AN: This chapter contains graphic torture scenes; they are pertinent to the development of the character dynamics in this story, but not completely necessary to follow the plot. Reader digression is advised for this and following chapters.
Mae shifts fitfully in her sleep. Her alabaster skin shines in the dim light filtering through the large windows with a layer of sweat; her colorless hair sticks to her face and neck, pulling itself from its braid. Her breaths come rapidly, her chest barely moving with her shallow gasps. Eyes dance behind their lids. Shifting again Mae now faces the open room, her back to the cushions of the couch where she sleeps. Shortly after the second dose of broth Mae had fallen into a fitful slumber. The medicine allows her to sleep more deeply than usual. It also has made it nearly impossible for her to awaken from the memories that haunt her dreams.
Her current guard perches on the windowsill. His ruby gaze combs over her sleeping form. Hiei regards her with a slight amount of disdain, stupid mouse with your stupid stories. Don't think I didn't hear the fox translating your ridiculous hand waving. He moves to the arm chair, drawn when another wave of fitful throes disturb the small woman's rest. What is it you're dreaming about, the koorime allows himself to wonder. Your experiences with your father weren't that traumatic, worse happens in the Makai every day for less reason. The dark haired demon removes the wrapping for his Jagan eye; he knows the chances of gaining access to her mind are slim to none, but his curiosity gets the better of him as his garnet orbs slide shut in concentration.
Hiei feels a barrier between himself and his goal; it's similar to the one from before. This time though, weakened both by the effects of the broth and sleep, the barrier gives way to the demon's will with only a slight nudge. Satisfied the jaganshi feels himself enter the mind of the mysterious girl. He glances around, finding himself surrounded by blackness in all directions.
The koorime frowns, turning in his weightless suspension in an attempt to orient himself. Finding nothing in any direction he growls lowly at the impenetrable blackness. Slowly the demon feels himself land on a hard surface, giving him a sense of up and down even though every surface remains an inky black. A faint echo catches the demon's attention. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, Hiei heads in the direction of the echo, willing his ears to make out the faint words. He continues to follow the soft reverberations until he hits an invisible wall with enough force to knock the fire demon on his ass. As he allows himself to drift further into Mae's consciousness, forgetting himself, Hiei can begin to make out the faint echo tugging at the edges of his mind. Glory be to the Father…as it is now, and ever shall be… amen.
A bright light assaults the demon's eyes as he opens them. Wincing he screws his eyes shut against the painful glare, cracking them once more when he feels he's adjusted to the light. A chill makes itself known to his body, looking around he can see that he's been chained to a large metal table. The chains binding his wrists bite the tender skin, pulling and pinching in a manner that is not only annoying, but increasingly difficult to ignore. The bright light comes from a surgical lamp positioned directly over him. Confused, the fire demon attempts to free himself, only to find that his limbs refuse to move at his command.
It's then that it dawns on him; by entering Mae's mind he has stumbled into her dream and upon what appears to be a memory. Hiei grits his teeth with frustration, this will be no simple observation, and he is going to be forced to experience the memory from Mae's point of view. With a small growl the koorime resigns himself to wait out the memory rather than forcibly remove his consciousness and try again, knowing he will only be able to experience the extent of Mae's human senses.
With this resignation Hiei notices a voice at the edge of his senses. He can't quite make out the words, damn girl and her human ears. The voice stops and there is a clinking of metal before a searing pain rips through the demon's lower abdomen. Hiei gasps at the icy heat that settles over his stomach as blood pours freely from the wound. He is unprepared for the sensation of hands reaching inside the exposed cavity. While this is not especially painful it does create an uncomfortable pressure in the exposed cavity that the fire demon tries to squirm away from, only to find that this borrowed body is once again ignoring his commands. A sickening squelch fills the room as the torturer removes his hands from Hiei's guts, bringing a section of intestine to lie across his body.
