A Fight for the Light
The Order to the Shinobi
I was coming back to the hotel after a long walk when I saw Touya and Jin rushing into the lobby. I had heard they were fighting that day and I assumed they had won from their joyful appearance. Rushing in behind them, I called out, "Jin-chan! Touya-san!"
They turned when they heard me but stayed put. They didn't come closer. I wondered why but didn't ask.
"We'll come to yer room in five, 'k?" Jin shouted. Then Touya and Jin turned back and headed for the stairs.
"Okay Jin-chan! See you then!" I waved and then headed for the elevator.
When I got up to my room, I went into my mini-fridge and pulled out the drinks and snacks. Then I set my little table up on the bed and put the snacks and drinks there. I sat down and waited patiently.
A few minutes later a quick knock came on the door. I got up and opened it and Jin and Touya rushed in.
"Hello boys," I smiled as I shut the door. "There's snacks and drinks on the table. Feel free to sit down and make yourselves at home."
"Alicia, lass, there's somethin' we needs to tell ye," Jin said gravely as he took a seat on the bed.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The thing is," Touya sat down on the bed as well, "We're forbidden to speak to you, until you renounce membership to Team Urameshi. Risho stated that if we speak with you currently, he'll punish us for 'conspiring with the enemy.'"
"Then what the hell are you doing here!?" I shouted. "Get out! If Risho discovers you're here--!"
"Relax, he thinks we're out scouting for weaknesses in our next opponent," Touya grabbed a green iced tea and took a sip.
"No alcohol? What the 'ell kind o' Irish person are you!?" Jin looked at me angrily after he had searched the table for alcohol.
"I'm not a drinker like you. I can't take alcohol. Just small doses of it do a big number on me," I blushed.
"Same as always, ain't ye? Ye never did handle alcohol well. I 'member one time, ye was sipping wine one second and ye were asleep in yer chair the next."
"I'm still like that," I nodded as I joined the two boys on the bed.
"If ye drank, ye wouldn't be like that," Jin argued.
"Yeah, but then the family history of alcoholism would set in and I'd be getting wasted every night," I mumbled in response.
"You have a family history of alcoholism, Alicia?" Touya asked.
"Yeah, and a strong one too. On both sides of the family," I sighed.
"Well, that makes three of us then," Touya said. "My parents and their parents and their parents' parents… they were all heavy drinkers- every last one."
"And we all know about Jin's family," I laughed.
"Wha's that s'posed t' mean? Ye got a problem with me family?" Jin glanced at me crossly.
"'Course not. I love your little sis to pieces. Saki's one of my best gal pals. Actually, now that I rethink it, she might be the only girl I'm good friends with," I began to think it over.
"Saki?" Touya looked to Jin. "Little sister?"
"Yep, me little sister Saki."
"I didn't know you had a sister."
"Did you know I have ten blood brothers and two blood sisters and yet no actual siblings?" I asked.
"No. I didn't know any of that."
"I think I've proven the point. We never discuss family with you."
"Why not? You two clearly discuss it with each other," Touya said, somewhat disheartened by his sudden awareness of all the information he was never told.
"Well, the thing is, Touya-san, you never tell us about your family so we figured maybe you didn't want to hear about ours," I insisted as I sipped my orange cream soda.
Jin, who had forsaken the conversation to find something good to drink within the mess on the table, said to himself aloud, "Well at least this one's in the same sorta bottle that alcohol comes in," and picked out a vanilla cream soda. He twisted off the cap and took a swig.
"So, Alicia, about our orders…. We can still meet with you every so often but it must be as clandestine as possible and you need to learn to ignore us when we pass by."
"No need. I won't make you two risk such punishment. I'm going to retract my offer to fight for Team Urameshi as an alternate," I objected, frowning.
"But Alicia--," Touya opened his mouth to protest.
"They don't need me anyway. I'll work alongside you and the other shinobi, though I detest Risho and Bakken. I'll even give you tips and battle tactics if you all promise not to maim or kill the members of Team Urameshi."
"You'd turn on them like that?" Touya asked, quite surprised at my treachery.
"I hate to tell you, but Team Urameshi is substantially stronger than your team. Even if I give you all the weaknesses of the team, I doubt you'll win."
"Did ye ha' t' be so honest about it?" Jin queried.
"I'm sorry but it's true," I nodded softly. "However, even if you lose… I'll guarantee you two a place at my house if I can convince Koenma to let you two stay in the human world."
"We'll try winning first. Then we'll try your idea if that fails," Touya insisted.
......
"You're what?!" Koenma shrieked. "But Alicia you can't!"
