!HOLY SHIT, I HAVE A COMPUTER AGAIN! This means I can start writing these stories again. grabs stories and cuddles them close oh how I've missed you my cuddly little stories! I figured I would start again with this one, which was one of my favorite, "Inner Needs" since it was so close to completion. So here I am, back to finish the story I so enjoyed writing.

So here's the next chapter in this story. It's almost done but the time off gave me a cool idea to use in ending this story that I didn't have before…woo hoo!

So any way, I'm sick of yammering, so I'm going to just start writing! Please enjoy!

Inner Needs

Chapter Fourteen: A Reason to Live

The smell of distinct herbs filled the air with scents that were very much like the potpourri his ningen mother put in the bathroom. His nose wrinkled slightly as he breathed deep, drawing the odor deep into his lungs. It seemed to warm him, flowing through his veins like slow moving waves. He was surrounded by the feeling one gets when walking into a kitchen where cookies are baking. With a tightening squint, two emerald eyes slid open, gazing around the room of the hut he lay in.

Kurama groaned as pains slowly gelled through his body, turning out the warmth the scent had brought. His entire body ached with a dull throb. He groaned and curled up in a small ball, waiting for the pain to subside a slight bit. A strand of crimson locks skated across his cheek.

"Aye boy, I see ye are awake." A grizzled voice fell painfully on his ear.

The pain faded after a few moments. He dared crack open an eye again. When he wasn't flooded by pain, he opened both eyes and slowly sat up. His tired muscles still ached a slight bit. Rubbing the back of his neck he saw an old woman standing in front of him. Her body was hunched over, right eye cover by an eye patch. Long grey hair fell down her back in a long thin ponytail. She was dressed in an ancient miko outfit which told Kurama that she was a shrine maiden.

"Where am I?" He asked the old woman. His mind was still a fuzzy mess, blurry images crammed together in a quick slide show of light and sound masked slightly by a haze of pain. "What happened?"

"Ye don't remember do ye child." The women sighed and shook her head as though this were a burden. An uneasy feeling rose to settle in Kurama's stomach.

"I-I can't remember anything." He whispered. "Just…just pain and then…"

He faded off for a second suddenly aware of another presence at the back of his mind. There was something else fighting through the curtain of pain, something that was trying to force its way to the front of his memory. He was suddenly assaulted with the screaming of a dragon, the roar of fire crackling inside his head. There were flashes of red eyes and a pink purple glow. He saw dog ears and dead arms. And worst of all Kurama saw and smelt death. He gasped as his emerald orbs landing on the one eyed woman.

"Hiei." He rasped, feeling the fire demons weak presence. "Where's Hiei?"

"Ah, so ye do remember." A somber look settled on her grizzled features. "It's not good child. Ye friend needs you now more then ever."

Kurama's eyes went wide and he bolted out of bed, ignoring the cry his over worked muscles. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He could hardly feel Hiei's ki, it was as if he were miles away. But he knew that Hiei wouldn't leave his side so soon after risking his life saving him. All he could remember in the last few minutes was Hiei saying something about one saving him and two killing him.

"Where's Hiei!" Kurama was now shouting, panic causing his vision to haze and his thoughts incoherent. "Where is he? Is he dead? Oh god, please tell me he's not dead!"

A pair of slender arms suddenly wrapped tightly around his body, pressing his arms against his sides and pulling him in tightly against a firm but soft chest. Kurama began panicking even worse when his movements were restricted. He struggled worse against the one hold him, bucking and twisting his entire body in an effort to break the person's grip. He sensed no demon ki in the one behind leading him to believe it was a regular mortal holding him.

"Let me go!" He screamed when his fighting seemed to no avail. "I need to find Hiei! I need to help him! Let go!"

"I will not let go until you calm down." It was a strong female voice that spoke up behind him, shocking him slightly and bringing him a tiny bit away from the roaring wave of panic. "You will be no good to him this way Kurama. You need to have a level head, you need to be calm."

The words settled into his head, mixing slightly with the panic and distilling it into a sedated calm. His knees buckled as he weighed heavily against the woman holding him. But she was able to hold his weight with ease. Kurama peered over his shoulder and saw it was the woman who he'd heard someone called Sango earlier. He was actually surprised that he could remember the woman's name above everything else.

"Please," He whispered in a weak voice. "Where's Hiei?"

Sango moved to the side, throwing one of Kurama's arms over her shoulder and supported his weight. He gave her weak thankful smile.

