Ok, so I still couldn't figure out what to do with Cora during Yusuke and Kuwabara's matches soooooooooo... I went back and edited the end of chapter 14 and put her to sleep haha. Hey, using so much energy will drain a girl! But don't worry, I did get some good feed back concerning the story, and let me tell you, it was VERY HELPFUL! So for those of you who messaged me/reviewed, I am eternally grateful.

There is one reviewer in particular that I want to thank- and you know who you are! While you may not see the changes as they come, please know that your input has played a major roll in how I am deciding on Cora's fate for the end of this first installment, which is fast approaching *cries*

Now, on to the next chapter

So, to understand this chapter you might want to sneak a peek at the end of Chapter 14, just so you're not confused :)

Enjoy!


"... shouldn't she be awake by now? How much damn beauty sleep does she need?" Kuwabara said, staring down at Cora who was still in deep hibernation. She was laying on her back, her mouth wide open with a small trail of drool trailing from the corner of her mouth. Her hair was a tangled mess around her head, and small snores were coming from her with each breath.

"Well by the looks of her, I'd say she needs as much beauty sleep as she could stand to get!" Yusuke said earning a jab in the gut by Botan. They had returned to the hotel room, and Cora was sleeping on the couch.

"Cora put an extraordinary amount of energy into healing my wounds, and took on a strong host while still sporting my injuries." Kurama said, wiping the trail of drool off her cheek with tissue. "She should wake up soon I would imagine. The match ended some four hours ago." Yusuke snickered, taking great amusement from Cora's abnormal sleeping position.

Hiei stood next to the window, partially listening to the conversation though he was trying very hard to melt into the back round. His eyes flickered to the side of the couch where the object of his discomfort sat with worried eyes. Yukina had shown up out of the blue during the final match, and while he was some what relieved to see her alive and well, the fact that it was appearance that helped Kuwabara win his match made Hiei sick to his stomach. That, and Kurama's not so subtle hints about Hiei being Yukina's brother. Thank god she didn't seem to understand undertones. Kurama glanced his direction, flashing him a secret smile that made Hiei shoot him a nasty glare. Damn fox, getting off on his discomfort.

"Hiei you can go train if you wish; Yukina has volunteered to watch over Cora until she awakens." Hiei visibly stiffened, uncomfortable with Kurama using Yukina's name when he was in the room. What if she put two and two together?! Or worse what if the fool figured it out? Hiei stopped mid mental rant, thinking over what he just said. He verbally scoffed at his own thoughts. Like Cora had said earlier, Kuwabaka didn't know the alphabet, there was no way he was smart enough to understand Kurama's implications.

"Ah, wait!" Yukina said, getting to her feet in a flustered way. Hiei once again stiffened up. Oh god, oh god she figured it out- "I just wanted to say thank you. To all of you! Cora told me about you all-" Hiei felt his brow tick, a sinister glare aimed at the sleeping idiot he called a partner. "And I... I wanted to thank all of you, for coming after her. When we were with Tarukane, she kept telling me how you would all come to save the two of us. She never once doubted any of you! When I left to go back to my village, I was so worried about her being in the... hospital? But I shouldn't have worried, because she had all of you around to keep her safe while she recovered!" Yukina bowed to the whole room. "So, thank you. Thank you for taking care of my friend!" Hiei grimaced, unhappy that his innocent sister was bowing to the likes of him and the others.

"Oh Yukina, there's no need to thank us so feverishly!" Botan said, pulling Yukina out of her bow. "That's what friends are for after all!" Yukina blushed and nodded before being being lead back to her seat beside Cora who had turned over in her sleep so half her body was laying on the floor. "Come on, lets take Cora and go back to the girls room! We can get caught up while we wait for her to wake up!" Botan grabbed the sleeping Cora, dragging her much smaller body off the couch by her arms and towards the door.

"Oh, ok!" Yukina said, following after Botan with slightly worried eyes as Cora slept on.

"See ya later boys! We're gonna disappear for some girl time!" Botan chimed out before disappearing down the hall with a perky Yukina following her curiously. She jumped and turned back at he door way, bowing quickly to them.

"Oh, uh- see ya later boys!" Yukina said, mimicking Botan's words with a little uncertainty before shutting the door, leaving the boys in a confused and amused state.

