DISCLAIMER: Just go look it up in the past 30 chapters of these two stories; it should become evident now that I don't own YYH, but I do own my characters Kira, Mai, and Ryu…AND ONCE AGAIN, I DON'T OWN EVANESCENCE OR THEIR SONGS!
a/n: okay, once again I'm trying to vent some of my anger through my writing so don't be scared; it's just that I just found out today that my stupid science teacher let another girl in my class do almost the exact same science project (and I was supposed to go after her for my speech!) so now I'm just really pissed at him for doing that—and putting us one right after the other…
So before I scare you all off, I'm just going to start the story (be prepared though, it should be a bit long…)
Thanks to my reviewers:
Dolphingirl32173: Well that's what I've heard…but it's my parents' money so I doubt they'll get it…But on the subject of Mai vs. Team Toguro…well you'll just have to find out! ;-)
Sarah1281: wow, you're easily grossed out…LoL, and once again I have to point out that Yusuke and Kuwabara were probably too busy trying not to get the crap beaten out of them to notice.
Umeko Saito: Don't worry about it! I'm just glad you were able to review again! Haha, but I'll try and make the fights a little more original—I was going to for the last chapter, but it didn't really work out for some reason…
Sk8tergirl69: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! But yeah…it's a major bummer that it's repeating (the "new" episodes won't air again for another year! Unless by some miracle, CN starts it back from the Chapter Black saga—which I highly doubt…)
Naoko Asakura 009: Wahoo! It was actually pretty funny because I was getting about just as pissed of as Mai when it came to Ichigaki; LoL, he was getting just a little too annoying for my tastes…Haha, I'm afraid to ask…but who's Kirby? You mean the little pink thing that rides a star? LoL, anyway, I hope you enjoy!
NOTE: don't ask me why I chose the title, but I guess it has some significance near the end of the chapter.
Thoughts/Flashback
With Every Drop of Blood
:Faint:
"This is the biggest shit-load of bull I've ever heard…" Yusuke muttered darkly as he stared across the ring at the opposite sidelines. Mai fidgeted uneasily as she leaned against Kira's staff for support; at least she wasn't as beaten up as Kuwabara. She glanced behind her where Botan was helping him struggle to his feet and watched as the redhead winced as he tried to stand.
"We're definitely at a disadvantage…" Kurama observed quietly, "That masked fighter of yours is nearly drained after using the spirit wave technique…Not to mention Hiei is incapable of using his right arm," he added and the apparition snorted as a reply.
Koto stepped towards the center of the stage and gestured towards team Masho, "Will both team leaders please approach the ring!" she announced as Urameshi shrugged off the other four members of his team and they quietly left the platform. From along the other side of the ring, one of the cloaked fighters drew back their hood and tossed the cloak aside.
From beneath their mask, the demon's bright red hair spiked out around his face, but not in a way that was unattractive...In the center of his forehead, was a single horn that protruded outwards. His bright blue eyes addressed Yusuke formally as he made a curt nod towards the detective. Mai noticed—with a blush beginning to form along her cheeks—at how well-built this demon was, but then there was that small giggle she struggled to suppress when she saw how much he towered over Urameshi.
But then the guardian noticed how Kurama's eyes darkened slightly as he watched him approached Yusuke, "I believe I've heard of this demon…" he told her and frowned, "Jin, I think his name was…But the only place I've heard his name was in association to the Shinobi of Spirit World…"
Mai frowned also and cocked her head slightly as if to observe the demon at a different angle, "He doesn't look much like a ninja…" she said and then glanced behind him at his teammates, "Though I guess those cloaks of theirs could be a part of that…"
"Here's what I'm proposin' Urameshi…" Jin told the detective in his thick Irish accent with an anticipated grin etched along his face (a/n: I think that's just the cutest! I love Irish accents!(or Scottish; LoL, I have a hard time telling them apart :nervous laugh:)), "What'dya say to one-on-one matches…until one of us has five wins?"
Yusuke watched the demon carefully before he briefly glanced back to his teammates; well it wasn't as if there was an easier way of going through this. He turned back to Jin, "I'm all for it," he replied shortly. Acknowledging one another, they both nodded to and walked off the ring without another word.
Just as the detective was stepping down from the platform, there was another beep from the speakers around the stadium:
"Attention. Due to the condition of Team Urameshi occupants, there will be a five-minute break. During which, the Urameshi team will be given a medical examination…"
The voice faded away against the walls of the stadium and Mai suddenly felt her sense prickled along the back of her neck. For some reason, something didn't feel right; it wasn't as though the committee had welcomed them with opened arms, and lately they had been trying hard to screw them over. It didn't make sense to her why they were allowing them to actually heal—
"Hello…You must be Team Urameshi…"
They all turned at the soft, melodic voice…only to find a beautiful, red-haired nurse standing just a few feet away from them. Strands of her hair fell over her sultry eyes and her magenta uniform only accented on her violet orbs. She approached them slowly and glanced from one fighter to the next—almost completely ignoring Kuwabara—until she detected Hiei and the masked fighter standing near the back of the group.
The nurse smiled sweetly, "You two…will you please follow me?" she said gesturing them towards a medical tent set up just beneath the stands. Mai felt her stomach jolt unexpectedly; when had that appeared?She could have sworn thatit wasn't there during their fight with Ichigaki(and it couldn't have possibly gottn up thatquickly).Besides that, hadn't she noticed how beat up Kuwabara was?
She could tell that Hiei was even suspicious of the nurse; Genkai's reaction on the other hand was not readable through her mask. But as the woman began to turn back towards the tent, she stopped suddenly and turned back towards the guardian, still smiling her sickly sweet smile.
"Would you care to come with me, miss?" she asked. Mai suddenly tensed, and without saying a word, she shook her head defiantly. She didn't care how innocent she looked on the outside, something wasn't right about her, and she wasn't willing to test that theory. In any case, the guardian had grown accustom to her body healing quicker than others…
"No," she said and shook her head again, "I've never been too keen on doctors…" she lied coldly and she saw a flash of suspicion cross the nurse's violet eyes. She held the guardian's gaze a moment longer before softly shrugging her off and heading back towards the tent with Hiei and the masked fighter following warily behind. Mai glanced up to the stands above and the box seats that sat higher; whatever the hell the committee was planning, she didn't like it.
"Koenma sir…Why do you think Miss Mai wouldn't go with the nurse?" Jorge asked as he watched the red-haired vixen cross over the sidelines towards the tent with Hiei and Genkai.
He shrugged, "Beats me…she sure could use the help though; she's not looking much better than Yusuke…"
The ogre frowned slightly as he peered a little further through the window, "Then again, she completely ignored Kuwabara…"
For a moment, Koenma watched the nurse as she settled in a folding chair beneath the tent with a clipboard in hand. Then his gaze drifted back towards the guardian who watched her with a mix of unease and distaste. It seemed odd to him, that she was the only one of the team acting wary against the nurse—except for Hiei, but then again, he was mostly wary of everyone.
"You should go nurse the baka over there…" Hiei muttered to the woman in front of him who continued to make several marks on the clipboard in her lap, "He's in a worse condition than us."
She smiled sweetly and glanced up from her work, "Oh, but his wounds aren't nearly as interesting as yours…" she looked back down at the work in her hands and made another note, "But I'm afraid you'll both have to stay here until you heal and are healthy again."
