Part 06
As the sun continued to move across the crystal clear sky Hiei and I continued on our journey, speaking only when necessary as to figure which way to go next. Finally when the sun was at high noon we stopped to allow my wings to rest and ankles to cool in a small stream. As I sat on the bankment and rested I glanced upwards at Hiei. He stood in the tree above me overlooking the plains of Makai in which we were crossing. It was then that his eyes were diverted from the horizon and moved down to me. Our eyes met and I couldn't turn my gaze from his piercing red eyes. We sat there for what seemed like forever just looking at one another, the both of us lost in our own mind of wonder, each not knowing the other's thoughts.
Soon enough my Jagan Eye appeared and diverted my sight from his and to the plains across the stream. I peered through the haze that the heat wave caused and saw something odd. Hiei, too, noticed the large windstorm that came rushing over the dry land. When we realized the now large tornado like sandstorm wasn't going to stop I closed my Jagan Eye and then released my wings, but to no avail. Hiei was able to get out of the way before the sandstorm hit us, but I wasn't. All I remembered was hearing a loud rushing sound and then flying around, my wings pounding with pain. I retracted them and crossed my arms and legs to ride out the storm, hoping I'd make it out alive. At that moment I felt someone's arms wrap around me and pull me close to them. I couldn't see who they were but knew I was safer riding the storm with them then going solo so I wrapped my arms around their waist and held on.
Only ten minutes later did the storm begin to wind down enough to where I could make out the objects around me. I looked up at who was holding me and was able to see a rush of red before my eyes began to burn. I figured the red to be the individual's hair as we finally came upon the ground. The guy released me, "Here, kneel down so you can rinse your eyes with water." I knelt down with his help and splashed my eyes with the water in the creek we were next to.
After that I stood back up, "Who are you?" I didn't know who he was so I had to ask since I still couldn't see. He didn't say anything but instead I was blasted with a huge gust of air. My face dried instantly so I blinked my eyes a few times and then laid them upon my rescuer. As my eyes adjusted I came to see the guy was a bit taller than me, although he was floating, and he was definitely a demon. He had the bright red hair that I'd seen earlier, blue eyes, a small white horn on the top of his head, pointy ears, and sharp teeth.
"I should of known I'd run into you, Stephanie."
"Huh? How do you know who I am?" I asked, more confused than I'd ever been.
"Ah, well at least you proved me right. I had a good feeling I'd be running into you here, Spirit Detective. And, to introduce myself, I am Jin, the Vento Maestro."
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," I sighed happily, "I see now that you must know someone working for Koenma...most likely Rinku or Kurama, or both."
"You caught me there, that you did. I am guilty on both accounts, I guess. I am friends with them and Urameshi."
"And now you're speakin' my language!"
Of course at that moment there was a movement in the single tree that was nearby and Hiei jumped from it. "Ah, I see you're traveling with Hiei! No wonder you were so far out in the middle of no where, Steph!" I laughed at the comment.
"What are you doing here, Jin!"
"Soltanto pendere intorno a," Jin said moving into a seated position, but remaining in the air, "I guess you can say I've come to ask a favor of your friend here. I've come to ask if I could join your team that's to be fightin' at the next Dark Tournament a month from now. I do believe that Touya is, too, searching for Stephanie to ask of her the same question."
My ears perked up and I grinned, "I told you I'd pull it off, Hiei! I didn't even have to look and I found our last two members!" Hiei's eyes grew wide and he had the weirdest look on his face. I laughed and turned back to Jin, "Alright then, it's settled. You and Touya are the team's eighth and ninth members! By the way...who's Touya?"
That time he had the weird look spread across his face. Jin shook his head, "Touya is the Ice Master."
"Cool, here's the full list of our team members. First is me, an Elemental Youkai; then second is Tyler, the Urufu Youkai; third is Tiffany, a Neko Youkai; that's my main team. Next comes number four, Rinku, who's just a basic demon; fifth is Kurama, the fox boy; sixth is our pal, Jaganshi, the Fire Youkai; seventh is another Elemental Youkai named Keishou; then the last two is you and Touya! This is so awesome!"
Back in the Spirit World, Ogre, the only responsible one, had been keeping tabs on me and smiled happily. "Good, it's about time Stephanie found her last two team members...I was starting to think our team would have to go into the tournament with an unfair advantage."
"Ogre, how dare you think so lowly of Stephanie! I knew she'd pull through!" Koenma joyed.
"...what? Is that why just a minute ago you were preparing a speech for your team's funerals, Koenma, Sir?"
"I'd be careful what you say, Ogre, unless you wish to be punished..." Ogre straightened up at the sound of Koenma's tone of voice. "That's what I thought!"
