Kitsune Kit: As I've told you before, be patient, the explanation is coming.
Darkspirals: Are you kidding? I barely got him to let me do it to him last chapter. Kohaku's club makes me long for the old days in high school when I was actually a part of a club like that. We hung out every day at lunch and talked anime the whole time.
Suiyou: I liked that line too.
Chapter 9
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The sounds of footsteps and doors opening and closing rouse Kohaku from the deep, dreamless sleep she'd fallen into when she and Hiei had gotten back from raving early this morning. With a sleepy grumble she rolls over--onto the floor with a thud. Sitting up, she blinks sleepily at the edge of the couch and wonders why the hell she's here instead of her nice comfy bed. And why Baka hasn't come to wake her up yet as is his wont.
"Good afternoon, Kohaku-san." A serene--and amused--Kurama smiles at her while hanging his coat, Aislin right behind him and not bothering to hide her mirth at something. "Did you have fun last night?"
"Blast," Kohaku mumbles, rubbing at her eyes in an effort to clear away the gummy sleep trying to keep them glued shut. "Wha time izzt?"
"Nearly four in the afternoon." Aislin seems about to burst with glee, though Kohaku really isn't sure why. "What did you do, anyway?"
"Rave at Childe." Accepting the fact that she definitely isn't awake enough to form actual sentences for the time being, the chocolate-haired girl uses the arm of the couch to haul herself to her feet so she can shuffle to the kitchen in hopes of caffeine. Something soft meets her fingers when she catches herself from falling over--she turns to look and finds Hiei's hair under her hand, still streaked in blue and red. Which happens to still be attached to a zonked Hiei, stretched on the couch on his side with one arm pillowing his head.
"Must've been interesting," Kurama comments quietly, walking over to the couch to ruffle Hiei's hair with gentle fingers. "Hiei normally doesn't sleep more than an hour or two when he sleeps at all. What time did you two get in last night?"
"Morning," Kohaku corrects, practicing her zombie-impression on her way to the kitchen. When asked again what time the two had gotten back here, she replies with a shrug--like she'd remember. After the club had closed, she'd dragged Hiei off to an all-night restaurant and convinced him to share a meal with her--chicken strips and wasabi, yummy!--before tricking him into going to a martial-arts movie she'd been wanting to see. By the time they'd gotten back to the portal and the suite, they'd both been staggering with weariness, drunk on exhaustion and giggling at every little thing. She'd thought they'd found their own beds but apparently not.
She beams to herself while making herself some coffee, a piece of toast already coated with grape jelly hanging from her mouth. So she'd really gotten Hiei to loosen up, huh? Now if she could only have more fun while keeping Yusuke and Kuwabara from opening their big traps. A thought hammers through the shell of sleep to present itself for contemplation. For some reason, somehow, Hiei smells like 'home'.
----
"Kohaku! On your left!" The wolf apparition jerks to the right and brings up her left arm (clad in a Mole Claw) in time to block the downwards strike of their target's glaive that would have lodged in her skull. The steel blade draws sparks from her reiki-formed armor before she shoves the demon off and follows through with a backhand-slice from her right-hand claws.
Her blades bite deep, and with an agonized shriek the demon collapses, leaving Kohaku to regain her balance and her breath as the others gather round. "Gods-be-damned prick," the girl growls wearily, reabsorbing her weapon and wiping her forehead with the back of her arm.
Yusuke whistles, picking up the comatose demon to shake him by the shirt collar. "Yo, moron! Wake up, she just scratched ya!" The demon whimpers and curls up in a ball, still dangling by his shirt.
"Geez, this is the guy that Koenma had such a problem with?" Kohaku demands, poking the demon's shoulder with a disgusted expression.
"Don't kill me."
"I'm gonna kill myself," she groans, throwing up her hands and beginning to walk away. "Such a bloody wimp! And I'm the one that ended up catching him! My reputation's ruined!" While everyone else laughs and pokes fun at the demon now getting dragged off for processing in the Reikai prison, only a wise-eyed Aislin and a wistful Kurama spot Kohaku slipping off into the Makai forest with Hiei on her heels.