When the nurse looked back up at them, Hiei clenched his fist around his katana; a devious glint swept across her eyes and the apparition didn't care for it at all. The masked fighter must have sensed the same thing coming from the woman and tensed. But as they both turned to leave, a sudden surge of electricity swept through them as they stood frozen to the spot; the energy holding them in place.
Smirking, the nurse easily stepped through the barrier while the apparition and Genkai staggered backwards with the trails of energy still wrapping around their bodies. She clasped onto the corner of her uniform and suddenly threw it off revealing her true form.
"The dirty slut!" Mai shouted angrily and Kurama blinked at her sudden outburst, "Dammit I knew there was something screwed up about her!"
The nurse heard her cry and turned to face the rest of the Urameshi team, "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before…My name is Ruka; enchantress and master of defense enchantments, like the one you see here…" she added coolly whilst motioning towards the force-field surrounded the tent trapping Hiei and the masked fighter.
"Isn't there anything in the rulebook against this!" Botan demanded up at Koto—who was looking just as surprised as the rest of the audience.
"Ah…well….since they technically went of their own free will, I don't think there is anything opposing it—"
Mai nearly jumped onto the ring, "'Opposing it'? Opposing it! She just trapped them in a damn barrier! It was a dirty trick!" Both Kurama and Yusuke had to hold her back before she could jump up and strangle the fox demon.
"Calm down, Mai—! Ow! Don't kick me!" the detective shouted and gritted his teeth, "Dammit, I'm not any happier than you are about this, but we can't really do anything about it! That committee can go fuck themselves for all I care!"
The guardian clenched her fists unhappily and inwardly cursed at the tournament committee sitting smugly up in their box seats. After a moment, she relaxed slightly and let her fist drop to her side, but the furry burning in her eyes did not leave.
"Hiei and the masked fighter weren't in any shape to fight anyway…" Kurama put gently, "We should at least be thankful that they weren't hurt…if anything, it will give Team Masho a false security to lean on…"
Across from them Jin watched the team and their two captured team members. After a moment, he shrugged and placed his hands behind his head and leisurely walked over towards the wall beneath the stands. He plopped down on the ground and closed his eyes as if taking a nap. One of his teammates noticed him and turned.
"What are you doing?" they asked, "Aren't you going to fight?"
The wind demon shrugged again, "Nah, I'm havin' ta' change my mind if it's goin to be a fix like that. I don't give damn, somebody else go…"
Amongst their team, the cloaked fighters muttered to one another as to who would fight first. They made no gesticulations or anything of the sort, but merely stood and discussed quietly within their group. There was a pause, and Kurama, Yusuke and Mai watched as one of the taller fighters stepped forward. And—like Jin—shed his cloak and jumped into the ring. This new foe was nearly as pale as ice and was rather gangly. He wore a green type of bandana and a kilt-like garment around his waist.
Yusuke slammed his fist into his palm in anticipation, "This guy's mine; I'm way too pissed off right now…I need something to beat the crap out of…"
As he took a step towards the ring, Kurama quickly placed a hand on the detective's shoulder to stop him, "Yusuke, we have to be careful; with three of our fighters gone we have to make sure we can make it through this match alive…" he paused for a moment, "I'll go first…when I go down, either you or Mai can take my place."
"Kurama-kun…" the guardian whispered quietly as she came to stand next to the two boys. She bit her lip worriedly before she slowly slipped her hands around his middle and leaned her head against his chest, "Please be careful…"
He smiled gently and nodded. Releasing him, Mai stepped back and watched him move onto the ring. As both fighters drew to the center of the ring, Koto glanced one at each of them before addressing the crowd around her.
"The first fight: Kurama from team Urameshi vs. Gama of team Masho!" she announced, and then dropped her hand, "Let the match begin!"
Kurama readied himself as his opponent took his own position. Along the sidelines, the guardian folded her arms uneasily as she watched the two fighters stare one another down.
"Look, Mai…" Urameshi began, "He'll be fine…"
She bit her lip gently, "I know he will; it's just that…he spends too much time trying to understand his opponents. At times this can be an advantage, but sometimes I don't think it's the right way to go…"
Across from him, Gama smirked as he pulled from his pocket a pair of slender paint brushes, "Do you know where the origins of makeup came from?" he inquired casually, and paused as if waiting for a reply, but the redhead didn't answer, "…In any case…" he continued as he took one of the brushes in his hand and began to trail it along his arm leaving a painted pattern behind, "Humans tainted its original purpose; using it to cover up their flaws and make themselves prettier…"
He snorted at the thought as he continued to drag the two paint brushes over his body. Kurama tensed when a sudden chill swept through him. There was a demonic aura beginning to form around the fighter as he continued to draw the obscure patterns over his arms and face. Even as Gama had finished speaking, there was an eerie purple haze forming around his body.
The moment the demon's brush stopped, he clenched both in his hands and glared back at the redhead. In another instant, Gama suddenly charged at him with a surprising amount of agility. He threw a punch at Kurama's face, but the redhead easily stepped aside of the attack.
Mai closed her eyes slowly, "His energy barely extends outside of his body; he gets his strength from the markings," she said referring to Gama.
The detective beside her blinked, "How do you figure that?"
For a moment she stared at the two fighters along the ring before she glanced back towards him and gave him a curious smile while she tapped the side of her head with a finger, "It's a matter of using your head, Yusuke," she told him matter-of-factly, "You should try it sometime…"
Urameshi scowled, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Behind Ruka's barrier, Hiei frowned darkly as he watched Kurama dodging all of his opponent's attacks. So this Gama was a close-combat fighter…he furrowed his brow; if he kept trying to avoid all of his attacks, it could get dangerous for Kurama…
Gama leapt backwards suddenly and whipped out both of the paint brushes. The redhead eyed them warily; not entirely sure what he was up to…But before he could comprehend what the demon was getting ready to do, he charged again, only this time, he was not planning on attacking Kurama the same way. Swiftly, Gama whipped one of the brushes out in front of him where a splatter of paint flew into the air.
Kurama attempted to jump out of the way, but his leg was struck in his place. Almost immediately, he fell back to the ground with a curious thud. The redhead glanced down suspiciously at his left ankle where a twisted design now glowed a dull purple color.
He stood and took a step forward with his right foot and then attempted with his left. Mai noticed with a start that he had to drag it across the floor to make it move, and even so, he winced painfully in the process.
"It's heavy, isn't it?" Gama sneered in amusement, "It just happens to be one of my favorite techniques; it makes it feel as if you're being held down by an enormous weight…"
The redhead gritted his teeth through the pain, but not before his opponent raced at him once more. Kurama tried to dodge out of the way, but his foot tripped him and he stumbled. Gama raised the paint brush once more above his head and slashed down as if it were a sword. He winced, trying to endure the weight that dragged his body down. Squinting, he was able to make out three more of the patterns along his remaining ankle and arms.
Amazingly, Kurama was able to remain standing despite the weight on him. For a moment, the demon stepped back to admire his work and smirked.
"The Makeup of Chains…" he explained coolly, "Over two-thousand pounds are now attached to your limbs, making it quite impossible to move, don't you say?"
Along the sidelines, Yusuke gritted his teeth, "Damn…if Kurama dies now, we're finished—"
"Don't say that!" Mai scolded him and the detective turned only to find fearful tears building in her eyes. He blinked in surprise and his expression softened a little bit, "He's not going to die!" she insisted and wiped at her tears irritably. Urameshi watched her for a moment longer before he nodded in his understanding and started to turn back to the ring.
