dragon too much; he'd only use it as a last resort. He tilted his head towards the risen sun, closing his eyes. Sighing, he walked over to Tori, who appeared to have awoken just then.
"Hiei?" she asked weakly. He sat down next to her, leaning against the tree. "Is he..." Tori started.
"Dead? No, he's over there," said Hiei, pointing to Yugi's fallen form. Tori looked down at his arm.
"Hiei! What's..." She was cut off when he put a finger over her mouth.
"I'll tell you later. For now, let's just rest."
Tori nodded, and figured he'd just sit there on the ground, but apparently he didn't want to. Picking her up, he leapt high into the tree's branches, landing on a very thick one. He rested on this one, sitting Tori in his lap. She didn't care, she rested her head on his shoulder, and the two nodded off.
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Tori the Hanyou: Part 1 finished! Yippee! Well, they got one more demon artifact, and two steps in the ritual were done.
NOTE: For those of you who saw last week's new YYH episode, you'll notice I didn't do this chapter according to it. Sorry, but Hiei's scar and summoning of the dragon went with the chappie so perfectly. (Wasn't that episode SO FUCKING AWESOME???) Now, let's just say our whittle good byes FOR NOW, and here's the next chappie!
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: Mating Rituals, Part 2 (duh!)
REVIEW!!!
Here's the answer to the lil game at the top of last chappie: Major Kurama Kagome Fluff! (Or Kagome Kurama Fluff)
Winners (tosses cookies to them): Kanna Fan
Now, here are the review answers:
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Nah, sorry, but here's your update!
Kanna Fan: You're welcome, and as for all that other stuff u said before, ya, my style of writing is to put loads of cliffies. I'm thinking about a sequel, but I'm not too sure. I'm gonna ask the reviewers about it in the last chappie of this story (which shouldn't be too far from now ;-;) I liked working on this fic, and I'm hoping I can do a sequel, if anyone wants it. Well anywho, thanks for reviewing, and here's the next chappie!
starangel4899: sad, I hate it when siblings ruin stuff for you, I oughta know, I got a big bro and a lil sis, both are very abusive. Not much I can do about it, though, they're the 'perfect' ones after all, I'm the one who always gets yelled at (sigh). That's family for ya. Thanks for reviewing!
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Fighting Back
Chapter 16: Mating Rituals, Part 1
()()()()() Now, let's go back in time to about...say...when the group split up, except this time we're going to follow and see what became of Hiei and the disobedient girls... ()()()()()()()()()()
"Hurry! In here, Botan!" said Tori to her friend as they raced into the front door of the aquarium, making a sharp left and running down the stairs into the tank area. Tori smiled as Botan caught her breath.
"Tori...do you really think it...was wise...to do that?" she panted. Tori nodded.
"Now come on, let's go see the animals!" She tugged on Botan's arm, and the Grim Reaper reluctantly followed.
They walked down each isle, happily looking at all of the sea creatures to be seen. Tori looked with interest at the sharks as they passed by. "You know what a Great White Shark is, Botan?" she asked.
Botan nodded.
"I hear it's that awful creature that eats people and is one of the biggest sharks of them all," she said, shuddering, "a lot of the people I've taken to Spirit World died because of that monster."
Tori shook her head.
"No, Botan, you've got it all wrong. First off, Great Whites don't normally eat people. They'll usually only attack surfers because the surfers look like their favorite meal: seals. Think about it, a long, oval shaped body with four appendages paddling along, it'd look like a seal to me if I had shark eyes," explained Tori.
"That still doesn't tell me why some of the people I took weren't surfers," said Botan.
"Sharks are all very curious. Sadly, their sense of sight isn't all that good. So, when they see a foreign object, their first instinct is to bite it to investigate it. That's usually what happens when they attack non- surfers, but the shark could also be fighting back, if the human was bothering it. Also, Great Whites are big sharks, growing to be between 15 and 25 feet long, but the biggest of them all is the whale shark, which can be up to 40 feet long, and it doesn't even eat meat."
"Well then, if you know so much about those monsters, how come they're not in this aquarium?" asked Botan.
"Great Whites have never been sharks that could be successfully kept in captivity. No one knows why, it's usually problems with stress, or they get mysteriously ill. Personally, I think it's God's will so that no one will put one of his best killing machines in a glass box on display," explained Tori. Botan sighed.
"Oh well, I still don't like them," she said. Tori smiled.
"That's ok, not many people do, even after learning the facts," she said.
