It was still dark outside when Sayomi got out of bed. She was careful not to make a sound as she snuck out of the room and shut the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief as she made her way down the stairs. Don't need to bother them after all that mess. They should get all the rest they can for the trip home.

When she stepped outside, she pulled her hood down and enjoyed the breeze in her hair. She took a deep breath and stretched her arms and legs. She briefly expanded her senses, double-checking for any curious eyes. Finding none, she covered herself in shadows and traveled through them.

As she glided through the trees, she felt like she was home again. So long as the sun was still below the skyline, there was enough darkness to stretch over the whole island. She discovered birds' nests, squirrel nooks, and various wildlife without alerting them to her presence.

Before too long, she noticed the shift in lighting and made her way to view the sunrise. She took a seat with her legs hanging over the cliff and watched the star creep over the horizon. She smiled as she saw the sky change from deep blue to vibrant pinks and oranges. She could feel the cold spray from the water below and the heat from the rising sun.

She took a deep breath and took in the scent of the ocean. "The sky in the Human World is so beautiful compared to the Demon Plane." As she stared ahead, she began to think back on their time together as a team. "We all trained so hard. Yusuke really surprised everyone. Heh heh." She chuckled at the memory of when he couldn't stand after Genkai's tournament. "He sure has come a long way in such a short time already. He's defeated Rando, the Four Beasts, and now he's won the Dark Tournament. The markings haven't appeared yet, so I guess he's not ready, but just how long could it take at the rate he's growing?

"Not to mention how strong Kuwabara has become." She smiled as she recalled her first encounter with the boy before the Four Beasts case. "I thought he was pretty loud and annoying at first. He jumps into fights without thinking and he's usually the first to lose, but despite all that he keeps going back to try again. I guess he kinda grew on me a bit. He's proven himself to be loyal and kind-hearted, even if it kills him. Can't say I regret meeting a human like him.

"Kurama, however, has shown his true self." Sayomi's smile fell into a worried frown. "I always looked at him as the easiest to get along with, but seeing him as the fox demon makes me realize a few things I seemed to have overlooked before. It showed in the first round when he killed his opponent. And after he transformed the first time, he became persistent with finding a way to trigger it again. I knew who he was, but I guess I hoped he had changed his ways." She remembered his match against Karasu. "I can see what Hiei meant about being with him instead of against him."

Sayomi bit her lip as the fire demon crossed her mind. "Not to mention how strong he has gotten since we got here." She propped up a knee and hugged it close to her chest. She recalled how scared she used to be around him. "You can't really blame me, though. He didn't seem all that thrilled being around us to begin with. So when did that all change?" Her eyebrows creased in thought. "I guess it was when we rescued Yukina. That makes sense, but what about after that? Everyone else seemed to have picked up on it except me."

She rested her head and let out a sigh. "I wish the girls hadn't brought it to my attention."

She tried to banish the thoughts but she only recalled more. She remembered training with him in the mountains. She remembered their talk after he was released from Luka's barrier. Their moment in the rain and her meditation shortly after. As she thought about him, she began to remember the warmth of his skin and his scent. She shook her head, banishing the thoughts away. "This is ridiculous. I've never fawned over a guy before, so why is this getting to me?"

The image of a shirtless swordsman flashed through her mind and she growled. "Damn it!" She crossed her legs and began her deep breathing exercises. I can't dwell on these thoughts. They'll only distract me.

She centered her mind, and closed her eyes. Her body relaxed as she slipped into her meditation. Her mind's eye opened to the Void that surrounded her. She didn't move from her lotus position, but spoke her thoughts aloud.

"Now how far have I come since I came to this world?" Her voice carried on in the darkness. For now, she was still alone. "Everyone has been able to improve because of the matches, but I just stayed on the sidelines and healed them. I didn't even step up when I was supposed to."

Sayomi looked down at her arms. They were still covered in the black tattoos. "Not that it matters. Now that I've been banned from fighting, I guess I won't really have to worry about this anymore." She lifted the edge of her cloak and scowled. "Not to mention I still don't really know how to use this."

Her voice echoed and she turned to the right. Her eyes narrowed as she shifted to infrared vision. "Who's there?"

"Come now, sister. Have you already forgotten our deal?"

Sayomi held her glare as she said, "I didn't agree to anything. You just stated that you would be back after the tournament if I survived. I just didn't think you would show up this soon."

