A/N: I don't know how this chapter is going to turn out, be warned! (lol) This is in the POV of Kazuma Kuwabara, I know, how odd and disturbing, but hey? It's going to have to work.

Chapter Eleven

You're Not Alone

Yusuke and I just returned to Koenma's little "home". Kurama hadn't even budged since we picked him up from the prison; I was worried about him. Botan came up to meet us and congratulate us on a successful mission, but she soon saw our predicament and suddenly changed moods.

"Follow me, please, I know where you can place him," she opened up the door and held it for us. She led us in silence towards what looked like an infirmary. I placed him down on the middle bed in the room. Every sheet was white and seemed to have never been used before now.

I looked down to Kurama's seemingly lifeless form. He seemed to be at peace with everything around him, he seemed to show no fear, and no happiness. I closed my eyes and walked away from him, back into the hall where Botan and Yusuke were waiting for me. I couldn't stand Kurama like this; he always seemed the strongest out of us, both mentally and physically. To see him like this made me feel even weaker than normal.

"What happened to him?" Botan asked. She was wringing her hands together in a desperate attempt to do something besides act worried.

"I don't know," Yusuke said, he didn't seem to want to talk. Keiko and Yukina then walked up. Keiko moved towards Yusuke, but then noticed his pain and backed away. Not even in the many fights Keiko saw Yusuke in, did she ever seem this tormented to watch him.

"He was being held prisoner at that prison that could be suited better for a castle," I began. Yukina turned to me, I looked right into her red eyes.

"May I see him," she asked.

"Go ahead, if you can do anything to help him, by all means," Yusuke said, motioning to the door. Yukina nodded and led the way into the room. Yukina walked over to him, the rest of us surrounded his bed.

Yukina leaned forward and placed her hands softly on his chest. Kurama seemed to cringe as Yukina touched him. She closed her eyes as she focused her will to heal Kurama. Time began to tick slowly by, but nothing happened. Yukina's healing power did nothing to help Kurama's comatose predicament.

"I don't understand this," Yukina said as she drew back her hands.

"Did you find anything?" Yusuke asked, half asleep.

"There is something that penetrated his mind, something is keeping him in this comatose state. I don't know what can bring him out..."

"So you mean we can't do anything to help him out?" I asked, blankly.

"We can't do anything, Kuwabara," Keiko said.

We sat in silence around Kurama's bed for some time. I was remembering the old times I had with him, I had a feeling that he wouldn't be making it out of this. I had to come to terms with myself, he wouldn't make it out of this, and I knew it. It was then, that all of my despair could rest assured.

"W-Where is Hiei," Kurama's voice came from beneath us. He sounded so tired and weak, like for those three days he had not eaten or slept, I couldn't stand to see him this way.

"We don't know," Yusuke said. I looked at the girls, tears brimmed each of their eyes. "You should sleep, Kurama, I'll tell him to come here, when he gets back." Kurama seemed to try and nod, but he was asleep before he finished his reply. "Let's go," Yusuke whispered to us.

We all headed out. When we had left the room, Keiko began to cry, and Yukina soon joined her. I saw Botan come heading back from Koenma's office. She was running towards us.

"We have a problem!" She said, huffing and puffing.

"What's wrong," Yusuke asked, he was holding Keiko, and I was holding Yukina.

"Someone is trying to steal the Gate's Key! Follow me!" We began to run after her.

"What does this Gate's Key thing do?" Yusuke asked. We had left the girls in the infirmary to help Kurama if he needed anything.

"It's used to break the barrier between this realm and the Makai Realm!" We ran into a heavy set of doors that Botan opened with a small key. "He's in there," Botan said. "This is as far as I go, good luck."

We walked in. The room was pitch black, but both of us didn't need light to sense the demon's Spirit Energy. We began to trace him towards the middle of the room, where we split up to each side of the demon. I don't think the demon realized we were there, or he didn't act like it.

We then jumped at him, holding him down. Botan heard the struggle and ran in to turn on the lights. As the lights flashed on, I was blinded by the light. By the time I could see, Yusuke had already let go of the villain and had backed away.

"Get off of me, you fool!" came an all to familiar voice.

"Hiei?" I asked, still on top of him.

--------Five minutes later--------

"So you snuck into that prison thingy?" Yusuke asked. Hiei had just explained what he had done and whom he met.

Hiei didn't answer Yusuke's question, but moved on with the story. "This Ryokha says that Kurama only has five days now until he dies, and the antidote has to be given to him in the next four days. She wants the Gate's Key in place for the antidote."

"Alright, we can't give her the Gate's Key, but we can give her a copy of it! Then we take the antidote from her," Yusuke said.

"That wouldn't work," Koenma replied. "The Gate's Key gives off an aura of its own, and Ryokha can probably sense that."

"What if we just go and charge her and take the antidote from her?" I asked.

"She might not be carrying it on her," Botan intercepted.

"We can give her the real Gate's Key," Hiei began, "and she will give us the antidote, and then we fight her for the Gate's Key."

"That's probably your best bet," Keiko nodded.

"Hiei, before I forget, Kurama wants to see you," Yusuke said.

--------Change POV to Hiei--------

I walked down to the infirmary that was holding Kurama. I didn't know what he would say, and I still didn't know how he felt towards me, for all I knew, he could hate me for what I told him. I opened the door and let myself in.

"Hiei?" I heard Kurama's voice come from the center of the room. I walked to him, not trying to rush to his side.

"What do you want, fox?"

"Do you remember before any of this started? We were at the arcade," he said. Kurama seemed desperate to remember what I had said earlier.

"Yes, I remember."

"Do you remember what you had said? You said you loved me," his voice became very soft after that.

"Yes, I did."

"I wanted to answer you, you had asked if I loved you." He paused for sometime, I didn't think he would answer my long a waited question. "I love you, too. I always have." He then closed his eyes and seemed to fall into a tormented sleep.

"I'm glad you do, fox, I'm very glad you do." I watched my sleeping angel fall deeper into his sleep before I had to leave him. He didn't deserve this agony, no one did. You're not alone in this fight Kurama; I am here to help you, and if need be, save you.

A/N: The next chapter will be called It Begins.