Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

-Demon Dancers and PuppetMasters- by Nemesis Q. Ravens

Chapter Thirteen

Back in the sleeping quarters of the Dark Tournament stadium, the three hostages sat huddled together. All of them anxiously listening for some sign of what was going on in the arena. They didn’t even know who was winning because the announcer’s voice was so muffled and distorted.

Botan and Keiko nervously wrung their hands and would sporadically burst into tears. It was Yukina that who was the pillar of strength and who comforted the pair whenever despair struck. Her soft words and heart-felt hugs would slow and stop the flooding eyes of the two. However, as the cheering grew in volume, the three could only assume that Team Kyrios was winning and even Yukina had begun to lose hope.

But it was the Kyrios trio that had real reasons worry. Team Uremeshi was winning by three victories and one loss. Even if Nemesis defeated Janie, the Uremeshi team would be named the Dark Tournament Champions. Yet there was a remaining question; was Nemesis going to defeat Janie or was Nemesis going to be defeated by Janie?

From what was occurring in the arena though, it looked as if Nemesis had the odds in her favor. She and PuppetMaster were currently facing off with Janie who glared defiantly between the two. Shifting her emerald gaze from the Demon Dancer to PuppetMaster, Janie scoffed at the towering beast of smoking flesh that stood protectively in front of Nemesis.

“Are you so weak that you require a demon soul to fight your battles for you?” Janie taunted. “Or do you merely dirty your hands with the slaughtering of innocent people? Are you that pathetic and dishonorable?”

Nemesis’ body language did not reveal what she was thinking or feeling. From all appearances, the Demon Dancer could have cared less… or she could have possibly not have heard Janie.

When she did not react to those words, Janie growled and ran forward. She charged toward Nemesis but kept an eye on PuppetMaster, ready to defend herself from an attack. When she got close enough however, the demon soul did not attack, it merely snatched Janie up mid-stride by her strawberry-blonde hair. She gritted her teeth against the pain as she dangled there and swung her sword in vain at the hand holding her.

“Let her go, PuppetMaster,” Nemesis ordered. It dropped Janie immediately. “So you wish to fight fairly? We can fight fairly. Just you and me; the murderess and the avenging mother going head-to-head, so to speak.”

Janie smirked and nodded her head. “Good. Let‘s go,” she said and charged.

She rapidly closed the distance between them and readied the sword to cut Nemesis down. The Demon Dancer remained still as her opponent sped towards her. Then as the two were a mere two feet apart, Nemesis sidestepped and as Janie zipped by, she planted her right foot hard into the blonde’s side just below the ribs. Because of the hit Janie stumbled and fell. Nemesis snatched her knife and with a sharp flick of her wrist, threw it at her.

Luckily she rolled in time and getting to her feet, the blonde threw Nemesis’ blade back at her. As the Demon Dancer grabbed the knife, Janie rushed again. Swinging her katana at Nemesis, Janie tried to land a fatal blow. However, the Demon Dancer snapped the ribbon tied around her hand. Its black length wrapped about the sword’s blade as Nemesis moved to the side so as not to be trampled by the vengeful mother.

As the ribbon was pulled taunt, the two women faced each other. Green eyes connected with shaded blue ones. The tension rose and was snapped when Janie yanked on her blade and pulled Nemesis forward.

The pair fell to the ground when the Demon Dancer toppled into Janie. The sword was knocked away so the Uremeshi team member balled up her fist, reached way back, and asserted herself by a blow to Nemesis’ gut. In retaliation, Nemesis wrapped the ribbon around Janie’s throat in hopes of strangling her.

As her face slowly changed colors, Janie struggled to get a hold of the black ribbon cutting off her air supply. Then when she realized that that was not about to happen any time soon, she grabbed the knife sheathed at her hip. Janie immediately sliced through the ribbon around her throat and before Nemesis could react, thrust it forward.

The blade, on its way towards Nemesis’ hidden face, pulled the hood back and nicked the skin beside the Demon Dancer’s eye. It was not much damage, but it was just enough to make her pause.

