Chapter 17: Threats

Everyone sat up in the stands, ready to watch the next match. They were eager to see Team Mur in action again. Yasu watched them solemnly, memorizing their every move. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd win. The other team was too clumsy to stand up to Mur's grace and proficiency.

"Team Mur is pretty good. I'm looking forward to fighting them tomorrow." Rai paused, "As long as I don't get killed." She laughed nervously.

Yasu looked at Rai, "Don't even joke around like that."

"Calm down. You know how resourceful I am. I'm hard to kill off." She winked at her friend.

"Like a cockroach. No matter how many times you try step on them, they always escape." Yasu compared her using a colorful analogy.

Rai's face fell. "You don't have me to compare to a cockroach."

"It works though. I should know from experience."

"Hold on, what do you mean you know experience?" Yusuke asked. He looked like he putting two and two together, but the answer seemed to be five instead of four.

"I know from experience because the first time we met, I tried to kill her." Yasu admitted to the group.

"WHAT!" Yusuke and Kuwabara asked in disbelief. Kurama and Hiei looked at the girls with less surprise. After all, when they met, Hiei fought Kurama.

"It's true. Our relationship had very rocky start. And by the way, you guys don't shout like that." Rai stated calmly, clearing out an ear with her finger.

"What happened? Rai's obviously alive and you two are friends, so what happened?" Kuwabara asked.

"Why don't you tell the story, Yasu? It would be easier for you to explain your motives for killing me than me." Rai suggested. Yasu looked at Rai with a look of distaste. "Go on. No one's stopping you." She beamed at beamed at Yasu.

"Fine. I was traveling by myself, since my family had been brutally murdered about seven months beforehand." Yasu started her story. "I had grown very distrustful everyone around me. Rai was still her happy little self back then."

"What would we expect?" Yusuke interrupted, earning glares from everyone listening to Yasu.

"Continuing on. I stole to eat. No one would employ a young girl that seemed so weak. My little jobs were few because people familiar with the fact that there was a pickpocket hanging around. Then they would be on the alert. That would've made things harder for me. One day, I escaped from a fight with several demons that had mistaken me for some other pickpocket. I was pretty tough fighter even then, but these demons snuck up on me and outnumbered me at least ten to one."

"I was injured and stumbling. Finally after two days of wandering and bleeding, I collapsed."

"That's where I come in!" Rai added in happily.

"You can tell the story if you want to." Yasu said glaring at her.

"No, no, go on ahead."

"When I wake up, Rai's overly-happy face is hovering mine. Immediately, I jumped and attacked her. She kept dodging my attacks until I got too close for comfort. She drew her shuriken and started throwing them at me. I was caught off guard and a couple cut across my skin. I finally got back on my feet. Then it came to hand-to-hand combat. She drew her knives to fend off my attacks. I managed a couple of hits on her when she finally managed to charge her tanto with electricity. She cut me arm here," She lifted her sleeve to a scar across her upper-arm. The scar was light and old.

"Not being used, I fell unconscious."

"I'll take it from here, Yasu." Rai interrupted.

Yasu crossed her arms and looked at Rai with a short glance, then closed her eyes. "Fine by me. It seems that people like interrupting me." She leaned against a nearby wall. She opened her brown eyes and looked expectantly at Rai, waiting for the girl to continue the story.

"Well, while Yasu was unconscious, I brought her to my home. Seishou was good healing so I asked him to heal her. He looked at my wounds and decided not to ask questions. He was used to me doing things he thought were crazy. I asked Yukaru if she could stay to fully recover. He said yes, so I left to go watch after her. When she finally came to, she tried to attack me again. But I told her, that once she fully recovered, then she try to kill me."

"Did she try again?" Kuwabara asked. The look on his face told Rai that he had been paying complete attention.

"No. Otherwise she wouldn't be standing here, now would she?" Rai winked at Yasu.

"Watch it, Rai. I won't hesitate in giving you a well-deserved beating." Yasu muttered threateningly.

Rai laughed. "But anyways, soon after we became good friends, I asked her why she was traveling alone. With prodding she finally told me about her family and Himimaru. Then I promised her that I would help her no matter what happened. And I obviously kept that promise." Rai tied the whole story up in a nice bow.

"Story-time's over. Now let's go." Yasu suggested, walking away. The group followed.

The rest of the night was uneventful. Rai and Yasu headed for their room without anything happening. Yusuke teased the four about this for awhile. He quickly stopped after he was punished "lightly" by Yasu.

The two girls slept peacefully, unaware of their early morning visitors.

Eyelids opened, revealing blue eyes, only to squeeze themselves shut to block out the bright sunlight that came through the open window. Rai sat up quickly.

"I don't remember opening the window last night." She pondered out loud.

"You didn't. I opened it." An alien, deep, but light voice came from across the room. Rai looked to see a man leaning against the wall. It wasn't Hiei or Kurama. It was man with white hair and silver eyes. Two snowy white dog ears protruded from his hair and a matching tail hung limply behind. Rai recognized him as the captain from Team Mur.

Rai jumped in surprise, releasing a loud yelp as she fell from her bed. Her yelp woke up her companion. Yasu sat up sleepily.

"What's your problem this time, Rai?" She muttered sleepily. Her face fell when she saw that the girl in question had fallen from her bed. Yasu yawned. She froze when she saw the dog demon. She leapt out of bed. "What are you doing here?" She snarled at him.

Hiei and Kurama suddenly burst through the door. He and Kurama felt a strange demonic aura from the girls' room. As soon as Hiei saw the male demon, he had him at the throat against wall with his katana. "What are you doing in here, dog?"

"My name is Inutake, not dog. I wanted to make an offer with your team captain. Now put me down so I can talk properly." He explained. Hiei backed off a little, but was kept his katana in plain view.

"Why didn't you come earlier last night? Instead of when these girls are so obviously indisposed." Kurama asked. He clearly wasn't happy with when Inutake made his entrance.

The girls suddenly realized that they were still in their pajamas. Both girls wearing tank tops; Rai was wearing shorts, while Yasu wore pants.

"It doesn't really matter right now. I didn't come to tournament for women."

"What's this offer?" Hiei glared at Inutake.

"This is it. Either don't come to fight, or you'll be killed."

Elf: Gomen nasai for the long wait! I'e been sidetracked with my other fanfic project.

Kuronue: You tell these people that the reason you didn't update on this story was because you were working on a different one?

Elf: Yup. I like to tell the truth. Besides, I hadn't written in that one in quite some time. I'd like to start posting it this summer.

Kuronue: With your procrastination skills, I find that highly unlikely.

Elf: (whacks him with pillow) I heard that!