"I'll bring you, but I'm going to warn you." She told him. "It's looking bad."

Sango lead Kurama out of the small room he was in and out of the hut. Kurama looked over the small village, not really taking anything in, just glancing. He leaned heavily on the demon slayer as she led him down a thin dirt path that wound its way down behind the hut that they had just left. Hiei's ki grew only a faint bit stronger but not by much. Kurama felt his heart tighten and seize in his chest. With Hiei's ki being so weak, there was truly only one explanation as to what was going on.

Hiei was dying.

"He's in there." Sango said, leading him around a corner and pointing out another small hut. "But I will warn you, you aren't going to like what you see."

Kurama only acknowledged the demon slayer with a slight nod. He just wanted to get inside the hut and be at Hiei's side, help him through whatever problem he was having. And at the moment that problem sounding like death. As they neared the door to the hut, the thin fabric that made up the door was peeled back and a tall form slipped out the door. The silver hair and red kimono made him instantly recognizable. Inu Yasha let the door fall shut behind him and took a step out. He turned almost sad eyes on Sango, but Kurama picked up on it. His heart stopped in his chest.

"How bad is he?" His voice rose in slight panic before calming down to regain his composure.

Inu Yasha only looked at him before turning and disappearing into the thick forest behind the hut. Sango heaved a sigh. She knew that Inu Yasha had run off because he wasn't good at dealing with these sort of situations. But that her with two weakened demons, one of which might not make it through the night.

"He's bad isn't he?" Kurama asked, shattering Sango's thoughts as she turned her attention back to him.

"I can only tell you one thing," She told him in a hushed tone. "His life depends on you."

They entered the hut in silence, nothing on the air except for the staleness of oncoming death. Kurama felt his stomach roll at the stench. No wonder Inu Yasha had run off so quickly, this over powering odor probably causing his sensitive senses to go into over drive.

Inside the hut was dark, the one window covered by another thin piece of cloth. On the wall farthest from the door was cot set low to the ground. Next to it was a small pillow so that someone could sit comfortably at the bed side. On the cot was a small form covered by a thin blanket. Kurama felt a breath catch in his throat and wheeze out like a deflating balloon. That was Hiei's prone form lying on the bed like an already frozen corpse. The kitsune pulled away from Sango quickly and staggered over to the bed, collapsing on top of the pillow. His hand automatically went to the fire demon's, tightening in a vise like grip. The coldness of the pyro's flesh was startling and drew another cry from Kurama.

"He's not dead." The demon slayer's voice suddenly broke through to Kurama, interrupting his morbid thoughts. He turned emerald orbs on her. "He is in bad shape though."

Kurama turned back to Hiei. The fire demon's normally tight features were slack, the flesh pale. There wasn't even the small movements accompanied by dreams. The heat that normally radiated from the small body had burned down to nothing more then smoldering embers. Kurama felt tears burn his eyes as he squeezed Hiei's hand and felt the small digits bend weakly in his grasp.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked in weak tone.

"The potions were meant to free your will from that of the will of the Shikon no Tama. But when Sesshomaru made him drink the remaining vials, the potion turned into a different kind of potion. It shredded Hiei's will, leaving him nothing more then a shell, an empty body."

Kurama's eyes drifted shut, the tears breaking loose and streaking down his cheeks leaving trails in the dirt. This was all his fault. Hiei had given his free will to save him. Hiei's will was his greatest asset because so many had tried to take it from him. And after so many had tried, the only one who had succeeded was his only friend.

"C-can I save him?" He asked in defeated voice. "Can I do anything?"

Sango moved to his side and kneeled down. One slender hand reached up to rub the kitsune's back trying to release some of the more tense spots.

"There's only one thing that can save him right now." She whispered. "He needs to find with in himself a reason to live. If in his head he can find even one reason to live, he may just pull through."

Sango rose to her feet and turned back to the door. She moved to the door before turning to look over her shoulder at the demons. Her ruby orbs were soft. "If it means anything, I think he'll be okay. With Koorime blood, his body should heal well."

Kurama blinked, head jerking up quickly. Had she just said…

"How…how did you know that he was…" He trailed off, not able to finish the question.

Sango just laughed, a glint in her eyes. "I'm a demon slayer." She pointed out. "It's my job to know demons of all kinds. Now give him a reason to come back Kurama."

