by Star Mirage
The standard disclaimer - YYH belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and etc.
Author's note: Spetial thanks to Bianka Lanon for correcting my fic! Any comments (as always) are welcome!
Part 3
Botan never came...
She came neither that night, nor the next day...
It was the third day and Botan was still absent.Hiei was puzzled. He still spended time sitting on the window-sill. Occasionally he rose from it and went around the room, looking at his body that still lay on the futon. The little youkai found that he couldn't move far away from his body. The range of his motions was limited to that room. He couldn't get out from the room, couldn't use his Jagan, his youki. He couldn't sense any youki at all. Hiei was very upset.
There was always someone near his motionless body, either Kurama or Yukina alternately replacing each other on watch. Yukina cried constantly, kneeling down next to him. Kurama was not in the best form either: the youko looked more pale and thin than he had been earlier. Apparently, he had begun to skip school, shirking his responsiblities.
'Hm, stupid kitsune,' Hiei thought, though the idea that this star-student of the sity sacrificed school for his (Hiei's) sake was... 'Doesn't this warm my heart?' he asked himself. 'Well, somehow it does.'
Yusuke came frequently to the temple; one particular time, he brought a meal for Kurama and Yukina, which Keiko had made. Then, Yusuke sat and looked silently at Hiei. The motionless Hiei that lay on the futon. Yusuke tried to imagine a way to help him, energy exerted without results as of yet.
Kuwabara too was caught visiting on several different occasions. The little youkai gritted his teeth in a rage when he saw that jerk embrace Yukina by her shoulders and asked her to go and to rest... On the other hand, however much he didn't want to admit it, Hiei saw how Yukina was exhausted. She and youko were giving all their power to remedy the fire demon's current condition.
Unsuccessfully.
Hiei wanted to tell them that they didn't have to expend their youki in such a wasteful way. Though...The whole situation, with Botan still not showing up, was very suspicious. Besides, the koorime-girl and youko could differentiate the living from the dead.
'If I'm not dead, why I am like this?!' Hiei thought.
His reflections stopped instantly, when near the window sill on which he sat, the tall boy appeared. Hiei scowled. And despite the fact that the big oaf couldn't see him, the presense of Kuwabara was still getting on his nerves. Especially with him being so close.
"The runt saved Yukina's life," he told, staring through the window.
The fire youkai lifted his head up and looked suspiciously at the carrot-top human.
"The shrimp sacrificed himself to save sweet Yukina..."
"Hm," Hiei muttered and turned to the window.
"Damn it," Kuwabara said after a little pause. "I am grateful to him. I never thought that I'll be, but I am." Kuwabara threw a glance over his shoulder and, looking at the motionless fire demon's body, continued. "And despite your disgusting character, I want you to wake up. Because you make Yukina cry as you are now..."
Hiei humphed again.At that time, Botan flew through the window and into the room. She quickly hid her oar and greeted all present parties.
"Sorry," she said. "But I just heard about Hiei today."The blue-haired girl cast a look at the youko, who tried to shield Hiei by himself from envoy of Death. Botan smiled.
"Don't worry, Kurama-san, I didn-t come for Hiei. As I know the request for his death has not arrived yet."Kurama and others sighed with relief. But Hiei frowned distrustfully.
"Hey, Botan, I'm here! Do you hear me?"But Botan didn't heard him. The ferry-girl, who could see and hear any spirit, didn't see or hear him.
'How..? How so?' Hiei feverishly tried to find out what was going on.
"Hey, woman, look at me!" In a heartbeat, he appeared beside her and, waving his hand before her face, screamed. "Kisama! Botan, look at me! I'm right here..!"Not a single feature on Botan-s face even twitched.
"How is he?" she asked, concerned.
The youko and Yukina's faces became gloomy.
"Still in a coma," the koorime-girl said. "We, me and Kurama-san, tried to cure all his internal and external wounds. But we don't know how to cure a concussion. He is a youkai, you know...""Then somebody has to go to the Makai and find out how to heal it," the ferry-girl offered vigorously.
