A.N. Back with another chapter. This one went through some heavy rewrites so its even juicier than originally planned!

The Zod: I feel you. Its a really complicated situation. They both have valid feelings and points.

Hina714: Don't worry, I think there's only going to be something like three cliffhangers in the book?Hope this was worth the wait!

Guest/Ghost of Magic: I'm back. Honestly I haven't been ok at all but I'm alright now. Thankyou

Lumina Rose: It's been a long time coming!

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: You Can Do This

Kurama was already halfway across the room by the time Yusuke had forced his legs to move.

"Shizuru, what happened?"

"She's worse. And those marks on her chest, they're…we don't know what it is, just come quickly!"

Kurama led the charge down the hallway towards Sakura's room, where the door was slightly ajar and a strange light flickered behind the shoji screen. He shoved it aside and his eyes widened at the sight that greeted them.

Yukina and Botan were kneeling beside the futon where Sakura's whole body writhed and twisted as tremor after tremor wracked her tiny frame. Her pale skin was slick with sweat while the marks on her chest glowed a furious shade of red.

Kurama's ears picked up the sound of her erratic heartbeat, and his own heart jumped. He hurried forward and dropped to his knees beside Sakura.

"Oh God," Yusuke said. "The hell is going on?"

"She started getting a fever," Yukina said without looking up. "Then those marks went red and she just started shaking…I don't know what's going on!"

Yukina's hands hovered over Sakura as she channelled her power to no avail. Beads of sweat appeared on her own forehead from the effort.

"Kura?" Botan said. "Kura, honey? Can you hear me?"

No response.

"Genkai, what is this?!" Kuwabara asked. "What's happening to her?!"

Genkai pushed past Yusuke and narrowed her eyes. "Her ki," she said. "It's volatile, uncontrolled. It seems that her body and energy are at war with each other."

"But…but that doesn't make any sense!" Kuwabara squeaked.

"Who cares?!" Yusuke snapped. "What the heck do we do about it?"

Botan tore her eyes away from Sakura and said, "Kurama, this…curse, or whatever it is…her body can't take much more."

Kurama placed his hand on Sakura's forehead. Beneath her searing temperature, he felt the chaotic storm within her body and spirit.

What is this?

It had to be the marks on her chest. Whatever they were, it was causing this reaction. From the eerie glow to the raging colour, Kurama knew this had to be some kind of curse or spell, and it was tearing at Sakura from the inside. Her injuries and weakened state must simply be exacerbating the effect.

What did they do to her?!

No, he couldn't think that way. He couldn't afford to panic. Sakura needed him. And he needed to use cold logic.

Her heart beat is fluctuating. That could be related to her demon heritage. Demon hearts don't beat like a human's, and since her transformation is likely incomplete…

Kurama looked up and forced himself to speak calmly. "We need to stabilise her, now. Botan, try to keep her still. Yukina, keep channelling your energy and focus on slowing her heart rate. I will handle the rest."

"What can we do?" Kuwabara asked.

"Stay here," Genkai said. "Let them concentrate."

Kurama took a deep breath and raised his hands over Sakura's trembling body while Botan tried to keep her steady.

"On my count," Kurama said. "One, two, three…"

Like Yukina, Kurama's hands glowed. His eyes narrowed slightly with concentration, and energy began to flow into Sakura's torso.

The moment his ki entered, Sakura moaned and her body convulsed in apparent agony.

"Sakura?" Botan called. "Can you hear me?"

The only response was another faint moan of agony.

Kurama's jaw clenched. He'd suspected the energy inside Sakura would resist any foreign intervention. He could feel it thrashing against his ki, trying to repel him and Yukina, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. If they did, Sakura didn't have a chance.

Come on, my love. Stay with me.

He had to force her energy back. He had to save her.

"Kura…"

Yusuke stared at the horrifying scene with clenched fists and his heart pounding at a similar rate to his twin.

What the hell did they do to her?

On the other side of the futon, the ice blue glow coming from Yukina's hands flickered slightly. Bit by bit, she manipulated her energy around Sakura's turbulent heart and steeled herself. This was going to require intense concentration.

Yukina closed her eyes and thought of how much she loved Sakura. The depth of their friendship. The vital role Sakura played in the Spirit Detective family. The fun and laughter they shared. The inspirational way Sakura emerged victorious from every match at the Dark Tournament, and how she'd saved Kuwabara from Toguro without hesitation.

The emotions swelled within Yukina, and she poured it all into her ki, forming a protective cocoon around Sakura's heart.

Come on, Kura. Come on.

Again, Yukina remembered the moment Sakura had arrived in Tarukane's mansion and freed her from captivity. She thought of their tea drinking sessions, the conversations after training sessions, the laughter they'd shared and the unspoken understanding between the two of them.

