-Tricked-
Chapter Summary - With the semi-finals ended, Kurama goes missing. Botan meets with Hiei and tells him to take her to him. Jin, Touya, Botan, Kurama, and Hiei get delayed. How will this affect the fight? Will they get back in time or be disqualified?
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Chapter 21 - Hollow
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Botan bit her lip. Kurama was no where to be found. Damn that man and his tenancy to be no where when she needed him. She crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowing. Sure, she was angry. He had been gone all day!
"Oh for the love of God!" She threw up her arms and left the room, despite the fact that he had asked her to stay. She considered how much she actually listened to him. Not much. Her eyes scanned anyone who walked by her in her mad rush to no where. He had been doing this a lot and it was getting on her nerves. She spotted Touya and stopped him. "Tell me you've seen Kurama." He blinked and shook his head. "He is so dead when I see him."
"What did he do?" Jin asked, his accent making it very clear that it was him. She scrutinized them both and scowled darkly. They really felt like running, but they knew that she would catch them and be even more angered than she was now.
"Isn't it obvious? He's run out on me again. I'm seriously considering tying him to the chair!" She gave a frustrated growl.
"He wouldn't be of much use, tied to a chair, I mean." Jin said quietly. He stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. She stared back at him.
"You know what I mean. At least he'd be around more if he was tied to a chair!" She tried to lower her anger by thinking of something else. That only angered her more. Kurama was no where to be found. "I am so going to kill him when I see him next."
"What is this all about?" Hiei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Have you seen Kurama?" Botan asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He nodded.
"He said that you would ask for him. He's training. There will be a hard battle soon. He warns you not to follow him." She grabbed Hiei's wrist and dragged him away. Touya and Jin followed.
"Take me to him. I don't care what he's doing."
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Hiei, Botan, Jin, and Touya all walked into a clearing. They heard the occasional snapping of a whip. Botan went forward and crossed her arms when she was in the view of Kurama. He knew he was in some trouble by the look on her face.
"Next time, tell me where you're going to be." She said, walking up to him. "I was worried sick about you. Not to mention aggravated!" His eyes were slightly wide and he was just staring at her. She slapped him. He blinked and put his hand up to the red mark. Hiei snickered. Kurama sighed.
"I suppose I may deserve this. Come, see what I've found now that you're all here." He led them through the rest of the clearing and onto a pathway. "I don't know exactly where it leads, but I can smell demons. They've been using this recently." Botan tapped her chin with her finger.
"There are not supposed to be any other paths on this island. We've inspected each one thoroughly. I was certain that I didn't miss one when I studied the map today for something to do." She shot Kurama a look.
"This path is obviously not supposed to be here. I can tell that demons have been travelling it. It reeks of their scent." Kurama ignored the look and gazed meaningfully at Hiei.
"What are we waiting for, then? Unless its a trap." Kurama shrugged. Hiei smirked. "I could go for some fun."
"Do you think we should..?" Botan couldn't suppress a shudder. She glanced nervously at the others. "I mean, the battle is tomorrow.."
"It couldn't take longer than one damn day, Botan." Hiei stated, narrowing his eyes at her. She glared at him.
"If we get ambushed, god only knows!" They considered this and ended up going anyway. The path was quite long, one wouldn't have considered a long path like this one on an island of such a size. The island was big, sure. And it was most certainly the type to get lost on. The woods were thick and it was difficult to follow any scents. For the most part, the path ended at a dead end. Kurama insisted that it wasn't a dead end. They all stared at the large boulder blocking the path. Botan, Jin, and Touya sweat-dropped.
"Well? Are you going to stand there or help me move it?" Kurama asked, a frown on his face. All but Hiei sighed. They all pushed and the boulder rolled quite easily under all of their strength. They saw a passage. "Where do you think it goes, Hiei?"
"I don't know." The koorime snapped. "This was your idea." Jin frowned.
"My guess is it goes underground." Touya and Botan nodded.
"We do too." They said in unison.
"Let's go then." Hiei said impatiently. "We don't have all day for a wild goose chase." They didn't have far to walk before they heard laughter that send shivers down Botan's spine. Kurama pressed his back against the wall and nodded to Hiei. The little koorime sped over to the opening and peered in. He transmitted the entire thing to all of them with the use of his Jagan.
"It looks like they're gambling." Botan whispered to Jin and Touya, who were both on either side of her. "Looks like a fighting mood to me." They all went for that idea. And so the fight began. Hiei jumped into view and used his bare fists to punch the first guy's lights out. Botan and Touya fought almost back-to-back. Kurama fought near her and Jin was having fun chasing his opponent around the room whilst flying in the air. His ears were pointy and he had a huge grin on his face. The demons were a little tougher than they thought. Botan punched her demon in the face, then in the stomach and he returned her punch in her stomach and kicked her. She flew back and skidded to a stop on her back. He was nearing her when she jumped up, kicking him in the face with both feet. She then felt a stinging pain in her lower back and turned around, spin kicking the demon behind her. They attacked her at the same time but she slapped and punched and kicked as hard as she could.