"I can and I will!" I insisted. "I'm withdrawing my offer to fight as the team alternate."
"Alicia, why would you do such a thing?" Kurama asked.
"She's turned traitor on us… just like every other woman I've ever met. She's no different from all the others," Hiei said coldly. It stung, oh how it stung to hear him say that but…
"You're right. It's true. It's all true. I'm a traitorous bitch. I'm leaving this team so I can join Team Masho as their alternate. I even offered to expose your weaknesses in exchange for letting you survive the matches," I admitted.
"Why did you do such a thing!? You stupid bitch!" Yusuke shouted.
"Leave the girl alone. She's doing what she feels is best for all. Team Masho is on a very valiant quest here at the tournament. She offered the secrets in exchange for our lives but… Alicia, do you honestly think they can win?" Genkai asked.
"No, not at all. There's no way they can win. However, I am confident that they could send a few of you to the grave. That's why I offered to expose you all. I save your lives by giving away your weaknesses and… I save their lives as well. I give them enough of an edge that they'll at least live through the match, though I know they won't win."
"An honorable betrayal," Kurama remarked. "How ironic."
"I'm sorry. I did what I had to. I hope you all can forgive me, though I'll understand if you don't," I got up and left. Hiei disappeared from the room shortly after me. No one from Team Urameshi, to this day, knows where he went, but I do.
When I go back to my room, I opened my door and walked inside. I sensed no yoki in the room so I jumped when, upon flopping down on the bed, I suddenly saw Hiei sitting on the chair in the corner.
"You put this chair in this corner as if you intended for someone to watch you sleep," Hiei remarked. He got up and crossed the room.
"I really put it there for naughty demons that need a time out. Speaking of which, I need a time out about now. I've been a horrible, horrible person today," I sighed.
"I can't argue. You've become like all the other women I've known," Hiei remarked. He clearly intended to continue but I stopped him.
"Please, don't… I know I'm a horrid traitor but please don't say I'm like them. I did what I did to protect everyone. I did it to protect you."
"Ridiculous," Hiei grumbled. He got up and began pacing around the room. "No pitiful dishonest bastard who needs someone to tell them how to fight could ever hurt me."
"Hiei, I know about your arm," I said softly. His eyes widened. "You'd be crippled with one touch to that arm. You'd make a quick kill. The way I've planned things, you'll live."
"Maybe… I was a bit harsh with my words," Hiei changed his mind. "All the other women I've known turned on me to kill me."
"I know. I'm sorry Hiei."
"So who are these Team Masho people?" Hiei asked.
"Promise to keep it a secret?" I asked, a tiny smirk on my lips.
"I don't make promises," Hiei growled. "Promises are for the weak and foolish."
"Okay then, the members of Team Masho will remain my little secret," I giggled. I could tell it was eating away at him. He knew they had to be powerful and renowned by the way I spoke. He couldn't stand it.
"Fine! I promise!"
"Pinky promise?" I asked, holding up my pinky.
"No way in hell am I going to do that damned, ridiculous Ningen ritual," Hiei said coldly.
"Fine with me," I said. Then I began to sing softly, teasingly, "Do you know the big secret? No, I don't please tell me it. Have you ever heard of them? Yes, Team Masho is infamous, man."
"God dammit," Hiei latched his pinky to mind. "By the way, you suck at writing songs."
"I made it up off the top of my head. Gimme a break. Besides, I coulda done worse. At least it rhymed and made sense," I argued.
"I don't give a damn about your stupid song! Just tell me who they are!"
"Googily vow that you won't tell, first."
"You're starting to piss me off, you foolish woman," Hiei's eye twitched in anger.
"I's only jokin. Jeez, lighten up a bit, will ye?"
"Since when do you have an Irish accent?"
"Sorry, I picked it up from Jin-chan. When I'm around Jin-chan, I pick up his accent. It comes and goes but it's there."
"Jin? The Jin?" Hiei asked. "The infamous shinobi, Jin, the Wind Master?"
"Yep, There's Jin-chan and Touya-san, and Gama, and Risho, and the really gross stinky guy who's about 9 feet tall that me and Jin like to call Biggie," I giggled.
"And you offered to expose us!? They'll slaughter us all!" Hiei shouted.
"Hiei, I'm really sorry to say this, but their reputation greatly precedes them. I should know. I grew up alongside Touya and Jin and the only one stronger than them is Risho and Risho isn't much stronger."
"For your sake, I hope you're right," Hiei said coldly. "If anything happens out there, I swear I'll come to kill you, even if I'm already dead."
"I'll see you when our teams fight but for now you've got to go. Otherwise, I'll be put through unspeakable punishments for fraternizing with the enemy."