- Collective Theory -

Kuwabara's street was desolate. The rustling of leaves was all Hiei could hear and the demon had excellent senses. He landed in front of the building and peered into the first window on the right. The lights were off, but Hiei could see Yusuke laid out in the front of the dim glow of the television. Kuwabara was sitting up a few feet away from the screen. Hiei knocked on the window pane. Kuwabara screeched.

"Quiet," Yusuke said quickly, going over to the door. "What do you want?" he asked the intruder.

"Open up, Detective," Hiei said. Yusuke looked at the window. "We need to talk." Yusuke went over to the window, unlocked it, and lifted it so that Hiei could come inside.

"What happened this time?" he asked. Hiei crawled in, landing softly on the hard wood floor.

"Kurama's going nuts," he said. "I think I'm going to knock him out for a few days until he gets his sense back."

"What's going on?" Kuwabara asked, standing up belatedly.

"Nothing that concerns you," Hiei said.

"Maybe he can help," Yusuke said.

"Right," Hiei said sarcastically. Yusuke shut the window, motioning for the guys to follow him to the kitchen. He explained to Kuwabara all that he knew about Kurama's situation, and then Hiei explained what happened that night.

"So where's he now?" Kuwabara asked.

"At home, moping," Hiei said. "I shouldn't have left. He'll probably take it."

"He won't..." Yusuke said, though he didn't sound sure of himself. He poured some water he'd boiled into a cup and opened a packet of tea. "He's better than that."

"I don't know what it is," Hiei said.

"Maybe a soul's gotten into him," Kuwabara said. "That happens." Yusuke nodded.

"We could ask Koenma to check him out," he said. He dipped the teabag several times, allowing it to brew before sipping it. A little cream and lemon and he'd be all set.

"I think I would know if something took over his body," Hiei said. "It's not a foreign spirit, damnit. It's Youko, it's got to be."

"We were thinking that maybe Kurama's just telling us that he likes it here, but that he's lying when he says that," Yusuke said. Kuwabara twiddled his thumbs.

"Should we go over there...keep him company? Maybe we'll see something new tonight...something that will give away what's going on with him."

"I've been with him everyday," Hiei said, getting a little angry.

"But something new turns up every time you turn around," Kuwabara said. "I mean...who knows what we're missing now."

"I say we let him do whatever he wants," Hiei said. He sat back and folded his arms. "We're acting like he's a child who can't make his own damn decisions. If he wants to leave, let him leave."

"No way," Kuwabara said.

"You're so full of it, Hiei," Yusuke said, sitting down at the table with the other two. "You don't want that for him."

"None of us do," Kuwabara said. "Kurama...it's just that...Kurama looks like he likes it here and when he goes back to the makai, he's always so anxious to come here again. He doesn't want to go back...at least not yet. He's told me plenty of times."

"He's told all of us plenty of times," Hiei said. "I'm so sick of his lies."

"For someone who likes him so much, you're acting awfully harsh," Yusuke said. "Kurama just needs some guidance with this."

"He can make his own decisions, Yusuke," Hiei said. "He always has. He...may be confused, but there's no reason we should be all over him, baby-sitting him. He knows what he wants and if he wants out, then so be it."

"Would you just stop," Kuwabara said. "It's...not like that. It can't be." He shook his head. "Sometimes...people are misguided, Hiei, and sometimes they need help. It's like...you've got a friend who's addicted to drugs and you know they need help to get over them. You've got to step in and save them before it's too late."

"I don't give a damn how pathetic you ningens are but if you think Kurama's anything like that, you must be joking," Hiei spat. "He's a demon, damnit, and demons know what they want. So what if it's Youko that wants to take that stupid serum, Youko is Kurama. And...and I've...I've got to accept that. I can't just..."

"Hiei, seriously..." Yusuke interrupted. "Did you come over here for help, or did you come to shoot down everything Kuwabara and I say?" Hiei shook his head and looked down.

"I can't just support one and not the other," Hiei said.

"Question is..." Kuwabara began. "Which one needs the support the most right now?"