The organ glistens in the flourecent lighting, a slightly nauseous feeling settles over the demon at the sight of his innards resting outside his body. Not my body, he reminds himself, Mae's. The koorime feels his chest tighten uncomfortably as the torturer grips the exposed organ lightly before twisting it between his brutish hands. Hiei's breath leaves him as he feels an incredible wrenching in his lower gut at the action. The muscles of his abdomen twitch and cramp pathetically in an attempt to protect the organ from the abuse. Unsatisfied at the lack of reaction the brute reaches his arm into the exposed innards below him. This time the hand snakes around the organs, making Hiei feel as if he's ripping apart from the inside out. The torturer's hand stops at the diaphragm, caressing the membrane gently. From the edge of his vision the fire demon can make out a sadistic smirk.
"Are you ready to cooperate now girl?" The voice asks. Hiei turns his gaze upward in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the assailant, but is only able to make out a vague shadow, since Mae's line of sight doesn't change. "I can guarantee if you don't this will get a whole lot worse. You do remember what happened last time don't you?"
Claw tipped fingers threaten to puncture the thin membrane, scraping across the area slowly. Hiei takes shallow breaths, feeling as though sand has lodged itself in his lungs. His diaphragm grates against the sharpened tips of claw with each inhalation. The koorime grimaces internally, his attention being drawn from the present situation by a faint echo rattling in the depths of his consciousness. Curiosity peaked, he turns his attention from the torturer to the faint sound tugging at the back of his mind, only for it to have disappeared as suddenly as it came. Uneasy at this point the koorime returns his attention back to the situation in anticipation of the girl's answer. He expects to feel a slight inclination of her head, or perhaps a verbal confirmation of the threat.
Memory Mae gives no response. This isn't the first time she's been tortured by this creature then. Hiei concludes, I can tell it's not human by the scent of rotting meat hanging in the air around the creature, so that must mean she was captured by demons at some point; but to what end? The jaganshi is torn from his thoughts by the feeling of his fingers being ripped from their proper alignment. A scream rips through him as the phalanges are dislocated one joint at a time, though the only sound in the memory is the sound of tendons popping out of place. The digits throb with each beat of his heart, the heady ache climbing its way up his arms as the fingers rest uselessly against the solid cold of the table. The fire demon feels the room begin to sway, his bleary vision searching frantically for a focal point on which to anchor his vision.
He tries to close his eyes and focus solely on the sturdy chill of the table beneath him, but in the memory Mae simply stares just to the left of the light dangling from the ceiling. A faint echo draws the demon's attention once more, this time it is more discernable than before, allowing Hiei to catch some of the words before they fade away once more. The Lord is with thee… Holy Mary… pray for us sinners… The fire demon tries to focus his consciousness on the faint voice filtering through the throbbing threatening to crush him as the pain claws its way through his body. He floats to the surface of his awareness, unable to immerse himself in the protection of his own mind.
Panting, Hiei steels himself for the next onslaught to the girl's body. It comes with such suddenness the fire demon is unable to muster the breath to form a scream. Electricity hums through his useless fingers, up his arms and spreads to the rest of him. His body convulses under the abuse. The demon feels his back arch from the table, the restraints digging into the tender flesh of his wrists and ankles. Unable to maintain this position, his body slams back down, banging noisily against the metal beneath him. This pattern continues, forming bruises along his body. The electricity causes his heart to start and stop sporadically.
Unable to form coherent thoughts due to the charges running through him all the demon can hold onto is the light mounted above him. Once his muscles are too fatigued to move him in the possessed dance the torture elicits he twitches weakly as the energy courses through him. The metal table grows hot under the electric current, prolonging the shocks and burning the sensitive skin of his ass. The demon can feel tears threatening to spill from his own eyes, though the girl in the memory remains unmoved by the onslaught.
Faintly he can smell singed hair through his delirium. The throbbing ache in his joints ceases as immediately as it began, leaving a sense of emptiness that causes the demon to fight back a groan. Hiei shudders at the ghost shocks still running through his limbs, causing him to twitch involuntarily. Desperately he tries to close his eyes against the memory, unwilling to endure more, but finds himself still staring at that damned light. A realization dawns on him, this is how she defied them. She refused to close her eyes, to scream, to give into the pain- once again his thoughts are interrupted. A strange sensation lodges itself in the pit of his stomach as the creature once again lays hands on Mae's body.
