Standard disclaimer: see profile
warning: 1, this story is definitely reaching its least pleasant parts; and the chapter 9 is gonna be really angsty...at least for me.
2, male + male relationships, if you don`t like it, what are you doing here anyway?!!!
AN: only one word: FINALLY^^
Welcome to the third part of Makai Rumours. And leave a sentence or two, if you feel like it.
Oh, and I used this ************* to mark those illusion-attacks that Hiei suffers.
8 Manipulation
Shien's obscure shape hastily checked the huge rocks before him. When he found what he was looking for he sent out a signal – a specific one; decipherable only by his master.
An entryway appeared; and a wave of anticipation caused Shien's pulse to gallop faster than a pair of irate horses. It made him dash forward; he rushed through the labyrinths of secret passages as if the constantly present mental image of the one whom he served hadn't sufficed to keep him breathing anymore.
"I've been waiting…"
The melodic dark but strangely smooth voice made every cell of Shien's kneeling body twinge; yet that voice provided just a poor tenth of all sensations which Shien perceived at that moment. At last, he could quench his thirst; drinking out of his master's sacred, fragile, almost ethereal beauty. He could lean on his poise and melt in the intensity of his youki; indulge in the shape of his physique and take in his scent. He could even learn the taste of his fingers as his lord's fingertips slightly caressed his face and he could not...no, he did not want to – avoid pressing his lips against them, licking them.
The physical presence of his adored overwhelmed all of his senses; so at that point he didn't care for anything. The less for something as trivial as having the information he'd carefully gathered extracted right out of his mind and instantly erased.
"Hm…Jaganshi came back…alone." Anraku – for that was the name of Shien's master – allowed himself a several minutes-lasting luxury of cogitation. And the longer he was musing, the more pleased his expression became.
"You've brought wonderful news Shien; I think you deserve a reward." To restore the lost eye contact, Thyss pushed his servant's chin up. "I can give you anything; you know it. So what is it you want?"
Instinctively, Shien cast his eyes down.
"Show me what you want." Anraku demanded; forcing his attendant's face back up to make Shien's eyes focus at him.
"Show it!" Seeing the hesitation that he hated, Anra commanded.
The fantasy of warmth and naked silk of pale skin which Shien carried in his mind would have cost every slave his life; but this one was willing to strip himself of any fear or shame when it came down to execution of his lord's orders.
"Spoiling your minions again?" A person that could have been Anraku's mirror image stepped into the brusquely furnished cavern, commenting the scene unfolding there with a sarcastic bass voice.
"Father always told me to take good care for my toys. That way they wouldn't break so fast; he said." Without letting his concentration waver, Anraku welcomed his older twin with a smirk.
"…That's why you killed him?"
Shien's uncontrolled body made a loud thump against the ground as Anraku took over his psyche, leading his emotions and sensations - in accordance with his wishes - into the deepest pits of lustful ecstasy which came out of Shien's illusion of having his master moaning his name underneath him.
"Thyss."
Although his eyes were still smiling, Anraku without any sense of rush turned away from Shien to finally face his sibling. "Forget the past. NOW is the only time that matters."
Thyss used the groan which worked its way out from Shien's throat as an excuse for diverting eyes from his younger twin. He felt it; he could perceive how Anraku dared to probe his mind-- to penetrate him, own him; the same way as he was doing with Shien. Nonetheless his abilities managed to block his advance; the same way as thousand times before.
As it was supposed to be.
"Aren`t you ashamed to misuse mother`s heritage just to begrime other minds to your own picture?" Thyss shook his head in what seemed to be a medley of disbelief, disappointment and repulsion.
"…misuse…? My lovely; and which purpose of my manipulation techniques would be justified? If I used it exclusively to settle our clan`s matters? Or our family`s?" The corners of Anraku's lips went up to grinningly express his arrogance: "Tell me; what is good enough for you? What should I do with my abilities to live up to your expectation?"
"My expectations…?"Thyss sinisterly snarled. "You are--"
"-What…? Daring; to throw the truth right into the face of my clan`s leader…?" Anra moved closer to his kinsman, softly like a tiger on a hunt. "Or intriguing; because even he with all his power and skill cannot predict all of my actions…?"
Anra stopped; only at a hair`s distance from Thyss.
"Or simply…irresistible...?"
