Prince Elmo: I have nothing witty to say. Me no own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Hiei's point of view.
She sleeps so quietly, not moving a muscle. Her serene face has gone grey with blood loss, her cheeks sunken in. The circles under her eyes betray nights without sleep. She seems at peace, but every now and then, you see bits and pieces of horrible nightmares. Blinking at the terrifying image of a burning man, screaming for her help, you wonder if she has to relive it every night. Your hand drifts up towards your Jagan Eye that's closed behind the white cloth. In her vulnerable state, her mental barriers were as good as gone. It's like she's broadcasting everything in her head, you could read her mind without really trying. You could, but you don't. Her body has suffered terrible injuries, she had been left for dead. If you had gotten there any later...
"Foolish girl." You think at her and she twitches in response. You just can't believe that the quirky girl who got Kuwabara to eat Yusuke's hair gel has such dark intentions.
She led you on, right from the beginning. Jaiden lured you all into trusting her. It was all a game, a plot to get the Eye of Corax and take it to her partner. And you had been stupid enough to fall right for her masquerade. You shift in your seat by the window, the full moon casting in enough light.
There had been killings. A lot of killings. It seems as though Desoria finally decided to go on that killing spree after all and she wasn't picky on who she killed.
-And that's my fault, isn't it?-
Your head snaps up so fast, you hit the wall with a dull thud. "Jaiden?" Her eyes are still closed and she hasn't moved from her spot. You can only frown at her sleeping form.
"You have to read Jaiden's mind." You hold Koenma's eyes in a cold glare. "It's the only way to stop the killings! You have to find out what exactly happened and what Desoria's weaknesses are."
You shift your glare to the tree right outside the window. It's the next morning and everybody has gathered in Jaiden's room. Even Keiko and Botan. "I respect her privacy."
Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately begin shouting excuses at you, the same excuses that run through your head, to which the girls begin to yell at them to keep it down.
In all this noise, a transparent voice calls out to you like a silent song. A whisper so soft, you're surprised you didn't miss it, yet so clear, as if it was whispered into your ear: -Do it. I trust you.-
Unwrapping your bandana and opening your Jagan Eye, you practically get sucked into her mind. As you open your eyes, you are Jaiden.
Your point of view. (Or still Hiei's. Well, you get the point right?)
The whole world has been dyed in black and white. You adjust the painting for the umpteenth time. "She should've been here by now!" You think angrily to yourself, standing in your comfortable den, in an abandoned church. You had gotten back hours ago and you're now waiting for Desoria to arrive. You had followed every one of her commands, traveling back and forth between Demon World and the Human World to shake off the Spirit Detectives. You did everything without second thought. If she told you to jump, you'd jump. Normally, this wouldn't sit right with your personality.
But these are special circumstances.
Walking over to your mirror, you can't help but chew your bottom lip. Your reflection stares back at you: pale and worn out. Dark circles grace the skin under your eyes. The last few weeks have taken its toll on you. You didn't eat, you didn't sleep. "I feel guilty." You stick out your cracked lower lip in a pout.
The round gem of the Eye presses against your skin. No matter how long you wear it, it doesn't warm up to your body temperature. You trace the black gem and the silver loops that stretch around it. The energy inside it seems to be alive as it purrs at your touch.
"It feels good to have that much power in the palm of your hand, doesn't it?" You whip around to face the door, stumbling with dizziness. So deep in thought, you didn't even hear Desoria come in. Her oddly warm, brown eyes smile at you and you can't help but smile back out of habit. Her short blond hair spikes up into every direction as she runs a hand through it.
"Did everything go to plan?" She walks over to the forest-green loveseat and stretches out in it like a lazy cat. She seems to completely ignore the fact that you have something that belongs to her.
"Of course it did, it was your plan!" You fiddle with the necklace, as her lips lazily spread into a smug grin. "Can we get this over with? I'm done playing."
