Cora popped her knuckles, her eyes roaming over the last three fighters still standing for Team Rokuyokai. Who would be the up next? Muscle's for brains? Hippie guy? Or maybe Rinku would step into the ring for a second round. She huffed; it didn't matter who it was, she was going next. She didn't care if the Masked Fighter hadn't fought yet. He didn't seem to be exactly excited about being there, and he hadn't lifted a finger once to try and claim a fight.

Kuwabara watched her with weary eyes, nudging Botan to get her attention. "Uhh... is she ok?" He asked the grim reaper with a worried tone.

Botan looked over to Cora who was glaring daggers at the offending team, steam practically rolling from her ears. "W-well... she does seem to be a little upset..." Botan rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I mean, I don't blame her after what just happened during Hiei's fight..."

Kuwabara pointed between Botan and Cora, smiling nervously. "Well, maybe you should go have some girl talk with her about it?"

Botan blanched, turning on Kuwabara with a panicked look. "Are you insane?! She looks about ready to tear someone apart!"

Kuwabara shrank back under Botans shrill shouts. "But your her friend... And besides, if she's planning on fighting then its not a good idea! She already hurt her shoulder-"

Kurama chose that time to chime in, having caught the last of Kuwabara's sentence. "She's injured? When did this happen?" His tone was worried though filled with skepticism. Wouldn't he have noticed if she was attacked? She had been with them for most of the fights, only leaving to check on the girls during part of Kuwabara's fight with Rinku. Could it have happened when she was walking up to the seats?

"Uh, yeah. Something happened to her right shoulder." Kuwabara said, holding his right arm up and pointing at his shoulder and then his fist. "She normally uses her right hand for everything, but she was hitting me with her left hand. She was trying not to use her right arm at all until Hiei came off the ring and she tried to kick his ass-!"

"WHAT?! THOSE COWARDS!" Cora suddenly shouted, making everyone turn to see what she was so irate about. Muscles for brains and Hippie dude had turned a where running back towards the tunnel from which they had entered the arena from. Rinku was shouting after them, his innocent voice trembling with fear as he begged them not to leave him. "Their running away!"

Kuwabara hooted in excitement. "Yeah, sent them running for the hills!"

Botan frowned, her lower lip jutting out cutely. "Poor Rinku. He must be terrified!"

"Serves him right that little pipsqueak!" Kuwabara said earning a small glare from Botan. She went to scold him just as Kuwabara's attention was drawn back to the other side of the ring. Shouts of surprise and the sound of flesh slamming against flesh met his ears.

"Who's that?" Cora said, directing the question to the entire group with hopes that someone might be able to answer her. A very, very tall male came waltzing out of the tunnel, the mangled bodies of the two runaways dangling by their shirts from his left hand. A large bottle of saki was grasped in his right hand, and it looked to be about half hair was just as strange as his size, royal blue and cut into a Mohawk that turned into two bound ponytails at the nap of his neck. He wore a black cut off tank top the was tucked into green pants held up by a red sash. White fur linned the colar of the shirt and covered his calves. Metal knee pads where stuffed into the fur around his calves and black boots covered his feet.

He stumbled and swayed for a moment before tossing the two cowards to the ground. "Oh crap, it's bright out 'ere..."

Rinku became crestfallen. "You're here?"

Cora gagged as the strange blue haired male chugged the rest of the saki before throwing it into the air and allowing it to shatter on the ground. "Who the hell is that?" Kuwabara asked as the blue haired male tried to climb into the ring only to fall off the side of the ring.

"Oh dear, a drunk mad mans escaped to the ring..." Botan said. Cora nodded her head as the blue haired male finally made it onto the ring only to fall to his ass again. He laughed drunkenly as he motioned for Koto to join him.

"HEY ANNOUNCER SHEILA! You look pretty hot! Can you come here a second?!" The man asked making Koto's face turn a brilliant shade of red.

"Uuh... Me?" She said nervously, her voice piking up on the mic. The blue haird male slammed his fist into the ring.

"I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!" Koto jumped, deciding it was best not to anger the much larger drunken fool. She dashed over to his side, holding the mic between them.