In the next room over Botan contacted Kurama, "Guess what!"
"What?" Kurama asked her through the communication mirror.
"Stephanie found the team's last two members."
"Really, who?"
"You won't believe it, Jin and Touya!"
"That's good, at least we have some strong members." Botan nodded in agreement. "I'm going to go, we've got training to do," Kurama said as he shut off the transmission.
"What was that about, Kurama?" Yusuke yelled from where he and the others stood.
Kurama looked over at him and gave him a thumbs up, "Stephanie came through and finally found our last two teammates. And of all demons in Makai she recruited none other than the Ice and Wind Masters, Touya and Jin!"
"No kidding, huh? Well, at least she found demons we know and can trust to fight on Koenma's Team. I believe she may prove to be a very good choice for Spirit Detective after all," Yusuke laughed. Tyler walked over and began to ask about the two demons while Tiffany walked off and Rinku followed.
"What's wrong, Tiffany, you seem as if you're upset by this outcome."
Tiffany shook her head, "No, it's not that..." She stared off into the trees, "I've just been worried about Stephanie a lot lately. I guess it's because we've never been separated for this long since we met one another, and I'm afraid that she's not going to make it through this next month..."
"Don't say that, Tiffany! Stephanie will make it, she wouldn't let any of us down and you should know that better than us all!" Rinku exclaimed, "Stephanie always had faith in all of us, so how can we lose ours in her?" Tiffany knew he spoke the truth but just averted her face away from his sight. With that she pulled her catlike speed from the depths of her body and sprinted off into the dense forest.
All the others watched as she went swiftly and silently, as did Stephanie when she was around. "She definitely takes after Stephanie," Tyler laughed quietly as he just shook his head, "But I guess I do as well because I am easy to displease and I become annoyed easily if I know the person I'm speaking to is right and I am at fault..."
"I think we all have that trait about us," Kuwabara said, "It just runs in the veins of fighters, I guess." Everyone smiled and nodded, knowing that he spoke the truth.
Keishou scanned the skies with his mind trying to locate Stephanie and Hiei. "That stupid girl! For all she knows she's going to go and get herself killed before the tournament begins!" He scowled at the thought of being a person short in the Dark Tournament. "And knowing my luck I'd be the stand-in for her as well...why can't she ever think of anyone but herself! God dammit, Stephanie!"
"Do you mean the Spirit Detective, Stephanie?"
Keishou stared down at the ground to see a young man standing there. He had blue hair with green bangs and pure ice blue eyes. "Who are you?" Keishou asked landing in front of him.
"I am Touya, the Ice Master. I have been searching all of Makai for the leader of Team Kouken Gurentai, the special guests at this year's Dark Tournament."
The elemental youkai stared at the ice master and then sighed, "Yes, I am friends with her and a fellow team mate. She and a youkai disappeared and I don't know where they are. I cannot sense them anywhere."
"Don't worry about it, for by now Jin has probably stumbled across her and will contact me soon. We will then find out where they are and where they are heading." Keishou nodded as they sat to wait for Jin to get ahold of them. "So, who are you anyway?"
"I am Keishou, an Elemental Youkai like Stephanie is. I have been friends with her since we were little, but this is my first time seeing her in about 5 years."
"What do you know about Stephanie anyway? I don't know much about her except that she is now the new Spirit Detective, an Elemental Youkai, and very strong."
"She's changed a lot so I know very little. She used to be extremely fun loving and outgoing, but now she's very negative and easily angered, along with very antisocial. I believe it is because of the demon she ran off with along with the other friends she has now."
"Who are the demon and her other friends?"
"Her friends are known as Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Kurama, Tiffany, Tyler, Rinku, Botan, and Yukina. The demon she ran off with is a fire youkai known as Hiei, or Jaganshi. As far as I'm concerned he's a pest and needs to be eliminated, Stephanie doesn't need to be socializing with trash like him."
"Say that any louder and your life will be shortened dramatically, Keishou, for Hiei is not to be taken lightly. Neither are any of Stephanie's other friends or my respect for them. I will defend their honor if need be," Touya snapped. Keishou remained quiet at the tone of Touya's voice, not wanting to have to waste energy fighting the Ice Master.
Jin and I finally finished talking over the upcoming tournament. "Well, I guess I oughta try and contact Touya now. He is probably in close enough range to us." I nodded and went quiet as Jin's eyes began to glow. Around our small group appeared a circle of raging wind. Finally he released it and the wind rushed out over the plains at an amazing speed.
