Part 04

"Stephanie..." I stopped at the sound of Hiei's voice. "Is it okay if I join your team? I am a fire youkai, so I am an eligible fighter." I looked at the ground silently. "...that is, unless you don't want me to..."

I twirled around, "I do want you on our team! I hate to admit it, but I wouldn't be able to compete in the Dark Tournament unless you were there with me. This is going to be my first time going against such powerful demons and I want a strong youkai who I have ties with to be there to help me through it. Sure Kurama's strong and so is Rinku, though he won't admit it, but you are different. You are tied to me through my youkai blood, and you've already saved my life more than once so I know I can trust you with it again if something goes wrong at the Dark Tournament."

Hiei smiled and nodded, "Okay, then I'm the sixth member of your team. Now who are you going to get for the last three?"

"Yusuke has a family now and Kuwabara has no youkai ties, therefore they are both off my checklist. I'm actually thinking of getting ahold of an old adversary of mine, the other two I'm not sure. I don't know if my adversary will agree to help us, but it's worth a shot."

"Do I know this demon?"

"You shouldn't, no one knows about him. I even lie about his very existence..."

When I said that I really caught Hiei's interest, "What existence?"

"I..." I trailed off, not wanting anyone to know who the demon was.

"I won't tell anyone the identity of this mystery fighter of yours."

I gazed into his eyes and knew he spoke the truth. "My gem that I created that day for myself was actually for him. He was Lord Iroaku's son, but he was abandoned at birth because for some reason he was born a half elemental youkai, half human, like myself. Even though we've always fought with one another, we've also remained very close. He hoped one day someone would kill his father and I promised him when it happened that I would let him know, the gem was my way of telling him. It's getting late, I'm going to bed."

With that I turned and began to walk off only to be stopped again by Hiei, "Wait a minute."

I turned back around, "What is it, Hiei? I'm tired." I waited for him to respond but instead he walked up and placed his own tear gem, the one that his mother had given him, around my neck. I went to question him only to be silenced.

"It's to replace the one you gave that youkai. This tear gem is the one I've had since I was a baby, now you take it. I have the one you gave me to remind me of my friends therefore you take mine so you will always remember me and everyone else."

I smiled, "Thank you, Hiei, I'll always keep it near... Hey, if you wish you can stay with me, Tyler, and Tiffany for the next couple months and train with us as well."

Hiei thought it over for a few moments and then nodded, "I'd like that."

I smiled brightly as we both jumped back down onto my balcony and entered my bedroom. "Okay, you have your choice. You can either sleep on the living room couch or my couch in here tonight. But be warned it you sleep in the living room, Tyler and Tiffany are both early risers and they aren't very kind to those who sleep over in the living room."

"I'll sleep in the living room," he said and I nodded.

"Do you need any blankets or pillows?"

"No, I usually sleep in the trees of Makai, so I don't need them."

"Alright," I said walking over to my door and unlocking it, "I guess I'll see you in the morning. Tomorrow I will have Tiffany move into my room with me so you can share a room with Tyler; that way you won't have to sleep out in the living room. Good night, Hiei."

He nodded and walked out into the hall, "Good night, Stephanie."

I smiled and closed the door, locking it as usual. I then changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed for a long, well deserved rest.

I awoke the next morning to the smell of breakfast being made. I put my robe on and went out to see what was for breakfast and who was making it. There in our kitchen stood Kurama and Keiko. "Ah, good morning, Stephanie, breakfast will be ready soon," Kurama smiled. I smiled slightly as Keiko looked over at me.

"Hope you don't mind us making breakfast, Tyler and Tiffany called us."

"No, it's alright," I said as I walked into the living room to find Kuwabara and Tyler watching TV while on the floor Tiffany and Rinku played with Yusuke Jr. and Miana. Rinku saw me as I stood there, leaning against the wall.

Rinku looked up, "Look who's finally awake! Morning!"

"Morning, Stephanie," Kuwabara, Tyler, and Tiffany all smiled.

"Where's Yusuke and Hiei?" Everyone pointed upwards, which I figured meant that they were on the roof.