"Um, what kind of question?"

"Two of them fighter fella's just died on accident-" Cora snorted, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Sure he was a drunken fool, but he was kind of entertaining.

"Really?" Koto said, her tone showing her surprise at what the man was calling an 'accident'.

"How can their team continue?" The man finished with a burp which caused Koto's face to turn a sickly green as the smell of alcohol slammed into her face.

"Doesn't matter how many die; each teams allowed only one alternate fighter. Rokuyokai can fight with Rinku and one alternate if they find one." Koto said in a matter of fact way.

The blue haired mans equally blue eyes sparkled with sudden excitement. "You sure about that?!"

Koto's face scrunch up into a look of offence. "I am a walking rule book, my entire life is this tournament! Of course I'm sure!"

Chu threw his head back, laughing heartily as he pat rather harshly on Koto's back. "Well then I guess I could scuffle around with the remaining two!" He shouted, glancing drunkenly over his shoulder at Cora and the Masked fighter. Cora scoffed, making her way towards the stage.

"Where the hell do you think your going?" Kuwabara asked as she passed him by.

"I'm going to vent out my frustrations on this guys ugly, drunken face." She turned her head enough to give them all a rather deadly glare. "If you want to stop me, kill me."

Kuwabara and Botan gulped, taking a couple steps back from the dark aura that was seeping from their relatively good nature'd friend. "Man, she's almost as scary as Hiei..." Kuwabara mumbled out to Botan who nodded her head in agreement.

Cora rolled her eyes before turning to leap into the arena. Before she could take half a step a sudden weight on her shoulders nearly made her knees buckle. She stumbled forward with a yelp, catching her balance at the last second. The sound of nibble feet landing on the arena floor made her head shoot up in shock.

"Look's like it's my turn to play!" Yusuke said enthusiastically as he rotated his right shoulder.

Cora growled, brandishing her fist and canines at him. "HEY! This is my fight you bum!"

Yusuke waved over his shoulder at her in a rather bored manor. "You can take the next one princess." Cora growled, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Snuffed; she had been snuffed again. Throwing her hands up in the air Cora turned on her heel, walking past the others and towards the stands.

"Now where are you going stupid girl?" Hiei inquired only to be met by silence. He growled, turning away to watch the start of the match...prissy little brat... maybe we should just let her fight, it might put her attitude in check...

Kurama chuckled at Cora's childish behavior. She didn't bother with the long way, and instead leaped over the guard rail and made her way towards Keiko and Shizuru, whom had gone back to their seats seeing as they wouldn't be of much use standing so close to the side lines. "She's probably just checking on the girls." Kurama said to Hiei who grunted in response.

Kuwabara rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Man, I thought she was going to tear my throat out!" He said earning a grunt of annoyance from his short team mate. "Man Hiei, you really did it this time... I've never seen anyone so mad, and my sisters practically a demon herself!" Hiei shot Kuwabara a dirty look, but didn't bother to retort; it's not like he cared in the least bit if that stupid woman was mad at him.


"Yo." Cora said as she took a seat on the opposite side of Keiko. Keiko and Shizuru occupied the seats closest to the isle much to her dismay, but beggars couldn't be choosers and this was better then having to force herself to abide by her own silent treatment rules. IT sucked being her sometimes; why the hell couldn't she just stay mad at him? Fucking arrogant ass fire demons...

"So the idiot finally woke up, huh?" Keiko said with mild anxiety.

Cora glanced over at her and then down at Yusuke who was still staring Chu down, a goofy grin plastered on his face. "Unfortunately yes; just in time to steal my fight from me, the bastard." Cora said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Keiko gave her an incredulous look. "You wan't to fight?! Why on earth would you wan't to put yourself in danger like that? Don't you know that you could die?" Cora shrugged.

"I don't like to fight; normally I'm the last person who'll start a fight. I guess I just..." She paused glancing down at the arena to catch a pair of garnet eyes glancing away from her at the last second. "I just wan't to prove that I'm not a defenseless little girl anymore. That I can hold my own in battle long enough to ensure my survival. But most of all, I wan't to prove that I can protect those that matter to me. Even if they don't think they ever need protected." She finished with a small sneer, earning a nod of agreement from Keiko.