With those final words, Sango slipped out of the hut and left Kurama alone with his friend. The kitsune felt his heart begin pounding in his chest. His green eyes scanned Hiei's small frame, hating how the normally strong fire demon suddenly appeared so frail. He drew Hiei's hand closer to his chest, pressing the cold fingers against his cheek trying to wish warmth back into them. But the fingers remained small slivers of ice against his own warm skin. Another tear streaked down his cheek as he drew in a trembling breath.

"Please Hiei," He whispered, even though he knew the words were falling on deaf ears. "You can't leave me. This is all my fault, my stupid fault. I should have let it go. If you die here I will never forgive myself. So please Hiei, if you need a reason to live think about Yukina, think about everything you've yet to tell her. If you go now you're leaving her with no one to look after her except Kuwabara."

Hiei's hand twitched slightly, the digits trying to tighten weakly around Kurama's hand. The kitsune jumped slightly, heart leaping into his throat. A spark, a sign of life. He had to keep talking, had to give Hiei a reason to come back.

"If you go Yusuke will be left in charge without anyone to challenge his authority." He continued on. "That greased back haired ningen will become the sole leader and have no one around to tell him that his ideas are stupid."

Hiei's hand flexed a bit stronger this time, applying some real pressure to Kurama's fingers. They were starting to get somewhere. A tear of actual joy trailed down his cheeks, drawing deeper rivulets on his dirt stained cheeks.

"Hiei please come back," He whispered, a final plea. "Please come back, for me…"

Hiei was cold, his small frame huddled over, trying to claim any warmth he could in the surrounding air. But the air was stale, like the air before a great on coming storm. There was nothing around him, just a debilitating calm. He raised his crimson orbs, peering into the space about him. But there was nothing, just an encroaching darkness that caused him to fold into himself for safety. He tried to reach out for something, anything to cling to, but his thin callused hands touched nothing but open space. A pang of fear stabbed him and quickly pulled his hand to his chest with a weak cry. He knew he should be strong, stand up and fight, forge into the darkness unafraid; but his legs shook with the fear of the unknown and his heart weighed heavily in his chest, it was almost as though he couldn't move, not because he couldn't, but because he didn't have the will to. Another weak cry escaped his lips as a tear rolled down his cheek. There was a soft a plip as something hit the ground. His eyes drifted downwards and saw a small black gem on the ground. Another formed from a tear that dripped off his cheek. He was crying gems?

Suddenly the blackness around him shifted, forming images of a barren landscape. He gasped and pulled back into himself, trying to get away from the blast of coldness that rushed over his skin. He wanted to shield his eyes from the blinding light of the sun on snow, but he couldn't pull himself to look away from the scene forming in front of him.

A young woman with aqua hair and crimson orbs ran through the snowy forest. Her pale features were strikingly familiar, and Hiei felt a scream build up in his chest. He stretched forward with a hand, trying to touch something that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Yukina!" He meant to scream out the name but it only came out as a chocked gasp.

The young Koorime raised her head and Hiei quickly pulled back his hand. It wasn't Yukina running towards him, but his mother. Her crimson orbs were filled with tears, streaking down her cheek before forming precious stones. She staggered amongst the trees chocking on her sobs. Hiei wanted to reach out to touch her cheek, sooth her, but a snarl then rose in his throat and he pulled back. This was the woman who had let him go, the woman who had tossed a small child out of her life like nothing more then a mistake to be forgotten. Let her shed all the tears she wanted, he wouldn't help her.

Another form suddenly appeared from behind a tree. It was a man, taller then the young Koorime. He had long jet black hair and his body was wrapped tightly in a black cloak. His crimson orbs were narrow yet soft at the same time. He moved with a sudden sharpness and caught Hina as she fell forward.

"They're going to kill him!" She cried out, her voice oddly softened. "They said that he's a threat, they're going to throw him off the island!"

He heard the man snarl some what like himself. His thick digits tightened on the woman's arms, knuckles going white, yet he didn't seem to hurt her. His crimson orbs narrowed in his anger.

"Bring the boy to me." He spoke in a voice that stopped Hiei's heart in his chest. "I will take him away from here and raise him like the son I know he can be."

The images started to swirl and blur about him. Hiei wasn't sure if it was the actual scene around him shifting or his own vision fading on him. That man, that strange fire demon, was the father he had always wondered so vehemently about. And his father had actually wanted to take him in. The scene started to fade and Hiei could only make out sparse words.

