He was positively purring. He had finally gotten his clutches upon the youngest daughter, the final generation of Tsukiyomi. Interlocking his long, tapered fingers, blood red eyes glowing ominously as he gazed into the Seeing Orb. His prized weapon required much string pulling, but when he finally had her soul betwixt his fingers, he was pleased. Her soul was powerful in death, her abilities had been locked within her mere mortal shell of a body; so he had his underlings fix the problem and thrust her rotting, broken soul back in.
His prize was nearly tainted by the spirit detective and his comrades, going so far as to even fall in love with the Forbidden Child among them. It had taken him a while to shatter her, but he had done it. Her heart was completely broken, her will to return to them shattered. Once her soul aligned with her new body, he sent her into the living world to lay waste to it, a sign to the Reikai and Makai that a new era was beginning.
What luck that her first kills were the ones she longed to protect.
Corrupted energy radiated from her palms as Hikari gazed at them with her dark, unfathomable eyes. Yusuke's insides were chilled to stone as he stared at the spectre before him, her smile saturated with malicious intent. He could feel his friends' trembling from where he stood.
The crackling energy vanished from Hikari's hands as moved toward them slowly, that smile still in place. It was unlike their girl to have that kind of horrible expression upon her face. She was so soft, so kind, and wouldn't hurt anyone…
"K-Kari…?" whispered Zeri, her eyes filling with tears rapidly, the crystalline drops chasing each other down her cheeks. "It's u-us…y-your friends."
"Friends?" The voice that escaped her lips pelted them like glass shards, the jagged edges piercing them. It was not the gentle cooing they were used to; no, Hikari's voice was horribly distorted, human yet demonic. "You aren't friends. You are prey."
When she moved closer, Yusuke and Kuwabara jumped before Gia and Zeri, Kurama getting to his feet to keep the threat at bay. "W-Wait!" shrieked Zeri, reaching to clutch at the back of Yusuke's jacket, her eyes frenzied with emotion. "You can't! Guys, you can't, that's Kari!"
Gia's lower lip trembled, but she was unable to make a sound. Her hand searched blindly for Zeri before it made contact with her forearm. "W-We can't…we can't hurt her. We're trying to save her…so why?" she gasped.
"Gia, compose yourself," Kurama urged her, concern sinking his heart, afraid that his words were falling on deaf ears. If Gia lost her composure, there was no way they could inflict a blow on Hikari without her friends willing to throw themselves forward to defend her.
"What the hell do we do, Urameshi?" muttered Kuwabara, his fingers curling against his palm.
"If we don't do something, she's going to kill us," Yusuke growled, keeping his gaze fixed on Hikari. She hadn't moved closer. All she did was stand there now, the smile gone. Her vacant eyes were fixed upon them, and she tilted her head. Zeri looked to Yusuke. "She won't hurt us…r-right? She hasn't yet," she murmured.
A sadistic grin stretched across Hikari's lips, her tainted energy crackling around her hand as she raised it quickly to strike—
Kurama's whip lashed out to wind itself around the raised hand, the fox demon keep his grip to make sure that she was incapable of striking. She barely flinched; turning her attention to what was keeping her still, before slowing turning her gaze back to the group. Both her smile and eyes widened.
A piercing shriek filled the air as Zeri doubled over, clutching at her hair in clumps. "Zeri!" Gia screamed, wrapping her arms around her friend tightly. "Zeri, what's wrong?! Answer me!"
A wild, frenzied laugh escaped Hikari's lips. "Oh my, oh my," she cooed, flexing her hand as the energy flashed like lightning. "Disease in her mind, disease, disease, disease." Her gaze landed on Hiei and she pointed at him. The fire koorime recoiled, pointing his blade toward the girl. Hikari's lips were stretched taut into a mocking smile. "Disease in you too, demon. Disease, disease."
Quick as a flash, she thrust her hand toward Kurama's Rose Whip wrapped tightly around her wrist, the crackling of dark energy burned through the whip, breaking the hold Kurama had on her.
"Get the girls out of here!" Yusuke roared, jumping to action. Kurama and Kuwabara quickly grabbed Zeri and Gia, both of whom were in too much shock to protest, to get them to safety. "There's no escape!" Hikari screamed and lunged, the remnants of the Rose Whip around her arm falling off.