You stubbornly meet her piercing gaze, as it's her turn to frown. "I'm sorry you feel like that, Jaiden." Desoria sits up, a surprisingly friendly grin on her lips. But you can tell that it's fake, since the smile doesn't reach her brown eyes. It instantly makes you mistrust her more. "Relax, Jade."
You clench your jaw and turn back towards the mirror, watching her every move in the reflecting surface. The necromancer stands up from the loveseat, still as graceful as a cat. She approaches you from behind, the eyes that are locked with yours in the mirror are strangely hypnotic. You suddenly remove the Eye from your neck and carefully place it on the table, as it suddenly feels like an unwelcome weight. It almost seems to whine in disappointment. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. You got what you want. We've settled out debt and now I can leave, right?"
Desoria's face goes blank at this statement, a carefull void of emotion. "Well, yes Jaiden, your debt has been settled. And yes, you're allowed to leave. I just want you to listen for a moment."
At your continuing silence, the blonde approaches you once more, taking another step. "Neither you nor me are the types to beat around the bush, so I'll be as direct as possible. It's going to be rather difficult for me to take over the world by myself, so I would like you to join me."
You jump a little in surprise, she smiles her empty smile again. "What? Surprised that I want you by my side, little Jaiden?" You bristle at the nickname and scowl at Desoria's laugh. "You're perfect for the job, with a little training. The moment I met you, the second your aura flared and broke my Lock, I knew you could be a powerful ally."
Her brown eyes seem to burn holes into your soul. She copies your stance, crossing her arms in front of her, before continuing. "You have far more power than you let on. Besides," She grins. "I have perfect leverage to keep you in line!"
"Stop it!" You snap with a venom-laced voice.
"What's the matter? Don't want to be reminded of that man you burned alive?" The innocent tone in her voice silences you with anger. Once again, she continues with the same calm voice. "We wouldn't be here today if I hadn't taken the fall for you. Just imagine what your mother would say if she knew…."
You want to scream at her, at the top of your lungs, that it was an accident. It was self-defense! You had never meant to kill him! A million responses, excuses, run through your head, but your throat closes tightly around your voice. You hug your arms around yourself, suddenly cold. It was stupid of you to trust Desoria, to trust that she'd leave you alone after you gave her what she wanted. You don't know who to turn to, or where to go.
"Mum will be so disappointed…."
Only one thing you know for sure. "No." You state with a voice stronger than you thought yourself capable of. At Desoria's raised eyebrows, you close your eyes and elaborate. "I'll never join you."
An unforgiving hand closes painfully around your neck, slamming you face first into the mirror. White hot pain explodes from your face, your scream cut short by another hand around your throat. Through a haze of blood, you see a part of your reflection in what's left of the mirror. A pale girl, drenched in blood, looking like a world of agony. A gurgled gasp is all you manage. "When did I get this far?"
Desoria's hand tightens, and you panic. Your legs kick uselessly, as you're torn between clutching the cuts on your face and the hand cutting off your oxygen.
"It really is a waste of power, but we should really look at this from the bright side. I can resurrect your body later." The voice is deep and ice cold, like the soul had been sucked out of the person who it belongs to.
You're flung towards the middle of the room, where you barely catch your footing. A flash of light is quickly followed by a wracking pain coursing through your system. Your shriek of agony is almost drowned out by a deafening bang and you are forcibly slammed back into your own body.
Back to Hiei's point of view. (Or, back to Hiei's body!)
You open your eyes and you are back in Jaiden's room, who lies peacefully in her bed. Looking away from the staring eyes, you re-tell the story you had just experienced firsthand with fake detachment. You must've interrupted before Desoria had a chance to finish the job. The thought of having missed her by a few seconds, angers you more than you'll admit.
Prince Elmo: And thus ends another episode of Something Wicked! (Twirls in a circle) And here you guys thought I was going to kill of my own character!
Yusuke: (Eating popcorn) Well, this certainly answers some questions.
Prince Elmo: I know! I told you there was more! (Hogs the popcorn)
Yusuke: Review, please!