It's been five months since Kohaku first became a member of Team Urameshi, and her training has progressed in leaps and bounds just as Hiei's height seems to have done. The fire apparition is now only two inches shy of being as tall as Kurama and has relaxed his up-tight bad-ass attitude enough to actually start enjoying life. (It's Aislin's pet theory that he's grown now because he'd never had a real reason to be tall before.) Yusuke and Kuwabara tried to give Hiei a hard time about it, but a brief session with Aislin and Kohaku quickly silenced their jokes. They still won't tell Kurama just what the girls did.
Hiei still prefers the company of Aislin, Kurama and Kohaku over that of the two human boys, but he is actually voluntarily going out with the others to things like parties and movie-nights. Brawn knows all of them by sight now, but still won't allow Kuwabara or Yusuke in without one of the others going with them.
The fire apparition trails after the ookami-youkai until she takes refuge in a tall tree, Hiei leaning against it in silence. Above him, Kohaku straddles a branch and looks out at the landscape beyond this place in fascination. She glances down at the silent, calm Hiei, a conversation she'd had recently with Aislin popping up into her head.
"The thing is, a guardian has to be emotionally bonded to his ward," Aislin says, the two watching Hiei move through a series of katas that Kohaku had taught him so that he can practice rhythm-fighting alongside her. "It makes more sense that way. A youkai is more willing to protect someone that they deem important."
"So what does that mean for Hiei and I?" Kohaku asks reluctantly, dreading the answer. She gets a one-shoulder shrug and an empty mask.
"I don't know. He might very well be falling in love with you for real, like you've been wondering about for the last month or so, or this might all be because of the forced bond and will disappear at the end of the Tournament. I can't tell you, because I don't know how real his emotions are."
"But you've known him longer than I have."
"True. But some of him is still
a mystery and I've never claimed to know his entire heart. He still
loves Kurama, I can tell you that. But it's muted, lessened since he
claimed your protection his priority. Face it, Kohaku-chan. When this
is over, Hiei may simply go back to being one of the best friends and allies you could ever have, and no more."
"Hey." Hiei's voice breaks her from her reverie and makes her look down onto his spiked head. "Nice job today."
A disparaging snort. "Oh, please. A couple more minutes and one of the others would have bagged the idiot. I might as well have not been there." She blinks in astonishment--Hiei is straddling the branch directly in front of her, his nose mere inches away. Despite herself she cannot look away from the depths of his glowing garnet eyes.
"No, you did good. When you first started that demon would have wiped the floor with you in a matter of minutes. Long minutes, but still."
"Hiei, we still haven't unlocked my demon form, and the Tournament's two weeks away. What kind of youkai am I when I can't even do that?"
Hiei hesitates, and Kohaku doesn't need any special powers to know what's coming. She'd experienced enough situations like this back in the States. "You're the youkai that I..." A gentle fingertip touches his lower lip and silences him, replaced for a brief second by a kiss from Kohaku before she looks at him in understanding.
"Aislin told me about the details of the guardian-ward relationship, Hiei. At the end of the Tournament, if you still feel the same way that you do now, then tell me again. If not..." she smiles at him, "then I'll just have to get over it." Without another word she drops from the tree and looks back up at the floored Hiei. "Come on, fluff-head, we'd better get back to the others before they imagine the worst."
----
Bang. Bang. Bang. "What are you doing, Hiei-kun?" Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Leave me alone, fox." Kurama traps Hiei's forehead with a palm to keep the kajihenge from continuing to whack his head against the outer wall of the palace.
"Hiei, you're denting the wall. Tell me what's wrong."
"I tried to tell her, fox, and she rejected me."
"Oh, come on, Hiei! She wouldn't do that. Tell me what she said." The blood-haired boy's command is inescapable.
"She told me that Aislin had told her about the link between guardian and ward. If I still feel the way I do at the end of the Tournament, I get to tell her again. If I don't..." he shrugs helplessly.
"Hiei, that's not rejecting, that's being sensible. She doesn't want to be hurt if you stop loving her after you stop being her protector. Having you tell her you love her would just make it harder for her to let go."
"This isn't the guardian's bond making me feel like this, Kurama." Hiei's voice and eyes are anguished, so hurtful to see that Kurama sweeps his beloved into a comforting embrace in an effort to soothe the pain away. "I have not cared for anyone but you like this, not ever. She is what reminds me, even when you cannot, that life exists beyond the point of a sword."
