"Ah!"

In the night, just when he'd fallen asleep, Hiei woke up to a searing pain in his forehead. He glanced sideways at Yusuke, across the room in bed, to make sure he hadn't woken him. But the Spirit Detective slept on.

Hiei stayed there in the dark, waiting for the pain to stop. But it didn't. It was like someone had stuck a branding iron into his third eye. And it only got worse. Finally, he stumbled silently to the bathroom.

Half-blind in the dark and by the pain, he felt for the light switch and had torn off the white bandana by the time he found it. In the mirror he saw the Jagan glowing a soft blue. It looked no different than when he used its power, only he wasn't using it now. So why the glow?

"And why the goddamned pain?" he whispered. The burning feeling only intensified. And then as suddenly as it had come, it stopped. The piercing sting disappeared and was replaced by a dull throbbing pain.

Hiei stayed there for awhile, just staring at the Jagan in the mirror. The glowing had stopped with the pain. No doubt about it now. The Jagan was what was causing his pain. The headaches were connected too. He just didn't know why.

He flicked the light off and crept back to Yusuke's room. The boy slept while Hiei stayed awake, his back to the end of the bed and digging his nails into the carpet whenever the pain flared again. He didn't sleep again.

'Tomorrow…' he told himself, 'Tomorrow I go see him. He's the only one who could know what's going on.'


The house stood on the only cleared hill in the miles of forest. The trees seemed to cluster around it like curious children. And the man, or demon rather, who lived there was himself a curiosity.

Hiei found him the way he'd found him the very first time. Sitting in his darkened workshop, polishing the earpiece. His back faced the smaller demon. But he spoke first.

"Back already?" the deep bass filled the small room, "Don't tell me you already failed in your little quest?"

"I've got a few questions for you." Hiei said darkly.

Shigure faced him.


Immediately, Hiei was reminded of their first encounter.

"I'm not about to waste my talents on some insufferable bore, so you'd better have a good story to tell," Shigure droned, "You've got two minutes."

"To tell my life story?" Hiei asked disbelievingly.

"Has your whole life been pain and suffering?" Shigure chuckled as he asked.

"Yes."

The answer was so serious in tone that Shigure was caught off guard. He faced the little demon.

"You've got three minutes."

"You say this just started?" Shigure's voice brought Hiei out of his memories. Perched on the stool beside the demon surgeon, he looked up and nodded.

"I just figured you'd know," Hiei said while Shigure refitted the piece into place. Something about his movements didn't reassure Hiei. This had been a waste of time.

"And it's never happened before?" Shigure asked.

"No." Hiei shook his head. He could already feel another headache starting and reminded himself not to do that again.

The silence that followed seemed to suck the air from the room. Before fear could set in, Hiei managed to dredge up some attitude.

"Well?" he snapped when Shigure said nothing.

"I can tell you what's happening, Hiei," Shigure's voice had turned grave, "But it's not something you want to hear."

"Try me." Hiei challenged. And immediately wished he hadn't.

Shigure looked up with what was almost sadness, and said, "Your body…is rejecting the Jagan implant."