I sighed as I walked out onto the balcony and jumped up to the top of the building. Hiei and Yusuke turned around to see me standing there on the ledge, "Kurama said breakfast is almost ready, come on." And with that I turned and dropped back down to my balcony. Back up on the roof they looked at each other weirdly and shrugged as they followed me to the apartment.

We walked in as Keiko and Kurama were setting the table. I went to enter the kitchen but was pushed back out by Kuwabara, "Go sit down! We'll take care of the drinks!"

I sighed, "Fine, then I want orange juice." He grinned and nodded as I walked into the dining room and sat down next to Rinku. Hiei came to the table last, and everyone had made sure that he was stuck sitting on the other side of me. After everyone was comfortable we passed the food around the table, taking what we pleased. "So, today it begins. The harshest training we've ever experienced before in our lives..." Everyone looked at me as I took a drink of my juice. "It's true, isn't it? The six of us team members have to become way stronger to survive the Dark Tournament this year. It's all demons, and the best there is in Makai no doubt. If I knew any better I'd say that this is going to be a hundred times worse than the one you were in Yusuke. This time it's definitely going to be murder or be murdered, an all out senseless bloodbath." Everyone lowered their heads, knowing what I said to be true.

"Stop talking about it, it's not making anyone feel any better than they already do. Kuwabara can't compete in this competition because of the rule that you have to be of youkai decent or somewhere along that line..."

"While our father could, he won't because of us and our mother. He loves her and us so much, as he does all of his friends. Last night he didn't sleep at all because he's scared of what is going to happen at the Dark Tournament..."

"Miana and Yusuke Jr., it's been awhile, little ones!"

I looked across the table and they grinned at me. I stuck my tongue out at them and they laughed at me. Keiko looked up, "What do you two find so funny, huh?" Everyone looked up as they shook their heads and covered their mouths. The whole table began laughing at them, but I just grinned.

"Yusuke, when you first met me, the day I came into the noodle shop, did you know who I really was?"

He looked over at me, "Honestly, I had a good impression, and then when the twins walked over to you I figured it out. I didn't say anything, though, because I don't think you wanted me saying out loud that you've been killed before."

"It's public news now anyway, everybody knows it," I said finishing up the little food I had taken for myself.

"What happened? Why were you killed?" Rinku asked me.

"Well, Rinku, I don't think that would be a discussion for the table."

"Neither was the Dark Tournament..." I slapped him in the back of the head and he started to pout.

"Fine, but I'll tell it when everyone is done," I said looking around the table to see everyone's plates clean, "Dammit...alright. I was twelve when it happened, it was a normal day for me. School, work, fighting, the basic life of the three of us nowadays. I was on the other side of town acting as a runner for some powerful men. These men worked with the Black Market, but it was good money, so I kept quiet. Well, it goes to show that if you say one wrong thing a demon will be sent after you, but in my case it was actually a pair of demons. These demons had amazing powers, none of which I'd ever seen before. I didn't know who had been my murderers until I met Koenma in the Spirit World. I came to find out that the Toguro Brothers were the ones who had caused my demise, and the man who had sent them was my main employer, Tarukane."

I saw Hiei flinch at the mentioning of his name. "Don't worry Hiei, your letting him live did not cause my death, for I met them two years before they fought against Kuwabara and Yusuke in the mountains. I had learned what their power was and I just sat back and let them do so much harm in this world. I let them hurt Yukina, Yusuke, Kuwabara, all of you. I also attended the Dark Tournament with Tyler and Tiffany that year. We went veiled in cloaks since we couldn't change into our youkai forms. I don't know how many times I wanted to jump into that ring or just run up to the box where the brothers were and slay them myself, but I couldn't...I was so afraid that if I failed to win they would find Tyler and Tiffany and either kill them or raise them for their own evil purposes."

"So that's why you didn't fight? Because out of your fear for us! You should of fought, Stephanie! So much could have been resolved back then!" Tiffany exclaimed to me.

