Chapter 1: Dreams
                                 
                                 
      Hiei was dreaming and, as usual, he was dreaming about Kurama. Nearly 
every night since the day he had met the charming redhead, Hiei's dreams were 
haunted by images of Kurama. Images of Kurama writhing in pleasure beneath him. 
Images of Kurama's arms, legs and chest glistening with sweat. Images of long, 
lustrous hair, now red, now silver, plastered to Kurama's brow. Images of green, 
green eyes and the playful smile that made Hiei's stone heart crumble. 
      Then that loving smile shifted subtly, becoming contemptuous and mocking. 
"You think you are worthy of my love? You are nothing but an under-sized, bitter 
little child who wasn't even loved by his own mother. I'll never care about 
you." And then Kurama's deceptively slender arms shot out and shoved Hiei away. 
Then he was falling, hurtling toward the ground at nearly terminal velocity. 
      He landed with a bone-jarring thud. When he looked up, he saw that he was 
surrounded by swirling clouds of snow. A figure approached him; as he waited 
nervously for an attack, suddenly out of the darkness appeared Yukina. Hiei 
tried to get up, to move towards his sister, but his body would not obey his 
desperate commands. The cold of the rock-hard ground seeped into his bones, 
numbing him. "Yukina, help me! I'm freezing!"
      "But why should I help you?"
      "Because, because...... I'm your brother!"
      "You? Impossible. My brother is good and kind, and you are nothing but a 
wicked little murderer. Kurama was right to reject you." As Yukina's figure 
faded slowly into the snow, Hiei felt himself slowly sinking into the icy 
ground. 
      Then he was standing on a tree-limb, looking into a school-yard. A red-
headed figure walked quickly across the yard, pursued by several giggling girls. 
Others who were more shy stood off to the side, gazing at Shuiichi Minamino with 
dreamy eyes. Hiei turned away in pain and disgust, and suddenly found himself in 
a featureless void, facing a shadowy figure.
      "Who are you?" Hiei snarled as he slipped his sword from its scabbard. 
      "Now? Now I am no one. But soon, I will be the person you always wished 
you were. I will do all the things you have been afraid to do."
      "I am not afraid of anything!" Hiei lunged for the shadow, only to find 
himself falling into a deep pit. The shadow looked down at him.
      "If you were afraid of nothing, Kurama would be your lover, Yukina would 
know the truth and all those nattering females would be ashes in the wind. You 
are afraid, and for that crime, you will remain here while I do what should be 
done."
      "Nooooooooo" Hiei screamed and his vision began to blur and dim, but in 
the instant before he passed into unconsciousness, he had the distinct 
impression that the shadow was smiling. 
       ************* 
      Somewhere in the Ningenkai, a dark-clad figure stood on a tree branch. The 
figure was short, with spiky, jet black hair (except for that little star-shaped 
thatch of white in the front) and it was smiling a fierce, fanged grin. Above 
the sinister smile and the delicate nose were two large, almond shaped eyes, 
closed as if in sleep. In the middle of the figure's forehead was a single eye, 
wide open and glowing an eerie purple. Then the figure laughed, a deep-throated 
sound that echoed through the forest. As the last echoes died out, the figure 
whispered "Sweet dreams Hiei, it's my turn now." 
                        Chapter 2: Desires
                                 
      The students streamed out of the school building, laughing and smiling on 
their homeward journeys. A lone figure watched them from the shadows, scanning 
the crowd, seeking out the one who would be first. It was a simple thing to 
recognize the suitable ones, it was so easy to see their thoughts, so easy to 
know their hearts. A girl with long blond hair and laughing blue eyes passed by 
the tree which hid the watcher. "Yes" whispered a deep voice, "She will do 
nicely indeed. She will be the first." And suddenly the tree was empty, and a 
small, lithe shadow flitted after the blond girl with the laughing eyes.   ***** 
      Shuiichi Minamino was having difficulty sleeping, he felt anxious somehow, 
as if something terrible were about to occur. "Humph. Clairvoyance is supposed 
to be Kuwabara's thing, why am I so edgy?" Eventually Kurama slept, if uneasily. 
      Late in the night, when all was still, the window to Kurama's room 
silently slid open, and a slight figure slipped into the moonlit room. The 
figure paused, as if unsure of its purpose, but after a mere instant of 
hesitation, it vanished and reappeared next to the sleeping figure on the bed. 
      Kurama woke to the sensation of something hot and wet caressing his lips. 
He opened his eyes to discover that a small, dark figure lay atop him, and was 
gently kissing him. "Wha? Hey.."
      "Shhhh. Be quiet, stupid fox. You don't want to wake your mother do you?"
      "Hiei? What in....?" Yelped Kurama as he tried to wriggle out from 
underneath Hiei. 
      "Don't tell me you've never thought of doing this. Isn't this something 
you've wanted? You can't lie to me, I can See the truth." Hiei returned to 
kissing Kurama, and began a slow exploration of the youko's bare chest. 