"You're not getting near them!" Yusuke aimed his finger, his spirit energy building in his finger. "SPIRIT GUN!"
A large blast of aura crashed into Hikari dead on, sending her body flying backwards before she skidded into a halt. Yusuke, panting heavily, lowered his hand only slightly. Despite that he never had a problem fighting with Kuwabara or pounding on people, Hikari wasn't just anyone.
Steam rose from her skin before the burns from Yusuke's reigun healed before his eyes. "What the-"
Hikari lowered her arms right as Hiei flitted toward her, readying to drive his blade through her heart at the same time she seized the blade in both of her hands. Though her eyes were as black as his heart, Hiei couldn't push the blade past her bleeding palms. Something deeper than his demonic instincts overpowered him, restrained him from putting the girl back into her grave. Before Hiei could react, Hikari thrust her hand, enveloped in her energy, through his abdomen.
White-hot, nearly blinding pain shot throughout his body as though he were struck by lightning and lit aflame by an inferno stronger than even he could muster. His eyes flew down, seeing her removing her blood-soaked hand from his abdomen, his ears buzzing at the sound of his name being called, as his mind seemed to fracture in the presence of the tainted light they searched for.
Her laughter…
Her ease…
"You can read minds, can't you? You know why I come to see you day after day…"
That's when an image seeped into his consciousness, an image of the girl in the forest the day she died, chased by three demons. She had turned around, her eyes ablaze, as she spoke to the demons condescendingly. Almost taunting them, something that was unlike her. Two demons were crumpled in pain as she fixed those eyes on them, but the third had attacked, claws digging into her flesh and she crashed onto the grassy floor. It wasn't long before his mind saw, piece by piece, just how claws and fangs had torn her; how she was unable to scream; how she slowly bled to death…
Until a spectre—a figure he had seen before—ripped the demons in turn before snatching the girl's spirit.
"Hiei!" Yusuke yelled out as the fire demon collapsed to his knees and Hikari dragged her tongue over the blooded flesh of her hand. Her smile was cruel as she gazed down at Hiei. "You poor thing…poor, poor thing…" she murmured before she lunged toward Yusuke again.
"Shit!" Yusuke stumbled back, astounded at the speed of which Hikari was attacking before her presence flitted past him. He spun around quickly. "NO!"
Hikari's bloodied palm was crackling again, preparing another strike—this time toward Zeri. Kuwabara quickly shoved Zeri behind him, his energy forming in his hand to the shape of a blade. "Don't come any closer!" he shouted.
Her eyes widened as she gazed at Kuwabara, and he couldn't defend in time. Dark energy permeated his insides, shooting right into his mind with a pain of a millions daggers stabbing at random intervals at the same time, that he crumpled, leaving Zeri vulnerable.
The brunette's eyes widened, tears rapidly filling them, as she raised her arms to defend herself.
"Zeri!" Gia screamed, writhing in Kurama's grasp and the redheaded fox couldn't keep her restrained. She broke free of his grip and rushed toward Zeri before Kurama could even keep her back. Gia could only see Zeri's terrified expression burning into her retinas before screams shattered the air.
Zeri's eyes widened, her hands clapped over her mouth to block the silent screams against her palms, tears brimming in her eyes before chasing down her cheeks. Tiny flecks of red stained her cheeks, turning pink when mixing with tears. Kuwabara's arm banded around Zeri to keep her from crashing to the ground, his own eyes pricking with tears that he refused to release in order to try to be strong. Yusuke's brown eyes were widening, his jaw clenching, his heart stopping cold. Kurama tried to reign in his demonic instinct to tear, his protectiveness as swift as his storm of guilt. Hiei, pressing his hand against the wound he suffered, couldn't even wrap his own cynical mind around what had just transpired.
Hikari's hand dislodged itself slowly from Gia's chest, reeking with the scent of blood. Her long dark hair cascaded over her shoulder as Gia fell to the ground, the grass dyed that deep crimson…
A horrific, shattering scream tore itself from Hikari's throat as she threw her head back. Her energy flared around her, like a raging cocoon, unable to have them come close to subdue her for it was too powerful to overcome. A thin stream of black traced the contour of her right cheek and Kuwabara was the first to see the change in her eyes.