I just stood and went into my room. I changed into my practice martial arts uniform, a white pair of pants and a matching white tanktop. I put socks and my boots on and then was off into the city. I jumped from rooftop to rooftop, not slowing for anyone nor thinking about anything but death and destruction. I saw blood red and that was it. I couldn't think straight and I had no clue of where I was going. I stopped once I reached the edge of the city and a large bridge. I looked into the sky and thought about being able to fly away from all my problems. At that moment my back began to ache as wings sprouted from my back. I didn't know how or why, but I didn't try and stop it either.

I ran to the side of the building and jumped off. I began to plummet towards the ground like there was no tomorrow. When I came within fifty feet of hitting the ground a bunch of my spirit energy poured into my wings and stabilized my body, giving me control over my new found flight ability. I glided out over the water and flapped my wings until I had risen far above the city. I rode on the warm thermals that rose off the buildings, traveling wherever they took me. Before I knew it I was on the ghetto side of the city where I had ran for the men who had me killed. I floated down to a building I recognized as the only club where demons were safe to gather. I grinned as my wings disappeared into my body and I jumped down into the alley. I walked around the front and up to the door. I leaned up against it, "Let the Kokuryuhaa choose if you open the door or not..." The demon on the other side of the bolted door opened it and I walked in, "Long time, no see, ne?"

"Ah, Izanami! It has been a long while since we last laid eyes upon you, young one. You've grown up beautifully," the demon smiled happily.

"Thank you, Zjaan," I smiled back, "How have things been?"

"Okay, but what may I ask are you doing here? Everyone was told you were killed by the Toguro Brothers."

"Eh, I was, but Prince Koenma Daioh granted me my life back. I was only dead for about 3 days and then I returned to the Living World. Since then I've lived on the other side of town with two younger kids."

"Well, well, if it's not the infamous Izanami! Good to see you are well, child!" I snorted as Kyoni walked up.

"What's trash like you doing in a place like this? If you stay any longer, this place might rot from your stench. And by the way, I'm not a child."

"Now, now, is that the way to talk to an old friend?" Kyoni asked giving me a pat on the back, "My have you got a mouth on you, even worse than before. You must have met Yusuke Urameshi to have language that horrible."

"Don't talk that way about Yusuke!"

"So, you have met the Spirit Detective, then? You are a remarkable child, that's why I ask you to join Team Mekyotai, my team that is going to win the Dark Tournament!"

I laughed, "Yeah right, you couldn't beat a crippled man, let alone Prince Koenma's team! They're unstoppable!"

"And why do you say that?" said another demon, named Mewalan, as he approached us.

"Yeah, there is no way you can beat us!" Taichi, another team member, said as he and the other six members they had joined our small group. I glared at them and then shook my head.

"You can't win, I'm sorry, but you are no way as powerful as Koenma's team!"

"Well--" Kyoni started as Mr. Carewallen, the owner of the club, walked up.

"Come now, this is not the place to be arguing..." he then turned to me, "So you are Izanami, I have heard you have a remarkable singing voice...perhaps consider singing for me and the rest of my club? No strings of course, I won't force you to."

I grinned, "Sure, why not. I need something to calm me down after wasting my time with trash." Mr. Carewallen nodded as he led me towards the backstage area. When we walked into the back there was a few other performers walking around.

He led me into a room, "I would like to introduce you to the girls you will be competing against."

"Competing? I thought there were no strings!"

"Yes, I did forget to mention this small stipulation. These girls are also very talented and we've brought the two of them here to compete, but now that you're here it will really bring in the customers!" I just snorted and then nodded, unable to get out of it. Just then two girls walked in through a door, hidden behind a wall. They came out from behind it and my jaw dropped. For there, standing before me, was Botan and Yukina. "These girls are Botan and Yukina, two very well known youkai. With you as part human, this will be interesting! I'm going back out front now, you begin in five." We all nodded as he left, closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing here!" I exclaimed to Botan.

She smiled slightly, "Hehehe...well, I found this place by looking through your file. It mentions this club at the very beginning of it as a place you visited frequently right before you were killed. I knew that you would most likely come here and so I came to meet you here."

