Dumbfounded, I stared.

"I can't believe that worked."

Yusuke blinked back at me, dumbfounded as he stared.

"You let me."

He wasn't even trying to escape. Just…staring at me.

I can't believe it.

He let me shove, blast him into the cave wall with my spirit energy. Stunned, or confusion to what I was doing, got a rope stretch of my energy wrapped around an ankle and to the floor. Baffled at that, he batted at me, but didn't give it his all. Not at all. I'd shot a blast of energy at his stomach, sending Yusuke wheezing, his hand twitching that had me skittering to the side to quickly rope up his other hand. I mean, his fingers were dangerous. I didn't want to get shot. Yet he hesitated again at that and so I threw another ball of spirit energy at the 'most sensitive area on a boy's body' area. For sure it had to get him angry or lashing out of that kind of hit. But it only confounded him more.

And now, all his limbs were wrapped up with my spirit energy, tying him to the floor where he stood.

Too easy.

He was the fighter!

This shouldn't have been easy!

Sensui laughed somewhere behind me, saying something about reasons why Yusuke was never going to win this. Conviction was a word used. Inside the shadow eating thing, Kuwabara was screaming at Yusuke to get up and fight Sensui, snapping in frustration when asked by, I believe the wavy blonde haired teenager, about who exactly was Yoshida.

I walked forward, aghast. And angry. Yusuke was the fighter. He was supposed to be all riled and and and pissed, fighting Sensui. What was wrong with him? Was it because I was a kid? Yuu? Our dad I've never seen and barely heard spoken about?

"You're a fighter," I stressed. I tossed my hands into the air, throwing them about in my being upset at him. "Shouldn't you at least be mad about Sensui having you fight someone else rather than him? Again?"

Wordlessly, Yusuke's mouth moved, staring down at where I stood right in front of him.

I'm not trained. Not at all. Some practice with energy, but I am not a fighter. That's never even been close to a label for myself. If anything, climber. Which is what I wanted to do with my energy to get at that giant hole in my idea to help close it. But I can't do that with Sensui not distracted. What was I supposed to try now? I'd been hoping to play weak and fall to the ground once Yusuke got his fighting drive back.

"You're the fighter. You're supposed to fight him. You wanted to fight him. Where's that fire?"

I tossed a small ball of energy at his chest, he barely flinched, but there was a flicker.

"Come on."

I crouched in front of him, hands shaking, eyes pleading wide at Yusuke. His brown eyes were still wide, staring at me. Ignoring whatever Sensui was saying in the background, glad he was talking and not focused on listening, my mouth barely moved. Quiet, but I could hear the tremble. "Please. I can't fight him to get at that hole. I can't."

There was a flicker in his eyes. "I can," he breathed out. The words fell from his mouth, without resistance or thought. Then his brown eyes left mine for the first time, sliding to look past me to Sensui, then back to me. "I can."

More strength was behind the second one, lifting my spirits.

"You're not with him. He said or did something and you're only a kid, you're…you're… He used you because, to get to me!"

Yusuke's voice had grown in speed and anger and loudness, snarling.

Sensui's chuckles echoed across the cavern.

Fierce eyes snapped up to me, freezing me in place at the intensity and I lost my breath for a moment, then realized Yusuke's sights were set past me. Where Shinobu Sensui was.

Yes. The fight was back in Yusuke.

His muscles tensed, flexing at the holds, frowned for a moment and then tugged, finding some give. Hope refilling, I stared at him as he pulled on the hold of my spirit energy, coming closer to me. "Act knocked out. Stay safe. Don't you worry." He shot me a lopsided smile, warm and sure confidence coming through past his fierceness. "I got this."

I didn't even ask how. I nodded and believed him.

Belief is an odd thing.

I barely knew Yusuke, but what I did was enough to believe in him going toe-to-toe, or fist-to-fist, with Sensui. It wasn't hard to. Yusuke being who he was. And I knowing he was a fighter, the main character.

It was easy enough for me to believe in the best of him.

On the other hand, I knew Yuu all my life. Trusted and adored him. How could I not? Yuu is amazing. The best older brother.

I believe in Yuu. To take care of me, to give his all in any work he does, to think of all the little things for me and do anything for me.

And it was not difficult at all to believe the worst of him.

I, should be an actress.

Laying there, I felt smug, but a little worried. There was the sounds of a fight going on. It sounded as though Yusuke was doing well, he was shouting and punching, but not screaming. There was a splash, silence, and then him calling Sensui out.