"Very well, let's try something else shall we." The voice mutters darkly. For the first time Hiei finds himself beginning to panic as he desperately tries to place the sensation he's experiencing when the realization slams into his consciousness. His suspicions are confirmed when a slight pressure is felt on his inner thigh. The touch is cool, not at all what he was expecting.
A sharp pain and the feeling of skin separating tear away the previous sensation. A different type of burning builds around the injury, an unpleasant tingling beginning to set in; like when an appendage falls asleep for too long. The demon draws a shuddering breath as the coolness of what he now knows is a blade is removed from between his legs. As the weapon is withdrawn the burning sensation returns tenfold as he feels himself being sliced open. He fights back the bile rising in his throat as he feels the thickness of Mae's blood force itself from the wound to pool beneath him in a wet, sticky puddle. The shadow once again enters the jaganshi's vision and this time he is able to make out the grotesque features of his torturer. The demon is burly, probably a middle class demon given his humanesque form. The creature has heavy features that overwhelm his face and sharp, mean eyes the color of dried dirt. Hiei snarls at the demon, though he knows he won't be heard.
"You like that don't you, you little bitch." The demon growls, a sadistic grin stretching his features unpleasantly. "You human sluts are all the same; you'll do anything to have something between your legs won't you?"
It was then his mind fully remembered that this was Mae's memory, not his own. He had become so engulfed in the sheer brutality of the torture that he had forgotten that he was in the mind of the strange human girl, back in the safety of the late Genkai's temple. He was experiencing the event in Mae's body, not his own. This meant that even though his consciousness was accustomed to types of pain he'd endured so far the fire demon was sorely unaware of what it felt like to be violated as a female. Gritting his teeth Hiei willed his eyes shut, much to his dismay Mae did not relent and simply continued to stare directly into the single surgical light dangling above them.
He tensed as he felt the icy steel brush across Mae's pelvis, the point of the blade dipping lower until it reached the top of that delicate area. Hiei felt himself ripping open as the knife was slid into the hilt. There was a slight pause once the blade was buried deep inside Mae. The raven haired demon could feel a horrified wail welling up in his chest as the same pain came again when the knife was removed. Seemingly unsatisfied with Mae's lack of response the demon began to cut more haphazardly, his careful motions becoming frenzied. Past the point of crying out the fire demon gasped unceremoniously as he felt an unbearable heat pouring from Mae's center as blood streamed from the various cuts and gashes to her womanhood.
"Damnit, why won't you scream!" The demon exclaims angrily, stabbing the knife deep into Mae's right thigh. At this point Hiei's frayed consciousness can register no more pain, only the pressure created from the blade entering Mae's leg. The edges of Hiei's vision begin to darken as the demon moves away from the table, and he feels a slight tug at the threshold of his mind. He hears a slight echo once more, the words clearer than before. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection… Is this voice Mae? The koorime wonders, foolish girl, there's nobody here to protect you… He dares to allow himself to slip away as the scene before him fades.
Before he can untangle himself from Mae's consciousness another memory entraps the koorime. This time he is suspended from the ceiling by his wrists. He tries to flex the muscles in his arms only to remember that he is simply a spectator in these events. However, the demon would have been unable to move regardless, for his arms have long since atrophied and each joint has painstakingly slipped from place as the strength in his muscles gave out. His shoulders ache from the stress of the overextended tendons, she's been left like this for days if not weeks he realizes grimly. The fire demon tries to lift his head to look around, only to find Mae staring sightlessly at the ground. He growls in frustration at the confinements and his apparent helplessness at the situation.
Unable to observe his external surroundings the koorime settles for noting each and every sensation he feels through Mae. He winces as he feels the tendons from her dislocated joints stretch further, threatening to rip under the meager weight of her frail body. The shackles around her wrists bite into the raw skin, allowing blood to occasionally trickle down and pool at the junction of her neck and shoulder. A damp chill hangs in the room, adding to Mae's difficulty breathing and creating a dull throb at the base of his skull. How has she not suffocated? He muses mildly, humans can't withstand this position for long without dying… When the demon turns his attention to the lower half of her body he finds the answer.