"Your talking about the short and angry one, right?" Shizuru said as she lit up another cigarette. Keiko blanched, staring down at the entire team with wide eyes.

Cora sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Hiei can handle himself most of the time; believe it or not I do care about the rest of you, even if I was forced-?" Cora stopped mid-sentence as Chu's voice rang out over the PA system courtesy of Koto's stolen microphone.

"-THERE ISN'T ANY JANKEN THAT I CAN'T WIN; I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYONE!" The whole arena was silent after the obviously plastered out burst.

Cora felt her brow twitch. "This guy is an idiot."

"Don't let his drunken behavior fool you..." Shizuru said, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Keiko's brow suddenly furrowed in worry. "Shizuru...?"

Shizuru narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "There's something strange about that man; something just bellow the surface." Keiko and Cora eyed Chu, neither of them really picking up on what Shizuru was telling them. Cora felt out his energy, a difficult task seeing as they where surrounded by demons on all sides; she could hardly feel anything coming off of hi- what was that? A strange energy was starting to manifest its self around Chu, sending a kind of shiver down Cora's spine. And then he was gone, vanished into thin air before reappearing and nearly landing a solid blow to Yusuke's head had the youth not blocked it at the last second.

Keiko gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth and her eyes wide in panicked shock. Cora watched her reaction with worried eyes; was this the first Keiko had ever seen Yusuke fight? Seconds later Yusuke was sent flying out of the ring and into the retaining wall of the stands, knocking out a large section of the stone structure.

"Oh, I can't look!" Keiko said, hiding her eyes behind her hands.

Cora gently pat her shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry Keiko; though I'd never tell him to his face, Yusuke is strong. And thick headed; he wont go down that easily. So you shouldn't worry so much." Keiko nodded her head in understanding but refused to uncover her eyes. That is until a brilliant flash of blue light followed by an explosion made the two of them jump. Shizuru used her pinky to dig at her right ear, a look of irritation setting on her face as she glared down at the fight. "What the hell was that?!" Cora demanded, staring intently down at the arena. Yusuke had returned to the fight, an excited smile gracing his lips as he held his hand up to Chuu. Four of his fingers where glowing bright blue. The sound of falling ruble to her left made her eyes dart over in time to see a section of an upper balcony had been blown away. "That idiot! He did that deliberately didn't he!"

Shizuru nodded, a look of annoyance dancing across her eyes."Yeah- for some reason these two don't seem to be taking this fight very seriously."

Cora scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because it's Yusuke; if he ever took anything to seriously he might just die from the sheer boredom!"

"Th-that blast was from Yusuke?" Keiko asked, her shoulders slumped and her eyes wide in shock.

"Yep; told you he was strong! He won't let this drunken jerk get the better of him." Cora said, a cocky smirk tugging at her lips.

"You seem to know an awful lot about the members of the team; how did you meet all of them anyways?" Shizuru asked casually as she took a rather long drag from her cigarette.

Cora shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I met Kurama... ummm... four years ago? Wow, didn't know I've been putting up with Mr. Know it all for so long- anyways. I just met Yusuke like, four months ago and Kuwabara... I have to say out of the four I know him the least." She said, her brow furrowed as she tried to remember exactly how she had meet Kuwabara. Was it during the Yukina mission, or was it during the time of the Mikai Insects...? "I honestly don't remember when I met him, but this is only the second time we've worked together, with the first time being just over two months ago, though we didn't meet face to face."

Shizuru nodded before giving her the stink eye. "And shorty? You two seem to be a little cozy for just being partners in crime."

Keiko blanched, waving her hands in the air in embarrassment. "Please don't mind her bluntness! It's really none of our business-"

Cora cut her off with a chuckle and a nonchalant wave of her hand. "It's ok Keiko; I've been asked about this more times then I care to mention, but rest assure there isn't anything between Hiei and myself other then friendship, if it can even be called that. It's kind of like... a business contract of sorts." Cora said with a small smirk.

"So is it normal for demons to share a bed when they are just friends?" Keiko gave Shizuru a mortified look which she returned with a shrug.

