Thanks for the welcome back. Feels good to work on this again.
Oh, and from a review a long time ago (though I haven't touched it yet...sorry) mentioning Hiei promised Shigure not to tell his sister about their relation, I only have one response to it: this is an AU fiction. That, and I haven't seen that episode (well I have, but the subtitles were really bad) so I'm not sure why Shigure made Hiei promise such a thing. If I did, I'd write something to counter-act the decision/promise. But I don't know for sure, so I feel just not touching the subject in the fiction is the best way to go about it.
--------------------------------
"Hiei?"
"Hn?"
"Good. You're alive."
It was so bright. The white light glared off the ceiling. Squinting, the young man slowly opened his eyes. His entire head was throbbing in time with his heartbeat, and his body ached like he had gone through a two week long training session. Taking a few deep breaths, the short body slowly moved into an upright position.
Hiei allowed his head to clear before glancing around the room. Dull gray and nothing but. Only one person's house was this monochromatic. So he was still with Shigure. Which meant...
Moving his hand upward, Hiei nearly cried in joy as his fingertips came into contact with the rough material of the bandages wrapped around his head. The implant had been a success! Once mastered, the Jagan would be a powerful tool for Hiei to use against his enemies. The third eye would also provide him a way of finding his sister. He would finally be reunited with his family.
Well, not entirely. After finding his sister, Hiei would then need to return to Zan. Hiei missed his adopted brother, and still felt bad about the state in which the two had parted. However, his pride wouldn't let him confront the other halfling without something to show for his effort, and that meant accomplishing that which he had promised his brother he would do. He would finally attain enough power to challenge any opponent that dared threatened him or those few he cared for. Zan would see then. He would see what it truly took to live the life they wanted. The life they always dreamed of having.
If Hiei could find Yukina and then Zan, perhaps the three of them could finally build the family that the two of them had wanted for so long. Maybe it was childish to think such things, but often on the cold, lonely nights when Hiei had little else to do but surrender to thought, he sometimes dreamed that Zan and he could really be brothers. Not in the sense of the mind and heart, for they were already truly brothers as far as these elements were concerned. Hiei dreamed sometimes that Zan and he could be brothers in blood. Maybe they had the same father who just abandoned all his sons. Hiei would discover this long lost secret with his new powers, and when he told his brother the truth, the Zan would smile and put his arm around Hiei's shoulder in that warm gesture he always used whenever he sensed Hiei needed an arm to support him.
"I always knew," he would say, ruffling his younger brother's hair in an annoying gesture of affection.
Of course, the chance of such a phenomenon ever taking place was small to none. So instead, Hiei would daydream about something more realistic. He would find his sister and then earn Zan's trust back. He would introduce his sister and adopted brother to each other. Zan would give Yukina a jaded but warm smile, accepting her as he accepted Hiei. She would blush and think him charming. And eventually Zan would take Hiei's sister and make her his mate. Then they really could be a family. Hiei knew he could trust his friend to take good care of his sister, and thought no one would be a better choice for her.
However, all such scenarios were merely fantasies that Hiei dreamt to keep himself going. Such thoughts of family gave him hope. But first, the Jagan needed to be mastered. This feat would take time in itself.
"As you see, the implant was a success." Hiei was snapped out of his reverie, turning his gaze to the right where the voice was coming from. The movement felt odd, like his head was turning a little too smoothly for what his body should be able to do, but then again, the young demon had just gone through a complicated procedure. It was most likely just a side affect.
The chair Shigure was sitting in was of such a bright red color that Hiei couldn't look at it or the man sitting in it at first. Honestly, who had entire house of gray, and one red chair among it all. Hiei was glad this would be the last time he would ever see the man. "I suggest you don't take those bandages off for a week," the surgeon continued. "The Jagan has a mind of its own, after all, and it would kill you if you attempted to use it too early."
Another odd feeling. Like he had heard this speech before. Hiei closed his eyes and put his hand to his head, trying to shake off this sudden sense of illness that was coursing through his blood. Frowning, the demon moved his hand down, in front of his face, sniffing it lightly. Why did the appendage smell so odd. This scent was not his. In fact, it seemed closer to...to Zan's?
Had Zan been here? Was he still here? If he was, Hiei needed to leave immediately. He had yet to accomplish what he needed to, and he didn't need Zan to try stopping him yet again. It would only put more bad blood between them.
"I don't need to listen to your advice, old man," Hiei grumbled, throwing off the blankets covering him and standing. His legs gave out, and he fell back onto the bed. Hiei stared down at the rebellious legs in surprise. What was going on here? It was not that his legs couldn't corporate due to the slight ache that still remained in every fiber of his body. Hiei had dealt with enough pain to be able to stand even under considerable stress. No...something was wrong. His sense of balance was off, as if his body had grown and shifted in many different ways at some point during the surgery
"Yes, you said that the first time too," Shigure replied, not bothering to try and help the other. "You thought you could deal with it then just as you think you can now. And then it killed you. Poor dim-witted boy."