A slight slickness coats Mae's stomach and legs. This, coupled with the dank air in the cell allows Hiei to draw the conclusion that this room is periodically filled part way with sea water from the Makai. If I weren't limited by her pathetic human senses I would be able to confirm whether or not she was being held in the Makai, but if she were she should be dead. Humans can't withstand the miasma in the air there. Regardless of if they are in the Makai, the periodic raise in water would allow for some of the pressure to be taken off Mae's respiratory system as she became buoyant.
After what seems to be an eternity of hanging from his wrists a clanging draws his attention. Mae doesn't look up, so Hiei is unable to look around, having to settle for what he can make out from her peripherals. He hears someone approach, judging by their gait a much larger demon than the one from his previous experience. No words are voiced as the creature approaches.
Without warning a searing pain snakes its way across his back, and before he can recover it comes again. Hiei's chest heaves as the whip cuts into Mae's back, he's too overwhelmed to feel the extent of the pain. The onslaught is merciless and unrelenting; the demon never falls into a pattern and never seems to hit the same spot twice, though he does confine himself to her back and her legs. However, this does not prevent the edges of the lashes from licking across other parts of her body. As the senseless whipping continues the first injuries begin to burn. The pain wells from deep within the torn muscle; the fire demon tries again to scream, only to find that Mae refuses to utter a sound. As suddenly as the demon entered the cell he exits, leaving Hiei hanging and confined to Mae's consciousness in that dungeon. At this point the demon can feel her back literally hanging from the bone. While there is no distinct pain, which confuses him at first, the faint plink of her blood hitting the stone floor is the only sound that filters through the ringing in his ears.
The koorime allows himself to pant at the pain of the whipping as well as the effort it's taking to quell the rising terror within his chest. Pathetic, he berates himself as he tries unsuccessfully to reign in his emotions. His anxiety only grows as he hears the door open once more. This time, however, light footsteps brusquely cross the stone floor to stand behind him. The fire demon tries to flinch away as he feels slender fingers prod his shredded back, though they cause no further pain. After a moment the fingers withdraw. They are replaced by freezing water which causes the caked blood and dirt to stream down his abused body in tiny rivulets and puddle on the floor beneath him.
He shivers as the icy water robs Mae's body of any residual heat, leaving him achingly numb. Once the water dripping from his toes to the floor holds no more grime the glacial shower ends. The fingers return, only this time they are accompanied by small shocks of electricity. With each shock the pain in his back grows, until he is openly crying out in pain. The ache in his arms is drowned by the sensation of nails being driven into his spinal cord and along each nerve in his back. While the koorime openly sobs, Mae remains silent. Her only reaction is a slight hitch in her breath and the occasional whispered groan. Why? Hiei wonders, his mind clouded from the pain, what purpose could this possibly serve? Why does she defy them? Once the nerves of Mae's back have been reattached the slender hands begin their next task, it feels as though they are stitching his wounds shut. This pain is insignificant compared to earlier, much to his surprise the jaganshi falls asleep to the tugging of his shredded back into a semblance of something whole; longing to hear the soothing echoes at the edges of his mind once more, even if they are nonsense.
Hiei wakes with a start. He doesn't open his eyes right away, opting instead to relish the feeling of the soft bed beneath him. Only two of her memories he says to himself reproachfully. Two of her memories and I'm reduced to a sniveling heap. Pathetic. With this thought he allows his garnet colored eyes to drift open and survey the room only to have dread settle in the pit of his stomach. He was not, as he'd hoped, back in the safety of his own mind and the temple. No, he still resides within Mae's memories.
Moonlight filters through the large windows of the entertainment room, illuminating the two figures residing on the overstuffed furniture there. Kurama shuffles into the room, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes with the arm that isn't carrying fresh bandages. His emerald eyes scan the room, slightly shocked he hadn't been greeted by a grumpy fire demon as soon as he'd crossed the threshold. The fox combs an agitated hand through his flame colored locks, setting the fresh bandages on a nearby surface.
"Hiei?" The red head calls softly, his eyes narrowing at the faint glow coming from the koorime. When the fire demon doesn't respond Kurama moves around the chair that has been pulled to face the couch, and its current occupant, in which Hiei currently resides. A gasp catches in the fox's throat at the sight that lies before him.
