Chapter 3:
                      "Cat and Dog"

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        Kurama didn't move. The people wondered, "Is he scared?", "Is
he in shock?" Neko's Cat Thorn Attack was getting closer, and closer...

        "KURAMA!!!" Yuusuke's voice pierced the still air. The youkai
audience made no sound, made no comment. Kuwabara's mouth gaped open
in disbelief. Hiei kept his face expressionless, and so did Koenma.
Several gasps were heard from the audience, including Cheval and
Yuusuke.

        Neko stilled at the sight before her: Kurama had countered her
attack!

        "FUU KA EN BU JIN*!!", Kurama yelled, and thousands of
blade-like petals appeared, destroying all the deadly thorns of Neko's
attack. Neko stared at Kurama, dumb-founded. {He is not to be
underestimated.} She thought, then looked at the man who had stopped
her Cat Thorn attack. His arms were outstretched, and knife-like
petals were blowing all around him. In the background, Yuusuke,
Kuwabara, along with Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, and Yukina, were cheering
their necks off.

        The announcer spoke into the microphone. "What a wonderful
show, ladies and gentlemen! Kurama was able to counterattack Neko's
Cat Thorn Attack with his Fuu Ka En Bu Jin! What other exciting things
do they have up their sleeves?"

        "Y-you stopped my attack!" Neko said in bewilderment minutes
later, after Kurama had stopped doing the Fuu Ka En Bu Jin. Kurama
swept his long titian hair back, and smiled at Neko.

        "You use plants just like I do." He remarked, a smile still
fixed on his pleasant face. "Your attack was very admirable."

        "Really? Then why aren't you attacking me? Is it because I'm a
girl, is that it?" She asked, forming a curious expression, her big,
round violet eyes blinking up at him in wonder.

        "You are human," Kurama explained. "I wouldn't dare hurt a
human. If you were youkai, then I would have attacked you long before
your Cat Thorn attack."

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        Hiei watched silently as the two in the ring conversed. He had
been unusually quiet, however his brain was turning approximately at
the speed of light**. {Hn, they talk too much. They'd better get it
over with!} He thought impatiently. His senses reeled all of a sudden.
It was an uneasy feeling, sinking, groping, within his bones. {Battle
aura!} He turned his head abruptly to see where the strong force was
coming from. His eyes met with danger. Steel blue windows of the soul.
Ookami. Death played within those depths, craving for battle, craving
for blood, craving for glory.

        {His power... I feel it. It's beyond human! Will he be my
opponent?}

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        "Since you put it that way," Neko replied, casually. "I shall
change my form. If being NOT human is the only way..." She closed her
eyes, and raised her arms. A glittering light emerged from her
forehead, lighting the entire stadium. Magical light. Powerful. Kurama
felt his back chilling at the strong force. Around him, youkai were
exclaiming, shouting, yelling... "What did the woman say??", "What is
she doing??".

        "What is happening here, ladies and gentlemen?" The announcer
said, nervously, purring in fright as beams of bright light encircled
the arena. "It looks as if Neko is changing! Will she become a youkai?"

        This time it was Kurama's turn to be speechless. The cute
thorn- attacking human Neko was a youkai? Who called upon them to
enter The Other World Tournament? Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and the girls
stopped cheering. Koenma waited, beads of sweat pouring down his
temple. Hiei remained passive, dwelling in his own thoughts.

        "Neko," Cheval called. "Be careful!"

        Koenma turned to look at Cheval, his heart hammering in his
chest. Cheval kept her gaze intently on Neko, her fists tightly
clenched to control her anxiety. {I remember.}, Koenma thought to
himself, lighting up. {She is a Sprite from the Forest of Unicorns, a
magical forest in Reikai.}

        Kuwabara gave Koenma an odd look. "Is there something wrong,
Koenma?"

        "Huh? Nothing," Koenma quipped. "I was just thinking that
there's no doubt that their power is very strong."

        Hiei, snapping out of his thoughts, agreed. "Yes, I, too, can
feel it."

        "What?!" Yuusuke replied, flabbergasted. "But what if--??"

================================================================================

        The bright light encircling the stadium slowly diminished.
Kurama opened his eyes as soon as the blinding light had gone,
revealing before him Neko, but no longer human. Instead, she was now
half cat. Her now cat-like eyes stared back at Kurama, daring him for
battle. Her cat ears twitching at the faintest sound of youkai. Her
tail wagging at him, provoking him to fight.

