(Hiei)

The room was quiet. The only sound to reach the fire demon's ears was the soft tick tick of the clock. The seconds seemed to pass by slowly, like melted water drips from a snow covered branch. It was mid afternoon, a time that is usually swallowed by slowness and a languorous feeling.

His own eyes were heavy with sleep, his body was wrecked with such exhaustion. He was… just… tired. He wished he could drift off to the blissful world of unawareness, of tranquility. To simply feel as though you didn't exist; that is what Hiei wanted.

But, as it was, that was not going to happen anytime soon. He did not want a repeat of what had happened when Yukina and the others had found him. The day that girl had left…

Kurama had told him about what had happened, why he couldn't move and his insides felt like they were being torn apart. It was a parasite.

"A what?" Hiei asked, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Kurama sighed and scratched the back of his neck, trying to figure out a way to explain it.

"It's a kind of 'parasite plant'. It invades the person's body, working its way through the entire system before it begins to feed. During the time it takes for it to fully take hold of the body, which is anywhere between one to three weeks, the person is paralyzed. After that, the person is able to go about their normal business, as if it had never happened. However, it remains within the host's body, feeding off of the life energy. This is a good thing, for it dramatically increases your healing speed and increases your energy. It is a symbiotic relationship. Though there is a… minor set back."

At the pause, Hiei's eyes grew even fiercer. Kurama cleared his throat and continued. "There is a certain plant that releases a chemical signal that the parasite immediately picks up on. If only exposed to the chemical for a short time, the host merely becomes immobile for a few hours. But if the person is exposed for longer than that, it causes severe pain, to a point where the person would be willing to do anything, anything, to stop it. And if exposed for even a fraction of a second too long, it kills the host."

Both demons were silent, the clocking ticking away as time moved forward. Hiei's eyes moved to the window, his face set in a grim line.

"We did it so you wouldn't kill us." Kurama whispered, his face down cast. His ruby hair fell over his emerald eyes, blocking them from view. "You were a monster. Screaming about defiance, about how you would make us all pay. I'm assuming that that was Akari speaking."

Hiei did not answer, he did not move, he did not even blink. His crimson eyes remained fixated to the window, watching his sister as she went about her day happily. He had almost caused her harm. He had caused her fear. If there was one person the fire demon truly loved, it was Yukina. If he had to die to save her, then it would be nothing; he would do it without hesitation. She was all he had left in the world, and he would not let her suffer. He would simply not allow it.

"I'm sorry." Kurama said finally. When Hiei made no interest in replying, the kitsune stood, turning towards the door. He walked slowly, heavily, stopping once he reached the door. He glanced back at Hiei's form, lying immobile in the bed, and his eyes once again filled with that sympathetic look that the fire demon so despised. Then, he was gone.

And so he lied there, paralyzed in his bed as the parasite spread its webs throughout his body. It hurt, but nothing more than he could handle. It had hurt so much worse when Akari had…

He pushed the thought from his head. He did not want to think of that woman. He did not want to think about any woman. But he couldn't help it. Why had he been so foolish? Why had he stopped himself from killing Carrie? Why hadn't he let Akari finish that damn demon slayer off!?

'It was the lycely, my dear.' A smooth, calm, seductive voice whispered in his ear. A had slid gently around his neck, slowly tightening, choking him. He tried to move, to kill the person who had a hold of him now, but he could not. A feeling of hopelessness flushed through him, a sudden and deep terror spreading through him. He was going to die. He was going to die and there was nothing that he could fucking do about it. He was going to die and she was going to steal his body and use it to kill his sister and Kurama and Yusuke and-

'Carrie.'

Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock continued on in its mocking pantomime. His breathing was hard, ragged; sweat trickled down his skin. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

He was alone.

No one else was in the room.

He had imagined it.

Time continued forward once more, moving more quickly now. The golden sun was starting to sink down below the horizon; night was spreading her fingers over the land. She was a greedy thing, stealing away all the night with her masking beauty, locking it away until the sun returned in the morning. Hiei watched as the yellow orb turned the sky orange, read, pink, purple, blue-

Then there was darkness.