Please see the top of the first chapter for an important note regarding plagiarism and the idea of giving the Jagan a voice.
Maniaphobia
By Lynn S. (Agent Dark Moose)
Part II
"When we lose one we love, our bitterest tears are called forth by the memory of hours when we loved not enough." -- Maurice Maeterlinck
.-.-.
'Dead boy.'
He couldn't see. An ocean of red filled his gaze, the sickening color swimming before him, spinning endlessly as if trying to drown him. His eyes stung horribly, burning, torturing him in their own unique way...
He was crying.
For the first time in his life that he could remember, he was crying.
Contrary to what he had seen when witnessing the tears of others, he didn't sob, or anything akin to the action. Not a single sound passed his lips, his mind too focused on the corpse lying a few mere feet away from where he was. The crimson liquid continued to flow from the infinite wounds, racing across the cave floor in every direction. Lifeless brown eyes returned his gaze, having been flickering with recognition just as the knife had slit across their owner's throat.
Without his consent, the sword in his grasp fell to the ground, causing a loud clattering noise to ring throughout the cavern. Even as the murderous demon spun around to look at him, Hiei didn't show any sign of acknowledgement, nor did he make to run as it began to approach him. All he could do was stare blankly at the half-breed's body, overwhelmed with feelings that he had never been acquainted with before.
As it was, he was unable to fight away the growing darkness, and allowed the bliss of unconsciousness to claim him as he promptly fainted.
'...Yuusuke...'
---
It had started as a simple mission; no different from any other that they received. Search and destroy; search for the demon, and then destroy it. They had done so hundreds, if not thousands, of times. It wouldn't be difficult in the slightest...
...Or so they thought.
The demigod of the Spirit World had commanded them to investigate an area in the Makai in which various disappearances had occurred. Oddly enough, all clues leading to the suspect pointed to an important, high-class demon that was killed several centuries ago. The Reikai Intelligence files made a note that a rumor had been circulating through the Demon World, which said that he had tried to have a Jagan Eye implanted, though had died during the attempt. However, the rumors had abruptly stopped after three years or so, for reasons unknown. Reikai had to leave the case unsolved, turning instead to things more important.
Koenma had supplied them with a picture, but no name had been recorded. He only told them that he wasn't too sure if the demon was dead or not; if the answer was 'no', than they were to seek out the culprit and kill him, or somehow bring him back to the Spirit World. However, if it turned out that this 'dead' demon was actually alive, they were to reprimand him before taking him to the Underworld Prison.
It didn't take them long to discover the answer to the demigod's question, once they had arrived in the Makai. It was a resounding yes.
The dead demon was... alive...
---
Wake up. Must wake up. Danger, danger place. Bad demon close. Bad demon will kill you. Wake up, Master, wake up!
With a groan, Hiei responded to the Jagan's prodding, allowing his crimson orbs to flutter open. It took a few moments for them to adjust to the darkness of his current location, but once they did, he wished with all of his might that he hadn't opened his eyes.
He had been chained to the stone wall behind him, the shackles around his wrists and ankles too tight for his liking. Water trickled down to the floor, pooling in random spots. And even though the temperature was frigid, that wasn't what had caused Hiei to freeze in fear.
The room was filled with corpses.
A cry escaped the fire demon as he leapt away from the skeleton next to him, only to collide with another. His eyes widened as the head lolled to the side before the entire body collapsed on top of him, smothering the apparition as he tried to get away.
Hiei shivered beneath it, the smell of decaying flesh filling his senses. Resisting the urge to retch, he crawled out from beneath the carcass, biting back a whimper as he strained his wounded ankle. Once he was free from the body, he dragged himself back to his original position, curling up much like a terrified feline. It was rather fetal, but at the moment, he certainly didn't give a damn.
A gleeful laugh suddenly echoed throughout the cave, coming from nearby. Needless to say, it startled the fire apparition out of his stupor, his head snapping up only to cause some sort of whiplash effect. He bit his lip roughly, one of his hands flying up to grip his neck. The action jostled the chains, which caused the laugh to stop abruptly.