Nemesis fell back with a hand to her face and glared at Janie. The blonde, not yet looking into the other’s face, snatched her fallen sword. She stood and raised the blade to strike her opponent and stopped.

The katana slipped from Janie’s numb fingers and fell to land dully on the ground. Her green eyes were wide and darted to each of her adversary’s facial features wildly. Her jaw had gone slack and Janie’s knees buckled. The vengeful mother was stunned at what she saw.

The two women stared at each other silently. One gazed impassively at the other, who in turn, with unblinking and stunned eyes, gazed back. Both were as still as stone and just as quiet. Finally the surreal moment was broken with a whispered question.

“Marissa?” murmured Janie. “Is that really you?”

Nemesis didn’t reply. She continued to stare coldly at the woman kneeling before her. Then she nodded her head once.

Janie’s eyes lit with joy. “Marissa! My baby!” she cried and pulled Nemesis into a tight hug. After a moment of holding Nemesis closely, she loosened her hold and retreated enough to cradle the blue eyed woman’s face in her hands. “Oh God,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. “How I’ve longed to hold you again.”

On and on Janie went. Nemesis had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Finally when she could stand no more, Nemesis brushed Janie’s hands away. She even called Janie’s name to catch her attention.

“Janie. Janie,” she said. The Demon Dancer finally sighed. “Mother.”

The woman stopped talking and her green eyes focused on Nemesis’ face. “What Marissa?”

It was then as the cool, uncaring sapphire eyes hardened into deep and chilling bits of dark blue ice that the emerald gems that were Janie’s clouded over with shock and betrayal.

“Rot in hell,” said the Demon Dancer and twisted the blade she had just plunged into Janie’s abdomen. “…Mother.”

The blonde’s eye filmed over with death as she fell backwards. All throughout the Dark Tournament stadium the crowds erupted with one gigantic scream when she fell back dead. Everyone, with the obvious exception of Team Uremeshi, happily cheered Nemesis on as she stood up and over the corpse of Janie and then exited the fighting ring.

The following moments seemed surreal to the Uremeshi team members as they were unhappily declared the Dark Tournament Champions. All they really paid any attention to was the body of Janie being dragged away. All they really saw was Damien and Nemesis walking out of the arena towards the sleeping quarters.

“Come on,” said Kurama grimly. “We’d better go get the girls away from those two before Damien does something to them.”

Yusuke, the least injured of them all, led the way and guided the half blind Kuwabara as Hiei did the same for Kurama, who’s wounds still bled steadily. They moved towards the Dark Tournament stadium’s sleeping quarters at a slow pace, but it was as fast as they could go. The death of Janie, their newest comrade, had to be pushed to the back of their minds in order to continue on.

They reached the commons and stopped. Damien and Nemesis already waited with the three girls before them.

The trio sat bound on the floor at the couple’s feet. To their side was PuppetMaster. It was dropping flakes of charred skin like usual every now and then. Its red eyes were glowing like glowing embers. In its hand was the scarred marionette that was the demon soul’s famous weapon of choice.


Because of the ominous being’s close proximity, the girls telepathically pleaded for the Uremeshi team’s aid. Of course the four boys rose to the challenge.

“Let them go,” demanded Yusuke.

Damien smirked. “There’s no need to get your panties in a twist. I will… let them go, as you ask.”

When Damien made no move however, Uremeshi snapped.

“Do it now!”

Kyrios’ smirk faded as fast as it had appeared. In its place formed a vicious scowl.

“Do not presume to order me about, boy. You are in no position to try my kind generosity. With one word I can have the three women killed instantly.”

Yusuke’s already hot anger grew nearly unbearable. The Spirit Detective felt as if his very veins were aflame from his fury. And Kyrios was not exactly a cool bucket of water to calm the raging flames.

Clenching his fists, Yusuke shouted, “And I’m about sick of your crap. Now let them go! We came and won the Dark Tournament fairly. We did what you asked so hold up your end of the deal.”

“Very well.” Damien turned to PuppetMaster. “Release the women.”

PuppetMaster nodded and moved forward to free the girls, but Botan and Keiko screamed from behind their gags as the demon soul advanced.

