Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Enter Ceridwen ❯ Tension ( Chapter 11 )

"Great way to keep her trust Kurama," said Hiei a little too happily. "I bet she's really going to trust you now."

Kurama curled his fist. It was all he could do to keep himself from punching Hiei. Instead Kurama followed Ceridwen out of the room and stopped at her door. He knocked. A voice called from within, "Go away Kurama."

"Ceri..."

"Don't call me that like we're friends!"

"Listen. I'm sorry for telling Hiei but it was the only way I could get through to him. He didn't believe that you were under stress. Please can I come in so we can talk?"

"Just leave me alone. I don't care if I never speak to you again!" Kurama looked down at his feet, angry with himself, angry with her, but mostly angry with Hiei. If Hiei hadn't been so jealous or if he had listened to him at first then this wouldn't be happening. He turned from the door and headed down the stairs hearing Hiei laugh behind him. With his fists clenched Kurama walked into the kitchen and forced down some soup.

Yuske and Kuwabara stared but said nothing. Hiei came down in high spirits and seemed to be provoking Kurama. Yuske and Kuwabara finally got the hint and left them alone. Kurama crossed his arms and said to Hiei, "I don't care if she's mad now. What I did will help her in the long run. She will not train tomorrow."

"Fine by me," said Hiei happily. "I'm not the one she dislikes the most right now. I won't ask her to train at all but I won't refuse a request."

"If she does request to fight, which I highly doubt, you should have the better judgment to refuse her. If she continues at the rate she's at she could die."

Hiei stared at Kurama. He wasn't used to taking orders and he didn't like it at all. He said nothing and Kurama left the table. Hiei smiled to himself, Kurama was surely no threat to him now that Ceridwen hated him. If Hiei was to get her then he had to be nice and do what she wanted from now on.

The next morning Ceridwen opened her door silently. She went downstairs and made breakfast. She snagged a bit of toast and ran to her room. She ate it quickly and got back in her sleeping bag. A few minutes later her door opened. "Are you awake Ceridwen," Kurama's voice asked. She didn't move and soon heard her door close.

Ceridwen then got up and dressed. Today she wore black Capri's and black tank, plus her sneakers. She braided her hair again and stared out the window. Half an hour later the front door opened and Kuwabara, Yuske, and Kurama left. That meant that she and Hiei were the only ones here. "Perfect," she said aloud.

After the others had disappeared from sight Ceridwen knocked on Hiei's door. "Come in Ceridwen," Hiei called from inside. She walked in and saw Hiei unwrapping bandages from his right arm. His burn scars were barely visible and as he flexed his fingers and closed his eyes he said, "Still pretty painful but I could use it if I had to. Thanks for the medicine. It really helped."

"No problem," she said leaning against the doorframe. "So are we going to train today Hiei?"

Hiei's eyes opened. "You mean that after the whole show you and Kurama put on you still want to fight? What happened to being under too much stress? What about the pain?"

Ceridwen sighed loudly and crossed her arms. "If beating Scythe means I have to put my body through hell then so be it."

Hiei smiled at her. "Glad to see you're determined. Fine, we'll train today. However if Kurama finds out and throws a fit remember that you wanted to train."

"Fine. Now get up and meet me in the arena."

Hiei smiled as she turned and left his room. He knew she was strong. He knew that she could handle this. He knew she was a true warrior.

Kurama and the others finally got back to the house. They had been asking what had happened last night but Kurama refused to answer them. When they entered the house the sound of clanging metal from the arena caught their attention. Fearing the worst Kurama ran to the arena door and swung it open. He saw Hiei's sword lying on the opposite side of the arena. Ceridwen summoned it back with her telekinesis and handed it to Hiei. They crossed swords and began to fight. Ceridwen attacked fast and hard. She soon had him defending and as she struck, each blow came at full force. She knocked the sword from Hiei's hand and summoned it back. She handed it to Hiei who took it and they crossed swords again.

Kurama ran forward and got between them. "Enough," he yelled. Ceridwen used her telekinesis and sent him flying across to the other side of the room. She and Hiei began fighting again and she had his sword away in moments.

Hiei took the sword and said, "Good now try your astral projection." Ceridwen nodded. She set her shield at level ten and projected her body's image. Hiei attacked it while keeping watch on her body. She moved her body closer to him and had him trapped. She then kicked him in the back with her body and made her projection airy. He flew through it and landed on his feet. He charged her and she stopped him. She pulled him to her shield, which tried to repel him, as she tried to attract him. He couldn't move. Her projection attacked and had she meant to kill she could have.

"Good," Hiei called. "Now your energy!"

Ceridwen summoned her spirit energy and it crackled like lightning in her hands. "No," Kurama called. He tried to run between them again but she stopped him and made him fall asleep. She sent her energy at Hiei who dodged it. She then trapped him in midair and hit him with it. He fell to the ground and stood, grinning at her.

"Very good. That's all we will do one on one. From now on we will practice as a team. You can let Kurama up now."

Ceridwen nodded and let Kurama awaken. Hiei left the arena and Kurama glared at his back. Angry, he chased after Hiei.

In their room he screamed, "I thought I told you not to train her!"

"She came to me and practically demanded to train. Her words were 'if beating Scythe means I have to put my body through hell then so be it.' I had to respect her wishes Kurama."

"You could have made her entire nervous system crash Hiei! If she had died during that session would you have regretted it?"

"How can you ask that Kurama? Of course I would have regretted it. But now she is ready. We can train as a team every other day. This will let her body recuperate and then she will be fine. That was the whole point of today's session."

"I don't like this Hiei. You're turning her in to you."

"Is that so bad Kurama? She is focused and strong. Like me she is virtually unbeatable."

"She is still human Hiei. She shouldn't become you. Not this way. You should know better. You have watched countless people die because of situations like this. And yet you let it happen to the one person you supposedly care for? I am ashamed to say I know you."

Hiei said, "In one week we will leave for the Tournament Kurama. Will you be among us?"

Kurama softened. "Yes I will. I don't know why but I will."

The next week was shaky between everyone. Yuske and Kuwabara said little to anyone else and Ceridwen still refused to talk to Kurama. She even started to give Hiei the silent treatment. The good news was that her body no longer protested her movements. Also she felt powerful. The day arrived to leave for the Tournament. On the way out Ceridwen crossed paths with Kurama. She said, "If you apologize again I will forgive you."

Kurama smiled and said, "I'm sorry I broke my promise."

Ceridwen smiled back and hugged Kurama. Hiei walked down the stairs at that moment and glared at them both. When he had descended Ceridwen hugged him too. It seemed that all tension had been lifted off of them all. As they traveled there was a lot of talking. Most of it came from Kuwabara who seemed determined to tell them the meaning of all his dreams he's had since he got his dream book. Kurama, Hiei and Ceridwen were mostly silent but it was no longer uncomfortable. They would smile whenever they caught one another's eye. Ceridwen looked out the window of the plane and soon her destination hit her. In just a little over a week she would enter the stadium and soon after that she would fight Lord Vall. Once he was dead Lady Elva would go too. Then it was the Peril's turn.