Flower Petals: Hya everyone!!! Sorry about the late update, I actually intended to upload this last week, but I guess I got behind in that too. . .But anyogohoobles, welcome to the last chapter of the second half of the first episode! Next chapter the fight begins, but until then please read this one and don't forget to review! My thanks go out to. . . . . . . . . . . .
Peace Writer: Yup! Kurama's pretty cool and so is Yoko. But Hiei is SO, SO, SO, much cooler! Thanks for reviewin'! I'm glad you like this story so far. ^^
Mamono: *tears up* Wow, you really think the last chapter was awesome??? That means SO much to me. Thank you for your support and for reviewing!
TAB: Yeah, I left off on a cliffie. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha! I LUV doing cliffies!!!!! Well sis, you're going to really enjoy the ending of this chapter. . .Not!
Ford Perfect: Oh, cool! So you're obsessed over the DVD as well? Do you have the edited or uncut episodes? I LUV Karasu as well, but not whenever he gets blonde hair at the end of the DVD. That's not so cool. . .Blonde just doesn't work for him, poor fella. . .And don't worry, I suffer from the same obsession problem!!! ^^ (Seriously, you should check out my ever-growing list of bishonens).
DisturbedVixen: Now that you've mentioned it, I'm not sure if this fic is completely legal. But I've read non-anime stories before where the author chronicled certain episodes, so I know I'm not the only one out there doing it! ^^ And as for originality. . .I know this story isn't original. I've always believed you should put your heart and soul into everything you do, and I LUV these episodes. I just wanted to put into words the soul and hidden depth that so many often miss. If you'd like to check out some of my *sort of* original work, please feel free to read my other stories! ^_^
Sycogerl64: I'm glad you liked my descriptions! Thank you millions for reviewin'!
Cocacola43: I wish I had as cool a pen name as you do. . .Thank you for reviewing this story!
Mina-Chan: You haven't seen very many episodes of Yu Yu Hakusho? I hope this story isn't too confusing for you! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. And thank you for reading and reviewing this story even though you don't often watch the show! ^^
Awrighty, remember folks, I couldn't include everything every character said, but I did try my best to stay true to these episodes, so enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho nor do I claim to in any way.
Flower Petals
Dangerous Delays
The Beginning of the End
A solitary figure stood in the center of the ring, surrounded by the blatant cacophony of vociferous sound. A pink cap adorned her head and sashes of similar colors were draped around her shoulders and fastened around her hips over the form fitting black satin underneath. The glossy fabric ended shortly above her knees and was cut in an oval shape down her front to reveal the flesh of her stomach.
Leaning to the side, she thrust out an arm, and announced over the great roar of the crowd, "Now, with no further ado, the moment we've all been waiting for so lets begin!" She gestured towards two large doors mere yards away. "On my left, Team Urameshi!"
The grand doors slid off to the side exposing the determined-faced team just behind. They stood for a moment even after the doors had ceased their movement, to reflect. For this was it; before fortuitous occurrences had saved them from their inevitable demise. But no longer. It was far too late for luck and second chances; the beginning of the end had arrived.
So the pressure weighing heavily on them all, they began their final walk to the arena.
Yusuke Urameshi paused as he reached the boundary line between the pathway and the coliseum, to take one last calming breath before continuing on with his team.
Almost immediately, the crowd's rugged enthusiasm mutated into tumultuous spite and uproar. At the top of their voices, they ridiculed the team, cursing them to a bloody demise. This was the team they so hated; and this was their end.
"I'd really like to show every one of those jokers a thing or two about minding their manners," Kuwabara grumbled, peering out at the immense crowd, every individual absorbed in their intense hatred for the humans they knew so little about. He closed his eyes, unwilling to witness any more of the passionate loathing so manifest in their own. "Besides, all this shoutin' is giving me a headache."
Juri cleared her throat and the uproarious dissonance gradually ceased. "Your attention please. Please put your hands together for everyone's favorite. . . Team Toguro!"