Hiei sits motionless, slumped in the overstuffed chair, his cloak and scarf discarded over the back of the furniture. His eyes are closed, hiding their garnet color, while his left hand clutches the headband the fire demon usually uses to cover his Jagan Eye. His other hand grips the arm of the chair, gouging the material so the stuffing spills out onto the floor. A troubled frown rests on the dark haired demon's face, while his Jagan regards the girl before him in an unsettling manner. The usually active eye is focused solely on the small girl, its pupil constricted to a pinpoint.
"Hiei, Hiei can you hear me?" The fox tries again, pulling his previously loose hair into a low hanging ponytail. Gone is any thought of sleep as the redhead carefully beholds his friend and the strange girl. When the koorime still doesn't respond, Kurama reaches out hesitantly and lightly shakes his friend to no avail. The fox then turns his attention to Mae, who appears to be sleeping. Her white hair is splayed about her head, having come free from the braid long ago. Her mouth is open in a silent cry and Kurama watches as tears stream down her cheeks. Convinced that something must be done, he moves between the smaller demon and the girl, sliding an arm under her head and another under her legs. As he goes to stand, the redhead feels a hand on his arm.
Setting the girl back on the couch, he turns to face the koorime. Sharp emerald eyes meet sightless garnet. Kurama frowns; though Hie's eyes have opened he shows no signs of being aware of his surroundings. His concern growing Kurama moves away, I should inform the others of this, he decides and makes his way to the guest rooms. He casts a worried glance over his shoulder, the fox's eyes flash gold momentarily, before he turns to fetch his companions.
The fox returns to the entertainment room, Koenma, Yuske, and Kuwubara in tow. He flicks on a lamp, allowing the soft light to illuminate the room in the absence of the moon during the early morning hours. The group remains silent at first, Koenma stepping forward to examine Mae and Hiei. The princeling circles them, sucking pensively on his pacifier as his teddy bear footie pajamas scuff lightly on the hardwood floor.
"You said you tried to wake him?" The toddler prince asks, turning to face the redheaded demon. Kurama nods, his green eyes dark as he regards the two lightly glowing figures.
"When he wouldn't wake I tried to move Mae." The fox adds, crossing his arms. "That was when Hiei opened his eyes, but he still seemed like he was in a trance."
"Well," Koenma begins, scratching the back of his head. "I can honestly say I have only ever heard of a psychic connection like this."
"Like what?" Yuske asks, a frown marring his handsome features. The dark haired man leans against the doorway, worry painted across his features.
"You have to understand this is very rare," Koenma explains, seating himself on the edge of the low coffee table in the middle of the room. "Hiei is trapped within Mae's mind."
"He's what?" Kuwubara exclaims, jaw dropping in shock, while Yuske shouts at the same time, "How's that even possible?"
"Hiei told us that there was a barrier around Mae's mind, one that he couldn't easily break or slip past." The princeling continues, pacifier dangling from the corner of his mouth much like a cigarette. "Somehow, he was able to gain access to her mind and now he's trapped."
"I thought the Jagan was one of the most powerful psychic tools that's in existence." Kurama comments, "How could he be trapped?"
"See, that's where I'm at a loss." The toddler admits with a sigh. "Usually, this is only seen when one psychic tries to enter the mind of another with comparable ability. Since we know nothing of the energy reading spirit world picked up or any potential abilities Mae might possess, there's nothing we can do."
"Will he be okay?" Kuwubara asks softly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his blue sleep pants.
"Of course he will." Yuske replies, equally unsettled by the news, "It's Hiei, he's the toughest bastard I've ever met. He'll be fine."
Kurama glances at his long-time friends from the corner of his eye, knowing the former detective's trying to convince himself as much as the others. With a weary sigh the fox sinks into the second armchair, folding himself comfortably into the seat and smoothing the creases from his own cream colored pajamas.
"I'll stay here with them," He says, "and I'll let you know if anything changes."
"Very well." Koenma replies, following the other two from the room. When they've gone the red head rests his head on the back cushion and pulls the hairband from his fiery mane, allowing the ruby colored locks to spill over his shoulders and down his back. He regards the glowing fire demon from beneath his lashes, apprehension forming a pit as it settles in his chest.