The sound of metal grinding against stone filled the room, signifying that the cell door was opening. Hiei lifted himself into a more dominant pose, his gaze dark and emotionless; yet in truth, the look was a pure act, the complete opposite of what he was truly feeling.
A figure appeared in the entrance, followed by a loud clang as the grate slammed behind him. Hiei bit back a growl as it approached; the way it moved unnerved him. However, as soon as the being's features came into view, his eyes widened in disbelief.
It was the demon that they had been searching for; that much was obvious, despite how different it looked when compared to the picture that Koenma had showed the team before departure. No longer was its hair a cascade of butterscotch, having faded to a few sickening strands of off-white. Its face was not handsome and intimidating anymore; it had become gaunt and sunken in from residing in this damp, dark cave for countless centuries. The amber orbs didn't hold the glow seen in the file, instead looking more like rusty copper coins. It didn't walk with the same grace as supposed of a high-class demon; in fact, its actions were jerky, sporadic. Hiei's more animalistic instincts were screaming at him that it wasn't natural, that it was some how... dangerous to be near the grotesque, impaired creature.
Hiei pressed himself against the cave wall as the demon came to a stop in front of him, having had to move several of the corpses on its way there. Dozens of nauseating scents filling the apparition's sensitive nose, and he attempted to edge away, if only to avoid the stench. Yet the demon saw his movements, and grabbed the chain attached to a thick collar around his neck, which he hadn't noticed before.
"Now, now, you can't leave before you become part of my collection, silly." Hiei jumped at the sound of its raspy voice, though it wasn't nearly as shocking as the last word in the phrase.
A nasally laugh came in response to Hiei's confused stare, and the demon settled back on its haunches. He gestured around the room, motioning towards the mounds of carcasses.
"Isn't it obvious? I collect dead people!"
---
The area that they had arrived at was covered in a dense layer of fog, making it impossible to see the landscape. The only thing that they could discern is that they were in some sort of bog, judging by the clouds of insects and the way the ground would sink beneath their feet due to excess water. There was barely any way that they would be able to stay together, and the fear of becoming separated was ever-present in their minds as they traipsed through the marshy land, guided only by the outlines of each other.
Kuwabara was the first to be lost in the mist. They had searched for him endlessly, calling out for him, but their efforts had proved to be in vain. It was as if he had simply vanished without warning, the fog swallowing him like a hungry predator.
Hours later, they had found him. He couldn't say where he had been, having seemingly blacked out. However, no sooner had they reunited with him, Kurama went missing. The same procedure followed, and they discovered the fox near a pool of ink black water, his clothes tattered and bloody. He too had no recollection of what had happened, though it was obvious that he had been attacked by something. Reluctantly shrugging the matter off, they continued on their way. This time, they were much more on edge, jumping at the slightest sound.
Yuusuke was the next to disappear.
Unlike with the other two, they didn't find him.
When they did, it would be too late.
---
Hiei stared at the demon before him, dumbstruck. Collecting dead people was strange, even for the residents of the Makai. In fact, it was beyond strange; past crazy and borderline insane.
Only one word could escape him. "...Why?"
The being shrugged, turning his gaze away from the corpses. "I don't know... They look pretty when they decay. Plus, they're great to fuck 'cause they never resist or make any noises. It's great!"
Hiei's expression instantly changed from one of confusion to utter disgust. His crimson orbs narrowed dangerously, his lips pulling back in a vicious snarl as he made the connection between this demon's obsession and Yuusuke's murder. "...So, you killed him for pleasure? So that he could be a new addition to your collection?"
The other nodded, and Hiei found himself shaking with rage. "Care to tell me your name, so I know who I'm murdering?"
"Korekuta." the demon said, a lopsided grin appearing on his rapidly declining features. "People think that I'm dead. Isn't that funny? I collect dead people, and everyone thinks that I'm dead!"
A low, dangerous growl escaped the fire apparition. "I hardly find that amusing. But maybe you'll still be laughing when I do kill you."
