Random: Heehee...I OWN NOTHING! NOTHING, DO YOU HEAR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????

Kai: Hi.....

Random: Oh yeah, this is my bestest friend, Kai!

Punkie: So that makes me chopped liver?

Random: And this is my other bestest friend, Punkie.

Chap.4

Everyone landed in a pile on the Makai forest floor, except Hiei. Using his unnatural speed, he flitted into a tree to watch the other try to untangle themselves.

"Ow, someone's foot is up my nose."

" Yusuke, your elbows in my stomach. Move!"

" No its not. It is right here."

" Botan, would you kindly get off my legs? I think my knees are broken."

" Oops! Sorry, Kurama."

Soon everyone except Kurama and Mariko were up. Kurama had ended up lying on Mariko, almost kissing her. Widening his eyes, he scrambled off, blushing furiously. Hiei scowled and glared in another direction, while Kurama glanced at him nervously. Slowly Hiei turned and made eye contact with him.

" Um, sorry?" Kurama said telepathically, wincing.

" Just don't hurt Yukina," was the reply he got.

" What? Umm…oh…ah…what?"

" Don't play dumb, fox. You were not the only one spying last night. I trust you not to do anything wrong, unlike that baka Kuwabara."

Kurama's eyes slowly widened as he realized that Hiei must have overheard last night's conversation. He nodded and his eyes softened as he turned to look at Yukina. Hiei turned to Mariko, who was busily trying to brush the dirt off her tank top. Yusuke and Kuwabara had begun a brawl within the first minute. Keiko and Botan were trying in vain to stop and separate them. Mariko strode over, grabbed Yusuke by the collar, dragged him up so she could look him in the eye, and slapped him across the face with her free hand Everyone was bewildered, not to mention shocked.

" Look jerk, you just about got me killed, told me that I am a demon, and dragged me through a portal in to another world. So stop your stupid brawling and get on with it. Now!" she yelled, shaking him like a rag doll.

"Umm… actually, I have no clue what to do…"

Everyone sweat dropped. Suddenly Botan's compact communicator rang.

"Oh, Koenma. Hello, sir!" she chirped.

" Botan, you need to go and find Mariko's demon spirit. Once returned to her, the demon spirit will allow her to transform from human to demon and vice-versa."

" Oh, okay. Umm…where should we look then?"

" Does Mariko remember anything at all?"

" No."

" Ah. Well. That could prove to be a problem. Try to find a fire demon… type… area… thing. Find a spirit that looks like Mariko, I guess."

" Gee, your a lot of help."

After closing the compact communicator, Botan looked around at all the bewildered faces. Mariko rolled her eyes and stalked off in to the forest. After a few seconds of awed silence, everyone else followed. The group trekked until late I n the night. The boys took turns being on guard duty while the others slept. In the morning, they were off again, but this time Keiko pulled Kurama behind a little to talk to him. Hiei thankfully did not notice and Yukina was chatting away with Botan. Yusuke eyed them for a second, the turned away, knowing Kurama to be trustworthy.

" Kurama," Keiko whispered, checking to make sure no one could hear," does Hiei like Mariko?"

" From what I can tell, he likes her very much."

" Okay 'cause Mariko really, really likes him. Like she is in love with him."

" Yes. I will see what I can do."

" Wait, you can not let Mariko know that I told you. I swore not to tell, but I could not help myself. She'll kill me."

Suddenly a scream tore through the air. It was Botan. Demons had discovered their presence and were attacking. Yukina was shielding herself and Botan. Keiko ran ahead, pulling her spears from the case on her back. Kurama pulled his rose out.

" Rose Whip!"

Four demons fell dead, sliced to pieces by the whip. Mariko had unsheathed her katana and was fighting ruthlessly. Hiei darted around, slicing up demons before they knew they had been attacked. Mariko was separated from the group and most demons were closing in on her. She was being attacked from all sides. One managed to slice open her arm right before she decapitate him. Another cut open the back of her knee, causing her to lose all control of the leg and it collapsed under her. As she fell, more youkai surged forward. Still on the ground, Mariko plunged her katana upward, shoving it through a large demons stomach and piecing his lungs. It screamed in fury and pain, and then collapsed on top of her with a groan. Purplish black blood oozed from the cut, covering Mariko. More and more came at her as she desperately tried to get the dead beast off herself so she could defend herself.

