Disclaimer: Do I even need to say this again? I thought I made it plenty clear that I don't own anthing save for my OCs and the plot.
Iris's POV
It was going so well. I went on for more than a year without them knowing about my special abilities. I didn't want them to know, and I could've gone forever without telling them. Although I usually felt the need to tell even one person my secrets, to get rid of some of the burden, this I felt content to take with me to my grave; telling would've put that burden on my shoulders. I wanted to be burden-free.
That is…before this half-human half-creature appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything. I didn't even get to see the thing. I just heard my friends intake a sharp breath, and when I looked in their direction, I saw that they were looking not really at me, but somewhere over my shoulder. Before I even had the time to ask the questions that were looming in my mind or even turn around, something grabbed me by the shoulders and pinned me to something hard. A hand clutched my throat painfully, but not enough for me to lose my breath.
Demon, Luna whispered, alarmed that I was in such close proximity to one. I have never encountered a demon before, but she told me many stories of her past adventures that mainly concerned demons from a land called Spirit World.
A deep, odd voice rang from behind me, very close to my ear. A voice that shook in its deepness and seemed to echo all around. "Turn yourselves in or the girl dies," he said. I was much too panicked and scared to contemplate the meaning behind the words, but it did seem odd, as unfocused as I was, that this demon would have any business with my friends.
My heart rate sped up at only the mere thought of that strong hand clutching my throat. I didn't know how strong this demon was, but considering what Luna told me about demons, I wouldn't be surprised if he was strong enough to snap my neck like a twig. In my panic, and due to my lack of concentration, everybody's thoughts turned back on. I didn't even try to turn them back off; I was too frightened, too distracted, and much too confused. Yusuke's full-blown stream of curses and Kurama's soft, but urgent and angry voice were the most distinct.
Everything happened in a few seconds' time.
I heard shouting again, overlapping with the voices I heard in my head, though they were one and the same.
"Let her go, she has nothing to do with this!" Yusuke shouted stepping forward. How many times I heard that line in movies I never thought one day somebody might be talking about me.
"No, she doesn't, but that doesn't mean I can't use her," the demon said in his deep, throaty voice. "Let me take you guys back to Spirit World to my master and I will gladly let her go."
The words 'Spirit World' made me focus. Luna told me about that place, but I didn't understand what my friends would have anything to do with it. A place full of God-forsaken creatures, demons and apparition.
"No, Hiei," I heard Kurama's urgent whisper to something that Hiei said or did and I didn't hear.
"Coward!" I heard Kuwabara yell.
"All right, all right!" Yusuke said, resigned. "We'll go. Just let her go."
Hiei snorted. "You go, Spirit Detective, I'm not going anywhere to the likes of him."
"But, Hiei! Iris!" said both Kuwabara and Kurama.
This was all too confusing. My concentration on their conversation started slipping. I didn't know what was going on, but I had one fact straight at least: we were all threatened by this demon. I knew immediately it had to be me who fought him.
It had to be me who fought him because he didn't know about my powers. Nobody did. I was putting in a great risk. All this time, I hid my powers from them. What else could I do? Who wouldn't be horrified if they knew? Who wouldn't suspect that I invaded their privacy and their mind on countless occasions? I didn't want to lose the friends that I just got. But I knew that I to risk my losing them as opposed to them going with this demon and have something happen to them. They will find out once I enter his mind because of my flash tattoo. With that in mind, I closed my eyes and took control of the powers I long ago denied myself to have.
I was so tense, with the demon's chest against my back and the fear of loosing my friends, I could've sworn I felt my tattoo moving on the right side of my face, though, of course, that wasn't possible.
I entered his mind easily. It was left bare and unprotected, completely open for me to explore, or, as it was my intention in this situation, twist it to my desire. I didn't dwell on his thoughts since he's made those perfectly clear to all of us. Instead, I toyed around with his imagination. I manipulated it and created a realistic image of me suddenly disappearing. I was only vaguely aware of him gasp and letting me go on confusion, but I didn't move in case that would ruin my concentration. I had to have total control.
In his head, I remained invisible, slipped around him and attacked him with a series of punches in real life would be too powerful for me to deliver. He howled in rage and in pain, he but didn't give up. I had to do more than that to defeat him. Instead, I searched his memories for the image of his master and a threat he received before and used that in my scheme. I didn't need the master's face, so instead, I used his voice, anger thick in his tone. "You have failed me! I told you I don't forgive and forget, and this isn't the first time you failed either! My patience is at its limit. You shall be thrown in the pit of everlasting fire." I called upon the image of the pit of everlasting fire from his memory as he was looking down upon it and imagined him falling, deeper and deeper into it.
