(Counting reviews) Holy shii-ite. Six reviews for last chapter and a surprise review for Winter's Rose, making a total of seven and a new record. on,.,no I feel so loved! In return, you guys all get a bonus chappie!! (confetti and noise-makers)

Suiyou: Yeah, I had a nice Thanksgiving too, once my system settled down. I really, really hate being a girl sometimes…But we had dinner at my Aunt DeeDee's place for the first time since I can remember, so that more than made up for it! (Plus the food was good!)

AristocraticAssassin: The server screwed everyone over. And to tell you the truth, that was originally the ending, when they won. But I figured 'nah, too easy, I can do better.' But I didn't feel like deleting all that work--not to mention all the perfectly useful funny/fluff bits. So, enter the cliché but ever-useful dream-sequence thingy!

Crazy-lil-nae-nae: Thanks! Er, your name wouldn't be inspired by Bubblegum Crisis, would it?

Magus784: Yeah, Aislin in dragon-form is cool. I was feeling a little snarly that day and decided exactly what the story said. Overkill is the better part of vengeance. And yes, more action! n,.,n

Darkspirals: Of course there's going to be more chapters. Honestly, the whole server-down thing had gotten me depressed and I was so close to just uploading the whole damn thing at once and being done with it. But now that people are reviewing again (I can't believe how much time I spend here, or how much I've come to look forward to these reviews/new chapters) I feel perfectly fine with dragging it out to a suitable degree. (impish smile)

Starling: Wicked, wicked fox-girl.

Yes, yes I am. 'n,.,n' (Hey, I actually have little devil horns for my sig. smiley! Cool!) And no, can't resist loyalty…which reminds me, Jerry Unipeg hasn't reviewed this story for a long time, if at all. Wonder if he knows about it?…But for being the sole reviewer for ch. 13, I shall email you ch. 17 in advance! If you want me to/if your computer can handle it, that is. n,.,n

Raeneflovescandy: (blushes) You really think so? Thanks so much! You get a cookie!

Chapter 15

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"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the opening round of the Dark Tournament!" The audience roars in exultation as Koto steps onto the ring with her free hand upraised. "Are you ready for some pain??" The noise gets louder, the fox-girl beaming and speaking into her microphone again. "That's what I thought! Okay, everyone, get ready for the very first match! Team Urameshi versus Team Showdown!"

"Huh," Yusuke mumbles, looking at their opponents, "the teams this year are gettin' pretty international."

Kohaku nods, peering with sleep-glazed eyes across the ring. "I think I know the guy in the striped shirt…hey! It's Jason! ((Hey, Bishie-boy! What's up??"))

(("Candy?")) comes the astonished reply, the designated young man walking around the ring towards them. Kohaku's team examines the American boy and blink--he seems like a normal teen. Average height, short-cropped hair dyed cherry red, sharp hazel eyes over a light smattering of freckles. (("Candy, since when do you work for the bad guys?"))

(("Me?? What about you?? You're the one on a team full of nasties!"))

(("Those guys?")) Jason jerks a thumb towards his team, startled. (("They aren't nasties. They're King Enzeru's hand-picked Team. Luke's cousin's on it, too."))

"People? You're supposed to be fighting, not socializing?" Group glare, and Koto shrinks back. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems that Kohaku from Team Urameshi and Jason from Team Showdown know each other. Small Tournament, huh?"

(("Don't you go calling my team bad guys, Jason McHaddock!")) Kohaku retorts, poking the taller boy's chest. (("They're Koenma-sama's Team! That's his Spirit Detective over there!!"))

(("No kidding? Huh. I thought he'd look a bit more, I dunno, high-class."))

(("Yusuke's one of the best Detectives Koenma-sama's had in a long time, Jason. Looks aren't everything."))

(("Yeah, okay. Let's get this started before that fox-chick has apoplexy or something."))

(("Right.)) Yusuke! Ready when you are!"

"Right!" And Yusuke hops effortlessly onto the ring, sauntering to the center where a raven-haired woman has been waiting with ill-concealed impatience. "So how should we do this?"

"One-on-one matches will do," the woman replies in heavily-accented Japanese. "Agreed?"

"Yeah, sure. Who's going when?" The order of the matches is decided quickly: Kohaku would be fighting Jason first (she'd practically demanded it be her that gets to smack the 'blockhead' around); next would be Kuwabara and the bouncy little Karen; then Kurama and Luke's cousin Richou; Hiei would be fighting Christine; and Yusuke would be fighting the Captain, Rosalind Brownstone. Koto announces all this in relief and Jason and Kohaku take to the ring.

