Sayomi woke up to a door closing. It wasn't loud, but she was more accustomed to sleeping outside. It was either the unfamiliar room or her own paranoia from the night before. When she looked around the room, she noticed that Yusuke and Kuwabara were still snoring away in their beds. The Masked Fighter and Hiei were nowhere in sight. When she looked outside the windows, she could just see the sun begin to creep up over the horizon.

A light slurping sound brought her attention to the couch. She spotted a crop of red hair from over the back of the furniture. She stretched and made her way over to greet Kurama. "What time is it?"

Kurama smiled up at her, setting his coffee back on the small saucer on the table. "Good morning, Sayomi. It's just a little after six."

"Wow, six in the morning? How are you up so early?" Sayomi yawned and sat down on the couch to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"It's a habit I developed while living in Human World. Do you normally sleep in?" Kurama turned to face Sayomi properly and gave her his full attention.

"Yeah, I normally stay up pretty late, then wake up around noon or so. Although, I suppose I have noticed that humans tend to have fairly early schedules." Sayomi recalled her old teacher having to wake her up when she dozed off during meditations. Then she recalled why she would stay up so late to begin with. She smiled to herself as she drank her coffee.

"A night owl. I suppose that isn't too surprising for a shadow demon."

"I guess not, but I wouldn't really know." Sayomi stared down at her cup. "The only other shadow demon I knew died a long time ago."

Kurama's eyes widened and his expression became sad. "I apologize for bringing up unpleasant memories. That was not my intention."

Sayomi shook her head with an apologetic smile. "No, it's okay. You don't really know anything about me so it's not your fault."

"This is true, but I don't intend to intrude if it is troubling to remember. We all have skeletons in our closets, don't we?" Kurama smiled and took a drink from his coffee.

"Yeah… Maybe one day, though…" Sayomi looked up from her cup and turned to the red-head curiously. "So what are you doing up so early, anyways?"

"I intend to watch the rest of the matches today and see who makes it into the next round. It would be wise if we had an idea of what to expect in upcoming matches."

"Oh, right. That's a good point." Sayomi covered a yawn and took another sip of coffee. "Who's fighting today?"

"I believe Team Toguro fights today." Kurama's tone drew her attention. He spoke calmly about the event, but she noticed his firm grip on the coffee cup. "It is only the first round, but even a shred of information is better than none."

Sayomi looked over to the sleeping boys. "Do you think they're ready for something like this?" She couldn't help worrying about her charge, but Kuwabara had already lost a match in just the first round. Then again, could I have done any better?

"I have not seen Toguro fight personally, but I understand he is not a light threat. We've all trained to the best of our capabilities for the allotted time crunch." Kurama rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "We don't doubt your skills in battle, Sayomi. Hiei has told me of a few times when you seemed to surprise him."

Sayomi raised an eyebrow in doubt. "Are you kidding? Everything I did came with a stream of insults."

Kurama chuckled and removed his hand. "Well, I admit those were not his exact words."

"Yeah, I bet they weren't." Sayomi scowled and drank from her coffee. "I probably shouldn't have assumed that I would be fighting too, but…"

"I think Yusuke knows what he's doing." Kurama smiled, trying to comfort the sullen demoness. "As Chu demonstrated, just because you're the alternate, that doesn't necessarily mean you're weak."

"I guess you're right…" Sayomi looked up at him and smiled back. "I'll be okay not fighting if that means someone has to die for it. Besides, who else is going to clean you guys up when you nearly kill yourselves?" Her smile lengthened to a teasing smirk.

"I suppose we would have to lick our own wounds, wouldn't we?" Kurama finished his coffee and set the empty cup back on the table. "I should be on my way before it gets too late. Feel free to go back to sleep for a few more hours." He glanced at Yusuke's and Kuwabara's sprawled bodies. "I'm sure they won't wake up too soon themselves."

She glanced over at the sleeping boys and smiled. "Yeah… More sleep sounds good…"

Kurama made his way to the door and said, "You would do well to rest while you can. The fights will only get worse from here."

Sayomi waved lazily until he shut the door. She finished her coffee and made her way back to bed. She snuggled under the sheets and drifted back to sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, the sun was shining into the room from the massive windows. She shielded her eyes from the bright intrusion and stretched. She looked over to the other beds, looking for Yusuke and Kuwabara. When she realized both beds were empty, she growled to herself. "I should've just stayed awake while I had the chance."

She got out of bed and made her way down to the hotel lobby. Spotting no sign of the boys, she made her way outside.

The sun was high in the sky and puffy clouds floated by in the breeze. The heat from the sun coupled with cool wind made for a great day to be outside. Why didn't I just stay awake?