Yasuhiro walked into view and smiled warmly. "I don't suppose you would give your brother a hug?"

Sayomi turned to face forward and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, slipping out of infrared vision, and replied as passively as she could. "I'm not a very huggy person."

Yasuhiro's smile faltered and he crossed his arms. "When did you become so cold? We used to be so open with each other."

"What did you do?" Sayomi kept her tone neutral, but she couldn't deny the emotions churning within her.

"What do you mean?" Yasuhiro asked.

"Koenma said you're a dangerous criminal. What did you do?" She couldn't look at him. She couldn't bear to even hear the words that he spoke.

Yasuhiro sighed and said, "I told you. We were suspected—"

"Of what?" Sayomi interjected quietly.

"Sayomi." Yasuhiro pleaded. "Don't let them come between us like this. Do you remember what Mother said?"

Sayomi's eyes snapped open as her breath caught in her throat. She recalled her mother's long black hair and blue-gray eyes. Her pale skin made her look frail as she laid in her bed. Sayomi choked back a sob as the memory played back clearly in her mind.

"Yasuhiro… Take care of your sister. You're the only one she has left…" Their mother smiled at her son.

"I promise, Mother. I won't let anything happen to her." Yasuhiro stared down at her with distant eyes. He knew this time would come, but he couldn't help locking away his emotions for the sake of present company.

"I still have you, too, mommy!" Sayomi held on to her mother's hand. It felt cold between her small hands so she tried to rub heat into them. "You'll feel better soon."

Her mother smiled and patted her head. "I can't stay much longer. You'll need to be strong, but I know you can do it, Sayomi. And watch out for your brother. You both will need each other to get through these times."

Yasuhiro stared down at his mother, holding back tears for another time. He rested his hand on Sayomi's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You don't need to worry, mother. I will keep her safe."

"I know you will, Hiro." Their mother closed her eyes and leaned back into her bed. "And soon you both will keep each other safe…"

"Mommy?" Sayomi gently shook her hand to wake her. "Mommy? You're coming too, right?" When she didn't rouse, Sayomi shook again. "Mommy, wake up. You're coming too!"

Yasuhiro flinched when he felt Sayomi twist out of his grasp. He looked down to see her looking up at him with unshed tears in her eyes. "Hiro, why isn't she waking up?"

Yasuhiro knelt down and pulled Sayomi in for a tight hug. She cried as she hugged back, grasping onto his shirt with her small fists. He held her close, resting a hand on her head, and let his own tears slip down silently.

As the memory faded back into the Void, Sayomi could feel the warm tears sliding down her cheeks. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. She flinched when she felt Yasuhiro's hand on her head.

"I'm sorry," Yasuhiro said quietly. "For a moment, I thought you forgot about that. You were still so young back then."

Sayomi kept her breathing steady as she fought back the urge to cry more. "I never forgot her… She's the reason I'm trying to get stronger…" She clenched and unclenched her fists as she tried to stay calm. "But don't worry. They banned me from fighting so this," She gestured towards her arms. "Won't get worse any time soon."

"Why do you think I'm out to hurt you, Sayomi?" Yasuhiro kept his tone gentle. "You're my sister and I swore on Mother's deathbed."

"So why are you a wanted criminal?" Despite the painful memory, Sayomi only had this chance to find out the truth and she couldn't let it slip. "Does it have anything to do with that one technique you used?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" Yasuhiro pulled his hand back in shame.

Sayomi turned to face him but there was nothing but darkness. She stood up and tried to sense his aura. "Yasuhiro? Where did you go?"

Though she couldn't see him, his voice echoed around her. "I'll give you space for now. You seem to be swept up in their idealism, so I'll let you discover the truth on your own. Maybe then, you'll be ready to come home."

Sayomi opened her physical eyes and immediately closed them again as the sun glared at her from the clear sky. She stood up and turned away to stretch out her legs. As she made her way back towards the hotel, she couldn't help thinking about her mother.

