Hey guys, I have returned! Sorry for the overdue update, I've had severe writer's block. Happy June everybody! School's almost out! Can I hear a "HELL YA!" Anyhow, you probably don't want to hear me ramble on about my stupid existence, you want your chapter? Well I won't keep you waiting!
Let's go!
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Yukina, my love! Did you miss me?" Kuwabara bounded into Genkai's temple, halting only when he saw his "love" hovering over Kurama.
"Yukina!"
The ice maiden looked up and smiled.
"Hello Kazuma, hold on for a moment, I am changing Kurama's bandages right now."
She looked sadly down at the injured fox, who was not doing any better. Their only hope now was in the hands of Hiei and Yusuke.
Kuwabara's face softened.
"So he's not doing any better since I left?"
"Sadly, no."
"Man, what's taking Urameshi and Hiei so long anyhow?"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Hiei and Yusuke had been on the move for six hours and the teen was definitely feeling every single step of those long miles.
"Yo three-eyes, are we even goin' in the right direction?"
"Hn. If you don't have anything useful to say, please do not burden me with the sound of your voice."
Hiei, unbeknownst to Yusuke, was feeling very weak making him even more irritable than usual. The poison in his system was currently wreaking havoc on the demon's body.
"Jerk."
They walked in silence for another hour, much to Yusuke's irritation. They only stopped when Hiei leapt down from the tree he was currently occupying, stopping the detective in his tracks.
"What gives shorty?"
"We are about to enter the town, it's less than half of a mile ahead. I need to warn you of my, er, reputation in Bacern. We will not be welcomed."
Yusuke didn't seem too perturbed by this news.
"No offense, but personally I have no trouble believing that."
The fire apparition's eyes narrowed in frustration, but didn't react otherwise.
"Hn."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Kurama, still on his knees, stared blankly at the dead form of Kuwabara that lay in front of him.
"You're going to pay for that."
The fox looked up to see Hiei, who stared at him with eyes ablaze with hate.
Kurama didn't even retort. He deserved whatever the fire demon did to him, after all, what kind of friend was he? He who killed one of his own teammates.
Hiei disappeared in a flash.
The kitsune stood, looking at his feet, not even bothering to counter as the fire koorime's foot made contact with his face.
'I deserve this. Don't fight back, don't fight back.' The voice in Kurama's head took over, but in the background another, deeper voice made itself known.
'The ningen did that to himself. They betrayed you first. And you betray yourself; survival is the only thing that matters here! Remember that!'
Youko's voice won over that of Suuichi's and Kurama's head snapped up just in time to dodge an attack from Hiei.
"So are you ready to fight now?"
The redhead's hair became silver, and before the fire demon's eyes Youko Kurama emerged.
"Yes, but are you ready to die now traitor?"
Hiei's eyes narrowed and he sprang forward, drawing his sword.
Youko drew a seed from his hair lazily.
"I'll take that as a yes." And with that, the Blood-Sucker plant emerged and launched itself at Hiei.
The fire demon's eyes widened in shock, but as quickly as it began it was over.
The corpse of Hiei was soon covered entirely by the Blood-Sucker plant.
On the outside, Youko sneered, but on the inside, the spirit of Kurama wept for his two fallen comrades.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Nothing had changed with Kurama's condition for two hours and Kuwabara's shift was just about over.
All of a sudden a great bruise appeared on the fox's cheek, marring his fair features.
"Woah! Yukina said that Ras-rasputan…Rasputine would have some weird affects on Kurama but I didn't expect this."
A weak voice reached the large teen's ears.
"No. Hiei, Kuwabara…I'm…I'm sorry. For-forgive me."
A lone tear escaped the kitsune's closed eyes.
Kuwabara was more than confused but he felt so sorry for his friend that he didn't notice the time passing until Genkai tapped him on the shoulder.
"Go on Kuwabara, it's my turn to watch him, go get some rest."
The orange-haired teen sighed and stood up. "I'm gonna go get some air. I'll be back later for my shift."
When Kuwabara reached the door, he turned to look at his friend one last time, before leaving. The aging psychic could hear him cursing about how the world was to cruel to one of the kindest people he knew.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Hiei and Yusuke entered the town. As soon as they were seen, an almighty shriek was heard.