Shaking off her remaining fatigue, Sayomi made her way into the nearby tree-line. The grass felt cold against her feet and the dirt was warm and dry. Enjoying the feel of the earth beneath her feet, she began to jog through the trees.

Man, I don't care how advanced human technology is. Nothing beats running through the woods! Sayomi smiled broadly as she picked up speed, allowing herself to slip into her semi-corporal form. She glided through the shadows of the canopy, darting from shadow to shadow.

She stumbled upon various demons around the island, but it didn't take her long to locate the only sources of human aura. Odd thing was, she could only sense one strong energy signature while she could just barely get a faint whisper of the other one. That doesn't bode well, now does it?

"Your Reigun's kaput?!"

Sayomi smirked as she recognized the rough voice, then frowned when she realized what he said. Yusuke's Reigun?

"Seems so…"

She solidified behind a tree, hearing Yusuke's reply. She walked out into the open with her hands in her pockets. "What's this about your Reigun, Yusuke?"

"Jeez!" Kuwabara jumped at her sudden appearance. "Where did you come from?"

"You shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answers to." She smiled innocently at him until he became nervous enough to look away. Despite his high awareness, Kuwabara was easily spooked and she had fun pushing his buttons when the opportunity presented itself.

"Hey, Sai. Nice to see you decided to join the rest of us day-walkers." Yusuke smirked at the demoness, teasing her right back.

"Yeah, well, you know how alluring the land of dreams is. I just had to see what happened next." She arched her eyebrow and asked, "So what's up with your Reigun?"

Kuwabara slipped his hands into his pockets and said, "You're just beat from yesterday, is all. My whole body hurts… though not as bad as before."

"You're welcome…" Sayomi muttered, glaring at the ungrateful boy.

"No…" Yusuke shook his head. "… After firing four shots in one day during training, I was ragged out, sure, and my Reigun didn't have much oomph… but now I can't seem to be able to summon any aura at all. Even with Sai's healing."

"Not good." Kuwabara muttered seriously.

"Thing is, why…?" Yusuke wondered aloud.

Sayomi pondered until a young female voice spoke up behind them. "Because that split decision sucked you dry." Sayomi's eyes widened when she saw the Masked Fighter, her hands held behind her back. "Rapid Fire is not for beginners. It's an advanced technique, far beyond anyone with only six months' training."

Sayomi blinked in confusion while the boys huddled up together. So that's not Master Genkai…? She's about the right size, but she sounds too young…

The Masked Fighter's gaze locked with Sayomi for a brief moment before she turned to leave. "Don't use your Reigun until you're fully recovered. Or you'll ruin your arm, like someone else we know."

Sayomi instantly thought of a certain fire demon with a scorched arm. Where is Hiei? I need to look at his arm… She scanned the trees, trying to get some kind of hint for where he could be.

"You okay, Sai? You've been zoning out for a few minutes now." Yusuke poked her forehead a few times as he spoke.

"Huh?" Sayomi snapped out of her concentration at Yusuke's question and pushed his hand away. "Oh, Sorry. I was trying to find Hiei. I need to get a proper look at his arm if he plans to fight in the next round tomorrow."

"I think I heard him and Kurama leave like at the crack of dawn or somethin'." Kuwabara scratched the back of his head as he tried to remember through his haze of sleep at the time. "I thought you might've left with them until I saw you sleeping this morning."

"What time did you guys get up?" If it was already afternoon, she couldn't help but wonder what the boys considered sleeping in.

"We woke up at like 10." Yusuke answered bluntly. "We ordered room service for breakfast then came out here."

"I didn't see any food in the room." Sayomi tried to recall the image of their hotel room when she left. All she could remember were the empty beds. She wasn't worried about food at the time.

"Well, that's not our fault." Yusuke waved off her moodiness and said, "As for Hiei, good luck finding him. He usually ends up finding you instead."

Sayomi sighed and said, "Thanks, Yusuke. You've been a big help as always…"

"I try," the boy said with a smirk.

Sayomi shook her head and began to search for Hiei. With a final wave over her shoulder, she said, "If I don't find him, I'll meet you guys in the hotel room."

"Sure thing," Yusuke said with a wave of his own. "See ya, Sai."

Once the boys were well out of hearing range, Sayomi crossed her arms and tried to reach out with her senses. If I were a wounded fire demon with a badly burned arm, where would I be?

Sayomi wandered around the woods for about an hour before she growled. "Grrrr… Maybe Yusuke was right, but he's got to be around here somewhere!"