      "Hn. I'm sooo glad you chose to sleep in the nude tonight, Kurama. That 
makes things so much......easier." Kurama's mind slowly began to function again, 
and Hiei's words pierced through the last of the fog. He couldn't help but 
rejoice at the fact that his dreams were finally coming true, but something was 
very wrong with this situation. Hiei was never like this. By force of will, 
Kurama broke off the kiss and gasped "Hiei, why are you doing this? Why now? I 
do care for you, I do want you, but this is not what I expected. This isn't how 
it should be."
      "What? You wanted to be the aggressor? Big, bad Kurama taking poor little 
Hiei? Sorry to disappoint you, but I just couldn't wait any longer." Hiei's 
hands left Kurama's chest and began to lightly stroke Kurama's penis, drawing a 
faint groan from the flustered youko. 
      "Wait, no, I *gasp*" Kurama was finding it very difficult to protest as 
Hiei's warm hands began to stroke him more strongly. Mustering the last shreds 
of his will power, Kurama pushed Hiei away and tumbled off the bed. 
      As Kurama backed towards the door, Hiei followed, and when he stepped into 
the light of a moonbeam, Kurama couldn't help but gasp in shock. 
      "What in god's name? Hiei, your Jagan, it's...."
      "Hah. It's exactly as it should be." Kurama stared at the youkai before 
him, seeing nothing of the friend he knew in the grinning face. He knew then 
that the Hiei he loved was somewhere behind those two closed eyes, and that 
someone, no some_thing_ else was now wearing the form of his dearest friend. And 
that something stared at him with a single, violet eye. 
      "You're not Hiei! Who are you?"
      "I am the hopes and dreams of a lonely child. I am without fear. I am what 
Hiei should have been. I am Jagan." Then, before Kurama could react, Jagan was 
gone, and the wind sighed mournfully through the open window. 
      Shuiichi Minamino was having difficulty sleeping. He tossed and turned, 
and wondered what he could do to help his friend, wondered how he could possibly 
save Hiei from his own deepest desires.   ***** 
      The students wandered into the schoolyard. Sighing and groaning about the 
start of another day. The first to enter the schoolyard was a very tired and 
worried young man with flaming red hair and deep green eyes. He came to a dead 
stop when he saw what awaited in the schoolyard. He fell to his knees in shock, 
and the sound of screaming seemed to come from far in the distance. 
      Standing in the center of the yard was a large stake, to which was tied 
the mutilated body of a blond-haired girl who once had laughing eyes. Those eyes 
had been gouged out, and the now-empty sockets dripped blood onto her bare 
breasts. Into her stomach had been carved the words "Shuiichi is mine" and 
beneath those words was a burn mark in the shape of a single eye.   
                        Chapter 3: Disaster
                                 
      Jagan watched Hiei's sister, no, _his_ sister,  from the limb of a tree. 
Yukina was playing with a small woodland animal. A squirrel, yes, that was it. 
She looked so sweet and innocent, Jagan wondered why Hiei had had so much 
trouble telling her the truth. It couldn't be that stupid oath not to tell her, 
oaths meant nothing to youkai. Of course, he wouldn't be here if not for that 
oath. Hiei would still be in control, and probably wouldn't even have found 
Yukina yet.
      "Stupid Koorime. Worthless without my help." 
      He leapt off the tree limb and landed softly in front of Yukina. The girl 
started slightly, then broke into a dazzling smile when she saw that the figure 
standing in the shadow of the tree was a familiar one. 
      "Hiei! How nice to see you!" 
      "Yukina, you have been looking for your brother, ne? You wish to find 
him?"
      "Of course, he must be so lonely without me, I'm his only family."
      "Well, I am your brother."  
      ".....well, I, I kinda suspected, but I wondered, I wondered  why you 
never... Oniisan!" Yukina dashed forward and swept the figure  into a hug. But 
despite  her happiness at finally knowing her brother, she felt a tiny spark of 
doubt. Why was Hiei telling her this now? So suddenly? And why didn't he step 
out of the shadows? He seemed so cold, she couldn't feel any warmth in him at 
all. He usually kept his softer emotions well hidden from everyone save her and 
Kurama, but today it felt almost as if those emotions weren't there at all. 
      Yukina stepped back into the daylight, and suddenly pulled her brother 
with her. The light hit his face, and she saw the two closed eyes, and the Jagan 
wide open, when it should be hidden by the ever-present bandanna. 
      "What in? Hiei, what's happened?" Yukina wailed, a single tear gem falling 
to the ground. 
      "Why does everyone question me? Can't you just leave well enough alone? 
Can't you be satisfied by knowing that I'm your brother?!" Roared Jagan, his 
temper finally getting the best of him after suffering so many disappointments. 
      "No, no, NO! You aren't my brother, my brother would never yell at me that 
way for no reason! My brother is Hiei, and you aren't him at all!" Yukina turned 
and ran, tears streaming down her face, leaving a sparkling trail of jewels 
behind her. 
      "This isn't turning out at all like I planned... maybe I should change my 
plan." A cruel smile appeared on Jagan's face as he turned and headed back 
towards Tokyo.   *****
      
      Yuusuke Urameshii and Kazuma Kuwabara rang the doorbell of the Minamino 
residence, grief etched on their faces. Shiori opened the door and, recognizing 
her son's friends, invited the two into the house. 
