REVISED CHAPTER 4! WOOTNESS!!

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Not 15 minutes later, Kira pointed a small finger at Kurama, "I believe you are next!" Kurama glared at her and looked down expecting the floor to vanish beneath his feet, however Kira was clever and snapped her fingers. The next moment, out of the wall a black hand appeared grabbing a hold of Kurama and pulling him away from the group. Hiei managed to grab Kurama by the hand, his sheer strength causing the giant hand to strain in tugging Kurama away.

"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM TO THAT DARK HELL!" Hiei howled, Kira watching with a smile. She grabbed Hiei by his hair and yanked down. Hiei's eyes went wide in surprise as the small child sent him face first into the carpet, this child had been stronger then he'd anticipated. From the rough grab he released Kurama, and helplessly watched his friend disappear.

Kira giggled, and was gone. Hiei gritted his teach shouting, "DAMXIT!" punching the ground, and cracking the floor. Kuwabara looked over at Hiei and then to his best friend, who had let Kuwabara go, but remained resting against his chest, his eyes lost in deep thought.

"FXck." Kuwabara sighed softly, petting Yusuke's hair and turning away from the angered Hiei.

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Kurama gasped sharply, and opened his eyes sitting up as if he had woken from some nightmare.. He was in a lush forest, sunlight warming his skin, and wind blowing through his hair. For a moment he thought he was free, and had somehow escaped where ever he had been. But when he shook his head, and calmed down a little he realized that it was not so. He was still somewhere stuck with that demonic child, in some illusion.

"Hello Kurama," Kurama's voice chimed in.

Turning Kurama saw Kira sitting atop a branch.

"Well..what game will I be playing?" Kurama asked rising to his feet. He looked at her with a stare that had sent many an enemy to their knees in fear. But Kira merely smiled like a cherub, and continued floating in the air. "It's simple really," Kira said fluttering her eyelashes, "All you have to do is save your friends."

In a blink of an eye, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara appeared tied up on a platform that had not been there before. Kurama jumped, startled to see his friends. They were all beaten up very badly, but how did they get here? "They're illusions aren't they?" Kurama asked not taking his eyes off his friends' doubles. "Yes, just shadows...with a catch I'll explain in due time," Kira said her voice suppressing a giggle. Kurama rolled his eyes and glanced at the copies of his friends, taking in their injuries.
Hiei was in terrible condition. With each breath blood splattered on the ground. It seemed his ribs were cracked, and there were various cuts along his short body. He looked tired and haggard, and even swayed on his feet. "Ku..r..rama..."He muttered, blood pouring more rapidly out his mouth.

Yusuke was knocked out, laying limply on the platform just a few feet from Hiei. Blood died the wooden platform, a bit of it traveling down the wood to drip off the side. He had a deep gash in his head, and Kurama was sure he could see his skull. Kurama glanced at Kuwabara who looked perfectly fine, but in truth he was far from it.

Kurama could not see it but Kuwabara's spirit sword was somehow manipulated into hand cuffs, and slowly were piercing though his wrists, every time he moved. Kurama saw the pain in Kuwabara eyes, and noticed that his hands were behind his back, but he didn't dare ask where Kuwabara's injury was. This, "game," was unsettling, Kurama had a bad feeling about the state of these illusions.

Kurama let his eyes finally make his way to under the platform. The platform was a good 20 feet off the ground. And as if that was not bad, to make it worse under the platform were several spikes. Large, black, sharp spikes.

"When I snap my finger the platform will disappear, and they will fall to their deaths, for they are to weak to save themselves. Kira smiled, "Now here's the twist, if these illusions die because you couldn't save them, your friends in that room of mine, will be sent to the black door and die." Kurama's eyes widened and he stared at the girl in shock, "You...You..." Kurama's hands shook as he struggled to find the words to say.

"Monster? Demon?...well you're one too." The girl sighed pompously. "Now I'll give you 15 minutes on what you decide to do. But when you're ready, you only have 30 seconds to save them all before they drop." Kurama's shoulder's sagged at the mere thought of this task. If he had maybe 30 minutes then he was sure he could pull this off, but half that amount of time...he wasn't so sure. Kira's eyes flashed at Kurama's discomfort, "And one more thing...this is all you can use."

She tossed him a simple stick.

Kurama stared at it and then her.

"You are insane."

