Part 03
My jaw dropped to the floor when he said he was a full-blood elemental youkai. I couldn't believe it, but then again, that was the only reason he was able to control me. No other demon type is near as close to my power, even though I am only half youkai. It was then that I figured he was the one who had saved me from the dark hole in the floor the first time.
"Alright you guys, looks like this is going to be one hell of a ride!" I exclaimed as I began to forge my Ultimate Element Sword.
Tyler snorted bringing out his Twin Spirit Blade, "Then we'll just have to make it enjoyable!" Tiffany remained silent as she put a lot more of her energy into her bow, transforming it into a spirit form of a ceremonial bow called a Hamayumi that was used to drive off evil. Hiei also played the silent game, not moving for no one.
"My one advantage, I can make any arrow I want," Tiffany said stepping forward, "And I choose one that even you won't see coming!" She held up her hamayumi and aimed right at Iroaku. Without saying anything she shot out a massive arrow but Iroaku dodged it easily. That's where I took over. I grabbed the arrow with my mind and gyrated its course, sending flying right back at him. It hit and he felt the impact very well, especially since I placed some of my own spirit energy into it. The energy surrounding him took a plummet downwards as my sword took one major boost and completed its formulation.
I held the hilt tightly as I rushed at Iroaku and met him sword to sword. I couldn't help but grin at his measly spirit sword because his baneful ways caused our ancestors to not allow him the power of the elemental sword. I felt the heat turn up, though, when he sent a blast of spirit energy at my hands, knocking my sword across the room. "Fine, if you want a fist fight, then you've got it!" I exclaimed as the real fight began.
From the sidelines my friends watched, unable to attack in fear of harming me and not my adversary. I was able to stay equal to him until he made a direct hit and knocked me unconscious. He then turned and ran for my element sword. The three remaining knew if he absorbed that power we wouldn't be able to defeat him. Hiei finally made his move and snatched the sword as Iroaku smashed into the floor. Iroaku glared at Hiei who stood not too far away from him.
"Looking for this?" Hiei exclaimed as Iroaku lunged at him. Hiei easily dodged him and stared back at Tiffany and Tyler, "Don't stand around like idiots! Wake Stephanie up!" They both nodded and ran over to me.
"Stephanie, wake up!" Tyler said slapping me a few times.
Tiffany hit him on the arm, "That's not how you do it, this is how!" Tiffany put her hand on my chest and shot a blast of her energy right into me. My eyes fluttered open and I smiled as Tyler helped me stand.
"Thanks, now it's time to kick some serious ass!" I glared over in Hiei and Iroaku's direction only to see Hiei hit the ground, hard. Right before Iroaku could grab my elemental sword Tiffany shot multiple arrows right into his back. He snarled and turned around, firing burning in his eyes. Tyler and Tiffany readied their weapons.
"Go get that sword, Steph, we'll keep him occupied as long as possible," Tyler said and I didn't stand around to argue. Iroaku charged at Tyler and Tiffany as I zipped around the room and came in right beside Hiei.
I touched Hiei's hand and his eyes opened a bit. "Take the sword and defeat him," he said quietly.
"Sh...don't talk, you're hurt."
"I'll live, these injuries are nothing."
I shook my head, "But I can't beat him without your help, he's way too strong."
"Don't argue with me! Leave me alone and go help your friends!"
I grabbed the elemental sword out of his hand, "I'll go help them, after I'm done helping you." I transformed the sword back into spirit energy and took a little bit of it for myself.
"What are you doing?" he asked me. I remained silent as I directed the rest of the remaining energy right into Hiei.
"I never leave anyone behind, no matter what." After saying that I stood and turned my back to him, putting all my attention towards Iroaku. Tyler and Tiffany were fairing well, but I knew they wouldn't last much longer alone. I charged up and bolted straight at Iroaku. I jumped up and kicked him in the back of the neck, sending him flying across the room and into a wall. He stood up and came back at me, once again starting our hand-to-hand battle.