“Oh for goodness sake,” muttered Damien. “Hold still, you bloody wenches so he can cut the bonds. They’re magically enhanced so that only he can cut them.”

The two stilled at Kyrios’ words, yet as PuppetMaster sliced the bonds with a chipped claw, they trembled violently in fear. Yukina though calmly waited as the demon soul removed her bonds. Then, with the same frantic urgency the other two girls flaunted time and again, Yukina shot forward to the boys to cling to Kuwabara’s arm.

“You’re hurt!” she exclaimed as she saw the blood oozing from beneath the hand pressed to the wound. “Here, let me.”

The ice demon immediately created a small chunk of frozen water and peeling the hand away, placed the ice against the bloody socket. Almost instantly the ice molded to the wound and then melted away to reveal a perfectly bandaged wound.

“You should be okay now, Kazuma,” said Yukina as she smiled up at him.

“Gee, thanks. You’re the best, Yukina,” said Kuwabara.

“It was the least I could do for the man that saved me.”

Kuwabara puffed up at the praise and smirked over at Hiei. “Did you hear that, midget? ‘The man’ that saved Yukina.”

Shooting a glare back in return, Hiei said in a cold voice, “Shut up, imbecile.”

Botan, in comparison to Yukina’s now calm and collected self, was a wreck. She clung to Kurama and wailed. On and on the blue-haired Grim Reaper wailed.

Her tears and chocking sobs grated on Kurama’s ears as he tried to quell her cries, but they were nothing to what irritation swelled in Hiei as the sounds of Botan’s bawling reverberated in his ears. Finally he could take no more. With everything that had happened that day, listening to Botan was the last thing he desired to do.

“Silence, woman!” he shouted and shook his clenched fists a few times her way. “Stop you’re crying and sniveling. Now is not the time for it, so shut up!”

Botan’s tears abruptly halted at Hiei’s words. She stared at him for a few moments and then all hell broke loose.

“Why you insufferable, little pipsqueak!” she hissed violently as she shoved Kurama away to stalk Hiei. “I almost died and you have the gall to tell me to be quiet? If you don’t watch your insensitive tongue Hiei, you’re going to lose it!”

As she spoke, Hiei had backed away from her hooked fingers’ range of destruction. He was positive that the enraged little Reaper would not hesitate to tear his throat out at that moment. And he personally enjoyed its current placement.

“Calm down, Botan,” said Keiko soothingly. She gently took the again softly sobbing woman into her arms and glared daggers over the bent head at Hiei, silently promising retribution to his actions.

Luckily for the boys, specifically Yusuke, Keiko was too busy calming Botan to begin the tirade she undoubtedly had in store. But Yusuke had other business to handle and it wasn’t the girls’ actions; it was the impassive trio watching the proceedings.

“Touching,” commented Damien lightly.

The Uremeshi group stilled and faced Kyrios, his lover, and PuppetMaster. The bright red eyes of the demon soul, the ruby-flecked chocolate eyes of Damien, and the cold sapphire eyes of Nemesis that shimmered sporadically in the flickering candlelight all gazed at the seven people callously. Each of the seven felt a sensation much like having an ice glacier sliding down into the pit of their stomachs.

“Lovely little reunion. Don’t you agree?” asked Damien to the Demon Dancer at his side.

She nodded and turned to PuppetMaster. Nemesis held out her hand and called it to her. The eleven foot tall demon soul dropped his puppet as he began to shrink. The marionette vanished at soon as it let the weapon go. The moment it had shrunk to the size of Nemesis’ little finger, it flew to her and gently landed in the palm of her hand. Nemesis slowly closed her hand and when she opened it again, the demon soul was gone.

Kyrios smirked at Yusuke and the others before turning away to leave with Nemesis. They had gotten about a dozen paces away when Uremeshi stepped forward and screamed, “Stop Kyrios! We’re not finished. Your slut and I have business.”

The couple stopped and Damien, with a furious glare, looked back and hissed, “Watch your tongue, child. You’re beginning to try my patience.”

Yusuke ignored Damien and moved his stare to Nemesis. He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists as he glowered venomously at the Demon Dancer.