Back where Keishou and Touya were the wind hit them directly, but most of its force had died by that time. Touya stood and stared off into the direction in which the wind had come from, "That was Jin, he's found her." Keishou also stood and nodded as he shot back out a blast of wind to signal they had gotten the message and Touya added a nice coldness to it. With that done they both took off in our general direction, following the raging wind's trail.
The cold breeze hit us instantly, "That must be Touya's work of coldness--"
"And knowing our luck Keishou supplied the wind," Hiei added in disgust.
"By the sound in your voice, Hiei, you and Keishou must not get along very well."
I laughed quietly, "That's putting the situation lightly." Hiei shot me a glare and I returned it. "Do not give me such a look, Jaganshi. For I have known that demon practically my whole life and I am good friends with him as well. I know you are jealous of him, but heed this, you are not even close in comparison to his strength or powers, nor will you ever be. Keishou is very powerful and capable of performing the same tricks as I, for you see, saying such things about him is dangerous to your health."
Jin noticed my different tone of voice and change of speech, "She's more than one being inside her body. I can't believe I didn't notice right away, as I usually would have. I wonder who her demon counterpart is...she must be of some type of noble blood to have such a dramatic change in dialect."
"I heard that, Jin, and if you say one word to anyone I swear I will end your life soon afterwards."
He nodded and smiled, "Too serious you are, Stephanie, you need to lighten up a bit, as do you, Hiei! This guy cannot be as bad as you make him out to be." Hiei shot him a death glare as well, the look on his face saying 'No, he's worse.' I rolled my eyes at the fire youkai and turned my attention across the plains towards the faint demon powers my Jagan eye sensed.
"They're near...probably about a half day's journey from us still, but they will be here as soon as possible." My two companions nodded as my thoughts wandered. "Why does Hiei hate him so much? I fear deeply that the reason is he knows something I do not about Keishou, but I hope that is only jealousy... With my luck, though, it is his knowing something that is true. Right now I wish I had someone to talk to that understood Hiei more than myself. Jaganshi confuses me and I yet to get him...although sometimes I truly wished I did--"
"Hey, earth to Stephanie! You've got start paying attention more, ya know!" I glared at Jin who floated away from me and then stopped. "I'm just saying that with way you space out, we might have trouble during the Dark Tournament."
"I don't space when it comes to fighting, and if it seems as if I am, I'm probably resting my energy and relying on my other senses."
"I see, well anyway, I hope that you are as powerful as you make yourself out to be...hey, how about a sparing match? You and me, one-on-one! After all, I think the both of us could use a quick workout and it'd be an honor for me to have the chance to fight another Spirit Detective, especially one of your standards."
I smiled slightly, "Stop with the flattery, if you want to fight me then bring it on." He floated in his place, staring at me weirdly so I just shrugged. "Your mistake," I sighed as I rushed towards Jin and then disappeared right before running into him. His eyes darted around as I fell from right above him, but he noticed and moved before I could strike him. I hit the ground hard and left small dips in the dirt. I didn't stop as I rushed at Jin again but I didn't disappear like he expected me to. I bashed right into him and sent him flying backwards. Jin flew up into the sky to try and buy time to regain his composure, but he underestimated my power, somehow not knowing I could grow wings. My wings sprouted from my back and I took off towards the shocked Wind Master, who instantly began to retreat.
"Okay, I think I may be in some trouble now..." Jin thought to himself, keeping a close eye on me. "Is this the power of an Elemental Youkai? And this Keishou she speaks of and whom Hiei despises, is he capable of such power as well?" He dodged a blast of fire that I had shot at him to get his attention.
"Stop spacing out, stupid!" I yelled as I tackled him. He threw me off of him and then jumped up. Jin lunged at me and kicked me in the back. I stood and turned as I shook off the pain shooting through my spine. "That is one move you will not pull off again." With that I lunged back at him, kicked him in the stomach, and then punched him in the jaw. "Never challenge a demon unless you know what you're up against!" Hiei and Jin both noticed my tone of voice and knew I was no longer in control.
"Don't bother with Jin anymore you freak! Go for Hiei, kill Hiei!"
I turned to Hiei and ran at him, but he easily dodged me. I turned and lunged at him again, this time making contact. The two of us fell to the ground as I repeatedly bombarded him with punches. Jin pulled me off of Hiei and threw me about 10 feet from them both. I stood up and glared at the two youkai as my wings began to change from their light grayish color and angelic look to a deep black and devilish. Hiei stood and pulled off his bandanna, revealing his Jagan Eye.
"Hiei's going to use the power of the Dragon, Kokuryuhaa! Do not let him to win against you! Wage a battle between the dragon and the white tiger and defeat the serpent! Then I command you to kill Hiei and Jin both, they are both witnesses to your awesome power and must not let others know about what you can really do!" the voice within my headbellowed, "Kill...kill...kill..."
