A/N:
Hm...-scratches head- well, first off, I have to say that I am at quite the dilemma here. For once in my life I'm out of characters, and there definitely aren't enough to start the fights. But here is my slow and pain-staking progress--
Team Ukishima: (the 1st fighter listed is captain)
1. Masked Fighter
2. Alianore
3. Kay
4. Mar-lo
5.
Alternate: STILL NEEDED.
Team TianLung Feng:
1. Shira Trusea
2. Thomas Maximillian
3.
4.
5.
Alternate: NONE YET.
Team TC:
1. Sabrina Aino (that's me, 'cause basically this is my team)
2. Kayla Dawn (also Rei)
3. J Gensin
4. Plui Gensin
5. Venus Gensin
Alternate: MEH...
And yeah that's pretty much it. Unless I retrieve my old notebook of characters from its watery grave (-sweatdrop-) then it's as good as shot till I get some new. And note to Redangel none of your characters have gotten through, gomen.
And I have been asked a horrible question by Ashley D. It's so horrible I can't even type it. At least not yet. And plus not many people even care, so why am I still typing? Oh well then...let's just move on, shall we?
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Hotaru blinked her eyes open. How long had she been asleep? She turned on her side to look, since she was laying down. Her King breathed softly beside her, his arm casually slung over her shoulders.
She opened her mouth to scream--how did he get her here! She made no sound, yet continued to be open-mouthed. Then she recalled last night's events. She'd played along. Her part was done. It was time to go.
She carefully slid from beneath the King, setting his arm on a pillow to trick him in his sleep. She crept over to her bureau in the darkness, she didn't dare try a light. With caution she opened each creaky drawer, pulling out her old Reikai Tantei demon-hunter clothes. Silently she slipped into her jeans and pulled her blue sweatshirt over her head. (You can fill in the various...other garments...)
Hotaru looked back at the King. "Goodbye, my sweet," she whispered, mostly to herself in the darkness of the room. She slipped out into the hall, softly closing the door behind her.
Once outside the room, she flew down the hall, her gym shoes barely touching the carpeted floors as she flitted down flight upon flight of stairs. She couldn't stay. Not as long as her King had this kind of power over her.
These thoughts floated through her mind as she leapt out a window, stealing an oar from one of the ferry girls, never to return to the Reikai.
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The King sat up. Hotaru had already left.
It was pretty much his own fault...this he already knew. He'd taken advantage of his beautiful Hotaru-chan, thrown her aside and cast away her value to him.
There were more where she came from.
The King sighed, flicking on a light. Nothing ever seemed to go his way. He'd lost his first love; Keiko, and then his second love; Hotaru. Life never seemed to favor him.
He stood, stretching. He pulled on his clothes, feeling cramped and encased in this tiny building. (It felt tiny to him, no matter how many square acres it took up.) A midnight stroll would do him some good.
Eijiro interrupted his peaceful thoughts as she burst in through the door, gasping for breath. She turned to look at her King; her face flushed brilliant red as she saw him half-naked.
"Gomen...gomen!" she muttered, turning around to hide her face with her kimono sleeve. "Um...my King, my liege, there is a Kurama-san here to see you..."
She never finished. Her King cut her off, letting loose a string of swears she'd never heard put into a more vile sentence--she covered her ears before he could finish.
The King finished dressing before running down the stairs and into the main hall where Kurama-san was waiting for him.
"Ohisashiburi," Kurama-san greeted him, bowing. The King greeted him in the same manner. Kurama-san continued, "You have some nerve--sending us this." he held out the invitation to the tournament, throwing it down at the King's feet.
The King did not stoop to pick it up. "I will not respond to that kind of tolerance," he said coldly, "if you have come here only to trade insults, Kurama, then I suggest you get the hell out of here." He glared death Kurama's way.
Kurama didn't flinch. "I've only come here to ask you on behalf of Keiko-sama where this petty fight of yours is taking place."
"Of course," said the King, retaining his cool. "Keiko-sama. I remember her. Would you like to join us for dinner, Kurama?" he jumped onto a new topic.
"Skip the formalities--I only want the answer to my question."
The King sighed, rolling his eyes. "I have not decided yet. Come, join me for dinner, then I shall tell you."
Kurama didn't look to happy with the prospect of joining the King for dinner, but accepted politely anyway.
The King paused before turning to go into the dining hall, saying, "And your kitsune friend may join us as well."
Kurama whirled around, seeing Alianore's swirled black tail swish behind a pillar. He motioned for her to come out, and she did, ears pinned back and tail drooping, as if ashamed of being caught.
The King shook his head; these people who seemed to think he cared enough to invite them to dinner didn't even realize what pawn they played in the enticing game the King had involved himself so deeply in.
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Hotaru knocked on the old wooden door of Genkai's temple. There probably wouldn't be anyone even there anymore; even if there was, she doubted they would allow her inside.
Instead, Hiei-san opened the door. He said nothing, but moved aside to let Hotaru in. She entered, it'd been so long since she'd been in any sort of temple.
Hiei looked her over, then motioned for her to follow him. He led her inside the temple and into the main room, where Yukina-chan sat with tear gems in her pale hands and Kazuma Kuwabara hovered over her shoulder like a coat.
Kuwabara looked up for a minute, finally noticing Hotaru's presence. Yukina looked up as well. She smiled, standing up to welcome Hotaru. Kuwabara trailed after her, joining Yukina in a giant bone-crushing hug with Hotaru.
Hiei hung back--not particularly eager to participate in the hug. Hotaru smiled, her old friends had welcomed her back despite the horrible traitor she'd been to them. She pulled Hiei inside the midst of the hug despite his efforts to go unnoticed, forcing him to be hugged by his least favorite person, Kuwabara.
While Hiei and Kuwabara picked a fight with each other, Yukina stood back, looking at Hotaru. She smiled, even though tear gems fell freely from her cheeks. "Okaeri, Hotaru."
Hotaru smiled back, tears gathering in her own eyes. "Okaeri, Yukina."
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A/N: Yeah OK I realize that was a little sappy, but...not much I can do about that.
Hm...well, I really don't have too much more to say...so...until the next chapter, ja ne!
Translations:
Ohisashiburi- a greeting used for someone you haven't seen in a while.
Okaeri- welcome home.
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-S-chan