"No dear...just mad." Kira laughed out loud and began humming away the minutes. Kurama was more conflicted with the thought of id he failed, he would lose his real friends. As minutes passed by he thought up scenario after scenario of how this will end, and out of all the plans the only ones he could seem working is if he just saved two. Kira watched as Kurama's eyes moved rapidly, searching seemingly, for something. She smiled, "If you don't think you can save them all, may I suggest you just save Yusuke and Hiei? Kuwabara is human, and the weak link of the group if you ask me." Kira was further amused when Kurama flipped her off.

But by angering him he remembered something quite useful to himself.

So, after about 10 minutes, Kurama smiled confidently saying. "I'm ready."

"Oh?" Kira asked surprised.

"Yes."

She smiled and snapped her fingers.

Kurama, with great speed and skill, snapped his wrist out, the simple twig having grow into a larger club. It took all his strength but he threw the club with all his might, sending the spikes flying and laying flat on the ground. He collapsed on one knee cursing himself slightly, because he was pretty sure he had just dislocated his arm.

"You control plants?!" Kira screeched angered. Kurama only looked at her, and smirked.

Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all fell, and Kurama smiled to himself. He knew his friends were now injured further, but they were most definitely...alive.

"I didn't know you controlled plants!" Kira growled, outraged.

"Now you do," Kurama said in a smug tone.

Kira screamed into her hands, and after a moment smiled, "Lets see what injuries your friends suffered."

Kurama slowly looked to his friends, willing them to stand up. Hiei was the first to get up and Kurama squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He wasn't sure if he could stomach seeing his best friend hurt any worse, but finally he looked over at Hiei, who stood waiting for Kurama to look at him. There was a single spike though his hip. Blood and pieces of bone dribbling down his pant leg, and stuck in the point of the spike.

Kurama Squeezed his eyes shut,. "Oh God."

When Kurama looked back, Hiei disappeared with a puff of smoke, and Kira laughed, "You people are so funny. These forms are only shadows of your friends. Shadows of what would happen if this ever took place."

Yusuke stood up, his left arm had been dislocated, and the bottom of his foot was pointing towards the sky. The bones pierced through the skin. Kurama starred at the injuries which he had contributed too mumbled some incoherent words.

Yusuke's form disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Kuwabara stood up.

Kurama smiled, there was no injuries on Kuwabara at all. Or so he thought. Kuwabara pulled out his hands from behind his back. His hands were gone, leaving behind stubs that shot out his blood. Kuwabara held them out for Kurama to see, and suddenly Kurama felt terrible pain. Kira's voice giggled, "I'm letting you feel their pain, I'd figured...you might like to know what you put them though."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! GAH STOP!"

Kurama grabbed his head, as he screamed, and only cried louder as someone shook him. "Kurama!"

"NOO! GOD...HIEI! YUSUKE! KUWABARA...HIEI!"

"Kurama!"

SLAP!

The red head shut up and turned to look at the assaulter. "Yus...Yusuke?" Yusuke had him by his shoulders. He was back in the lobby. The crazed look in Yusuke's eyes that had been there since the test had disappeared, and he looked much calmer, even though his eyes now had shock and worry in them for Kurama.

"Yusuke..." Kurama breathed a sigh of relief.

Hiei dropped down to his knees, grabbing Kurama's shaking hands, "You;re okay. Kurama...come on." Kurama looked at them with wide eyes, and took in slow deep breaths. He stood on unstable legs and walked past them. He slumped in a chair, hand over his eyes. Kira giggled, "He didn't like my game too much..." Kira hovered over Kurama, "But you gotta admit...the whole...I have no hands thing looked nifty eh? And What about Yusuke's foot?! Wasn't the gore wonderful?!"

Kurama growled and slammed his fist at Kira, not even scratching her energy field.

Kira giggled, and sat on her desk. "Now, 2 passes. Lets see...Hiei..." Hiei looked over at her. "Ready to succeed? Or...suffer a bone crunching defeat?"

"You little-" Hiei was cut off as the floor swallowed him up.

Kira vanished giggling.

Kuwabara sat on the floor, one hand on the wall and the other over his eyes.

Yusuke went back to his own corner, swearing and trying to get his own nightmare out of his head.

Kurama sat staring at nothing.

His logic had failed him...

So had his instincts...

Everything was easy, until now...

Somehow...he'd made the wrong move...

He'd failed.

This was only a test, a cruel game but...

"How long until I fail them for real?" he whispered.

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REVISED CHAPTER FOUR! WOO-HOO!

Okay so Kurama is now doubting himself...not cool...at all.