      "Shuiichi is in his room. He hasn't spoken or eaten since he came home 
from school today. It's just horrible! Who could have done such a thing? My poor 
son, he feels so guilty. The police were here earlier, but they haven't found 
any leads. This is just terrible. I hope you two can help him, I just don't know 
what to do." Shiori Minamino seemed beside herself with worry. 
      "We'll see what we can do Ms. Minamino." Yuusuke said, anger beginning to 
show in his voice. He didn't know who was responsible for this, but he was 
determined to put an end to it soon, the bastard who did this would never get 
away with it.
      Kurama looked up as Yuusuke and Kuwabara entered his room. His beautiful 
green eyes were filled with sadness, anger and fear. 
      "Kurama, what happened? We heard about the murder on the news. Why didn't 
you call us? We have to stop this creep before it happens again. We have to find 
out who did this."
      "I know who did this Kuwabara, and I didn't call you because I have no 
idea what to do about it."
      "What? You know who the murderer is? Who?"
      "It's Hiei." Kurama saw Kuwabara's face twist in hatred, and realised what 
he had said. "No, wait, it's Hiei, but it's not... Oh I don't know how to 
explain. I think, I think we were wrong about the nature of Hiei's Jagan, it 
seems that it's alive and _ aware_, and it's now in control of Hiei's body. It 
seems to be fulfilling Hiei's subconscious desires."
      "How do you know that?"
      "I know because, he, it, was here last night. It said  I am the hopes and 
dreams of a lonely child. I am without fear. I am what Hiei should have been. I 
am Jagan.' Then it left and, the next day..." Kurama broke off and shuddered. 
      "This is bad. If it's in Hiei's body, how can we kill it without killing 
Hiei? We certainly can't take it to the cops! Shit, this is a disaster." Yuusuke 
began pacing across the room, a worried look on his face. 
      "Kurama, have you talked to Koenma yet?" Kuwabara asked suddenly.
      "No, he hasn't called. I'm not sure if he even knows yet, what with all 
that paperwork. Besides, this doesn't really look much like demon activity 
anyway, it looks like a human killer, and that isn't our job."
      "So, what are we going to do?"
      "I don't know, I just don't know."  *****
      Jagan watched the school yard from the limb of a tree. In the centre of 
the yard stood a second stake, identical to the first, and tied to it was the 
body of yet another young girl. This time however, there was no message carved 
into her stomach, only the mark of the Jagan was burned into her flesh. 
      "Well, that was fun. Since it seems I can't fulfill all of Hiei's wishes, 
I think I'll just stick to this one, it's the easiest anyway. Hmm. I should 
probably go check on Hiei, he's been making a lot of noise since he woke up. 
It's giving me a headache. And I know just how to shut him up. Heh."  
                        Chapter 4: Despair
                                 
                                 
      In a deep pit, covered by a metal grate, somewhere in a featureless plain, 
Hiei screamed in frustration. He hammered at the grate with every ounce of 
emotional energy he could muster, and considering the fact that he had been 
trapped within his own mind for two days now, that was a considerable amount. 
When emotional energy seemed to have no effect on the metal grate that prevented 
Hiei from escaping this prison, Hiei tried fire instead. Wave after wave of 
black fire battered at the grate, to no avail. Exhausted, Hiei slumped to the 
ground, and tried to think of a way to escape from the hole that damn Jagan had 
put him in. 
      "Just what do you think you're doing, little brat?" Hissed an angry voice 
at the rim of the pit. 
      "Jagan?! Bastard! What have you been doing with my body?! Let me out of 
here, or I swear I'll kill you!"
      "You'll do no such thing. You may have a lot of raw power, but finesse in 
the psychic realm is my area of expertise. However, I have been having a bad 
couple of days, and your temper tantrum is giving me a headache."
      "Good. What have you been doing with my body?!" Hiei looked defiantly at 
the indistinct shadow above him. The only feature that was clear about Jagan was 
the violet eye in the middle of what should have been a forehead. That eye began 
to glow a sickly purple and Hiei once again got the impression that the figure 
was smiling. 
      "You are a pathetic, worthless weakling. And I am going to keep you from 
bothering me by giving you exactly what you deserve." 
      "What...." Hiei gasped as his mind was suddenly bombarded with images. 
Images of Kurama yelping "Hiei? What in..?!" as he tried to squirm out from 
underneath the body which lay atop him. Images of Kurama backing away with a 
look of mingled shock, terror and disgust distorting his beautiful face. Images 
of Yukina crying "No, no, NO! You aren't my brother" and running away, tear gems 
scattered behind her. 
      Then Hiei's mind cleared and he saw Jagan staring down at him. "Hah. You 
can't scare me with dreams. I've been having those dreams for years!"
      "But Hiei, those weren't dreams. Those were my memories. You asked what 
I've been doing with your body, well, there you have it. Kurama and Yukina 
really did reject you, just as you feared. Congratulations, you were right after 
all." 
      "Memories..." Hiei's agonized whisper turned into a scream as all the 
painful memories of his life replayed themselves in his mind, again, and again, 
in a tormenting loop of rejection and loneliness. 