Cora full on laughed. "You would be surprised; demons are different from humans when it comes to our relationships. Friendship to a demon is worth a lot more then it is to a human. It isn't unusual for demons who value each other as comrades to share a bed and to hang on each other. It's how we communicate our appreciation to one another with out voicing it," Cora said making Keiko and Shizuru give her appraising looks. " It also lets other demons know exactly what all they are dealing with should they try to start a fight. Buy giving displays of physical contact in public, Hiei and I are showcasing that we have each others backs should an issue arise. By sharing a bed, we are showing our trust in one another while also marking one another with our scents, which will follow us around where ever we go. This lets other demons know that someone will come looking for us should we disappear for to long."

"W-wow- I had no idea that demons had such a complicated social network!" Keiko said in awe making Cora laugh sheepishly.

"It's rare for a demon to find someone they can trust so wholly, so we make every effort to ensure one another's safety. Some demons even mate, what ever that means. Every time I ask, the person usually comes up with an excuse to escape." Cora explained, making Keiko's cheeks turn a violent shade of red.

Shizuru quirked a brow at Cora, who seemed genuinely confused over Keiko's sudden embarrassment. "I'm not scared to tell you what it is." She said making Cora perk up, excited to learn what all the fuss was about. "I know that in the animal kingdom a mate is the animals partner, lover and parent to their children. Some animals even 'mate' for life." Cora felt her cheeks grow hot; that's what it means to be someone mate? AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING SHE'S HIEI'S MATE?!

"Oh my! SHizuru, I think you might have broken her!" Keiko said, patting Cora on the back reassuringly.

Cora shook off her shock, giving the tall brunet woman a pleading look. "Sh-Shizuru, how do you know if someone is your mate?!"

Shizuru sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I would assume that you would have been informed; with animals they don't officially become mates until after they have sex-?"

"AHA! SAFE!" Cora shouted loudly, pumping her arms into the air making Keiko and Shizuru give her deadpanned looks. "Then I finally have my answer; I am not mated! Score!"

"You seem to be feeling better." Keiko said with a chuckle.

"Hell's to the yes; I'm pretty sure I'm to young to be mated, if it's anything like what Shizuru explained."

"How old are you anyways?" Shizuru asked.

"Hmmm... I know I'm at least in my 60's-" Keiko sputtered and gaped while Shizuru nearly dropped her cigarette. "What?"

"si-sixty?! Your old enough to be my grandmother!" Keiko exclaimed making Cora's brow tick.

"She's old enough to me my grandmother." Shizuru countered.

Cora sighed. "Demon's don't age like humans- Hiei once told me he was close to fifteen years my senior." Cora placed a finger against her chin in thought... now that I think of it, he should be coming of age soon... will he go looking for a mate?... she pictured Hiei with a mate a nearly choked on her own tongue... that was a scary thought if it's anything like what Shizuru said- Hiei, with kids? Weird... " I should be coming of age soon, but for now I'm considered a pup- what the hell are they doing!?"

Cora's sudden exclamation drew the girls' attention back to the ring just in time to see both Chu and Yusuke get hit by powerful attacks. Keiko practically clawed Cora's hand off as she grasped blindly for some kind of support. "Y-YUSUKE!" Cora winced at her high pitched scream, but didn't pull away from her death grip as the dust settled and two very beaten, yet smiling fools where shown standing in the center of the ring.

"Well it's official- nothing can kill Yusuke." Cora said, making Shizuru nod her head in agreement while Keiko continued to shake uncontrollably between them. Cora pat her hand reassuringly. "It's ok Keiko. Yusuke wouldn't go down from such a weak hit." Keiko nodded, her grip loosening ever so slightly on Cora's hand.

"What is that weirdo doing down there?" Shizuru said, her eyes trained on Chu as he stabbed to knives into the ring.

Cora's eyes widened and a large grin covered her face. "Only preparing for one of the greatest matches ever! I knife edge death match!" Cora said making Keiko blanch.

"D-death match?" Cora knew her mistake instantly, waving her hand in a dismissive way while chuckling sheepishly.