They continued on, watching all of the animals. Botan seemed to develop a great liking for the porpoises and dolphins, but Tori just about glued herself to the killer whale tank wall.
"My favorite animal in the sea," she said as Botan came up. One of the whales came over to see them, and it opened its mouth to make a loud clicking sound, and Botan's eyes widened.
"It has big teeth," she said. Tori giggled, imitating the whale's clicking sound. It stopped, and looked at her curiously. She giggled again. The whale soon let out a beautiful call, and it echoed throughout the tank. The other whales came over.
"So that sound calls its friends over..." muttered Tori.
They all looked at the two girls. Botan watched them curiously as they exchanged clicks and squeals.
"They sound just like dolphins," she said.
"They are dolphins, the largest member of the dolphin family," said Tori, "it's actually quite funny, they're called killer whales, but they're dolphins."
They continued their walk through the aquarium, and Botan kept checking nervously over her shoulder. "What's wrong?" asked Tori.
"I don't like it. I feel as though we're being followed," said Botan. Tori looked around.
"I don't see anyone."
"Can we go, Tori? Please?" asked Botan. Tori stared at her.
"What's the matter, Botan? Weren't we having fun?"
"Yes, yes, I had fun, but we really should go, now," said Botan.
"Why?"
"I-I don't know; I have a very bad feeling."
"Botan, I don't..."
"No, you should really listen to her, Tori," came a cold voice from behind Botan, who just about freaked out, "she knows when someone is following you, tracking your every move."
Tori stared into the shadows. The glow of the tanks wasn't helping much, but she could just barely make out a familiar silhouette.
"Hiei?" she asked.
He stepped out, facing her, his red eyes flashing dangerously. Botan trembled and hid behind Tori.
"You can go, Botan," said Hiei, "I'm not holding anything against you."
Botan looked around Tori's shoulder at the demon, and one glance from him sent her towards the stairs.
Once she was gone, Tori saw the glint in Hiei's eyes, and she turned and tried to follow Botan, but Hiei was in front of her before she could take a step.
"Didn't I specifically tell you NOT to go running off?" he asked. Tori didn't respond, she only stood still, letting him come closer. She wasn't running away. "Didn't I?" he repeated. Tori stared defiantly at him. "I asked you a question," growled Hiei.
"Which I don't have to answer," muttered Tori. She turned and started walking in the other direction.
Once more, Hiei's demon blood boiled, and before Tori had gotten very far, she felt steel arms wrapped around her own, and sharp fangs pressing against her neck, threatening to pierce. She froze, feeling her heart begin to race again. What was he doing? Was he...biting her? "Hiei?" she asked warily.
He released her, but kept a firm hold on one of her arms, spinning her around to face him.
"Don't EVER run off like that again, unless I say so," he muttered stiffly. Tori's eyes widened.
"Unless you SAY so?? Who the hell do you think you are?? You can't just...TELL me what to do and expect me to do it! The world doesn't work like that!" snapped Tori as she tugged on the arm that Hiei still gripped tightly.
Now she'd done it...
Suddenly, she felt herself zipping through the air, and soon she was out back of the aquarium, held in Hiei's arms. They took off through the air before anyone could see them, heading for the ocean.
Hiei had a weird look in his eyes as Tori saw them, and she once more felt a flash of fear slip in and out of her body.
He scanned the ocean, soon spotting a huge rock far away from the pier. He soared over to it, seeing an area cut out on the back so it was flat with a wall behind it. Deep water surrounded the rock. The word 'perfect' flashed through Hiei's mind as he flew down, dropping Tori on the flat part of the rock, landing next to her.
She only glared at him and scooted away to look down in the water. Yeah, it was pretty deep. She thought she saw a strange shape pass near the rock, but she couldn't be sure. She felt Hiei's eyes on her, and turned to look at him.
The sun was beginning to set, emphasizing the red in his orbs. Tori wrenched her gaze away and continued to stare into the water, thinking of any possible way she could jump into the water and swim back to the pier without Hiei noticing. Sadly enough, she'd have to do without the Hiei not noticing part, because his eyes were constantly fixed on her.
It wasn't long before Hiei's demon blood began to triumph over him. He fought hard to keep it down, but it slowly took over, bit by bit.
Tori heard growling behind her, and she turned to see Hiei's eyes shut, and he gave another growl before flashing them open, directly at her. Tori gulped, and decided to try her plan anyway. She fell forward, but before her face was an inch away from the water, she felt herself being pulled back up, and tightly wrapped in Hiei's arms.