----

(("Come on, Candy. Are you really gonna fight me? I don't wanna hurt you."))

(("Just shut up and put up, Jason. This is a Tournament, after all."))

"Fighters, get ready! Set! Go!" With a pleased roar, Kohaku launches herself at Jason, slamming into him and sending them both tumbling end over end. When they stop, Kohaku is sitting on Jason's chest, pinning his shoulders with her hands and trapping his legs with her own feet. She smiles down with bronze eyes at the squirming Jason.

(("You always did suck at wrestling."))

"Yeah!" Yusuke cheers. "Go, Kohaku!" With a hard twist Jason breaks free and tosses Kohaku across the ring. She lands in a crouch, skidding a foot or two and launching herself back into the fight.

(("Geez, you always gotta wear these things when we fight?")) A dismayed yelp when Jason pulls off her headphones, disconnecting Kohaku from her music. She makes a grab for them, but Jason dances backward, waving the 'phones over his head. (("Nyah, nyah!"))

(("Gimme those back, damn it!")) Growling, Kohaku pounces on him and sinks her little fangs into his forearm. He shakes her off with a yelp of his own, dropping the headphones and staggering back a few feet, cradling his wounded arm close to his chest and eyeing the ookami with hurt eyes.

(("Whadja do that for??")) Kohaku spits out her mouthful of blood, beginning to circle the uncertain human boy with a rather dangerous expression making her bronze eyes glow. (("Candy?")) Snarling, the teen girl leaps at her friend, teeth bared and claws extended. Jason scrambles out of her way, only to get slammed into the cement with enough force to stun him, leaving Kohaku to stand over him with her fists raised to strike.

"Kohaku!!" The girl flinches and looks to Hiei, standing with his arms crossed and anger burning behind garnet eyes. "You are not here to kill that boy. Let him go." A fierce, defiant growl is her reply. "I mean it, baka ookami. Let. Him. Go."

Reluctantly, Kohaku backs off and goes to the far side of the ring, crouched down with her hackles raised while Jason staggers to his feet. (("Ow, geez. Cool your jets, Kohaku. That really hurt."))

"You. Idiot." Jason turns, blinking at the sight of a rather displeased Hiei.

(("Sorry, don't speak Japanese. Do you know English?"))

(("He called you an idiot, idiot!")) Richou calls. (("You hang out with anime fanatics, you should know at least that much!")) The bat demon faces Hiei. "What do you need to tell the idiot?"

(("Hey! Stop calling me an idiot!"))

"Put her headphones back on. When this idiot pulled them off he disrupted her concentration and allowed her demon side to start surfacing." Richou translates, and Jason stares at Kohaku.

(("I have to put them back on…with her like that??"))

Hiei doesn't need a translator--the boy's face says it all. "You pulled them off. You put them back on." Crestfallen, the ningen boy picks up the discarded headphones and sidles towards the annoyed Kohaku.

(("Heere, Candy-candy. Niice Candy. Goood Candy. Please don't take another chunk outta me, Candy.")) He jumps back when Kohaku barks at him, a mischievous gleam replacing the animosity. She creeps forward, then pounces on a frightened Jason, once again sending them tumbling to end up with Kohaku perched on the edge of the ring with Jason sprawled on the grass below. To her Team's surprise a bushy chocolate-brindle tail wags behind her with matching ears poking out of her thick hair. (("Screw it. She's gotten even crazier since she left. I'm staying down here."))

"And winner by forfeit, Kohaku!" Instantly Hiei hops into the ring, jamming the earphones over Kohaku's normal ears and clicking the prong home into her cd player. She blinks; the tail and ears vanish. She looks down to find Karen helping Jason to his feet and clucking over his bloodied arm.

"Uh, what happened?"

"Your demonic tendencies surfaced, that's what happened. You won your match, though," Yusuke comments, looking somewhat uneasy at the fast way his team-mate switched personalities.

(("Hey, Jason, what happened to your arm?"))

(("You happened to it, you nutcase. Go get training for that darker side of yours before you kill someone you care about.")) A lopsided smile takes the sting out of his words. (("And remind me not to swipe your headphones ever again."))

(("Um…okay.")) And Hiei leads her off the ring, the wolf running her tongue over her teeth and making a face at the taste of blood.