Tyler put his twin spirit sword away and joined me in the fight as did Tiffany. Hiei sat up and watched the three of us fighting together. "They move as if they are one being, completely in unison..." Beep, beep, beep..."What the?" Hiei said as he reached next to him and picked up my communication mirror. He opened it, "What do you want?"
"Hiei? What are you doing with Stephanie's mirror? What are you doing at Iroaku's castle!" Botan questioned him.
"I came here because of the power coming from within it, and Stephanie is a little tied up at the moment, along with Tyler and Tiffany."
"They're not hurt are they?"
"I assure you, they are fine. Now what in the hell do you want?" Hiei asserted, annoyed.
Botan sighed, "I was hoping that they had defeated Iroaku by now, but I guess not. They need to hurry, as we speak, Kurama, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and I trying to keep his minions at bay..."
"What's wrong?"
"They are growing stronger with every punch, it's as if they are absorbing their spirit energy."
Hiei's eyes got wide as he looked back up at the battle between the three of us and Iroaku. Iroaku was giving off an enormous amount of energy, but was getting injured easily. Finally he realized what was actually happening, "Botan, put Kurama on now!" She nodded and handed the mirror over to Kurama.
"Hiei, what's going on?"
"I figured out why they are getting stronger, it's Iroaku. He's using his spirit energy along with Tyler, Tiffany, and Stephanie's blows to generate his energy to his demons!"
"He's ensuring the Living World's demise in case he dies..." Kuwabara butted in as the mirror lost contact.
"Dammit!" Hiei said turning his attention back to the battle, "Kuwabara was wrong on one thing, Iroaku knows he's going to win at the rate their battle is going."
Tyler, Tiffany, and I had heard every word since we were not using as much spirit energy as we should have. "Alright, Tyler, Tiffany, hit overdrive, I'm going to try something that should solve this problem." They both nodded and transformed into their newly acquired pre-youkai forms for a semi-show down. I ran over to Hiei who was leaning against a nearby wall by now. "Do you trust me?"
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Do you trust me? I need to know now," I said again. He just nodded. "Take off the bandage covering your Jagan eye." Hiei looked at me weirdly, but didn't argue. He took off the bandage, revealing his Jagan eye. I placed my hand over it and closed my eyes, "My ancestors, by the elemental powers within me I call upon you! Allow me to absorb his Jagan eye and grow my own! Allow me to obtain control over the fires of Makai and the Black Dragon, Kokuryuhaa!" With that my whole body began to pulsate with massive spirit energy. I knew what I had just done, and my ancestors believed in my powers completely. Soon enough I could feel the presence of my own Jagan eye and I also felt something slithering down my arm. My school uniform had long sleeves, but I knew what it was.
Finally, when everything was completed I removed my hand covering Hiei's Jagan eye. He didn't exactly know what I had done, but he had a few ideas. I turned around and glared at Iroaku. "You can cover your Jagan eye again, if you wish," I said to Hiei as I opened my own Jagan eye. I grinned as everything around me became a lot clearer and I could sense spirit energy from everywhere. I figured it to be all of Iroaku's lackeys who had stayed behind. I started to walk towards Iroaku as Tyler and Tiffany both fell hard on the ground, exhausted from their all out fight against him. "Hey Iroaku, your end is now!"
He turned to me and laughed, "I'd like to see you defeat me, Princess!"
"Fine, you're funeral," I snapped as I ripped off my left sleeve to reveal my newly found power. What I didn't know was that during the process of copying Hiei's powers of the Jagan eye, my ancestors changed them. They created my own Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuhaa attack, one that wasn't a black fire dragon, but a black elemental dragon. I could sense that Hiei's heart skipped a few beats when he saw the dragon tattoo that began to come alive from my arm.
"Stephanie, don't! You'll kill yourself along with the rest of us!"
"She won't kill me, she's not strong enough to!" Iroaku snorted hysterically.
