EEE! So many reviews! (For me atleast) Where to start?? Rabid Yaoi Fangirl H-chan: it IS interesting isn't it? lol Vashies-Girl: ^_^ thanks for the comment. It's a depressing story for the most part, but yah...it gets happy later! I promise! XO Tourniquet Productions: that was one of my favorite reviews ^^ heh. I like to focus in on the little things in their relationship because that's what others seem to leave out. I also like that most. I think it just shows how much they actually care for each other, yah? Volpe Di Spirito: I get a lot of "poor Hiei and Kurama" reviews xD;; is it too sad or is this a good thing to get? Inumoon3: *hurries to update!!!* I'LL TRY TO UPDATE FASTER! ;_; sorry for the lag! Kikira-san: thank you! ^^ My favorite part of chapter three was the scene during the blizzard...no idea why...I think I wanted hot chocolate, so maybe that's why...I want some now...*goes off to make hot chocolate* Tourniquet Productions (again!): well, I can totally see Hiei acting this way, yah? I also have an easier time if a character is in-character, but I thought he was? But here's how I see it: In certain situations, people act differently. Whereas I'm usually laid back and hyper and pretty much rebellious (a mix of personalities, but oh well) I can, in certain situations, be very mellow and calm. It depends. Now, in this situation I believe Hiei would have settled a bit. I think that he would figure that his only way to see Kurama would be to hang around Yusuke and take complete advantage of his hospitality (o_o I'd do it too, but that's neither here no there). Anyway, I see this as he's in a completely different situation that he's been in before, therefore he's bound to act differently to accommodate for these circumstances, yah? Tewks: xDDD LOL! That's all I can say! Prolly my favorite reviews to date just on the grounds that it made me crack up!

Now that I've covered the reviews... Okay. So...my dad has pneumonia and I have the cold that started it so I'm feeling really sick...infact...more sick than last time I posted a story, so I might pass out while I type this...but hey...ya'll wanted a new chapter so I shall give you a new chapter! (and I can sleep through the Passion tomorrow, should Fate will it) Okay...enough of that...ON TO CHAPTER 4!!!! *drum roll. Jumps off diving board. Belly flops. Judges hold up "0" signs. Cries as her skin burns off from the impact* (that was odd, even for me O_o;; )

++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is our time

No more opportunities will pass our door

And this is our ship

One rudder and two oars to guide us on our way

Hold your waters, the phone is ringing

Reflecting a dark vacuum

This is the location that we chose

To plant the deepest root

And this is the location with the heaviest blood

Which threatens to drown us

Here's our position

No more serendipity will come our way

And this is my number

Amongst all the other numbers and heartless statistics

Hold your waters, the phone is ringing

Reflecting a dark vacuum

This is the location that we chose

To plant the deepest root

And this is the location with the heaviest blood

Which threatens to drown us

++++++++++++++++

Yusuke brought Hiei with him to the phone, not daring to take his eyes from the window. Hiei, too, seemed to keep his gaze fixated on the glass. Yusuke's hand slowly reached for the phone and dialed Kurama's number. "Hello...Mrs. Minamino? Is...Shuichi there? Asleep? Can you wake him up? It's an emergency..." He said into the phone, becoming more and more nervous as the house continued to shake.
"Hello?" A voice answered groggily. "KURAMA!" Yusuke shouted, causing Hiei to jump about a foot and a half into the air, "there are more of those slug things..." Kurama stared blankly in front of him. It was too late for pranks. "Yusuke...go bother Kuzuma..." He then moved to turn he phone off. He would've actually hung up if he hadn't heard a roaring coming from the phone.
"Yusuke!? What was that?" He asked loudly into the phone, afraid something bad may have happened. "HIEI! Urgh...Kurama, um...There's a giant slug outside my house...it must have follower Hiei's scent or something...I dunno...Now Hiei's run off and oh SHIT! He's outside! Get Kuwabara!! I have to go!" Yusuke concluded as he slammed the phone down. No way in hell he was going out in his pajamas... So first came getting into warmer clothes at lightning speed. +++++++++++++++++++

Hiei was astounded by the size of the youkai in front of him. No way in hell this was related to those little ones. This was like the mutant inbred scientifically experimented on third cousin-twice removed of the first two demons. This one was a bit larger that Yusuke's house, with hundreds of large teeth and three round eyes, two on one side, one on the other. As an added bonus of this version of Youkai-From-Hell (V. 03, now with cable internet connection!), this youkai had thousands of mutated feet, making it look reminiscent of a centipede, only fat and humongous.
In only moments, the youkai had spotted Hiei with its largest eye, the one that was alone on the side of its face. It turned quickly and immediately charged full speed at the half-koorime. Hiei jumped high into the air to dodge the attack. How would he turn this one over? Yusuke helped last time, so perhaps it would work this time as well... Wait...where was Yusuke?

The black haired boy was shifting through his closet. "GODAMMIT! FUCKSHITHELLDAMN! WHERE'S MY JACKET!?"

'Stupid Ningen' Hiei thought to himself. If Yusuke was going to be a coward then he would have to do it himself. Hiei was smart enough to bring his katana with him, figuring it best to not go into battle with a death wish. Now the tricky part was finding a weak spot...

Finally, Yusuke made it outside. Apparently, his jacket was in the hall closet and not in his room...go figure. Anyway, he looked a little over dressed in comparison to Hiei's near lack of clothing, but atleast Yusuke was warm. "Hiei! Get down!" The boy said, readying his Rei Gun. Hiei obeyed with much relief. Saved him the trouble of wasting time. As soon as Hiei had moved away Yusuke had shot the Rei Gun. There was an instant contact.