Maybe from the lack of physical touch, he lifted his hand to caress his brother's cheek; then he led his palm down across his neck and rested it on his chest. "...So what if I use it also for my private pleasure?" He murmured, with lips half an inch away from his brother`s ear.
Suddenly, Thyss felt like something soft, wet and hot gently touched his earlobe and started tracing it.
Irritated, he pushed Anraku forcefully away: "Irresistible?! More; you make me feel like throwing up!"
Anraku`s small gasp followed by snicker was the only sign allowed to reveal his disturbance.
"Stop playing these stupid games with recruits; your youki is needed elsewhere," Thyss continued in the same upset voice. "If you`re horny move your arse instead of your mind; go out of this insipid hole and find someone to screw in the good old traditional way."
"Thyss…"
Thyss shuddered, for his name came out from his brother`s mouth as a sensual whisper, mortifying it without mercy.
"…I don't need to go out and fuck some filthy adventitious beast when there`s somebody better here…I love."
"Don`t start with that one again!" Thyss groaned. "You love only one being and that`s definitely not me. If you could fuck yourself you would; but since you can`t stick your cock into your own ass you are probably thinking that taking the closest substitute must suffice!"
"So lucky to have a twin; aren`t I…?" Anraku's tone turned flagrantly sarcastic as he straightened up and moved back to check on the state of Shien`s still aroused, even if collapsed body.
Few seconds later Shien was released from his fantasy; and his master allowed sleep to creep in and claim both his servant`s drained mind and exhausted body.
"The situation turned out simpler than I presumed. We can launch it by morrow evening."
"Tomorrow?" Thyss accepted the change of topic with a frown: "Don`t rush; we have much more time than that. Jaganshi is not some low-class demon. I heard rumours that he is unpredictable; and I bet Kurama allowed him to pick up a trick or two just to keep him in shape."
Shrill sound of laughter echoed from the cavern`s walls, filling it; and each of its alcoves: "If you happen to meet that bastard, thank him. That one theft robbed me of sleep for many nights. But this time he did a good half of the job for us. All that`s left is creating the most suitable image for the emotional form I`ve chosen to extract from the Koorime cross. Just a child`s play."
"Child`s play…? Jaganshi is a different class than Yamime, Taytta or Shien; his will is probably harder to break than anybody`s that you gained until now. You make it sound like you wouldn't be aware."
"Believe me; I`m very well aware of his abilities. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to suggest this. But you know; where`s no risk…" His voice turned steel cold. "Even if different, mind always stays mind. And there is a basic but still effective way how to seize Jaganshi`s. It would be me who claims this puppet; so let me judge its limits. And stop holding up; I`ve got some work to do."
The last words came out harsher than Thyss was used to hear from his brother; yet he was fully in accord with their content.
"Don`t worry; I haven`t planned to stay any longer. Let me know when you`re ready."
"As if you wouldn't sense it."
Without paying attention to his younger twin`s retort, Thyss used one of his four master techniques and disappeared, like a mist in rays of the morning sun.
"Let me know…?" Anra returned to Shien`s resting body and poked it with his toes. "That man…" he sighed. "He really pisses me off."
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"What do you see?"
Of all possible questions that Hiei expected Mukuro to ask, this was the one he hadn`t counted with. The less, that it was her only reaction to his provokingly brief (only five clipped sentences containing) report.
He stepped closer to the window to look at what she was pointing at.
"Soldiers."
"Correct."
It would be not far from truth to state that Hiei was perplexed. It was not unusual to see soldiers train in this part of the fortress; in fact, the only unusual thing he spotted here was this un-talkative Mukuro.
An unpleasant presentiment crept into his brain like a snake.
Mukuro turned away from the window and slowly walked back to the small wooden table where Hiei had put the jewels; but instead for them, she reached for one of the masterfully ornamented chess pieces and started examining it.
"Do you know what their purpose is?"
"The soldiers` or the chess pieces`?" Hiei had no idea what she was talking about. Yet since it didn`t look like she wanted to interrogate him about the mission, he decided for the best not to waste his time with her philosophical reflections and leave.
"The pawns`…and soldiers`. They share the same purpose."
Hiei was just about to step out of his ruler`s office when her next words made his feet freeze to the spot. "He once called you a pawn, didn't he?"
