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 III
"Knowing that there is worse pain doesn't make present pain hurt any less." -- Real Live Preacher; Real Live Preacher weblog 03.22.05.
.-.-.
...Master...
"What?"
Bad demon asleep somewhere else. You get up now?
"Are you sure that it's safe?"
Yes. Yes, very sure. Bad demon in deep sleep.
"All right... Be sure to alert me if he starts to awaken."
Careful, stay careful, Master.
-
Terrible agony covered his entire body, spreading through him like fire engulfing a towering forest. The pain raged with in him, erupting to a greater height as a loud whimper crawled from his throat, seemingly fueled by the pitiful sound. The flames licked at him greedily, threatening to consume his entire being. The roaring of the inferno filled his senses, pounding in his ears, resonating through his mind. He wanted it to stop; he needed it to stop...!
His bewildered, frightened crimson orbs snapped open at once.
Instantly, the flaring heat came to a halt, vanishing without as much as a trace of ash. He remained gasping for breath on the stone floor, coated with perspiration. He did not attempt to move; honestly, he wasn't even sure if he'd be able to.
As the Jagan had promised, the cavern was empty. From what the fire apparition could tell, Korekuta was far away, deep within the bowels of the mountain. Hopefully, he wouldn't return for a long while.
Hiei shivered, immediately becoming aware that he was naked, lying in the same place he had been when he had fallen unconscious. He tentatively sniffed the air, only to choke as the stench of Korekuta's seed and his own blood filled his nose. However, with the scent came the horrendous mental images, reminding him why he hurt so much.
Fighting down a whimper, the apparition curled up, though he was met with the sound of jingling chains. A quick glance revealed that his captor had enough sense to secure him to the floor, preventing his escape.
Hiei flinched as another throb of pain came from his anal area. '...I highly doubt that I'd be able to even walk, let alone escape...'
He sighed, his shoulders shaking as a sudden draft whipped through the cavern, seeming to center in on the demon, teasing him with its frigid caresses. Hiei clenched his eyes shut, shunning the memories of the previous night, turning instead to the issue of how he was to leave this hellhole.
For what seemed like hours, he reeled through countless plans, though he found something wrong with each one. This one made no sense, that one would be foiled by Korekuta, and the last one couldn't be done without help, given his current state...
Hiei let out a soft groan; it seemed entirely hopeless. He could do nothing... Korekuta would continue to rape him, using him as nothing but a sex toy, and would eventually kill him, whether it would be due to the raping or torture.
Master... Master, idea!
Hiei nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard the Jagan's "voice" echo through his mind, interrupting the string of depressing thoughts. He calmed himself down, replying a moment after.
"What?"
Master, I have plan! To leave! Good plan, good plan!
"...What is it?"
I tell Fox! I send him pictures of you, where we are! He comes, he saves us! Kills bad demon!
The fire apparition bit his lip; there was nothing wrong with the idea... If anything, it would most likely work, and it was the only hope he had of leaving this place, of escaping Korekuta... Sighing heavily, he nodded to no one in particular, his crimson orbs closing simultaneously.
"All right... Contact Kurama, lead him to us. Show him everything that this bastard's done to me... And what he did to Yuusuke... Just to give him a sense of urgency."
Yes, Master. Won't fail you. I get Fox here!
Hiei curled up into a tighter position as he felt the Jagan try to locate the thief. However, he was unable to concentrate on that, for the throbbing had renewed greatly in vigor, nearly causing the demon to scream. As the escapade continued, he became aware that blood had started to stream down his legs again, having come from internal injuries. He writhed in pain, his arms wrapping around himself as if it would help.
He began to shake violently, his claws raking across the stone floor as he bit his tongue until blood began to seep through his teeth. Without warning, his liquid, mixed with Korekuta's, spilled from his opening, combining with blood as it fell to the ground, his body rejecting the other demon's seed. This time, he could not control the cry that pushed itself past his lips, resonating through the cavern.
He felt the sudden urge to retch, and he forced himself to sit up, releasing the sickening mixture that rose in his throat. He fell back to the ground, moaning in both agony and rage.
'Dammit, Kurama, you'd better get here soon...'
---
Narrowed, garnet eyes watched the droplets of water as they trickled down the other side of the glass, leaving wet trails behind them. They continued to the windowsill, pooling on the edge of the brickwork only to fall to the waterlogged ground a moment later. Thunder crashed in the stormy heavens above, followed by a streak of brilliant lightning.
The apparition watching the rain let out a quiet growl, shifting in his perch on the window seat. He truly hated it, having to lock himself up inside, lest he catch hypothermia. In fact, he was so caught up in cursing the weather that he didn't notice the presence next to him until the youth spoke.
"Having fun, Hiei?"
The demon jumped slightly, whirling around to face the grinning delinquent once he had regained his composure. "Hn. Are you trying to frighten me to death?"