"Killed me?!" Hiei cried, trying to keep his voice from becoming shrill. There were very few times in his life that the fire demon had ever been truly afraid, and this disaster was coming close being yet another one. It was one thing to face an opponent on the battlefield with sword and fire, but it was an entirely different fight to face someone who had altered your body without your knowledge. "What have you done to my body you insane fool?! I swear I'll tear your lungs out if you don't tell me this instant!"
"Zan was right about you. You only use aggression to get your way." Shigure tsked, shaking his head. Hiei attempted to get up again, and this time he was able to remain standing. However, the slight tremble in his legs betrayed he was still weak and unaccustomed to using these new limbs.
"What's going on? Is Zan here? Did he do this?!" The doctor could see the betrayal reflected in his patient's eyes, and a small spark of pity found its way into his soul. It was immediately cooled as the child in front of him began swearing and hissing death threats at his deceitful brother.
"You should feel more gratitude towards your brother than that," Shigure interrupted Hiei's tirade. He received a glare in return for his efforts.
"And why should I give a damn about that traitorous son of a..."
"It was his sacrifice that allowed you to live."
Hiei froze, staring at Shigure. The surgeon found it quite amusing to watch the sudden change in the boy, the abrupt dying of the fiery spirit into the more subdued person currently gaping at him. However, the man couldn't bring himself to smirk at Hiei's plight. Instead he patiently waited for the other to absorb the fact that had just been handed to him.
"What?" Hiei was finally able to whisper. Shigure closed his eyes and cleared his throat before beginning the tedious explanation. Honestly, he hated redundancy, but patience was one of the virtues of a doctor. During the story, Hiei's face changed to an impassive expression and stayed that way until the elder demon had finished. Upon completion, the boy merely shook his head, half laughing and half snarling as he spoke.
"As entertaining as that tale was, I find it flawed. Zan would never do such a thing for me." Especially not after how we parted, Hiei thought. He knew his statement was untrue. He knew Zan would risk his life for his little brother just as Hiei would never think twice about giving up his life for Zan. Any harsh words or actions between the two meant little to their bond. Hiei just didn't want to believe what Shigure had told him was real.
Shigure, in response, raised an eyebrow and held back a sigh. Why were people so foolish as to believe they could deny reality? Seems the boy would need a harsh awakening.
"To your right is a mirror. You won't mind looking into it if you think I'm lying."
Hiei didn't want to turn. He didn't want to see what he knew was the truth. But his body moved of its own will, making the ninety-degree rotation until it stopped in front of the reflection of another boy. Hiei's breath caught as the image that stared back at him from the silver surface was not his own.
Zan and he had looked, similar, yes, but each also had many very different characteristics to define him. While Hiei preferred his pitch black hair to defy all laws of physics and stand upright, Zan enjoyed to keep his luxurious raven strands shoulder-length and pulled back. Zan had always been an inch taller than Hiei, something that he loved to tease his younger brother about to no end. Also, the elder's clothing tended to lean more towards shades of whites, grays, and soft browns rather than Hiei's dark shadow style. Zan's face was little sharper, and his fingers just a bit more delicate, and his body a little less toned...
Zan's body turned deadly white as Hiei saw every feature he had ever memorized in his brother mocking him from the reflection in the mirror. It just couldn't be. The little demon continued to stare at the image. Trembling, he brought a hand up to touch the white streak in his hair. The mirror image did the same. His hand snapped back down to his side from the surprise, and the Zan's did as well. Hiei fell to the floor as his legs stopped supporting him once again, and Zan suddenly disappeared from his sight.
It had to be doctored. Perhaps the mirror was a magical one of some sort. Shigure could have magical items around here. It was not an unreasonable conclusion. Perhaps it was all a sick joke by the doctor. A mental trick or body alteration of some sort.
But what would Shigure have to gain from the hard work it work it would take him to have accomplished this feat? And even without the mirror, Hiei knew whose body his possessed. It was in the subtle grace of even Hiei's current awkward movements. It was the smell. The extreme clarity of vision. The hands that were less calloused than his own. Hiei even shivered as he felt the tip of his ponytail tickle the back of his neck.
And the eyes. He had seen those eyes in the mirror. Zan and he had always shared that beautiful ruby color, but the personalities hiding behind those irises were most certainly different. The mirror had show Zan's body, yes, but it also showed the person living within it was not the correct owner.
Hiei stayed on the ground, trembling violently as he thought about the stolen body he was in. He barely noticed as Shigure stood and exited the room, only staying long enough to call out:
"Now leave those bandages on for a week. You won't find another person so willing to take you in."