The young demon slowly turned back to regard his lord`s face, carving his expression into another – almost - immaculate performance of apathy. It had only one flaw: his apathetic face got into sharp contrast with his darkening eyes which were telling a wholly different story.
"Wastelands…those are within my territory. You can`t really expect I wouldn't get to know about things you were doing; or things he was speaking of. Which reminds me…" she paused. "…Anticipation devoured all that little capacity my staff had to lend; it's annoying how useless they've become when they heard whom you were bringing along."
Hiei inwardly groaned.
"I understand your concern, but it's pointless to make the youko wait in hiding while you check the house. I've sent him an official invitation; I assumed it was manifest that he, while being my guest, is completely under my protection. Bring him here; we`ve got some issues to discuss." After a short pause she added "You have my word. I won't do him any harm."
'Talk about un-talkative mood…' the fire apparition thought wryly.
"Kurama doesn`t need to hide anywhere; he declined your request. Believe it or not, there are matters which claim his attention more than watching your feckless servants drool over him;" Hiei had to bite his tongue for it unexpectedly went into an active battle mode. And that only due to the fact that Kurama became the topic.
"Watching my feckless servants drool…" She shook her head as if she'd just grasped something very blatant. "Have you by any chance meant yourself now? I see…so that`s why you were allowed to leave his side…"
Despite his premonition that it would stay without any desired effect, Hiei shot his lord a warning glare.
He was right; it didn't deter her.
"I remember that before this mission, you didn't even call those thieves by their names. You spoke of them solely as your adversaries. And now…"Mukuro sat down, let her left hand prop up her head while the fingers of her right hand continued playing with the chess piece. "A sober demon would never leave him-or-herself readily at the opponents' mercy; let alone tolerate their closeness day and night for several months. But by my knowledge you did; and neither you nor the thief grudged turning your backs to the other to get some sleep."
She tapped with the nail of her forefinger on the table as if in the process of thinking: "…from the fox's adversary into that fox's guard dog - that's one heavy change of attitude; what do you think?"
Had Mukuro expected a verbal respond she would have been disappointed. Hiei`s only reaction came as a scowl.
"I`d say you were not by sober mind. But you do not show any sign of violation; neither physical nor mental. However…that still doesn't exclude the possibility of manipulation."
"He – rape…me?" That instant, Hiei didn't know whether to give in to a fit of cough or fit of wrath that Mukuro had seriously considered that nonsense a real possibility. He shook his head and spoke out loud what he was thinking, in the same derisive manner as he was thinking. "Sure. I haven`t been forced to anything because in his case, seduction is more effective than violation. Making his tools wanting what he wants a way that all sides enjoy it. That`s it. Putting that aside; my ass can be hardly called an asset. That all leaves you only one option: I have been manipulated. Or you happen to know creatures like me who would volunteer to stay with him like I did out of their free will?"
"So you`ve realized…" Mukuro mumbled, noticing the undisguised irony of Hiei`s reply more than well.
"Realized what?"
"The way he`d been using you."
Hiei`s eyes darkened another two shades. "And that would be…?"
"You know it better than anyone."
For a moment, the confusion on the fire apparition`s face must have become clearly observable because now it was Mukuro who frowned.
"Deuced heedfulness whom to allow to his skin is a must if he doesn`t desire to end up with a blade in his stomach. And considering his reputation, this counts for him thrice as much. Especially with you as a stalker. I admit; he had things you needed to complete your assignment," she pushed the jewels lying on the table back before Hiei. "It had been necessary to approach him; that was why I sent YOU after him. But tell me this: what had he done to you that you volunteered to become his obedient dog…?"
"Foxes have no need for obedient guard dogs."
"My fault; let me reword it: what had you done that he threw his circumspection aside and allowed you to stay with him in his dens – knowing for certain that your katana wouldn't show any interest in piercing his entrails? I mean you needed information so you had to keep him alive. But that alone shouldn`t be a guarantee enough if he cares about staying alive. So…what had you done to change his mind?"
"Nothing special;" annoyed with her request for an answer which he didn't know, Hiei snapped. "Just wagged my tail to greet him."
She repaid his glare with one of her sharpest looks: "And the fox wagged gladly his in return, huh?"
"All the foxes I met wagged their tails when I met them. The youko was not an exception."
"That is a somewhat confident statement. How many foxes have you met?"