As the doors on the opposite side slowly opened, there was no sound save for the quick inhalations of breath. A silence steeped in apprehension and morbid fear fell like a suffocating blanket over the coliseum. And all waited for the appearance of the favored yet greatly feared team.
But as the doors slid to a halt, nothing but the once concealed pathway cloaked in darkness, was visible.
Then came the echoing of footsteps; slow and confident like a predator that had its prey trapped.
Yusuke's eye twitched; a great animosity whelming up inside of him.
As the volume of the echos increased, a tall man became visible, adorned in a dark green jacket. Narrow shaded sunglasses covered his eyes and his mouth was set forever grim. On his shoulder rested the burden of his older brother; manic eyes gleaming with unconcealable pleasure.
The next echo resounded with tenfold sound, causing the very ground to shake under the immense force of the owner's steps.
Kuwabara's eyes widened with terror at the incredibly puissant energy seething from the heavily armored warrior who appeared next.
The last to make his presence known, stepped almost gracefully from the dark path into the lightened stadium. His straight, absolute black hair lay like a dark curtain around his face, its length ending just before his waist. A silver mask concealed the majority of his face; mysterious purple eyes positioned just above, glinting in the artificial light.
The crowd was cheering now. Not angrily as before, but genuinely excited that the wish they most wanted, would be granted; the humans and demon traitors would die. At the hands of the most notorious and feared demons, no less. It was a fitting end all believed. And so the onlookers cheered, their cries heard as one solid voice;
"Kill them all!"
"Shut up already!" Kuwabara exclaimed, though to no purpose but to have his words lost in the passionate roar of the audience.
His team, however, were deaf to the hatred and ill-will of those around them. For on the other side of the elevated ring, stood their adversaries, staring back at them with the look of a team who had already achieved victory.
The demon, Karasu, was staring at Kurama. And though his mask disguised his mouth, his penetrating eyes bore a wicked smile.
Sunglasses concealed the eyes gazing at Yusuke. But the detective did not need to witness his greatest enemy's latent stare to comprehend its darkly complacent meaning.
The fluctuating attitude of the onlookers now shifted to blatant anger as they each in turn, discovered a horrible wrong.
"Both sides are short one member!" announced a demon, speaking for the rest of his ilk. "There should be five fighters for each team."
Juri cleared her throat into the microphone held up to her lips. "Ahem. Everybody calm down and I'll get to the bottom of this. Let me see." Her sea green tail wrapped around her front to balance a book at its tip. "Each of the team fighters must participate in an one on one match assuming five matches are necessary. Whoever wins three matches will be the champions."
Lifting her eyes from the book, she glanced at both teams in turn. "Sorry about that, but since this is the finals, and neither side has used their substitution, you must have five or your team will forfeit."
Kuwabara's shoulder grazed Yusuke's. "Hey," he whispered to his friend, "you did say that you got somebody for Genkai, but I want you to know that invisible friends don't count!"
"Right," Yusuke mumbled, his words seeping from the corner of his mouth. "I think it would be best if you didn't talk for the rest of the tournament."
"Great," Koto sighed. "We're already experiencing officiating difficulties. Incase everyone upstairs is curious, I do have the entire tournament rule book memorized."
The postponement of their wish infuriated the audience; they wanted their match.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come on buddy, can't you make one small exception? I'll even give you the money I was planning on buying my tickets with, you can't beat that!" To aid his plea, the demon added, "Have a heart, I've been here since last night!"
An older-wiser-demon who knew of the futility of bribing that particular doorman, snorted. "Well I've been here for two nights."
"Lighten up dude!" said yet another, flipping his dark hair from his eyes. "We won't tell if you won't."
"How many times do I have to tell you jerks?" exclaimed the demon guarding the entrance. He brandished a thick bat at the small throng gathered about him, and reluctantly, they retreated. "You must back up or I'll take your heads off! If you ain't got no ticket, you ain't got no seat. There's no ands or buts about it, got me?"
In the shade of a forgotten entrance to the stadium, a pretty ice maiden sighed, and turned concededly to face her friends. "Oh, it looks like it's impossible for us to get in."