"Guess Botan's excited to see Yukina again..." Yusuke said with a confused smile. Kuwabara scratched the side of his face, a small frown on his face.

"Yeah, but I was looking forward to spending time with Yukina."

Hiei scowled at that and turned back to the window, sliding it open with a loud slam. "Pathetic." He spat out before flitting from view, leaving a laughing Yusuke and a fuming Kuwabara alone with an amused Kurama.

"What crawled up his butt all of a sudden?!" Kuwabara said, plopping down onto the couch with a huff.

"Awe, he's just mad that the stole Cora away form him. He probably only cuddles with her when she's dead the world!" Yusuke said, laughing hysterically. "Isn't that considered pedophilia now that he's all mister maturity?"

"Huh?" Kuwabara said in response, only adding to Yusuke's laughter. Kurama chuckled, feeling a little guilty for laughing at Hiei's expense.

"I wouldn't let Hiei ever hear you say such things Yusuke, he might just keep his word and kill you." Kurama said as the door to the hotel room opened up, revealing the masked fighter. All laughter died in Yusuke's throat as the two stared each other down. A moment later Yusuke stood up and followed the masked fighter out of the room, leaving behind a confused Kuwabara and a speculative Kurama.

"What the hell was that all about?"


Cora could hear high pitched chatter around her, and she wanted nothing more then to slap the source. Didn't they understand what time it was?! No that she knew what time it was, but it felt way to fucking early for this shit!

"-And then Keiko stood up and yelled at this demon! You should have seen her, she was so brave!" Cora heard Botan say enthusiastically.

"Oh come on Botan, it wasn't that courageous. I turned into a big coward when he actually threatened to eat me..." Cora rolled over, her tired blue eyes landing on Keiko who looked rather flustered with herself.

"... you didn't feint from the smell of his breath. You're tougher then most humans..." Cora croaked out, her throat and mouth feeling drier then a desert. Had she been sleeping with her mouth open or something?

"Oh! Your awake!" Cora felt cool hands land gently on her shoulder making her jump in mild surprise. She turned her head, her brow scrunching in uncertainty and her mouth flapping open and closed as her mind tried to catch up with what her eyes were seeing.

"... are you sure I'm awake?" Cora said making Botan and Keiko laugh and Yukina give her a warm smile. Cora sat up, a mixture of confusion and worry etched onto her face. "Yukina? When did- how did you get here? I thought you went back to the island?" Yukina sat on the edge of the bed and it was then that Cora realized that she was in the girls hotel room, given the piles of cloths at the end of each bed and the bra's hanging off the towel hooks outside the bathrooms.

"I was given permission to return to the human world to look for my brother." Yukina said making Cora suck in a short breath, her eyes widening in preparation for the worst. "I heard about this tournament for apparitions, and thought I might find him here, but I've had no luck so far." Cora let out her bated breath, though she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for the sad look that suddenly came upon Yukina's sweet face.

"Don't worry Yukina, I'm sure if we all work together we can find your brother!" Botan said, laughing nervously.

Yukina suddenly threw her arms around Cora taking the smaller girl by surprise. "Whoa there! Where's the fire?!" Cora said, patting Yukina reassuringly on the back. "What are you trying to cry for? Not that it would bother anyone, but this place is a little dangerous to be spouting gems." Cora said in a teasing tone as Yukina pulled away, a bright smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, I was just so worried about you. The last time I saw you was right when you were admitted to the host-hops-hospital? And then when I showed up you were hibernating." Yukina said making Cora chuckle sheepishly.

"Yeaaahh, I kind of got a little over zealous during my match-"

"A little over zealous?!" Botan shouted, stopping Cora mid rant. Cora shot her a look that told her to shut her mouth making Botan stammer nervously. "I-I-I mean that's right! Just a little!"

"Anyways, I was with Hiei and the masked fighter dude when I passed out, so I'm guessing I was in good hands. Although Hiei did threaten to strip me down and toss me to the crowd if I ever forgot about what changing my body size does to my cloths again." Cora said, laughing heartily while Yukina giggled. Botan and Keiko looked disturbed at this point. Had Hiei really threatened her with that?! What kind of cruel person would do such a thing?! But then, the remembered that it was Hiei they were thinking about. Then it all made sense.