"And I came here to see you again as well," Yukina smiled brightly.

I sighed and shook my head, "I guess now we have no choice but to perform then, and they want us to go against each other...but what if we joined together? It's a twist. I don't know if the demons will like it, but they might. And besides, if something goes wrong, at least we'll be together to take care of it." They nodded and we headed out of the room and towards the stage. As we walked past a few demons they snickered at us. I grinned as I shot two invisible beams of my energy at their forehead, knocking them out. Once we walked onto the veiled stage we used our spirit energy to change our clothes. Botan's changed to a matching set of white shorts, a short tanktop, and boots. Over that appeared a long blue coat that reminded me of a trench coat. Yukina's kimono transformed into an ensemble of matching aqua colored shorts, tanktop, and boots, along with a green coat. Then came my martial arts uniform which became an outfit of matching blue shorts, tanktop, and boots with an aqua colored coat. We grinned at our matching outfits and gave one another the thumbs up as the lights went off and the curtains opened.

"Sorry this isn't going to be the competition all you youkai came to see, but we've decided to perform together!" I grinned.

Botan nodded and stepped forward first, "Ah-ah-ah-ah...I can't do this and I can't do that, but they can't stop me from flyin'. Koenma's gone bananas, and Yama's gone loco...'cause I don't hear what they're sayin'! They'll complain and I'll go insane, 'cause I love flying away! All I hear every day blah, blah, blah... All I hear every day blah, blah, blah... Blah, blah, blah!"

"Help me with this and help me with that. All this work is driving me crazy! Hey you guys, get off my back, I'm not gettin' lazy! And I can't wait 'til three, 'cause then I'll be free, and back hanging with my friends!" Yukina sang beautifully, "All I hear every day blah, blah, blah... All I hear every day blah, blah, blah... Blah, blah, blah!"

"Don't you know you gripe too much? Don't you know you're out of luck! Gotta win, no room to fall, means I gotta beat 'em all. Can't you see fighting's me? You are you, let me be! 'Cause I don't care who you are, don't you take away the cause..." I sang, taking my turn.

"Ah...Ah...Ah...Ah..." we all sang, getting high each time.

I went into the chorus, "All I hear every day blah, blah, blah ... All I hear every day blah, blah, blah..." I continued to sing as the others continued on the chorus, "Don't you know you gripe too much? Tellin' me I'm out of luck! Where to go, what to do, I will be the one to choose. Can't you see you'll lose to me? You not worth it, let me be! Appreciate my honesty..."

"Blah, blah, blah!" We all bowed as the crowd erupted in applause. I stood up straight and there, sitting to the left of me in the front of row was Aisoku, Lord Iroaku's son. I knew he hated me referring to him as that because it was the name his father had given him; and he had since changed his name to Keishou Naishin. I blushed and looked back down at the ground, not expecting to see him in the type of dress as I was in. Botan and Yukina looked and me and giggled. I looked at them and we nodded, agreeing to perform one more song, then jet. Music started up as we prepared to sing again.

Yukina was the first to step forward this time. "The wind blows hard across three worlds... Spirits and demons are everywhere, while most humans live without knowing... That's where we came from... Two kids roam around aimlessly, neither with anything to return to. Demons wonder where they have gone, they both disappeared... With a youkai sense of what's wrong and right, we were born and raised in the Demon World... One learned to care, one learned to fight, we were born and raised in the Makai..."

Botan came forward, "I then took to the wandering sky, spent my whole life leading spirits. When I thought of their families, my heart broke...I hated seeing 'em cry... I had no dreams but I had a few plans, 'cause my heart called out to me. Koenma said 'How come you helped that man?', I said 'I don't know why'... Well, welcome home said the hot moonlight, we were born and raised in the Spirit World. One lives to help, one wants to cry, we were born and raised in the Spirit World... We were born and raised in the Reikai..." Botan finished brightly. There was a music interlude and we all noticed, now standing in the back of the club, were all the people who ate breakfast at my house that morning.

