Author's Note: I deeply apologize for the long delay. I sort of fell into a funk and haven't been motivated to write at all.

Chapter 3 Though I Walk Through the Valley of Shadow

"Kurama! Kurama!"

Kurama stopped walking and turned at the sound of someone frantically calling his name.

"Rinku?" he frowned as the small demon came hurtling towards him; this was not what he was expecting. "What's wrong?" he asked as Rinku came skidding to a halt in front of him.

"It's Touya. Please, you've gotta help him! He's dying!" Rinku said breathlessly.

"Dying?" Kurama said, taken aback.

"Jin says the poison from your plants got into his bloodstream and the doctors can't do anything to help him," Rinku panted. "Please, you've gotta help him! You're his only hope!" Riku said.

"Of course I will help him," Kurama said.

He followed Rinku away from the hotel at top speed.

I pray we are in time and I can save Touya from his undeserved fate, he thought, guilt washing over him.

He had not intended for this to happen; he had been desperate for a way to defeat Touya and at the time, it had been the best course of action. He had not stopped to think about the consequences that would unfold as a result of his desperation.

Kurama swore he stopped breathing for a moment as he and Rinku came to a halt in a clearing and he saw Touya in Jin's lap; Touya's hair was turning green. He remained motionless for a few moments until he could regain his composure, and then hurried to Jin's side.

"Here, let me see," he said quietly.

Jin nodded and allowed Kurama to examine his friend.

"It's worse than I thought," he murmured. He looked up at Jin. "His hair is changing color, which means he's thawing out."

Jin nodded, tears in his eyes. "I know."

"Then you know what happens when he thaws out completely," Kurama said.

"Yes," Jin whispered.

Kurama was not surprised that Jin knew that if Touya completely thawed out, his heart would stop; he gathered from their interactions thus far that the two of them were very close.

"We must hurry," he said. "Come!"

Jin immediately got to his feet and followed Kurama without question. Chu and Rinku followed as well. He led them to his hotel room, his mind already focusing on what he needed. He directed Chu and Rinku to wait in the sitting area and beckoned Jin into the bedroom.

"Lay him on the bed," he said. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get a cool cloth for his forehead to try and help bring his fever down."

He hurried into the bathroom and filled a bowl with cool water. He found a washcloth, dipped it in the bowl, wrung it out, and brought both out to the bedroom. Jin had put Touya in the bed and positioned himself in a chair next to it.

"Here," Kurama said softly, handing the damp washcloth to Jin.

Jin obeyed. Touya moaned, but remained unconscious. Kurama set the bowl of water on the table next to the bed.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

Then, he hurried off to find the necessary ingredients to make an antidote to the death plant's poison.

My mother, Aina, was raped by a demon whose identity I never knew. Because the intercourse was not consensual, the Ice Maidens allowed her to keep the child she was carrying, even though it would be male.

Kurama hesitated outside the door to his bedroom, antidote in hand, for within, he heard humming. He opened the door slowly and stared at the sight that awaited him; Jin humming while he gently bathed Touya's face and neck with the washcloth. The Shinobi were known for their loyalty being available to purchase from the highest bidder. And yet here was Jin, remaining by Touya's side even as he lay dying. Kurama cleared his throat to let Jim know of his presence in the room and the humming stopped. Jin looked up, his face full of sadness.

"I brought the antidote. How is his fever?" Kurama said.

"Gettin' worse," Jin said with a shake of his head. "His hair is even more green than before."

"Help me get him to drink this," Kurama said.

"What do you need me to do?" Jin asked.

"Get behind him and prop him up," Kurama instructed.

Jin obeyed. Kurama pressed the cup to Touya's lips and tilted it up, silently praying that even in his unconscious, delirious state, he would instinctively swallow the liquid trickling into his mouth.

"Come on, Touya," he murmured.

A few tense moments passed and then Touya began swallowing the liquid. A bit trickled out the sides, but he drank most of it. When the cup was empty, Jin carefully laid Touya back down and gently cleaned the liquid from his face before returning to the chair next to the bed to resume his vigil.

The decision to allow Aina to keep her child was a terrible one. I grew up like the rest of the male children that resulted from impure relations with men; violent and cruel. I had a vicious temper and lashed out at anything and everything I could. Unfortunately, one of those violent spells caused me to inadvertently kill my mother. The Elders chose a punishment far worse than death for me: exile. I would have to live with what I had done for the rest of my days.

"How is he?" Kurama tried to keep his voice soft so he wouldn't disturb Chu and Rinku, who had fallen asleep in the sitting room.

Jin could only shake his head. Kurama hurried forward and uttered several swear words that would have made Yusuke proud; Touya's hair was almost completely green.

"We're running out of time," he murmured. "Unless…"

"What?" Jin asked anxiously. "What is it?"

"Go into the bathroom and turn on the shower as cold as you can stand," Kurama said. "I'll bring Touya in."