Yuusuke's grin only widened. "...Maybe..."
Hiei rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the storm outside, the detective following his gaze, allowing them to fall silent. Occasionally, he would sneak a glance at his companion, taking in every detail of his appearance. Unbeknownst to the other, Hiei felt more towards him than just a deep sense of friendship.
His eyes traveled to the detective's lips, noting how velvet-like they seemed, appearing to be as soft as rose petals. Inwardly, he wondered what it would feel like to kiss them, to have them grace his skin, to have them tease him...
...He wanted to tell Yuusuke how he felt... so badly... He had been keeping it inside for at least two years, and while it didn't seem so long when he thought about it, it truly was... He wanted to reveal this terrible secret of his, no matter how unbelievable it would be... But he couldn't do that to Yuusuke... He couldn't curse him like that, giving him the love of the Forbidden Child...
...He couldn't...
...But he wanted to...
"So... What do you think the mission's going to be like?"
Crimson eyes lifted to glance at the half-breed, looking bored and disinterested, despite the confusing turmoil of thoughts and emotions raging within. "What does my opinion matter?"
The detective took a seat on the windowsill beside him, turning his chocolate-colored gaze to the storm raging outside. "I'm just curious. I mean, we've never been to this part of the Makai, right?"
"It won't be anything special." Hiei replied, exhaling deeply. "If anything, the Idiot might get himself captured... again."
Yuusuke let out a chuckle, his grin once more appearing upon his features. However, this time, it vanished much quicker. "...Yeah... But for some reason, I'm getting the feeling that... that..."
Hiei looked up again, taking in the half-breed's serious expression. "...That what, Yuusuke?"
The deep, brown gaze turned to the apparition, filled with lament and a tinge of fear.
"...One of us is going to die..."
---
"Well, now. You've made quite a mess while I was gone. Icky, icky little one."
Hiei felt a shudder feather up his spine as the demon's voice reached his ears. Over the last few hours, he had spilled three more times, coating the ground with seed and blood. His abdomen ached, hurting from the constant strain. He paid no mind to his captor, who was currently surveying his beaten form.
"Hm... I suppose it would be better to wait before doing anything else to you, but I can't! I want you to die so badly, so that I can play with you forever!" Korekuta exclaimed. "I think that a few more times should do it..."
A whimper threatened to be heard from the apparition, but he blatantly refused to let it out. Only when he turned around to look at Korekuta and saw what he was carrying, did Hiei allow the whining noise to escape.
A long, thick leather whip was in his hands, coiled tightly even though it was ready for use. The length of it glistened in the darkness, indicating that there was some sort of coating on it. It was unlike the plain whip that had been used earlier, and Hiei had a hunch that it would hurt twice as much.
Noticing the inklings of fear within his captive's gaze, Korekuta let out a scratchy, unnatural laugh. "Don't worry. You'll get to feel it soon enough."
Hiei turned away, attempting to hide the fleeting look from his eyes. For once in his life, he was afraid. '...Afraid of a mere weapon... Fool. What a coward you truly are.'
"I see that you're overwhelmed with excitement. If that's how you feel, we'll start now!" the demon chirped, drawing the whip out, which he cracked experimentally a few times.
Hiei flinched at each sound, mentally berating at himself not to show such weakness, to not be frightened by something as simple as torture. He had endured the earlier session; he would be able to live through this one as well... He was strong; he had mastered the Darkness Flame technique perfectly, when no one else had. He had survived the Jagan implant. He could make it though this.
Yet such thoughts did not help. Right now, those past triumphs were meaningless; they would not be able to help him in his current situation. He was weak.
And so it was, he didn't have the energy to dodge, or even attempt to stop Korekuta as the whip flung out at him, instantly digging into his skin.
---
He tried not to focus on the pain; however, when all one knows is pain, that makes it all the more difficult to ignore. A hiss escaped him, the only sound that he had allowed out since the torture had commenced. Tears of agony had long since formed in his eyes, though he clenched them shut, simultaneously willing his lips not to part and release the blood-curdling scream that was lingering behind them.
The weapon created dozens of fresh gashes in its next assault, spilling rivers of crimson to the ground. Hiei was drenched with it as it seeped from the many lacerations covering his body, coating his hair so that the ebony locks clung to the sides of his face. Most of the blood came from his back, the skin of which had been completely shredded.
Korekuta's eerie laughter echoed through the cavern, spinning and circling in the fire apparition's mind. Hiei through his head back as the lashing continued, unintentionally exposing his unmarred chest. At the sight of the clean skin, his captor immediately tossed the whip to the ground, leaping upon him with claws extended.
Hiei's breath caught in his throat as the other demon's talons dug into his flesh, ripping through it as if it were nothing but fabric. Blood surged from the slashes, staining Korekuta's hands a bright garnet before it fell to the floor, into the growing pool of blood that surrounded the two.