Oh, and from a review a long time ago (though I haven't touched it yet...sorry) mentioning Hiei promised Shigure not to tell his sister about their relation, I only have one response to it: this is an AU fiction. That, and I haven't seen that episode (well I have, but the subtitles were really bad) so I'm not sure why Shigure made Hiei promise such a thing. If I did, I'd write something to counter-act the decision/promise. But I don't know for sure, so I feel just not touching the subject in the fiction is the best way to go about it.
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"Hiei?"
"Hn?"
"Good. You're alive."
It was so bright. The white light glared off the ceiling. Squinting, the young man slowly opened his eyes. His entire head was throbbing in time with his heartbeat, and his body ached like he had gone through a two week long training session. Taking a few deep breaths, the short body slowly moved into an upright position.
Hiei allowed his head to clear before glancing around the room. Dull gray and nothing but. Only one person's house was this monochromatic. So he was still with Shigure. Which meant...
Moving his hand upward, Hiei nearly cried in joy as his fingertips came into contact with the rough material of the bandages wrapped around his head. The implant had been a success! Once mastered, the Jagan would be a powerful tool for Hiei to use against his enemies. The third eye would also provide him a way of finding his sister. He would finally be reunited with his family.
Well, not entirely. After finding his sister, Hiei would then need to return to Zan. Hiei missed his adopted brother, and still felt bad about the state in which the two had parted. However, his pride wouldn't let him confront the other halfling without something to show for his effort, and that meant accomplishing that which he had promised his brother he would do. He would finally attain enough power to challenge any opponent that dared threatened him or those few he cared for. Zan would see then. He would see what it truly took to live the life they wanted. The life they always dreamed of having.
If Hiei could find Yukina and then Zan, perhaps the three of them could finally build the family that the two of them had wanted for so long. Maybe it was childish to think such things, but often on the cold, lonely nights when Hiei had little else to do but surrender to thought, he sometimes dreamed that Zan and he could really be brothers. Not in the sense of the mind and heart, for they were already truly brothers as far as these elements were concerned. Hiei dreamed sometimes that Zan and he could be brothers in blood. Maybe they had the same father who just abandoned all his sons. Hiei would discover this long lost secret with his new powers, and when he told his brother the truth, the Zan would smile and put his arm around Hiei's shoulder in that warm gesture he always used whenever he sensed Hiei needed an arm to support him.
"I always knew," he would say, ruffling his younger brother's hair in an annoying gesture of affection.
Of course, the chance of such a phenomenon ever taking place was small to none. So instead, Hiei would daydream about something more realistic. He would find his sister and then earn Zan's trust back. He would introduce his sister and adopted brother to each other. Zan would give Yukina a jaded but warm smile, accepting her as he accepted Hiei. She would blush and think him charming. And eventually Zan would take Hiei's sister and make her his mate. Then they really could be a family. Hiei knew he could trust his friend to take good care of his sister, and thought no one would be a better choice for her.
However, all such scenarios were merely fantasies that Hiei dreamt to keep himself going. Such thoughts of family gave him hope. But first, the Jagan needed to be mastered. This feat would take time in itself.
"As you see, the implant was a success." Hiei was snapped out of his reverie, turning his gaze to the right where the voice was coming from. The movement felt odd, like his head was turning a little too smoothly for what his body should be able to do, but then again, the young demon had just gone through a complicated procedure. It was most likely just a side affect.
The chair Shigure was sitting in was of such a bright red color that Hiei couldn't look at it or the man sitting in it at first. Honestly, who had entire house of gray, and one red chair among it all. Hiei was glad this would be the last time he would ever see the man. "I suggest you don't take those bandages off for a week," the surgeon continued. "The Jagan has a mind of its own, after all, and it would kill you if you attempted to use it too early."
Another odd feeling. Like he had heard this speech before. Hiei closed his eyes and put his hand to his head, trying to shake off this sudden sense of illness that was coursing through his blood. Frowning, the demon moved his hand down, in front of his face, sniffing it lightly. Why did the appendage smell so odd. This scent was not his. In fact, it seemed closer to...to Zan's?
Had Zan been here? Was he still here? If he was, Hiei needed to leave immediately. He had yet to accomplish what he needed to, and he didn't need Zan to try stopping him yet again. It would only put more bad blood between them.
"I don't need to listen to your advice, old man," Hiei grumbled, throwing off the blankets covering him and standing. His legs gave out, and he fell back onto the bed. Hiei stared down at the rebellious legs in surprise. What was going on here? It was not that his legs couldn't corporate due to the slight ache that still remained in every fiber of his body. Hiei had dealt with enough pain to be able to stand even under considerable stress. No...something was wrong. His sense of balance was off, as if his body had grown and shifted in many different ways at some point during the surgery
"Yes, you said that the first time too," Shigure replied, not bothering to try and help the other. "You thought you could deal with it then just as you think you can now. And then it killed you. Poor dim-witted boy."