I grinned, "Hiei, don't judge me before you've seen my full potential, and Iroaku, how dare you underestimate the power of an Elemental Demon!" My eyes turned black as the tattoo disappeared off my arm and the Kokuryuhaa was unleashed. "Kokuryuhaa, my Black Dragon, your powers are mine and my powers are yours! Combine them into one force and rid this world of this poor excuse of a demon lord!" The Kokuryuhaa snarled as my different elemental abilities were absorbed into it. It then lunged at Iroaku and he dodged it, which scared Hiei to death because when his had been dodged, his body was taken over. The Black Dragon came back to me and swirled about me as it dropped Tyler and Tiffany safely at my side.
"Why did the dragon bring us over here?" Tiffany asked me.
"As not to harm you on accident," I stated plainly as my dragon began to circle in on Iroaku.
"Please, no! I'll do anything! I'll call back my minions from the borders between this world and the Living World!" Iroaku screeched.
I walked towards him with a disgusted look upon my face. "You are trash, and you will never be more than that to me. You've done the crime and now it's time for your judgment. Hear ye, hear ye, my judgment is that I am the only remaining Elemental Demon in all of Makai, Ningenkai, and Reikai!" My dragon heard my words and put them into play as he enveloped Iroaku. I shot my hand up, "Youso Shiirudo!" A shield made of my spirit energy shot up and covered Tyler, Tiffany, Hiei, and me from any damage that might occur from the attack.
When the dust began to settle I dropped the shield and walked forward. I came to my dragon and he circled around me until the remaining dust was gone. Hiei, Tyler, and Tiffany all walked over to me. And by the look on Hiei's face, I could of sworn he was going to kill me, "You're crazy! The first time I ever used that attack I almost blew my whole arm off!"
"See, that's where you're wrong. I'm not crazy, Hiei, I'm an Elemental Youkai. Our kind has always been considered weird, yes, but not crazy. We can take others attacks and make them our own, like I did with copying your Jagan eye and Kokuryuhaa into me." He sighed and gave up on arguing with me, knowing it was pointless. I held up my arm and the dragon returned to it happily. It then disappeared along with the eye, falling into a sleep until I needed either one of them again.
At that moment the whole castle began to rumble. "It's gonna collapse! Let's bail!" Tyler exclaimed.
"We won't make it out in time!" Tiffany shouted, rejecting that idea.
"Then let's do it the fun way!" I laughed as I erupted with spirit energy, "Hiei, trust me." He glared at me again and took off his headband for the second time. We placed our palms against one another as my Jagan eye and tattoo reappeared. Hiei nodded.
"Combine Black Dragons!" we both yelled as our tattoos came to life and forged together as they slithered off our arms.
"Take on a physical form!" I stated to the overly powerful Kokuryuhaa. It stared at me and Hiei for a few moments and then took on a form in which we could ride. We all jumped onto it's neck as it blasted a hole in the ceiling. The dragon flew up and through the hole as the rest of the castle came crumbling down. We all looked at one another and then began to laugh at our narrow escape. "Alright, Kokuryuhaa, to the barrier between the Living and Demon Worlds!" It nodded as it hastened its speed.
Finally we reached the barrier and Tyler pulled out a twin spirit blade and chucked it right at the barrier. Right after that came an explosion big enough to let our dragon through it. When we were through Tiffany turned around and shot an element arrow at the hole and used her spirit energy from it to close the hole again. "YOU GUYS! LOOK!" I heard Botan shriek.
Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama all gazed upwards at the humongous dragon that now floated above them. "Let's go!" I said to my three companions. They all nodded as we all jumped from the dragon to the ground below. Hiei and I instantly turned to the dragon. "Take back your spiritual form!"
Our Kokuryuhaa changed back and it was time to finish off the remaining demon minions. "Futago Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuhaa! The Twin Flying Black Dragon Wave of Destruction! Finish off the remaining minions of Iroaku, now!" The dragon nodded and spiraled down and used my dragon's technique of enveloping the demons to destroy them. The dragon then spiraled back up into the air and roared. Hiei and I placed our hands together again and stared up at the dragon, "Black Dragon Seperate!" The dragon roared again as it dived at us and split as our two dragon tattoos wound themselves back up our arms. When the heads of the dragon had settled themselves we moved our hands from one another and turned to the others.
