Chapter Two- Activated

"He still does not believe," Kurama said.

"He will," Blair said. "When morning comes, he'll believe."

"May I ask why this particular curse?"

"I am aware that you love one another and I did not want to break you up. I know that Hiei has a cold and unemotional disposition. He will be more emotional as girls tend to express them more than men. Cats are known to be prone to emotional reactions and besides, cats are associated with witches and that part will be a constant remainder of the dismissal of my powers."

Kurama nodded but was inwardly pleased. He had thought it would be nice if Hiei had less emotional control and this curse would do just that. It will be amusing but of course I will not display amusement in Hiei's presence. "Blair, tonight was the carnival's last night here, yes?"

"Yes. We are starting to pack up right now and finish it in the morning. We will be on the road before noon."

"Then, I will bid you goodbye." He shook her hand, turned, and left the fairgrounds to return home and speak with Hiei. The fire demon was on the window sill with his usual expression.

"That girl has some nerve thinking she can curse someone," he said once Kurama had closed his door.

"She did curse you," Kurama insisted. "You will be a part cat girl forever once morning comes." His voice softened as he added, "I will still love you, though."

Hiei didn't doubt Kurama's last statement but did doubt the one that came before it. There was no way that Blair cursed him to be female and part cat, though he did ponder how one would be part cat. It sounds more like a cat demon, he thought and told Kurama as much.

"Yes, it does," he agreed. "But then why phrase it the way she did?"

"Probably to make it sound worse than it really is, that is if it was real which it wasn't." He got up and turned to the open window. "I'm sleeping outside. Good night." He leaped into the nearby tree and Kurama closed the window. Kurama prepared for bed and, as he laid there, he knew that Hiei would be different when both of them awoke.

Hiei felt sun on his face and a weight on his chest. It was the latter sensation that made him realize that the curse was real and he was a female cat demon now. She opened her eyes and blinked as the light did not seem brighter than usual. I guess I don't have the eyes of a cat, she thought as she sat up. She held up her hands to see no claws. She lowered them and then looked down.

Her first thought was that she looked a lot like Yukina but then noticed that she had some muscle still. She gently trailed her fingers over her breasts that were the right size for her body's height. She lifted her hands to feel her hair, but they ran across a pointed ears. She traced it and moved her fingers to find the other one. I have cat ears. Well, yes, that makes perfect sense.

"Hiei."

She turned in a crouch to see Kurama, the window now open. She vaulted the distance and perched on the sill. She focused on Kurama. "Well?" she asked, her voice similar to Yukina's .

Kurama smiled before leaning forward and giving Hiei a kiss, finding her lips to be softer than they had been. He pulled back. "You are a pretty woman; although kissing you on the cheek would be a bit tricky with your whiskers."

"Whisker?" she repeated.

Kurama nodded and Hiei brought her fingers to her face to feel a set of cat's whiskers. "So, I have the ears and whiskers of a cat."

"You also have a tail."

"What!?" she exclaimed before craning her neck to see a black cat's tail behind her. "Cat demons don't have tails. The domestic ones don't, anyway."

"True, which means you are part cat and not a cat demon."

Hiei went to Kurama's mirror and stared at her cat features. "I look like a freak," she said. "These cat features just look wrong. I can deal with being a girl, but not a cat."

"And yet when you jumped into the window and sat on it, both were very cat-like in their motions."

Hiei groaned as she reflected on them. "You're right. They were. I'm even acting like a cat."

"You better grow accustomed to your new instincts as this is a permanent curse."

"I know, I know," she said as she turned away from the mirror. She couldn't bear to look at herself anymore. She then found herself in Kurama's arms and just enjoyed the comfort she was drawing from the embrace. She felt Kurama rubbing and scratching the back of an ear and she began to purr as it felt so good…

What the hell am I doing? she demanded of herself as she wiggled out of Kurama's arms which confused the redhead. "Hiei?" he asked, confused.

"Please don't do that again."

"That being the rubbing and scratching."

"Yes. It was making me…purr." She gave a slight shudder.

"I know and it was a sweet sound."

"I am not sweet, she snapped. "I am still Hiei and a fire demon."

"Are you certain you're still a fire demon?"

"Of course I'm certain." She lifted both hands palm up and summoned her energy. A fireball erupted in each hand. She smirked at the result.

Kurama nodded. "I see. I was just thinking that now that you're female, perhaps your other heritage has been unlocked."

Hiei extinguished her fire and frowned thoughtfully. When Yukina and she were born, she showed herself to be a fire demon and male while Yukina was an ice apparition and female. Her cruel toss off a cliff angered Yukina but felt her brother deserved the chance to avenge himself upon their people. Hiei, with her cold disposition, felt they were already dead as they seemed timid and incapable of love due to frozen hearts. She had no relations to them, save for her sister.

But, what if I am capable of unlocking that side of me? I would then wield two powers. No one would think I was weaker just because I'm female. She exhaled and then flung out her arms, fists clenched as she focused on what she wanted. Pale white energy glowed on her fists before two ice daggers appeared with razor-sharp edges.

"Hiei," Kurama said in soft awe. "That is impressive for your first attempt."

"Hn. I already have strong energy. My change in gender just granted me access to ice powers. I can use two powers."

"Two opposing elements that can shore up the other's weakness. Useful if you find yourself in trouble."

"What trouble?" Hiei scoffed.

"Suppose someone kidnapped you for the reason Yukina was?"

"You believe I am now capable of producing Hiruseki stones?"

"I do and I think we should test to see if that's true."