Tiffany's head shot up as she awoke from her catnap. "Stephanie..."
Down below appeared Kurama, "Tiffany, something's wrong!"
"I know, I can feel it too!" she exclaimed as she jumped down from the tree. Rinku and Tyler ran up as well.
"Right after Kurama left we felt that something wasn't right. What's going on you two?"
"I don't know, but I fear the worst," Kurama said to them.
"Don't, it's not worth it," Rinku said, "Stephanie will be okay."
"I'm not worried just about her, Rinku, I believe Hiei and Jin may also be in danger. I don't know why but something's gone completely wrong," Kurama said to him.
"It is Stephanie, she's what's gone completely wrong," Tiffany said to them all, "Something has happened to her, something bad. I feel as if Stephanie may have lost control of her powers, and if that has happened..."
"Then all the worlds stand no chance of survival," Tyler finished.
"What should we do?" Tiffany pleaded with Kurama.
"Find them, now!"
Yukina ran up to the group. "The Spirit World just received an unexpected visit from two of our friends! Jin and Hiei were killed, they're dead!"
Everyone's eyes got wide as Tiffany stepped forward, "That's it! I can't stand this anymore! Aisoku has gone too far!" The entire group turned their attention to the very pissed off Neko Youkai. "Aisoku's jealousy has gone way too far!"
"Okay, before Tiffany goes crazy and kills us all, what in the hell is she talking about!" Rinku exclaimed.
"Aisoku is a demon like the rest of us and one that has been madly in love with Stephanie since I can remember. Stephanie has never truly returned the feelings although she does feel some for him. Oh yeah, and his father was Iroaku to boot," Tyler explained, "There's one thing about him, though, he can control people's thoughts and manipulate the target into doing his dirty work and bring out the worst in them. Hence the killing of Hiei and Jin along with the most likely transformation of Stephanie into one deadly Elemental Youkai."
"What's going to happen to Jin and Hiei?"
"Their lives will be restored if they are successful with the hatching of a spirit beast that doesn't devour them," Botan said appearing beside Rinku, "I believe our only problem now is regaining control of our rampant youkai friend."
"I'm going after Aisoku," Tiffany snarled in her new found neko-transformation, another step towards her true demon form, "I swear when I do that I won't go any easier on him than I do anyone else! All Stephanie is now is a mere puppet because of him!"
"Tiffany, wait!" Tyler exclaimed as she dashed off, "I'm going to Makai as well, but I'm going after Stephanie! The rest of you follow Tiffany, she's going to need more help than I will!"
Botan and Yukina shook their heads. "Stephanie is where we will find Jin and Hiei's bodies. If we don't find them and keep them safe then they can't be brought back to life!"
"Botan's right, and my healing powers may come in handy if you get injured," Yukina said in her typical quiet tone.
Tyler didn't bother arguing and took off with the two apparitions behind him as the other two demons went after Tiffany.
I awoke standing where I remember I was before everything went black. Not too far from me stood the White Tiger looking down at something. He noticed I was awake and turned to me, his claws and fangs covered in fresh demon blood. My eyes widened, as I didn't sense Hiei or Jin anywhere. The tiger ran at me and trailed up my arm. I walked forward to where the tiger had been standing and peered down into the pit, there at the bottom were the mangled bodies of my friends.
"Oh my god, what have I done?" I whispered as I jumped down into the pit. I reached Jin's body first and pulled him over towards Hiei's. I then knelt between the two of them and cried silently, something I hadn't done in years, "How...why...?" I questioned myself continuously with practically the same questions. I had seen it all, but I had not seen it all. It was just a mere vision in my mind of what I had done to them. "Who was that in my mind? I don't remember his voice as one I've heard before...but I'm sure I know him..."
I shook my head and all thoughts of what had happened out of it. I placed my hands over the incapacitated bodies as my Jagan Eye appeared on my head. "Gouka y kaze! Hell Fire and Wind! Elements of the deceased demons before me, come forth from my own body and make their bodies habitable again! If they are to ever be able to be resurrected then they need to have bodies to return to! Please, bring back the true forms of themselves, my friends!"
From the top of the pit stood Tyler, Botan, and Yukina, all of who had been watching me since I entered the pit. "Can she make it so they can be brought back?"
"I'm not sure," Botan said quietly, "I hope so..."
Tiffany, Rinku, and Kurama all ran up. Tiffany looked as if she'd cooled down a lot. "Before you even ask, Tyler, no, I didn't find him." Tyler just smirked as everyone's attention was averted to a sudden gust of cold air. Standing about ten feet away was Touya, the Ice Master, and Keishou, the Element.