She expanded her senses again and got nothing. She sighed and decided to take a break. She found a comfy looking tree and made her way through its large branches. Once settled, she began her deep breathing exercises.

She opened her mind's eyes and found herself in the void she had grown accustomed to. Sayomi looked around, searching for her shade, but she only saw darkness. She stood up from her lotus position and began to walk forward.

"This is odd. She's always waiting for me when I come here…" Her voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to carry on forever before fading out in the distance. Has it always been that way?

No matter how far she walked, there was nothing but empty darkness. It was so quiet, she could almost hear her own heart pumping the blood through her veins. She looked down at her arms and realized they were exposed. She didn't think to check her physical appearance since before the tournament started.

Her arms were covered in black markings that weaved and trailed over her skin. She lifted her shirt enough to see the markings creep just around her stomach. She didn't need to see her back to know that it was already covered. She pulled her shirt back down and looked around for any sign of anything.

"I see you've finally grown into your power."

"Ahhhh!" Sayomi jumped at the sudden voice. After spending so much time in silence, the voice sounded like it was blasting through a speaker. She turned around and froze in place. Her eyes widened as she recognized the figure. "You're… not dead…?"

Standing before her was a young man with long black hair tied in a ponytail and piercing silver eyes. His eyes were surrounded with black marks similar to the ones on Sayomi's own body. He wore a silver sash tied around loose dark gray pants and a matching sleeveless tunic, exposing arms without any markings. He smiled down at her, baring white teeth, and said, "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Sayomi?"

"Yasuhiro…" The name tasted foreign on her lips. It had been years since she had spoken it aloud or in thought. "Is this… Have I fallen asleep?" That would be a relief if that was the reason she couldn't find her shade.

Yasuhiro's smile faded and he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not. And no, I'm not dead. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Sayomi felt her legs shake and she slowly sank to the floor. She needed to sit down. "How did you survive? I thought… The last time I saw you, you were…"

Yasuhiro walked forward and patted Sayomi's head in an old, familiar gesture. "I know it's sudden, but you need to calm down. You've been letting yourself get too excited too quickly."

Sayomi gasped. "How do you…?"

"I've been looking for you for a long time. However, you never used your power offensively until now. I would've found you a lot sooner if you had." His eyebrows drew in together in thought. "I only noticed when you used it back in Demon City. There were also rumors about the Spirit Detective and I recall sensing the human aura close to you. When I investigated, I followed your aura trail and it disappeared along with the humans."

Sayomi lowered her eyes in shame and whispered, "I know how it seems, but…" She looked up at him and spoke without hesitation. "…Yusuke's not like them."

"How long have you been with the detective?" He removed his hand from her head and reached for her wrist instead, bringing it up to show her markings. "How long did it take you to get like this?"

Sayomi tugged on her arm, but his grip only held on strong and secure. "I'm working on it."

"You have no idea what you're doing." He let go so she could rub at the sore joint. "Staying with them will only speed up the process. It's only a matter of time before they turn on you."

Sayomi looked up at him defiantly and got back to her feet. "You're not Yasuhiro. He would believe me."

"It's not a matter of believing you, Sayomi. It's only a matter of you losing control and him being assigned to kill you himself. He may be your friend now, but he's still the Underworld's lapdog." Yasuhiro sighed and shook his head. "You shouldn't be taking such unnecessary risks."

"Yusuke needs me right now. And not just him. Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, the Masked Fighter… I need to be there to help them! I'm the one healing their wounds!" Sayomi couldn't leave them at such a critical time. I'm still part of the team, right?

"Is that what you've been working on all this time?" Yasuhiro seemed genuinely impressed. "Why would you want to use it offensively if you can use it for something so much more beneficial?"

"I can't survive on my own if I only know how to heal and I don't want to rely on others to fight for me. Besides, I enjoy it. I have fun training with Yusuke and Hiei and—"

"Did you say Hiei?" Yasuhiro cut her off as he realized who she was referring to. "And you mentioned Kurama. Why are you hanging around such traitors?"

"Traitors? They were wanted criminals and Yusuke defeated them. They helped us at Demon City!" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How can he judge them so harshly when he hasn't even met them?!

"Are you saying you've been helping him?" Yasuhiro spoke quietly.

Sayomi arched an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, why is that so hard to believe?"

"Have you forgotten that they were the ones who separated us?" The man kept his eyes hidden from her. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Yasuhiro, I know how it seems, but they only target criminals. We were being hunted—"

"By the Underworld as suspected criminals." He looked up at her with a cold stare. "I know where you are, Sayomi. The Dark Tournament is being broadcasted live as we speak. I understand you're with the guest team and cannot leave them willingly at this point, but I will come for you once it is over. Presuming you don't die before then…"

"I won't leave them." Sayomi clenched her fists defiantly. "When the time is right, I'll come find you, but I can't leave him so soon. There's too much riding on his survival."