Hiei turned to see what had happened and bared is fangs in anger. He ran to her, fighting as he went. By the time he hacked his way to her, she was slipping into unconsciousness, still trying to fight. He pulled the dead beast off of her and bent down next to her. Her eyes rolled, trying to focus on him. Noticing how much blood she had lost, Hiei knew that Mariko was dying.

" Please, don't die, Mariko," he whispered, fighting back the tears threatening to fall as he picked her up bridal style. He was next to Yukina and Botan in a matter of seconds. He laid her inside the force field Yukina was keeping up. Botan knelt, focusing her energy into Mariko. The bleeding slowed, but did not fully stop. Hiei turned away, anger he had never known burning deep inside him. He jumped into the fray. Using his fury as a weapon, he quickly disposed of over half the demons. One charged him, slicing him across the chest.

He flew across the small plain and slammed into a tree. He stood on shaking legs, still trying to fight. There was blood trickling from a cut above his left brow that was slowly blinding that eye. His right elbow was bent at an odd angle and that arm was completely lifeless. Standing upright, he slowly, painfully pulled off his bandana, revealing his Jagan eye. Within a matter of seconds it glowed a bright green and a gigantic flash blinded the area. Everyone in the YYH gang was blown to the ground. Every demon in a five-mile radius was dead. Hiei calmly tied the bandana back around his forehead with his good hand. Limping over to Mariko, he beckoned to Kurama.

" Kurama, is it possible to heal her?" he asked in a hushed, pained voice.

Kurama looked at Hiei. He had never seen the small fire demon show any emotion close to sadness or heartbreak, but now he seemed near tears. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Keiko inched closer, trying to overhear. Kurama waved them off angrily. He also beckoned for Botan and Yukina to leave. He looked quickly at Mariko's wounds.

" We need to get her to a sheltered area. I know of a cave near by. I will carry her. You should gather everyone."

" No, I can carry her," protested Hiei weakly, still struggling to stay upright.

"Absolutely not," was Kurama's stern answer, " you have a badly shattered elbow and most probably a concussion. Yukina will be in charge of healing you. And none of your 'I will be fine' blow offs. I will not be happy if we have to hold you down to heal you. You will not help her or help yourself if you carry her."

Hiei nodded, too exhausted to protest. Kurama picked up Mariko gently and briskly walked forth. Yukina hurried over to Hiei to help him walk. As time passed, Mariko's condition became worse. She paled slightly and her breathing became shallow.

"Hiei," she called, weakly thrashing in Kurama's arms, " Hiei help me. I don't know where I am. I am so scared. Help me. Help me please, Hiei."

" What is she saying that for, Kurama? Is she awake?" questioned Hiei, confused and nervous about what she was saying when people could overhear.

" No. She is asleep. Her dreams are probably haunting her. She told Keiko at one point that she had seen demons attacking her in her nightmares. Though, now, I fear she is close to death. There is the cave just up ahead.'

" Hiei," called Mariko once again, her face contorted with pain and soft anger.

Kurama laid her on the cave floor .She moaned in pain and cold sweat broke out on her brow. Her breathing became short and quick, as she turned white with sickness. She opened her eyes with a glazed, unseeing look. She began to thrash hand convulse violently. Hiei grabbed her arms with one hand, and tried to hold her down. The poison from the blade that had sliced her many times was doing its work quickly. Keiko rushed to help Hiei, who was having problems keeping Mariko down. Kurama returned from gathering medicine plants to see Mariko pale and struggling.

"No!" he shouted in frustration, "Hiei, go and find water. Yusuke, I need your jacket and then go stand guard. Kuwabara go and find a purple flower with black thorns. Everyone else, get out and stand guard now!"

They ran, searching and protecting. Kurama knelt by Mariko, forcing her to be still. Her eyes rolled back and then closed. She thrashed once more, and then opened her eyes.

" I've always wanted to die… so this is what it is like…" she gasped. After another fit of uncontrollable spasm, she lay still. Leaning over her in horror, Kurama watched as Mariko's short, abrupt breathing came to a dead stop.