Reluctantly, Kuwabara takes to the ring, unhappily eyeing Karen as the bouncy ice-blond girl hops up and down with excitement. Koto steps between them, one hand lifted. "Next up, Kuwabara versus Karen!"

----

"Good luck with the match!" Karen chirps in passable Japanese, a bright little smile making her face light up. "I hope we have fun!"

"Dude, Urameshi," Kuwabara mutters, looking over his shoulder, "this ain't right. She's a girl."

"So?" Yusuke and Karen chorus. "What's wrong with her/me being a girl?"

"My code won't let me fight girls. Especially when they're cute and little."

Karen turns pink and gives him a coy, sideways look. "Aww, you're sweet. But if you don't fight me then you forfeit." Kuwabara wilts. There was that. "So, are you gonna fight me? Pretty pleeease?"

"But…"

"Any time now, people."

"But…"

"Ten seconds to decide, Kuwabara. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…"

"I can't do it, Urameshi. I just can't."

"Ladies and gentlemen, Kuwabara has forfeited due to a complication of morals! Pesky things, aren't they?" The audience roars agreement. "Score stands at one point for each team! Next match, Kurama versus Richou!"

----

"Your team-mate has my sympathy," Richou comments as he and Kurama take to the ring. "It must be uncomfortable to be bound so, unable to fight half his fights because of genders."

"An honorable man don't fight girls," Kuwabara mumbles in his defense. Richou clucks his tongue disapprovingly.

"An honorable man gives everyone an equal opportunity to test themselves against him," Richou counters before turning back to Kurama. "As I will do with you. Are you ready, Kurama-san?"

"Quite. Koto, if you would get us started?"

"Okay! Fighters, get ready; get set; go!" In an instant Kurama's infamous Rose Whip is out and snaking around the fox-ningen's feet. Richou has his weapons out as well; a set of rings formed of bright orange reiki. With a graceful motion the bat apparition throws the first of his rings and takes off running along the edge of the stone platform. The Rose Whip lashes out to slice it neatly in two, only to have its wielder cry out as the ring detonates.

"Oh, wow! Richou's rings explode on contact! Let's see if Kurama's managed to survive the discovery!"

As if there's any doubt. When Richou throws another hoop into the smoke, a rose-pink blur leaps out in time to avoid the second explosion, coughing from having inhaled the acrid cloud. "Oh, sorry," Richou's voice is mild, "did I forget to mention that? The smoke's been tweaked to act like tear-gas."

It's with emerald eyes blurred by defensive tears that Kurama glares at Richou and sends his Whip licking a vicious path towards the bat youkai, only to have it encounter another ring and creating more smoke. "Damn…you," the fox-human coughs, nearly gagging on the horrid smell. Off the ring, Kohaku and Aislin are crouched close to the ground with hands over their noses. Hiei's already moved upwind of it.

"That's the convenient thing of being a bat," his opponent's voice echoes around the coughing male in the smoke. "You don't need your eyes or the ability to sense reiki. All you need is your sonar." The Whip lashes out again; this time Kurama is rewarded with a yelp.

"Bats talk too much."

"Bloody sonnuva…" Several more creative words follow but Aislin snorts.

"Peh. Amateur." Kurama's smirking despite the chemicals making his eyes sting, and he stands up straight, shouting, "Shower of Petals and Thorns!" as he whirls his Whip before him. The smoke is swept away in a near-storm of rose petals and their thorns, Koto wisely having dropped to the grass at the first sign of the smoke and so not in range. Richou is not so lucky.

His voice rises in pain as petals and thorns cut tiny slices out of his flesh, the rings dissolving into the air as the bat apparition falls onto his side. Koto bounds back onto the platform and immediately begins the count. "One! Two! Three! Four!" Kurama flings a couple of tiny seeds off the side of the ring onto the grass--two seconds later vines writhe up and entangle Richou in their grasp, preventing him from finishing rising to his feet. With a flourish, Koto completes her count. "And Kurama is the winner by the ten-count! Next match could be game point for Team Urameshi!"

"Count on it," is Hiei's quiet suggestion as he takes his place in the ring with Christine. The woman is a kitsune of the red-fox variety, and wears her auburn hair proudly in a long flowing ponytail and bangs that sweep over expectant amber eyes. She's dressed in a modest tank-top and sweats, both the same rust color as the tail sweeping behind her; black sneakers are on her feet and her dainty hands are encased in fingerless black mesh gloves.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Hiei Jaganshi," she retorts calmly as she takes out a set of knuckle-claws and drops into a preparation stance. "After all, you've still got me and boss-lady to contend with. And Rosie's no pushover."