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They didn't realize how much time had slipped away. They were bruised and sore by the time they defeated their enemies. One of them heard something.
"Who's there?" Botan called out, turning around to see two young human girls. "What are you doing here?"
"We were captured by those goons you just pulverized." Touya and Jin were looking around the cave.
"They were third class demons." Hiei stood up from examining them. "Merely puppets made for our distraction. We better get moving. Fast." He looked at Kurama. "You were a pawn. They staged it so that you would catch their scent."
"Who set this up, then?" Jin asked, blinking in confusion.
"If this was meant as a distraction, then the finals.. they'll be starting soon.." She trailed off. "We could be disqualified." They all felt a little sick. "We better get there fast." Touya and Jin assured them that they would get the humans to the stadium and that they should leave. Botan and Kurama trailed a little behind Hiei as they raced to make it in time.
"How could I have been so stupid?" Kurama frowned. "I was a fool for not seeing it.." Botan put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"You weren't stupid. How could you have known, anyway? That's the least of our problems. We need to make it there in time." He nodded. They noticed the stadium getting closer. He hoped they weren't too late. It would be all his fault, too. They ran in and down the corridors. Botan nearly slid when turning a corner. When they got outside, they saw the ref. talking with Yuusuke. He glanced over and a look of relief passed his face.
"Where were you?" Kuwabara asked, crossing his arms.
"We were delayed. Someone does not want us to win this tournament." Kurama said, frowning deeper, if it was at all possible.
"We were tricked." Botan stated, looking apologetic. Yuusuke brushed it off with a wave of his hand.
"Don't worry about it now, guys. We have a fight to win." Botan gazed over at the other team. They all had emotionless expressions and their eyes seemed too hollow for words. Could it be possible that they are also puppets? Someone sure has a sick and twisted mind. Botan pointed it out to Hiei and he agreed.
"They have no thoughts. Something's not right." Botan was the first to fight. Hiei warned her to be on guard and to be careful. She nodded. "They are not normal demons. They are the same. Third class. Probably sold their lives to some fool. Do not get hit by them. They could have any amount of tricks up their sleeves." She walked up to the ring. She noticed that the guy she was battling had a katana as well.
"Don't think this is going to be so easy." She said, narrowing her eyes as she drew her katana. He did the same, facing her, seemingly seeing through her with his hollow, lifeless eyes.
"Fight!" They both charged at each other, meeting at just about the middle, their katanas making a metallic ring as they hit. Botan attacked with a series of blows then blocked and tripped him. She was just about to bring her katana down on him when he rolled out of the way, getting to his feet. She frowned and chased after him, throwing her effort into hitting him. She caught his arm with one blow. He didn't even seem to feel it. She blocked numerous blows. He kicked her and sent her flying to the other end of the ring. She slid a little and her head was just inches from the edge. In an instant, he was on top of her. She pulled Hiei's move and he jumped off of her in mild surprise. She rose to her feet, clutching the hilt of her weapon. She was angry. She jumped at him, swinging this way and that, trying to confuse him. He blocked every one. She feinted to the right and got his left shoulder. He didn't seem to feel that one either. They went back to blocking. He was relentless when it came to getting hit. What could she possibly do?
"What could she do?" Kurama voiced to Hiei. The koorime was watching the movements. He noticed that she was hitting him, but he wasn't feeling it.
"Nothing that I can see." Botan figured that she needed to get him outside the ring, which would prove difficult. She set off into dash and stopped right next to the edge. She saw him coming at her. She used agility she didn't know she had and moved out of the way, getting behind him. He stopped and almost lost his balance. She kicked him right in the middle of the back. He fell forward, onto the grass. He didn't move. The ten count was a success and Botan smiled victoriously. Kurama smiled at her brilliance. The first match was won. She walked over to them and a frown replaced her smile.
"Their one weakness is probably their back. Try it out. It couldn't hurt. Nothing else seemed to effect them."
"We'll have to see, then." Yuusuke said with a glance at the other team.
"Then again, they could all have different weak points." Kurama pointed out.
"We'll try anything, I guess. We'll have to be smart like Botan." She blushed lightly and Kurama wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
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This is the end of this chapter. I'm sorry for the long wait. I guess I should have gotten that last idea sooner.. Thanks for waiting as patiently as you did. ^_^;
-Jess-
Chapter Summary - With the semi-finals ended, Kurama goes missing. Botan meets with Hiei and tells him to take her to him. Jin, Touya, Botan, Kurama, and Hiei get delayed. How will this affect the fight? Will they get back in time or be disqualified?