"Tell me about it, Hiei." The words are phrased not as a command, but a request in order to understand. Hiei pulls away, spreading his arms in an expansive gesture.
"She is sunlight! She is pulsing music and glitter and laughter! She is tranquillity and challenge and everything that you are! But she has not had her heart torn in two because of love." Returning to Kurama, Hiei buries his face against the other male's chest and hugs him as though clinging to life itself. "And she keeps striking scars that I had thought long healed over."
"Hiei." Kurama starts fluffing up the long black spikes in an affectionate gesture. "What is it you once told me? 'There is no person that does not carry scars on his heart. If there was, he would be a shallow soul.' And the last time I checked, you are far from being a shallow soul. In fact, you are one of the most fascinating, complex people I have ever had the pleasure and honor of knowing. It is to be expected that you carry deeper scars than most."
"But Kohaku--"
"Kohaku-san accepts you for who and what you are, not for what you were. To her, you are someone very dear and I have the feeling she would defend you with her very life. Is that not in itself a definition of love?" Looking mildly happier, Hiei nods in agreement. "Kohaku is a wolf apparition, and still a pup whether you speak to a demon or a human, Hiei. Let her find her heart at her own pace, while you get to learn a lesson in patience. Something," Kurama's moss-green eyes dance with mischief, "I recall you having difficulties with."
"Ha, ha," Hiei growls. Kurama chuckles and slides an arm around his dear friend's shoulders.
"Come on, ryu-kun. I'm sure our aisuhana is wondering what's keeping us."
"Why?"
An expressive sigh. "Because your wolf is dragging all of us off to Childe Demon tonight. I have the feeling that I'm going to be grounded by the morning."
----
"Those are the Teams??" Kohaku demands, pointing an incredulous finger at the multitude of rather shady-looking demons all waiting for the ship that would take them to the Tournament's location, once again on Hang-neck Island. Two weeks have passed in a blink, and it's time for Kohaku to prove herself at the most deadly game in the worlds.
"Yup." Yusuke rolls his eyes as several glares are aimed their way. "That's most of them. Scruffy bunch, ain't they?"
"Well, damn, and here I was all worried that I'd get my ass kicked and everything." The comment, calculated to inflame tempers, succeeds quite well. One of the more burly demons swaggers up with fire in his eyes and venom on his tongue.
/And enough space in his head for a whale,/ Hiei comments in her mind, having followed the surface thought while the demon starts digging himself a metaphorical hole. Kohaku bites her lip, eyes crossing in an effort to keep from laughing and ruining the idiot's performance. However, he still notices and puffs up in a manner that would do a bull-frog proud.
"Yeh laughin' at me??"
"No," Kohaku snickers, "no, I'm not. I'm laughing at the moron who's got more brawn than brain, and barely enough brawn to ring a bell."
"Oh. Okay, then." And he lumbers off. Everyone on Team Urameshi shares a look and breaks down into a fit of laughter, several of the other teams having overheard the exchange and laughing as well.
"Well," Aislin giggles, "that's a nice way to start this mess off." A whistle causes heads to lift and turn in expectation, a very piratical figure--right down to the peg leg, eye patch and greasy black beard--strolling up as if he owns every person there and the ground they're standing on.
"All right, gents," the new person booms with extreme authority, "time ta line up fer yer fate! If'n ya ain't on me ship within the next five minutes, yer instantly disqualerfied! Step lively, me hearties, the Dark Tournament calls!"
Accompanied by growls, boasts--the kinds of preparation sounds one could expect from a large group of dark-souled demons getting themselves into motion--the Teams begin to shuffle onto the ship bobbing gently on the low waves, ready to take them to whatever the Tournament holds in store. Kohaku snags Yusuke by the jacket-sleeve, brow wrinkled in consternation.
"Hey, Yusuke. I thought as the defending champions we'd just get a plane ride to the island. Why are they sticking us with the gotta-proves?"
The boy with slicked-back ebony hair makes a noise of profound disgust. "Eh, it's that damned Committee. They're tryin' t' weed us out early so we don't get into the competition and kick all their sorry asses."
"Hn," our favorite fire apparition grunts from behind Kohaku, the group walking up the gangplank as he speaks. "I suggest we do as we did last year, before another loser tries to steal my idea."