Botan lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly together. "I'm sorry girls. I was so pre-occupied when I spoke to Koenma that I totally forgot to ask about tickets." Her voice fell to a soft whisper, heavy with despair. "I'm afraid we won't be able to watch the fights."
The woman beside her, did not concede so easily. Shizuru cracked her knuckles. "Well you know what they say, desperate times call for desperate measures."
"You're not going to charge the bouncer again are you?" Keiko asked hesitantly, Puu resting comfortably in her arms.
"Unless you have a brighter idea."
"Attack is really our only option," Yukina said unexpectedly.
Puzzlement contorted Botan's features as she whipped around to look at the ice maiden. "Why Yukina, you're just full of surprises."
A few yards away, a queer appearanced demon tripped over seemingly nothing, and hastily glanced around, an accusatory look forming on his narrow face.
The action was enough to ensnare Shizuru's attention, and she regarded the demon suspiciously with her light brown eyes.
Half way through a glare aimed at the back of an oblivious individual, the demon met Shizuru's gaze-and smiled. "Well, what do we have here, miss oh so lovely friends of Koenma?" Hands in pockets, he strutted over to the entrance where the girls stood. "You know, this day just keeps getting better!"
Sudden recognition dawned over Botan's face. "You're that sleaze who tried to con Koenma into buying those fourth rate tickets."
The demon chuckled. "How nice of you to remember me, I'm touched." His lips formed into a content smile. "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I couldn't help but notice that you pretty ladies are in need of a hand."
"Well we sure as hell don't need one of yours!" Shizuru retorted.
"Oh, I see. My mistake." The same pleased smile remained, as they trickster pulled four long paper tickets from his jacket. "I guess you wouldn't mind if I sold these elsewhere?"
None of the four could suppress the manifest want and desire in their undisguised eyes.
"Are those what I think they are?" Keiko queried, unknowingly taking a step forward.
The demon smirked complacently, falling back on his usual rhetoric. "You bet hot stuff, and they happen to be for the best seats in the house. And for you, I might part with them for four thousand clams a piece."
Quicker then any could blink, the tickets were gone from the demon's hands.
Shizuru held them in her own, surveying the items with a look of sheepish surprise. "Jeez, I'm such an idiot. Can you believe that I've had our tickets in my hands this entire time?"
"Hey, you better give those back!" the demon exclaimed, warningly.
"I don't know, but these look an awful lot like our tickets. Don't they?" Shizuru questioned her friends, her eyes bearing a secret message as she glanced at each one.
Keiko nodded ambiguously, locks of her brown bangs shadowing her eyes as they fell forward. "Uh huh."
"Botan?" Shizuru gave a surreptitious wink.
"Uh, yes," Botan agreed, the revelation of what Shizuru had furtively implied, disclosed to her. "Those are definitely our tickets. Our tickets definitely."
The demon had had enough. With a look of utter impatience and frustration he spoke, "Alright girls, that's very funny but the joke's over. Just hand me back my tickets, okay?"
Shizuru smiled. "But our names are on them. They must be ours."
"What do you mean!"
"Look," Shizuru ordered, and held up the item which would prove her case.
Yukina raised her ticket, gesturing towards the hastily written letters it bore that spelled her name.
"See?" queried Keiko, ticket in hand as well.
"Told ya so!" Botan chirped, her accomplice, the purple marker, just barely concealed in her hand.
Shizuru grinned victoriously, waving her ticket almost teasingly at the confounded demon. "Thanks for holding them for us though."
Conceding to defeat, the trickster pouted as he witnessed the four he had sought to con, walk away having deceived him.
"Sorry buddy!" laughed a demon who stood amongst the clamorous throng still waiting to enter the stadium. "You gotta admit, their names are on the tickets and common property laws. ."
"Ya see we really didn't need your help after all," Shizuru spoke, heading to the entrance.
"Thank you so much for the tickets!" Yukina called from further down the hall.
"Sorry for the misunderstanding!" Keiko apologized.
Her long blue ponytail spilled over her shoulders as Botan turned at the gate to shake a finger at the demon. "Hope you learned that it won't pay to take advantage of people."
