I'm back!

Yeah! I put this story up, then the next day, I already had 2 reviews!! Thanks to KaraKurama, you were the first!

What2callmyself, I tried your tip, but I doubt it looks very good. If you still wanna be my beta, that would be great. E-mail me your info, and you'll get my story soon.

Okay, nuf said. Back to the story!

A Rose's Thorns

It was only about two hours after Mieo High School's classes ended, but barely anyone was left in it's hallways. Suuichi Minnamino sat in a science lab alone, working with a few vials and beakers full of different liquids. With a movement that came naturally, he passed his hand through his hair and a rose appeared in his hand. "If this works, I should be able to control both the Ningankai and Makai plants fully in my human form. Then I should be strong enough for the others to not have to worry about me when I use them. " Kurama placed his free hand on a small stone around his neck. It was a hiruseki stone Yukina had given him awhile earlier. "Yukina. I wish I could tell you how I feel about you." His other hand moved along the bottles in front of him. All of the liquids he was using were different essences and juices from the plants he used in battle, plus a few extra that he had just recently picked up. But Kurama couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He suddenly froze dead when a burst of energy appeared behind him. He knew the energy, but he was too shocked to move.

A pair of slender hands suddenly appeared and barely touched the sides of his neck. A strong tingling feeling passed where the fingers touched as a voice whispered, "Hello my sweet fox. I told you I would be back for you."

Kurama still couldn't move as the hands caressed his neck. "K-Karasu."

"Yes, my kitsune. I'm flattered that you remember me."

Kurama suddenly felt the chain around his neck snap as Karasu pulled it off. Karasu inspected the stone. "This is from the little ice maiden, am I right? She must be very special to you, but you're mine now."

Kurama's eyes widened as Karasu threw the stone across the table and caressed Kurama's face again. "You have gotten much stronger since I last saw you Kurama."

Kurama was finally able to move enough to turn around. Karasu looked exactly as he had almost a year earlier, especially the gleam in his violet eyes. Underneath his mask, Karasu had a big smile. "Lets go my sweet fox. We don't want a show, now do we?" With movements too fast for Kurama to see in his shocked state, he punched Kurama hard in the stomach, causing the fox to lurched forward and fall unconscious into the crow's arms. Karasu laughed quietly as he picked up the unconscious form into his arms and jumped out the open window.

Not even a minute later, Yuskue, Botan, Kuwabara, and Hiei jumped in through the window. One look around the empty room and everyone became very tense. "He isn't here," Botan whispered, "but his energy was here just a second ago."

Hiei walked up to the table and picked up one of the bottles. Gently sniffing the contents, he grunted, "This is an extract from Kurama's Death Tree. All of these containers are from his plants."

"Kurama wouldn't just leave something this dangerous lying around where anyone could get them," Yuskue said in worry. "I think we're too late."

Hiei growled quietly, deep in his throat. His blood was starting to boil at the thought of his closest friend trapped in the hands of his worst fears. "That demented crow, if he hurts that fox at all, he will pay dearly. No one deserves to have their worst nightmares come true, especially Kurama." Hiei thought about the nights he had gone to Kurama's home late at night after the Dark Tournament and saw the demon toss and turn in a restless sleep.

After seeing this happen for months straight, he cornered the fox and made him tell what was wrong. "I have been having nightmares since our return from the Drak Tournament Hiei." He had said. "In every one, Karasu had returned and captured me. I do not wish to tell what he did to me once he had me though, I do not want to give you the same nightmares."

But Hiei had seen them. Every night he would watch the fox frantically fight the dream, then he would use his Jagan Eye and enter the dream. He saw the beatings and the torture that his closest friend was put through. And every night he would try to help, but he was like a ghost in the dreams and would just pass right through everyone and everything.

Hiei snapped out of his thoughts as he realized he was wasting time. Ripping off his headband, he opened his Jagan and searched for his friend's energy. "I can't find him."

"Did you find anything Hiei?" He opened his eyes and saw Yuskue looking down at him.

"Karasu is hiding his energy and Kurama's. I can't find either one."

"What do we do now?" Kuwabara asked. "If we don't find them soon, it might be too late."

"Don't say that!" Everyone turned and saw the tears flowling freely down Botan's cheeks. "I won't hear of it. We will find Kurama before that filthy crow can do anything to him."

"Botan," Yuskue said quietly. "Is there any way we can find him?"

Botan was shaking as she tried to control her crying. She suddenly looked up, "Yes there is! It's back in Rekai."

"Lets go." They turned to Hiei and saw that he had placed all of Kurama's plant extracts in a container and was walking toward the window.

"He's really worried about him." Yuskue thought to himself as he led the other two out of the door.

Something suddenly caught Hiei's attention. Hidden in the shadows on the other end of the table, was a hiruseki stone on a gold chain. "Yukina gave this to Kurama." Without another thought, he slipped it in a pocket and ran to the door.

A/N: Okay, there's part two. If you are reading this, then I guess you like it so far, but I love to hear it in reviews. I'll update as soon as I can.