"The longer you wait, the more you will lose yourself. You're already so far gone that you've become addicted to the power. I can't just look the other way and watch you disappear!"

"That's why I'm trying to get stronger!" Sayomi couldn't help it. She was trying to get through to him but he refused to listen. "I know I'll fade away if I don't get stronger. I'm glad you haven't faded yourself, but I need to stay with them. Like you said, I've gone too far at this point."

"You can still take control of it, but at least let me help you. You need another shadow demon to guide you through this process." Yasuhiro tried to reason with her, but Sayomi slowly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I won't expose you to them again. I've made my choice. I'm staying with Yusuke and the others." Sayomi looked directly at him, using her experience with Hiei and any other stubborn males she's known. "You can either wait until I'm ready, or you can come with me, but I am not leaving them."

Yasuhiro sighed and scratched the back of his head, annoyed with the outcome of the conversation. "You used to be so cooperative. I suppose that outspoken boy has at least taught you to speak up for yourself."

Sayomi blinked at him. Have I really changed that much?

"Very well. I will continue to watch you from a distance until the end of the tournament. By that time…" He turned and walked away, melding with the darkness until he was out of sight. His voice, however, still echoed in the darkness. "…I hope you'll be prepared to return to the Demon Plane where you belong."

Sayomi opened her eyes and found herself back on the island. She sighed and brought a hand to her forehead. "That wasn't a dream after all…"

"What wasn't a dream?"

Sayomi whipped her head around but couldn't find the source of the voice. "Where are you, Hiei? I know that wasn't telepathy."

"Relax. I'm behind you on the other side of the tree."

"Oh." Sayomi sighed and leaned back against the trunk. "I guess I'll have to apologize to Kuwabara."

"What for?"

"I like to sneak up on him the way you tend to do with me and everyone else in general." Sayomi scowled at the forest in front of her, but the look was intended for the demon behind her. "Where have you been, anyway? I've been looking all over the island for you."

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to."

Sayomi's mouth hung open in shock. "Have you been spying on me?!"

"Don't flatter yourself. Kurama suggested that I keep watch on you in case you leave yourself vulnerable to attack. If you were more aware during your meditations, this wouldn't be necessary."

"Oh?" Sayomi glared over her shoulder, imagining him through the tree trunk. "And what about your vulnerability? I don't suppose your arm healed overnight."

She smirked when he appeared right in front of her in a crouch. He was still in his sleeveless black shirt and his arm looked worse than the day before. His face was devoid of anything but smoldering anger. "I don't require any healing from you. The only thing that you should be worrying about is your own vulnerability. Who was that in your meditation?"

"You were…" Sayomi's smirk fell and her eyes widened slightly. "…Watching?"

"Obviously." Hiei watched her confidence deteriorate as she recalled the encounter. "Now who was it?"

Sayomi reached for her hood, but Hiei grabbed both of her wrists, growling at the pain from his right arm. He lowered his voice and growled, "You will look at me when you are speaking to me."

Sayomi couldn't look anywhere else. She stared at the red eyes that reflected her crumpled appearance. She couldn't bring herself to speak above a whisper. "Yasuhiro…"

Hiei slowly relaxed his grip, but held on in case she tried something he didn't like. He spoke calmly since she seemed to be cooperating. "And who is Yasuhiro?"

Yasuhiro… Why was he here? How did he survive? And what happened to my…? Sayomi began to feel her body tremble as she realized what her Shade had meant before. This is what she meant by fading away…?

"If you don't answer me, I won't hesitate to probe for the answers myself." Hiei applied slight pressure to her wrists to draw her attention.

She snapped out of her daze and focused back on the fire demon. "Hiei… My Shade is gone…"

Hiei showed no signs of reaction as he said, "You mean the thing you talk to?"

"She's not a thing…" Sayomi tried to pull free, but Hiei ignored her efforts. Sayomi glared at him and finished, "…She's me!" In a fluid motion, she twisted her wrist around his right wrist. The movement forced Hiei to relinquish his grip and clutch at his arm in pain.

She stood up and glared down at him. "If you don't want me to heal you, then fine. But if you want to fight, I won't hesitate to take advantage of your weakness."

"Heh heh." Hiei chuckled to himself and smirked up at her. "Is this the side that you're so afraid to show? Why even bother hiding it? Do you want people to like you despite your nature?"

"Like you're one to talk." Sayomi felt a smirk creep on her face. "I know a certain ice maiden who wants to meet you despite your nature."

