"Keep it up, only twenty more before we go back to pull ups!" the excited voice of Piper encourage, to the two males whose strong legs were strapped to a thick wall, and they were being forced to do curl ups against it. She on the other hand, was hanging by her tail, on a thin pole that she was supposed to be practicing her balancing on. Not that the feline needed it, she was swift and balanced as any of the others in this place, and some thought she was part monkey demon from how she used her tail.
Light's face was red, and his brown hair was sticking at odd angles from the sweat as he pulled himself up again, trying to repeat the exercise that so far had just made his muscles burn terribly. L's face was red, and he could only do half the exercise but that didn't mean it wasn't just as hard.
In truth, Light and L were both watching the training of one demon rather closely, her name was Aniue, and at first she'd tried to kill them. Not the fact they wanted revenge on her, but because she was so much higher up in training then they were.
As of now, she was balancing on a single bead of her own energy, with just a finger. She'd been motionless for nearly an hour, focusing on the tiny bead of energy, while Genai watched her strain. It was very hard for her to use a tiny amount of energy, or keep it tiny, but she was doing good this time.
Her eyes were focused on the ground, as she stayed balanced up in the air, and Piper was even watching.
"Heh, her problem is using *low* amounts of energy, it's quite funny to watch what happens when the training's over and Genai makes her dig underground..." Piper said as the boys just took that moment to hang upside down, panting and watching Aniue more openly now.
She swayed, and then jumped back off the bead of energy, as a tiny bead of sweat rolled down her face from somewhere within her hair. Then she bowed down on one knee to Genai, her eyes focused on his feet which in her mind was a sign of respect.
"Very good, you lasted ten minuets less then training last time." Genai said, ok, so he'd picked up his fathers sarcasm before the Spirit Detective passed on to the next world. "You need to stay focused, I'm tired of seeing you loose focus in face of people watching... this is NOT the Arctic Range, this is the middle of my training grounds. I know you're a pack demon, the students are your pack."
"Sen-" She broke off what she was saying and looked at the ground before Genai smirked and offered her a hand up from where she knelt, which she slowly took.
The contrast between Aniue and Genai was so fierce, it was amazing that the wolf demoness hadn't popped his head off yet. There was something that Genai had done to make the powerful beast respect him so much. Genai just didn't seem as strong as Aniue was, nor as fierce as the once Detective, tried to figure it out.
Aniue was a demon, Genai was a human. Aniue was cold and crude, Genai was warm and rude. Genai had the power to keep all his students in line, to what extent did Genai's power extend?
"OYYYYYYYYY! Why not have a practice battle with Aniue boss-o!" With Piper, even questions weren't questions, they were demands as Genai turned to face the cat demon. He had the same abilities as his father, but thankfully the level headedness of his mother.... still, that didn't stop him from firing off the trade marked Spirit Gun at the jaguar demoness who jumped up onto the wall to avoid it.
Ok, that sight was funny. Piper, with her claws, from both toes and fingers, clutching to the wall, her long cat like tail was fluffed out like she'd just been given a scare of some sort. Her purple and yellow cat eyes flashed, and her face had changed just a tiny bit. The fangs had grown longer, and she'd lost the smiling face she usually held.
"Meow-wow... I wiped the smile from Piper's face... help me oh help me." Genai said with a smirk as Piper let out a low hiss. "Piper, you and Aniue can battle it out in the training ring... let your two sex slaves go free so they can watch and learn." Genai said as Piper started to laugh again, before releasing L and Light...
Of course, she gave them no warning and let the two drop. L landed better then Light did, he landed crouched down on his hands and feet, while Light landed on his rear end and a curse in his mouth. Piper snorted at them, as she slid down the wall leaving evidence of her sharp claw marks on the wall.
"I thought you said Aniue was a much higher level then you are..." Light said as he stood up, clearly not happy with his own landing.
"Oh, believe me, she is." Piper said, smiling as she walked towards the outer ring of the temple grounds. "In fact, if she doesn't hold back, she could easily kill me." She said grinning, as if she was happy about going to her death.
"... you're a very curious person. Have you no value of your own life?" L asked as the demoness paused for a moment, and looked back curiously at him.
"What makes you ask that?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.
"You don't care that your own life is in danger of death, instead you just smile and-"
L's words were interrupted by Piper, "Don't misinterpret my excitement, for the idea that I entertain thoughts of death. Aniue is an amazing training partner, and from her I learned one important fact.... As a half bred demon, I have the qualities of more then one race of demon. I have the claws of the cat demon... and the speed of my father. With my size, if I get pinned the fight is over. I must cut, cut and cut my way through, being as swift and agile as I possibly can be." She explained, as she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail.
"If an opponent pins me, I'm through. I don't have the hard skin of a golem demon, nor the repairing genes of some phoenix demons. Everything I am, is speed and claws. As long as I remember that I am not some unstoppable force, I'll be alright. I'm not above throwing the towel in either.." She admitted as she stuck out her tongue and gave a peace sign as they came to a new part of the floating temple.
It was a large battle ring, much like those used in the Dark Tournament, with a small stadium around it, quite an exciting area to be in for the battle between any couple demons.
Usually, the first few rows, or a few drops of the students were here and there throughout the stadium for a Battle between a few students, but word traveled like wild fire that Piper and Aniue would be going at it, under the watchful eye of Genai. The stadium was packed with nearly all 237 students under Genai's training.