"He sure has a way of showing he cares..." Keiko mumbled under her breath to Botan while Yukina and Cora got caught up on their activities while apart.

"Tough love I suppose..." Botan whispered back.

"Well, now that I'm awake, I have some business to attend to." Cora said, stretching out her arms above her head. She heard the air conditioning in the room kick on and felt the chilled air rush across her stomach making her look down. She was still wearing the bandages and pants from the fight. Well damn. "But first I should get dressed..."

"Awe, do you have to go?" Botan asked with an exaggerated pout.

"Yeah, I've got important stuff to take care of. I'll be back before 9pm." Cora said as she stood up, wobbling a little as her legs felt a little like noodles after being in such a deep sleep. Yukina grabbed her elbow to steady her, worry furrowing her brow.

"Are you sure you have to leave right now? You really should give yourself some time to recuperate..." Cora smiled appreciatively at Yukina but nodded her head anyways.

"Yeah, the sooner I get started the sooner I can be done with it. While I'm gone, maybe Botan could show you around the hotel?" Cora said, giving Botan a pointed look. "And I'm sure the boy's could use a little cheering up. Judging by the fact that we aren't packing our bags, I'm assuming they won which means we're in the semi finals. I bet Kuwabara and Yusuke are wound tight, so that means Hiei's probably ready to kill them." The other three girls laughed lightly.

"I'll gladly show you around Yukina! Afterwards we should take some snacks and drinks to the boys room! Cora's right, they probably need the distraction." Keiko nodded, pursing her lips in thought.

"Better not bring to much beer though, or else Yusuke might try and sneak an underage drink!" Cora rolled her eyes and poked Keiko in the side as she walked past her.

"Lighten up a little; he's old enough and strong enough to fight in a tournament to save the human race, he should be allowed to have a beer or two. And besides," Cora leaned in towards Keiko's face making Keiko lean back in surprise. "Alcohol is like a truth serum- a drunk person never lies. It might be the key to getting Yusuke to confess how much he adores you!" Keiko's face bloomed into the deepest blush Cora had ever seen making her laugh heartily while making her escape before Keiko could slap her out of embarrassment. Botan was trying hard not to giggle while Yukina smiled, though she seemed a little confused by what had just happened.

"Oh wait, Cora this came for you!" Botan shouted making Cora stop at the door way. Botan rushed over and handed Cora an sealed envelope with no markings present on it's stark white surface. "It doesn't say who it's from, but the bell hop seemed determined to deliver it to you."

Cora glared down at the envelope, feel as though a brick had settled into the pit of her stomach. She didn't have to open it to know who it was from... "Thank's Botan. I should really get going. I'll see you guys later tonight, ok?" Cora said, trying hard to hide her discomfort from the letter with a crooked grin. Her ploy seemed to work, as none of the girls seemed to notice her change in domineer. "See ya!"

Botan and the other two girls waved good bye to Cora before Botan shut the door, turning to give Keiko of Cheshire cat grin. Keiko blushed and turned away from her.

"Don't even think about it-"

"Y-you know Keiko," Botan said, trying hard to hold in her mirth. "C-cora has a p-pretty good p-point! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"T-that's- it's not funny!"


Cora stepped onto the elevator, feeling a little guilty that she wasn't exactly doing what she told the girls she was doing. Sure, she had important business to attend to. Yukina had seen to that. Not that Cora was sad to see Yukina, she just... why couldn't Yukina have just waited on the main land?! Sakyo, Toguro, and Toguro's creepy older brother; they were all here on this god forsaken island, tormenting Cora's life as their ownership clause allowed them to do. But they also, technically, owned Yukina as well. But Cora thought Yukina would be safe so long as she didn't leave her village again. And Cora had been right; if Yukina had stayed with the ice maidens, she would have been safe. But now, it was a whole new ball game.

Cora felt the elevator lifting higher and higher into the air. She had a plan; it was no longer just her life at stake, but Yukina's life as well. What if Sakyo discovered she was there? Worse, he probably already did! He had eyes and ears everywhere, it wouldn't surprise Cora if Sakyo was already trying to make a move to ensnare Yukina like he had Cora. And so, Cora found herself exiting onto the 25th floor. The location of Koenma's suite.