"It's Hiei! RUN!"
The town of Bacern went helter-skelter, trying to escape from the fire demon all at once. As soon as the place went quiet, Yusuke couldn't hold in his laughter any more.
"Shrimp, what did you do to these people?"
The fire demon rolled his eyes. "Trust me, you do not want to know."
That just caused Yusuke to laugh all the harder.
"Shut up you foolish detective! We need to get to the other side of the town, that's where the Taiya Weed is."
"Yeah, yeah."
The twosome made their way over to the lake.
"Oh, so that's why you can't get the weed, it's in a lake. Imagine that! The almighty Hiei, afraid of a little water!"
Hiei's cheeks flushed.
"Shut up detective. I'd dry up the lake but I might burn up the moss."
"Yeah, whatever, hey wait. I thought it was Taiya Weed not moss."
"It's a misnomer."
"Ooo, okay…what's a misnomer?"
"Hn. All you need to do is swim down to the bottom of the lake and bring up some of the Taiya Weed. It's a bright blue lichen…I mean moss, in idiot terms."
Yusuke stuck his tongue out at the demon, and he sat down and removed his shoes and shirt. Then he rose and walked over to the lake.
"Well here I go!" The detective waded into the water, took a deep breath and went under.
About two minutes later Yusuke surfaced with two handfuls of the blue moss in his hands and a grin on his face.
"Alright, now let's get the hell out of here and go home!"
"Hold on a minute." Hiei walked back into the town as Yusuke tried to dry himself off, and returned with a small sack that he had found in one of the abandoned houses.
"Hey Hiei, I could use some help in drying these off!"
"Hn. I'm not your slave."
"Oh come on, I just went swimming for ya! The least you could do is dry off my clothes."
The fire demon let a little of his youki out heating Yusuke's clothes.
"Thanks. Ow, ow, hot, HOT!"
Hiei smirked and put the Taiya Weed into the sack and started back towards the portal.
A few minutes later, Yusuke caught up panting. But that was the most interesting thing that occurred for the next two hours.
A little while later, Hiei who had been walking the past couple miles on sheer will power alone collapsed.
Yusuke, not expected anything like this to happen was frozen for a moment before rushing to his friend's side.
"Hiei, Hiei! Wake up!"
The fire koorime came to a moment later, finding the spirit detective's worried face to be the first thing that he saw.
"You passed out man. What's wrong?"
Hiei sighed.
"I was infected with a poison as well, but it is not as bad as Kurama's. You need to take this," Hiei handed Yusuke the pouch of Taiya Weed, "to Kurama."
"What, and leave you here! I don't think so. This is Makai remember, you'll be eaten!"
"I'll be fine, I know of a place nearby that is more than safe enough."
"But—"
"GO!"
"Fine, but I'll be back as soon as I can. You are not allowed to go dying on me."
Yusuke gave his friend one last look before running back in the direction of the portal.
Hiei watched the retreated form for a few minutes before standing up and slowly making his way to one of Kurama's dens.
'Lucky for me I've been to this one before, so his plants will recognize my energy.'
And sure enough the tangle of vines and branches cleared the way for Hiei, allowing him into their master's den.
'Then again, not lucky for me. This one is not the fox's favorite, so there won't be any food stored here.'
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Four hours later
Yusuke bounded into Genkai's temple, completely out of breath.
"HAG!"
Genkai came into view. "Do you have it?"
"Yeah." The spirit detective reached into his pocket and pulled out the sack of Taiya Weed and handed it to his mentor.
Genkai took the pouch and examined it thoroughly. After a few minutes she said. "It needs to be boiled down and eaten."
Yukina, who had been standing in the room since Yusuke first called for her teacher, rushed for a kettle and water.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Youko Kurama was still looking down at his two fallen friends, until Yusuke's voice called to him.
"Don't worry, it's going to be okay." The detective reached a hand out to the fox, who hadn't even realized he had fallen to his knees.
The kitsune took it, unthinking.
"Idiot."
Kurama's eyes widened at his friend, and then chastised himself silently for being such a fool.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
There's your chapter! Now Kurama's so close to being saved, but what of Hiei? And will the fox ever trust his friends again? That's for me to know and you to find out. runs from readers. calls over shoulder Until next time!
Hugs,
MM