I then grinned brightly as my turn came up, "Koenma gave me a proposal, he offered me my life back. I agreed to win the fight, so he brought me back from death... I returned to them with trembling hands, they thought I'd never live again..."

"She said it was her job to fight till the end, it wasn't luck, it was destiny..." Botan and Yukina sang.

I smiled brightly, "Don't waste your tears on me tonight, I was born and raised in the Living World... My powers awakened, time to chase our dreams, we were born and raised in the Living World... We were born and raised in the Ningenkai..."

Yukina and Botan stepped up next to me to finish the song. "The wind blows hard across three worlds... Spirits and demons are everywhere, while most humans live without knowing..." we faded out as there was an explosion from up above us. Botan, Yukina, and my clothes changed back and I turned to them.

"Get out of here, now! Get Yusuke and everyone else to safety, evil or not!" They nodded and ran off the stage and back towards our friends. I stared upward as the ceiling began to collapse. Right before it hit me there was a flash of light. When I opened my eyes, Keishou was standing there, his spirit energy glowing around him.

He turned to me and extended his hand, "Are you alright?" I nodded as he examined me to make sure I wasn't lying. It wasn't until he noticed the scar on my hand that he knew who actually I was. He grinned, "Stephanie, I can't believe it's you!"

"Keishou, it's been a long time...too long...but now is not the time for reunions, we've got trouble!" I exclaimed as the two of us jumped up and through the hole in the ceiling. Once we were on the top we spotted the demon responsible for the explosion, a giant oni. It noticed us standing there and rushed at us, aiming to kill. "I don't think so!" I yelled as my wings erupted from my back. Keishou's eyes grew and then he sighed as his wings appeared as well. We both dodged the attack and flew upwards.

Keishou turned to me, "Let's do this!" I nodded as we both created basic element swords and attacked the oni.

From the ground watched our friends and the demons who were brave enough to stick around, which was all but a couple chickens. "Do you think they can beat that thing!" Rinku asked Yusuke.

Yusuke nodded, "They should be able to, easily. That's not what bothers me, though, it's the fact that this demon couldn't of gotten through the barrier unless it had help. And if it was here before we would have noticed it because it's so huge."

Hiei kept quiet, never taking his eyes off me. Kurama looked over at his companion and sighed at the expression on Hiei's face. He knew Hiei was keeping something from them, but kept quiet nonetheless. Yukina studied the demon carefully, knowing she had seen it somewhere before. A mere five seconds later did it dawn on her where she'd seen it. "That demon, it's in one of Koenma's 'Most Wanted Demon' files! I remember I was looking through them and I saw it. That demon is not here for pleasure, it's here to kill, and it doesn't care how many demons or humans it has to slay! It will continue on killing innocent people and before long he will find his target!"

Hiei glared at her, "Who is the target? Is it Stephanie!"

"That's the problem, even though it's been searching for its target for so long, nobody but it knows its target. I remember hearing a rumor that the target it seeks is a Princess of an ancient clan of demons. Supposedly this Princess is one of the original of their kind and they are the one who caused the fall of this demon's homeland," Yukina explained to her comrades. As Keishou and I fought, we too, listened to her speak.

"So, you have any idea who this Princess is?"

I shook my head as I dodged the demon's attack and turned around, attacking him with my own, "No! But he must believe the Princess is near to have attacked the demon club! Most fugitives aren't stupid enough to pull a stunt like this unless their target is very close!" He nodded in agreement as we finally put an end to the demon's tantrum. He fell down into the streets only to be taken by spirits back to Reikai. Keishou and I descended down to the street where my friends awaited us.

"Are you alright?" Rinku asked me as soon as I had landed.

I nodded and smiled, "Yes, thank you. But I should be asking you, did everyone get out of the club alright?" They all nodded, signaling they'd made sure everyone was cleared out in case of a collapse. "Thank you again, my friends." I turned to Keishou, "Keishou, you stick around only because you know of what I need to ask of you, am I right?" He nodded silently and I smiled again, "Good...until then I bid you farewell, my close friend. Stay good to yourself and don't forget me."

