Yu Yu Hakusho: The After Years

Episode 24: A Favor

The entrance exam proved to be brutal.

"There's no way I passed that," Hiro said with a groan, "I'll never get into the same high school as you!"

Rieka shrugged, "You should've spent more time studying and less time playing video games."

Hiro crossed his arms and pouted petulantly. But his expression softened as he saw a familiar face in the crowd of examinees spilling out of the building, "Hey, is that Ayame?"

Rieka turned to where Hiro was looking. She was bundled up against the cold and would have been easy to miss, but sure enough, it was Ayame. She saw Hiro, whose bright hair made him easy to pick out in a crowd, and waved to him, smiling, before running over to them.

"Are you taking high school entrance exams too, Ayame?" Rieka asked.

Ayame nodded, "Yes, I doubt I did very well though...I sort of missed a lot of school last year."

Hiro grinned and patted her on the back, "You can always go to technical school with me!"

Rieka rolled her eyes. She mentally noted that Ayame, now that she was clean and dressed and at a healthy weight, was actually quite cute. She had no doubt that this was a contributing factor for Hiro's sudden change in mood.

Ayame giggled lightly at this. As there was nothing funny about what Hiro said, Rieka wondered if there was a mutual feeling between the two. "I actually was hoping to run into you two. I have something important I wanted to tell you. Do you want to stop somewhere to get tea or something?"

Rieka and Hiro agreed, and they found a small place with just enough of a crowd that they wouldn't be overheard. Ayame cupped a mug of tea in her hands and blew on it carefully in such a sickeningly cute way that Rieka found it grating on her nerves. She let her own tea cool by leaving it steaming on the table.

"So what did you need to talk to us about?" Rieka asked.

Ayame put down her mug without having taken a single sip from it, "I have a favor to ask," she paused and chewed on her lower lip coyly, "Only...well, it's very dangerous and I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

Hiro leaned his cheek on his palm and made his most charming crooked smile, the one that usually got the attention of all the girls at school, "No worries, Aya-chan, we can handle our share of danger."

Rieka stared at him flatly. She wondered if his empath abilities could pick up the nausea she was feeling. She directed the feeling at him as best as she could.

Ayame smiled at Hiro, looking reassured, "I never mentioned this before...but I actually have a younger brother. He was separated from our facility because he actually has a really unique ability. He can open and close portals in  space-time. Even into other dimensions. I suppose the organization we were captured by no longer has use for him...because they're selling him to a yokai slave-trading ring."

Rieka now turned her head sympathetically towards Ayame, "That's awful..."

Ayame nodded, and her eyes looked glassy, Rieka could tell she was trying to keep a calm demeanor. Even Hiro straightened up to listen to her more seriously, "They're holding a tournament. A lot of gambling is involved and there's some pretty big cash prizes and benefits involved for the winners, but it's really a cover-up for this slave-trading business. Many of the contestants are actually slaves themselves, and the owners reap the benefits, whether it's in cash or in flesh is their choice. Izanagi should be representing a team of hybrids...my brother among them. Watching them fight can be one of the best forms of advertising to a potential buyer."

Rieka felt her blood surge, "Izanagi will be there?" She said in a harsh whisper. Her left arm throbbed at the mention of his name. She could feel Kanya's presence inside her, calling out for his blood. As the months passed, that call had been increasingly difficult to ignore.

Ayame nodded, "Yes, I was hoping you might help me since I know you have a score to settle with him. You see, the only way to get in is by registering as a competing team. Everything is electronic, so Gadget could help us falsify a team owner and register despite our ages, but a full team is five people. Gadget and I cannot make a team on our own. Would you please join our team and help us find a fifth person?" She clapped her hands together pleadingly and bowed her head.

Rieka and Hiro exchanged looks. There was no way their parents would allow such a venture. Yet, Ayame didn't possess an offensive ability, and Gadget was just a child. They couldn't very well leave them on their own. There was also the chance to get the vengeance Kanya so desperately craved against Izanagi. If she achieved that, she might actually be able to find piece with this brooding half-god inside of her. If her father got involved, she would never get to commit the act herself, and in which case, who knew if her soul would ever be at peace?

"I'll do my best to help you get your brother back," Rieka said at length.

Hiro crossed his arms uneasily, "I won't let you go on your own for something so dangerous, so of course I'll come. There's still the issue of finding a fifth person, though."

"I have someone in mind," said Rieka.

Hiro regarded her quizzically, "Who do we know who's a decent fighter and won't turn us over to our parents?"

"I'll have to see if they are even interested first, so you'll have to wait and find out. If not, you only need three wins to pass a round when it's a tournament like that. The fifth member is only needed to break a tie. We can't let Gadget fight, so it'll be up to us to win. Either way, Ayame, it sounds like you have your team."

Ayame's eyes brimmed over with tears as she reached over and grasped Rieka's hand, "Oh, thank you, thank you!"

The sudden gesture surprised Rieka, "Erm, you're welcome."

Ayame's eyes turned serious, "There's something I should let you know though. The man who runs the tournament has an...appetite...for young yokai girls. It would be better if we were to dress ourselves in a way that didn't draw attention to the fact that we're female. You don't want to draw too much attention that might have a buyer looking for a sale."

The nausea Rieka felt earlier returned, but for a different reason, "Sounds...pleasant..." she managed to say.

"Ayame, how long does this tournament last for anyway?"

"A week, why?"

"You think Gadget could make something to maybe make it look like we're going on our class trip or something? Would be kind of suspicious if we just disappeared for a week, no?"

Ayame nodded, "No worries, we'll take care of it."

Rieka stared into her mug of tea. A year ago she wouldn't have dreamed of lying to her parents or doing something this dangerous. Her reflection stared back at her. She looked less childish than she had a year ago, too. She supposed a lot of things had changed. She sipped her tea. It was cold and tasteless.