"Experience is what made the statement confident."
"And to prove your point, you haven`t even washed that thief`s smell off you. You`re being far too obvious."
Hiei knitted his brows in attempt to get some sense out of his ruler`s last words. "…Too obvious? What`s so obvious? That I found my reasons for keeping Kurama alive and close up to now? Or that he had his own reasons for keeping me alive and close...?!"
"He had his reasons…is that your answer to everything? What reasons could bring Youko Kurama to declare himself your…what was that again…a friend? And I'd really like to know what reason – or what defrayal - a thief parading his skills as proudly as this one could need for handing his loot back to its previous owner."
"If you want to know his reasons ask him, not me. I'm not his mouthpiece."
"And what piece of his are you?"
"I do NOT --"
It might have been the idea that Hiei was just about to bark out loud; perhaps Mukuro`s tone or something in her words. But this was the point where the vexed swordsman felt that soon his self control would disperse; tearing the veils covering his frenzy apart, baring it in all its savagism – and something more, hidden beyond. For the moment, he touched it only on the surface but soon…
He clenched his teeth.
"You do not belong to any of his pieces` collections, was that what you wanted to say?"
Despite raging thunderbolts in Hiei`s eyes, Mukuro took a pawn from the chessboard and threw it in her heir`s direction: "And what about this one?"
Hiei barely caught it and the poor chess piece was already turned into ashes.
"In essence there is no difference between you and that pawn; and that fox realized that. You are a soldier. So you too should understand that both - pawns and soldiers – exist to be either used and sacrificed, or used and kept.
"Cut the crap." Hiei, already at his limit, started to walk away. He however didn't get further than to opening the door, because a single motion of Mukuro`s head functioned as a command for the guards positioned at her office and in the corridor. Three of them blocked his way out; two others already mumbled some incantation that should tie him down. It took less than a fraction of a second and he was fighting them all at once, even if his feet felt due to that binding technique like of concrete.
"…That desperate to make me listen?" Hiei`s facial expression changed into a clearly mocking one.
"You're equipped with an instinct of a warrior that keeps you motivated."
"What?!" Hiei inquired – and his thigh suffered a deep cut. He managed to parry the rest of the hits and was ready to take the offensive, when he sensed that Mukuro used much stronger spell to prevent all of his limbs from any further movements.
"You`ve got an exceptionally strong will that keeps you alive…" she gestured for the guards to immediately leave.
"…And I know you possess common sense that has never failed to keep you loyal. Obstinate - yes; always grousing, sometimes disobedient…but loyal."
Hiei`s eyes narrowed because now he finally understood what this all was about.
Being loyal was surely sensible, since a century of his experience appeared like nothing when compared to millennia of hers.
Truth; no less it was a threat. Stylish and nicely wrapped in glittery phrases; but it was meant as a caveat.
Only that it came too late.
"So far, you`ve been an excellent specimen of a soldier;" Mukuro continued, tearing the thread of Hiei`s thoughts to tatters. "Yet despite all your indisputable qualities, I can't afford a general who puts his own interests above mine. Soldiers are bound to carry out their masters' objectives. Not somebody else`s; not even their own if they collide with their lords`. If they do so, it's over with fealty."
"Is that all you wanted to say?" Curtly, Hiei cut her off. "If you want me to resign from the post you could`ve spared the lecture and said so right away."
"Do you have a reason to resign?"
"Thousand and none; just choose what suits you best," he retorted. "Maybe I`ve been manipulated by him; maybe I haven't. Still, it was my own decision to stay with him until now. Call it an objective if you want."
"Hiei, I don`t care who you`re spreading your legs for, but--"
"- but WHAT?! If this is not about Youko Kurama then what it is about?! Have I crossed the boundaries for your definition of a loyal pawn? Your pawn, Yamime`s pawn…Kurama`s whore, Koorime`s forbidden child, Mukuro`s general, Youko`s mate, Mukuro`s heir…where`s the difference?! Your side…their side…his side…there`s always somebody else`s name, somebody else`s side. I`ve been thinking what I would do if I had to choose. Evidently, had I possessed common sense to make me allegiant as you assumed I was, that thought could`ve never crossed my mind. Laugh at me, I`ve been such an idiot. I really thought I had a choice."