"I shall not," Keishou said turning away from us, "Take care of Stephanie for me, Hiei." And with that he flew upwards into the sky and disappeared. Everyone looked at me and Hiei weirdly. I turned to Hiei and he had the same clueless look as I had upon my face.

"Why you?" I said to him.

"Why me?" he said at the same time.

All of our friends broke into a quiet laughter, and we welcomed it, for laughter was not heard often after a battle of which had just occurred. I looked down upon the small twins, "You two are to forget what you have witnessed, for your small fragile minds need not be plagued with memories of senseless battles and blood shed." Everyone got quiet when they heard me speak the way I had, that of discipline and manner. I shot a glare at all of them, "What? It's true! Their small minds need to be filled with memories of happiness and laughter, not that of blood and war!" The twins both grinned at me as if they knew something, but dared not speak it before the group. I looked upon them wryly, knowing they kept something from us all. Finally I sighed and gave up my staring contest and turned to Yusuke, "When does training begin?"

"I...whenever you wish, I guess...but after that performance, I don't know what I can teach you that you haven't already learned. Tyler and Tiffany still have much to learn, but you fought as it you had been for thousands of years," Yusuke replied, "I really wish I could help you more, but you have already learned all that I can teach you."

Kuwabara nodded, "I don't have any tricks that you have not mastered in the past two months, nor do I think any of us do. The three of you have learned quickly, but you most of all."

"Yes, Kuwabara and Yusuke are right, Stephanie," Kurama said taking over, "The next two months you shall train yourself, my young youkai, for you are to be the strongest on our team, and you must be at the best of your abilities. Even if something happens, you must have grown strong enough to go on without pain and without regret. You cannot look back and feel sad for those who have fallen, for it will be your downfall if you do."

I listened to them all and then nodded, "Fine with me. I will train myself then, and I am entrusting my two top demon's improvements on you guys. Tyler, Tiffany, train hard and don't stop to rest, even if you feel as if the training alone will kill you. I know that if you try you will be able to fully take over your youkai powers and use them to their full potential, unlike during the battle with Iroaku, you shall be unstoppable!"

They both nodded, "We'll train diligently, Stephanie, we promise. We won't let you down, and come the Dark Tournament, we will stand by the other members of our team and go onto victory! The Kouken Gurentai will win the Dark Tournament and defeat all those who stand in our paths on our way to the top!" With that our whole group huddled together and put our hands in the middle, all upon one another's.

"We will fight until our lives end if it may come! We will never give up and we will stand strong until the very end!" Rinku added to what everyone else had said earlier. Finally, everyone looked at Hiei, the only silent one, the only one without any thoughts at all. He met my gaze and quickly looked away.

"If we shall fall in the Tournament, then shall be it. But I'm making one vow, I will not fall after Stephanie, Tyler, or Tiffany. If they are about to fall, I will give myself to allow them to go on. The three of them have much to learn of their youkai heritage and I believe winning this Tournament alive and together is the only way for the three of them to obtain that knowledge. The three of them have lived through hell in their lifetimes, but nothing is as hard as not knowing if you are alone in the world. They deserve to find whatever relatives they may have in Reikei and be able to learn about who they were in the past, and what they would have become had their deaths not occurred. So it is with that said I shall not allow either of you three to fall before me, for you have to much to live for." And with that Hiei fell silent again, then turned and walked off into the darkened alley.

I smiled and waved goodbye to my friends and allies as I turned to leave. I noticed my wings had long retreated into my back, so I didn't try to release them again. Instead I ran off in the opposite direction of that of Hiei. Everyone else that we left behind soon departed back to my apartment to figure out who was going to stay where for the training. Soon they came to the agreement that Kurama and Rinku would stay with Tyler and Tiffany, and then Yusuke and Kuwabara could meet up with them for training.

When the night fell I stood upon a building overlooking the vast city. I then turned and forged a sword from my spirit energy. I blasted a hole through the barrier to Makai and took off into the darkness, not knowing where I was heading, only that I had to travel far and wide to get even stronger.