"Have him warded…can't touch him…going to throw him from the floating island…loose my little Hiei…my you…"

That was when the image faded into black, leaving him in the darkness that was shockingly colder then the snow covered landscape. Panic filled his chest at the thought of being alone in that will less limbo again. A small hand reached out towards the two disappearing forms.

"Mother! Father! Don't leave me!" He screamed into the blackness. But there was no answer, just the echoing back of his voice. Hiei allowed his body to curl up on itself to protect himself from the oblivion that he knew was slowly creeping up on him. He was slipping away slowly, loosing himself once more in the numbness that took away all coherent thought.

There was another sudden shift as the darkness around him began to form new images. This time he was stuck in the forests of Makai. Around him the forest buzzed with youkai life. He peered around, small form still crumpled on the ground. Fear filled him slightly as he recognized where he was. No that wasn't right, it wasn't where it was, but when. The bushes off to his left began to shake and Hiei felt something in his chest tighten.

"No," He rasped, swinging a weak hand out towards the bush. "Stay away."

But the image didn't listen. The bushes were pushed aside and a small form rolled out of the bushes hiding. The beaten and bruised frame staggered to his feet and moved on. Hiei felt sick to his stomach as he watched himself as a child, bleeding and running away. From behind him came the sounds of a horde of youkai. They were the group of thieves that had taken Hiei in when they found him hanging from a tree, warded to the point where he couldn't move. But once he had gained too much power, they had tried to hunt him like a dog.

Hiei watched as his former self panicked and leapt into a nearby tree, hiding amongst the branches. That was the first time he had ever sought refuge in the branches of a tree, but not the last. He found himself wanting to leap after his younger self when the others ran into the clearing. He knew they wouldn't find either of his forms in the clearing, but his body began shivering none-the-less. The group of angry youkai circled around him.

'Where'd that little shit go?' One of them grumped, spinning around. It was apparent that they were weaker or they would have sensed that the one they were seeking was right under nose, or rather right above their heads.

'I don't know but when I find him, him and that little gemstone are mine!' This was the leader talking. Hiei felt the pain of his past locking up in his chest. No one had wanted him, no one had ever want him. They all just pretended to want him around until they could get what they wanted from him. Then they were all free to do with him what they wanted. And that was usually trying to kill him.

'Let's move out!' Another demon called out. The rest of the youkai let out a series of hoots and hollers as they surged forth in the woods. Young Hiei had waited days in that tree before daring to even shift. The time passed in this abyss with the slowest blink of an eye. The young form slowly wormed his way down the trunk of the large tree. He plopped in a heap on the ground and just laid there, small frame shivering. At some point it had started raining and his young form was soaked through.

Hiei rose to his shaky feet and made his way slowly over to where his younger form lay prone. He looked so weak, so pathetic that it almost hurt him to be seen like that. Had there ever been a time when he was actually so shameful. Hiei felt a fist form at his side and before he knew it, he had struck out at his former self with an angered punch. But his hand passed right through the image that faded and disappeared, leaving him in that blurred blackness again.

He cried out and dropped to one knee. Suddenly he wished for the weakened images to return. He'd rather be sickened by his past self then be alone in the enclosed darkness. He didn't have time to dwell though because another image formed almost immediately.

This time he found himself in the center of a familiar looking ring. The arena around him was filled with the cry of his own kind, the taunting screams being hurled at him like pieces of trash.

'Traitor!'

'No good human lover!'

'I can't wait to see your tainted blood spilt!'

At this point Hiei actually had to jump to the side to avoid something being thrown from the stands. He looked to the side and saw it appeared to be the arm of some creature. Anger burned in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to be here, fighting in this death tournament. The only reason he was here was to win and gain that one wish that would be his rightful prize, enough power to never be as weak as he had once been ever again.

Suddenly Yusuke appeared at his side. In his dull yellow wife beater and blue sweatpants, he was ready to fight. Hiei felt a brief disgust for his human teammate. He was the reason that Hiei was entrapped in this world of youkai shame. He looked back up at the bleachers and felt the pain of his kind's betrayal and distrust seep into his bones. They wanted to seem him dead so that they could watch his so called human loving blood drain out.

The images started to swirl away once more, dropping Hiei into the hands of darkness again. But this time Hiei didn't pray for an image to come forth and save him from the abyss. He craved the loneliness that came with oblivion. It was only then that he was truly free of this wretched existence he had called a life. He had been a joke and nothing more. He was hated by the only part of him he truly knew, thrown out by everyone who had ever pretended to care for him, hated by his own kind, and worst of all, he was weak.