All froze from simplicity of the suggestion. They exchanged glances. Invisible to everybody, Hiei, violently cursing under his breath, went to his usual place on the window-sill. Yusuke slapped himself on his forehead. 'Baka! How stupid I am! I should been calculate it earlier by myself! Kurama and Yukina are very tired and they could not think about it. Kuwabara... Well, he isn't much of a help in such matter. But I am... Stupid!!!' Yusuke quickly jumped to Botan and hugged her.
"Botan, you're a genius!" he said rejoicingly. "That's it! If Hiei is a youkai, then we should search for a cure in the Makai! I'll go right now."
"I'm going too."
"But Kurama! You're tired! You have to rest for a couple of days, instead of wandering all over the dangerous Makai."
There was the small smile on Kurama's face.
"Thank you for caring, Yusuke. But it all concerns Hiei, and it means that it concerns to me. Therefore, I'm going along with you. Besides who knows the Makai better than me? It is decided, Yusuke. I'm going with you."
Yusuke gave up and nodded."I'm with you, guys!" Kuwabara, who had silently stood aside before, said loudly.
"No," youko stopped him. "You'll stay here and will protect Hiei and Yukina. You see, we do not want any youkai attacked them."
"Ok," The carrot-topped boy complied and then declared. "I am the Great Kuwabara Kazuma, who will protect the sweet Yukina and that loathsome shrimp! No youkai shall steal by me!"Yusuke rolled his eyes and then gestured to the youko.
"Let's go, Kurama. The earlier we'll begin, the earlier we'll finish."Kurama nodded and, slightly squeezing the little youkai's pale hand, he whispered, "I'll be back, Hiei. I'll be back soon..."
'Hm,' Hiei snorted, sitting on the window-sill, but not having missed any word. 'Pathetic fox.' But then have added. 'Matte iru yo...'
Yusuke and Kurama left. Botan remained to keep vigil over the comatose fire demon. The koorime-girl, after calling Keiko, had left for a slight rest. The tall Reikai Tantei - Kuwabara - set off to reconnoitre around the temple. He deemed the mission to protect the temple's inhabitants decidedly serious and important.
Hiei snorted and stared thoughtfully at horizon.
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Three days... Four towns...
Yes, it was the third day, as they are in the Makai. And that town was the fourth by Yusuke's count.Yusuke sneezed and looked at his friend thoughtfully. The silver Youko was right: where, except for the town market, could you hear all the latest gossip? The vulpine Kurama gracefully moved between the rows of market booths, dexterously asking the sellers about medicos and healers known in this side of the Makai. The youkai told all that they knew to the beautiful Youko.
Yusuke sneezed again and his face wrinkled up discontentedly.
'Damn, it seems that I caught the Makai flu. What should I tell to Keiko?'
His thoughts were cut off when the shining Kurama appeared next to him. Since Kurama had transformed to his youko-form, his body had healed rapidly. He looked healthy, vigorous; full of energy and new possibilities..."Let's go, Yusuke," Youko Kurama said. "It seems that we have found what we were looking for."
"Nani? Ah, a healer... Achhu...!"Kurama suspiciously looked at his friend.
"You are ill," he vouched unhesitatingly, to which Yusuke just shrugged.
With a smooth motion, the Youko pulled something out from his hear and gave it to the human boy.
"Take and chew it down."Yusuke distrustfully stared at the pair of light green leaves, laying on his hand. Then he looked questioningly at the smirking youko.
"Chew it down, I said," repeated Kurama. "It will help you get rid of the flu, or you'll be sick about a month. Or even more... It's the Makai's flu. Do you want that?.. No? Then do what I said."
Yusuke shook his head silently and thrust one of the proffered leaves into his mouth. An instant later, Yusuke began to gasp wildly.
"Pheeee!!! What's the---!!!"Tears sparkled in the poor boy's eyes. That thing was very bitter! Youko Kurama snorted mischievously and said, "Stick it! If you want to get rid of the flu... And now let's go. Let's not waste any time."
They went out from the town and Kurama directed their path towards a forest, lying at the very horizon. Yusuke carefully wiping running tears, followed the youko...
End of part 3. To be continued...
*Matte iru yo...* - I'll be waiting for you.
© Star Mirage, 2000