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Chapter 21 - Hollow
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Botan bit her lip. Kurama was no where to be found. Damn that man and his tenancy to be no where when she needed him. She crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowing. Sure, she was angry. He had been gone all day!
"Oh for the love of God!" She threw up her arms and left the room, despite the fact that he had asked her to stay. She considered how much she actually listened to him. Not much. Her eyes scanned anyone who walked by her in her mad rush to no where. He had been doing this a lot and it was getting on her nerves. She spotted Touya and stopped him. "Tell me you've seen Kurama." He blinked and shook his head. "He is so dead when I see him."
"What did he do?" Jin asked, his accent making it very clear that it was him. She scrutinized them both and scowled darkly. They really felt like running, but they knew that she would catch them and be even more angered than she was now.
"Isn't it obvious? He's run out on me again. I'm seriously considering tying him to the chair!" She gave a frustrated growl.
"He wouldn't be of much use, tied to a chair, I mean." Jin said quietly. He stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. She stared back at him.
"You know what I mean. At least he'd be around more if he was tied to a chair!" She tried to lower her anger by thinking of something else. That only angered her more. Kurama was no where to be found. "I am so going to kill him when I see him next."
"What is this all about?" Hiei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Have you seen Kurama?" Botan asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He nodded.
"He said that you would ask for him. He's training. There will be a hard battle soon. He warns you not to follow him." She grabbed Hiei's wrist and dragged him away. Touya and Jin followed.
"Take me to him. I don't care what he's doing."
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Hiei, Botan, Jin, and Touya all walked into a clearing. They heard the occasional snapping of a whip. Botan went forward and crossed her arms when she was in the view of Kurama. He knew he was in some trouble by the look on her face.
"Next time, tell me where you're going to be." She said, walking up to him. "I was worried sick about you. Not to mention aggravated!" His eyes were slightly wide and he was just staring at her. She slapped him. He blinked and put his hand up to the red mark. Hiei snickered. Kurama sighed.
"I suppose I may deserve this. Come, see what I've found now that you're all here." He led them through the rest of the clearing and onto a pathway. "I don't know exactly where it leads, but I can smell demons. They've been using this recently." Botan tapped her chin with her finger.
"There are not supposed to be any other paths on this island. We've inspected each one thoroughly. I was certain that I didn't miss one when I studied the map today for something to do." She shot Kurama a look.
"This path is obviously not supposed to be here. I can tell that demons have been travelling it. It reeks of their scent." Kurama ignored the look and gazed meaningfully at Hiei.
"What are we waiting for, then? Unless its a trap." Kurama shrugged. Hiei smirked. "I could go for some fun."
"Do you think we should..?" Botan couldn't suppress a shudder. She glanced nervously at the others. "I mean, the battle is tomorrow.."
"It couldn't take longer than one damn day, Botan." Hiei stated, narrowing his eyes at her. She glared at him.
"If we get ambushed, god only knows!" They considered this and ended up going anyway. The path was quite long, one wouldn't have considered a long path like this one on an island of such a size. The island was big, sure. And it was most certainly the type to get lost on. The woods were thick and it was difficult to follow any scents. For the most part, the path ended at a dead end. Kurama insisted that it wasn't a dead end. They all stared at the large boulder blocking the path. Botan, Jin, and Touya sweat-dropped.
"Well? Are you going to stand there or help me move it?" Kurama asked, a frown on his face. All but Hiei sighed. They all pushed and the boulder rolled quite easily under all of their strength. They saw a passage. "Where do you think it goes, Hiei?"
"I don't know." The koorime snapped. "This was your idea." Jin frowned.
"My guess is it goes underground." Touya and Botan nodded.
"We do too." They said in unison.
"Let's go then." Hiei said impatiently. "We don't have all day for a wild goose chase." They didn't have far to walk before they heard laughter that send shivers down Botan's spine. Kurama pressed his back against the wall and nodded to Hiei. The little koorime sped over to the opening and peered in. He transmitted the entire thing to all of them with the use of his Jagan.
"It looks like they're gambling." Botan whispered to Jin and Touya, who were both on either side of her. "Looks like a fighting mood to me." They all went for that idea. And so the fight began. Hiei jumped into view and used his bare fists to punch the first guy's lights out. Botan and Touya fought almost back-to-back. Kurama fought near her and Jin was having fun chasing his opponent around the room whilst flying in the air. His ears were pointy and he had a huge grin on his face. The demons were a little tougher than they thought. Botan punched her demon in the face, then in the stomach and he returned her punch in her stomach and kicked her. She flew back and skidded to a stop on her back. He was nearing her when she jumped up, kicking him in the face with both feet. She then felt a stinging pain in her lower back and turned around, spin kicking the demon behind her. They attacked her at the same time but she slapped and punched and kicked as hard as she could.
