Chapter 10: "Regrets…"

I growled in pain as my wings began to appear again. The pain was slightly less then last time and to make it even more painless I recreated the pain I felt from getting my Jagan in my mind. I didn't feel it but it was enough to make any pain seem like nothing.

After my wings I felt my claws and fangs get longer. My eyesight became even better and my hearing and sense of smell sharper. Matt yelped and ducked in a hole that appeared in the wall.

I took a shaky breath and waited a moment. /Nothing else is happening./

/Try harder, boy or I'll kill your sister/

/Don't you touch her/

/Oh, I won't hurt her… too much./

/Stop! …I'll try again./

/You better or you can say good-bye to your little baby sister./

I growled, my body heating up from the anger and hate I couldn't quite get under my control and my whole body filled with pain that fell just short of the pain from getting my Jagan. My body stiffened from it and I couldn't even choke back a scream.

Matt ran out of her little hole. "Hiei!"

I felt my body changing but it's really hard to describe and through the pain I really don't remember much. I tried to stop from screaming just because I felt how worried and afraid Matt was. I failed after no more then two seconds and screamed from the pain again but this time I swore it became a roar before I passed out.

When I opened my eyes I had no idea how long I had been out. I blinked a few times, trying to get the room to stop spinning when something dark and fuzzy got right up in my face at the end of a long snout with a small blood red horn sprouting from the end of it..

"Hiei…? Are you awake now?"

/I think so…/

"Okay…um, Are you… alright?"

/I think… What happened…/ I didn't realized I was speaking telepathically.

She just stared at me for a moment. "Whoa."

/What/ I asked.

"I dunno but look at yourself!"

I went to stand up. I looked at my hands… which had become giant, clawed and dragon-like… "What the--?" is what I wanted to say but it came out as a loud roar.

In a small attempt to remain calm and collected I studied them for a moment. Black glossy scales covered them and deep dark blood red claws that were curved and cat-like.

"Whoa Hiei, you're huge!" ….This was coming from a sable that wasn't even two feet long. "You look so awesome!"

I sat back onto my back legs to study my feet. The same thing. I saw something move behind me as I balanced on my back legs. I glanced back to see a tail swish behind me, helping to keep me balanced. I almost passed out again. I looked at my chest and stomach. Deep dark blood red scales covered my chest, stomach and neck. I looked at my back. Black glossy scales like on my hands covered me. My wings were the same except bigger. I finally found courage to study the tail (Yes, the tail is what I was afraid of. Don't ask why.) I looked down my back and followed the tail to the end. It was long and whip like and it moved on it's own for the most part, though I could feel it sliding against the floor.

After a moment I saw down, front legs supporting my front weight while my back legs were tucked neatly underneath me and my wings were folded so I fit in the room.

/What the hell…? How the hell did I…/

"Hiei?"

Knives spoke. /Good job. Now, I'll be in there in a moment after I deal with this little brat./

/You promised you wouldn't hurt her/ I had a feeling Knives never kept to his promises but I was hoping he would listen to an empty threat that I didn't know if I could even try to keep. /I swear if you hurt her I'll change back. I swear I will./

Silence. I began to get slightly nervous but kept it inside where no one but me knew about it. /Alright./ I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. /But you haven't kept to your promise. Eat Matt./

I felt sick. /…I- I can't…/

/Eat her or no little sister/

I thought of something. /Wait! Fine, I'll eat her…./ I looked at Matt. /Mom, I'm going to keep you in my mouth so don't move./

"What? Why?" I picked her up and tossed my head and caught Matt in my mouth. "Ahh-!"

/Don't move/ I focused on Knives. /Okay… Now let Sora go./

/Swallow boy! How stupid do you think I am/

I shielded my thoughts. /You'd be surprised… You're lower than Kuwabara on my list./ I sighed and spoke with Knives again. /I did--/

/Swallow/

Sora spoke. /Hiei! Help/

/Alright/ I wasn't in control… I hated it too. I could only do one thing to help Sora… and if I did help then Matt would be in trouble… I didn't know what to do and again I began to think how easy it would have been to be without feelings. I could walk away and I realized even if I could do that I didn't want it. I was only happy back then when I fought. Now I was happy even when I wasn't and I wouldn't want to live without Matt, Sora and if I had the chance to go back to not caring I would lose Naoko too and I didn't want that. At that moment I made a hard decision… One that would later come with regrets…

"Hiei, What's going--" Matt began.

Then I swallowed.