"Right, I didn't mean it like that…" he said as gently as he could. But even though he told her this, he knew that he wasn't all too sure himself whether or not Kurama would make it out of the ring alive. Hell, he could hardly move, let alone defend himself.
Gama sneered at the redhead's defenseless stature and calmly placed both paint brushes into his pocket, as if savoring the moment of his victory. Kurama said nothing, but watched the demon carefully, his eyes narrowed in concentration. The painter stepped back a few paces and watched his opponent smugly before his right hand clenched into a fist, his energy once again charging up around him.
Then, the demon charged at Kurama; his fist blazing an eerie purple color as he raced towards him. Mai started to close her eyes; she didn't want to see him hurt. But before she could, a flash caught her eyes on the arena and she quickly turned back. Strips of energy were suddenly wrapping themselves around Gama, until they drove into his flesh and spurts of blood suddenly erupted over his body.
"What the hell…?" she murmured to herself, but then she noticed Kurama still standing exactly where he had been moments earlier. Yet, his rose whip had suddenly entwined itself through his hair and hovered around him for only a second more. Gama collapsed to his knees while his purple blood spilled out onto the arena beneath him. He stared in disbelief and the redhead standing in front of him.
"It…it can't be…" he whispered, "How could I have failed…?"
"Only an amateur depends on his arms and legs for a victory…" Kurama stated coolly while never taking his eyes off of his opponent, "The rose whip was merely controlled by my hair…"
Gama gritted his teeth and looked as though he was about to say more, but before he could even utter a word, his body crumpled onto the ground. A silent pool of his purple blood slowly enveloped his body as Koto stepped back towards the center of the ring starting her ten-count. Even so, it was evident that Gama would not rise again.
One by one the seconds ticked by until the fox demon held her hand aloft and announced, "Ten! The winners of the first fight…Team Urameshi!"
But the redhead continued to stand in the ring, waiting for the next fight to come at him. Desperately, Mai moved towards the edge of the ring.
"Kurama-kun, please come down; I'll fight the next match!" she pleaded, but he seemed unwilling to go back to the sidelines.
"Yeah, Kurama…" Urameshi added while coming to stand next to the guardian, "You won't be doing much good up there if you can't move…"
For a second, it seemed as though the redhead would continue to ignore them, but then he turned his head slowly and smiled almost sadly, "I guess that wouldn't help us, would it?" he asked, but then his expression darkened as he limped off of the platform towards the sidelines. The guardian held out her arm to him to help him down off of the ring.
"So which one of you will go next?" Botan asked from where she knelt beside Kazuma. Both Yusuke and Mai studied one another as if mentally debating who would fight.
There was a pause, "I'll go," the guardian told him shortly, "By then Kurama should be able to move at least a little more…and then you two will be able to finish out the match…"
Yusuke and Kurama glanced at one another briefly. It was apparent that neither of them wanted her to fight at all, but on the other hand, what she had to say was true. If the detective were to fight now, he would have little strength left to fight some of their stronger opponents, and since Kurama was hardly capable of moving, it was certainly out the question that he should fight.
There was an uneasy silence before Botan's voice shattered it:
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Just let the girl fight!" she told them harshly. Urameshi eyed the ferry girl unhappily before he folded his arms over his chest and stared off to the side and down at the ground.
"Fine," he said quietly. After another pause he added with a weak thumbs-up, "Just don't get yourself killed, okay?"
Gripping Kira's staff, the girl nodded and grinned reassuringly and nimbly hopped onto the ring to confront the next fighter. While her back was turned to them, Kurama turned his eyes on the detective warily.
"Do you think that was wise, Yusuke?" he asked quietly, "This is the first time she's battled on her own…"
Urameshi shrugged casually, "I'm not doubting her too much; if she puts her mind to it, she could beat the crap out of anyone she wants…" he hooded his eyes for a moment, "She can be a bit oblivious to some things, though, can't she?" he added with a weak smile.
Mai felt her blood pounding in her ears as she stood on the ring. For some reason, she felt suddenly alone; she hadn't realized how large the arena was until she was standing there by herself. The thunderous crowd around her sent the earth shaking and she had to place her staff in the ground to remain steady. Across the ring, she saw one of the cloaked figures stepping forward. And as they jumped into the ring, they too shed their cloak to reveal themselves.
The demon appeared hardly any taller than Mai, and didn't seem any older. His light blue hair had been sleeked back, leaving four aqua-green strands hanging in front of his cold blue eyes. As he stepped onto the ring, the guardian suddenly felt an icy blast of wind sweep over the platform and she shuddered. From within Ruka's tent, Hiei started unexpectedly when he had caught a glimpse of the apparition on the stage. Quickly, he turned towards Yusuke standing back along the sidelines.
"The detective would be smart to get her out of the ring right now," he muttered to himself darkly. Snorting, Hiei folded his arms and muttered, "They may as well been better off with Kurama fighting this match…"
"I wouldn't underestimate her…" the masked fighter told him quietly while keeping her eyes locked on the two fighters on the arena; recognizing the demon herself, "Touya may be a master of ice…but the previous masters of the Shinobi have chosen poorly for their successors…"
In the stands above them, a single male with shoulder-length, black hair sat watching the ring with a bitter interest. A puff of smoke drifted up leisurely from the cigarette in his mouth. He sat amidst the howling demons calmly as he folded his arms of his chest. From behind him, another man approached from the stairwell and stood next to the first, but before he could speak, the black-haired male spoke.
"It's a bit of a disappointment that you had to cheat, Butajiri…Personally, the fight would have been a bit more interesting if it had been evenly matched…"
The man blinked at him, before he quickly regained his composure and authority, "You have to admit, Sakyo, those punks got what they deserved after killing off Tarukane; that bastard still owed us all money!"
Sakyo said nothing, but blew another billow of smoke into the air in front of him. He supposed it was plausible that they would think Urameshi killed the mafia boss…Thoughit really hadn't given him any pleasure at all to watch Toguro kill Tarukane himself…
Touya briefly glanced at Gama's body lying nearby and then back to the guardian standing in front of him. He said nothing, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was definitely not pleased with his teammate being killed. Mai sent him an equally intense glare while handling Kira's staff in front of her. The chilling breeze would not relent, however, and continued to whip around her causing her skin to crawl.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're a girl…" the ice master informed her after an uneasy silence.
The guardian gritted her teeth, "I wasn't planning on it," she replied shortly as Koto approached the center of the ring and glanced between the two fighters.
"Fighting for the next fight: Touya from team Masho and Mai from team Urameshi!" she announced to the crowd, "Let the next match begin!"
Mai drove Kira's staff into the ground next to her as the ice apparition clenched his fists at his side. But before she could release the slightest amount of energy, the icy wind began to whip around her violently. Her crimson hair blew in front of her eyes and she had to brush it back with one hand to keep her sight on Touya. The guardian shuddered suddenly when his energy erupted from around him.
She staggered abruptly when the ground beneath her began to tremble. When she turned her gaze upwards once more, she noticed with a start that a pale-blue pillar of light was surrounding the apparition and rose into the sky where the dark and omniscient clouds began to gather. She could hear the waves surrounding the island groaning as they crashed heavily onto the shores.