"You're not going anywhere, Tori," said Hiei, and Tori heard a sinister tone to his voice.
"What do you mean? Of course I am!" snapped Tori angrily. He glared, tightening his arms.
"I said, no," he whispered.
Tori struggled to break free.
"And I said YES! Now let go of me!" He didn't.
That's when Tori tried one of the stupidest things ever: she drew out her claws. "I swear, Hiei, if you don't let go of me..."
Snarling, Hiei flipped her onto her back, holding down her hands, staring daggers into her eyes.
"You're in no position to make threats," he muttered dangerously, "now stay still." Tori stared at him unbelievably. Why was he doing this? What was going on?
Tori decided to finally obey him: just about the smartest thing she'd done all day. Seeing that Tori wasn't going to try anything, Hiei got off of her, and pulled her back into his arms.
Silently, yet in a puzzled manner, Tori rested her head against Hiei's shoulder. She had no idea what was happening, but she heard Hiei's quiet growl of approval.
About an hour later, Hiei stood up, helping Tori to her feet. They flew back to the mainland, and Tori didn't say a word. She HAD to talk to Kagome when they got back, maybe she'd know what was wrong with Hiei.
They soon arrived at the hotel, and went inside, heading up to their rooms. Tori found it quite annoying how Hiei stayed right by her the entire time, giving any guys who looked in their direction a death glare.
When they opened the door, Tori practically flew away from Hiei and jumped behind the couch, where Kurama and Kagome were sitting with a pale- looking Botan. The minute Botan saw Hiei, she squeaked and hid with Tori. Kagome gave them both a very puzzled look, as Hiei gave Kurama a strange glance and went into the other room.
"I...err...need to use the restroom," said Botan as she ran into the bathroom and shut the door. The sink turning on was all that was heard.
"Um, Tori? Why are you two acting like this? It's like you're afraid of Hiei," said Kagome.
"I guess he gave Botan a scare," said Kurama, "I'm not too sure about you, though, Tori."
"Kagome, I REALLY need to talk to you," said Tori, getting up and going out on the porch. Kagome nodded, and stood up, walking to the door, when she heard a warning growl. She turned around to see Kurama watching her, but his eyes flashed a dangerous gold.
"Remember..." was all he said. Kagome gulped, and quickly went back to sit next to Kurama. Tori watched with confusion.
"Kagome?"
"Tori, you're gonna have to talk to me with Kurama, too. I'll explain the day after tomorrow, ok?"
"I'm sorry, Kagome," said Kurama, "he's keeping tabs on us, that's for sure."
"Who?" asked Tori.
"I'll explain when I said I would, ok?" asked Kagome. Tori nodded. She came over and sat next to Kagome on the couch.
"Hiei's acting weird," started Tori. Kurama and Kagome exchanged glances.
"How so?" asked Kurama. Tori blushed.
"I...I dunno, he was...just...he acted...odd," she said, stumbling over her words.
"Dominating?" asked Kurama. Tori raised her head.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Kagome gasped.
"Kurama, you don't think..."
"Yes, Kagome, I do," said the kitsune.
Tori looked from one to the other.
"What??? Tell me!" They both gave her pained looks.
"Sorry, Tori, but I'll have to tell you later," said Kagome.
"What the hell is going on?? Hiei's confusing me with his little possessive act, and all you two can do is make it worse! Can anyone help me here??" asked Tori.
"No, I'm afraid not," said Kurama, "all I can say is, you'd better try to get used to what Hiei's doing, and follow his orders, or else you'll make him very angry."
"I already found that out the hard way!" said Tori.
"Oh, dear..." said Kurama, "well then, just try not to let his behavior bother you too much."
"Why can't you guys tell me?" asked Tori.
"It's a demon policy," said Kagome, "I can't tell you about that, either."
Tori sighed in exasperation and flopped backwards on the couch.
"What am I gonna do?" she mumbled.
The couple shrugged.
It wasn't long before Yusuke and Kuwabara came in from their arcade rave. Tori decided not to get caught up in their talk about who got the highest score on what game, and she climbed into bed, going straight to sleep.
(The next morning)
Tori went out for a little morning walk, stopping down in the lobby to grab a small bite of breakfast.