"Killed me?!" Hiei cried, trying to keep his voice from becoming shrill. There were very few times in his life that the fire demon had ever been truly afraid, and this disaster was coming close being yet another one. It was one thing to face an opponent on the battlefield with sword and fire, but it was an entirely different fight to face someone who had altered your body without your knowledge. "What have you done to my body you insane fool?! I swear I'll tear your lungs out if you don't tell me this instant!"
"Zan was right about you. You only use aggression to get your way." Shigure tsked, shaking his head. Hiei attempted to get up again, and this time he was able to remain standing. However, the slight tremble in his legs betrayed he was still weak and unaccustomed to using these new limbs.
"What's going on? Is Zan here? Did he do this?!" The doctor could see the betrayal reflected in his patient's eyes, and a small spark of pity found its way into his soul. It was immediately cooled as the child in front of him began swearing and hissing death threats at his deceitful brother.
"You should feel more gratitude towards your brother than that," Shigure interrupted Hiei's tirade. He received a glare in return for his efforts.
"And why should I give a damn about that traitorous son of a..."
"It was his sacrifice that allowed you to live."
Hiei froze, staring at Shigure. The surgeon found it quite amusing to watch the sudden change in the boy, the abrupt dying of the fiery spirit into the more subdued person currently gaping at him. However, the man couldn't bring himself to smirk at Hiei's plight. Instead he patiently waited for the other to absorb the fact that had just been handed to him.
"What?" Hiei was finally able to whisper. Shigure closed his eyes and cleared his throat before beginning the tedious explanation. Honestly, he hated redundancy, but patience was one of the virtues of a doctor. During the story, Hiei's face changed to an impassive expression and stayed that way until the elder demon had finished. Upon completion, the boy merely shook his head, half laughing and half snarling as he spoke.
"As entertaining as that tale was, I find it flawed. Zan would never do such a thing for me." Especially not after how we parted, Hiei thought. He knew his statement was untrue. He knew Zan would risk his life for his little brother just as Hiei would never think twice about giving up his life for Zan. Any harsh words or actions between the two meant little to their bond. Hiei just didn't want to believe what Shigure had told him was real.
Shigure, in response, raised an eyebrow and held back a sigh. Why were people so foolish as to believe they could deny reality? Seems the boy would need a harsh awakening.
"To your right is a mirror. You won't mind looking into it if you think I'm lying."
Hiei didn't want to turn. He didn't want to see what he knew was the truth. But his body moved of its own will, making the ninety-degree rotation until it stopped in front of the reflection of another boy. Hiei's breath caught as the image that stared back at him from the silver surface was not his own.
Zan and he had looked, similar, yes, but each also had many very different characteristics to define him. While Hiei preferred his pitch black hair to defy all laws of physics and stand upright, Zan enjoyed to keep his luxurious raven strands shoulder-length and pulled back. Zan had always been an inch taller than Hiei, something that he loved to tease his younger brother about to no end. Also, the elder's clothing tended to lean more towards shades of whites, grays, and soft browns rather than Hiei's dark shadow style. Zan's face was little sharper, and his fingers just a bit more delicate, and his body a little less toned...
Zan's body turned deadly white as Hiei saw every feature he had ever memorized in his brother mocking him from the reflection in the mirror. It just couldn't be. The little demon continued to stare at the image. Trembling, he brought a hand up to touch the white streak in his hair. The mirror image did the same. His hand snapped back down to his side from the surprise, and the Zan's did as well. Hiei fell to the floor as his legs stopped supporting him once again, and Zan suddenly disappeared from his sight.
It had to be doctored. Perhaps the mirror was a magical one of some sort. Shigure could have magical items around here. It was not an unreasonable conclusion. Perhaps it was all a sick joke by the doctor. A mental trick or body alteration of some sort.
But what would Shigure have to gain from the hard work it work it would take him to have accomplished this feat? And even without the mirror, Hiei knew whose body his possessed. It was in the subtle grace of even Hiei's current awkward movements. It was the smell. The extreme clarity of vision. The hands that were less calloused than his own. Hiei even shivered as he felt the tip of his ponytail tickle the back of his neck.
And the eyes. He had seen those eyes in the mirror. Zan and he had always shared that beautiful ruby color, but the personalities hiding behind those irises were most certainly different. The mirror had show Zan's body, yes, but it also showed the person living within it was not the correct owner.
Hiei stayed on the ground, trembling violently as he thought about the stolen body he was in. He barely noticed as Shigure stood and exited the room, only staying long enough to call out:
"Now leave those bandages on for a week. You won't find another person so willing to take you in."