Cora exited the elevators, looking down each side of the hall. If she were Koenma, where would she be right at that time? There were many doors down either side of the hall, and none of them appeared to be labeled in any way. "Shit..." Cora mumbled under her breath. She grasped the unopened letter firmly in her hand; she was scared to read it. What if it was Sakyo confirming her fears? Had they already set the wheels in motion to capture Yukina in their web-

"Cora?" Cora jumped nearly a foot in the air when Koenma's familiar voice rang out from her right. With a pounding heart Cora turned to face him, an embarrassed blush coming to her cheeks for being caught off guard. Well, at least she didn't have to try and find him... "What are you doing up here? Not that it's a problem, but the elevator isn't supposed to go past the 20th floor unless and authorized energy signature is occupying the elevator! This thing must be broken!" Koenma said, kicking the elevator door which made him cry out in pain.

"No sir, I can assure you it's not," Cora said, letting out a calming breath before jabbing her thumb at herself. "Untraceable energy, remember?"

"Right, right! So, what brings you up here? And are you aware that you look like you've just been in a fight?!"

"I didn't want to waste any time getting to you. Please don't read this until I tell you to." Cora said, handing the unopened letter to Koenma. "I need to borrow a pen and paper from you." Koenma eyed the envelope and Cora suspiciously. "Please, Koenma. I can guarantee this will be worth your time."

"Hmmmm... I suppose it wouldn't be a problem." Koenma said before turning on his heel. "Follow me. We can talk in the office."


An hour later, Koenma sat fuming in his office chair. His right hand man, Ogre stood over him with a nervous smile on his face while Cora sat hunched over her third piece of paper, her hand moving a mile a minute as she recorded everything she knew about her situation. Koenma was growling impatient; Cora had snuck into his suite, handed him an envelope with some kind of letter in it that he wasn't allowed to read with out her say so, and had now been sitting in his office writing god knows what for the last hour instead of talking to him, like he had intended for them to.

Cora sighed, looking over what she had written, making sure that it would make sense. She wouldn't be able to answer any questions, so her explanation had to be thorough. With baited breath she pulled the three front and back inked pages together while casting an expectant look onto Koenma. "Sir, what I am about to give to you is very important. I need you to understand, that once you have read this I will be unable to answer any of your questions."

"What's this all about? We've been watching you, you know, and I have to say this isn't making your actions look any better!" Koenma shouted making Cora sigh.

"Koenma, please." Cora said, handing over the long letter she had written him. "Once you read this, and the letter I gave you before, you will understand my strange behavior." Koenma took the pages, his eyes still holding skepticism I their brown depths.

"Before I read this, I need you to answer one question for me. Your answer could determine weather or not I take your word for it, and read your message, or if I throw these letters away and have you arrested on the spot and sentenced to death, our contract be damned." Cora hesitated for a moment; if his question had anything to do with Sakyo or her situation involving him, she wouldn't be able to answer. But if she didn't give her consent she would be arrested, which would save her, but leave Yukina unprotected. Cora nodded, the heavy brick in her stomach turning into a bolder. "If I do read these letters, what is the likely hood that what ever it is you are involved with will hinder the boy's mission to win the tournament?"

Cora paused, thinking hard on her answer."... so long as they don't know, it shouldn't effect anything. I'm not opposed to begging you Koenma... please, read my letter. And then read what's in the envelope." Cora said, her eyes pleading with Koenma to trust her. Koenma eyed her carefully, his resolve to refuse her crumbling drastically. He cleared his throat and allowed his eyes to look over the first page, the information there nearly making him choke on his own breath.

"W-what- what is this?!" Koenma demanded but Cora only shook her head.

"Keep reading." She said, fingering the sapphire pendant the hung a the hollow of her throat. "I told you that I couldn't answer any questions, remember?" Koenma's wide eyes fell onto the sapphire, understanding dancing across his face as he turned back to the letter. Cora sat patiently as he read through it multiple times, his face growing more aggravated with each reading. When he was done, he laid the letter down on the top of his desk and buried his face in his hands.

"Why... why didn't you come to me sooner? I could have helped you!" Koenma said, slamming his fist against the desk top. "What do you want me to do now? The tournaments already in the semifinals, and he has you under lock and key! Why didn't you tell the boys?" Cora shook her head, her hand clutching tightly to the sapphire that hung like a weight with in her fingers. Koenma sighed, rubbing his hands up and down his face. "What do you want me to do?"