        "Are you ready?" She gave a challenging purr of seduction.
"Are you ready to fight? Are you a coward??" Her voice increased
pitch. She positioned herself for a fighting stance. She raised a
fist, her index finger taunting him to make a move. Then she laughed.
It sounded more like a meow, than a human laugh. That did it.

        {If I don't fight, I'm the one who's gonna get it. Girl or no
girl, I really need to fight her. There's no other way.} Kurama
contemplated, gritting his teeth, his hands shaking from his decision.

        "People," The announcer shouted onto the microphone, unable to
believe her eyes. "Neko has become half human, half cat...uh... like
me! Is she a youkai?" The announcer jumped up, then shrieked when a
cloud of purplish smoke surrounded the ring. The cat-girl announcer
followed the direction of the smoke. It lead to none other than
Kurama! The announcer looked up at Kurama, and saw no trace of his
crimson hair, nor his emerald-green eyes. Instead, she faced a tall
man clothed in white; his hair as silver as moondust, and his eyes,
golden- yellow, sharp and piercing, as if extinguishing the soul.

        "There you have it, people," The cat-emcee observed, and
added, "Kurama has changed into his demonic fox form! He is now known
as the youkai, Youko Kurama!" Upon hearing this, the youkai audience
wildly cheered and applauded. Cheval's eyes widened at Kurama's
transformation, her fists clenched tighter.

        "I'm not a coward," Yohko Kurama corrected Neko. His voice was
much deeper now. It was menacing, almost frightening. "I'm just giving
you a chance to use your abilities, to let you reach your full
potential. But, now I'm afraid I can't do that anymore."

================================================================================

        Shizuru puffed on her cigarette. Then she let out a cloud of
smoke, as her expression turned thoughtful. "Yuusuke and the others
have to be careful." She said suddenly, a brief trace of fear lining
her features, but which quickly disappeared after a short pause.
Keiko, Botan, and Yukina looked at her with nervous glances.

        "Why's that?" Botan asked without blinking, her bubbly
disposition had left her, leaving only worry. Yukina felt it, and
touched her shoulder to reassure her that everything would turn out
all right. Keiko hid her worried expression and managed a smile,
though it hurt at the corners.

        "I can feel their energy, Botan," Shizuru replied, her
eyebrows knotting together. "Their power is strong!" And she took
another puff to calm her senses.
Keiko continued to hug Puu. The tears were welling up in her big brown
eyes, but Keiko scolded herself, {Don't cry, don't cry. Everything
will be all right.}.

================================================================================

        Kuwabara continued to look oddly at Koenma. "Do you know
something about them?" He asked, somehow controlling his urge to
strangle the young man with the "Jr." symbol on his forehead.

        "There is a possibility that their energy could be greater
than ours," Koenma replied, lowering his head to face the floor,
closing his eyes, thinking.

        "What?!" Yuusuke burst out. "What kind of beings are they??
How--"

        "Hn!" Hiei interrupted. "Shut up, all of you! They're going to
start fighting seriously now!" But he didn't turn around to face them.
His eyes were fixed on the ring where Youko Kurama, and halfling Neko
stood.

        "Hmmm?" Yuusuke teased. "I'm sure you want to know too, don't
you?"

        Yuusuke was right, but Hiei did not utter a word.

================================================================================

        Neko and Youko Kurama stood facing each other, exchanging
stares of challenge, smiling smugly at each other, as if knowing a
hidden truth within themselves. The stadium turned silent, as the
youkai audience watched, waiting for the slightest move or action to
come from the two contenders. All eyes turned to Kurama as he lifted
his hand, and showed Neko what was in it. It was a seedling. However,
it grew so rapidly that a minute later, it was a foot long!

        "Do you see this?" Youko Kurama asked her, his tone low and
velvetty. Neko looked at the strange plant in his hand, and nodded.
Youko continued. "At my orders, this little vine will grow and wrap
around you until you can't breathe!"

        Neko replied with a smile, and countered. "I have a plan just
like yours, but I won't tell you what it is. It's a secret." A
mischievous gleam sparkled in her eyes.

        "That's good." Remarked Youko. "I like surprises. But you'd
better show it to me fast and soon, before I finish you off!"

        "I am a cat," Neko added. "And foxes are dogs. This going to
be a fun fight. I'm going to enjoy this." And she purred contently,
mocking him, angering him. He couldn't stand it. He attacked! Neko
could only gasp at his sudden move. She quickly jumped out of the way
to avoid his attack, but...

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Coming up next... Chapter 4: "Victory? Neko's Petals of Destruction!"



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