When no trace of the deceivers remained, the demon sighed and shrugged to himself. "I can never resist the charms of one beautiful woman, much less four crafty ones."
The same individual who had spoke before, laughed amusedly. "Well they got no problem resisting you!"
"Shut up!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vehement shouts of anger and a consummate level of impatience contaminated the air inside the dome.
Juri stood through it all, absentmindedly twirling her tail and throwing warning glances at the two team captains. "Both teams need to find another member soon. Because if you don't, I'll be forced to disqualify you and forfeit this match and that's not good."
"Hn," said the demon, Toguro, sunglasses concealing the complacency burning in his eyes.
Yusuke frowned.
"That's all you had to say," Toguro drawled, his tone light with a dark humor. "Our reserve team member is always ready to join us when required."
The gateway behind the proud team began to open. The pallid light from the stadium inundated the pathway beyond, easily conquering the darkness and revealing a solitary figure standing alone, eyes lowered to the beaten ground at his feet.
Yusuke gasped in immediate recognition. "I-It's him!"
"Right," Kuwabara said, then glanced uncertainly at his friend. "Which him?"
"Hn!" Hiei declared, eyes narrowing to crimson slits.
High above, four girls came to a sudden halt after running through the labyrinth to arrive at the stadium. Confusion dawned on all their faces as each attempted to ascertain the odd happenings.
"What's going on?" Keiko questioned. "Why is everyone just standing around?"
"I suppose we'll know soon enough," Botan replied, violet eyes scrutinizing the scene laid out before her.
Yukina's own fell upon a shadow far below. "Does anyone know who that strange man at the gate is?"
Following the ice maiden's gaze, Shizuru too, discovered the man who's clothing and mannerisms made him so pronounced in the immense collocation of barbaric uniformity. She inhaled sharply, eyes widened at the familiar person who began his purposeful walk towards the team she so despised.
"No," Keiko answered. "I don't know who he could be. He's very good looking."
"Yes, he is," Yukina agreed drawing her gaze to focus on Keiko. "Do you think he's someone important?"
All noise and matter slipped away as Shizuru recollected her first meeting with the man. She had been so scared, running away from the demons who had hunted her for so long. Every step away she had taken, was a moment closer they had come. As the weakness she loathed existed inside her, threatened to overwhelm her senses, a hand had dragged her to safety. He had saved her that day. That day, when her own strength which she so relied on, had failed.
"Hey Shizuru. Earth to Shizuru! Is something wrong?"
She returned then, and shook her head to dismiss her thoughts. "Just a little dizzy."
"Big shot, do you even know how to fight?" shouted a demon, in a deriding sort of tone.
The man raised his head, revealing an ugly, permanent scar embedded over his right eye and down his pale face. "Well, to be honest, I have no intention of participating in this match," he said cooly. "Granted, my presence allows Toguro to continue, but all it means for me is a much better view."
His deep sapphire eyes concealed a well-hidden dangerous flare, that cackled at the dark secret it possessed. "I'll stake my life on Yusuke's team being defeated before my turn arrives. Now, lets begin."
"That's what I call putting your mouth where your money is!" Koto said into her mike.
Finally satisfied, Juri turned to Yusuke, her gaze bearing no forgiveness. "Toguro is prepared. Now present your fighter of the finals are over."
Yusuke gritted his teeth.
"What now Mr. Team Captain?" Kuwabara snarled. "We've got like two seconds for this guy to show up."
Juri had met, and now kept the detective's gaze. It was clear they had run out of time.
"Hello?" Kuwabara continued.
She could see his helplessness and knew waiting would be a futile waste of everyone's time. "Since Team Urameshi has failed miserably to produce a fifth player, Team Toguro will be named the winners by default!"
"Hold on there missy!" came a frantic voice. "Patience is a virtue."
Horns sounded in the deep, their triumphant sound quelling the roar of those waiting. Doors opened once more, releasing a spate of billowing white smoke.
"Wow Urameshi!" Kuwabara said, his enthusiastic tone belying his previous skepticism, "the fighter you got shoots out some kind of magical smoke!"