The koorime's molten ruby eyes stare into the distance, seeing things only he and Mae are privy to. Where are you, Hiei? Kurama asks, his brow furrowing in disquiet. With a soft huff, the fox turns his attention to Mae. Her face is contorted to display her agony in her slumber. He watches as the frail girl's chest rises and falls in uneven gasps. Knowing there's nothing he can do, the fox allows slumber to pull him under.
A voice calling his name draws the redhead from his slumber all too soon. Emerald orbs flutter open to behold the offender. The fox unfolds himself from the chair, stretching the stiffness from his joints. He turns, his expression warming considerably when he catches sight of who woke him. "Hiei."
"Kurama," The fire demon returns, struggling to maintain his neutral façade. He glances between the fox and the slumbering girl on the couch, his expression haunted. He takes a shaky breath, drawing concern from Kurama at the uncharacteristic action, and tries again. "Fox… we should… I, I need some air."
With that he rises and pulls his headband over the Jagan once more. He turns and heads to the side entrance, leaving the door open as an invitation for the fox to follow. Curious, he rises and makes his way after the smaller demon, pausing only momentarily to cast a single glance at the girl who's stumbled so unceremoniously into their lives. He joins the fire demon in the chill of the early autumn morning, crossing his arms in an attempt to ward off the cold seeping through his thin pajamas. The fox comes to stand next to the smaller demon, watching him from the corner of his eye as they face the forest, watching the first rays of light peek over the trees.
"We were worried about you." The redhead says, breaking the silence between them. "When I went to relieve you and you didn't wake, Koenma, Yuske, and Kuwubara, they came to try and help."
"Hn" The koorime grunts, not taking the opportunity to take a jab at the carrot top. He folds his arms and leans on the banister, his natural heat radiating from his muscular frame in waves. Garnet eyes slip closed as his head dips wearily. After a moment he turns to face Kurama, the only one of their proclaimed group he trusts with any of his secrets.
"I saw," He says simply, his eyes becoming haunted once more as he struggles to maintain eye contact with the fox. His statement draws a frown from the taller demon, the fox shifting his quickly numbing feet on the deck to a more comfortable position. Hiei's normally arrogant gaze peers hesitantly from beneath dark lashes. He reads the apparent question on the redhead's face and heaves a sigh before elaborating. "I was trapped in her memories."
"Oh" Kurama replies, doing his best to be patient with the smaller demon, fortunately he doesn't have to wait much longer before the floodgates burst.
"It wasn't a lot, and it wasn't in any sort of order, but I saw. No, that's not right, Kurama I've never experienced someone else's memories so vividly." The fire demon turns away suddenly, trying to hide his distress at the situation. "I, I forgot they weren't my memories. I felt it, all of it. I saw what they did to her… "
"Hiei?" The fox inquires softly as the fire demon trails off. Garnet meet Emerald with such ferocity Kurama almost steps back.
"Don't question her about anything else, tell the brat to drop it." He holds up a hand when the redhead opens his mouth in protest. "No Kurama, I'll tell him what I was able to piece together, but only if he leaves her alone."
The fox's eyes widen slightly at the fire demon's announcement, my Hiei, when did you become so chivalrous? Deciding against teasing the koorime, Kurama simply nods in response, and asks, "What happened?"
"She was kidnapped, by a group of demons and taken to the Makai." The fire demon begins, turning to regard the sleeping girl through the bay windows. "I have no idea how they managed to keep her alive there. I don't know for sure that's where she was kept, but in some of her memories I could see the sky; that and there were never any other humans, only demons… and they tortured her. Kurama, humans are weak, they aren't meant to survive torture administered by demons… but she did. That tiny, stupid girl somehow managed to survive and walk away from something that would kill most demons."
"How?" Kurama breathed, shocked at Hiei's admission. The smaller demon held only contempt for humans, never before had the fox seen a semblance of respect for a human from the koorime. Fighting to keep his surprise to himself, the redhead remained silent when Hiei simply shrugged and headed back to the warmth of the entertainment room, pausing momentarily to announce, "I have no idea."
