Nearly making it to the hospital, gasping wildly for breath, his limbs shaking, Hiei stopped running, his lungs burning, heart pounding, sweat cascading down his forehead—he couldn't move another inch, the use of his demonic powers ravaged his human body. Weak from overexertion, Hiei breathed deeply, trying to still his racing heart, he could feel the blood pumping hard through his veins—his heart he heard beating loudly in his ears, and he hoped desperately that both would slow down to normal.
Relaxing his nerves or at least trying to, Hiei stared around him struggling to make his eyes focus when they blurred, blinding him from view of his surroundings. Perspiration dripping from his forehead, soaking his hair and the bandana he wore out of habit, Hiei gasped feeling the first throb of pain in his chest, clutching at his shirt as more throbs of pounding pain engulfed his body—something was wrong desperately wrong.
Using his demonic powers must've overexerted his human body—the pounding of his heart engulfed him with pain, and his lungs burned with each ragged breath—it was as though he forced himself to breathe, something that should've been so natural for his human body now seemed like work. Head spinning from lack of sufficient air, Hiei would've gasped if he'd been able to when his lungs refused to fill with the oxygen his human body so desperately needed.
Struggling so hard to breathe, feeling the terror rise through him, Hiei grasped his hands to his throat as unconsciousness consumed him, blacking out the present.
Meanwhile Genkai and Kurounue searched for Hiei, having realized he's gone only a few minutes after he left, worry imprinted on their faces and in their eyes. Had the fire-demon overheard their conversation and decide to find Akiko? Certainly that would he really have gone to Akiko with only the slight chance that the child was Kurama's? Was he that desperate to have something that connected him with the late Kurama?
"He's not anywhere nearby." Kurounue called to Genkai after searching the nearby surroundings for Hiei, the fire-demon was no where around the temple. "I don't get it, he couldn't've gotten that far on his own, his body's human after all—it couldn't support any of his powers."
"…true, but…even though his body's not strong enough, he's still able to use his powers…." Genkai replied, realization of what Hiei had to have done filled her with anxiety—it would be exactly what the stubborn fire-demon would do. "He must've used his demonic speed, that's the only way he could've gotten so far so fast."
"But…the stress on his body…it could kill him!"
"I know, we need to find him quick, I'll contact Botan and tell her to inform everyone else. You go as fast as possible to the city—and if you see Yusuke or anybody tell them what's happened."
"Okay, I'll try to contact Karai; hopefully he's still with the others."
Ten minutes later, almost halfway to his destination, Kurounue cursed the human body he was in—if he had his original body he'd have been there by now, but he didn't, and if things weren't bad enough, he couldn't get in touch with Karai. Struggling hard to contact the auburn eyed demon through the demon's bond with Hinansho's body, Kurounue cursed his luck when Karai failed to respond—of all the times they needed him, Karai wasn't there, and Karai had wished to prove his trustworthiness to the Spirit Detective team. So why didn't he respond?
"C'mon, where are you Karai? We need your help." Kurounue whispered as he ran, worry in his eyes for both Hiei and Karai—could they both be in danger? Lost almost completely in thought, Kurounue barely saw the flash of red speed in front of him stopping as swiftly as it appeared. "Wha…Ku-chan?" Kurounue froze, gaping at the captivatingly red fox cub sitting in front of him eyeing Kurounue intensely. "You should still be asleep from that pill Genkai gave you…."
"Should yes, but he isn't." A rough voice spoke from behind Kurounue, startling him as he turned around, suddenly afraid. However the sight of the person behind him relieved Kurounue. "Karai, it's you, good. Hiei's missing we need you to help find him. We think he may've strained his body by using his demonic powers, can you help…Karai? What's wrong? You don't seem…." Kurounue spoke puzzled by the peculiar expression on Karai's face, his voice being cut off when the auburn eyed demon grabbed him by the throat in a steel-like grip.
Fear written in his eyes, Kurounue struggled against Karai, wondering desperately what had gotten into the demon. Anger whelming up through him, Kurounue struggled, pausing only when he caught the look in Karai's eye—sorrow. Intense despair shone in Karai's auburn eye, while he deliberately choked Kurounue, as though he wanted to stop himself but couldn't—as though he no longer had any control over his body.