There's so much more fun and laughter for us all to have together. Fight this, Kura. You have to!

Sakura's heartbeat slowed down ever so slightly.

"That's it…" Yukina whispered. "Stay with us, Kura…"

It was working. If they could regulate Sakura's heartbeat, it would reduce the strain on her injured body and allow them all to combine their energy and stabilise her…

But before anyone could dare to breathe a sigh of relief, Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Then another.

Botan's eyes went wide. "She's burning up, Kurama. Her fever is spiking."

Kurama could already feel Sakura's temperature beginning to skyrocket. The power inside her was fighting tooth and nail against him. He suppressed a growl, braced himself against the energy and kept going.

Sakura seized again. Yukina flinched. But then her shock morphed into determination. She surged her ki and pushed back against the inferno with all her might.

Don't stop. Don't give up. Sakura wouldn't.

Kurama stole a glance at Yukina, who was visibly struggling. She was still fighting, pushing as much power as she possibly could into Sakura, but she couldn't keep this up much longer.

And truthfully, neither could he.

My own aura hasn't sufficiently recovered yet.

At full strength, he could have stabilised her easily. But with his body weakened after the fight, he would soon be entirely depleted. And then what?

No, he wasn't going to let that happen. Never.

Kurama pushed harder, forcing his ki to break through the barrier that was forming and into the chaos below. It lashed out at him, but he simply responded in kind. He had to force it into submission. He had to save her.

Genkai was quite correct in her assessment that it was a war. And right now, Sakura was losing.

"What's happening?" Kuwabara said desperately. "Why isn't this working?!"

Kurama opened his mouth to say something when it happened.

Sakura convulsed again, this time more violently. The marks on her chest flared. A sound like crackling electricity filled the room. Without warning, an uncontrolled wave of energy erupted and hurled Yukina, Botan and Kurama away from Sakura.

"No!" Yusuke and Kuwabara yelled together.

Kurama pushed himself off the ground. His head spun from the impact, but he shook it off when he saw the ki swirling around Sakura.

"Kura, no!" Botan shouted.

Kurama didn't wait. He instantly rose and flared his own power before diving towards the futon again. His energy crackled and sparked the moment it made contact with the raging ki.

Kuwabara hurried forward, only to hit the wall of energy before he could get more than a few feet within Sakura. The force of it felt like a blunt knife on his face as it threw him backwards.

"Stay back!" Genkai said. "Don't get yourself killed!"

"Her energy is spiralling out of control!" Yukina cried. "What do we do?"

Again, Kurama pushed at the pulsing ki barrier. He held up his arms and fought to stay upright as he too was forced back.

The markings on Sakura's chest turned jet black. Her body jerked again, and the terrible truth dawned on Kurama.

I can't stop this.

His human body was simply too weakened. Drained from their battle. The limited resources he had left were not sufficient to calm such a volatile curse, or whatever it was. He didn't even have enough energy to transform into Yoko Kurama.

I'm losing her.

No, that wasn't true. That couldn't happen. Not like this. Not now.

What can I do?

"Kura!"

Yusuke's anguished shout brought Kurama back to his senses.

Of course!

How had he not thought of this? The ki spilling out of Sakura wasn't spirit or demon. It was a blend, a hybrid of her two sides. One was incomplete. Whatever those marks meant, they might be feeding off this new instability, and therefore wouldn't yield to a pure demon or spirit energy.

He couldn't stop this…but someone else could.

"Yusuke, we need your help!"

Yusuke jumped. "What, me?"

"Her ki is unstable. It won't respond to a pure form. But your power is the closest to hers. You need to bring it under control!"

Yusuke went pale. He looked down at his fists. Could Kurama be right? Was his power able to make a difference?

Can I save her?

His ancestor's silhouette flashed through his mind.

"You don't know how to use your power!"

Yusuke's mouth went dry. He clenched his fists even tighter as doubt coursed through him.

What if I can't? What if I make it worse?

All those times he failed, the times he let her down, the times he couldn't protect her or be the brother she needed him to be. All the times he hadn't been strong enough…

"You don't know how to use your power!"

What if their ancestor was right? What if he couldn't control it?

"Yusuke!" Kurama's voice dragged him back into reality. "You have the strength. Use your power to save her. You're the only one who can!"

Yusuke's chest tightened in fear. He might as well be that four year old boy again, hiding his own fear and being brave for his sister…

He closed his eyes. But even then, all he saw was her face at four years old.

"You're my best brother, Yu-chan. I love you more than anything in the whole wide world!"

"Yusuke!"

His eyes flew open and he saw it all. Sakura writhing in anguish. The symbols carved on her pale skin. The bruises from her ordeal, and the curse, or whatever it was, ravaging her body. Her body arched off the mattress. And something inside him snapped.