Damn it, why did he have to bring that up? It's not that I wanted to forget her or anything, but… Her mother's dying smile made her heart clench with grief. I don't want to remember her corpse…

As Sayomi wandered through the forest, she tried to distract herself from the train of thought. Oh right… I still need to explain what happened while Hiei was unconscious. How do I even begin to explain that? He's been acting more like his old self since I told him I can't fight. But can I really blame him? Damn it! If only I had stayed with the girls then none of this would've happened. She slowed to a stop and glared down at her bare arms. The black marks glared back dangerously, threatening to overwhelm her if she wasn't careful. "No… It's because I was too much of a coward to step in for Master Genkai… I'm just a pathetic weakling…"

"Is that the reason you went back on your word or your excuse to quit fighting?"

Sayomi looked up and found Hiei lounging in a tree. His body was relaxed but his eyes were hard as garnets when he looked down at her. She sighed and averted her eyes, choosing to stare just below him. "A little of both, I guess…"

Hiei glared down at her and said, "Look at me."

"I am," she replied with apathy.

Hiei growled and jumped down from the tree. He instantly appeared in front of Sayomi and said, "You were looking in my general direction. I told you to look at me."

Sayomi stepped back and looked down at the floor instead. "I can't."

"You mean you won't. What happened in the past 24 hours to make you so timid?" When she refused to speak, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look up. "If you don't answer, I won't hesitate to find out for myself through other means."

She stared at the faint glow beneath his headband and whispered, "Okay…"

"Good. Now talk." He loosened his grip but didn't let go.

"After I healed Kurama…" Sayomi winced when her eyes wandered and Hiei's grip tightened again. She looked at his eyes and focused on the shade of red as her words began to spill from her mouth. "Koenma wanted to talk to me about Yasuhiro. He learned about the markings and told me not to fight anymore. He also told me about Yasuhiro's criminal background. Then this morning, he appeared in my meditation again."

Hiei's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of her brother. "What did he do?"

"He said I wouldn't believe him if he told me." Sayomi didn't want to remember the rest of the meditation.

"Did anything else happen?" Hiei was familiar enough with her ritual to know there was more to it. How much more tended to vary.

"He said that he'll give me space until I learn the truth."

Hiei stared at her pale gray eyes. They looked empty. It was as if the luster had been drained from them. He could tell there was more, but she didn't want to tell him. He sighed and let her go. "So Koenma is the one telling you what to do now? I thought you didn't work for him."

Sayomi rubbed her sore jaw and said, "I don't. But he's been keeping an eye on me and he found out about my relation to Yasuhiro. He wants to see if I can draw him out of hiding and he doesn't want me losing control around the team."

Hiei scoffed and crossed his arms. "This again."

"What do you mean?" Sayomi's eyebrows creased in confusion.

"You always talk about losing control. It sounds as if you accept it as an inevitable fact." Hiei watched as Sayomi's eyes shifted from silver to storm gray.

"It is inevitable, Hiei." She lifted her arms for him to see the exposed markings. "How else do you explain this? The same thing happened to Yasuhiro a long time ago. He became mad and I fled when I had the chance."

"That's because he was weak-minded and he let his power control him." Hiei kept calm as Sayomi visibly strained to stay still. "I'm starting to see the family resemblance."

Sayomi's eyes snapped up to glare at Hiei. "It's not as easy as you make it out to be."

"If you're looking for pity then go to Kurama or Kuwabara. You're spineless when it comes to real danger and your word is as worthless as you are weak. If you can't do so much as one simple given task, then I needn't waste any more of my time training you."

"You're right! And that's the problem, Hiei…" Sayomi focused on her breathing as she tried to find the right words. "You don't understand what it's like… To know that the only way to survive is to become stronger, yet at the same time, that strength could easily overwhelm you. If I lose control, I could end up fading away into nothing… Or I could end up hurting you guys…"

"You keep saying 'if.' You're living in fear of a possibility and it's weakening you to the point of coming true. If the same thing happened to your brother than he must've been weaker than you to fall victim to his own power."

Sayomi glared at Hiei, clenching her jaw and fists to keep from lashing out. She tried to take keep calm, but he continued to stab at her with his sharp tongue.

"The only reason I agreed to train you in the first place was because you wouldn't stop annoying me about it. Now you're willing to quit because of some spoiled brat and a few tattoos." Hiei sighed and said, "You're more of a disappointment than I initially thought. At least at the castle you weren't afraid of a fight."

"I didn't have these tattoos all over my body at the castle." Sayomi spoke calmly, but she could feel her aura shifting with her emotions. "I didn't know Koenma was keeping tabs on me back then. I didn't know Yasuhiro was alive. Things change, Hiei."