I didn't know if that was enough or not, but I decided to act quickly. I opened my eyes, and knowing that if the images weren't convincing enough, he will recover soon, I said to the others: "Now! Quick, before he realizes what happened!"
Only after I said that I realized they were staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed at me, even Hiei. I stepped to the side to give them space to act, and then I saw the demon crumpled to his knees at my feet. He was losing control and was going deeper into the imaginary hole. It seemed took him too far. In my numbness I realized how ridiculous this was. Though the illusion was supposed to convincing, I never intended it to scar him for life.
Hiei snapped out of it first and moved his katana so fast that once I blinked I knew I missed the whole thing. Next thing I knew, Hiei was sitting just a few feet away from where the demon stood – where now was only a pile of dust. It didn't matter anymore that my illusion was too real for him, but I realized, as I locked gazes with each of my friends, Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara and lastly, Hiei, that for them it mattered.
Silence fell for the longest of time. A cold, ear-slipping silence that was seemed so loud to me I had to say something. "Um…" I wanted to say something that would explain what just happened, but nothing more came out.
"How come—why—how did—" Yusuke sputtered, apparently just as speechless as I felt.
"Iris?" I heard Kurama speak to me, my name usually sounding so sweet coming form his lips. Not this time though. I couldn't quite pin-point the change in his tone, but I heard it all right.
Hiei, again, was the first to snap out of it out of them all. Faster than I ever saw him move, faster than I thought possible, he was right in front of me looking grim. "How did you come to have such powers?" his tone surprised me. It was angry, almost hateful.
I stammered under his powerful stare. "I—I was born with them." I saw movement from the corner of my eye, but I couldn't look away form his crimson gaze. It was so intense and so full of hate I took an involuntary step back. He followed me suit and actually drew out his katana.
He barely let me finish when he threw other questions at me. "Why didn't you tell us about them? How come we couldn't feel your Spirit Energy? Where did you really come from? Who do you work for?"
His questions angered me. It was like I was a completely different person with these powers.
"Hey, that's our friend you're harassing!" I heard Kuwabara bellow at him at the same time Yusuke yelled, "Hiei! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurama was the only one who was silent. I looked into his eyes but his expression was unreadable. He closed in all emotion from showing on his face.
"You fools! She could be a spy for the Spirit World demons!" Hiei retorted, not taking his eyes off of me.
"If she was, why did she fight the demon that was just here?" Kuwabara shot back. "Why would she help us?"
"It might have been a cover-up, to win our trust."
"Hiei, this is nonsense, put your sword down," Kurama said, his tone sounding calm, but still firm, as he stepped closer. I was slightly relieved that he didn't share Hiei's new opinion of me, but I didn't have much time for that relief to set in.
"Make me, Fox-boy! If you're fool enough to be convinced by her pretty face, I know I'm not," he snarled.
I didn't know what to do. I couldn't fight him off in my anger because that might prove his point. How can I prove my trust to him?
Help me, I spoke to Luna instead, who's wisdom I hoped it might help me in this situation.
Answer his questions firmly, was all she said.
So I did – I broke off the verbal fight they were having and started talking, as calmly as I could muster. "I didn't tell anybody of my powers. You shouldn't judge me because you didn't tell me anything either. You couldn't sense my Spirit Energy because I didn't use my powers up until now. I came from where I initially told you I came from and I don't work for anybody in that sense."
I spoke firmly and looked him straight in the eye. If he wouldn't believe my words, maybe he'd believe what he sees in my eyes.
"She's speaking the truth, Hiei," Kurama said, softly. My eyes darted to his face again and as he smiled at me when I met his eyes, the relief was more pronounced. Hiei regarded me a little while longer as if Kurama hasn't spoken. Then, I felt my muscles unclench as he lowered his katana.
When I finally took my eyes off of him, I noticed Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama standing right beside Hiei. Yusuke was grinning form ear to ear, apparently really pleased about something. I couldn't seem to find my voice to ask the questions that were looming in my mind nor the explanation that I knew I should give. Luckily, Yusuke broke the silence first. "Ok," he said, rubbing his hands together, "We're all gonna come clean. No more secrets."
A/N: This version is better, I think, though not very different from the original. A little more detail in some actions that I haven't really touched on in the original piece. I thought it would be better for me to split this one into chapters. It's much too long to be let alone like this.
Hope you like it! R&R!