"What in the world was that!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
I laughed as everyone noticed my Jagan eye, "A trick I picked up from Hiei." I grinned, "I absorbed the Jagan eye's power, giving myself a Jagan eye, along with the power of Makai elements and an Elemental Kokuryuhaa."
"That's quite impressive," Kurama said quietly, "I'm surprised you were able to control the dragon, and you even helped Hiei gain control over his. You are truly worthy of the title Elemental Youkai."
"And I am the last..." I whispered.
"What do you mean?" Yusuke questioned me.
"Lord Iroaku was the last remaining Elemental Youkai other than myself, and now that he has been destroyed, I'm sad to say that I'm now a lone wolf."
"Not quite..."
We all turned to be face-to-face with the last Koorimi, Yukina. I bowed to her, "Yukina, it's good to see you again."
"And you as well," she said bowing to me. She then walked over to me and stopped. I was shocked when she slapped me across the face, and so was everyone else, especially Hiei and Kuwabara. "Don't you ever say you're alone in the world. I'm the last of my kind and I'm not alone, I'm not because you are here. Stephanie, you have the blood of an Elemental Youkai, that makes you related to all kinds of different demons. Me, an Ice Apparition, Hiei of Fire, and all of the other demons out there who are of elements. You will never be alone, so don't say you are when it's a lie."
I stood there silently at twelve teardrops fell down my cheeks and into my hands. I placed my hands together and began to rub them faster and faster, raising the heat level between them. I then stopped and made my hands into a ball and blew water within them. I shook them fiercely and then blew a cool wind inside the ball. After a few minutes I stopped and tossed what was inside my hands into the air. I then used my spirit energy to cast lighting and upon the round stones. After that I grabbed them again and shot two waves through them, one dark and one light.
Everyone watched me quietly as I opened my hands to unveil my own version of the Hiruiseki, or the Koorime's Tear Gems. The strings forged from lightning began to float and they circled around me. I then began to walk around to all my different friends, "Botan, for you a gem for keeping all of us together as one, and fighting as one. Kuwabara, you receive this gem as a token of all your hard work and complete loyalty to everyone. Yusuke Urameshi, to you for being an inspiration for me and making me want to learn how to fight, if it wasn't for you I would of never become the new Spirit Detective. Kurama, our half-kitsune friend, to you a gem for being the kind-hearted and loving person you've always been to everyone. Thank you, and stay the way you are."
I then walked over to Tyler and Tiffany, "One for each of you for being my friends and, even though sometimes I will not admit it, my only family. I love you guys and I'll always be here if you need me." I then walked over to Yukina, "And Yukina, for showing me that I am not alone in the Makai world. I thank you for everything you've done for me, and all that you've taught me." She smiled and nodded. I then walked over to Hiei, "And to you, Jaganshi, the Flying Shadow, Hiei. I give you this gem for helping me in the battle and allowing me this awesome power, along with saving my life, more than once." I then stared up into the sky and grinned as I took ahold of a necklace with my spirit energy, "I send this one to you, Koenma Daioh, Prince of the Spirit World, since I know you are watching us. You gave me my life back when I died at the age of twelve and gave me the job of Spirit Detective. Thank you, and stay out of trouble."
"What about the other one? I know one is for you, but there is an extra," Yukina said to me as everyone waited for my answer. I turned back towards the barrier.
"Come on out, Rinku, I know you are hiding there." He walked out from his hiding place and over to me, remaining silent. "This extra one is for you, for I know you are the one of whom I absorbed the technique that my dragon uses. No one else saw it, nor would they. When I released the Kokuryuhaa for the first time, your Serpent Yo-Yo Attack was unleashed upon me, but it happened so fast that only I noticed. I drained the power of the yo-yos, your spirit energy. Your young heart and kid-like attitude overruled the dragon's lust to kill and destroy. Right after that you withdrew your yo-yos and disappeared from the castle, retreating back to here, the barrier between the worlds. I know now that it was our powers combining that tamed the mighty dragon."