"Chris!"

"Oops. Sorry, Ms. Brownstone!"

"Stop chattering and get your head in the game!" The fox's grin bares white fangs as she turns her head back to Hiei.

"That's right! This is all one big deadly game, isn't it?"

----

"Fighters, ready! Set! Begin!" And Koto leaps out of the way--previous experience has taught her that she really doesn't want to get in close range of any of Hiei's attacks. In silence Christine makes the first move, swiping her claws downward in a vicious motion. Reiki blades of a deep red hue are ripped into the air and scream for the waiting Hiei--and are lightly swatted into nothingness by Hiei's blade.

One rusty eyebrow goes up. "Hey…is that a Manzanaki sword??"

"Hn. Good eye." They blur into a series of katas that are unpredictable and efficient at disemboweling, dismembering, or beheading when successful. Each blocks the other's strikes with ease.

"I didn't think I'd ever get to see one in person! Who got it?"

"The snowflake."

"HEY!! STOP CALLING ME A SNOWFLAKE, PORCUPINE HEAD!!" Smack! Hiei gives Aislin a sideways glare, shaking the splattered snow out of his spikes.

"Snowflake."

"Porcupine head!"

"Baka."

"Prick!"

"Ikeiki."

"Kisama!"

"Pay attention to me, please? The one trying to cut your head off?" Hiei smirks at the red fox--it's not a nice smirk. The blade sweeps up, across, and comes to rest against Christine's throat, the point drawing a single bead of blood from that pale skin. She freezes in midmotion, claws lifted to take a chunk from his shoulder.

"Game over."

"Aw, damn. All right, all right, I yield. I want to keep my head on my shoulders a while longer." Koto declares the end of this sub-round with Team Urameshi as the winner, Christine calling to Hiei as her team heads for the hotel to pack. "Hey, Jaganshi! Pleasure dueling with you!"

"Hn. And you. Try again in a few decades."

"You bet!" And the teams separate, Kohaku waving impishly at her departing friend.

(("Better luck next year, Jason!")) Her friend waves back as he and his team disappear into the recesses of the inner complex of the stadium. Team Urameshi takes their place on the sidelines to wait and see if they'll fight again today.

----

It's later that evening, and the Team is gathered in their hotel room, having learned that they won't be needed again until the next day. Yusuke emerges from the suite's large bathroom, toweling his hair dry after his shower. "Hey, anybody seen Kohaku?"

Kurama glances up from his book, curled up on the couch with a napping Aislin snuggled against him. "I believe she went down a couple of floors, to the lounge. The committee set the area up as mild entertainment for teams and their sponsors."

"Oh. Wanna check it out?"

Kurama smiles gently, glancing down at the sleeping koorime with her arms wrapped around his waist. "No, I think I'll stay here."

"Suit yourself." And Yusuke wanders into the other rooms, finding only Kuwabara sprawled on his bed reading comics. After a brief explanation the orange-haired boy follows his friend, both of them glancing around.

"The shrimp ain't here either," is Kuwabara's comment upon seeing the windowsill empty of its usual inhabitant.

"No, Hiei went with Kohaku to keep those more inclined to trouble looking elsewhere for it."

"Huh?"

"Hiei's babysitting the wolf. Come on, baka." The two leave with surprising silence, Kurama remaining behind with his beloved. In an absent-minded gesture born of centuries of such moments Kurama's hand drifts down and brushes a strand of berry-red hair out of the sleeper's face. A contented smile tugs at the corners of Aislin's mouth as she snuggles closer in her sleep, a faint rumbling purr vibrating in her chest. The fox-ningen shakes his head slowly as he reads, finding it ironic that one of their rare moments of peace comes in a place of battle and death.

--

Downstairs, Yusuke and Kuwabara walk into the lounge in time to hear a very pretty duet being sung; looking to the mini karaoke stage they find Kohaku and her friend Cassie sharing a microphone. "Looking in a broken mirror, I clearly see your reflection. Tears roll down your face, tears roll down your face as you finger traces the edge upon the wall! Who is that I'm calling out to? I can see you walk away from me. Time and time again, time and time again, you will find me knocking on your door! With my back pressed against the weight of the world, and the speed of the night, it felt as if a thread was snapping in two; and I held onto you…held onto you…held onto you…with all my might! As you share an unbalanced kiss with me, I hope you can feel us getting closer to love. And may all of your fears and tearful deceptions both come to rest in my heart! Oh, my love!"

