Hatsu had run out of things to talk about too, but Sam caught him unawares when she started snuggling with him. He sat still as she talked to him, blushing and stunned, and he almost protested, but she looked so pretty just lying there with her eyes closed. The boy smiled slightly, then started a different conversation so as not to wake her.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Hey Yami,</span>he thought,<span style="font-style: italic">You cooled down yet?</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"How about you, Mr. Hot Stuff?"</span>Yeah. He'd recovered enough to start teasing.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Yeah yeah. I wanted to ask you something.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"About...?"</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Hiei. You called him a Hunter Assassin. How does that bode for his chances alone?</span><br/><br/>The demon chuckled.<span style="font-style: italic">"Not bad. The title basically means he has a tendency to work alone and successfully eliminate almost every foe he comes upon. But... he could still get into trouble somewhere."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">What do you mean?</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"I've told you, haven't I? That I met Hiei before? It was between when I separated with Vaan and bonded with you. He seemed pretty comfortable talking with and being around me, considering he avoided other people like the plague."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Do you think it was because you were just in a spirit form?</span>Hatsu asked.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Now how did you know that?"</span>Yami asked.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Well... isn't that what happens?</span>the boy thought quizzically.<span style="font-style: italic">"I mean, don't you ditch your body when you bond with a human? That means you wouldn't have one after separating.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Are you forgetting Azrael? He has a body, and he just separated from Anaka."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Oh...</span>the boy thought. He'd forgotten that.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Relax,"</span>Yami reassured the boy after a moment.<span style="font-style: italic">"Azrael recreated his body after separating, so he wouldn't be forced to find a new host. I didn't do the same, because it takes a lot of energy, and I'd already been planning to find a new host. Anyway, it's possible that might've made him more comfortable with me."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Okay. So what kind of trouble do you think he might get into? I got the feeling you had something specific in mind.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Hm?... No.. not really. It's just that.. Alastor, Hiei's demon, is a bit power obsessed. I'm worried that, with Lucifer making an appearance, he might try to get Hiei to challenge him."</span><br/><br/>Hatsu was shocked.<span style="font-style: italic">Wait! Would Hiei actually attempt something like that? Going alone would be insane!</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Yes. And Hiei's typically a sensible enough person not to take on any task he couldn't handle... But Alastor's been taking secret vacations to the Human world for years, and with Hiei's memory loss, that snake might well know more about him than he does himself. I'm worried he might know something that could shake Hiei up enough to actually attempt something so suicidal."</span><br/><br/>One thing in Yami's statement stood out to Hatsu more than anything else.<span style="font-style: italic">Hiei's... memory loss..?</span><br/><br/>The boy got the sense that his demon nodded.<span style="font-style: italic">"Yes, he mentioned it to me one day while I was dwelling near a garden in the city I was fond of. Apparently, he remembers next to nothing since before he became a Hunter, three months ago."</span><br/><br/>That shocked Hatsu and he almost jerked but caught himself, conscious that Sam was still resting against him.<span style="font-style: italic">Are you kidding me? Nothing?</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Even his last name is a mystery,"</span>the demon confirmed, and Hatsu fell into silent contemplation.<br/><br/>------------------------------<br/><br/>Azrael followed Lord Death quickly out through the portal and shut it behind him, following his superior to where Vaan was waiting, rather impatiently, for them. The Reaper issued his commands and people went to work. Vaan began focusing on the link the Reverend had with the wound, offering a quick reply to Death's question before starting the dangerous technique.<br/><br/>"He attacked her when we were still in the tower, and we left right after. I'd guess an hour or two, but I was unconscious most of the time, so I don't know exactly." It was pretty obvious from his voice that he blamed himself for letting it get this bad, but he was clearly focused on doing all he could to turn the situation in Merle's favor.