"What…did I…" she whispered brokenly. The darkness that obscured the fire in Hikari's eyes seemed to drain as the black tears fell. Her chest heaved, full of emotion, as she looked at her hands in absolute horror. Her irises wavered as she let out a piercing, agonized wail again. "What did I do?!"
"Don't!" Kuwabara yelled suddenly, seeing Yusuke and Kurama in his line of sights readying to subdue Hikari, her fierce energy be damned. "I think she's back. Kari, is that you?" he asked softly, trying not to startle her.
"Gia…Gia, I'm so sorry…" Hikari whispered, bringing her bloodied hands to her face and dragging them down, staining her pale, snowy skin red. "What did I…How could I…I didn't want this to happen…"
"Hikari," Kurama began, moving closer to her cautiously. The scent of Hiei and Gia's blood were potent on her, but the scent of decayed flora overpowered the coppery tang of blood, seeping from the girl's pores. Something about her being before them in the flesh was wrong, unnatural. That's when his mind placed it together.
Whomever Azazel was that haunted Hikari in life had turned her into a monster in her death.
"No…I didn't want to hurt anyone…that's why I stayed away…" Hikari moaned, writhing to and fro in torment. The darkness that engulfed her saturated the air, threading into their lungs. "What am I…How am I still…here? I…I died, I know it." She was mumbling to herself now, something that Zeri had done when afflicted by night terrors. She clutched at tufts of raven hair, close to wrenching it from her scalp. "And it's even stronger…"
Yusuke walked toward Hikari, raising a shaking hand. "Hey, kid," he tried at a lighthearted tone, even while Hikari was writhing in self-hatred above Gia's body. "Take a deep breath. We're all friends here. We know you didn't mean it." His hand landed gently upon her shoulders.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Hikari screamed, whirling around so violently that Yusuke stumbled back, caught off guard, as a blast of energy exploded from her, slicing through the defensive auras of all present before she made a move to flee. Hiei reacted then, the sharp edge of his katana pressed against Hikari's neck, cold steel against pale flesh. Hikari's eyes widened, an unusual sight now more than it ever had been when she lived as a human. Her left eye was still an abyss of darkness, whereas her right eye unveiled the ember that burned quietly within her.
"Who knew you had powers we could only dream of, girl," Hiei hissed, pressing the blade harder against her skin.
"Hiei, don't antagonize her!" Kurama warned, his instincts blaring for him to stop the fire demon before he set off another drastic assault from Hikari. The energy bursting from her was enough for her to damage them—she had no need for using her hands.
"Silence, Kurama. This girl just struck down someone she called a friend and you wish to show her mercy?" Hiei's crimson eyes glared into Hikari's eyes, taking in the insanity etched upon her face. Something flickered in her gaze then, here, and then gone; before she lowered her hands, releasing the locks of her own hair she so tightly grasped. The strange trail of black that dripped from her right eye stained the pale skin of her cheek as her lips parted slightly.
"Hiei…" she whispered, lucidity clear in her eyes, gasping when steel broke the skin of her neck. "Please…"
"What?" he growled. "What request of mercy can you possibly ask in your situation?"
"It isn't mercy that I ask for." Her voice shook, ripples in the calm that he remembered, that his comrades remembered. "Kill me, Hiei. Please."
"NO!" Zeri screamed, her shock saturating the one word. "Hiei, don't you dare! You'll be beyond saving if you even consider it!"
"Zeri!" Kuwabara grabbed at the brunette's elbows to stop her from flailing wildly. "Zeri, calm down!"
"I can't lose her now!" Tears were burning down Zeri's cheeks. "I already lost Gia because of whatever is hurting Kari! She would never do this, not ever in a million years! I refuse to believe she wanted this!"
"She killed Gia!" Yusuke exploded, his voice cracking through the air like a gunshot. "She isn't the Kari we know anymore, Zeri! Who knows who she'll kill if the monster she is now takes over her again!"
"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" Zeri threw Kuwabara off in one, violent motion, her eyes flaring in her fury.