Applause rises as the two take a bow and hop off the stage, heading for the small dance floor and the two young men waiting for them. If Yusuke's eyes aren't playing tricks, it's the two 'lovebirds' Luke and Craig. He looks around and spots Hiei at the table closest to them, looking mildly uncomfortable. Of course, he would be considering he's got at least three females clinging to him.

Kuwabara immediately starts snickering at Hiei's plight, but Yusuke feels like rescuing him. Putting his fingers to his lips he blows a quick whistle. Kohaku immediately jumps to look around and spots Yusuke pointing in Hiei's direction. Another bounce and she spots the problem. A moment later she pushes out of the crowd, stomping towards the offending females with her new ears out and flat. It's not wise to intrude on a wolf's claim.

"Get your grubby paws off my guardian!" she growls, voice loud in the pause between karaoke vict--I mean, volunteers. Hiei looks towards heaven, expression clearly that of 'thank Kami!' as the females bristle.

"Back off, pup. We saw him first!" Growling, Kohaku bodily picks up the woman who measures six feet by the back of her skimpy dress, hauls her to the lounge door and chucks her out on her ass. Stomping back, Kohaku snatches for a second but misses, clawing the third across the cheek and sparking both females' ire.

"Hiei's MY guardian! Get your own!" Hiei glances over at a smirking Yusuke--ignoring the laughing buffoon behind him.

/Do I want to really get involved in this?/

Only if you want to get between those three. One thing I've learned, Hiei: never get in the middle of a cat-fight. Yusuke might not be telepathic, but his mental shields are still crap. It's easy for Hiei to skim the Spirit Detective's surface thoughts. Judging that this time the boy's advice is sound, the fire apparition takes the opportunity to slip away from the table moments before the second of the unfortunate females gets slammed into it by a very upset Kohaku.

"When a guy looks like he'd rather be anywhere else you aren't supposed to make him choke on your damned perfume! And take a bath! You smell like you went swimming in that stink!" The gathered fun-seekers are watching this growing cat-fight with glee, having decided that this is better entertainment than listening to hacks squawking on stage. With another of her fierce growls Kohaku throws the more petite third female out the door and turns to glare at the second struggling from the wreckage of the table. "Your feet or my hands, you choose how you leave. Now." Whimpering, the remaining female scoots out the door, collecting her two dazed friends as she goes.

While everyone's still staring at the scrawny little wolf that just took care of three of the more powerful female youkai there, said wolf makes a stand beside Hiei to make a declaration. "Hiei's my guardian, and no one gets to glomp him but me! So hands off!"

With that, she drags Hiei over to another empty table and plunks herself down beside him, glaring about indiscriminately. Yusuke just keeps smirking as he sits next to her, propping his feet on the table and allowing himself one brief chuckle. Kuwabara, on the other hand, is still laughing his ass off over by the door. A united glare from both Hiei and Kohaku is effective enough to silence him, however, and he slinks over to the table with metaphorical tail between his legs. "You okay, Hiei?"

"Hn."

Yusuke laughs outright. "Take that as a yes, Kohaku!" Rolling her eyes Kohaku grabs Hiei and hauls him to his feet, heading for the dance floor where Cassie, Luke and Craig are waiting at the edge. While his face may show reluctance, the kajihenge's body does not, and the five disappear quickly into the crowd. The two human boys still at the table content themselves with making wisecracks and ogling some of the prettier youkai women mingling or singing karaoke. Unseen by them on the dance floor, Hiei is once again getting a lesson in grinding, but this time he and Kohaku are grinding along with two other pairs (Cassie snagged a willing partner standing on the sidelines).

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Woot for wolf-girls and fluff-ness!

Enzeru: 'Angel'. Figured it was a good name for US Spirit World Ruler person.

Richou is supposed to mean something but I forgot what and my online dictionary is being a prick. It might have been 'reichou' but 'Richou' sounds better for some reason. 'Reichou' means humanity.

Koumori (from last chapter): bat

Ookami (in case I forgot): wolf

Manzanaki is the fictional (duh n,.,n) man--human, believe it or not--who was the most famous swords-maker in the three worlds way back when. (About four/five centuries ago, give or take a few decades) He made only ten masterwork blades, of which there are only four left in existence. Hiei has one, which is why it's only broken a couple of times. Aislin's the one who keeps fixing it, through she still hasn't told me quite how…

Ikeike/kisama: take a wild guess.