Steadily, the guardian felt the frigged cold weighing down upon her…and it was then that she noticed that icy fog sweeping over the arena. Along her arms, patches of frost began to spread as the freezing air swept around her. Unexpectedly, she sensed her body weakening as the haze enveloped both of them and the ring, on instinct, she wrapped her arms around her abdomen. It was draining…whatever Touya was doing it was almost draining her of energy…
Beneath her feet, Mai started slightly when she caught sight of traces of ice etching along the crevices of the tiled flooring. It spread outwards from Touya and out to the corners of the ring behind them. Her breath billowed out in front of her and her teeth began to chatter incessantly. She wasn't used to this type of cold; it wasn't like being out in the winter without a coat; this type of cold was different, almost as though she was drowning in Touya's energy.
Mai could feel his energy growing from his surroundings and she cursed herself inwardly; of all the techniques it had to be ice—she was too damn clumsy on ice!
In front of her, the ice apparition had switched his stance and now his fists were clenched at his side where they gave off an eerie sea-green light. Mai clenched her teeth while trying to endure the cold, and saw—as Touya's energy continued to mount—tiny crystals appeared around his body as if drawn to its power.
Shakily, the guardian raised her hands in front of her; her limbs already stiffened by the icy cold. She placed one hand in the other while her index finger pointed outwards at the ice apparition. But when Touya noticed her position, his stance changed immediately, and before Mai could fire off her attack, the demon snatched the crystals out of the air with his hand. Suddenly, he started running parallel to her and quickly, the guardian followed after.
Neither of them took their eyes off of the other—and prior to the guardian raising her hands once more, Touya skidded to a halt suddenly. His unexpected stop caused her to slide briefly over the sheet of ice beneath her feet. She cursed harshly as she was thrown off balance. The ice apparition took this moment to suddenly toss the shards clenched in his hand at the girl left defenseless. Caught off guard, Mai scrambled to her feet and hurled her body out of the way…just enough—at least—so that only her ankle took in part of the attack. She winced as she felt the crystals draw blood and the icy cold air around her added on to the sting.
Swiftly raising herself to one knee, she once again formed her hands so that her index finger was directed at Touya.
"Spirit Gun!" she cried and waited for the blast to charge towards the ice apparition…
And waited…
No…way…
And waited…
There was a tense pause…just as a small spark flickered at the end of her finger, releasing an awkward Pfft noise as it drifted to the ground and faded.
Those along the sidelines sweatdropped uneasily (even Touya had a tough time concealing the sweatdrop that formed along the side of his face). Mai stared down at her hand in disbelief as her mouth hung gaping in awe and fear.
"Dammit, that's not good!" she cried just as the ice apparition regained his senses and began to charge at the guardian once again. Quickly, she jumped back to her feet and made a mad dash towards Kira's staff as she let out a quick, "Eep!"
Yusuke clenched his fists as he watched both fighters along the ring, "What the hell was that!" he demanded, "Why couldn't she use her spirit gun!"
The redhead standing beside him clutched his side slightly and saw how Mai was just barely able to grab onto her staff and roll out of the way of another one of Touya's attacks. He hadn't seen her use any of her spirit powers at all the entire tournament; she couldn't possibly have been drained by fighting Ichigaki's team, could she?
Back beneath Ruka's tent, Genkai's brow furrowed and she hooded her eyes. Damn…she thought; she should have known better than to let her fight after the other night; she hadn't completely healed after all…Hell, her body was still getting used to the new space she had to contemplate her energy. Not to mention that the capability of her fire powers only extended so far…and Touya's now outmatched the guardian's.
Mai held onto Kira's staff for dear life as she dashed across the platform and out of the reach of the apparition's attacks. Dammit, why couldn't she use her spirit gun! It wasn't like she was holding back like she was with Ichigaki's team; it wasn't as though she was trying to totally hide her spirit energy this time…
Wait a minute…
Quickly, she dodged another attack from her opponent. She had been letting her energy come out little by little…it hadn't occurred to her until now that…that maybe she couldn't attack with that much energy at once, at least not at the moment…
Oh shit.
"Shards of Winter!" Touya shouted suddenly catching her off guard. Without noticing, the guardian had stopped and left herself to a full-frontal attack. By the time she came to the realization that his attack was coming, she had no where to go in time to dodge. Gritting her teeth, the guardian held her staff out in front of her and closed her eyes. Come on…she pleaded, please put up a barrier!
She suddenly cried out in pain as each of the tiny crystals drove through her flesh, and those that didn't grazed her skin leaving deep wounds. Some of the shards had even struck with so much force that they reappeared through her back. Mai gritted her teeth against the pain and dropped Kira's staff with a clatter and she fell to her knees. Her hands wrapped around her abdomen as she felt her warm, sticky blood beneath her fingers. Quietly, she let a small whimper of pain escape her lips and she clenched her eyes shut.
"Dammit, Mai!" Yusuke roared from the sidelines, "Stay down, I'll take over for you!"
Defiantly she shook her head and shakily rose to her feet. The detective cursed angrily, but she ignored him. The guardian clenched her teeth and gripped her staff until her knuckles turned white; why wasn't this working! Angrily, she suddenly drove the point of the rod into the ground beneath her while she closed her eyes. Please…she begged now, please do something…but the same something told her that nothing would; she could feel it draining through her; she was too weak…
Unexpectedly she felt tears beginning to form beneath her eyelids from her desperation.
Come on! She suddenly put all of her strength into trying to call her energy. If it hadn't been for Genkai stopping her before, she would have used her spirit powers not a half hour ago! So what the hell was wrong with her!
The masked fighter folded her hands quietly behind her back. Mai had held back all that power for so long that she had suddenly forgotten how to call it back…Her body was too weak to muster up enough concentration to create any attack. Genkai's eyes darkened suddenly as she cursed inwardly; she shouldn't have let her fight…especially against an ice master like Touya. But if the guardian didn't remember how to use her powers…there wouldn't be much they could help her with—
Touya's pale blue eyes flashed, "Even if you are a girl…I still expected a better fight than this; was that little spark you created earlier all you had to offer?"
He didn't give her time to respond; however, already the ice apparition snatched another handful of the ice crystals from the air around him. Mai gritted her teeth in anticipation as she jumped back to her feet as quickly as she could muster.
Once more, the guardian screamed as the shards of ice penetrated her flesh. She had started the momentum to run again, but the force of the apparition's attack sent her tumbling forward onto the arena floor. It was as if he was driving daggers into her; despite their size, it was agonizing…her cheek skidded into the ground and created dull scratches along her face while she continued to clutch at her bloody abdomen. Mai could feel the crimson liquid seeping through her trembling fingers. Irritably, she clenched her fist and struggled to raise herself to her knees.
But Touya's attack came once more and sent her sprawling back onto the ring. Her body tumbled over itself as her wounds smeared blood onto the tile flooring.
"Mai!"
I'm fine, Yusuke…she wanted to say, but she couldn't her body trembled and she felt the color draining from her face. She closed her eyes, trying to absorb the pain; trying to make it go away…but it wouldn't leave…it wouldn't go away…
There was a wound across her other cheek now…and slowly she felt its blood trickling slowly down the side of her face and beneath her chin; almost as though it were a bloody tear…like those the Ichigaki team had cried earlier. Mai panted heavily and watched as her breath billowed out in a chilly cloud. One of the shards had probably grazed a lung…she could hear—from her rattling breath—the blood beginning to fill within her chest.