      Jagan laughed cruelly as he watched Hiei curl into a fetal ball at the 
bottom of the pit and whimper in pain, trapped in his own painful past.   ***** 
      
      In a schoolyard in Ningenkai stood three identical wooden stakes. To the 
third was tied the mutilated body of a pretty, young, red haired girl. Scattered 
around the stakes were the bodies of the police officers who had died trying to 
apprehend the monster responsible for the murder, and the two murders before 
that.
      High in a tree sat a dark figure, frowning at his handiwork. "Well, that 
wasn't nearly as fun as the last two. Killing these girls is getting boring. I 
need something new, something more appropriate to _my_ tastes. To Hell with the 
little brat's wishes, I know who I want to kill. I wonder if he'll revert to 
Youko form after he's dead?" 
      The police officers who arrived on the scene in response to the calls of 
their now-dead friends never saw the dark figure leave his perch, but they did 
hear the last echoes of a soulless laughter that sent fearful chills down their 
spines.  
                      Chapter 5: Desperation
                                 
                                 
      Shuiichi Minamino paced restlessly around his small room. Many things 
worried him at present, but his foremost concern was how to aid his best friend, 
how to rescue Hiei from the being that had usurped his body. He sat down on his 
bed and sighed as if the weight of the world had fallen upon his slender 
shoulders. 
      Kurama smiled ruefully as he remembered that earlier in the week, before 
the boy had found out about the murders, his little brother had said, "Hey, 
oniisan, you look like you just lost your best friend. What's the matter?" As 
tempted as he was to answer "I just lost my best friend" he had only sighed and 
let Shiori explain what had happened. Or, at least, the parts that she knew 
about. 
      Shuiichi fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a long moment 
then, with a last soft sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. 
      The brush of a chill breeze upon his cheek caused Kurama to start awake 
and instinctively roll off  the bed. The sword strike that would have bisected 
his face instead clove the pillow in two, sending a shower of duvet around the 
room. 
      With a speed that was unusual for a human, Shuiichi was back on his feet 
and facing the youkai before him in a defensive crouch. Somehow, despite all 
that had happened, it still shocked Kurama to see Hiei's body standing there, 
wielding the sword that had almost taken his life. But even in his most 
heartless moments, Hiei had never worn a look of such pure malign glee on his 
elfin face. 
      "Jagan. So, it has come to this." Kurama's face was set in a stern 
expression, he knew there was but one course of action he could take in this 
battle. He regretted the necessity, but he really had no choice. He would have 
to try and stay alive long enough to incapacitate Jagan, or escape through the 
door or window. He would have to beat the powerful youkai without any of his 
usual weapons, for he knew he could never harm Hiei's body, no matter who used 
it at the moment. 
      With a snarl much like Hiei's, yet somehow different, Jagan leaped at 
Kurama with all the speed his Koorime body could muster. Somehow Kurama dodged. 
      "He's not as fast as Hiei. He must not be completely adjusted to using 
that body then. I may have a chance." Thought Kurama as he dashed quickly to the 
left to avoid Jagan's second wild lunge. "He has very little control, maybe I 
could get past him to the window." 
      Again and again Jagan rushed blindly at Kurama, and again and again Kurama 
just barely managed to avoid the sword thrusts. But Kurama had only the stamina 
of a human, he knew he couldn't keep it up for much longer. Then Jagan got 
caught off-balance after one of his wild attacks and Kurama kicked the deadly 
blade out of his hand. He dashed in and caught Jagan in a choke hold, hoping to 
render the youkai unconcious without doing any real damage. 
      Kurama assumed that Jagan had not yet mastered any of Hiei's fire attacks. 
The careless attacks he had been using showed no mastery of combat strategy, if 
he knew how to use the Fire Dragon, he would have used it at the beginning of 
the battle. However, Kurama had forgotten one thing, Jagan had powers of his 
own. A sharp pain lanced through Kurama's head as Jagan used his psychic 
strength to free himself. 
      As Kurama lay on the floor, stunned, Jagan picked him up by the throat and 
slowly began to crush his windpipe. Before his breath was cut off altogether, 
Kurama gasped "Hiei, itoshii, help...". Then his vision began to dim as his air 
supply was cut off.   ***** 
      A small form was curled into a foetal position at the bottom of a deep 
pit. A constant parade of painful memories kept him incapacitateed and in pain. 
      Memory after memory ran through Hiei's mind. Cries of  "Abomination! 
Begone foul creature!" echoed around him as he was thrown from the land of the 
Koorime, when he was barely an hour old. Four large youkai beating him half to 
death, all the while jeering "Helpless little brat, no one around to help you! 
Poor little baby!" His first employer slapping him violently, shrieking 
"Worthless little shit! Can't do anything right!" after he had failed to return 
with the item he was sent to steal. An S-class raping him brutally, laughing 
"Hah! Pretty little weakling, can't even defend yourself!" while he ripped razor 
sharp claws accross Hiei's chest. 