Hiei glared back at her and said, "You're making excuses. If you really wanted to fight, then you wouldn't let these events affect you. The only thing that changed was your knowledge of them."

"Koenma told me specifically to not fight anymore." Sayomi crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly. "How do you expect me to defy the damn ruler of all three worlds?"

"You get over your childish fears and do what you want. If you can't live your own life without cowering under someone else, then you're wasting my time."

"Well I'm sorry I wasted your time. I'll be sure to stay out of your way after we get off this island." Sayomi let her glare give way to apathy. She didn't want him to notice how she really felt about the issue.

"You would do well to also stay away from Yukina if you want to continue living like a scared child."

"What does Yukina have to do with any of this?" Sayomi felt her temperature drop at the mention of the gentle ice apparition.

"If you do become consumed, I don't want you anywhere near her."

"That's only if I keep fighting, Hiei. The point is to not fight so I don't lose control."

"If you knew this could happen, then why did you insist on learning in the first place?"

"I…" Sayomi faltered as she recalled her first time in Human World. Master Genkai asked me the same question back then. "I wanted to be strong enough to protect myself. I didn't want anyone else to die or get hurt protecting me."

"No." Hiei stared her down and said, "You wanted to fool yourself into thinking you weren't weak like your brother. In the end, you fooled me into believing you."

Sayomi's eyes slowly widened as he spoke. Is… that really…?

"As soon as we leave this island, I don't want you in my sight." Without waiting for her to reply, Hiei disappeared.

Sayomi couldn't move for a few minutes. She could only stare at the space that he had occupied. Her heart ached as she replayed their whole interaction. And now he hates me. I wonder if it would've hurt this much had I not learned about my own feelings…

When she opened the door to the room, Yusuke quickly pulled her into a surprise headlock. He grinned and said, "About time you came back, Sai. We were gonna leave you here if you didn't show up."

Sayomi struggled to get free, but Yusuke tightened his hold. She slumped and tried to glare up at him. "I'm here now, so do you mind? Any more strain and I won't be able to breathe."

"Not yet." Yusuke's grin shifted to a smirk as he rubbed his knuckle against her head.

"Ahhh!" Sayomi struggled until she managed to tuck her chin and bite down on his arm.

"Ouch!" Yusuke reeled, clutching his arm in pain. He stared at her with a mix of shock, pain, and disgust. "Did you just bite me?"

Sayomi glared at him, rubbing her head in pain. "You'll heal."

"Ha ha ha! She got ya' good, Urameshi!" Kuwabara laughed and pointed at Yusuke.

"Oh yeah?" Yusuke forgot his wound and maneuvered Kuwabara into an arm bar. "Who's got who good, now?!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Kuwabara glared and escaped, tripping Yusuke and falling on top of him. "How do you like that?!"

As the boys tussled on the floor, Kurama smiled and said, "Now we just need to find the girls. If they're not in their rooms, then they're most likely already downstairs."

Sayomi shrugged and said, "I didn't see them, but I wasn't really paying much attention, to be honest."

"I see." Kurama briefly looked to the side and back again. "You're probably winding down from the adrenaline. Even without fighting, it's been an exciting trip."

"Yeah, you can say that again." Sayomi looked up at the red-head and asked, "So what are you doing after this?"

"I'll be going back home to my mother and our new family." Kurama could see the question in her eyes before she could ask it. "She has a boyfriend and I have a younger brother now. They both seem to be good people."

Sayomi smiled at the thought of Kurama as an older brother. "I'm sure it's a lovely family."

"Thank you." Kurama smiled. "Perhaps we could arrange a proper introduction sometime."

"That would be nice." Sayomi turned back to the boys as they got over their bickering. "Are you guys done now?"

"Yeah, yeah." Yusuke waved her off as he reached for his jacket. Kuwabara slipped on his backpack of clothes as Kurama slipped into a trench coat. Hiei stepped back from the window and joined the group. Yusuke slung his sack of clothes over his shoulder and asked, "Everybody ready to go?"

Sayomi looked around the room. Despite a couple of unmade beds, the space was clean. Her eyes wandered back outside. The sun was still shining bright, but there were some clouds in the sky that blocked it occasionally. She gazed out at the water, letting her thoughts wander back to her earlier meditation.