Korekuta raised his hands defensively. "Listen, silly, I only killed your friend 'cause your group wandered into my territory. I wanted to find the perfect one out of you four to add, one that would be a trophy. However, it turned out that there were two trophies! A half-breed and a mixed-blood! I never thought I'd get so lucky. There's so few of them left... I just had to take you when I found you in my cave, right after I had killed the half-demon.
"So now, both of you will be in my collection forever! I'll have the best one in history!" He clapped his hand excitedly, but his mood suddenly became serious, as if someone had flicked a switch in his mind. "...Now, all I have to do is murder you... Maybe I'll try to find out if you'll be a good sex toy in the afterlife..."
In an instant, Hiei had lunged at the demon, though his fangs only latched around air before the chains pulled him back. He bit back a cry as some sort of energy traveled through them, effectively reprimanding him. He fell back in a heap, but his blazing ruby eyes remained focused on his captor, narrowed in a spine-tingling glare.
Korekuta laughed loudly, the deranged sound echoing through the room. "Silly, you can't fight me. You're goin' to be part of my collection whether you like it or not! But you will like it, I'll make sure of that..."
He reached down, tracing the side of Hiei's face, grinning when he found that the apparition was too stunned to fight back for now. "...You should've heard what the half-breed sounded like when I was taking him... Oh, his cries were marvelous... They sounded like birdcalls. I'm going to make you scream like that...
"...But, what say we move to another room first...? After all, you can't expect me to fuck and torture you in the middle of a bunch of dead bodies..."
---
Yuusuke was gone. Taken from him, right from under his nose. He could've done something... He should've known that Yuusuke would be the next...
They were still wandering through the thick miasma of fog, calling out for their friend, searching for his energy signature, trying to pick up a scent trail. Nothing seemed to be working, leaving them terrified and in the company of their own horrific scenarios.
The fox paused, glancing back to where he assumed the other two were. "This doesn't make any sense. We found Kuwabara within an hour or two of noticing that he was gone... Shouldn't Yuusuke have appeared by now?"
The orange-haired youth shrugged, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Yeah, he should've. Any ideas, Kurama?"
"Sadly, no... I know so little about this region... I've never traveled here before, even in my previous life. Plus, we have no knowledge of this abductor, or his methods." Kurama replied, sighing before he continued. "My only theory is that he's using teleportation, or something of the like. Either that or he's masking both his energy and Yuusuke's..."
Hiei was barely paying attention, too caught up in his feeling of self-hatred. He blamed himself entirely for Yuusuke's disappearance, and nothing that the rest of the team had said was able to sway his train of thought. Therefore, when the former thief touched his shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to reality, Hiei nearly jumped.
He turned around to glare at the fox, though he faltered when he saw the look in the emerald orbs as they stared back at him. It was one of utmost worry and helplessness, and the apparition found himself unable to say anything.
It turned out that he didn't have to, as Kurama had a request.
"...Hiei, we need you to use your Jagan."
---
He shook violently as the frigid air hit his bare skin, causing him to tense. The moisture in the cavern didn't help, and he had to clench his teeth to keep them from chattering. Despite the fact that there was another heated body pressed against his own, the cold was terrible, seeming to eat at his flesh.
He didn't know how his captor had managed to undress him. The energy from the chains might've had some sort of paralysis effect, but it was too late to be sure. The only thing that he was aware of was that Korekuta was licking him. The demon's tongue swirled over his skin, wetting it, while his fangs occasional nipped at him, causing trickles of blood to mix with the saliva.
The apparition shivered as Korekuta began to lick his face, running his tongue over the other's lips. Before Hiei could object, his mouth had been pried open, and his captor had plunged in immediately. A whimper nearly escaped him, but Hiei fought it down valiantly.
Blood ran in steady currents down his skin, pouring out from the dozens of whip lacerations covering him. Korekuta moved to those next, dipping his tongue into the gashes to scoop up the garnet liquid. At one point, he brushed harshly against a muscle, and Hiei could not control the cry of pain that erupted from him.