Lightning broke the skies and Hikari looked up, her attention drawn away for a mere moment. Hiei began to move, no time to think, no reason to mourn the dead. Instinct overrode him to destroy the monster before him that wore Hikari's skin.
A different energy sliced the air, thrusting Hiei away from Hikari, yet shattering through their defenses before manifesting before them.
It was chilling to see what Hikari drew manifested before them. A billowing cloak, decayed hands tapered with sharp claws, the scent of rotted flesh and freshly spilled blood emanating from the being. Slowly, it raised its hands to push its cloak down and Yusuke could feel the bile rising in his throat and wonder if his friends were feeling as sick as he was at that moment.
Pupil-less, blood red eyes stared with within the deep sockets of its eyes, its death-colored flesh like a mask, its mouth a long, thin line that could very well reach its ears. When that lipless mouth moved, rows upon rows of jagged fangs gleamed in the light. "I see I haven't broken her enough." A low timbre rumbled from it, a sign of this creature being male.
Hikari let out a strangled scream, stumbling back, away from Hiei's blade in her attempt to back away from the creature. "Azazel!"
So this is Azazel…Kurama's mind was stuck on the image before him, of the knotting of his insides. This was the very creature that haunted Hikari through her bloodline until it finally snatched away her very life. He could sense the same sickening reaction he was feeling was reflected in Yusuke and Kuwabara, whom instinctively blocked Zeri from view for her protection. Zeri's own eyes were wide, tremors rocking her body as she remained beside Gia's corpse.
"You've failed, my tainted light," Azazel purred lowly, gesturing a rotting hand to Hikari, who flinched. "I suppose a very fitting and very painful punishment awaits you once we return to the Darkness."
"No," Hikari moaned, sheer terror lighting up her eyes. It was a reaction that was practically ambrosia to even the most sadistic of demons—something that Hiei, admittedly wanted to see in his harsh treatment of her. However, seeing it now set him in a frenzy of anger, a fierce need for the blood of this Azazel brewing within his bones.
Hiei stepped forward, aiming his katana in Azazel's direction with narrowed eyes and bared fangs. "If anyone is going to grant the girl a swift entry into the afterlife, it is going to be me."
Azazel threw his head back, a wailing, mirthless laugh escaping his mouth. "You! Do you take me for a fool, Forbidden Child? Did you not know that I have seen everything this child has?"
"What the hell is making you have an attack of the giggles?" Yusuke spat angrily. Something was going to go wrong here, he could feel it, but he couldn't place it except that it involved this freak show of a demon. In a blur, Azazel was out of sight for nary a second until Hikari's scream shattered the air, causing the group to turn around.
Azazel had Hikari by her neck, gripping her with only one hand as she struggled to free herself. He brought her closer to his horrible face and Hikari turned her head away and shut her eyes. "Do you not understand? How pointless it is for you lot to interfere with me?" he murmured. "I have something precious to you all in my hands, who wields power that you've only barely begun to grasp in those puny minds of yours."
"Power?" Kuwabara asked, clenching his hands. "What power? Kari could see demons but that's all she's ever been able to do!"
"Incorrect, boy." Azazel's fingers wrapped tighter around Hikari's neck, causing her to cry out in pain, as a thin trail of black began to rise from where he held her. It raised from her neck, over her jaw, toward her eyes as though the darkness beneath her very skin. "Hikari Tsukiyomi's family made a deal with the God of demons and I've awaited for a descendant powerful enough to serve my purpose. Do you see?"
"If Kari's so powerful, why were you able to overpower her, jackass?!" yelled Yusuke, his anger choking him.
Azazel laughed that horrible laugh again. "Simple, former tool of the Reikai: Hikari's powers were born because of me. She was able to comprehend that her power grew without losing her mind, comprehending that I grow stronger with it."
"You've trapped the girl because of a decision her ancestors made," Kurama's voice was cold. He had seen much in his life and knew what those will do for power if they long for it with maddening fervor. "You've pulled the strings in ensuring that her soul will reach you in death."