He couldn't watch this anymore. He couldn't let her down again. This time, things were going to be different.

I won't lose her. I can't!

Yusuke stepped forward and released his own aura. It collided with Sakura's, but instead of producing sparks, it hummed gently. Bit by bit, Yusuke walked closer. And closer. He reached the distance that the others had failed to cross, and with a deep breath, he brought ki to his hands and pushed through the wall.

"It's working!" Kuwabara gasped. "Urameshi, you got through!"

Relief mixed with Yusuke's fear. "What do I do now?" he asked.

"Channel your ki into her heart," Kurama said. "Slowly now, don't overwhelm her system."

Yusuke immediately felt the pushback from the curse as soon as he positioned his hands. This was not Sakura's power. It was raw, ferocious, hammering against him with the force of steel.

He gritted his teeth, but didn't waver. The curse might be strong, but so was he. His Mazoku blood was ready to fight. And win.

"That's it," Kurama said. "On my count. One…two…three…"

Bit by bit, Yusuke's Mazoku energy flowed through his hands and into Sakura. He felt the curse resisting, pushing back at his intrusion. The marks on her chest illuminated. Yusuke's heart skipped a beat, but he narrowed his eyes and surged his anger and fear into his power. If Sakura didn't have the strength to fight back right now, he would do it for her.

Come on, Squirt. Fight it!

Sakura convulsed again, and with it, panic gnawed at Yusuke.

"Yu-chan!" Sakura sobbed. "I'm dying!"

No. He didn't let that happen then, and he sure as hell wasn't letting it happen now.

I won't let you die, Kura. Not a chance!

Moments later, something shifted. His power resonated within her, beating in time to the vibrating curse.

The curse marks dimmed slightly. Sakura's breathing slowed. The barrier gradually dissipated.

"Is it working?" Botan murmured.

Kurama didn't dare confirm. Instead, he nodded to Yukina and said, "Come on. You too, Botan."

They joined Yusuke at the bedside and three of them resumed channelling their own energy, weaving it around Sakura's heart.

Come on, my love. Kurama thought. Come back to me.

Sakura's convulsions reduced to a tremor. Her fever dropped. Her heartbeat regained a steady rhythm.

"That's it," Kuwabara whispered. "Keep going, guys. You almost got it!"

The marks on Sakura's chest went from black, to red, to white. She took a shuddering breath and at last, became still.

Silence filled the room as Sakura's ragged breathing evened out. When it was apparent that the danger had passed, Yukina collapsed on the floor, panting. "She's…she's stable."

Kuwabara hurried over to help her up. "You did it, guys. You saved her."

"For now," Botan let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "We've alleviated the effects, but whatever this curse is…it's still in her."

"Holy shit," Yusuke said. "So it could happen again?"

"Yes," Genkai said. "But we've bought some time, thanks to you, dimwit."

Yusuke barely heard her. His hands shook from the effort it had taken to subdue that awful curse.

Even if Genkai was right, he didn't feel deserving of her praise.

What the hell did those maniacs do to her?

"Oh God, Kura…"

Keiko's choked sob snapped Kurama from his reverie. She was in the doorway, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, Mitari, Yana and Kaito looked on in shocked horror. They must have seen enough.

"Keiko," Shizuru hurried over and wrapped Keiko in a tight hug. "Shhh…it's ok, it's ok…"

The words of comfort rang hollow. Keiko barely seemed to register them. Her fearful gaze remained fixed on Sakura.

Kuwabara swallowed. "So…what do we do now?"

Kurama brushed the hair away from Sakura's damp forehead with trembling fingers. He couldn't make a sound.

What did that monster do to her?

The curse had retreated for now, but he knew it was still there, lying in wait like a coiled serpent.

"Kurama?" Botan asked. "What's our next move? Should we—?"

"We must find out what these symbols mean," Kurama said as evenly as he could. "Once we understand the nature of what we're dealing with, we can devise a solution."

"We will," Kuwabara growled. "Don't worry."

"Oh!" Yukina gasped again. "Botan, look!"

Blood was beginning to soak through the bandage on Sakura's injured shoulder. The bullet wound was bleeding again.

As Botan and Yukina tended to it, Kurama noticed a soft glow from the corner of his eye.

Her necklace?

Yes, Sakura's Hiruseki stone was reacting again. The smooth surface shimmered with a gentle ice green light.

What is this?

It had behaved in a similar fashion earlier, when Sakura had become agitated. What did that mean? Was Sakura's necklace somehow responding to the curse? Her emotions? Was it…trying to protect her? He'd never heard of a Hiruseki jewel doing such a thing.

Before he could ponder further, another voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Genkai, is she alright?"