"Karai…." Kurounue gasped, struggling against the demon's grip, his fear-filled eyes glancing every now and then as Karai's right arm hanging limply at the auburn eyed demon's side—looking for a chance to grab it—if Kurounue could just touch it then Karai would loosen his grip on Kurounue's neck. (Of course, if it wasn't the real Karai it wouldn't work, but at least he'd know that it wasn't). Waiting for his opportunity, Kurounue struggled silently against Karai, grabbing for the demon's arm as soon as he spotted an opening.
However, as he grabbed for Karai's unprotected right arm, Kurounue felt a stab of pain on his wrist as Ku-chan bit him, breaking through his skin easily, effortlessly, an odd gleam in his eyes.
"Ku-chan…what are…?" Kurounue managed to gasp before falling unconscious, his thoughts spinning with unanswered questions, fearing what those answers might be.
Meanwhile near the city hospital glowing with an intensely white light, strands of long silver blond hair falling past broad, pale shoulders, the being who'd visited Hiei at Genkai's, now searched around frantically for the fire-demon. Feeling that the fire-demon's life energy was fading, the glowing being searched more intensely, focusing its gleaming energy into a more visible form.
Standing around a height of six feet, silver white fox ears and tail, dressed in a flowing white robe, eyes glowing an intense yellow, Youko searched around for Hiei, struggling to sense the fire-demon's fading aura. Finding it, Youko rushed toward the aura signal, intent on his purpose until another fading aura caught his attention. Coming from the distance, about ten miles away, this new, familiar aura caught Youko's attention, distracting him from finding Hiei.
"Kurounue…!" Youko gasped recognizing the flashes of aura coming from outside the city as those of Kurounue's human body, realizing that the human body's life force was fading. "Grrr…damn….!" Youko cursed torn between finding Hiei and helping Kurounue—should he find and help the fire-demon whom his more human form had been lovers with or should he help Kurounue who had saved Youko at the expense of his own life? Realizing that he had only seconds to decide who to save (both would be dead if he waited much longer) Youko stared toward where he had been going, mumbled something incomprehensible and then turned away, heading toward the place where Kurounue was, abandoning his search for the fire-demon.
Elsewhere, at the city hospital, Akiko lay unconscious on the uncomfortable bed in the white walled room, still willing herself to die as images of her past flashed through her mind. She hadn't meant to cheat on Shuuichi, and for most of the four months she'd been his girlfriend she'd been faithful—the idea to cheat on Shuuichi never crossed her mind, and never would've if she hadn't met that man.
That man, who actually wasn't that tall, and looked more like a short teen boy, had claimed to be a demon, proving what he was by showing Akiko some of his powers. Fearing what would happen to her if she resisted the demon, Akiko had let him do what he wished, feeling relieved and guilty after he left having finished having his way with her, leaving her unhurt in any other way.
Her encounter with that demon scarred Akiko, and she focused her time and energy on forgetting that it had ever happened, refusing to say anything to Shuuichi about the rape out of fear of him being angry that she hadn't resisted. Keeping such a secret from Shuuichi had tormented Akiko, making her feel as though she betrayed him—but she couldn't admit what had happened to her to Shuuichi, he had already been through enough, and she didn't want to do anything to upset him. Fearing what Shuuichi would do, afraid that he might go through another suicidal depression, Akiko kept silent, keeping her guilt and shame hidden inside of her heart, tucked snugly into the dark confines of her mind.
Yes, that guilt was what caused her to get duped by another demon she met—though this one used trickery and a well crafted disguise to get her. How was she to know that some demons could disguise themselves into any form they chose? How was she to know that the person who took Shuuichi's physical form and had intercourse with her was actually a demon in disguise? That day, nine weeks ago, was the worst day of her life—and was the sole reason why she and Shuuichi broke up. That demon had threatened to kill Shuuichi unless she did what he wished.
Flashback:
Akiko stared, pale, eyes wide, as the man in front of her transformed before her eyes, smirking slyly, sadistically at her naked form. Sickened at the sight of the stranger, Akiko felt tears form in her eyes, and had almost screamed for help before the man in front of her spoke, harsh and cruel.
"Scream, and I swear I'll kill that lover boy of yours; Shuuichi."