That'd be too easy of a fight story wise, if that had been it, but it would have been nice. Seemed to be going easily in Yusuke's direction which was a relief. His voice had been full of confidence and assuredness and easy to believe and yet… Sensui. Still, I knew Yusuke won, or was pretty sure…

I couldn't open my eyes. That'd be a giveaway. But I'd need to crack them a little, to get an idea of what was going on. Shifting slowly, I felt my long strands of hair tickling at my face…and peeked an eye open.

And nearly let loose a gasp.

Okay, I should not be an actress. Maybe. I didn't actually gasp after all.

Sensui had stepped out of the water, sounding not the least bit worried about all of what Yusuke had landed on him, his shirt gone and a full on display of scars upon scars upon scars.

Old scars. Yusuke was more a puncher. Except, I squinted, I couldn't spot any red marks or swelling from any hits.

Concerning.

Along with him coolly informing Kuwabara's vocal shock at the sight that none of his scars were from any opponent, but only from his training.

And Yusuke… I peered through my strands, tilting my head as far as I dared to get a better look without giving away I was not knocked out. Yusuke was looking it. Yusuke was looking concerned. More so as a ball of energy came up and out of the water over to Sensui. I blinked myself, startled. I hadn't sensed or noticed the glowing of it before then.

Well, perhaps my plan may have some holes in it if that water was filled with energy ready to burst up from it. I contemplated the deceptively calm water. Could that be a minefield of Sensui's spirit energy, laced and primed like booby-traps? I was already worried about the ground Itsuki disappeared into and could possibly reappear out of.

My insides froze. Tingling and hiding and wanting to flee and wanting to completely cover myself. Sensui… Sensui had filled the space around him in energy balls. Too many to count. The amount of energy from all or each or I don't know with how it pushed past and over the constant ebbing of energy from the giant hole. It was considerable. That energy was considerable.

And then, Sensui shifted stances, the energy condensed in front of him. It pulsed stronger. Crackling. Bending and bellowing, Sensui gave a great kick with a long leg. It flew. Shooting right across the cavern, splintering and giving no easy dodge away from them all. All balls of that energy straight at Yusuke.

He ducked, dodged, weaved, flipped, crawled and leapt like a strange monkey to avoid getting hit by them. I could feel the blasts from where I lay. And Yusuke glanced quickly at me, us meeting eyes, then he sprinted the opposite way, leading the balls of energy away from me. Flipping and jumping and scrambling to dodge the whole time.

And then one hit. And another. And another. And he let out shouts, screaming, and arms up trying to block the worst of the damage.

No.

Helpless, frozen, knowing there was nothing I could do, I watched from where I lay as Sensui joined with the energy attack with a physical one.

Yusuke was… Yusuke was losing.

He couldn't lose. He was a fighter. He was the hero of the story. The main character. He couldn't lose. Or…die.

Jumping back up from where he was knocked down, Yusuke shouted at Sensui, proving he was still in this fight.

Jaw trembling, blinking at the moisture in my eyes, I watched as Sensui let loose another powerful kick of energy at Yusuke. Kuwabara could be heard shouting from inside the shadow thing. I think they were all talking, but I had my eyes stuck on Yusuke. I was sure he won this. Right? Right. He wasn't meant to lose or die.

There was the sensation of pulling away as I searched inside my head and horror washed through me at the retreat.

Right?

The ones stuck in the shadow thing cheered, showing support as Yusuke changed tactics, punching through the attack instead and running right for Sensui. Invigorated, I cheered as well in my head, shifting to see better. You go Yusuke!

I felt more than heard the strangled gasp.

"Rin!"

I stiffened, feeling my eyes go wide. Yuu! And saw the surprise on Yusuke's face, head spinning about to stare somewhere behind me, Sensui taking the moment of distraction to knock Yusuke down. Hard.

Yuu can't be here.

Not after I found out Sensui had a book about him. Not me, but Yuu. Whatever the man said of wanting me or uh, me, former life me, he still had Yuu's guide book and used it. Actions. Words. And Yuu. Yuu can't be here. He can't—

"Kaito!" Yusuke scrambled to get up, stumbling forward, wide brown eyes darting to me and behind me. "Uh, I can explain! I didn't hit her. I mean, I did, but I—"

I am not an actress.

Suddenly up, turned about, I saw Yuu. One hand on the edge of the tunnel leading to the cavern, the other grasping tightly to a loose paper, arm shaking in held in anger, his breathing labored as though he'd sprinted too long. I careened for him, finding myself already halfway there. What looked to be every line in his face visibly on display, pinched to the extreme. Worry? Fear? Fury? Scared? Panicked? I shouted his name, saw his eyes grow wide and then wider in relief, stark across that severely pinched face.

And then I slammed into him.

An arm wrapped around me, tight, paper crinkling. And a large hand ruffled my hair.

I buried myself into Yuu, not wanting to let go.

