Part 3: Leilani's Secret
With the first round going to Team Toguro, Yusuke glared at Koto and then Juri as he remarked at the unfairness and vowed that his team would not loose again. He turned to help the near dead Kurama up and supported him as they walked off the stage. After hopping off, Yusuke dragged Kurama over to Leilani like she had requested.
"You better take good care of him," Yusuke warned the strange girl.
Leilani held onto Kurama as she reassured Yusuke that she would heal his wounds. Yusuke eyed her over as she laid Kurama on the ground before returning to his team to decide the next match. It was hard to think with the crowd's death threats and banter. One could barely hear Kuwabara defending their team with their moral victory, but the audience fell silent when the straggly Elder Toguro that crouched on his brother's shoulder began to speak.
All eyes were focused on team Toguro except for the pairs that belonged to Leilani and Kurama. Kurama lay entranced while he witnessed Leilani go through a transformation of her own. Her purple hair grew into long flowing light pink locks. Silver sparkled through the eyes that were once blue. Her lynx-like ears and tail gracefully emerged. Her form-fitting clothes changed into loose colored robes, similar in style to Yoko's outfit, but altered to be modest for the girl. She gazed down at the exhausted Kurama while he could scarce believe his eyes.
“What are you?” he questioned hoarsely.
“An angel,” Leilani replied.
“That’s ironic,” Kurama smirked, “an angel helping a demon.”
“Shhh. Rest now while I heal you,” she uttered.
While knelt down beside him, her dominant hand hovered over his body in search of the gashes that covered him. A small light illuminated from her fist every time she came across an open wound. Crinkling what had formed within, she sprinkled blue crushed petals over the cuts and then ran her finger across, sealing his skin back together.
Angel Heals Demon
In the meantime, Bui proceeded onto the stage and Hiei seized the opportunity while Koenma was teasing Kuwabara about dying in the match. Juri announced the giant against the shrimp. Kurama wanted to know what was going on. He attempted to sit up but Leilani gently pressed him back down.
“Hold on, I’m almost done,” she implored while concentrating her energies on his last scratch on his shoulder, “There you go.”
Upon finishing, her hand moved over his face, up the side of his cheek and then hovering over his lips. Her eyes gazed into his as time seemed to be lost for both of them. The exploding energies in the nearby ring did not effect them. Leilani extended a leg behind her to maintain balance as she brought her face closer to his. In a nervous sweat, Kurama quickly grasped her hand, pulling it away from his mouth and using it as leverage to sit up. He took the time to inspect her now empty hand and then looked over the rest of her body.
“You're covered in blood,” he observed.
“That can be easily fixed,” she stated, drawing a purple rose from behind her head.
She held it vertically in front of Kurama so he could examine it.
Kurama slyly commented, “You produce interesting roses.”
She smiled back, “Special trait.”
Leilani's free hand held Kurama's wrist and brought it up to the rose. She pressed its stem into Kurama’s fingers, causing a thorn to pierce his index finger. She then guided the finger over his blood stains on her outfit and arm, absorbing the blood and leaving Leilani spotless. When she released his wrist, the pierce she had made had disappeared.
A blow from the stage stole Kurama’s attention. He looked up to see how Hiei dodged the sections of the stage that Bui was swinging at him. Absorbed back into the fight, he rose and dusted him self off then ventured back over with his team. Yusuke glanced over and was relieved to see Kurama back on his feet. Inconspicuously, Leilani also chose to stand by Team Urameshi during this match.
It wasn’t long before Bui shed his armor, taunting Hiei about liking to see him try to top his energy aura. Hiei only smiled at him devilishly, stating that as amusing as it would be, he wouldn't even have to try to beat this power.
"Arrogant little brat, isn't he?" Leilani whispered.
"He can at least back up his claim," Bob whispered back.
Hiei started unbandaging his right arm, causing a heavy atmosphere to befall the stadium. There were mentions of a Dark Dragon that had been seen earlier in the tournament, along with Koto commenting that what Hiei had summoned from his arm was superbly more powerful than before. Leilani hid behind Kurama to avoid being instantly incinerated like some of the audience. She clenched onto Kurama's sleeves and did not emerge until after the the destruction was over and the match was announced to go to Hiei.
Wearily returning to his group, Hiei pointed at them and told them that they better win or he would kill them all. On his last breath, he fell back and fainted. Leilani sprang out from behind Kurama and crouched over the sleeping demon.
“Oh look, he’s hibernating,” oozed Leilani, “Quick, who has a marker? I have a Jigglypuff urge to draw all over his face!”
Before Kuwabara could pull out his marker, Bob reminded Leilani in a warning voice, “There are other matters at hand right now.”
“Oh, right,” Leilani said with some disappointment.
She got up and began to walk away.
“Hey,” Kuwabara shouted at her, “Where do you think you’re goin’?”
“To rejuvenate Bui, don’t think that I came just to help your team. I’m here to be fair, not to pick sides.”