Touya's padded footsteps quietly walked towards her and stopped a few feet away. Weakly, she raised her eyes to him as she tried desperately to lift her body with her free hand. His pale blue eyes flashed when he saw the blood staining her hand and beads of sweat forming along her brow.
"Well I have to admit…" he started, "You may not have any attack-power, but you sure do have a lot of stamina to survive that many blows at once—"
The guardian suddenly whipped her leg out from beneath her, attempting to catch the ice master off guard. But Touya nimbly leapt above it without so much as an effort as Mai cried out after straining to use her strength. Her body curled up as her wounds opened further. Quietly, she whimpered past the pain and trembled as she raised herself to one hand.
He jumped back a few paces to a safe distance while the girl remained along the frozen earth, panting heavily, "You shouldn't waste your energy on those useless attempts…" he informed her bluntly, "You can still back down; let another one of your teammates take over…maybe then I'll have a challenge."
"Shut up!" Mai shouted and clenched her eyes shut as she tried to force back her tears, "Just SHUT UP!"
Only a few yards away, Kira's staff suddenly began to quiver. The dull rattling of its metal against the tile flooring alerted both fighters. The guardian watched wide-eyed as the rod continued to rock back and forth violently…what…what the hell? No more than an instant later, the staff suddenly shot out of the ground and hurtled towards the girl, and on instinct, she raised her hand and caught it on its flight path.
Along the sidelines, Botan blinked, "What was that?" she asked to no one in particular, "I thought she couldn't use her spirit energy."
"Maybe that was her plan all…all along…" Kuwabara grunted next to her, "…To make him think that she couldn't fight back…"
Kurama shook his head slowly, "I don't think that was what she intended…I haven't been able to sense her powers until just now and even then…even then they were still weak; as if she hadn't truly meant to use them…" he hooded his eyes briefly, "Something's not right; her powers shouldn't be locked up like this…Mai's been hiding her energy thus far, but it's almost as if she's forgotten how to use it…"
The detective turned to him, "What makes you think she's been hiding it?"
He smiled hollowly, "If she hadn't, I'm sure she would have taken out her anger on Ichigaki long before you or Kuwabara contacted your own spirit energy…"
The masked fighter watched the fighting duo darkly, "Her energy is building up…" she stated quietly and Hiei turned his head towards her.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded as he folded his arms over his chest.
"I mean…" Genkai continued softly, "Mai is unable to find a way to contact her energy; therefore letting it slowly mount within her," she paused momentarily, "That was merely a tiny fraction of her powers leaking out…If she can't release it soon, it will eventually find a way out on its own in a much greater force."
The apparition focused his attention back on the match, "Why can't she use it in the first place?" he questioned, suddenly concerned; if the onna couldn't contact her energy—and it eventually exploded out of her—she would be left defenseless and open to any one of Touya's attacks.
"She's weak," the woman explained, "Not to mention the fact that the sheer cold she's experiencing within that ring may be too much for her; since she specializes in fire it would make sense that Touya's ice attacks could have a weakening effect on her," Genkai went on, leaving out that the majority of her weakness came from their training session. Then she frowned, "I'm afraid to see what the results of this match may bring…"
Touya stared at the staff in her hands warily; even if it had just been a small amount energy he had just sensed, it was enough to make him suddenly cautious of his opponent. The ice apparition frowned then and clenched his fists at his sides; it had been enough to let him know that he couldn't let her contact it again. His pale blue eyes glinted dangerously as the guardian shakily stood to her feet using Kira's staff as support.
He glanced to the shards hovering in the air around him and in an instant, his hand held the tiny ice crystals in his fist; there were only so many hits she could take…and he had a feeling that it couldn't be much more…
"Shards of Winter!" he cried out again and hurled the tiny shards at the girl.
Clutching her stomach, she tried desperately to dodge out of the way. Her weary body was dragging her; slowing her down…she wouldn't make it out of the way in time. Tears of fear filled her eyes as she forced Kira's staff out in front of her, watching helplessly as the dagger-like crystals hurtled towards her. She saw their blades glinting in the dull light and already she could feel them piercing her flesh. Suddenly, she realized that she wouldn't be able to stand through another attack like that and her fear mounted swiftly.
They were closing in and the guardian shook her head defiantly; she wouldn't go down—not yet—she couldn't go down! But even so, she knew that there would be no way to avoid Touya's attack now that it was racing towards her.
'Don't let me die, Yusuke…'
'Then hold on…hold on for just a little while longer…'
"Yu…Yusuke..." she murmured as she watched her doom charging towards her, "Don't…don't let me die…not yet…"
"Get out of the way, Mai!"
The guardian suddenly dropped the staff onto the tiled flooring with a dull clatter. Her body was flung backwards by the force of Touya's attack as spurts of blood protruded from her newly formed wounds.
There was a moment when both Yusuke and Kurama felt as though time stood still, and Mai's body remained frozen in the air bleeding and stained with the crimson liquid. Both of them were able to detect an eerie serenity in her eyes as she stared dully at the sky above.
'Do you know what snow becomes Yusuke…? It becomes spring…no matter what, year after year, winter always yields to spring…
'It always becomes spring…'
And that same snow was what she saw hovering in the air around her…piercing her very flesh…This type of snow would yield to a new spring; one she hadn't yet experienced…
Even though she didn't want to…even though she knew she had no choice…
She openly let the darkness sweep over her…
:-
Rain pelted dully against the window pane as thunder rolled in the distance. Mai's chin rested lazily in her palm. Gods, how she hated the rain—snow she could handle, rain she couldn't. Genkai sat on the couch nearby with her eyes dragging leisurely over the pages of the book in her lap. It surprised her that she hadn't taken Yusuke to beat the crap out of him in training today.
She heard the front door open and close suddenly and she tilted her head towards the newcomers. Botan and Keiko shook off their umbrellas as they appeared in the doorway followed by a drenched Kuwabara. Kurama entered the room shortly afterwards while a rather sullen-looking Hiei trailed after him.
"We had to keep him out of trouble somehow," Minamino explained while grinning nervously as the apparition looked as though he was ready to kill someone.
"Yeah…and Kazuma wasn't paying much attention when we were crossing the street…" Botan added as she observed the sodden redhead, "And, well, a car drove into a puddle in front of him and…erm…got him all wet…"
Yusuke now entered the room and caught a glimpse of Kuwabara. His face contorted as he tried to conceal his fits of laughter—but failed, "Bwahahaha!" only to receive a quick smack to the arm by Keiko, "Don't be so rude!"
The guardian smiled slightly as she removed herself from the window, "So what's the occasion?" she asked above Urameshi's suppressed giggles.
Botan beamed suddenly, "How 'bout a nice friendly game of Truth or Dare?" she chirped and Mai could swear she noticed Hiei pale as if someone had just written his death sentence. Even Genkai—as she closed her book—appeared as though these teens were moments away from driving her insane.
"So!" the ferry girl chimed as she plopped onto the couch a seat over from Mai and Keiko. The rest of the team found their seats around the room—save for Hiei who found a corner to stand in, "Who wants to start us off?"
Yusuke—who was still trying to conceal his laughter raised his hand to volunteer, "Haha, okay…um…" his eyes caught sight of the apparition in the corner, "Truth or dare, Hiei?" he asked placing his hands behind his head.