"AH! Please don't hurt Shu-chan, I'll do anything." Akiko pleaded, shivering with fear, knowing in her gut that this man could succeed in his threat, for all she knew he could already have Shuuichi as a hostage.
"Be quiet." The man replied, smirking at how quickly Akiko complied, his stony eyes gleaming sadistically at the human girl. Loving how much control he had over Akiko, the man moved closer to the human girl, his long black hair swaying slightly as he moved, placing his strong hands on the girl's bosom freezing her struggles with just a look.
"Please don't…."
"I told you to be quiet, heh." The stony eyed demon growled, chuckling at the shiver of terror that consumed Akiko at his words, loving the human girl's struggles to remain still as he dug one of his nails into the skin of the girl's side, eyeing the blood hungrily.
Tears streaming down her pale face, her body trembling from fear for herself and Shuuichi, Akiko let the black haired, stony eyed demon do what he wished to her, enduring his rough lust with as few whimpers as possible, holding back her cries even when the demon scratched and bit her, ravaging her body until she loss consciousness.
When she awoke he was still there, lying on top of her, biting and scratching her hungrily barely noticing whether Akiko was awake or not, enraptured completely by lust.
"Ah…." The demon moaned, moving off of Akiko, breathing heavily lying next to her on the bed, eyeing Akiko as she turned away looking at what time it was on the bedside clock. "Surprised? Heh…."
"…I…eight hours…you've…." Akiko stammered, feeling the tired soreness of her body from the demon's lust, wondering how it was possible of him to have lasted that long and how he could stand raping someone who had been unconscious.
"I could've lasted longer, but I wish to keep you alive." The demon whispered in Akiko's ear, observing her body lustfully, but restraining himself from raping her again. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill Shuuichi, you got that?"
"Yes." Akiko whimpered shivering from fear as the demon stood up, dressing himself calmly as though nothing unusual had happened. "Who are you anyway?"
"…heh…Karasu." The black haired demon replied smirking. "You tell anyone about me, I'll kill you and that lover boy of yours." After that the demon, Karasu, left; leaving Akiko alone in the silent room.
End Flashback
Akiko shuddered unconsciously, remembering the demon who called himself Karasu, and the fear that had whelmed through her when she encountered him again. It had been around two weeks after her first encounter with him that Karasu showed up at hers and Shuuichi's apartment again when Shuuichi was meeting with friends at Genkai's—this time intent on having Akiko obey all his orders without question.
Flashback:
"You!" Akiko gasped staring at Karasu who stood in her doorway angry and impatient at her refusing to move out of the doorway. "Stay away from me."
"You'll let me in now, I order you to." Karasu seethed and then smirked as Akiko struggled against letting him in, but the attempt was futile—he had bitten Akiko during his first encounter with the human girl, making her his slave so she had to do whatever he commanded her to do. Stepping through the doorway after Akiko stepped back from it, Karasu transformed into the form of a human Akiko never saw before, grabbing a hold of her and whispering in her ear. "You'll do what I say, got that? You will not say anything about my true identity, now or ever—and you will do everything exactly how I tell you to do it, got that?"
"Yes…." Akiko whimpered, unable to struggle at all due to some power Karasu had over her, it seemed as though her body obeyed his will instead of her own. And so, Akiko did everything Karasu told her to, even after Shuuichi came home and caught her with the disguised demon, angry from the feeling of betrayal he felt, threatening to kill the disguised Karasu—Akiko wanted him to but Karasu commanded her nonverbally to stop Shuuichi, ordering her to say exactly what he had told her to. That wretched demon Karasu had ordered her to break up with Shuuichi, forcing her to drive away the only one she ever cared about, the one whom she worried the most about—and she could neither forgive Karasu nor herself for how badly she'd hurt Shuuichi with her words and actions.
End Flashback
Those memories pounding through her thoughts, Akiko cried silent tears as she felt the energy from her unborn child (she had heard the old woman Genkai muttering about how the unborn child was using its own energy to sustain itself and Akiko) filling up her body, almost consuming her. Odd, so far the unborn child had only barely used its energy, but now it seemed to overwhelm her as though the child was consciously aware of its surroundings and wished to take a more active stand on its survival. Lost in thought and memories for the time being, Akiko felt herself slip into deeper unconsciousness, blacking out even her memories.