The small crowd at the door parted to reveal Koenma, still in his teen form.

"Where the hell have you been, Pacifier Breath?!" Yusuke snapped.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Koenma said without looking at him. "Genkai?"

"She's stable, for now," Genkai said. "But we need to know what this curse is. Do you recognise those symbols?"

"I'll take a look."

Koenma only managed to take a single step forward when Kurama looked up and glared daggers at him. Koenma winced. No words needed to be exchanged. The fury in Kurama's eyes said everything. Koenma knew all too well that his inadvertent negligence had contributed to this.

"Kurama, I…will you let me take a look?"

Kurama's eyes narrowed further. They looked at each other for a long moment before Kurama relented with a slight nod.

Koenma stood over the futon and scrutinised the marks on Sakura's chest without touching them. They had reverted to a pale brown instead of scarlet and no longer glowed.

Kurama gently held Sakura's hand In the tense silence. Nobody even seemed to be breathing.

"Well?" Yusuke said at last. "You got any ideas?"

Koenma frowned. "No, I don't. I've never encountered anything like this before."

"Never? Not even in Spirit World?"

"I'm not sure," Koenma said. "It's possible that this is some ancient curse, but it could also be the result of a ritual. Or maybe…" he hesitated, "Maybe there's a duality here. An adverse reaction."

Kurama tensed up. It might not be a curse?

"What does that mean?" Kuwabara asked. "You're saying there's no way to fight this off?"

"There's always a way, but without looking through Spirit World's archives, I can't be of much help."

"You can't go back there?" Shizuru asked.

"I've blatantly gone against my father's orders," Koenma sighed. "If I return, there's no telling what might happen. I can't risk it until things settle down."

Worry flashed across Yusuke's face before he clenched his fists again. "So what the hell are we supposed to do then? Just sit back and watch her suffer?"

"Nobody's saying that, you idiot," Genkai snapped. "Go on, Koenma."

"I might not have access to Spirit World's full resources, but there's still someone else who might be able to help."

Kurama sat up a little straighter. "Who would that be?"

"The Spirit World guide from Living World," Koenma said. "Hinageshi."

Recognition dawned around the room.

"Hinageshi?" Yusuke repeated. "That red haired girl from the Netherworld case?"

"Yes," Kurama said, hardly daring to hope. "She has knowledge across all planes of existence. And as I recall, her guidebooks were extensive."

"You're right!" Kuwabara said. "We never would've been able to stop those Netherworld freaks without her."

Koenma nodded. "I'll contact Hinageshi now. Botan, when you're done, can you go to Kasane Shrine and bring her here?"

"Of course, Koenma."

"And what do we do in the meantime? Just wait?" Keiko sniffled.

"Yes," Genkai said. "We have to keep a close eye on her in case things flare up again. You understand, dimwit?"

Yusuke's hands tingled with traces of the power that had saved his precious twin. As he took up his vigil beside the futon, he reached for Sakura's hand and nodded.

"Whatever I have to do."

"We'll find out what these markings mean," Koenma promised. "And when we do, we'll know how to break their hold."

Kurama continued stroking Sakura's hair and watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her heart had regained its familiar beat, but his own was gripped with fear and despair.

He had almost lost her. Again.

What did that monster do to her?

Just then, Kurama's sharp senses picked up a flicker of movement outside the window, followed by a trace of ki that he would recognise anywhere.

Hiei.

Yes, as promised, Hiei was still nearby, keeping watch. Kurama looked down to hide his smile. Hiei wouldn't step forward – not yet – but the quiet understanding that they were all united in the aftermath was enough.

Rest now, love.

"Kurama?" Yusuke whispered. "We got this. We won't lose her. You know that, right?"

Kurama tore his eyes away from Sakura long enough to face Yusuke. Those brown eyes, identical to Sakura's, burning with an uncharacteristic sincerity.

He nodded once. There was more they needed to say to each other, but for now, he simply said, "Yes."

A.N. :O Hinageshi is returning?! Bet you didnt see that coming!

I'm sorry this chapter took longer than I thought it would. Some of you have been asking if I'm ok, and honestly, I havent been ok lately. There's been some incredibly nasty threats and harrassment made from a family member that left me an absolute sobbing wreck for weeks.

I'm a little better now. The block button really can work wonders. But until something changes, I'm going to have to be on guard for a while. It sucks.

HOWEVER, after 20 months of hell, I finally got a new job! Yay!

Having a new start and some stability in my life again has freed up so much of my mind. My creativity can breathe again. And I feel about 20kg lighter. So we are back in business, baby!

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the chapter. There's so much more to come. I couldnt be more grateful that you're all on the ride with me.

Next chapter is coming very soon. Stay safe, stay awesome and we shall see you then!

Rosentic xx