"Man, was it just ten days?" Yusuke wondered aloud. "Felt like a whole year!"

"Pu."

Sayomi snapped out of her thoughts as Yusuke let the small beast in through the window. He grinned and reached for the blue penguin. "You came out okay too, huh? When you had Genkai's face… Whoo, I freaked!" He began to squish the poor beast as he asked, "Are you like a phone to the Underworld? Could she contact us that way again?"

"I'd say not…" Kurama answered, his eyes closed in sorrow.

"Why?" Yusuke turned to the fox curiously.

Kurama opened his eyes and answered, "The Underworld is sort of a way station between life and death. While we may have some slight contact with it from here… No one stays there for very long. Each soon leaves on a separate journey… as Genkai has by now."

"All right…" Yusuke let go of Pu and plastered a wide grin on his face as he scratched the back of his head. "If that's the way it is, that's the way it is! And a fella's gotta be optimistic, know what I mean?!" He threw his fists in the air as he marched out the door. "Time for some serious goofing off! Yeah!"

"By the way, moron – Spring Break ends today," Kuwabara said over Yusuke's cheering.

"Hmph…" Hiei scoffed as he watched Yusuke leave. "That 'who cares' act is almost embarrassing."

Sayomi ignored him and followed Yusuke to the elevator. She didn't bother taking the stairs since they were leaving for good this time around. She also didn't want to go through the trouble of looking for them in the crowd.

When they made it to the lobby, they scanned the sea of faces for the girls. Sayomi spotted Botan's and Yukina's blue hair and tapped Yusuke's arm to point them out. At the same time, Keiko noticed them and waved them over.

"About time you guys came down. What took you so long?" Keiko used a stern tone, but Sayomi could see the smile in her eyes.

"Don't blame us!" Yusuke glared and gestured towards Sayomi. "We were waiting for her to get back."

"Don't put the blame on me, Yusuke." Sayomi crossed her arms and said, "I could've found you guys anywhere on the island if I needed to."

"Now, now," Botan intervened with a smile. "Everyone's here so let's get on board that ship."

"Do you think they'll have an open bar?" Astuko asked curiously.

"Or maybe a gift shop," Keiko said optimistically.

"As long as no one tries to kill us," Shizuru muttered.

"Don't worry, ladies!" Kuwabara puffed out his chest and said, "You have the mighty Kazuma Kuwabara at your service. I guarantee no one will lay a hand on you." He clasped Yukina's hands in his and focused only on her.

Yukina blushed and laughed until Shizuru hit her brother over the head. "She's not the only lady around, baby bro."

"Yes, ma'am… I'm sorry…" Kuwabara grimaced in pain from the strike but tried to brush it off in front of Yukina.

Sayomi shook her head and smiled as she followed the group outside. I'm glad we all made it out okay... or most of us. I just hope you're not too disappointed in us, Master Genkai. I hope you understand my reasons for quitting.

As they made it over the last hill, they took one last look at the horizon. The cool wind blew in with the waves, sending the scent of the salt water through the air.

"Can't wait to get off this island," Atsuko said eagerly. "Ah! There's our ship."

"Goodbye, goodbye, the Island World…" Yusuke smiled as he adjusted his grip on his sack. "Okay, let's get aboard."

"Time to blow this joint," Kuwabara agreed.

"Now we go forth, into…" Kurama smiled as Hiei cut him off.

"Aw… Get a move on!"

"Spoil sport…" Sayomi muttered under her breath.

"Off we go – victorious!" Yusuke cheered and raised his fist in the air. Kuwabara, Atsuko, and Botan mimicked his enthusiasm. "Yahoo!"

"With nary a look back, eh?"

Sayomi froze when the words registered in her brain.

"Huh?" Kuwabara's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That voice…" Yusuke slowly turned around with large eyes.

Everyone waited with baited breath as a short figure walked towards them at a leisurely pace. The old Reiki Master smirked with her hands behind her back. "Gonna leave an old lady stranded?"

"Guh…" Sayomi looked up at Yusuke and cringed as the delinquent became a blubbering mess. "Genkai?!"

Sayomi smiled as Yusuke ran towards the old woman. She laughed and followed after him, happy to see that they all survived the ordeal after all.

The Dark Tournament ended with Team Urameshi triumphant. But none of them suspected that someone would remain on the island and would, in time, take over Sakyo's sinister ambitions…