However, unlike last time, the youkai didn't tip over. Infact, it seemed to be unfazed, if not only infuriated. Hiei and Yusuke looked to each other. That was rarely a good sign. What had gone wrong? It worked last time. Why not this time? What changed?

+++++++++++++++++++++

Kurama and Kuwabara ran as quickly as they could through the snow. Hopefully, Yusuke and Hiei could handle that youkai easily and they wouldn't have to fight in the blizzard. Then they caught sight of the slug. So much for high hopes...

Hiei noticed a red object moving next to the red youkai. Kurama. He noted this and signaled Yusuke that they were here. He then fazed over to Kurama and explained. "Yusuke shot it with Rei Gun, but it did nothing..." Kurama and Kuwabara just stared. Nothing? It had to have done SOMETHING...right?

Yusuke ran over to them and sighed. "Hiei's right...I think I just made it mad..." he said, looking back to the beast, "Why didn't it work...it worked last time? I mean...something must have changed or something...." Kurama, always quick on his feet, found an answer. "It's...evolving," he said, observing the creature. Kuwabara looked at him questioningly. "Evolving? What do you mean??" He asked. Kurama looked to him to explain. "There's more than one of these youkai. I don't believe we've gotten to the one we were supposed to stop. These must be the offspring. When Yusuke shot the youkai last time, it must have been recorded by the Youkai we were after and the offspring started to develop an immunity to the attack...which means it'll be harder to stop these creatures later on..." "You're kidding...How many will we have to fight?" Yusuke asked, almost annoyed at the fact that there was more work to do. "I...think there are atleast thirty more..." he said softly, but continued when he saw the shocked looks on their faces, "however, most will die off in a few days...They were not successful in their evolutions and are weaker now because of that...We will have to deal with only one more, I hope..." This news DID, infact, make the others feel a little better. "How do we kill this one? We need to turn it over to kill it...unless it evolved a harder underbelly..." Hiei remarked. Kurama shook his head. "No...I'm pretty sure that element of the youkai has stayed the same..." Hiei grinned at him and nodded, "then knock it the hell over, kitsune." +++++++++++++++++++

The plan was simple. Hiei would heat the ground so that Kurama could bind the youkai with vines and turn him over. After that, Kuwabara could have a turn at slicing it open. Yusuke's job was to distract it and make Hiei some victory hot chocolate. Simple plan.

Yusuke ran out in front of it and began taunting the youkai. And not just taunting, he was having a picnic of verbally taking out his aggression on the youkai. Hiei took the opportunity to heat the ground. The snow melted easily enough, but the ground took awhile to thaw. Once the ground was thawed, Hiei planted the seeds that Kurama had given to him. At the same time, Kuwabara readied his sword.

1.2.3. Just like that the plan failed. The Vines wrapped around the youkai. The Youkai lunged at Yusuke just before the vines could bind it. Yusuke was down.
How simple the plan. However, it was so simple they never stopped to think that maybe the youkai was also faster than the others, which it proved to be. The snow was just too difficult to move in. It was impossible to dodge the youkai. With the exception of Yusuke, they all made a mental note to try again. Kurama, unfortunately, decided he would be the bait without telling anyone. The youkai turned to him and lunged. Kuwabara and Hiei panicked. What was he thinking!?

Just as soon as he'd gotten the youkai's attention Kurama was down as well, although the mustered up the energy to bind the youkai. This time, he was successful and, before he lost consciousness, he turned the youkai over. Kuwabara noticed this and didn't miss a beat. He sprinted over to the youkai and sliced right through it's stomach with his Spirit Sword. Blood, guts, and one dead youkai.

++++++++++++++++

Hiei was, again, right by Kurama's side. Once was bad enough...but...to have to watch his lover in pain again...
Kurama was bleeding badly. He was unconscious. He was in bad shape. They needed Botan... "Kuwabara! Get Botan! I'll bring them inside!" Hiei shouted rather hoarsely at the redhead. Kuwabara nodded and went off to get her. Hiei did as he said as well, although he brought Kurama in first. After all, Yusuke was dressed so well for the cold...

+++++++++++++++++++++++

A week later...
Yusuke awoke with an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Something wasn't right. He hadn't seen Hiei since the day after the blizzard, which was the day after the fight with the youkai. This feeling had something to do with that...it just had to be related to that. But what was it?

There was no sign that Hiei was in the tree outside or that he was even in the area. Kurama hadn't seen him, nor had he felt his you-ki. Kuwabara hadn't seen him either. And as far as he could tell, Koenma didn't know where he was either. So all in all, it was bad.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Hiei laid himself down in a familiar cave in the Makai. There was no point anymore. He could see Kurama. He couldn't feel Kurama. He couldn't even fight next to Kurama without seeing him face death. The situation was hopeless. All that was left was to sit idly by as life passed him. There was no need to make Kurama suffer, and his own existence would cause that suffering. He wouldn't commit suicide, no. That was one thing Hiei wasn't yet willing to touch.

He'd merely disappear...

To Be Continued

O_ I don't know if I like this chapter...I'm coming down with pneumonia or something...and I'm I've been awake almost 24 hours...wrote this whole thing in a single sitting. Ah well...I hope SOMEONE enjoyed it...I'm hoping that it'll get better later on... I plan for it to be better. Oh, and sorry for the worst battle scene ever...I didn't quite know how to describe that whole thing x_X I apologize for keeping you all waiting for this crappy chapter...I'll make it up to you somehow...