      Then, Hiei saw visions of himself as he was now, older and more powerful 
by far, but still he was a failure. He saw Mukuro, defeating him at the 
tournament. He saw Yukina running away in tears. He saw Kurama, backing away in 
horror. 
      Over and over again these memories cut into his soul, reducing him to a 
shuddering wreck. Then, suddenly, a new image appeared in his mind's eye. 
Kurama, his face pale, gasping for air as two small hands choked the life from 
him. Kurama's spring-green eyes bulging as tears streamed down his beautiful 
face. Kurama, gasping "Hiei, itoshii, help..."
      "Kurama?" Whimpered the huddled form. "Kurama?" Hiei's voice gained 
slightly in strength as he saw Kurama slump in the grip of the two child-sized 
hands. "KURAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" shreiked Hiei, rage suffusing his 
entire being and shattering the images that had bound him. A column of energy 
blasted upwards from the floor of the pit, turning the metal grate into a 
twisted, melted heap of slag.
      Hiei leaped to the top of the pit and roared "JAGAN! BASTARD! LET HIM GO!" 
With the strength of his rage powering him, Hiei tore Jagan from his body and 
pulled him into the mind they both shared. 
      "Damn you, brat! How did you get free?" 
      "None of your damn buisness!" Hiei threw a bolt of energy at Jagan, who 
dodged it easily. 
      "Idiot! You can't hope to beat me in a psychic battle! Just go back in 
your cell, or you will get hurt." Hiei's only response was to throw another bolt 
of energy at Jagan. 
      As the battle raged, Hiei felt himself growing weaker. His long 
imprisonment had sapped much of his strength, and Jagan had the advantage in the 
first place. First one, then another, of Jagan's strikes connected and Hiei was 
thrown accross the plain that had become their battlefield. Hiei tried to get 
up, but found that he lacked the strength to do even that. He looked up at the 
leering face of Jagan, and noticed that instead of being an indistinct shadow as 
before, Jagan now had a rapidly solidifying form. Hiei looked down at himself 
and saw that he was fading, becoming less distinct. 
      "I was happy to let you live, to leave you imprisonned. Now you leave me 
no choice. I'll destroy your soul, absorb your strength, and when this body dies 
I'll just take another! Maybe even Kurama's body. I'll have the strength to do 
it you know, all thanks to you." Jagan's palm began to glow violet as he 
gathered energy for one last strike.   ***** 
      
      Kurama slowly returned to conciousness. The ache in his battered throat 
broke into his peaceful rest and it slowly dawned on him that there was 
something he should be doing. Suddenly Kurama sat up and gasped "Hiei!" 
      He turned to where the form of his best friend lay, limp and unmoving. He 
crawled anxiously over to Hiei's still form and examined him for injuries. When 
he found none he desperately tried to sense Hiei's youki, tried to figure out 
what was wrong with him.  He got only the faintest sense of the youki that was 
usually burning with intensity and strength. 
      In that last desperate moment before he lost conciousness, Kurama has 
called Hiei his beloved. Now, as he contemplated life without the surly, bitter 
little koorime, he knew that it was true. He loved Hiei with every ounce of his 
four-hundred year old soul. "Don't you dare die on me you little brat! What am I 
supposed to do without you? We never even.....Hiei! Damn you! Wake up!"
      As Hiei's breathing became weaker and weaker, Kurama tried to lend him 
strength, but he couldn't reach the soul that was fading by the second. He 
pulled the tiny little body into his arms and cried. Rocking back and forth, 
tears streaming down his face, Kurama moaned "Hiei, please, I love you! Don't 
leave me!"  ***** 
      Jagan laughed as Hiei's form slowly faded. He held the killing bolt ready 
and hissed "You see, you're worthless. All alone, with no one to help you. Give 
up, let go of your life. There's no reason to live! No one loves you! No one 
cares if you live or die! Just give up!"
      Hiei moaned in pain and sorrow. He was worthless after all. He couldn't 
even reclaim his own body. As he prepared to let go of his grip on life, he 
heard a grief stricken voice moan "Hiei, please, I love you! Don't leave me!" He 
sat still for a moment, not knowing if he had truly heard that faint voice, or 
if he had imagined it. Unbidden, the image of Kurama cradling his dying body 
came to him. 
      "No." whispered the battered koorime as he hesitantly rose to his feet. He 
looked straight at Jagan, a resolved look on his bruised and bleeding face. "You 
can't kill me can you? You need me to give up my hold on this body because my 
soul is connected to it. You don't belong in this body, you can't push me out 
without my consent. Well, I'm not giving up, because I am NOT worthless. I am 
NOT  alone. I am NOT unloved. I am the fire demon Hiei, brother to Yukina, 
comrade of Urameshii Yuusuke and Kuwabara Kazuma, beloved of Youko Kurama, and I 
WANT MY BODY BACK!" 
      Jagan stepped back, the glow in his palm dying out as he faced the 
unbridled fury of the once again solid Hiei. He saw that Hiei now understood how 
he had been manipulated and abused. He saw his own destruction in Hiei's blood 
red eyes and, at last, he finally understood what it meant to be afraid. 