Decided to finally leave the room, Hiei strenuously broke the binding spell. Not completely; but enough to shuffle his feet again. In sign of disrespect, he turned his back on Mukuro. "I don`t give a damn about your or his or other sides and objectives. From the start, I should have considered only one side as option."
"And that would be…?"
"Aren`t I being too obvious?" Hiei`s blunt voice blew the words originally uttered by Mukuro back at her.
"Where are you planning to go now?" The ruler, oddly calm, asked as her general resolutely walked out of her office.
"The main support of my loyalty collapsed. I`ll be in my cell; waiting for your decision to behead me as a traitor."
Mukuro tossed her head but let him leave without any other word spoken out loud.
'What a passionate talker you turned out to be…' She smiled as she sent the thought into the young apparition`s mind. For doing so, she got only silence.
Her smile reshaped into a waspish grin.
'I`ll send you a healer. Now go get some rest; I`d wager that`s what your body needs most. Oh, and ask somebody to show you the way. Considering the latest events, I was forced to move you into a larger chamber.'
The alertness of guards in the corridor increased tenfold when Hiei, unable to get his lord`s impertinent giggle out of mind cursed; right when he was passing them by.
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He was too preoccupied with getting Mukuro out of his mind. Not only because he couldn't stand her verbosity; there was also something he had to keep concealed from her prying habits. She didn't need to find out that her heir was mind-linked with Youko Kurama; this was something that the dark flame master considered his own private matter. Letting her think that the kitsune pushed him into a role of an ordinary sex toy was a much safer cover-up. A needed a cover-up, since nothing could be done with the air of closeness wrapping around him and that fox when they were side by side. The link… He settled for the though as an explanation.
It looked plausible. Only there was that stupid little circuit of his brain which refused to take it; the same one which protested like hell when he wanted to use the words 'Youko Kurama' and 'not belong to' in one sentence. Apart from that, this one stubborn part of him had already acknowledged how good he felt when he was taken for Kurama`s lover. Probably that was the reason why he didn't mind the whispers spreading about him taking lessons in erotic games with the legendary master of the field.
But it didn't stop there; and Hiei didn't like where it was taking him.
He felt his senses sharpened since his and Kurama`s ways separated. And though he didn't want to admit it just yet, they stretched as far as they could in search for the fox, only to get to taste the minutest remnants of his youki.
His body reacted like that of an addict; and the frustrated demon just couldn`t stand how helpless it made him.
As claimed before; Hiei was too preoccupied to get all this out of his mind. But not as much as to let the realization that he might have actually fallen for the fox - the same way as any other lowly scum in Makai – slip past his attention. And along with this humiliating self-accusation, Mukuro`s viper of doubt wormed its way into his awareness.
What if…
…Kurama really manipulated him…?
…the fox had it planned like this all along…?
Hiei resolutely shook his head.
No, he trusted that Kurama meant everything he did. Besides; what would the fox gain with making him infatuated?
The swordsman suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
Another powerful pawn…
Had he been that naïve…?
There were no words in Hiei`s vocabulary to express how disgusted with himself he was. He had never seen through Kurama; and the thief had never laid his cards on the table. Youko might have played this game to get him exactly into this position; so as to use him when the time comes as another of his tools. And to lure the suitable demons into the correct position in his plan, Youko Kurama was capable of using any available method: power…sex…sympathy…
… patience…
… care...
…acceptance.
Closeness.
In his case, Kurama would have achieved nothing with power or sex.
Merely his attention did miracles.
Hiei shook his head again. After all, it was him who asked for the kitsune`s company.
…had he been pushed into wanting it…?
The intensity of Hiei`s disdain over himself reached its peak. Yet this time not because he might have allowed the thief to outwit and play with him, or let him create an opening in his defence. He couldn't bear himself, because after all those months spent at Kurama`s side - after all those things that Kurama had done right there in front of his nothing-comprehending eyes, he had to admit that he probably still didn't trust the youko as much as he had thought he did. And this was - to Hiei`s own surprise - by far the bitterest truth-pill he had to swallow.
'Meaningless;' the fire apparition finally decided. The link was established. It functioned, and affected both of them alike. They were like opposite poles of the same system: the balance couldn't be kept if one existed under the sway of the other. Had one of them been trying to manipulate the other, the connection would undoubtedly elicit recoil. They both would feel the hit with equal strength.
