Chapter 19

The Realm Between Realms

The Spirit Squad left hurriedly, ready to get out of the demon world but not so ready to relay the message that Sarah had given them. As soon as they were gone, her eyes returned to her now-normal half-lidded, emotionless stare. Natalie was nearly in shock. NEVER had she seen her friend that serious….not when that bastard had attacked her. Not when that mirror demon had tried to kill Sarah. She didn't know her best friend anymore. What's more? She was afraid of her. Tears began to build up in her eyes. Kurama made shushing noises and embraced her, trying to comfort her. The brunette cried into the redhead's shirtfront, confused, scared, and shocked. He could only wait for a few moments, however, before kissing her on the forehead and picking her up, speeding off to catch up with the rest of the group.

Sarah had continued on as if nothing had happened. The overwhelming sense of energy had faded. Everything around them was silent but for a few native animals. All of the lower-class demons had fled from the force that had disrupted their daily lives, and there were no higher-class demons around to investigate this intrusion. She ran at a steady pace, either not noticing or just not caring that she had a group behind her. Not once did she glance back; not once did she slow down, hesitate, or stop. It was as if her body was being pulled to her destination, and she clearly knew where she was headed.

Hiei was deep in thought, watching the girl's back and keeping just as continuous a pace as she. He wanted to tear her to pieces for doing this to him. Making him fall in love with her and then turning into someone he didn't even know. He wanted to blame her for all of his pain. He wanted to yell at her. He wanted to scare her, hurt her. But more than anything….

He wanted her back.

His demon side was telling him to kill her for what she did. What she was still doing to him. But the side that Sarah Nabors had uncovered; the side that had been forced into him by hanging around humans, spirits, and his team; that part of him….wanted to cry. It wanted to hurt itself, to replace the emotional pain with the physical kind: the kind he could handle. He knew how to deal with and ignore just about any kind of bodily torture that he encountered. But nothing could have prepared him for this. With Sarah, he had been safe. He had opened his heart for only the third time in his life, the first being when he found Yukina, and the second being when Yusuke and the others had first offered him friendship. But this was a new part of his heart. Everywhere around him for centuries in the demon plane, he had seen creatures of all sorts and classes, and there was one thing that most of them had in common: they had a mate. Never had he believed in that kind of relationship. Yes, he saw them everywhere he went, human world and makai alike, but he had thought that surely they must be in it for the lust and whatever perks came from such a bond. Of course, people talked about a deeper sort of union, connection, attachment. But until he met Sarah, Hiei Jaganshi had never thought about it twice.

So nothing could have made him believe that she could take that kind of security away. And now that it was gone, he could feel something else: a hatred so fierce that only love could bring it about. He could not stand the sight of that being in front of him. What right did she have to be so confident? To breed an air of power so full that nothing could defeat her? Why on earth should she be the one who can feel nothing at all and have no memory whatsoever of what had passed between them?!

Suddenly, the fire demon's eyes widened in realization. He remembered something…her eyes! When Natalie had been attacked, her eyes had changed. They had not only grown with rage, but the color…they had returned to the beautiful bright blue that only belonged to Sarah! The real Sarah!! His head snapped around to look behind him, seeing the dark brunette on his best friend's back with a sudden hunger, a plan already formed in his head. He stopped. He gave no warning, no signal. He just stopped and turned around. So did the others, Kuwabara yelling at him in surprise, Yusuke looking at him with a puzzled expression. Kurama saw his gaze and stooped to let his lover down. Crouching into a protective stance for the second time in the past two hours, he assessed his friend and soon-to-be rival. The little youkai's pupils were shrunken to decimal points, the whites of his eyes streaked with red lines. The redhead tensed and his brows knitted together slowly as grief took over him.

Hiei was going mad….

The short man looked behind himself, and sure enough, there she was. Halted, facing him with calloused eyes, the irises dark and ominous. Hiei smirked and turned to once again face his newest opponent, barely seeing that it was the first friend he ever made. He only saw an obstacle. One that kept him from his way to bring her back….

Without hesitating, Hiei charged at Kurama, unsheathing his sword and slashing. And it began.

Hiei was intent on his goal. He was not holding back in the slightest. Kurama was already sweating, hindered by his desire to keep his friend from harm while still protecting Natalie. Yusuke and Kuwabara had grabbed her, having seen the quick glance their friend had given them: a pleading look, and quickly brought her away from the fight. Hiei did not miss this. With a deranged snarl, he immediately switched tactics and went for the two human detectives. Yusuke aimed and fired a Reigun at the manic demon. He dodged it easily and slammed the hilt of his sword onto Yusuke's head in a maneuver that defied logic. Kuwabara came from behind him with his Spirit Sword and struck. Hiei blocked and they locked hilts, using their weight and strength to try to overcome each other. Faster than light, Hiei freed his sword from Kuwabara's and threw the carrot-top to the side with the flat of his blade, knocking him out just as he had the brown-eyed hero.

Natalie was there. She was right in front of him, staring wide-eyed, frozen in place with fear and indecision. She had no weapons with her. No means to protect herself at all. And before she knew it, she had a katana at her neck and a bloodthirsty fire demon at her back.

"What will you do now?"

The question came from a strong yet calm voice. The speaker stood beside a redheaded man stuck in a sphere of light. She had held him back! Why?!

"Did you not hear me? I said 'What will you do now?'"

Her voice was not Sarah's….her eyes were not Sarah's….she was not Sarah! Hiei was in a battle inside himself. What was happening?? It hadn't worked! WHY!?!

"You won't do anything will you? No. You can't really kill her. You have lost that indifference to life and death that you once had. You will not even hurt her. But I must ask. Why would you do this in the first place? Surely you didn't think that it would change anything. She is not coming back. It is me now. I am the one that inhabits this body, and she has neither the power nor the necessary will to break out of her own mind. You should give up. There is nothing that you or any of her friends can do. She is gone. Move on."

…..No....I have to get out….let me out……he's hurting so much….please just let me out!!!!!

"She is being held captive in her own thoughts and subconscious."

Please…just for a moment…let me speak to him…

"It won't be long before she disappears completely, fading into nonexistence. Nothing can stop it."

No…he'll destroy himself…I'm begging you…

"I know what you're thinking. 'But she was there. She came out.' Yes, she did. I underestimated her will. Her connections to you and that girl are far deeper than I had anticipated."

I will get out…I will…I have to…I will…

"But my will and my powers are infinitely stronger than hers. There is no hope for her."

You're lying…you have to be…Hiei…

Hiei…

And then the corpse of Sarah turned heel, released the fox demon, and sprinted into the trees. Hiei only watched. A single black gem clinked on the ground next to his feet, and he released the sobbing brunette, handing her over to his friend.