      The featureless plain was suddenly bathed in a harsh white light. The 
shadowy form of Jagan wavered and faded, until all that was left was a blazing, 
purple eye. Hiei stared at the apparition for a moment before he understood. He 
reached out and touched the eye, feeling the power and energy it contained flow 
around him, into him. Then, with a rare smile on his face, he willed himself 
back into his body, and into the arms of his beloved.   *****
      
      Kurama cradled Hiei's near-lifeless body in his arms and sobbed helplessly 
as he felt the rise and fall of Hiei's little chest slow, and then stop all 
together. Then, suddenly, Hiei gasped, filling his lungs with air, and said 
"Hey, could ya maybe loosen your grip? I need those ribs."
      "Hiei? You're alive!" Kurama shrieked, in a most undignified manner. Hiei 
only snorted. Kurama pushed him away and patted his legs, then his chest, then 
his arms, carefully checking each part as if to assure himself that Hiei was 
really there and whole. When he got to Hiei's face he couldn't help but gasp in 
shock, for Hiei stared at him through three large eyes, each and every one of 
them a deep red, the colour of blood. 
      "Hn. Stupid fox, stop staring at me like that. It's weird."
      "But, Hiei, your eyes? What happened?"
      "Now that is a long story, and I promise I'll tell it to you later, but 
right now, I gotta take a nap." With that pronouncement, Hiei curled himself up 
into a ball and proceeded to fall asleep in Kurama's lap. 
      Kurama looked down at the little treasure purring softly in his lap and 
said "I suppose I can wait for an explanation, but when he wakes up, I'm gonna 
teach him a thing or two about how to properly greet one's beloved after near-
death experiences."    
      "I heard that" Mumbled Hiei, and Kurama burst out laughing, a sweet sound 
that echoed off  the walls of his room and banished at last the sadness caused 
by a dark figure with a cruel smile and a single, violet eye. 
           The end! 
                     Epilogue: Dreams no More
                                 
                                 
      Hiei was sulking. He would never admit it, but he was. Kurama watched the 
stiff back of his beloved and sighed. He had pushed him too quickly, had 
expected Hiei to change too much, and this was the result. When Hiei had awoken 
from his much-needed rest, Kurama had assumed that Hiei would be ready to talk 
about what happened. Hiei had promised to explain everything, but Kurama had 
been impatient and had inadvertently hit a nerve. He hadn't realised how much 
Jagan had hurt Hiei. Now he wasn't sure how to help him. Not knowing what Jagan 
had done to Hiei, he couldn't know what not to say, and so he couldn't find 
anything to say at all. 
      "He used my own memories against me."  Kurama started. He hadn't expressed 
his worries out loud. Did Hiei know what he was thinking? 
      "Yes. I have Jagan's full powers now. Before, I was just able to access 
what little strength Jagan was willing to lend me, though I didn't know that 
until a few days ago. When I defeated him, I took all his powers into myself. 
The Sight isn't something I can only use once and a while anymore, it's as much 
a part of me as any of my other senses now. Unless you block your thoughts, I 
can See them. " Kurama immediately blocked his thoughts.
      "What did you mean, he used your memories against you?"
      "I don't think I can explain, but.... I could... show you." 
      "Show me? How?"
      "The Sight works both ways, I can See the thoughts of others, and, if I so 
wish, others can See my thoughts as well. I warn you, you won't enjoy it. It's 
better if you just let it lie."
      "No. I need to know, I need to See. I can't help you if I don't know."
      "What makes you think I need or want your help? I'm fine."
      "Well! Throw in a couple of inarticulate snorts and some curses, and 
you'll sound like your old self again!"
      "Hn. Baka. This is serious."
      "I know. Gomen. Show me what happened." Hiei nodded in acceptance; he knew 
that when Kurama was being stubborn about something, there was no talking him 
out of it.
      Hiei's third eye began to glow crimson, and he lifted his left hand to 
touch Kurama's brow. 
      Suddenly Kurama's mind was filled with a kaleidoscope of shifting images. 
Slowly, the images sorted themselves out into a pattern. He saw the dream that 
had plagued Hiei for years. He saw the memories Jagan had used to trap Hiei in 
his own mind; he saw Hiei get abandoned by his people, he saw Hiei get beaten, 
raped and demoralized when he was but a child, he saw defeat at the hands of 
enemies. Then he saw himself rejecting Jagan, and knew that that memory had been 
twisted to suit Jagan's purpose. He saw Yukina seem to deny Hiei, and run away 
in tears and he prayed that that memory was one that had been twisted as well. 
As he bore witness to the most damaging and hurtful moments of Hiei's short 
life, he felt his heart break in sympathy and vowed never to let anything hurt 
his beautiful little fire demon ever again. 
           As the images faded from Kurama's mind, he noticed that his cheeks 
were wet with tears. Hiei sat before him, the impassive expression on his face 
barely holding against the sadness and pain in his deep red eyes. Kurama swept 
Hiei into a fierce hug and whispered "I would never, ever reject you. Jagan 
twisted things. I love you and that won't ever change." He held Hiei to him 
tightly, unblocking his thoughts so that Hiei could See that what he said was 
true. Hiei gasped as the full force of Kurama's undying love hit him. For the 
first time in his life, Hiei experienced unconditional love, and it left him 
speechless in amazement. 