Hiei was too absorbed into searching for the exit of his own-made thought labyrinth; otherwise he wouldn't have failed to notice a pair of inquisitive hazel eyes examining him from tip to toe from a distant shadow. Their owner sniffed the air with an obvious interest and a wide smile; the tinge of his lashing tail fully matched with the spiky, apparently disobedient gingery hair.
Wrapped in the long brownish leather coat designed more to showing off the masculine body inside than hiding it, the youko decided to stay put; cloaked there where he was - in the dark corner.
Aside from his working with Tebiko on the settlement of the Maru crisis, Mukuro asked him to keep an eye on this general as well; to assist him and Youko Kurama if necessary. Yet since Youko Nika didn't sense Youko Kurama around; he was quite eager to try out a little game.
Since Mukuro asked him to show Hiei the way, he sent out information about the location of Jaganshi`s new quarters. At random, unfocused. No telepathy. No techniques. Just the subtle way how newborn youko kits communicated with their closest ones.
Jaganshi – frowning, oblivious and still lost in thoughts immediately stopped; then absent-mindedly turned into a different direction and walked until he pushed the door of his new chamber open - without making a single stop to think how he found it.
Nika breathed a sound of surprise when Tebiko materialized in front of him without any previous sign of warning.
She took a moment to check around for another presence. When she confirmed that it was safe, she mumbled "…So?"
"His body reads and reacts to the information carried by my youki without any problems. Has he been always perceptive like this?"
"No."
Tebiko`s partner sighed. "They chose the worst possible timing. I wish Kurama were here, it would have made the heir's hell a little more bearable."
"Did he…" the chief of spies left the question unfinished, certain that her best ex-informant would get the message even so.
"Hiei Jaganshi is not marked as his possession, if you mean this."
"At least something," Tebiko shrugged.
"…though he does bear a mark."
"You mean he IS Youko Kurama's mate?"
"I don`t think so. But I can`t tell for sure; I can't break the seal open."
"That`s weird to hear from you. Is that mark really a doing of a youko?"
The kitsune in Mukuro`s service frowned. "This is the first time I see Jaganshi, but I recognize this oscillation in his youki pretty well. It`s a trait of youko energy. It occurs when…" Nika`s voice trailed off.
"It occurs when…?" Tebiko raised an eyebrow in waiting of the answer.
"…when a youko female conceives."
"…when a youko female…" Tebiko slowly repeated and whistled. "He IS a forbidden child of a fire demon and a Koorime. He IS weird. But not THAT weird. After Mukuro brought him here, she let her personal healer make a complete check. He cannot conceive a child. …Or has Youko Kurama stolen his manhood and replaced it by feminineness?"
"I didn't say he conceived a kit. I only said that the traits of his energy remind me of a pregnant youko female. Don`t ask me why; I don't understand it myself."
"I won`t ask then." Tebiko, made a perplexed face and changed the topic. "Mukuro`s orders. This is the most important phase; we`ve got the permission to use any device to keep Hiei alive. Alive - preferably in one piece. According to her opinion, he is like an egg that is about to hatch."
"The Maru know this too; they wouldn`t want to miss their chance to get him now when he`s vulnerable. But tell me one thing: hasn`t Mukuro considered postponing her own plans until the time when he stops being Maru`s #1 target? He is already emotionally overloaded; she will only make things worse.
"No. She has been waiting long enough for this. I don't know how Youko Kurama accomplished that, but Hiei had finally fully realized what it takes to remain a soldier and what it takes to become a ruler. According to Mukuro, he has already chosen his path. There is no way she would want to slow him down now."
"…Even if it would cost Hiei his sanity?"
"If the enemies succeed, he wasn't worth being this territory`s dominator."
"Is that all you and Mukuro care about?" the strength of the youko`s voice increased."You`ve already found a successor, so why to put his life in stake? Her timing is even worse than Kurama`s for parting with him. This is more than a golden opportunity for the Maru to give Hiei a final blow. Really…what would you do if he died?"
"We will deal with that when it happens."
"IF it happens."
"For somebody who doesn't even know him, aren`t you a little too over-protective?" Tebiko wondered with a look of the most innocent angel in heavens. "...Or does he really possess charms working exclusively on youkos?"
"Shut up," Nika bristled.