He sent the detective a murderous glare and it almost looked as though he wouldn't answer him until he muttered a dark, "Truth…"
Urameshi tapped his chin thoughtfully before his eyes brightened, "Okay…is it true that you have an obsession with sweet-snow?"
The apparition glowered maliciously and muttered something under his breath that sounded oddly like a 'yes'. Bursts of laughter echoed cheerfully through the room as Hiei seemed to recede further into the shadows.
Botan wiped a jolly tear from her eye, "Well since it doesn't look as though Hiei is willing to go next…Keiko how 'bout you go?" she asked the brunette next to her.
"Alright!" she agreed and glanced around the room, "Um...Kazuma, truth or dare?"
The redhead confidently placed his hands behind his head, "Dare," he challenged; after all it was only Keiko, how bad could her dare be?
He soon learned after a few minutes that it could be. Keiko and Botan couldn't suppress their giggles as they emerged from a nearby room with Kuwabara sulking behind. Another roar of laughter filled the air when they caught sight of Kazuma plastered with bright red lipstick and a heavy amount of eye-shadow. Even Hiei managed a smug little grin from his corner and Genkai snorted in her own amusement.
Yusuke jumped up from his seat and placed an arm around the redhead's shoulder, "Well looky here!" he exclaimed teasingly, "We're going to have a hard time hooking someone up with a cutie like you!"
"Shut it Urameshi!" Kuwabara growled as he slumped back to his seat, "Besides, it's my turn!" he stated as he folded his arms over his chest, thinking to himself. After a moment, he snapped his fingers, "Mai! Truth or dare?"
The guardian glanced at Kazuma warily, "Dare, I guess…"
There was a devious glint in his eyes that even made Hiei shudder, "I dare you…" he said slowly, "To dance around the room topless—!"
Both Kurama and Yusuke jumped out of their seats and slammed their fists into the redhead's skull the moment the words escaped his mouth.
"Damn letch," the detective muttered, "Choose another dare—that's not perverted!" he added hastily, as Kazuma made a comment about Kurama being surprisingly violent.
"Okay…" Kuwabara though another moment longer, "I dare you…" he snickered as the idea came to him, "I dare you to kiss Urameshi!"
"WHAT!" both Mai and the detective shouted in unison.
"I can't do that—!" Yusuke cried.
"I would never kiss Urameshi!"
The detective suddenly froze and blinked. He turned towards the guardian, folding his arms over his chest, "What do you mean 'you would never kiss me'? Are you trying to imply something, Mai?" he demanded.
She stared at him, "What! No! It's just that I—I mean…I can't…" she stammered and her face burned a bright red. She cast her eyes downwards to hide her embarrassment.
"I dared you, Mai; you have to do it! Either that, or you're welcomed to kiss me!" Kuwabara grinned smugly just as the guardian sent him a dangerous glare. Gods, Kazuma was in for it bad when it was her turn, she noted mentally. She could tell Yusuke was a feeling a bit awkward with the situation as well; Keiko and Kurama both had a clear view of the pair and neither Mai nor Urameshi felt compelled to kiss right in front of them.
"Whatever," the detective muttered, "Let's just get this over with…"
She managed a meek nod as her face continued to match the color of her hair, "O-Okay…" she mumbled and bit her lip, quickly glanced around the room, but for some reason, her vision couldn't focus; all she heard was her pounding heart in her ears.
It felt awkward to kiss him; after all, she was his guardian…but that wasn't the entire reason. Around her, she could hear everyone else giggling. And then suddenly she felt her heart drop to her stomach; as if she had just committed a terrible sin…
With an agonizing jolt…She suddenly realized something…
(a/n: if any of you are wondering why I didn't go into much detail here…er, well I guess you'll find out…)
:-
"Four!" Koto shouted through the microphone.
Yusuke clenched his fists at his side, Come on, Mai…get up already! But still the guardian didn't stir. Her violet-speckled eyes remained partially open and distant; almost in a state of death…He felt his nails digging into his palm as his fist began to shake slightly.
"Get up…" he whispered so quietly that not even Kurama heard him, "Please, Mai…"
The guardian continued to stare out into the empty void in front of her. Her eyes were glazed and unblinking…oblivious to the world around her. But in her mind she heard every word, every whisper around her. It wasn't as though she was able to do anything about it, though…her bleeding body trembled as Koto neared the end of her count.
Touya stood in front of her, simply waiting. Mai could almost feel his confidence pulsating from him; he knew she wouldn't be able to get up in time. She hated that. She hated how he didn't take her seriously and thought of it as a silly game she was trying to win…
"Five!"
Urameshi gritted his teeth, "Get up off your sorry ass, dammit!" he roared suddenly and without really realizing it, he charged towards the edge of the ring, "Don't tell me you've given up already!"
He could see her sapphire eyes staring blankly towards him while her blood quietly stained her precious body.
Yusuke…
He started suddenly and his eyes flashed towards her hand lying out in front of her. Weakly, her slender fingers began to move, slowly folding into her palm. When the detective switched his attention back up to her face he noticed that she began to blink towards him; returning from her death-like state. She stared at him for a moment…and he could have sworn he saw tears filling her eyes as she feebly wrapped her fingers around Kira's staff once more.
"Mai…let me go in for you!" he pleaded, "Just stay down and let her finish her count—!"
Slowly, she shook her head, "No, Yusuke…" she murmured while she just managed to partially lift her body onto her forearm, "No…let me finish this…"
"Are you crazy!" he demanded as the fear became evident in his voice, "If you keep taking hits like that you won't make it out alive!"
But she shook her head again, and would not look at him again. I'm sorry, Yusuke…She had to finish the fight; she had to figure out what was wrong with her and find a way to contact her energy…
Grasping her staff, she carefully planted it into the tile flooring and trembled as she clasped both hands around its cool metal. The blood staining her fingers trickled down the gold rod while she placed one foot out in front of her, lifting herself slowly from the ground.
"Seven—!" Koto cut herself off when she noticed the guardian struggling to her feet. Touya's brow furrowed darkly as he watched the girl across from him.
"You don't know when to stay down, do you?" he muttered, suddenly irritated, but the girl said nothing. The ice apparition started unexpectedly when he noticed the sudden fury burning in her eyes and he took a wary step backwards. Mai winced then, when a brief wave of pain coursed through her…but it was not from her bleeding wounds. Her blood pounded harshly in her ears, and she felt a stab of pain race through her chest.
Genkai furrowed her brow when she noticed the girl's grimace…her powers were building up immensely fast; at a continuous rate like that, she wouldn't be able to contain it any longer…She needed to release her energy soon; this is what she had been trying to avoid from the beginning. If Mai's body couldn't hold that power, it would rip her apart.
The guardian clutched her bleeding abdomen with a free hand as her body continued to tremble. Touya glared at her darkly and made an agitated grunt while he raised his hand in front of him. He cried out as his energy erupted around him and the icy wind whipped around his feet. Tendrils of light snaked around him and traveled along his arm until they had completely enveloped his limb. There was a brief flash of light and afterwards, Mai blinked and stared—with her fists clenching—at the blade of ice that now encased his arm.
"You should have let your friend take over for you…" he growled menacingly, "Because the next time you go down—you're not getting back up!"
She started suddenly as the ice master vanished momentarily. Desperately, she searched over the arena for him, but he continued to flash in and out of her view. But it was then that her senses prickled abruptly and swiftly, she whirled and raised Kira's staff over her head just as Touya's sword was ready to come down on her head. Mai gritted her teeth as she struggled to hold up against the apparition's attack.