When he half expected to darkness to give way to another heart wrenching image it didn't. It left him in the darkness from which he didn't want to rise. He felt the coldness of oblivion began to creep up on him, filling him. His heart slowed down, each beat echoing in the darkness of himself like the steady beat of bass drum. But with each second that went by, the beat slowed, became less steady. His fingers felt as though they were forming into solid chunks, resting like large ice cubes against his chest. His breath came in thick pants, pluming out like an escaping cloud of smoke.

He could fight, struggling to break the bubble of abyss that he was trapped in. But what was the point? His life was pointless, going no where. If he got free of here and returned to his normal life, he would become a ningen lackey, destined to run errands for the little toddler in charge forever. If not that, he'd gain his freedom and return to Makai where he'd be hunted ruthlessly by his kind for his entire life. It wasn't a question of being able to beat them, he knew he could do that. It was a question of living a life of repetitive monotony; if he could live with himself if all he did day in and day out was run from his own kind. He was better off remaining in this oblivion until the darkness sapped him of his remaining life. There was nothing left to carry him back home.

Suddenly one of his hands began to warm up, a mysterious heat emulating out of no where to begin to melt the ice. Hiei felt a whimper rise in his throat as he tried to clamp his eyes shut tighter. Whatever it was was trying to call him back. But he didn't want to, the oblivion was too inviting. He whimpered once more and tried to pull away from whatever was warming his hand.

'Hiei…' The voice was familiar as it called his name from somewhere in the echoing blackness. 'Hiei you can't leave me, this is all my fault…'

Even with his eyes closed, Hiei was barraged with a flurry of images. He saw flashes of crimson mixed with silver. There were fox ears and a fox tail. Emerald orbs peered back at him with flecks of gold.

"K-Kurama." He chocked in the darkness, his weak voice straining to work again.

'Hiei please come back.' Kurama's voice reached out into the darkness one more. 'Please come back for me.'

Hiei suddenly cracked an eye open and was blinded by a light. Dim though it was, the light had easily swallowed the oblivion he had been trapped in. He tried to raise a hand but found his arms felt weighted down and stuck at his sides. A groan escaped his throat. He wanted to reach out to the fox, let him know he was okay. But he couldn't move and his voice wasn't working.

The light that had invaded his senses began to dim and Hiei could vaguely make out a form standing above him. The form changed, shifting from irregular gray circles into broad lines that formed actually shapes. Colors dropped into place, the bright crimson and emerald shocking him into a near state of consciousness. His lips moved, voice barely forming the words that his lips were spelling.

"Kurama?"

The fox smiled, body back in its ningen form. His green eyes sparkled as he patted his hand squeezed Hiei's in a comforting motion. The warmth that had evaded the oblivion. The small fire demon whimpered slightly in his weakened state.

"It's alright Hiei." Kurama's voice sounded slightly fuzzy as he spoke to the smaller demon. "It's alright now Hiei. You're back. You're awake."

Finally! The next chapter will be the last. I'm just so excited to be seeing the end of this story because I am loving the idea I have for a sequel. I will give you a sneak preview summary here and I have a few questions to ask.

First of all, here's the summary…

Hiei and Kurama have returned to their old time with a warning from the old priestess Kaede to never return. Yet the other's of Inu Yasha's group have given them an invite whenever they please, seeing as neither one needs a jewel shard to make the jump.

But a memorable foe has returned, one that only Kurama has the knowledge to stay away from. Yet in a twisted turn of events, Sango falls into his grasp and winds up as the newest piece in his collection. But unlike Kurama, Nori isn't looking to sell Sango to someone. He has added her to his collection of women in his demon brothel.

Now her only hope is from that of two renegade time jumping demons from her past. But this time they're bringing help, their team. It's up to the detective team to save these soiled doves. But when Sango gets a surprised visit from a demon that has haunted her past, it could leave her scared beyond repair. Can Hiei, Kurama and the others get to her and the others and save them before it's too late?

Okay, there's the summary. But there's a few questions I need to ask.

Should I have Sango paired up with someone? I kind of have two oc's made up in the sequel to be paired with Kurama and Hiei so they're kind out of the question, but I was thinking of being true to the series and start to pair her up with Miroku. (I love that guy ;) ). Second question; I'm thinking of putting this story under the Inu Yasha category since the story would revolve more around the Inu Yasha characters. Good idea or not?

Alright, that's all my questions for now. So, other then that, PLEASE REVIEW!