Kohaku sends a questioning look to Kurama, who chuckles before explaining. "Hiei is suggesting we destroy the other teams before they can destroy us, which is what they tried to do last year instead of fighting as the captain suggested; in orderly matches."
"Oh. That shouldn't be too hard." Absently she backfists a demon attempting to sneak up behind her with his weapon drawn, sending him plummeting into the water with a shriek. Most of the demons that witnessed that particular moment are giving the eccentric girl flat stares mixed with wary respect; her team members are simply sniggering at the demon floundering back onto the gangplank. "After all, I've been training almost non-stop with all of you for like--what? Six months, give or take a week or two?" Her arms stretch out as a massive yawn pops her jaw and bends her spine backwards with several more snaps.
"Looks like someone's heading to bed when we get to the island," Aislin comments with a sympathetic smile while Kohaku sleepily leans against a blushing Hiei. A tired, incomprehensible mumble is her only response, the wolf apparition practically out on her feet.
"Aww, look," a demon croons mockingly from farther down the railing. "The widdle pup's all bushed. Maybe we should help 'er get some sleep, boys." His team-mates snicker and start moving in a threatening fashion towards the sleeping Kohaku and a very displeased Hiei.
However, they stop when Kohaku growls in her sleep and slings her arms possessively around Hiei's shoulders, kunai sliding out from under her jacket sleeves and dropping hilt-first into her palms. Muttering various excuses, the would-be attackers beat a hasty retreat under a very amused smirk from Hiei. The fire apparition shakes his head in exasperation at his ward, settling her piggy-back style with her kunai still clutched fiercely in both hands.
"Sometimes I wonder about this girl," he mutters to himself, the tiny smile that only she seems able to bring out curving his lips in a soft bow. Green eyes alight with laughter, Kurama gently extracts the kunai from Kohaku's hands before she can accidentally slice someone--like Hiei!
"I'll be glad when we get to the damned island," Aislin complains to Yusuke. "I don't like this much water!"
"You're ice. Just freeze it if you fall in."
"That's not the point!"
"Scaredy-snowflake."
"Kiss my ass, porcupine head."
"That's the fox's job."
"And one I can remember enjoying," 'the fox' says wistfully. "Aisuhana..."
"Not until you're physically old enough, koishii." Kurama just gives her puppy-dog eyes and she laughs, ruffling his hair. "Only two more years, sweetheart. Just show some of the patience I know you've got in you somewhere."
"I hate waiting," Kurama mutters irritably. Not more than five minutes later utter chaos erupts on the boat as once again the other teams take Hiei's idea and run with it. And slash with it. And...yeah. Very messy. Team Urameshi stands away from it all, fending off the occasional futile attempt from one of the enemies to harm them with a casual smack or kick.
When the boat arrives at Hang-neck Island Team Urameshi disembarks in a calm, orderly fashion, the two human boys tossing the worst of the unconscious offenders over the rail. A still-sleepy Kohaku trails after the rest of the group, yawning and rubbing at her eyes while Hiei keeps a firm grip on her jacket sleeve to prevent her getting lost. In the lobby the team meets up with the civilians of their group; the bubbly and bright-eyed Botan, Goddess of Death and a pilot for the River Styx, the serene-if-slightly-oblivious koorime Yukina, Kuwabara's stylish and sarcastic older sister Shizuru, and Yusuke's fire-cracker girlfriend Keiko. Kohaku has met them all over the last six months and likes Shizuru best for some reason.
"Glad you all made it!" Botan enthuses as Keiko gives Yusuke a thorough going-over about leaving the four of them behind as always. "I hear the boat ride was uneventful."
"Meh," grunts the wolf apparition. This is seconds before a chattering group of teenagers clad in neon clothes and lots of glittery things catches her eye as they carry musical equipment towards the elevator. With a joyous shriek she bolts for the group, the four teens turning in her direction with wide eyes that quickly turn to broad smiles just before she glomps onto the closest girl. "Ally!"
"Candy!" the four teens howl gleefully as they turn the five of them into a confusing circle of glomp-ness.
"What the hell are you all doing here??" Kohaku demands when the chaos dies down a bit and conversation is possible.
"What, didn't you get our voice-mail?" The girl with raven hair down to her thighs looks surprised, then annoyed, reaching over and smacking the taller, blond boy upside the head. "Craig! You were supposed to call her!"