Cora hesitated; she wasn't sure how much Sakyo was able to hear. Or was he able to hear them at all? Koenma had gone berserk about the content of the letters and even mentioned some details, but nothing had happened. Maybe it had to be Cora who spoke? "Read the envelope. I haven't read it yet, but it might hold the answer I can't give you..."

Koenma sighed, his tension level so high he was surprised he hadn't burst into flames. With nimble fingers he opened the envelope and quickly read over the contents of the letter. "You are being instructed to attend a ball of sorts this evening. And he-" Koenma sighed, laying the letter on the table. "If you do not attend, he will go after Yukina. I'm guessing that she is the reason you are here." Cora nodded her head feverishly. "If you are asking me to protect her, consider it done. I'll ask some men to keep and eye on her, but I suggest you attend this get together Sakyo has required you to attend. It says here that he isn't interested in her at the moment, but that is interest could change should you forget your place." Koenma spat out the words, disgusted by the underlying threat. "Hiei and yourself have done well to keep up your end of the bargain, and I feel responsible for this mess you are in. If I had simply waited to send you to Tarukane's mansion at the same time as the boys, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Cora sighed, shaking her head. "Don't blame yourself. We would still be here, but I wouldn't be the one in trouble."


Cora glanced around the room while sipping idly on her class of wine. The evening had been dull so far, with her doing her best to stay out of sight. After all, Sakyo had requested that she go as herself this evening and not take on a host. So there she was, dressed to the tens as herself. In a room full of team owners who were all glancing at her mid whisper, trying hard to place where they had seen her before. Not that it was hard; no other team had a white haired blue eyed girl on their team, let alone one who had taken out a demon five times her own size. To say she felt exposed would be the understatement of the year. And to think that she could almost pass as one of them, what with her elegant black off shoulder dress that fell to the floor, the exquisite sapphire, that made the blue of her eyes pop, that sat in the hollow of the throat and her silvery white hair that tumbled over her left shoulder in natural curls. Why, if they didn't know any better, they would have thought her the wife of some introverted high class business man. But they did know her, and their scrutinizing stares were starting to wear her nerves thin.

A quick glimpse of the clock tipped Cora off that it was almost time to start phase two of her instructions. At 8pm exactly she was to exit the party, and wait in the outer court yard. Apparently there was someone Sakyo wanted her to meet. Cora felt apprehensive. Who on earth did Sakyo have up his sleeve that was important enough to introduce to her? She was a nobody, just a pawn in a sick game of chance he was choosing to play. Checking the clock again, Cora let out a sigh. It was 8pm. Gulping down the rest of the wine for luck, she made her way to the court yard exit and slipped away from the party.

Cora's heels clicked gently against the flag stone walk way as she took her time getting away from the building. Despite wanting to be anywhere but where she was at that moment, she could admit that it was nice to see the flowers. A vast array of roses, mums, tulips and other flowering plants lined the walk way, offering up their beauty despite the soil being tainted with blood. The fragrances that surrounded her calmed her nerves, at least a little, as they reminded her of Kurama and oddly enough of her time spent sneaking into human dwellings with Hiei when the weather was to bad to continue on their search. Cora paused in her walking, surprised that she had thought of her time spent traveling with Hiei in search of Yukina. It's been so long...

The sound of approaching foot falls made Cora spin around, surprised that she had been unable to sense the presence of the man that stood before her. He was average in height, but rather handsome with angular features and tan skin. His hair was a shocking shade of red and his eyes a shade of blue that Cora had never seen before. It was constantly shifting between shades, getting lighter and darker with each step he took towards her. He was dressed in a solid black tux with a black shirt and tie and black shoes, almost making him look as if he were attending a funeral rather then a high class party. He waved casually at her, and the way he held his shoulders told Cora that not only was unaccustomed to dressing up, he didn't enjoy a moment of it.

"Yo." He said, coming to a stop some two feet away from her. "My name is Clayton, and I'm the Alternate fighter for Team Toguro."


There you go! Sorry this one is kind of short, and I apologize if the time skip seemed like a cheap shot... but I really was stuck and just wanted to get going with the rest of the story.

Please let me know what you think!