"I see Tiffany has cooled down, good on my part. I'm just glad none of these idiots know of my true identity as Aisoku, except for Stephanie...that is until now!" Keishou thought as he erased my memories of him being Lord Iroaku's son and his true name being Aisoku.
"Jin!" Touya exclaimed, seeing his fallen comrade.
"Don't bother, she will not be able to fix their bodies nor will they be able to be resurrected..." Keishou laughed to himself.
"Please, my ancestors, if you ever do anything for me let it be this! Bring back my friends of whom I've killed without knowing! Please, I beg of you, bring back Jin...and bring back Hiei..." My heart began to pump faster and faster as the elements burst forth from my body and enveloped the three of us in the pit.
"What's happening!" Rinku exclaimed.
"She can't do it alone..." Yukina whispered as a black cloud appeared above them. Everyone's eyes gazed upon it as from it erupted the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. It blasted through the barrier my powers had created and entered Hiei's body, allowing me to give more of my power to Jin. Before long, the dust settled and my friends were whole again.
Botan disappeared and reappeared on her oar as she floated beside the two spirit egg holding dead guys. "Koenma tells me your eggs are ready to hatch already, it must have been because of the tears Stephanie cried. The energy alone in her tears would be enough to hatch a million spirit beast eggs." Jin and Hiei both smiled as the eggs exploded and two spirit beasts came forth.
Everyone noticed the explosion and their eyes fell upon the two new spirit beasts. One was cute little dragon and the other looked like a miniature Jin in a tornado. The beasts floated down to the dead bodies and the two spirits reentered them. Jin was the first to awaken and he was jumping about in seconds. "I feel great, thanks for the power boost, Stephanie!" I smiled slightly and turned my attention back to the motionless Hiei.
Tears fell down my cheeks again and onto Hiei's cloak. "Please, Hiei, I can't do this without you...I know your death is all my fault, but I need you still. I need your help to conquer this power that's controlling me. I can't beat it on my own and next time I might kill more people than you did demons during the last Dark Tournament with the Kokuryuhaa," I laughed slightly, "Hiei, I don't want to lose you--" I fell silent as his grip tightened around my hand. "Hiei, you're alive!"
His eyes opened and he smiled, "All thanks to you, Stephanie."
"But you wouldn't even had died if it wasn't for me..." I cried, "I killed two of my own team mates, luckily no one expected it and Koenma was feeling generous. I'm so sorry, you guys, I don't deserve to be the team's leader, nor be the Spirit Detective!" I escaped into the sky having said that. I flew way above the clouds where the oxygen was low, but enough to survive on. I sat, suspended in the air, as I thought about what I had done. At that moment Hiei and his new found guardian blasted through the clouds as I had and flew up next to me.
"Stephanie..."
"What do you want?" I asked turning away from him.
"For you to look at me and listen."
"I'm fine looking into the clouds."
Hiei turned my head so I was looking at him, "You didn't mean to kill either of us and I know you couldn't control what you were doing. Stephanie, you can't blame yourself for what happened, I don't and neither does Jin or the others. You are what binds all of us together and keeps us from ripping each other apart. If something happens to you and you give up on yourself, we all fall with you. Don't you get that? If you go down we're all coming along for the ride and trust me, it will be a bumpy one."
I couldn't help but laugh, "Since when did you become so talkative? Usually you're so negative, even more so than I."
Hiei grinned, "I guess when you used your power to bring my body back to hospitable terms, you also sent part of your personality and your being into mine. We're connect now, I guess, and there's nothing either of us can do about it unfortunately. But hey, I guess it could be worse right?"
"Yeah, you could of came back as a female!" I exclaimed as I dove straight down.
"Look!" Tiffany laughed pointing upwards at me. As I spiraled downwards I noticed the spirit beast beside me with Hiei holding onto him for dear life. I spread my wings and glided to a stop, then dropped to the ground, unlike the other two who hit direct dirt and came out of it with bumps and bruises everywhere.
The two of them looked at each other and then at all of us, and we busted up laughing at them. None of us could help ourselves, just the sight of them was hysterical. They looked like two peas in a pod, although they technically were since his spirit beast was a mirror reflection of his true self. His spirit beast then shrunk back to his cute mini size and he flew over to me, landing in my arms. I smiled as I hugged him, "Thank you for saving Hiei." The dragon looked up at me in response to my slight whisper and nodded, understanding what I had said and happy that I was okay.
Author's note
This means "Wind Master" in Irish.
This practically means: "Just hang around" in Irish, but I meant 'Just hanging around'.