She headed out into the streets, watching the early morning duelists. She noticed that there weren't many people left in Battle City. The stronger duelists had eliminated them all. Tori had never considered herself a very strong duelist, so she knew the only reason she was still in the tournament was because she hadn't dueled many people.
Sighing, and adjusting her duel disk to a more comfortable position, Tori walked out into the park. She followed the little stream as it went on its way, meandering through the grass.
There was only a couple of people here, but no duelists, thankfully. Tori felt the light breeze kick up, and blow her dark blonde hair off her shoulders. Her brown eyes stared thoughtfully into the running water below her as she sat down on the stream bank, leaning against a tree trunk.
'Why couldn't Kurama and Kagome tell me? What the hell did they mean by demon policy? I swear, if there're any other freaky things going on, I'd like to know RIGHT NOW!' she thought.
Almost as soon as she completed that mental statement, she heard the grass rustle behind her. Whirling around, she was soon face-to-face with none other than...
"Y-Yugi?" she asked, her throat drying up. He smirked, his amethyst eyes flashing in the light from the sunrise.
"Why hello Tori. Fancy meeting you here," he said with subtlety. Tori scooted away from him as he sat down next to her.
"What do you want?" she asked, not daring to meet his gaze. He watched her.
"You, of course. You've had me worried sick for the past six months. I was beginning to wonder if you might be dead," said Yugi.
"Might've been better off if I was," muttered Tori.
"Don't say things like that. Even though I can sense your anger towards me, I don't care. I still have feelings for you," he said. Tori turned to see the look on his face. It was devoid of any sinister emotion, completely unlike what she'd seen the other day.
"Yugi...I...can't. I can't love you anymore," said Tori, "you hate me, you wanted me gone."
"Tori, that was Marik's work, not mine..."
"That's not the point, Yugi! The insults had only been the last straw! Even before then, I felt our bond breaking. You were starting to scare me, a lot. I couldn't live my own life with you, you just kept me under a spell almost the whole time."
"It was to make sure you didn't run away..."
"Wouldn't you have taken the hint if I did?? If I'd wanted to run away, wouldn't that have shown you how you were treating me?? I cared about you before, Yugi, and I thought I could be happy with you. I was, for a time, happier than I was with Riku, but then I saw your true side, and I'm not talking about Yami," said Tori. Yugi sighed.
"I can change, you know..."
"It's too late, Yugi. You've broken my heart, and I can't forgive you for that." 'Not like how Kagome continuously forgave Inuyasha,' she thought to herself.
"Then tell me something, who was that other guy you were with?" asked Yugi, scooting closer.
"He's Hiei, one of the demons I have to work with," said Tori.
"Have to?" asked Yugi.
"Yes, I'm supposed to help look for these...err...things, and I was assigned to work with Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kagome."
"But why do you have to? Did you have a choice?" asked Yugi. Tori sighed.
"No, I didn't. But I don't care anymore. I've gotten used to it. This choker was what prevented me from running away from them, or attacking them. At first, I admit, I truly hated it. I felt like a dog on a leash, just like how I felt with you."
"Tori, come on, you gotta see it from my point of view. There were other guys who wanted you, and keeping you near me was the only way I could think of to fend them off," said Yugi, coming closer, "besides, it was also my way of showing that I cared."
Suddenly, Tori felt his arms wrap around her, and she gasped, struggling.
"Let go of me!" she snapped. She tried to reach down and bite one of his arms to make him release, but he used one of his hands, tilting her head up to meet his.
"Come back to me, Tori," he whispered, and Tori caught a glimpse of the Millennium symbol on his forehead.
"No..." she muttered, feeling his shadow powers pry once more into her mind.
Yugi smirked. He'd won. He'd done it. She was his again.
But that all changed, when he felt an enraged power blast into him, knocking him off of her, and stopping his spell.
He looked up, seeing one furious Hiei standing protectively over Tori. The look in his crimson orbs was ultimate death, blazing with the light of the sun.
Yugi stood up, facing his opponent, glaring, his amethyst eyes flashing.
"So, it's you," he muttered.
"You know it is. Stay away from her," snarled Hiei.
"I really don't think a pathetic demon can stop me. You have no idea who I am, do you?" asked Yugi.
"So, you're good at playing cards, yada yada, Tori told me all about it, that doesn't change the fact that I can dice your head off any second I choose," snapped Hiei.
"I'm not just a duelist, you know. Obviously, Tori didn't tell you of my powers," said Yugi. Hiei's look didn't change.
"So what? You have abilities. I really don't care. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a demon, born and bred with the power to kill," he said.