Tebiko chuckled and disappeared, as Nika disappeared a moment before her; each with their own set of orders to follow.
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The room felt not right.
It was too large; at the first look Hiei mistook it for a storage room. Seemingly; Mukuro couldn't find other place for all the 'favors' that the clans and family representatives had felt obliged to show; she simply stuffed them into the fire demon`s chamber. Soon it became too cramped; but there was no an end to the delegations, so she had decided to move her blessed heir into a larger room.
Now, it looked exactly like another of Kurama`s hiding places – Hiei even spotted few items that looked similar to those stolen by Youko. Only this chamber was several times larger than any of the thief`s dens.
Hiei let out a frustrated sigh.
The worst piece of this place was definitely the bed. Mukuro most likely considered it funny; but the size of this bed made Hiei feel like sleeping on an open field. In result, he grabbed some too decorated pieces of clothing he found there, threw them in the corner and made his `nest` right there, on the floor.
The food felt not right.
No matter what the young demon ate, it tasted feebly. One of his first thoughts was that somebody was trying to poison him; yet that speculation turned out to be wrong and the food – even his favourite fruits – tasted still lame.
His position felt not right.
He still occupied the function of Mukuro`s general. He was seeing to training the soldiers as before. His elite troop was assigned a few insignificant exercise missions; and he as their commanding officer supervised them.
Still, since the day he came back Mukuro held several meetings with her advisors and generals; but he was not allowed to attend any. Not that it would make his head ache; but it looked like she was trying to keep him away from any confidential information concerning the affairs of her territory. She had just briefly informed him that in less than a month he'd get another assignment; one, which would 'unquestionably meet his interests', she teased him. But she told nothing more specific.
The mood among soldiers was changing too. He was still accepted for his fighting skills; but the cases when somebody `incidentally` used the expression `Youko`s slut` as a synonym of his name multiplied like mushrooms after a rainy week. He mostly ignored them; as he had ignored everybody calling him a tainted crossbreed before.
He judged there was nothing to ponder about. His underlings knew that he had been sent after Youko Kurama to retrieve the stolen jewelry. And they witnessed his arrival - far from high and mighty and mated as the rumours made him; so it slowly started to appear like he offered some `special service` for nothing more than a successful mission outcome. In the eyes of some demons it made him a whore; and they were not hesitant to express their ways of thinking. At least during the first week; then all of these occurrences suddenly stopped, leaving the young demon without a trace of knowledge why.
Still…from that time, nobody did ever call him Youko`s slut or whore again.
His body felt not right.
Hiei didn't harbor slightest idea about what was happening to him; but his sleep became with every attempt more and more restless. Consequently, he bit by bit lost his concentration; his reflexes were getting slower. He didn't feel any hunger anymore. Luckily, because by that time he almost detested taste of everything he was eating. So he simply stopped. Eventually, he lost the ability to control his jagan. But that was not so long after he got injured in a simple fight lesson during an ordinary training, so the healers had already kept their eyes on him. Despite the fact that he hated that.
Nothing felt right anymore.
Mukuro realized as the first one; that was why she had ordered Nika and her best healer to give her most troublesome general discreet, but constant attention. Except that, she personally supervised shielding all the locations where he was allowed to enter.
Everybody else realized when Hiei - crossing one of the halls of the fortress with a pace and posture of an old man - went berserk and attacked his own mirror reflection with bare hands, causing his arms - especially wrists - deep, ugly looking cuts full of mirror fragments. He left the guards confused about what to do to stop him since he started yelling that they should kill him, because if they didn`t then he would; after what he had done. What was that thing he had done, nobody figured out. The whole ruckus attracted attention of even more demons serving Mukuro - what became a source for another, even higher, wave of rumors. Rumors, which in the speed of light left the territory of Alaric and soon hit the ears of Yomi and Raizen.
The ruler of Alaric stepped into the situation in person exactly in the moment when Hiei fell to the floor and broke down like a small horrified child – and crying just as much.
Yet it was an odd cry: loud, but tearless; and short.
Short, because Hiei lost consciousness.
************************
Hiei didn`t remember anything what could be even roughly compared to what he felt now. Kurama; everywhere around him, inside of him, savouring his breath, moving with him in unison…until they both collapsed on the soft grassy mat, panting, sweating, completely exhausted. Satisfied.
