This chapter will have plenty of action and suspense. And now, to start the chapter…actually, I'm gonna keep you in suspense. Muhahaha:sees flying knives and runs away: Fine, have it your way! Jeez!


The girls were in Makai without having a way to get back.

"So let's hurry." Tsume said out loud.

As they began to run, they met up with a giant group of demons. Leading them were Yusuke and Kuwabara!

"Tsume, what's going on?"

"It must be the power of the jewel that's controlling them."

"Then why is it only them, and not us?"

A voice boomed noisily. "Because the jewel's power is limited without the other half. For now, I can only control men."

"That's Ronin's voice. I'd recognize it anywhere."

"So if he gets both stones, he can control anything?" Ume questioned Tsume.

"I doubt it, but he would be nearly unstoppable."

"So either way, it's going to be bad."

"Exactly."

"Then I guess we should stop that Ronin guy before he gets both jewels."

Tsume nodded. "Water Staff!" she called out and a blue staff appeared in her hand. She spun it and half of all the demons got caught in the water tornado.

"Wolf Ray!" The last half was destroyed by the attack.

Tsume had called upon her Fire Blade and was trying to slash Kuwabara. For a split second, he let his guard down and Tsume cut him.

Yusuke charged at Ume and she used her Weapon Ball. She turned it into a spear and jumped into the air. She held her spear, pointing downward. She threw it and a small explosion occurred, blowing Urameshi up a tree. He fell out, landing on his head. He began to get up.

"How are we going to beat these guys without hurting them too badly?"

"They aren't as strong as they should be, Ronin doesn't know how to use their full potential while he's in control."

The cry, "Spirit Gun!" was heard and the two girls jumped out of the way of the blow.

"But did I mention that Ronin now knows all their attacks, including their strongest one?"

"No actually, you didn't."

Kuwabara used his Spirit Sword. He and Tsume clashed swords until Kuwabara eventually let his guard down and was cut. Thanks to the fire that was coming out of the blade, it was stronger, and Kuwabara blacked out.

Another Spirit Gun was fired and Ume jumped into the air avoiding the blow. She used her Weapon Ball, turned it into a spear and threw it down at Yusuke. A tiny explosion occurred, knocking him to a wall. "Wolf Claws." All of the little balls hit Yusuke in the stomach, knocking him out.

"Sorry about that Yusuke!" Ume called out as she ran toward the main tower where Ronin was controlling her friends with Tsume.

They were halfway there, slaying demons on the way, when they met with Hiei.

"Hey Tsume," Ume stood there, glaring at Hiei as she spoke. "Go on ahead and find Kurama. I'll handle Hiei and catch up."

"But…"

"No time for that! We have to stop Ronin before he gets the second stone. Besides, you have to save your boyfriend right?"

"It's a very good thing none of them will remember what happened while controlled, because if they did, I would have KILLED you for saying that."

"What ever. Just get going will you?"

Tsume ran.

"So…you can't remember any of this huh? Well, here's a little something I've always wanted to do to you ever since that girl, Tsume, appeared."

Ume ran up to him and kicked Hiei in the face.

"That's what you get for cheating on me, you jerk!" she smiled, glad that she finally got that out of her system, and thankful that Hiei wasn't going to remember her kick.

Tsume continued to run down long corridors. From time to time, there'd be a hallway that'd lead to a dead end and she'd have to retrace her steps. She eventually got to some room with double doors. "This must be it." She thought to herself, and she stepped in. Inside, she saw something she never wanted to ever see. Kurama was kneeling on the floor in front of Ronin, and Ronin, with complete control over Kurama.

"Seems like you friend is taking a long time with the little fire youkai (apparition)."

Her Lightning Arrows appeared in her hands and was aimed for Ronin's head.

"Tsk, tsk. You wouldn't want to do anything rash would you? Not since I have this demon's life in my hands."

Tsume lowered her weapon.

"Now little Tsume, drop down on your knees, and beg for your life."

As Hiei's katana (sword…duh) and Ume's Weapon Ball, which was turned into a sword, battled one another, Ume wasn't too concerned. She knew that Hiei could run much faster than he was running then, she knew that Ronin wasn't able to use Hiei to his fullest. Dodging endless blows, Ume was able to strike back a few times.

"At least he hasn't used his…" Ume wasn't able to finish her thoughts, for at that moment, Hiei shouted the words Ume was thinking.

"Dragon of the Darkness Flame!"
-
"I would never bow down to the likes of you."

"You should, if you value his life at all."

He commanded Kurama to take out his Rose Whip. And he did. Then, Ronin told Kurama to hold it against his own neck.

"Do it. Beg as if your life depends on it, because truth be told, it does. Yours, and his." He pointed to Kurama who's Rose Whip was only inches from taking his own life.

"Crud!" Ume jumped out of the way seconds before the Dragon hit the spot where she was standing.

The powerful technique had burned a small portion of her foot. Ume saw her foot, nearly burnt to a crisp. She knew she was in trouble. She wasn't able to move as fast and Hiei was just as swift as he was before. Suddenly, an idea hit Ume. She started taunting and mocking Hiei in every way she thought possible. Anything to make him mad enough to use his most powerful technique again and again. And that's exactly what Hiei continually did.

After some time, Ume was tired. She couldn't keep dodging the attacks forever, so she stopped taunting, but still, Hiei continued to use his attack, until he stopped.

"Did my plan work?" she asked herself, breathlessly. Hiei was firing up for more Dragon of the Darkness Flames. Abruptly, he fell. "I can't believe this. It actually worked." Ume knew for fact that using so many Darkness Flame techniques would wear Hiei out. Eventually, it would have gotten to the point where he couldn't fight anymore, and he'd just collapse.

"All right. Three down, two to go. I hope Tsume's handling Kurama and Ronin ok without me." She got up and began walking as fast as she could, towards where she saw Tsume go off to.

On her knees, Tsume felt weak and feeble. She didn't want Kurama to be hurt just because she hadn't realized that her jewel was stolen. She didn't want him pay for her mistakes.

"Now Kurama. Hit her until she bleeds. Make her pay for not giving me the jewel form the beginning, and making me go through all this to get it." Ronin ordered him.

Kurama raised his Rose Whip and something made it fall from his hand. It was a small throwing knife, made from Ume's Weapon Ball.

"How'd…how'd you get here so fast?" Ronin was puzzled.

"Wasn't hard to follow Tsume's awful scent all the way over here."

"Darn you, Wolf."

Ume helped Tsume to her feet and created another knife and threw it at the chain holding the jewel around Ronin's neck. It fell to the floor and Ume dove for it.

"I believe this belongs to you." She threw it towards Tsume and she caught it.

"Kurama, get the jewel back." Kurama fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Sorry Ronin, but we have the jewel back, and that means you have no control over anything…" Ume began saying.

"Except, you do get to choose which way you are going to die. By her? Or by me?" Tsume finished the threat.

A little while later, Tsume was down on the floor looking at Kurama's unconscious body. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly. "I'm so sorry about all this Kurama. I didn't mean to get any of you involve." She cried silently on Kurama's shoulder. (Right now, I'm going "AWWW how kawaii (cute)!" lol)


When I said 'a touch of romance', I meant a touch of it. That was so little…My bad. I didn't think I was going to type so much for this chapter. This was a pretty long chapter because I wanted to get at least one romantic part in it, so I made it longer than I intended it to be. I guess the romantic part will have to wait until I'm done with the next chapter. Well, until then!