"Yeow! You girls are so violent!" The boy pretends to cringe as best as he can, loaded down as he is with a guitar case and a large speaker. "Gimme a break, Cass, I lost her number again!"
With an expressive rolling of bright blue eyes, Cassie turns to Kohaku with a triumphant, ecstatic smile. "Our band got booked for the entertainment portion of the opening ceremonies tonight! And as part of our payment, we got free tickets for all four days! Isn't that awesome??
But strangely, Kohaku doesn't seem that excited. "Oh. Yeah, that's great, guys. Hey, I gotta go. My team needs to get bunked down and all that, you know?"
She starts to turn and her shoulder is caught by the other male, a red-head with eyes so dark a green that they're nearly black and canary yellow highlights striping his shaggy locks. "Candy, where are you going? You are our lead singer, ain'tcha?"
The wolf apparition turns back, hope dawning in her eyes. "You really mean that?"
"Duh!" all four of the teens shout. "Come on, Candy-chan, you know you wanted to make a debut here in Japan," the second girl (a platinum blonde with the face and body of a Greek goddess and spikes everywhere) cajoles sweetly. It's at this point that Team Urameshi finishes wandering over, Keiko gasping and pointing to the quintet.
"Oh my gosh! You're Pocky!!"
"You mean you've heard of us??" This appears to make all five ridiculously pleased.
"Heard of you? I own all three of your albums and a limited edition of your first single!"
"Dude," Craig says to the other boy, "we're recognized. In Japan." In perfect unison they shout a wordless cheer that has nearly everyone in the lobby staring.
"What suite is your team in?" Ally asks calmly, ignoring the stares. Kohaku turns questioningly to Kurama.
"Suite eight-two-nine. And you?"
"Oh, we're in seven-five-three. We're just the band, we get the cheaper stuff."
"So, Candy," the red-haired boy drawls, "introduce us already!"
Kohaku blushes. "Oh, sorry! Ally," the blond girl "Cassie," the black-haired girl "Luke," the carrot-top "and Craig," the blond boy "this is Aislin, Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Keiko, Botan, Yukina, and Shizuru. Vice versa."
Craig's eyes take on a rather predatory gleam as he turns to a disgruntled fire apparition. "So you're Hiei? I must say Candy's description doesn't do you justice. You're much more scrumptious than she let on."
Hiei growls while Luke just reaches over and punches Craig's bicep. "Lech! You promised me that you wouldn't embarrass me!"
Kohaku looks between her two friends, a suspicion taking root. "Hey, are you two..?"
"Dating?" Craig sets down his speaker and grabs Luke's hand, holding their entwined fingers up to show matching gel rings of clear red. "You betcha, honey!" The wolf apparition squeals and glomps them again.
"How long??"
"Oh, a couple of months. We've been keeping it quiet 'cause our folks would have a fit. We haven't quite gotten them used to the idea that boys can love boys yet, but we're making progress!"
Luke adds, "And it's more fun to keep them guessing that way."
Cassie, studying her friend closely, snaps her fingers and points. "That's what's missing! Candy, where's all your sugar??"
The Spirit team stares at her as she turns red and shuffles her feet. "I didn't think it was good for training so I kinda swore off for the duration. Besides, the stuff here just doesn't taste the same, yanno?"
"Good thing I brought a care box with me then!" Craig grins. "Our 'roadies' are carrying it in with the rest of out stuff. Come on by before the show and we'll load ya up with all the Tootsie Pops, candy jewelry, and Jolly Ranchers you can eat."
"Don't torture me." Growing impatient, Yusuke grabs Kohaku and hauls her into the newly-arrived elevator. "Rooms first, chat later," he informs her in no uncertain terms. "You ain't slept decent in days and by Kami I'm gonna make sure you ain't gonna crap out on us in the middle of a fight. Nap!"
"Okay, okay! I'll see you four later, kay?" The four wave as the elevator doors close on their cheerful friend and her team.
"Kay! Bye!"
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I've been going back and reading over the past chapters, and I've started to tweak them a bit to make them easier reading. Nothing major, a word deleted here, a sentence rewritten there. So far I've gotten chapters 1-3 done (I think), maybe 1 and 2. I've also started work at Mervyn's so things might be going slow for a while.