"D-did I say death match? It's just what it's known as, but its basically a bare knuckle brawl!" Cora said as she turned to watch Chu and Yusuke setting themselves up for the match, each one placing their left heel against the edge of their respective knives, their arms raised and ready and smiling goofily at each other. "Yusuke should do very well in this fight; he's always fighting with his bare fists back home, right?"

Koto announced the start of the fight, having gained permission from the council. Chu and Yusuke moved as one, each one delivering a heavy blow. Cora heard Keiko gasp, her hold on Cora's hand growing tight once again. Hit after hit was delivered by the two born fighters, each hit driving the edge of the knife deeper into their heels. Blood, sweat and spit covered them from head to toe, and the ground around their feet was being stained a lovely shade of metallic red. Cora felt her heart rate start to climb and suddenly she wished she had stayed down by the arena; this fight was sure to go down in the history books.

"It wont be long before a winner is decided." Shizuru said as she lit up yet another cigarette. Cora nodded, her own fingers tightening reassuringly over Keiko's hand. Keiko was sitting at the edge of her seat.

"He... he looks so happy." She said under her breath.

Cora gave her a surprised look before her eyes softened and drifted back to the fight. "Yusuke has a fighters spirit- he was born to be in the ring."

Keiko sighed, sitting back a little in her seat. "Cora... How do you do it? How do you just sit back and watch the person your care for put their life in danger?" She asked making Cora quirk a brow at her; who was she talking about? Yusuke? She didn't care for Yusuke, at least not like that. "I saw how you reacted after Hiei's fight; you where truly worried that he had died-"

"He did die. He just came back, and I tried to kill him again." Cora said irritably, a new found anger coming over her. Not only did he die, but in doing so she had made a fool out of herself. Prick. "And to answer your question, I just have faith that they will come back from a fight. Weather or not they are the victors is never relevant, though in Hiei and Kurama's case most of the time to lose is to die." Keiko nodded in understanding, though she still chewed nervously at her lower lip. "I can't promise that it gets easier; there is always the chance that he won't make it home. You're going to want to kill him and hug him at the same time when he walks through the door covered in new wounds and someone else' blood. You won't sleep at night when he's not there, and you'll wonder if he's thinking about you at all while he's gone. Always remember that while he is out saving the three worlds, every battle he fights is for you; to ensure that he will be able to come home and give you that cheesy smile you seem to love so much." Cora hadn't realized she was rambling, her eyes strained on the battle before her. She didn't see the looks being tossed her way from Keiko and Shizuru. Seconds later Chu and Yusuke collided in an earth shattering head butt, the crowd growing silent as they waited to see who would fall. "But above all else," Cora said as Chu's legs suddenly buckled, sending the larger man toppling over onto the arena floor. "You need to be strong for him. Support him, and be there with a bowel of ramen and a cup of tea. Be his normalcy; his tranquility." The crowed erupted in a chores of excited shouts and boo's, with Yusuke announced as the victor. "Because god knows that the path of a fighter is never an easy one to take. He's going to need you."

"WITH A SCORE OF 3 TO 1, TEAM URAMESHI WINS!"

Cora jumped to her feet, pumping her arms in the air, her small window of wisdom slamming shut as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "THAT'S MY BOYS! SHOW'EM HOW IT'S DONE!" The demons around her growled their irritation but she ignored them, unwilling to let them kill her new found good mood. The rest of the crowd was chanting for Yusuke to finish Chu off. Bastards.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Yusuke shouted, bringing the whole stadium to a stand still. "COME ON YOU DELICATE THING'S! IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY THEN SAY IT TO OUR FACES!" Cora snickered, patting Keiko's head as she allowed it to fall in exasperation. "COME ON! I'M WAITING- COME PLAY WITH US YOU YELLOW BELLIED BASTARDS!"

The crowd was so quiet, Cora swore she could heart Keiko's heart beat. She pumped her fist into the air, a huge grin spread across her face. "YEAH! THAT'S MY BOY!" The demons around them growled once again, their sinister eyes turning onto the exuberant girls (or more like Cora).

"Uh, Cora... perhaps we shouldn't draw so much attention to ourselves..."