The duo stood frozen there. Touya remained hovering in the air above her as the guardian whimpered against the pain. The ice master glared at her fiercely and she returned with as much fire burning in her eyes.
"What will you wish for if you win the tournament?" Mai asked suddenly, her voice but a whisper.
He blinked, "What?"
"If you win…" she panted, "What will you do with the wish you are given?"
After a moment, Touya smirked as he forced his weight against her staff and pushed himself backwards. The apparition leapt back onto the arena floor a few feet a way and watched as the guardian recovered, "Our wish is to gain control of this island…" he informed her, "We'll use it as our headquarters as little by little we'll take over this world…We have seen glimpses of the light here," he gesticulated casually, "It's addicting you could say…"
Mai frowned in a mix of confusion and pain, "I've…I've heard that the Shinobi live only in the shadows of Makai…what could you possibly want with this world?" she asked softly.
His smirk widened, "You'll soon see…"
With her senses dulled, it took her too long to realize that the apparition had disappeared from her view once again. And too long did she fail to notice his blade driving towards her…Only when she caught the flash of moment at her side did she hurriedly dodge out of the way. But Touya's speed caught her off guard, and with a cry she staggered backwards and crumpled back to her knees, cradling her now bleeding arm. The guardian hissed in pain while she let her fresh wound drench her front in her crimson blood.
She suddenly found tears streaming down her face; what could she do? She had no spirit powers and it became vigorous for her to merely dodge Touya's attacks. But she had to stay and fight…and with a hollow, inward laugh, she realized that it was merely déjà vu from before with Yusuke and Kuwabara; she had to figure out on her own how to contact her energy…no one else would be able to help her…
A sharp pain suddenly prodded at her neck. Blankly, the guardian stared up into Touya's hard eyes as he held his blade of ice directly next to her jugular vein. The stinging cold sent a chill down her spine, but still she continued to hold the ice master's gaze…even though she knew he could see her tears rolling down her cheek.
There was a moment where there was a silence that filled the ring when neither opponent would back down out of their stares. Tension filled the air like a storm, and it even appeared as though bolts of electricity blazed in each other's eyes—
Suddenly the silence was shattered when Mai screamed out in pain.
"That…that bastard…attacking her while she was too weak to defend herself…" Kuwabara muttered weakly.
Kurama frowned however and squinted through the icy mist, "I…I don't think that was from Touya…" he said quietly.
In fact, the apparition's sword had never moved. On the other hand, the guardian was now doubled over and clutching at her stomach fiercely. Her eyes widened in both pain and fear as a sudden wave of agony swept painfully through her, as if ripping her apart. Even Touya seemed a bit frightened at the girl's unexpected cry and watched uncertainly as she writhed in her agony.
Tears of terror filled her eyes suddenly and streamed down the sides of her face…what…what's going on! Her blood felt as though it was boiling within her and a deep throbbing pain swept through her chest…as if there was something trying to break free from within.
"Mai!"
Genkai discreetly clenched her fists at her side; it was too late to take her out of the ring now…though it wasn't as if it would have made much of a difference…Her eyes darkened as she stared vacantly off at the ground; her senses pricked when she sensed the guardian's energy rising drastically. The hairs along the back of her neck stood on end while the girl continued to struggle through her pain; her powers couldn't contain themselves any longer, and if she tried to hang on, they may very well rip her apart…
Yusuke clinched his teeth as he whirled towards Koto, "Get her out of the ring now!" he demanded furiously, "I don't give a damn if you hand them the win, just take her out!"
The fox-demon had been watching Mai warily and she now shakily turned to the detective, "Uh…erm, well since you're the team captain, I-I suppose the decision is up to you—"
Suddenly the guardian let out a blood-curdling scream as sparks of energy crackled along her flesh. Her companions watched on helplessly, not sure of what to do; they, too, were uncertain of what was happening to her—all save for what the masked fighter already knew…
Koenma stared down into the ring incredulously. Like Genkai, he was able to feel the extravagant power suddenly emitting from the girl. He hadn't realized until now how much power she possessed…and yet she wasn't even attempting to use it; it was coming of its own free will. Even so, he saw how much agony she was in; how much she was trying to control it as it exploded out of her…
I'm dying…oh gods I'm dying…the guardian thought tearfully to herself as she struggled against the pain. It really did feel as though she was dying; as if the sheer power mounted within her would rip her apart and eat at her body little by little until there was nothing left. She didn't want that to happen! Oh gods, whatever was happening to her, she didn't want it to happen!
Her bleeding hands clutched her head fervently and tore through her hair; as if ripping it out would ease the pain erupting within her body…
It felt awkward to kiss him; after all, she was his guardian…but that wasn't the entire reason. Around her, she could hear everyone else giggling. And then suddenly she felt her heart drop to her stomach; as if she had just committed a terrible sin…
With an agonizing jolt…She suddenly realized something…
She realized that she enjoyed it; feeling his breath against her lips—even if it was just for a moment. She realized that the feel of his lips was intoxicating; as they separated her from their physical world. The guardian didn't want to let go…
But it was only a dare; only a game played out of fun…it meant nothing…
Mai, however, suddenly found herself wishing that it did…
Craters formed beneath her and rubble was flung into the air around her. Pulsations of energy hovered above her like a haze; sending pale pink strips of energy beating rhythmically into the air. Her nails dug vainly into her flesh, creating small streams of blood that trickled down her skin
I don't want to die! She screamed mentally, oh gods, don't let me die!
"Get her out of the ring now!" the detective roared again and then whipped back towards Mai; there was fear that flashed across his eyes. But through her blinding pain, she was unable to see it; she screamed again and buried her face into the crumbling ground.
Across from her, Touya clenched his fist as a fierce wind whipped about him; stirred by the guardian's impending energy. Mentally, he cursed himself; he should have never underestimated her; he should have known there was a reason for her not attacking before. His eyes darkened slowly as he glanced around the arena; at a rate like this, she could destroy the entire stadium and everyone in it. He raised his blade of ice in a position in front of him…
He would finish this now, then.
Within the shadowy confines of a stadium tunnel, Toguro's eyes flashed. The demon could feel the tremor of energy ripping through the stands. His flesh crawled in anticipation as he felt the guardian's powers emanating from her body; he soon sensed his curiosity getting the better of him.
So, Genkai…he mused, This is what you've created within her…a force so strong that not even she can withstand it…
Touya shifted his stance; readying himself for the final blow as Mai cried out in a mixture of screams and sobs. He still could not see her face while she hid it between her knees, but it didn't matter to him. There was a pale pink orb of light surrounding the guardian now, and she gasped for air; it was forcing itself around her; suffocating her.
Even as the ice apparition began his charge towards her, she paid no heed. If anything, she almost wanted to die by this point; she wanted to get rid of the pain—she just wanted it to go away!
G-Genkai…what's going on! She half-sobbed to the older woman.
There was a sigh, Your powers are building up within you—or at least they were…came her reply and there was a hint of regret hiding in her voice, Since you were unable to release it, it's become incapable of finding any other way of relieving the mounting pressure—
So what the hell is going on! She demanded fearfully, the ground beneath her continued to disintegrate and the entire stadium began to tremble.
But before she could respond, Touya was upon her; leaping into the air for his final blow. The pain suddenly ripped inside of her and she sent a bone-chilling scream racing through the stands; shuddering the very walls of the structure.