"I suppose seeing the top student fight is always worth a good turn out.." L mumbled, as Light and L went up the stairs to find somewhere to sit and watch. Fortunately for them, Botan had saved them a spot near the front, so they'd be sure to see every gruesome detail the fight would bring about.
As Light and L settled in next to Botan, the two students entered the ring, both polar opposites. First off, Aniue with her snow white hair and arctic blue eyes, then Piper with her black hair and purple and golden cat eyes. Aniue wore a white tunic top, and matching pants, that matched the silvery white fur on her tail, and then Piper wore a dark purple tunic top, with matching pants and of course, shoes with the toes cut off.
It was a common fashion for Genai's students, and though there was a wide variety of colors, one certain grim reaper still stuck out like a sore thumb, aside from of course, the bright pink wolf demon and a few others.
The two combatants bowed to one another, before the fierce battle began with the unleashing of their energy. To newbies like Light, and L, seeing the power of two high leveled demons was unparalleled. Aniue's energy flowed in a mist like curtain around her, the ground around her slick as ice, and just as shinny while Piper's energy burst out like flames of the blackest night.
This... This would be a fight that would never leave Light or L's mind. Their first true battle, the sort of thing they would be doing, except under completely different circumstances...
They would fight demons, fight for justice, fight for peace, fight for everything they were ordered to, or fight just because they were ordered to. But nothing... would ever compare with this fight in their minds at the instant it began.
Wolves were pack animals, and so they functioned best in a group at taking down prey, but Aniue fought with an attack she called 'Arctic Fist' which seemed like a devastating move. Piper's speed brought her away from the strike, but the energy hit the ground, as jets of ice formed making the arena that much harder to move around.
Light couldn't help but hold his breath as Piper seemed to vanish at the speeds she was gaining, he prayed for her safety. She was useful to both himself and L, she was supervising their training with an iron fist.
As Piper zipped across the arena heading for Aniue, the wolf demoness jumped into the air, getting a good thirty feet off the ground before using the Arctic Fist attack again, except in a wider range this time. She was turning the battle arena to an arctic field of frozen fury.
Genai watched with a knowing smile from the side of the ring. Aniue was taking away Piper's maneuverability, and she was making sure Piper knew it too. Aniue was over confidant, she always had been. Piper was a lower class as of now, but the mutt was steadily rising through the ranks and everything Genai could throw at her. She had become a support to the new Spirit Detective just as her father unwillingly had many years ago.
Aniue however, had no desire to be apart of any team. She was a wolf, she should be friendly and desire company, but ever since Genai had found her those years ago she never desired the company of anyone. Genai himself had managed to defeat her in training three times, then she'd grown stronger then he was. The true task of any of his students, was to defeat the predator who had just landed among the arctic battle field, ice shards jutting out in random and odd places making it difficult for Piper to move. The ice was slick as a greased butter pan on a hot summers day...
"Piper, I'm sick of playing, come out so I can crush-" She broke off as Piper darted out from the right, making Aniue have to lean back to avoid getting part of her face chopped off. Piper's sharp claws did manage to score a hit across the others tunic covered chest, but no real damage was done.
Aniue flipped back onto her feet, as she looked around the icy battle field, as a thought suddenly crossed her mind, Piper had claws like she had balance... she was USING the ice this time.
Botan watched with great interest, as Aniue started to stumble backwards and side to side for what seemed like no reason at all.
"She looks like she's drunk..." Light said staring in shock. This whole battle had him shocked, he couldn't believe his eyes...
"Can't you two see what's happening? Piper's trying to attack and Aniue keeps moving..." She said as if she could see it clearly as any of the others watching the battle.
Then it happened, a spurt of blood came from Aniue's right arm, four individual cuts forming under the tunic when Aniue finally grabbed ahold of some part of Piper, which happened to be an arm, and then crashed her head against Piper's.
No one laughed as Piper was knocked out so easily by Aniue's hard head, but instead cheered as the wolf demoness brought a hand up to her wound to inspect the blood that was leaking from it. A shallow wound, but a wound none the less...
Aniue's arctic eyes hardened as she looked down at Piper, and Genai suddenly sent out a surge of energy that obliterated all of the ice shards and juttings from the arena.
"Aniue is the Winner.." He said going and kneeling to scoop up Piper. He was proud of the kitty cat demon, she was showing a huge amount of improvement. He was also proud to see how pale the two humans had gone... Oh the fun.
--
Piper: Ok, what am I? Am I a kitty cat demon, jaguar demon, half bred demon what?!
Aniue: Calm down. I think everyone knows your half jaguar demon, and half Koorime.
Piper: Ok... so all these changes are just...
Light: Insulting Nicknames it looks like.
Piper: -angry twitch-
Aniue: Ehehehehehe... well, I'm glad people are liking this fan fiction, I hope it's something new, something devious, and something unusual you're liking to sink your teeth...eyes... into!
L: Our writer feels very good when she gets new reviews, it makes her feel important.
Light: She's an idiot who enjoys screwing with random fanfiction....
Piper: -face palm- Yeah, she's going to be doing a Harry Potter and a Pokemon Fanfiction before too long... heck, she might get it up later today who knows!
Aniue: Suuuush! All of you hush up!
Next time on Light, the Next Spirit Detective:
Piper wakes up, and gives the boys a huge work out. Light tries to figure out whose the most useful demon in the temple, and will try to bribe them to working with him and L.