He laughed and nodded as he excepted his gem and I placed mine around my neck. "Thank you, I'm glad I could help. After all, you had helped me once as well. I know you won't remember it, because it happened when you were unconscious. Somehow your spirit found mine while I slept and gave me the courage to continue on in the Makai world and to live. I wasn't sure if I wanted to, but you changed that. And now, thanks to you and a little help from Yusuke and Kurama, I'm now working as a protector of the barriers. Koenma gave Kurama permission to have me as his apprentice. I'm going to grow up to be strong and to fight like you all do!" Rinku stated. We all congratulated him and then said our good-byes.
After everyone else had left, only Kurama and Hiei remained at the barrier. "So, what will you do now, Hiei? Since you're not working for Mukuro, I mean," Kurama said to him.
"For once I'm not sure."
"Why don't you come back to Koenma's with me and Botan, you can work with us again."
Hiei shook his head, "No thanks, I did that once and I grew disgruntled of it quickly. I will probably return to Makai and go about as a wanderer again."
Across the city I stood at the top of my apartment building. I listened quietly to their conversation since the Communication Mirror had somehow fixed itself. "But Hiei, what if we come to need your help?"
"I'll be around, and you can easily find me. Stephanie will be able to track me down in an instant with her Kokuryuhaa and Jagan eye. Since she absorbed the powers from me, she will most likely see what I see with my eye and her Dragon will be able to sense mine, even in its dormant form." After that Hiei went silent and stood watching the sunset over Tokyo.
"By the sound in your voice, it sounds as if you've grown fond of our new Spirit Detective, Hiei."
"Hn," Hiei snorted quietly, ignoring Kurama. Kurama just laughed to himself quietly and then took his leave, letting the Fire Youkai alone to do as he pleased.
I giggled as Kurama pulled out the mirror, "I see you found me!"
"I didn't know the mirror had fixed itself, how much did you hear?" I just grinned and he knew instantly I'd heard the whole thing. He sighed, "Hiei is a stubborn one, ne?"
I laughed again, "Hn." Kurama had a small laugh himself at my imitation of Hiei.
"You're pretty good at mimicking Hiei, but it's nothing compared to the real 'hn'." I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Hm, well, Stephanie, I guess it is time for us to part, I'm heading home. I will see you soon, knowing Koenma."
"Of course, and I'll be looking forward to it," I grinned as I closed my communication mirror. I walked over to the edge of the roof and watched as the sun finished setting. With that I jumped down and waited until I reached my floor to move my hand out. I caught the bar and jumped over the railing. I opened the sliding glass door as the smell of chicken and dumplings made my stomach growl.
Tiffany walked over to me as I closed the door, "Come on, you're just in time for dinner. Tyler and I had a cook off, we each did half of the dinner, I did the main course and he did the dessert."
"Oh god, I don't know if I'll be able to stomach his dessert, the last time he made one I was sick for a week!"
"I HEARD THAT!" Tyler yelled from the kitchen. Tiffany and I turned to one another and smiled brightly. The normal sound of our life had returned, and we were happy.
A mere 2 months later, life was still normal, nothing big had come up so Tiffany, Tyler, and I were all able to keep up with our school work and also train under Yusuke and Kuwabara, sometimes even Kurama and Rinku were there. Our Fire Youkai, Hiei, had remained unseen in the Makai world since I gave the gems to my friends. Yukina and Botan also remained in the background of everything, coming to visit with us once in the whole 2 months.
A while before sunset on a Friday, a youkai stood at the barrier between the Living World and Demon Worlds. Hiei looked around and sighed as he jumped to the top of a building and continued his way about the city, moving swiftly as usual. After making it about halfway through the city Hiei removed his bandage covering his Jagan eye. "Let's see...there." He continued on, in the direction of his destination. When he finally reached the building he jumped off the side and landed on a balcony. He jumped over to the next balcony and stood there by the sliding glass door.