Korekuta abandoned his licking, satisfied with the reaction he had received. The fire apparition was coated with a sickening mixture of blood, sweat, and saliva, beads of it running down his body. A groan escaped him; the terrible smell surrounding him was nauseating, though there was nothing that he would be able to do about it.
Hiei's breath caught in his throat as he felt a pair of hands running across his stomach, massaging the finely shaped muscles that rested there. As Korekuta moved lower, he bit his lip roughly, drawing yet more blood as one of his fangs pierced the soft skin. The fingers trailed across the heated flesh of his thigh, before they traveled back to his hips, which they rubbed forcefully.
The demon leaned down to Hiei's ear, nibbling on it before whispering. "...Let's take this game up a notch, alright?"
The apparition knew what was about to happen a moment before it did. Korekuta grabbed his length roughly, causing him to let out a cry of anguish. With a smirk, Korekuta began to massage it, cackling as Hiei's cries became louder.
Against his will, Hiei was aroused, and the demon chuckled darkly. "...I want to taste you..."
Hiei's eyes widened in horror as Korekuta lowered his head to his thickness, sucking on it forcefully. He gasped, bucking wildly beneath the other. Eventually, the demon began to suck harder, which lead to Hiei releasing into his mouth.
The apparition shuddered visibly as Korekuta licked the inside of his thigh, too frightened to retaliate any longer. As it was, he had no way to stop the demon from slipping his own hardened length inside of him. Hiei shrieked once more, the actions sending him into violent spasms. He writhed underneath his captor, screaming with each thrust. Korekuta continued ramming himself into Hiei, not caring that he was much too large for the fire demon's entrance. He tore at the opening, laughing darkly when he saw the blood spill down Hiei's legs.
The fire demon felt tears of pure, raw agony fill his bloodshot eyes, though he forced them not to fall, even as his screams reached a new volume. He weakly tried to push Korekuta away, though that only encouraged the demon, his thrusts becoming rougher and harsher, threatening to knock his prey into unconsciousness.
Hiei's head fell back onto the cold, stone floor, his throat aching beyond comprehension. Korekuta, noticing that his captive had gone limp, pulled himself from the smaller demon. Instantly, Hiei curled up around himself, his eyes clenched shut as if it would will away the utter pain coursing through his frame. Meanwhile, Korekuta lifted himself to his feet, gathering up his clothes.
"Well, I'd have to say that this was rather... invigorating. I can't wait until you're dead so that I can do this again. Maybe, we'll do it sooner than that! Won't that be wonderful?" he exclaimed.
The apparition managed to lift his head slightly, his dazed, crimson orbs unfocused. He glared at his torturer, albeit it was a weak one. His voice came out hoarse, cracking on nearly every other word. "I swear... I swear that I will kill you... for what you have done... You will not get away with this..."
Hiei didn't stay awake long enough to hear a response, his vision having gone dark even as he spoke. He fainted there, still covered in blood, sweat, and saliva, unclothed and shivering even in the dark bliss of unconsciousness, where he only had the soft whispers of the Jagan for company.
Ending Notes
'Hope everyone enjoyed reading that as much as I loved writing it. I'm a huge fan of torture/rape scenes... I just had to fit one in somewhere!
I suppose that this was a sort of "flashback chapter". It switched between the present and the past... 'Just hope that didn't confuse too many people...
Speaking of confusion, a lot of you are probably thinking, "Um... Hey, Hiei wouldn't scream. Idiot." Well, in my opinion, he would. I think that anyone would scream in a situation like that, especially someone who had never had any sexual activity in his life up until that point. Honestly, people. As a child, Hiei had to fight for survival, living off killing. Excuse the slight irony there. Do you really think that he'd have time to fuck any prissy, perfect, Mary-Sue - like demoness that crossed his path? Nope, didn't think so. (In addition, male/male sex without lubrication would be agonizing.)
Drop me a good, long review, will you? 'Love hearing your opinions!
---
-Lynn