Hiei perched silently in the tree across from where Kurama sat. It was close to midnight and Kurama had been there for almost three hours. His demeanor hadn't really changed since he arrived. He just sat sighing. And staring.

Hiei was worried. He'd fled Kuwabara's house right after Kuwabara asked that question. How the hell was he supposed to know which needed help the most? Hiei was a demon and while he spoke to Yusuke and Kuwabara he realized that so was Kurama and that Kurama's demon side would and should know best.

But then...thinking about Kurama's situation...he wasn't really just a demon anymore, was he? He was human as well, and he'd lived quite a while in the ningenkai. Not nearly as long as he could have, but long enough that he considered it home. What was it that Kurama longed for...that he missed? That he needed?

Kurama rose suddenly. Hiei watched him as he walked over the tree closest to the park bench and kneeled before it. He ran his hands along the grass there and then up the bark of the tree. Hiei waited patiently, barely breathing to keep quiet. Kurama rose and placed his hands palms out on the tree. He let them rest there, his eyes closed. The wind blew silently through his hair and that was the only thing on him that stirred.

A strong sense slowly came over Hiei. It was thick and smelled of roses. Hiei had to take in deeper breaths to be able to breathe over it. It became thinner after a while, and Kurama opened his eyes. There was something different about him...he...was he transforming? Hiei leaned closer to try and get a better look. Kurama turned his head sharply in Hiei's direction. He must have been; his senses had heightened.

Not seeing anything, Kurama looked back at the tree. He closed his eyes again and Hiei waited. Again, the smell wafted by him. It was a pleasant smell, with Youko's scent mixed with the rose aroma this time. Hiei watched as Kurama began to change. He saved thinking about it for afterward. He didn't want to get distracted and make noises.

It was a subtle transformation and if Hiei had have looked away for a second he would have missed it. Youko kneeled in front of the tree and placed his hands on the grass as he'd done earlier. All along the grass, flowers began to bloom and blossom. The trees around them began to blossom as well and the branches stretched out a bit more. Youko's face was stern with concentration.

A pulse beat from Youko's hands and he almost jumped back. He turned his hands over and stared at them, and then he looked at the ground again. The flowers began to die, one by one and the trees began to wilt. Youko looked alarmed. He stood and looked around. Hiei watched him quietly, still, as he slowly transformed back to Kurama.

Kurama stepped back onto the path and looked around in almost a panic. Hiei's eyebrows lowered in concern. Kurama stared down at his hands and began to rub them together quickly, as if they were sticks and he was trying to start a fire. He stopped and looked at them. His eyes widened and he closed his hands into a fist.

"Damnit!" he said sharply. "Damnit...please..." Kurama rubbed his hands on his thighs, as if trying to remove something from them. "Onegai," he said. Hiei became confused. So the fox was losing his mind. Kurama began to walk away, looking around at the flowers as they faded. "Inari...please..." he said and began to stumble. His legs weren't working right. He collapsed to the ground. "Onegai..." he said again. Hiei grunted and hopped down from the tree. He rushed over to Kurama, grabbed him by the forearms and made him look at him.

"What the hell is going on?" Hiei asked. Kurama looked up at him, surprised to see him there. He'd been crying, something Hiei didn't see from the tree. Hiei kneeled next to him. "Kurama...?" he began, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "What's going on with you?"

"I...I'm in trouble," he said. "There's...Hiei..." Hiei leaned forward and slid his arms around Kurama.

"Let me help you, Kurama."

"I don't know that you can..." he said.

"Tell me what to do...I'll do anything." Kurama sniffed and rested his head on Hiei's chest.

"I'm sorry," he said. Hiei shook his head and lifted Kurama to his feet.

"Come on, Kurama. I'm going to take you home now." Kurama followed Hiei out of the park and let him walk him home.

Thanks for reading, and please review! I probably shouldn't make any promises, but...I'll bet that I'll get chapter ten out as soon as I find a title for it! ::smiles suspiciously:: How ever long that'll take... And if you're still confused about the serum situation, just let me know and I'll put a little more of an explanation next post. Latah!

J3