"Now you understand." Azazel dropped Hikari, gazing down at her coldly as she began to writhe upon the grassy floor, an agonized scream ripping from her throat. The darkness within her had spread, as though it were her very blood, her right eyes becoming drenched in pitch black once more. Her screaming stopped suddenly, her body ceased its writhing, as she lay there like a broken marionette.
"What did you do to her?" Zeri demanded, hysteria staining her voice.
"I merely cut her strings until we return to the Darkness. It appears my little puppet is not ready to face you in battle. Not yet, at least." With that, a yawning hole appeared beneath Azazel and Hikari and they both floated downward into the Abyss. "Farewell, for now. Soon, I will have your souls to feed on as a sea of blood covers the living realm," Azazel's voice echoed as the hole closed, taking their stolen light from them once again.
Zeri embraced Gia's body tightly, blood staining her clothes as she rocked back and forth as Kurama stood beside her in silence. She had all but lost her mind, lashing out violently at Yusuke and Kuwabara so that they don't take Gia's body and bury it. Tears streamed down the curves of Zeri's cheeks as broken sobs escaped her. Facing Hikari and facing Azazel was too much for her to handle and Gia's death at Hikari's hands was just the thing to push Zeri over the edge.
Though it maddened him, there was nothing Kurama could do soothe Zeri enough to have her relinquish Gia's body. She knew the tricks that he, Kuwabara, or Yusuke would try—as though voices within her mind were telling her—and would react none too gently. So Kuwabara and Yusuke returned to Yusuke's home to try and think of a way to overcome this new wrinkle and Kurama opted to remain by Zeri's side. He did not feel comfortable leaving her alone to mourn Gia and Hikari.
As soon as Hikari flashed through his mind, Kurama turned his gaze toward Hiei, who was leaning against the trunk of a tree nearby, nursing his wound. The demon fox had given the Forbidden Child a healing herb and Hiei had applied it himself. Hikari had dealt him a near grievous wound that would have killed Hiei if he were human. Kurama couldn't even guess what was running rampant through Hiei's mind. Hiei could have easily put Hikari back into the grave, but as they now discovered, doing so would only give Azazel more power. Even witnessing Azazel breaking Hikari before them would haunt them for centuries if they somehow managed to succeed in saving her from his clutches.
"Kurama…" The redhead turned at the sound of Zeri's voice. She had stopped rocking back and forth, but her grip was as tight as ever around Gia. "Would we really have to kill Kari? She was taken from us once and her blood wasn't on our hands…"
"Unfortunately," Kurama sighed heavily, closing his eyes, "we must. Hikari, though unwillingly, has become a threat to all realms if Azazel utilizes her to the fullest potential. If we do not, then she will have more innocent blood on her hands—just as she has Gia's."
"She didn't mean it. You know that. You saw it. That thing made her do this. He turned her bad." Zeri's voice was a broken sob. "She needs us to free her, Kurama…she needs us…"
Sighing, Kurama used the only thing he could in the state Zeri was in without her fighting back. He unleashed a pollen from a demonic plant to ease Zeri into a dreamless slumber, to stop her from feeling the excruciating, emotional devastation she was enduring at this moment. As soon as Zeri fell onto the ground, her grip lax on Gia, Kurama knelt down to lift her into his arms.
"Making it easy on her?" Hiei called out to the redhead, his hand pressed against his wound. His tone lacked a bite that was familiar, almost as though Hiei were suddenly…lost.
"She needs this for now. The pain she is in, she cannot endure conscious." Kurama looked down at Zeri's face, the tension relieved from it for now. "The same as you, I think."
"What are you on about now?"
"You had a chance to kill Hikari, but you did not take it. Not truly."
Hiei was silent and Kurama almost wondered if he had disappeared in the condition he was in. "That Azazel was strong. A challenge, for once, but…" he trailed off and Kurama could only guess where his thoughts went.
"You did not like what he was doing to her. That may only be just what he unveiled to us; he could be doing worse to her," he said carefully.
Hiei knew that it was worse than any death bestowed on Hikari. He could hear her voice screaming in agony and echoes of Azazel's horrific laugh tearing through his mind. He couldn't imagine what made a human scream like that…
"I am taking Zeri inside," Kurama said, walking away as he willed plants to envelop Gia's body, encasing her in a temporary tomb until she was properly laid to rest.