Chickenpox

By: Agent Dark Moose

Rating: PG-13

Summary: When Yusuke and Kuwabara drag Kurama and an unwilling Hiei to the arcade, Hiei catches a terrible disease. That disease is . . . the chickenpox? (oO;)

Disclaimer: Blue Ice Fox thought of this dream idea. Kami, I wish I was as smart as her . . . T_T I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, either . . .

~Guide~

~+~ Location Change

*** Time change

_. . ._ Emphasized

~*+*~ Time AND Location Change

*~_-_~* Rapid Switch in Place (In this chapter it's between Hiei and Kurama, a.k.a. Dream World and Reality. It's almost like POV changes, but it's not . . . o_o)

^*~*^ Flashback Start/End

Chapter Nine: Death Walking

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~From the Top~

I'll repeat it over and over again if I have to . . . THANK YOU SO MUCH FOX!!!

Also, in this chapter, Hiei's having a DREAM. Alright? ^^;

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He opened his eyes to see black. Everything was black. He was in an abyss of darkness that never ended. It tried to suffocate him. To press in on him; dwindling into compliance. Working at his death.

He was about to close his eyes again when he saw something moving far away. Or what seemed to be a blurred distance to him.

It was darker than the void, holding no sheen to it like a gash of deep shadow. It was a pool of nothingness. It was soon joined by more pools, as if multiplied in his gaze. They appeared to be approaching him. Slowly at first, but then their pace was quickened. The shadows came towards him, increasing their rate of speed until they were rushing at him with full- blown force.

He wanted to run, but he couldn't. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed, not able to retaliate as the shadows through themselves at him, pushing him to the blackened and unseen ground.

He let out a sharp yelp of pain as an edge of a shadow came in contact with the bare flesh of his arm. The pain seared through his limb and continued through his body, tearing at each nerve. It felt like liquid fire. Like someone was pouring a vat of acid onto him with no mercy. The pain was engulfing him, and with his body still not responding as he willed it to move, the only thing he could do was whimper and yelp. He didn't care if he was displaying signs of weakness. The only thing that mattered was escaping these creatures with his life. He didn't care if someone saw him. He just had to fight . . . He just had to live . . .

^*~*^

"I . . . promise . . . I-I'll . . . try . . ." Kurama's tears. Blurs of white pain. Cool lips against his skin. A plea. Not enough strength. Fighting. Trying.

^*~*^

Kurama. He must fight for Kurama.

*~_-_~*

Kurama woke up to a sheer cry of distress from Hiei who was lying next to him. The kitsune's eyes widened in fear as he saw his loved one moan and wail, his face contorted in anguish.

"Hiei!" Kurama exclaimed, beginning to panic as he realized that he could almost feel the heat rising up from the half-Koorime's unconscious body.

*~_-_~*

He had finally regained control of his body, but that was of no value anymore. The shadow consumed him in its thick liquid, making his movements lagging and painful. It was as if he was programmed to move in slow-motion, while the shadows where permanently on fast-forward.

An arm of the living blackness instantaneously washed over his face, filling his mouth and nostrils, cutting off his air. He clawed at it, but his fingers only fell through its liquid form to gash his own face, causing crimson to mix with the ink black creature as if it fed off his suffering. He flailed madly, yelling as best he could. He attempted to scream, scream so that someone could hear him and come to his aid. He tried to fight them off and get oxygen, but he could only retrieve small gasps through the thick coating.

He was suddenly overwhelmed in terror and fear, sweat forming on his body and trickling down towards the source of gravity. His lungs burned, begging for air to keep his body alive with.

But he had nothing to give them. His heart was beating above normal. Above his ability to control it. Above the line. Above the red bar. It was using up all the oxygen he had, causing him to hack and cough into the shadow that smothered him. He tried biting it, but that only ended in the shadows pressing down more violently.

He felt his eyelids droop, though he still continued to fight. He tried every manner of getting the things off of his body, ignoring the pain that coming in contact with them caused.

He had to get air . . .

*~_-_~*

'There's got to be something I can do! Anything!' Kurama thought frantically, scanning his memory for anything that might help. He quickly dashed into the adjacent bathroom and filled a cup with water, running back to the bedside to see Hiei thrashing about wildly, gasping for air but seemingly getting none.

The kitsune gasped and quickly grabbed Hiei's wrist, pouring the water over him as he was held still for a short second. But as soon as the water hit his skin, Hiei yelled and jerked away from Kurama harshly.

Kurama dropped the cup, watching his best friend with watery and horrified eyes. 'He's dying . . .'

*~_-_~*

His eyes widened as he saw another wave of shadow coming towards his already-consumed body. He tried to scream again, but it was futile. The shadows crashed down upon him, causing antagonizing pain to flood through his body, as if the skin was the broken dam and the agony was the water.

Suddenly, as though a miracle had happened, a wisp of shadow retreated and fell into a curl of disappearing light. Yet before more than two breaths the shadow had mended, filling into his mouth.

He hacked and bucked as the foul substance entered his mouth. It was disgusting, it soiled his mouth. He felt blood rush up his throat and out, dripping down the side of the corner, feeding the shadow. It dove deeper to find the source of its nutrition and energy.

*~_-_~*

Kurama gasped as garnet liquid dripped from Hiei's mouth when he coughed again. The Jaganshi's body shuddered involuntarily before he went back to thrashing around, leaving Kurama to panic by himself.

'There's got to be something I can do to save him . . .' the kitsune felt the tears fall, creating news trails over his already-stained cheeks. 'I've got to do something . . .'

Hiei started to faintly yell, and Kurama felt his heart wrench. He let out a quiet sob before trying the only thing he could think of doing.

The kitsune lept onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Hiei's panicked body. He tilted the fire youkai's head so that it faced his, before swallowing a last flow of tears. Kurama swept down, catching Hiei's lips in his own, feeding his Life Energy into the half-Koorime. He secretly savored the taste of the fiery lips, but didn't think too much on the matter at that moment. All that mattered was Hiei . . .

The kitsune stayed like that for a few minutes, feeling his strength drain from him until it was close to nothing. He hesitantly pulled away, breaking the connection, before collapsing next to Hiei, who had stopped moving.

'Please don't say I was too late . . .' Kurama thought before falling into unconsciousness.

*~_-_~*

He let his arms drop from exhaustion. He was too tired, he needed to rest. He couldn't go on like this. He would never be able to win this battle in a condition like his.

He slowly began to succumb to the shadows, feeling their liquid bodies stir in excitement that their captive was forfeiting. It began to enter into his body, diving deeper, past his lungs towards more sensitive organs.

He couldn't keep up the struggle, and slowly . . . he began to let himself fade . . .

But then . . . he felt something warm brush against his lips before pressing down more forcefully. The area was filled with a blinding light that forced his eyes shut, though he felt the light forcing the shadows away, driving them back. His lungs filled with luscious air, the scorching heat evaporating from his body and only leaving a dull headache.

Just before he fell into a deaf state, he opened his eyes. With the light retreating, he could make out Kurama's form, etched in white. As the dark world collapsed, so did the kitsune, his original color returning. Tears silently fell down Kurama's cheeks. He shook his head.

"Only in a dream . . ." He muttered to himself . . . "Only in a dream . . ."

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A/N: O_O Wow, I really enjoyed writing this! ::checks the clock:: 10:06 pm on February 19! My God, people, you better thank Fox and me for staying up so late and going over this chapter again and again in email... ::snores:: You people so owe us . . .

So, why don't you review? ^_^;;;

~Agent Dark Moose