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?” prodded Uremeshi. “You know exactly what fucking business we have.”

Silence issued for a few moments after Yusuke had spoken. Everyone looked between the two warily; from the back of Nemesis’ head to the hateful stare of Yusuke. The Demon Dancer didn’t turn around yet. She continued to face the other away.

“Janie…” said Nemesis finally. “It’s about Janie, isn’t it?”

He answered with his own questions. “How could you do that? Janie never did anything to you! What reason could you possibly have to kill her?”

The bare shoulders hunched forward briefly and Yusuke and the others believed that she was expressing remorse. And then her shoulders began to shake. Is she crying? they thought.

No, Nemesis was laughing. “ ‘No reason’?” she repeated. “I had every reason to kill that hag.”

The Demon Dancer turned her head to look back. “Let me guess,” she said turning fully to face Yusuke. “Janie has made you swear to get vengeance for Marissa, correct?”

Uremeshi nodded.

“I assumed as much,” commented Nemesis quietly. She paused before continuing. “Well don’t bother. That worthless ingrate, Janie died trying to kill me and you’ll only meet the same fate she did if you try. Do yourself and that woman beside you a favor; walk away and enjoy your pitiful lives.”

Yusuke didn’t respond for a moment. He was trying to understand how Nemesis could be so compassionless about killing. He couldn’t even grasp the concept of death that Damien and so many others found appealing.

While he was busy thinking, Nemesis and Damien had again turned and walked away. The couple had gotten mere feet away from the exit when Uremeshi returned to reality and took matters into his own hands again.

“Hey! Come back here!” he shouted.

Damien didn’t even look back this time. He just raised a hand to him and replied with a solitary finger.

Then in front of the lovers, a black portal appeared. They coolly entered the spinning darkness, leaving the group of people behind. Yusuke of course, did not like that. He had sworn to Janie that he’d her daughter death. And when death clouded over Janie’s eyes, he’d sworn to himself to avenge Janie alongside of her daughter. He gave no thought to Janie and Nemesis brief dialogue in the ring where the blonde called Nemesis Marissa.

The portal was closing.

Yusuke began sprinting. He watched the edges of the portal drawn inward. Then he leapt through. Uremeshi felt the air zipping by as he entered the portal and fell.

Rolling up onto his feet, Yusuke saw the couple up ahead. He brought his hands up together without thinking and screamed, “Shotgun!”

The Spirit Energy sped towards Nemesis’ unsuspecting back. Uremeshi could almost taste revenge and that’s when Damien shoved the Demon Dancer aside and took the blast himself. He fell and landed with a dull thud.

Nemesis stared unbelieving at the sight before her. Damien, her mate, her partner, her own love, was dead.

She couldn’t do much of anything but stare for a moment. Her mouth opened and closed and mere squeaks exited her mouth.

“No.”

Denial was the first thing Nemesis experienced after the sight sunk in.

“No, no, no, no…” Nemesis was shaking her head. “No.”

There was no one to comfort her with the loss of Damien. The man she loved.

“Damien..”

No response from his body. No rise or fall of the chest she’d caressed countless times. Not one movement of those lips that capture hers aggressively during the passion they shared on a myriad of occasions. No sign of life.

All signs of death.

“No!”

Nemesis screamed. She ran to his side. The body never acknowledged her presence above it.

She shook him. She yelled at him. She clutched desperately at him. Nothing. He never moved. Finally, Nemesis cried.

The tears ran unchecked down her pale cheeks. She did not notice. All that Nemesis felt was pure agony. The love of her life was dead. A gaping wound was created somewhere within her, she could feel it.

“Damien…”

Nemesis bent over his body and clung to him sobbing.

“I love you.”

She had never said it to Damien. He’d had enough power over her already.

“Damien, I love you. …I love you.”

How could this have happened to her? Why? Oh, why?

Nemesis’ sobs intensified. That hole in her chest was speedily expanding.

“Please… I love you, Damien. I love you. Please…”

She realized that the hole inside of her was in fact, a void; an infinitely huge void. Damien was gone. Gone just like everybody else.

“I love you.”