I Got a Demon and an Angel by My Side- I Don't Like Which One Has Control

By: Alicia Maxwell

"Crimson tears," Alicia murmured to herself softly. "My tears are crimson."

Kurama rolled over in bed and insisted sleepily, "What is it?"

"I'm crying crimson tears," she restated. "The moonlight makes them glow."

"What kind of crazy talk are you spewing?" Kurama demanded as he sat up and looked over to the figure sitting at the mouth of the cave. One glance at her and his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

She was as pale as pure white and she was crying tears of blood. The tears glowed in the moonlight as she had stated but so did her skin. She looked like a ghost - a terribly frightening apparition.

Alicia looked to him, her eyes devoid of emotion though her voice seemed to display a hint of amusement, and said, "Crimson tears, Kurama-san. I'm crying tears of blood."

"ALICIA!" Kurama shot up in bed in the ICU of the Spirit World. It had just been a dream. No, it was more than that - it was a memory in the shape of a dream.

"Welcome back to the world of the waking, Kurama," Yusuke said in a pathetic attempt to sound cheerful.

"Where's Alicia? How long was I out for?" Kurama asked when he regained his breath.

"Alicia's with Hiei right now. He's trying to tell her about the demon. And you've been out for twenty-three hours," Yusuke took a seat in the corner.

"I could have prevented this, you know. That's what hurts me the most. I could have expelled the demon from her before it took a firm hold on her," Kurama looked down and clasped his hands together tightly.

"Oh come off it. Give yourself a break Kurama. There's no way you coulda known," Yusuke insisted.

"No. I should have known. One night when we still lived in the Makai, I awoke to Alicia's murmuring. I thought she was rambling about something pointless at first but something troubled me about the way she spoke. I sat up and took one look at her - blood trailing from her tear ducts. She was crying blood, Yusuke. It's a sign of an occurring possession."

"Hell, you're gonna worry yourself over a tiny incident like that? You were probably too panicked with the blood and all to think about why it happened."

"But it's my fault, Yusuke. If I had taken logic to heart for one split second, I could have gotten rid of this menace before anyone could realize its presence," Kurama still objected. "I could have saved her years and years of having a dark shadow looming over her mind."

"Listen, we're gonna find a way to fix this. We aren't gonna let this stupid bitch keep Alicia, are we? We're gonna take care of her and get our Alicia back for keeps and then you'll have nothing to go on a guilt trip over."

"Yusuke, when Hiei's done with her, bring her to me will you?" Kurama requested, lying back down on the bed.

"Sure thing Kurama," Yusuke got up and quietly exited the room. He walked down the hall until he reached Alicia's room. Yusuke opened the door swiftly and his eyes awkwardly met with Hiei's instantly.

"Somebody tell me what in the hell happened!" Alicia demanded, bursting into tears. In her mind, she was making the situation out to have been much worse because she knew nothing of her demon. It was eating her alive.

"I couldn't tell her Yusuke," Hiei admitted, looking away from them both.

"Alright. Then do you have any problems with Kurama giving it a shot? He's awake now and he wants to speak to Alicia," Yusuke stated.

"Not at all. Alicia, Kurama wants to see you. Will you go?" Hiei asked her.

"No, not after what I did to him. I can't bare to face him now," Alicia shook her head harshly.

"Now come on, Lici," Yusuke walked over to the girl and leaned down until he was at eye level with her. "Kurama's really worried about you. Won't you go see him?"

"I can't risk hurting him again. I shouldn't have even let you leave me alone with Hiei," she insisted. "I could have hurt him again."

"That's it! I can't take this anymore! I don't care how screwed up you are! You're going!" Yusuke scooped her up in his arms and turned away to leave the room. "Hiei, get the door!"

Hiei obliged Yusuke and opened the door. The Spirit Detective made quite a scene that day, for he walked for fifteen minutes down a hospital corridor with a kicking, screaming, hitting, crying, swearing, and even biting woman in tow.

"Put me down, dammit!" Alicia screeched. This time Yusuke accommodated her and dropped her to her feet. They stood an inch away from Kurama's door.

"Now, you listen up," Yusuke said threateningly. "Don't you dare turn and run now. I dragged your whiny little ass all this way just because Kurama's going off on a guilt trip and he wanted to see you. If you're really so heartless that you'd deny your best friend your presence just because you're upset, then bail some other time. You're not ditching Kurama when I'm here."

"Okay Yusuke," Alicia agreed. She wiped her eyes dry and pulled in a deep breath. Then, she threw open the door.