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They didn't realize how much time had slipped away. They were bruised and sore by the time they defeated their enemies. One of them heard something.
"Who's there?" Botan called out, turning around to see two young human girls. "What are you doing here?"
"We were captured by those goons you just pulverized." Touya and Jin were looking around the cave.
"They were third class demons." Hiei stood up from examining them. "Merely puppets made for our distraction. We better get moving. Fast." He looked at Kurama. "You were a pawn. They staged it so that you would catch their scent."
"Who set this up, then?" Jin asked, blinking in confusion.
"If this was meant as a distraction, then the finals.. they'll be starting soon.." She trailed off. "We could be disqualified." They all felt a little sick. "We better get there fast." Touya and Jin assured them that they would get the humans to the stadium and that they should leave. Botan and Kurama trailed a little behind Hiei as they raced to make it in time.
"How could I have been so stupid?" Kurama frowned. "I was a fool for not seeing it.." Botan put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"You weren't stupid. How could you have known, anyway? That's the least of our problems. We need to make it there in time." He nodded. They noticed the stadium getting closer. He hoped they weren't too late. It would be all his fault, too. They ran in and down the corridors. Botan nearly slid when turning a corner. When they got outside, they saw the ref. talking with Yuusuke. He glanced over and a look of relief passed his face.
"Where were you?" Kuwabara asked, crossing his arms.
"We were delayed. Someone does not want us to win this tournament." Kurama said, frowning deeper, if it was at all possible.
"We were tricked." Botan stated, looking apologetic. Yuusuke brushed it off with a wave of his hand.
"Don't worry about it now, guys. We have a fight to win." Botan gazed over at the other team. They all had emotionless expressions and their eyes seemed too hollow for words. Could it be possible that they are also puppets? Someone sure has a sick and twisted mind. Botan pointed it out to Hiei and he agreed.
"They have no thoughts. Something's not right." Botan was the first to fight. Hiei warned her to be on guard and to be careful. She nodded. "They are not normal demons. They are the same. Third class. Probably sold their lives to some fool. Do not get hit by them. They could have any amount of tricks up their sleeves." She walked up to the ring. She noticed that the guy she was battling had a katana as well.
"Don't think this is going to be so easy." She said, narrowing her eyes as she drew her katana. He did the same, facing her, seemingly seeing through her with his hollow, lifeless eyes.
"Fight!" They both charged at each other, meeting at just about the middle, their katanas making a metallic ring as they hit. Botan attacked with a series of blows then blocked and tripped him. She was just about to bring her katana down on him when he rolled out of the way, getting to his feet. She frowned and chased after him, throwing her effort into hitting him. She caught his arm with one blow. He didn't even seem to feel it. She blocked numerous blows. He kicked her and sent her flying to the other end of the ring. She slid a little and her head was just inches from the edge. In an instant, he was on top of her. She pulled Hiei's move and he jumped off of her in mild surprise. She rose to her feet, clutching the hilt of her weapon. She was angry. She jumped at him, swinging this way and that, trying to confuse him. He blocked every one. She feinted to the right and got his left shoulder. He didn't seem to feel that one either. They went back to blocking. He was relentless when it came to getting hit. What could she possibly do?
"What could she do?" Kurama voiced to Hiei. The koorime was watching the movements. He noticed that she was hitting him, but he wasn't feeling it.
"Nothing that I can see." Botan figured that she needed to get him outside the ring, which would prove difficult. She set off into dash and stopped right next to the edge. She saw him coming at her. She used agility she didn't know she had and moved out of the way, getting behind him. He stopped and almost lost his balance. She kicked him right in the middle of the back. He fell forward, onto the grass. He didn't move. The ten count was a success and Botan smiled victoriously. Kurama smiled at her brilliance. The first match was won. She walked over to them and a frown replaced her smile.
"Their one weakness is probably their back. Try it out. It couldn't hurt. Nothing else seemed to effect them."
"We'll have to see, then." Yuusuke said with a glance at the other team.
"Then again, they could all have different weak points." Kurama pointed out.
"We'll try anything, I guess. We'll have to be smart like Botan." She blushed lightly and Kurama wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
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This is the end of this chapter. I'm sorry for the long wait. I guess I should have gotten that last idea sooner.. Thanks for waiting as patiently as you did. ^_^;
-Jess-