A silhouette appeared in the midst of the swirling haze and gradually, features came into focus. It was a tall man, narrow eyes shadowed by the fall of his mousy brown hair. A blue tunic covered his length, synched at his middle by a vibrant red sash. A similar one adorned his neck.
"Um, not exactly," he spoke in a familiar tone. "I thought dry eyes would be a nice touch."
"It's a giant Koenma!" Kuwabara shouted in surprise, mind reeling at the possibilities.
"Great," Hiei scoffed, apparently most displeased.
Yusuke glanced at the Lord of the Spirit World, relief hidden behind his transient feelings of choler and resentment towards the man. "What kept you so long; a diaper change?"
"Look Yusuke, you can cool it with the wise crap; I don't have to be here you know. I'm doing this as a favor." He strode forward, red cape flowing out behind him. "Highly important people-like myself-shouldn't miss their lives, but Genkai was a friend and Toguro's a bastard."
"So this was what he meant when he told me he had important business to attend to," Botan wondered softly to herself.
A few rows away, a blue ogre in a trenchcoat rose to his feet and shouted proudly, "Way to go Koenma, sir! You knock him dead!" Tears swelled in his elated gaze. "This is the proudest moment of my life."
A dubious look befell Kuwabara's features. "Are you sure this is a smart idea? We're not even sure if this guy can fight!"
"Believe it or not, fighting isn't up there on my list of priorities," Koenma replied . "So I've implemented an escape route!" With a mysterious glint in his gaze, and a frivolous display of grandeur, he flipped back his crimson cape to reveal a curious square appendage containing some incomprehensible device, attached to his back. "The KoenmaTron 5000! What do you think?"
Kuwabara nearly fainted at the immensely patheitcal demonstration. "I think we're in deep trouble, that's what!"
Above amongst the clamorous viewers, George the blue ogre, sank in his seat, appearing sheepish. "Okay, forget what I said. . ."
Yusuke clenched his fists. It was time. "Lets go!" he told his teammates, and turned to face the arena.
"What a second!" Juri suddenly announced. "You can't switch; the rules say that a new player can only be brought in if an original fighter is dead."
Those words hurt him more then the end result of any fight he had ever fought. He stood frozen, blood running cold through his veins of ice.
The others were silent, their faces shadowed by wary, dark looks.
"Well," Yusuke began, unable to quell the quaver in his voice, "about that-"
"It doesn't matter," said the man burdened with the hideous scar, in a tone of finality.
Juri turned, a delicate brow rose in question.
"Their team will never make it to the final match," Karasu explained darkly. "So it won't be necessary for Jr. to fight. We all know he's just here to take up space."
Koenma's forehead narrowed into a frown. "Anytime, mask boy!"
Taken back by the Lord's sudden display of pugnacious temerity, Kuwabara exclaimed, "What's wrong with you?"
"Alright!' announced Koto enthusiastically. "There's finally a full roster so get ready to feast your eyes on the Dark Tournament's bloodiest massacre yet! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's taken us seven long days to get here; welcome to the finals!"
A bell sung its flat tone, eliciting an even greater sound from the enthused observers.
Karasu was crossing the gap between the two teams, taking long masterful strides that easily ate up the distance. He paused once he had reached the very edge of the arena, staring down upon the detective's team not with scorn nor malice, but with an evil pleasure. His superior, traveling gaze locked on Kurama, and only the fox demon knew its suppressed secret.
Raising an index finger painstakingly slowly so all could witness, he tapped it once against the side of his skull. "Bang."
"Look at him trying to scare us with his dumb finger!" Kuwabara snarled, his fingers folding into fists. "Man, I'm going to beat him until his mother doesn't recognize him."
"No," Kurama said, definitively. "I will handle him."
"It has been decided," Juri announced, "we will begin the finals with a match between Team Toguro's Karasu! And from Team Urameshi's side. . .Kurama!"
~
Flower Petals: Well thank you for reading! And I know, weird way to end a chapter, but I couldn't think of anything else, okay?
Everyone who read, please review! Flames, constructive criticism, and all points of view are respected and accepted!
Thank you all for reading! ^^