Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Katrina Kon. I only own the storyline.

Chapter 11: Secrets

Buzz, buzz.

Buzz, buzz.

Buzz, buzz.

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SOUND?! Oh, never mind. It's only my new alarm clock. I try to turn it off, but then Keiko walks in.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NOISE?!" She yells.

"Ahhhh, Keiko, get away from me!" She is brandishing a chair a little too close to me for comfort. I notice her usually brown eyes are glowing an intensifying violet. "Uhh, Keiko?"

"TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF! TURN..."

I shut it off hurriedly. She drops the chair and slumps to the floor.

"Keiko? Keiko?" I say directly to her. She is obviously unconscious. Mie runs in. Jeez, is everyone going to come in here?

"Wha---What happened to Keiko?" She stares at me. "You didn't do this, right?"

I glare at her. "What is wrong with you, lately? Why do you mistrust me for everything?"

She glares back, but swallows and drops her gaze. "Well, you're the one acting really violent, lately! You get pissed at everything, you're no fun to be around, and you think I shouldn't be pissed off?"

I gaze into space in horror. Mie never was, is, or will be a liar. She's the most honest preson I know. Maybe my cat eyes aren't the only thing that's changed.

"Mie, Keiko tried to attack me! Something about my alarm clock buzzing..."

"I'll take her to the nurse," she says. I can tell she doesn't believe me. And it just isn't something Keiko would do. She's really gentle.

Just then the door opens. I stare and come dangerously close to laughing. It's Hiei, in a doctor's uniform. Mie stares down at him. (Well, she is, like, two feet taller) "Who are you?"

Hiei speaks, sounding mechanical and dead. "I-am-a-school-doctor-and-I-heard-a-noise-so-I-went-to-see-what-the-problem-was. What-has-happened-here-ladies?"

"I've never seen you here before." Says Mie.

"I-am-new-here."

She looks uncertain. "Well, it's Keiko Yukimura. She looks like someone..." She glares at me. "...knocked her out."

"I was with Keiko at the time, Mr. Human Doctor Sir."

"All-right-then. Miss-I-will-ask-you-to-leave-while-your-friend-fills-me-in-please."

Mie huffs and walks out to breakfast. As soon as I'm sure she's gone, I lol.

"Hiei, what the hell are you doing here? Your lines sounded way too rehearsed, by the way."

He strips off his white hat, throws it on the ground, and stamps on it for good measure. "Never mind that, what happened to the girl?"

I told him everything. "Seriously, it was as though the alarm clock was making her crazy. She looked like one mad demon."

"Let me see this so-called alarm clock."

I cross the room to it, and try to lift it, but IT WON'T COME OFF! After much cursing and straining, I detach it from my bedside table. I wonder how it got so stuck there...

Hiei looks over it with a practiced eye. He turns it over, then looks at the sides, then bangs it on my bed. He turns on the signal ten times at least, and just about when I'm ready to scream with boredom, he finally speaks.

"As I suspected," He begins, in a know-it-all voice that makes me want to throttle him. "It's the buzzer that made her crazy. It's a demonic torture device for humans only, because it doesn't affect demons or part demons. When a mortal/human hears the noise, they instantly act as though they are on a super stimulant. The sound releases anger and bad feelings. They also try to shut it off. It's kind of like your panther transformations, you know, they have no free will. They only have the feeling, with every nerve in their body, that they have to stop hearing the noise. That's why Mie acted the way she did. She probably feels that way deep down, but she would never tell you about it. I guess she heard catches of the buzzing. Speaking of panthers, I suppose you've been wondering why you aren't yourself and why you have green cat eyes."

I nod, stunned by this different, calculative, sharp side of Hiei.

"Well, basically, it's just your body's temporary reaction to your semi-uncontrolled panther powers. It happens to every demon at some point. Kurama went through it, I did, Yukina did, it's perfectly natural. But if you keep ignoring your power, then your body will keep transforming, if slowly, into your demon form. Then you'll be stuck as a demon for good.

Once you have your powers under control, however, the effects will wear away within days. You have just the minor effects now, which are rashness, anger, and eye difference. You still have time. I keep telling Kurama he needs to train you before it's too late, but he won't. I guess he has his reasons. He's the smart one, after all, him and Keiko. You're going to have to ask him yourself."

"But I have! He just tells me either I'm not ready, too young, or just ignores me!"

"Don't ask me to question the fox, lady."

We need a subject change. "So how could I have bought a cursed alarm clock?"

"I have no idea, but it must be linked to Beauty. Maybe she planned for your friends to gang up on you and kill you. Then maybe she could use your demonic juice for herself. Kurama isn't the one she's after, Katrina. It's you."

"WHY?" I shout. I quiet myself in horror. "Why does she need the Kon children? There are more demons in the sea."

"Well," Hiei hisses. "She thinks you can't defend yourself, because I saved you that night when she almost got you. I think being in such close range of you, she sensed all of that demonic power trapped within, some of which you haven't even found for yourself. She moved on that night, to you."

"God, I'm gonna die," I whisper.

"Not yet," says Hiei. He opens my window, taking the alarm clock with him. "I'll run some more checks on this at home base, so see ya." He jumps out, then flies back in just as I'm shutting the window. I hear a thud, and Hiei has a huge bump on his forehead. "Here's your Commir back, Kurama it fixed...fixed it...Bye..." He leaps/flies out dazedly.

I watch him go out, feeling bad about his bump. Maybe he doesn't hate me.

I realize with a pang of my poor, poor stomach that I've missed breakfast. I run out the door so I won't be late for first period.

The day goes by quick. Mie is not talking to me. I don't know if she really is mad or if she's just embarrassed to apologize. At least Flo, Kanerusa, and Akane didn't hear that awful ringing. At least, I'm pretty sure they are humans

I got back a test on the Third Civil War from the Featherbrain and I aced it. Keiko had been taken down to the hospital wing, and when she woke up, couldn't remember why she was sent there. I went to her at resource period and updated her, and she apologized over and over. She said she must help me study for the test today, and so of course I didn't refuse. I owe it all to Keiko, my new best friend.

She is my greatest friend not only because Mie doesn't like me anymore, but because she knows my situation. I can talk to her when Kurama's not around (who I talk to a great deal lately now that I have my Commir back). Keiko is better than Mie ever was. We have so much more in common!

My life is pretty good.

A/N Review or else no more story!