Sated.
There was nothing to relate to that word before, but now it was fertilized with meaning. More; it had a recollection to cling to. And Hiei knew it was right.
Everything was all right again.
The youko gently touched his face. "I love you. You know that, right?" he asked with a smile.
"Hn." Instead of reply the dark demon smiled as well – not a grin or smirk, but a genuine smile; and his hands dived into the deluge of silver hair beside him.
Everything was how it was supposed to be.
Only…
...Somewhere at the bottom of his mind he knew that nothing of this had ever happened.
**********************
"Excellent job boss; who`d have thought the thief would fall victim to your …ahem… temptingness…but I bet the sex became the pain in your ass…literally speaking."
The whole gang burst out with laughter.
"Why, he`s a healer. And he likes sex." Another member of Hiei`s gang spoke with a wolfish grin, letting the rest associate these two ideas any way they desired.
"Stop it." Another one cut them abruptly off. "We know the locations of the most of his hiding places and boss brought us enough information about that bastard's techniques. I think it`s time to finish him off."
"Now, when it`s become so funny…?"
"Shut your traps! ALL of you!" The fire wielder`s strong voice effectively silenced them. "It`s been already decided."
The 'boss' spent the next three hours explaining to his 'associates'what should they do to cause Kurama the biggest possible damage.
Like an observer stationed in his own body, Hiei heard his own thoughts: '…just another pathetic son of a bitch... his weakest spot found…who`d have guessed he was more hungry for affection than sex...At least he`s got many enemies…contacting the richest ones was a good move. The bounty would be paid by several parties at once. Besides; I`m the only one who knows the locations of his caches. At least those he`s showed me. That was worth any pain in my ass.'
Yes, Hiei heard the thoughts running through his brain, but his will had no longer any effect on them.
Yet it was still his body, though he possessed no control over its actions. It was his voice that spoke, but it was not him who was speaking. He thought the thoughts, but they weren't his. He had never led a gang to begin with; so this wasn't his memory either. And the emotions he felt…these urge to harm Kurama…those didn't belong to him either.
He was inside of another Hiei Jaganshi; without any chance to step into contact with the outside world. Being trapped inside of a puppet that gained independence from the master, the real Hiei Jaganshi became nothing more than a bystander; stripped of the possibility to change the run of events.
But he still saw everything what his eyes saw, felt everything as it would have been him. He felt what he felt when they made love; and now…
"No." Grasping every single thought of what his 'imposter' was about to do, Hiei`s silent defiance grew into an open resistance. This was a dream. It was not him. He didn't know any of these thugs. He had never made a plan to kill Kurama. And he and Kurama had never…
In that instant, Hiei got that this must have been some sort of a mental attack. Somebody was just trying to randomly combine his own memories and emotions, exploiting his own inner world. Resolute that the best thing to handle the situation was not to react to anything he saw or thought or felt or sensed or heard, Hiei repeated to himself: 'this is not real. Nothing here is real. I don`t have to react to this. It`s not me. This has nothing to do with the real Kurama. It`s not him.'
Most likely, it was a lucky choice of strategy. It was working…for a couple of minutes. Until the train of thoughts in his 'vessel' changed again.
"This is not real. This will never happen. Nothing can force me to take this in. Nobody can force me to look at this."
"Oh really…? Is it really fear what`s making you repeat the sentence over and over again…?" an image of pitch black-haired demon beautiful as sin crawled into him, shattering his effort to not- react into pieces. "Very good, general. I`m impressed. You guessed right - this is an illusion. So you won`t mind to watch it with me, will you?"
"Who – what the hell are you?!" Hiei snapped – thought he snapped, as it was technically impossible to snap without a body.
"You`ll recognize your savior sooner than you think."
"This is what you get for falling in love with me." Hiei heard his own voice speak again. Then looked at the katana...what was reflecting from the blade far too polished than he remembered, appeared like a feral grin to him.
Suddenly, the level of his panic reached the same degree as his rage; because he at last grasped that this illusion was not going to stop there. The fact that this was not reality was put out by the realization that soon, he would have to watch and feel and hear and sense and smell everything what this body would do, till the very end.
Until he`d kill Youko Kurama with his own hands - and enjoy it.
End of Chapter 8
AN: the next chapter will be out within 10 days at most.