"Okay." Jin exhaled shakily and went into the bathroom.

Kurama stripped off Touya's clothes and then carefully unwrapped the bandages around his chest. The stab wound had been carefully dressed and was healing nicely. He covered the wound so it would not get wet and gathered Touya in his arms as gently as possible.

Jin waited for him in the bathroom with the shower running, just as Kurama had asked.

"Here, take him and stand with him in the shower," Kurama said.

"All right," Jin said.

Kurama was surprised at how gentle Jin was with Touya; he didn't seem like the type to be careful about anything.

Another thing he and Yusuke have in common, he thought with a smile as he watched Jin step into the shower fully clothed with Touya in his arms.

"So, have you known Touya a long time?" he asked, sitting on the closed toilet seat.

"Yeah," Jin said, smiling fondly down at Touya.

"How long?" Kurama asked.

"Couple of centuries at least. I've sorta lost track of the time," Jin said.

"Yes, that happens when you live a long time," Kurama said with a smile. "How did you meet?"

"I found 'im," Jin said.

Kurama blinked; it wasn't the answer he was expecting.

"You found him?" he repeated.

"Yep." Jin smiled at the memory. "I found him layin' in the Wastes close to death. I brought him back to the Shinobi and nursed him back to health. We've been friends ever since."

Kurama pretended he couldn't see Jin's tears mingling with the water.

I wandered around in a barren wasteland for a long time after I was cast out of my home, sick with grief. I didn't eat and I barely slept. All I could think about was how much of a monster I was. I had murdered my mother and I deserved death. I wandered around without a purpose, growing weaker and weaker. Then, one day, my strength gave out and I just laid down so I could die.

Kurama turned the shower off and heled out his arms. Jin carefully transferred Touya to him and he wrapped Touya in a towel he had waiting. Kurama gently laid him back in his bed and then got another towel for Jin, who was shivering badly. Then, the two of them went back into the bedroom to resume their silent vigil.

And that's when he found me. I don't remember much; I was delirious from illness and malnourishment. However, I do remember a demon with vivid red hair, who had a strange accent. The last thing I remember was him picking me up and carrying me somewhere.

When I returned to consciousness again, the fever gone from my body, I learned that the demon's name was Jin and he had nursed me back to health. He introduced me to the Shinobi and helped me find a new purpose as one of them. He saved my life.

Touya woke abruptly with half frozen tears on his face. Someone gently brushed the tears away and then put a cool hand on his forehead. He tilted his head to the side and frowned, not expecting Kurama to be the one sitting in a chair by his bed.

"Where…am I?" he croaked, his lips dry and cracked and his voice barely working.

"You're in my bedroom," Kurama said. "Do you remember anything that happened?" Touya shook his head. "You were poisoned. I'm sorry to say the poison came from my death plant. It entered your bloodstream and nearly killed you. I do apologize for that."

Touya found it was impossible to be angry. Everything about Kurama seemed sincere. He had met a lot of demons during the centuries of his work as a member of the Shinobi and he had become quite adept at reading other demons. He knew Kurama bore him no ill-will and that his poisoning and near-death experience had merely been a result of the fight and not any sort of intentional harm.

"It's all right," he said softly. "I know you didn't mean it."

Kurama nodded. "Anyway, Rinku found me and told me that you were dying. I made an antidote, but you had a very high fever. Jin and I did what we could, but it was a very close call."

"Jin," Touya murmured. He gasped and looked around, alarmed at the conspicuous absence of his friend. "Where is he?"

He tried to sit up and groaned as a sharp pain shot through his body.

"Easy there," Kurama said in a soothing tone, helping Touya to lay back down. "Your wound hasn't fully healed yet. Jin is fine. I forced him to go get some rest because he was up all night helping me bring your fever down."

"I see," Touya murmured.

"Excuse me a moment," Kurama said.

He exited the room and returned a couple minutes later carrying a cup. He set the cup on the table next to the bed and eased Touya into a sitting position.

"Here, drink this," he said, handing the cup to Touya. Touya stared suspiciously at the liquid, unsure of if he could really trust Kurama. "It's all right. It's just a draught to help with the lingering pain from your chest wound."

Touya reluctantly drank it. It was slightly sweet, though not overpowering. Kurama took the cup back and set it back on the table.

"What have you given me?" Touya asked as the room started swirling around.

"I told you, I made a draught to help with the pain," Kurama said.

"Not that…why am I lightheaded?" Touya struggled to see straight.

"I gave you a mild sleeping draught mixed in with the painkillers," Kurama said.

"What?" Touya hissed.

"You need to rest and according to Jin, the only way to get you to comply is to force you to do so. I don't wish to physically restrain you unless absolutely necessary, so the next best thing is to drug you. Don't take it personally, Touya. It's for the best. See you in a couple hours." Kurama sounded extremely smug and Touya hated him right then.

"You bastard…"

Touya slumped forward into Kurama's waiting arms.