A sudden, agonizing pain developed in his shoulder, and Hiei reopened his eyes just in time to see his captor plunge a knife into the area, luckily missing any arteries. However, he had no time to brace himself for the next attack, and the scream was finally torn from his throat as two blades simultaneously stabbed into each of his hands, piercing them completely.
"This one might hurt a bit, dearest little one... But it's all in good fun!" Korekuta announced, the maniac glint back in his eyes. He raised one of his hands, three knives clenched between each finger. Without further warning, he drove them into the apparition's stomach, blood erupting from the injury in a spray of red. Korekuta laughed shrilly before twisting each of the blades in turn, obviously loving the sound of his prey's shrieks.
He now knew why just the sight of the weapons terrified Yuusuke, why the half-breed sobbed when they came near. He again mentally cursed Korekuta for inflicting such treacherous pain upon the innocent youth, though the thoughts disappeared with the larger demon's next actions.
His tormentor's hand abruptly released the handle of one of the knives, instead gripping the fire demon's length. He chuckled, already beginning to massage it. "Let's go back to what we were doing yesterday. It's much more entertaining, don't you think...?"
Hiei let out a moan unwillingly, but it was cut off in exchange for a piercing scream. Unlike the earlier session, Korekuta didn't wait until Hiei had become aroused, instead shoving his own thickness into the smaller demon's core immediately.
Hiei screeched again, writhing beneath his torturer. He bucked with each thrust, subconsciously noting that the blood flow from his opening had increased, proving that Korekuta's actions had made any injuries worse. Much worse...
'N-Not again... No... I c-can't let him do this to me... I have... I have to stop him...!'
However, as the thrusts reached a new intensity, all thoughts of escaping the demon vanished, in exchange for yet more screams. Korekuta then paused, instead opting to grind against the apparition, twisting himself so that the agony grew to a point where his captive fell into a pain-induced spasm.
Hiei felt his vision grow dark again, threatening to lose consciousness once more. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it, but he was unable to will away the growing darkness, and without his consent, it consumed him completely.
'It can't get any worse... Can it?'
---
...Master, Fox is coming.
We'll be okay! Fox saves us, we live! Bad demon dies!
"I'm not in the mood to hear this."
Wrong, what's wrong, Master?
Tell Jagan! I listen, I listen! I help!
"...He's raped me twice now..."
Master, you get better. Pain go away soon.
"You don't understand."
Me try, me try!
"...I've become weak. Vulnerable."
"...Pathetic..."
Aw, Master, no sound like that! You not weak. You strong, very strong! A dragon, a flying shadow, katana lord! You so powerful! Unbelievably wild, so proud! You amazing, Master! You beat anything! You can't be stopped! Mighty, brave, courageous! Fast, oh so fast! Clever, confident, fearless! You wonderful, Master! The best of the best! Oh, Master, you anything but weak!
"Then why is this bastard able to subdue me so easily?"
Bad mind. Unpredictable. Head wrong, mind wrong, can't tell. Big maze, get lost in his head. Too confusing, too chaotic! So weird, so complicated! No understand him.
"You've said that twice now... Tell me what it means."
Master... Bad demon has messed up head. So twisted, so crazy... So very crazy... Mind crazy, gone crazy, never coming back.
Master, bad demon insane!
---
Hiei's crimson eyes snapped open, filled with realization. He slowly sat up, ignoring the protests of his body or how his frame began to shake.
Korekuta was not a normal demon. As the Jagan had said, he was completely and utterly insane. He didn't know what he was doing, where he was. His perception of reality was distorted, nothing logical and nothing understandable.
The only question now was how he ended up that way.
A sudden chuckling noise filled the cavern, and Hiei's head snapped up only to see his captor, leaning on one of the large boulders in the room. The fire apparition let out a low growl, his garnet-red orbs narrowing dangerously. The words of his Third Eye remained in his head; he was strong. He would not submit to this vile excuse for a demon again.
Korekuta stood straight, slowly walking over to him. Ignoring the snarl that came from Hiei, he knelt down, a bit too close for comfort.
"Well, well, well... I didn't know that you had Jagan Eye!"
Ending Notes: Hiei found out the obvious. Wow.
Terribly sorry for the delay! I got writers' block on all of my stories at the same time, decided to take a two-week break from writing to recollect my thoughts, and so here I am, finally getting this chapter out... 'Hope that everyone can understand!
Now, about the chapter. Part of the problem with this is that I hadn't planned it out that well... Eh heh. The original draft was only around five pages, so I had to throw in a few reflective scenes and Jagan conversations here and there to make it the right length.
I hope that everyone enjoyed this! Leave me a nice, and hopefully long review, okay?
---
-Lynn
