Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ You Can't Escape the Past ❯ Love is a Disease ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
It's been two years ever since the Dark Tournament. Kei and Kurama are living in their own apartment in the Ningenkai. Touya and Jin are training with Genkai. Yusuke and Keiko are married. Kuwabara is, surprisingly, studying for college. Karasu is, of course, dead. Koenma hasn't had his position changed yet. Hiei is in the Makai training with Mukuro (A.N.: Honestly, I don't see what he sees in her). Everyone is happy. Well, not everyone...

~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the rebuilt Maze Castle, a dark figure watches Kei and Kurama sleep in each other's arms from a rebuilt but better version of Suzaku's screen. The mystery man pressed a button on the armrest of his chair. Everything on the screen but Kei became black and the man stared at her sleeping form. "You owe me so much, Kei... Time for your debt to be paid..." the man said to himself. He pressed another button and smirked as he saw her breath become ragged.

~*~Kurama's and Kei's house~*~

Kurama woke up to Kei stirring in her sleep. "Kei! Kei!" he said as he shook her awake.

Kei woke up, sweating and thrashing. "Kurama..." she said weakly.

He immediately put his hand to her head and quickly took it back. She was burning up. "Kei, you're sick!" Kurama said.

Kei moaned and rolled onto her side. "Kurama... it hurts so much..." she mumbled.

He hurried out of the room and made a mixture of his best healing herbs. By the time he came back, Kei was rolling all over the bed and she moaning like crazy. He gave her the concoction and she immediately stopped moving, she was asleep. Kurama sighed and sat back down on the bed. He put his hand to her forehead and noticed that her fever had gone down a bit. "What's wrong with her..." he asked himself.

~*~Reikai Palace~*~

The next day, Kurama went to the Reikai to take Kei to the Reikai Palace Infirmary. He carried her bridal-style through the door, trying to keep her from thrashing him. Now, she was sweating, she would not eat, sleeps all of the time, and throws up if she did eat something. Kurama could feel her youki go down and she was becoming weaker. Kurama was very worried. He walked into Koenma's office and said "Koenma! Kei's sick and there's nothing I can do about it! She is a lot of pain and needs help!"

Koenma popped into his teenage form, took Kei from Kurama and ran into the infirmary in another room. Later, Kurama was allowed into the infirmary and he saw that they had to chain her to the bed in order to stop her thrashing. Kei's breathing was ragged, she was burning up, and he could just barely sense her spirit energy. Koenma's assistant stood at Kurama side and said "We do not know what is wrong with her. Her symptoms are not recognizable. This must be some new disease. We are very sorry to inform that we do not have a cure for her illness. But there is something that will help her. It is a very rare and valuable herb that grows in one place and one place only. It's called the Hakushai herb. It can heal any illness, discomfort, or disability. It's very hard to spot because it looks like any ordinary flower. Master Koenma will speak to you now. The Reikai Tantei have arrived."

Kurama nodded and kissed Kei's forehead before he left the room and into Koenma's office. Yusuke was pacing the length of the room, Kuwabara was sitting on the couch following Yusuke with his eyes, and Hiei was leaning on the wall like he usually does. When Yusuke saw Kurama come in, he grabbed Kurama by his shoulders and said "How is she?"

Kurama shook his head and said "She's in critical condition and they don't have a cure for her."

Yusuke sighed and sat down next to Kuwabara. Koenma cleared his throat for attention. "I have notified Touya and Jin of Kei's illness and they should be arriving any minute now. I need you guys to go with Jin to find the Hakushai herb. It's surrounded by harsh forest and thick undergrowth. I want Touya to stay here and watch over Kei. I want Jin to go because it will go faster if he flies around the area just as precautions. Kurama, you're going because of your knowledge of healing herbs and plants. I know you want to stay with Kei but the Reikai Tantei need your help."

Kurama nodded solemnly and said "Understood."

Suddenly, the doors slid open and Touya ran into the room frantically, Jin flying in behind him. "Where is she?" he asked when he spotted Kurama.

Kurama led Touya and Jin into the infirmary and Touya immediately rushed to Kei's side. Jin floated over sadly and stared at Kei's sleeping form. "What's wrong with her?" Touya asked.

"She has an illness that even the Reikai doctors cannot cure. Only one thing can help her now. The Hakushai herb. Koenma wants you, Touya, to stay here with Kei. Jin will come with us to find the herb as aerial back up. We need to leave now, for the Death Forest, alongside the Blood Red River. Her energy is slipping rapidly..." Kurama told them.

"Well, le's go then!" Jin said, trying to be as cheerful as he can. (A.N.: I left the T out because that's as good as I can get to the way Jin speaks.)

Kurama nodded and Jin followed him out of the room.

~*~Rebuilt Maze Castle~*~

The man stared at the screen that showed Kei in the infirmary with Touya at her side and stroking her hair from time to time. The man has been staring at her sleeping face for hours now. He sighed and said to himself "I gave you so much and you return your gratitude with the pain you inflicted upon me, Kei... It's high time you began to suffer..."

He reached for his neck and caressed a pendant with his fingers. "I miss you..." he said in a sad, sorrowful voice.