Except, I really did not want him here. In the same room. Uh, cavern, as Sensui. What if the man—

"Sensui."

Yuu's voice was tight, but strong and carried. His arms shifted, one wrapping more firmly around me and tugging me around and behind, the other arm leaving. Frowning, I peered over and up to see him flick that arm, making the paper he held more obvious and stay upright. Thick black lines leaked through the light from the side he held in Sensui's direction.

I went cold.

"Is this true?"

Without attempting to figure out the backwards writing, I knew the words 'You're welcome' were those on there. The paper, torn from my guide book, duh, Sensui had to have had my guide book and he'd taken that, but how did Yuu get…? I swallowed, not liking this. The paper that proclaimed what should have supposedly happened to me and 'Sensui' signed off on the bottom in a proclamation of who stopped that from happening.

"Is that…" Yusuke's head swiveled, eyes squinted, turning a bit creeped out. "Just how many people's spirit guide books do you have Sensui?"

Yuu quickly pounced on that. "Spirit guide books?"

Yusuke blinked at the question. "Books about you, what kind of person you are and what you've done. Or what you're supposed to do and have happen," he added on. "Kind of wrong on mine after all with how I was never supposed to save Masaru from that speeding car and die. That's why they gave me a test to come back. They didn't have a place for me."

I saw Yuu's face pale.

"A place," he repeated, absently, and entirely absorbed in his thoughts.

Thoughts I could easily guess at and see on his face. I was written down as supposed to die. Spirit World would have a place ready for me. Except, Sensui. And and and…would Spirit World want me in that place or…? Because…the accident, the one Yuu took responsibility for causing…should have led to my death. It was because of Sensui interfering, or Itsuki due to Sensui, that I was still alive and…

"You're welcome," Sensui said simply and with a smile directed at Yuu. I shrank closer to him, trying to tug him back, away from the man.

Suddenly suspicious, Yusuke's swiveling head focused on the ex-Spirit Detective. "Welcome? About what? What did you do?"

"So it is true."

"Not anymore," Sensui responded easily.

"Explain."

"Hellooo! I'm still hereee," Yusuke broke in annoyed at being ignored. "Mind explaining for me? What. Did he. Do."

"I intervened. Thought it would be a shame to see a life pass—"

"Says the guy who has a hole to Demon World right there ready to kill a bunch of lives here," Yusuke shot out.

"—in such a way," Sensui finished. "And our worlds used to be one. To the boy who knows firsthand how well those two worlds work together."

Yusuke looked ready to snap back something and then paused, saying nothing instead. But then figured out something else to say. "Like that's what your goal is in this, peaceful, working together as one. Kaito," he pleaded. Then hesitated, licking his lip, then pressed onward. "Kaito, whoever it was, you can't trust this guy. He's only using you, you have to know that. He's using you because… Because… I know it sucks, but people, whether good or bad, well, they leave sometimes… But new people enter your life too. Okay, uh, I got this, okay? This is my fight. I mean, ha! You're not a fighter. I am and—"

"I made it clear you could only fight me after you defeated Kaito," Sensui broke in evenly. Humor lingered at his lips as he gazed over at me. Yuu's arm drew the breath out of me in how tightly he pressed me to him. "She is still able to move, to fight, you have not succeeded. As I said, she is not what she appears. A great punch from you barely kept her down."

Yuu's fingers were tight enough to bruise.

"I didn't," Yusuke sputtered. His eyes were wide at Yuu again, shaking his head. "It wasn't what it looked like! I—"

"Her temple is red."

Yuu's voice was like steel.

Yusuke flinched back.

"I…" He trailed off and then stepped forward, jutting a thumb up to his chest. "I know h—"

"Quiet."

And with that, Yuu turned his back on both Yusuke and Sensui, crouching down to look at me. His hand was still gripped far too tight. There was something on Yuu's face I had never seen before, but I didn't like it and feared it.

Oh no.

Yuu was going to…

I shook my head. Frantically. "No. No. Nononono. Yuu, no. You can't."

"Rin. Rin, yes—"

"No!"

"I can and will."

"That's mine!"

"As your older brother, I cannot—

"You can't! It's my fight!"

At my declaration, Yuu's mouth stayed. He stared at me. And I blinked at him, realizing the truth in that. This whole mess I had been made a part of, I was intertwined and had entwined myself into it. I trusted Yuu, I did. But I feared him making the wrong choice because of me. I feared him getting too involved when I had done what I could to keep him away from the danger. And so I had internally stepped up. This was my thing to deal with, not—

"Rin."

I blinked again, Yuu coming back into focus.

And it's funny, in a completely nonfunny way, of how much a single word and a single look can make your heart clench.