"Your weak and stupid demonic talents would not be enough to stop me," said Yugi, smirking.
Hiei just about lost his temper. Yugi had hit the demon's weak spot: his pride.
Without anything else, he disappeared. Yugi's smirk grew, thinking he'd scared him off. But, that was before he felt a blade run across his back, and he whirled around to see Hiei with the smirk on this time. "How'd you get over there?" asked Yugi.
"It's a little talent I like to call super speed. Let's see if you can top that," said Hiei.
Yugi glared.
"You know it." He spread his arms, his Millennium Puzzle beginning to glow. Out of the puzzle spewed some sort of black cloud, surrounding the two combatants. "Let's take this to the Shadow Realm, shall we?" asked Yugi. Hiei thought for a second. There was another one? He knew about the Demon, Human, and Spirit Realms, but he'd never before heard of a Shadow Realm. Koenma would have a fit about this one...
When the black cloud had completely covered their new battlefield, Yugi reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out a fine white gold chain, which held small white charm shaped like two outstretched wings.
Hiei watched as it glowed slightly, and then Yugi was rising into the air. "Looks like I can fly," said Yugi. Three words appeared in Hiei's mind, 'The Flight Pendant.'
He smirked, rising into the air.
"Oh, well what do you know? It appears I'm gifted with that ability, too," he said. Yugi slightly scowled, but it disappeared quickly.
Yugi held out his hands, apparently concentrating. Soon, a long sword appeared in them, created of black energy.
"Meet my Shadow Sword. I created it myself," said Yugi, watching it with a fond pride.
"That's child's play. An oaf I know uses that same trick," said Hiei, holding up his own sword. He glanced down at his right wrist, where underneath his black sleeve rested the bandages he'd wrapped around his arm to seal the great power hidden within. 'I shouldn't have to resort to using the Dragon on him. He's not worth it,' thought Hiei, 'for now, if my swordsmanship fails, which it won't, I'll simply stick with the flame that I've mastered.' He looked at where Tori had been lying on the ground.
Yugi followed his gaze, knowing what he was thinking.
"Do you really think I'd have brought her here? Her mind would have soon been swallowed up by the countless shadows that lurk in these corners. Then what kind of soul mate would I be for her?" asked Yugi.
"If you're talking about mindless, then you'd have been perfect. Sadly, though, I still wouldn't have allowed it," said Hiei.
Yugi glared. He held up his sword.
"If you think you can take the power of the Pharaoh of Egypt, then just try me," he said.
"Right...you're the Pharaoh of Egypt...I'll believe it when I see it," said Hiei. Yugi charged, zipping straight at him. Hiei, of course, dodged, and struck Yugi another blow across the back with his sword.
They clashed, sword against sword, will against will, human against demon. This wasn't just a battle for Tori anymore; it had become a war over pride. Hiei himself was quite surprised of the skill that Yugi used to wield his weapon. He was much better at handling a Spirit Sword, or 'Shadow Sword', than Kuwabara.
Hiei back flipped to avoid a horizontal cut from Yugi, but the duelist acted quickly, and finished with a combo attack just as Hiei landed, striking deep into his side. Hiei gritted his teeth. It was the first time Yugi had actually hit him, and it was a deep blow.
The battle continued for what seemed like hours, each sword strike becoming fiercer. Hiei dodged another of Yugi's deadly combo attacks and spun around to make a nice cut along the length of Yugi's arm. He was just about to thrust into his shoulder, when Yugi's blade came up, blocking the attack. They held the swords there, trying to push forward, each never losing his hold.
Both were panting, their swords trembling with the pressure, each trying to surmount the other's deadly glares. Hiei snarled and gave one final shove, knocking Yugi backwards, and dealing him a hefty blow across the head, knocking him out of the air to the ground.
He landed, and while Yugi was in a daze, he used the tip of his sword to flick the Flight Pendant off of Yugi's neck, bringing it over to himself. He stuck it safely in his pocket, and waited for Yugi to rise, being the honorable fighter that he was.
Yugi rose, and looked at his Sword. He clenched his fist, and the weapon disappeared. Seeing he had nothing to attack with, Hiei sheathed his sword as well. Yugi held out his hands, and fierce orbs of black energy escaped from them, heading straight for Hiei. He jumped, avoiding them, and reappeared across the battlefield.