"YUSUKE!"
A burst of light suddenly enveloped the ring—just as the ice master was bringing his blade onto top of her head.
For the briefest moment, the Urameshi team could have sworn that they all saw a single pair of silver wings unfolding from the guardian's back—but in that same instant they were gone and in their stead, a whirlwind of downy feathers whipped around the girl.
A flash later, both Mai and Touya appeared frozen in time; the apparition remained suspended in the air—a look of surprise etched across his face and a single, bloody wound suddenly forming at his upper abdomen. The guardian's back was arched towards the sky, as if an invisible string held her up by the chest; drawing her towards the heavens above.
There was a tense pause that hung in the air as Touya crashed back to the ground with a sickening thud. Slowly, the ice encasing his arm began to melt away as he gritted his teeth against the sudden pain and watched the girl in front of him in an awe-filled disbelief.
Eventually, Mai's body came to relax and she leaned heavily onto Kira's staff. For a moment, all she could do was blink into an emptiness that surrounded her, and then she carefully raised her eyes to the ice apparition lying on the tiled flooring before her. Without saying a word, she unsteadily rose to her feet as her limbs continued to tremble. The guardian could hardly hold her eyes opened and they remained slits of deep blue.
A dull wind picked up within the arena and continued to let the flurry of feathers cast themselves around her. Mai watched uncertainly as they passed over her vision. There came a moment when she frowned, and weakly, she reached out her hand to grasp a single bloody feather drifting in the air…
…The feather that—like a blade—had pierced the ice apparition, Touya…
The blood from the plume quietly trickled down her delicate fingers as she stared at it in wonder. The wind blew slightly harder than before and took the feather out of her hand and sent it flying into the air.
Touya grinned hollowly, "I guess I shouldn't have underestimated you…" there was a hint of amusement lurking in his tone, but it was gone as he soon frowned darkly and stared off at the ground, "Go ahead…" he continued shamefully, "Kill me already; you have enough power to do it…"
But the guardian smiled sadly as she leaned against Kira's staff, "I'm not sure if that's entirely true…" she told him quietly, "I don't think I have any energy left…but even if I did, I wouldn't kill you, Touya; if would never be my intention to kill you."
The ice apparition stared at her oddly, and let a dry smirk tweak the corner of his mouth, "So even if we had been evenly matched…and the only way to win was to kill me, you would rather lose…" he stated and the girl created a small noise that could have been mistaken for a laugh.
"Yeah, I guess I would…" she replied.
He made the slightest head notion which she took for a nod, "That…that would have been an interesting fight…" he whispered and suddenly slumped over. Mai waited, as if expecting him to rise once more, but he did not stir. A moment later, Koto raced to the center of the ring next to the fallen fighter and started her count.
Genkai inwardly sighed with relief; in a sense, she was thinking the same thing as Touya; she should have never underestimated her…Even though Mai usually didn't think she could, there were things that the guardian had yet to amaze them with.
Both Yusuke and Kurama also had to sigh with relief. Equally, they were both thankful to see that Mai was somewhat alright…but it hadn't occurred to the redhead until just then that the last thing she had cried was the detective's name. At this, it caused him a slight controversy, but it soon evaporated as Koto neared the end of her count.
"Eight! Nine!" she paused for a moment as if giving the apparition a final chance to get up off the ground, "Annnnd….TEN! The winner of this fight—Mai from team Urameshi!"
Yusuke quickly made his way towards the edge of the ring, "Dammit, Mai! You're too damn stubborn!" he shouted at the girl, "You could have died out there—!"
But slowly, the guardian cocked her head towards him and smiled while weakly holding out a thumbs-up sign in his direction, "I told you to let me finish the fight…See, I know what I'm doing sometimes…" she said quietly.
He paused and blinked before he folded his arms over his chest and gave her an amused smirk, "Yeah, sometimes…but I have the rest of the fights, got it?"
Mai nodded slowly, "Uh-huh….right…right after I take a nap, alright…?"
And before she could make a move to leave the stage, her head suddenly slumped over on her shoulders as her body leaned up against Kira's staff.
"Mai…?" the detective called to her, "Crap. Hey, Kurama, come help me get her off the ring, okay?" and turning to Koto he said, "The rest of the fights are mine," he told her directly. But just as she nodded and Yusuke made a motion to crawl onto the arena, there came a swift movement from the opposite side.
In an instant, another of team Masho's cloaks had been shed and suddenly, the next fighter was standing in the ring. His body bulged with his physique and muscles while scars snaked their way over his bare chest. There was a dark glint in his eyes that neither Yusuke nor Kurama appreciated.
Impudently, this new fighter observed Mai with a disturbing interest, "Looks as though the young lady is volunteering to fight me…" he growled tauntingly.
Urameshi clenched his fist, "What the fuck are you talking about! Are you deaf? I just said all the rest of the fights are mine!"
He smirked, "It doesn't appear as though she's willing to leave the ring quite yet" he stated as he daringly prodded the girl in the shoulder, "…besides…she's still standing, isn't she?" he challenged darkly, "And she's not dead…so I'm taking that as a 'yes' in my book!"
Along the sidelines, Jin eyed his teammate dangerously, "Bakken…" he warned and his bright blue eyes suddenly narrowed. But the man appeared to be ignoring him.
"Uh, well…" Koto stammered, "I actually think I'm going to have to side with team Urameshi on this one…" she said a little warily, "I don't believe it should be considered a fight when one of the fighters is unconscious…" she added as she made a mental observation of the guardian.
But before any one of them could respond, there came a single chime over the loudspeakers:
"Attention. Since team Urameshi's fighter is still standing, the next fight will continue with Bakken from team Masho and Mai from team Urameshi."
Hiei found himself abruptly clenching his fists, "Who the hell do these people think they are…?" he demanded murderously, "They really are trying to fuck with us; the onna is hardly standing!"
Beside the tent, Ruka sneered smugly, "Unless you want another shock, you'll stand down…" she told him, "There's nothing you can do from within there anyway—"
Suddenly, without even letting Koto announce the beginning of the fight, Bakken promptly uprooted the guardian by her collar. Her head rolled to the side while she remained unconscious and the fighter smirked mockingly into her face. Koto even appeared worried and a bit distressed with him and looked ready to call him down, but she didn't have time before he suddenly whipped Mai across the ring.
Her wounds from the previous fight smeared blood across the tile flooring as her body tumbled over the arena. Yusuke clenched his fists dangerously while Kurama gritted his teeth.
Bakken casually approached Mai's bleeding body and smirked.
Don't close your eyes…
Don't turn out the light…
Don't turn away…
Don't try to hide…
Don't turn out the light…
:-
a/n: egh…iffy ending, I know, but please bear with me. This whole chapter is like 21 pages with the smallest margins, so it did take me awhile…and by the end I was kind of running out of ideas :nervous laugh:
but I hope you guys enjoyed seeing Mai fight a little bit! ...sorta…
YAY! TODAY'S KITKAT'S BDAY! haha, anyway--happy bday to anyone else having one today or in the near future!
NOTE: hey, I have a question for all of you: do you guys want Mai to have a spirit beast? If so, I would be much obliged if you could tell me and maybe even give me a description of the one you have in mind. And if you're able to--you can also scan a picture for me and send it to my email address...
ANYways...I'm getting kinda hungry! Time to go eat!