      Hiei tilted his head to stare up at Kurama, a look of pure wonder in his 
eyes. Kurama smiled down at Hiei, and gently, tenderly, kissed the little 
koorime. Kurama deepened the kiss and Hiei reached up to tangle his hands in 
Kurama's long, red hair. 
      Kurama broke off the kiss and stood, Hiei still cradled in his arms. He 
walked over to the bed and lay Hiei down on the feathers that covered the 
comforter. Shuiichi briefly wondered how he would explain the destroyed pillow 
to his mother, but all such thoughts disappeared when he saw Hiei's dark form 
contrasted against the pure white feathers, and the beauty of the picture took 
his breath away. 
      Hiei cupped Kurama's face in his palm as the youko sat beside him on the 
feather-covered bed. Kurama clasped Hiei's little hand in his own and leaned 
down to resume kissing his beloved. He slid his tongue between Hiei's teeth, 
exploring the youkai's warm mouth. Hiei responded, hesitantly and clumsily at 
first, but quickly putting more passion and skill into the kiss. 
      With a smile Kurama moved his mouth to Hiei's neck, gently sucking and 
biting. A small gasp of pleasure escaped Hiei as the new sensations hit him. 
When Kurama slid his hands under Hiei's shirt and began to softly stroke his 
nipples, Hiei hissed and suddenly his thoughts filled Kurama's mind. The power 
of Hiei's third eye linked the two lovers, they explored each other's thoughts 
and emotions as they explored each others bodies. 
      Neither could quite recall when they had lost their clothing, but now 
their sweat-slicked bodies were intertwined. Kurama bit and sucked at Hiei's 
nipples, his hands roaming about Hiei's chest and stomach. Hiei ran his hands 
through Kurama's silken hair, then slipped his hands down his lover's back, 
causing Kurama to shiver as Hiei's small, warm hands danced along his spine.
      Suddenly Hiei rolled, flipping Kurama underneath him. He bit gently at 
Kurama's ears, throat and collarbone, his small fangs leaving twin indentations 
at each spot. He pushed himself off of Kurama, and for a moment, stared down at 
the beautiful human. Kurama remembered Hiei's dreams about this moment. He 
reached up to stroke Hiei's delicate face and thought "This will not end in 
tragedy. We will be together as long as we both live, and we shall find each 
other again in the next life. My love for you is no dream, koibito." They were 
so deeply connected that Hiei heard every word as if it were spoken, and the 
emotional force behind the thought expressed all those things which cannot be 
put into words. He returned the emotion with equal force, and smiled. 
      Kurama rejoiced at the sight of Hiei's bright smile, for he had never seen 
Hiei smile in pure joy before. He thought that it was the most beautiful thing 
he had ever seen in his many years of life. 
      Kurama shifted so that he lay atop and slightly beside Hiei and reached 
down to gently grasp Hiei's semi-erect sex. Hiei hissed in shock as pleasure 
radiated from his previously untouched member. As Kurama began a slow, regular 
caressing motion Hiei's hiss became a deep purr, and he dug his nails into the 
feathers beneath him. Kurama was shocked to discover that the link between the 
two youkai was still functioning, and that it transmitted Hiei's pleasure. He 
felt his own penis grow swiftly erect from the onslaught of sensations. "Brings 
to meaning to the phrase  to pleasure oneself'" Kurama thought at Hiei, and was 
rewarded with a strangled laugh. 
      Hiei rolled to the side so that he was halfway facing Kurama and began to 
emulate Kurama's caresses. Both lovers gasped and froze as they each experienced 
the other's pleasure added to their own. After a few instants Kurama recovered 
from the shock and a playful smile illuminated his face. 
      Hiei stared at him dubiously, and Kurama could sense his uncertainty. 
Before Hiei could speak, Kurama silenced him with a kiss and, while he was 
distracted, slid his index finger into Hiei's anus. Hiei arched his back and 
moaned into the kiss as Kurama slowly slipped in a second , then a third finger, 
stretching the tight opening. Because of the link, Kurama could feel both Hiei's 
pain and nervousness, and he reassured him with a thought. He slid his fingers 
out of Hiei's anus, rolled so that he was on his knees above Hiei's prone body, 
lifted the koorime's legs and hooked Hiei's ankles around his waist. 
      With a last reassuring thought, Kurama slid between Hiei's legs and 
slipped his erect sex into Hiei's opening. For a moment the two were frozen in a 
tableau, their bodies interlocked, as the mingled pleasure and pain hit them 
full force. Then Kurama began to slowly move in and out of Hiei, achieving full 
penetration after about three or four thrusts. When he felt Hiei's pain lessen 
and all but disappear, he began to increase the intensity of his movements. Hiei 
began to rock his hips in sync with Kurama, and their slick bodies slid against 
each other in perfect harmony. 
      As pleasure overwhelmed them both they lost track of where each ended and 
the other began. For one brief moment they were as one in mind, body and soul.  
Backs arched, they orgasmed together, and then lay gasping in each other's arms. 