Hiei clenched his own fists, concentrating his mighty fire energy into them. Smirking as he saw his hands burst into bright yellow flames, Hiei once more zipped across the area, appearing next to Yugi.
"Fists of the Mortal Flame!!" he called, and his hands shot forward in a flurry of furious punches. Yugi winced as he felt the fire attack him, rip at his body. He turned his back to block the fire, but Hiei aimed one mighty punch at the paralyzing spot on the human's back. Demons didn't have one, but humans had a certain area in the lower back region where, if they were punched, they were paralyzed for a very short time. Hiei hit, and Yugi felt his body go rigid.
The power of Hiei's shot had guaranteed immobilization for a while, but Hiei simply backed off. When Yugi regained control of himself, he turned to the demon.
"Well? Why didn't you finish me? You had the chance!" he said. Hiei smirked.
"I wanted to show you what I'm capable of doing. Clearly, I'm the superior fighter, if you didn't know about every human's weak spot," said Hiei.
Yugi glared.
Hiei turned, heading for the edge of the black cloud. Yugi couldn't resist. He held his hands together, feeling the power surge into them. He blasted a black beam towards the unsuspecting demon.
Hiei heard the beam coming, and leapt into the air, but just slightly too late. The black energy nailed him in the leg, and he clenched his jaw to keep from making a sound. He landed, favoring his right leg, which felt like it was on fire. Yugi laughed.
"Now who's the superior fighter, demon?"
Hiei stood up straight.
"Clearly, you're still not. A true fighter doesn't use cheap tricks and attack while his opponent's back is turned. A true fighter attacks when his opponent is aware of it, and able to block it, if he can. You're the lowest of the low if you pull stunts like that," he scorned.
Yugi's smirk changed back to a glare.
"Fine, then, now that I have your attention, let's see if you can take my full power!" he shouted. He started glowing with a golden light, his eyes burning with the uncontrolled power he was coming close to releasing.
Hiei sensed it all. Yugi really didn't know how to control his energy. 'Just like Bui,' he thought. (Bui's the huge, armored guy Hiei fought in the Dark Tournament Finals) Yugi unleashed an incredible amount of energy, a million beams of light heading straight for the pyre. Hiei tried to leap out of the way, but two of the beams struck, one through his already injured leg, and one through his left shoulder.
Hiei couldn't help but let a slight growl of pain escape his throat. He landed, staring at his opponent. He had no choice; it was the Dragon or die. He quickly pulled up his sleeve, tearing off the bandages on his right arm, revealing the long, black scar spiraling down it. He held the arm out towards Yugi, summoning as much energy as he could to lure the Dragon out of Spirit World. He felt it coming.
A searing pain shot up and down Hiei's arm as the dragon exploded from the end, devouring Hiei's offered energy, and turning towards the rampaging duelist.
Yugi once more shot energy beams, but the Dragon simply devoured these, too, feeding off the life energy from them.
With a mighty, screeching roar, the Dragon descended upon Yugi, soaking up almost every ounce of his strength. With nothing but a trembling body and a trickle of life energy left, Yugi collapsed to the ground as the Dragon went back to Spirit World, full.
The black cloud disappeared, and Hiei kept his footing, though he was very tired. He didn't like summoning the Dragon too much; he'd only use it as a last resort. He tilted his head towards the risen sun, closing his eyes. Sighing, he walked over to Tori, who appeared to have awoken just then.
"Hiei?" she asked weakly. He sat down next to her, leaning against the tree. "Is he..." Tori started.
"Dead? No, he's over there," said Hiei, pointing to Yugi's fallen form. Tori looked down at his arm.
"Hiei! What's..." She was cut off when he put a finger over her mouth.
"I'll tell you later. For now, let's just rest."
Tori nodded, and figured he'd just sit there on the ground, but apparently he didn't want to. Picking her up, he leapt high into the tree's branches, landing on a very thick one. He rested on this one, sitting Tori in his lap. She didn't care, she rested her head on his shoulder, and the two nodded off.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Tori the Hanyou: Part 1 finished! Yippee! Well, they got one more demon artifact, and two steps in the ritual were done.
NOTE: For those of you who saw last week's new YYH episode, you'll notice I didn't do this chapter according to it. Sorry, but Hiei's scar and summoning of the dragon went with the chappie so perfectly. (Wasn't that episode SO FUCKING AWESOME???) Now, let's just say our whittle good byes FOR NOW, and here's the next chappie!
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: Mating Rituals, Part 2 (duh!)
REVIEW!!!