I had just finished washing that night's dishes and was about to help Tiffany dry, but my attention was averted by the power of a rare, yet familiar youkai. I grinned, "Hiei's come back..." "Tiffany, can you finish these? I just remembered I have some major reading to do for English." She nodded and I made my way back into my room. I opened the door and shut it, locking it behind me. I left the light out, and walked right to my sliding door and outside onto the balcony. "Get down here, I know you're up on the next balcony." He jumped down and stood up straight. "What did you come here for? I thought you were in Makai living as a wanderer."
Hiei looked at me, "I was, but I've come back after two long months of wandering nowhere fast. How has everything been going? Have you, Tyler, and Tiffany been training?" I nodded silently as I jumped up to the next balcony and then to the top of the apartments. Hiei followed my lead and soon stood beside me again.
"You didn't answer me, why are you here?"
"I have to ask you something, what do you think of me? I have come across many youkai in my time, but you are by far the strongest. I want your opinion on my powers and my future, what do you see of me?"
I looked at him weirdly, "I'm not a psychic, I can't see into the future...but I can answer you to my best abilities. I think a lot of you, Hiei. You are very powerful and very smart. I don't know why you don't work for Koenma, you'd get paid greatly for your services because of your level of training." I stopped for a few seconds, "I don't know how I can be the strongest, I'm weak compared to you, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. I can't even transform into my alter form, my elemental youkai form." I paused again, "But, all-in-all, I see you as a high ranked youkai in all the worlds: Makai, Ningenkai, Meikai, and Reikai. That would be awesome, ne?"
I gazed over at him and it was then he raised his sights to mine. I lost my thoughts in his eyes again like I had the first day I'd met him. I don't think either of us realized we were staring at one another until the sound of a high pitched scream broke us of our spell. "That was Tiffany," Hiei said.
"I know," I nodded as I jumped back over the side of the building and onto the living room balcony. I opened the sliding glass door to see Tiffany chasing Rinku through the kitchen and around the dining table. My eyes widened as the gems I created began to glow with my spirit energy. I then drew the two of them into the living room and planted them on opposite ends of the couch. Tyler soon joined us as he was hiding from the rampaging Tiffany. "Rinku, first off, never sneak up on Tiffany, it's dangerous to your health..."
"I learned that already," he said still trying to catch his breath.
"And secondly, what in the hell are you doing here?" Hiei asked him.
"I could ask you the same question, Jaganshi!"
"I came to see why it had been so quiet lately," Hiei lied.
"Well, it's not going to be anymore in Makai! Koenma has gotten a notice announcing there is going to be another Dark Tournament and that the new Spirit Detective is the special guest." My eyes narrowed as I listened to him. "There's two catches, one, teams aren't make up of five this Tournament, but nine."
"Nine?" Tyler questioned.
Rinku nodded, "Yes, and this time they must all be of some youkai descent, and of different types."
"Fine with me, nine is more than enough to win." Everyone turned their gaze to me. "My team will be one that is unstoppable! I'm of course in, and I'm an elemental youkai."
"I'll be fighting as well, and I'm a wolf youkai," Tyler grinned.
Tiffany giggled, "If you two are in then so am I! And I'm a cat demon!"
Rinku sighed, "Even though I don't know if I'll be strong enough to compare to any of you three by then, I am of basic demon descent, so I'll be on your team!" I smiled happily as I turned to see Hiei was back out on the balcony. He then jumped up and returned to the top of the apartment complex. Tyler locked up the house and then the four of us all went up the side of the building as well.
When we arrived up there, Hiei was watching the beginning of the sunset. At that moment someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and there was Kurama. "If you need another fighter, I'll join."
I nodded, "We need five more fighters."
"Count me in and I'm a kitsune," Kurama agreed and joined our team.
"Leave the last four to me, I'll find four more," I said to them, "After all, it is my team, and Koenma is trusting me to have the best fighters." Everyone agreed that I would find the last fighters and then Kurama and Rinku turned to leave.
"The Dark Tournament begins in two months, so we will continue our training as usual," Kurama said as he and Rinku disappeared. Tyler and Tiffany bowed to me signaling they were returning to the apartment. I nodded and watched them go quietly. After they had gone I walked over next to Hiei and watched the remainder of the sunset with him. When darkness fell I turned to return to the apartment.