Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Dark Tournament Semi-Finals
============================================================
Hordes of screaming demons that filled the entire stadium
jolted
Yuusuke from his thoughts. He looked around, glaring at the hideously
ugly faces of the youkai seated around Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, Koenma,
and himself. They were at the semi-finals of the Ankoku Bujutsukai,
the semi-finals of the Dark Tournament of the Other World. Urameshi
Yuusuke, along with his comrades, waited. Patience. They've gotten
this far; just a few more obstacles to conquer.
{Only one more team to go before we meet up with that no-good,
motherf----ng Toguro!} Yuusuke thought, slamming his fist into his
opposite palm. It had been days ago when Yuusuke had discovered that
Toguro had lived. For some reason, he had survived the defeat at
Yuusuke's hands. Somehow. {But how...?} Yuusuke's expression turned
bitter, and he found it unbelievably hard to swallow.
"Hey, what'sa matter, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked, jamming his
elbow
into Yuusuke's stomach. "You nervous or something?"
"What did you SAY???" Yuusuke flared. He brandished a fist
right
under Kuwabara's nose. Then he smiled, lowering his arm. "I was just
thinking about when I face that sh-t-faced Toguro again; the fight is
nearing."
The screams of the youkai grew louder. "Hurry it up!", "Start
the
fight!", "Finish off those humans!" and others of the like burned
themselves into Yuusuke's ears.
A few feet away, Hiei scowled. "Useless bunch of cowards." he
muttered under his breath.
The crowd grew even more restless as the time dragged on. Just
as
the five fighters were about to relax, the opposing team emerged from
the dimly-lit doorway leading into the dark and forbidding arena.
Yuusuke and his teammates straightened suddenly at the sight
of the
newcomers, their curiosity ignited. They appeared to be human, as they
didn't feel the slightest bit of spirit or demonic energy emanating
from
their beings.
"Humans." Kurama exclaimed quietly. Hiei, overhearing what
Kurama
had said, nodded in agreement.
"Hah! Figures why they don't look very formidable." Kuwabara
commented egotistically.
"Hn," Hiei scoffed. "Look who's talking."
Kuwabara was about to retort when the announcer jumped up onto
the
ring, microphone in hand. "Ahem...All right, ladies and gentlemen, the
match for the semi-final round is about to begin!" she yelled into the
mike.
There was a huge roar of approval from the youkai. Several
demons
were already hopping around on top of each other, provoking yelps of
anger and protest. A few seats above them, Keiko, Botan, Shizuru,
Yukina, and Puu watched in anticipation as the two parties faced each
other with looks of calculating coldness. Keiko touched her hand to
her
breast, and felt the rapid beating of her heart. Anxiety filled her
very
core, as it quaked throughout her body, making it difficult for her to
breath.
{Yuusuke...}
"Keiko," a voice cut through her fearful reverie. Keiko,
startled,
turned to look at Botan. The blue-haired deity was smiling
reassuringly
at her, however worry clouded the depths of her once cheerful, clear,
bright eyes. "They won't lose. Have faith in Yuusuke."
"Botan's right," added Shizuru, as she took a confident puff
from
her cigarette, and closed her eyes. "Yuusuke will win. What good is a
fiance if he doesn't impress his girl?"
Keiko was too weak to laugh at the silly joke, but she was
able to
manage a faint smile, which took much effort as it played across her
lips. {That's right,} She thought, her mind screaming for Yuusuke to
stop fighting. {We're to be married once this is over...} Puu gently
nudged Keiko to comfort her, and she hugged him fiercely, fighting
back
the tears.
========================================================================
Yuusuke looked at the players of the opposing team with
interest.
There were five of them to pit against his team and himself, but which
one was their leader? Which one was the strongest? He couldn't really
be
sure; these fighters were either truly humans who'd gotten themselves
mixed up in a bet or something, or they were extraordinary beings who
were simply hiding their full strength.
{To hell with it! I'm bound to find out sooner or later,
anyway.
Might as well get a better look at these guys.}
Yuusuke's intense gaze settled first on a petite young girl
who
looked to be about the same age as he, yet there was something
mysterious about those sapphire-blue eyes. Her hair hung in cascading
waves of shining light-blue about her slender shoulders. He caught a
glimpse of a diamond, as bright as glittering ice, on her forehead.
"That's..." Koenma's voice trailed off, leaving Kurama and
Hiei to
looking strangely at him. Koenma eyed the girl, as she stood just
outside the ring, silently praying for the wellfare of her players.
Familiarity racked at Koenma's brain.
"What's wrong, Koenma?" Kurama asked, half concerned. "Is
there a
problem?"
Koenma shook his head, and turned back his attention to the
scene
taking place in the ring.
"Alright," announced the cat-girl holding the microphone, "On
this
side, we have the Unicorn team, composed of Neko, Koumari, Ookami,
Kuma,
and Sentoru."
"And on this side," she continued, outstretching her arm to
indicate Yuusuke and his comrades' presence. "We have the Urameshi
team
composed of Yuusuke, Koenma, Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara!"
The teams retreated back to their posts after the brief intro-
duction. The stadium echoed with the annoyingly loud voices of youkai
audience. Kuwabara, Kurama, and Yuusuke seem distraught at the fact
that
there were two women on the opposing team.
"I don't understand," Kuwabara said with utter bewilderment,
swaying his arms wildly in the air. "How can two fragile-looking women
like Neko and Koumari fight such strong men like us?"
"Hmp, even if they're women," Hiei replied, smirking wryly at
Kuwabara. "They must be above average since they made it all this way
to
the semi-finals."
========================================================================
Cheval looked at Koenma from a distance, her graceful figure
unmoving. Her hair, which was the color of the Earth's sky, danced
with
the wind. Her lips felt dry. {Dry because of fear for my friends?} She
thought. {Or dry because of someone dear to the heart, yet a stranger
to
the mind?} She licked her lips.
"Cheval," Sentoru chided softly. "Don't you worry. We can
defeat
them no problem." He smiled at her; the smile that always melted her
heart. He squeezed her shoulder for reassurance, then ran off to join
their teammates.
"Uroko..." Cheval whispered his real name as though it were a
priceless piece of treasure, fragile and easily broken.
========================================================================
"I'll start." Neko said confidently, giggling like a childish
schoolgirl. "I just hope I don't get a panic attack." And she marched
up
to the ring as ready as ever.
"The players of the first match come to the center of the
ring!"
The announcer called to both teams. "We are about to start!"
As sounds of excited youkai were heard amongst the audience,
Kurama stepped forward. "Yuusuke, I'll be the first."
Yuusuke nodded in approval, and wished him goodluck. Hiei,
Koenma,
Kuwabara, and Yuusuke watched as Kurama walked towards the ring with
his
shoulders straight, and his head held high. {He isn't a loser} Yuusuke
thought proudly. {He has the traits of a winner, no matter how many
fights he's lost.}
==========================================================================
**************************************************************************
Coming up next... Chapter 2: "Kurama vs. Neko; If There Be Thorns..."
_____________________________________________________________________
Sent by RocketMail. Get your free e-mail at http://www.rocketmail.com