Hiei glared at her murderously. "Is your word that meaningless or do you truly harbor a death wish?"

"Neither." Sayomi's glare softened and she couldn't help the rush of envy and sadness when she thought about their situation. "If you want to keep her in the dark, then that's your choice…" Hiei was about to speak but she cut him off. "…But doesn't she get a choice in this at all?"

"No. She doesn't." Hiei stood up and glared slightly up at her. "Now stop avoiding the question and tell me who Yasuhiro is. I won't ask again."

Sayomi bit her lip nervously as she thought about answering him. Can I trust him with this? I guess it would only be fair, but… "He's my older brother."

Hiei kept his glare on her and asked, "Now why don't you want to go back with your brother?"

"Because I'm needed more here." Yasuhiro's sudden return from the grave was enough to shake her up a bit. Sayomi wanted to go back with him, but she was still paying off her debt to the one she owed her life to. "I can survive one more week without him."

"Are you sure he can be trusted after all this time?" Hiei slipped his hands into his pockets, ignoring the pain from his arm. "For all you know, he could be an imposter."

"It's him, Hiei." Sayomi sighed and looked away from his gaze. "He's right about me losing control. The same thing happened to him when we were running. He became a different person and he was covered in the same markings I am. My brother's alive…"

Hiei sighed and said, "If you intend to keep this a secret, then you best well keep mine."

"I understand…" Sayomi whispered quietly.

"Good." Hiei walked towards her and stopped beside her. He glanced at her and quietly said, "You can't leave until you follow up on my favor."

Sayomi's eyes widened as she recalled her promise. By the time she turned to address him, he was already gone.

The sun was already beginning to set when Sayomi made her way back to the hotel. She had lifted her hood to keep anyone from immediately recognizing her. When she made it to the room, she took a deep breath and lowered her hood. She walked in on Yusuke and Kuwabara hunched over the coffee table in deep thought.

Sayomi peeked over their shoulders and saw Yusuke holding a piece of paper. The top of the tree chart was reserved for the Dark Tournament Victor. At the bottom of the chart was a list of teams. From left to right it listed Team Urameshi, Team Ichigaki, Shadow Channelers, Deadly Half Dozen, Myth Begotten Manglers, High Five Rangers, Diablo Troopers, and Team Toguro.

"We're up against… Team Toguro." Yusuke blinked at the paper, trying to make sense of the chart.

"Why am I not surprised?!" Kuwabara growled angrily. "That 'fair lottery' was rigged, or I'm a snow macaque! I wasn't called to attend the drawing, so I'd say you're right!"

"I'm not so sure about that, guys."

"Aaagh!" The boys jumped when Sayomi spoke up behind them.

"Damn, Sai! You're just as bad as Hiei when it comes to showing up out of nowhere." Yusuke glared at the shadow demon playfully.

"I walked through the door. It's not my fault you weren't paying attention." Sayomi crossed her arms and smirked at the boys.

Kuwabara glared and said, "Well you could at least announce yourself instead of creeping up on us like that."

Sayomi arched an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be the sensitive one?"

"Man, you're acting more like the shrimp every day. I thought you hated him." Kuwabara narrowed his eyes, as if it would help him see something physically different about her.

"It's just because he snuck up on me while I was meditating. I guess you could say it irked me a bit." She glanced at Kuwabara and grinned. "By the way, sorry about scaring you. I know it annoys me when he does it."

Kuwabara blinked in confusion and muttered, "Uh, it's okay, I guess."

"So what did you mean when you said you didn't think so? If we don't go against Toguro, then who do we fight?" Yusuke stared at the chart again, holding his chin in thought.

"Based on the branches of the chart, if you follow the one on top then it will break down into each round based on who wins the previous. When you get to the bottom, it looks more like you're up against Team Ichigaki, whoever that is." Sayomi stared at the name, hoping it would jog her memory.

She recalled her teacher lecturing her about current affairs happening in the Demon Plane, but she hadn't really cared to pay much attention at the time. Instead, she had focused on paying her debt to earn her freedom and preparing for it. Had Teacher mentioned an Ichigaki or am I just hoping he did so I could have something to help them through the match? Damn it, why didn't I just listen?!

"Well, whoever we're up against, they're gonna get it tomorrow!" Kuwabara grinded his teeth and said, "I'm not gonna let anyone get the jump on me again!"

"I just hope I get my juice back by morning." Yusuke looked at his trigger finger worriedly. "Otherwise I'm screwed."

Sayomi watched Yusuke, but her mind was focused elsewhere. I just hope Yasuhiro is wrong…