      Slowly, gradually, their minds separated and cleared. Hiei curled closer 
to Kurama and sent one last, drowsy thought before he fell asleep. 
      For many long moments Kurama looked at the boy nestled in his arms and 
marvelled at the miracle that had occurred. A heartless youko and an emotionally 
damaged koorime had found love in each other just when it had seemed that they 
would be alone forever. They had found the missing parts of their souls and 
developed a bond closer than either could have imagined. Kurama buried his face 
in Hiei's dark hair and finally answered Hiei's last thought. 
      "I love you too, Hiei-chan".   *****  
       
       
      Shuiichi's pleasant dreams were interrupted by an annoying knocking sound. 
A loud, rude voice shouted "Kurama! Kurama, are you okay? Say something!" Before 
Kurama could rouse himself enough to respond, his bedroom door was kicked in and 
Yuusuke and Kuwabara burst into the room. 
      Hiei woke with a start at the entrance of the two boys. The four friends 
all froze and stared at each other for a few moments, before Kurama blushed red 
enough to match his hair and hastily pulled the sheets up to cover himself and 
Hiei. Yuusuke and Kuwabara goggled as they tried to understand just what they 
were seeing.
      "What the Hell are you doing idiots! Can't you see we're busy? Why the 
fuck did you break down the door?!" Snarled Hiei, barely restraining himself 
from killing the two intruders until Kurama mentally reminded him that his 
clothes were on the other side of the room. 
      "I, we, uh, Gah!" Stuttered Kuwabara, still staring at the two lovers. 
Yuusuke finally recovered from the shock and said:
      "When you didn't show up for our after school meeting we thought something 
had happened to you because of, um, well..." he trailed off as he looked at Hiei 
and wondered again exactly what had happened.
      "Well, Hiei and I are fine now, I'll explain everything later and please 
get out of my room!" Snapped Kurama, visibly annoyed. 
      "Uh, yeah, sure thing, um, when should we come back?"  
      "Sigh. Go wait in the living room, we'll be down in a moment. It's a good 
thing my mother is out shopping at this time of day, or you would have given her 
a heart attack! Now get OUT!" Kurama seemed to be losing his patience, so the 
two flabbergasted boys dashed out of the room, pulling what was left of the door 
shut behind them. 
       Kurama looked over at Hiei, and, seeing the black expression on his face, 
couldn't help but laugh.
      "What's so funny, fox?"
      "Nothing, just, the look on your face, it's priceless!" 
      "Hn." Snorted Hiei, which only made Kurama laugh harder.
        ***** 
      Later on, after Kurama had briefly explained what had happened (leaving 
out certain details of course) the four friends sat in the living room of the 
Minamino residence. 
      "There's only one thing that confuses me, what do you mean Jagan made a 
trap out of Hiei's own memories?" asked Yuusuke. 
      "Ah, he trapped Hiei by making him relive his most painful memories over 
and over again." explained Kurama, trying to retain at least a little of Hiei's 
privacy.
      "Oh. I see." Yuusuke said, sensing that it wasn't something either Kurama 
or Hiei wanted to discuss. Kuwabara cleared his throat and, hesitantly, said
      "Yukina showed up at my house today, all upset. When I asked what was the 
matter she said that something was wrong with her brother, and she asked me to 
help him. I said that I would help any way I could, but that I didn't know who 
her brother was. She said that it was Hiei. Is that true?" Kazuma was obviously 
uncomfortable with the idea.
      Hiei looked at Kurama and the corner of his mouth rose slightly in a 
gesture that only Kurama would recognize as a smile. Kurama heard Hiei think 
"She called me her brother, Kurama! She didn't reject me!" and silently rejoiced 
with him. Out loud he said: 
      "Yes, Hiei is her brother, but Jagan must of frightened her when he tried 
to tell her the truth. We would appreciate it if you would let her know that her 
brother is back in control and would like to speak with her."
      "Uh, sure, I guess." Kuwabara desperately wanted to yell at the rude 
little shrimp for not telling Yukina sooner, but he sensed that it was a 
sensitive topic, and for once in his life decided to keep his mouth shut. 
      Yuusuke and Kuwabara left soon after that, still obviously embarrassed 
about bursting in on Hiei and Kurama, but trying to hide their discomfort. Hiei 
smirked and said "Someday we'll have to warn them that my Sight is much stronger 
now. You seem to have forgotten to mention that part to them."
      "I know" said Kurama, his natural youko playfulness obvious in his voice, 
"I'll get around to telling them, one of these days." Then he frowned and said 
"But enough about that, I think it's high time we turned to more important 
matters."
      "Oh? Like what?" Asked Hiei, wondering why Kurama was hiding his thoughts 
from him. Then he got tackled to the ground and found himself looking up into a 
pair of golden eyes. Kurama's silver hair tickled Hiei's face and he saw the 
youko's tail lashing from side to side. 
      "We need to see if it's different when I'm in youko form." Stated Kurama, 
somehow keeping a perfectly straight face. Then he grinned and gleefully 
returned to making all of Hiei's favourite dreams a reality.  The end!!!!!!!