Notes: Characters belong to Kazuya Minekura. This story follows along with the Hakkai/Chin Yisou arc in the manga, weaving together bits that happen in the manga with my own twisted imagination—stuff that happens "off camera," as it were.

The Dark of the Sun

Chapter 1

Hakkai did not know how long the group traveled in silence. Day after day of empty land, flat and treeless, had worn away at them until it seemed the sky's weight overburdened them all. The sky seemed so large without mountains or buildings or trees to break it into pieces more easily managed by the eye.

The fact that even Gojyo and Goku had fallen silent during the past several hours attested to just how road-weary the ikkou had become; it'd be hours yet before nightfall, when Sanzo would allow them to camp. Hakkai was about to suggest to Sanzo that they stop for a rest at the first farmhouse they came to—no matter how many hours of daylight remained—when they crested a small rise and were afforded a view of a sizable town. The others noticed it, too. Hakkai felt an instant shift of their qi, as if life returned to them when the monotony ended. Even Sanzo shifted in his seat beside him.

"About damn time," Gojyo muttered. "If I had to spend one more hour cramped in the Jeep, I was gonna go nuts. No offense, Hakuryu."

Hakuryu chirruped wearily.

It was amazing how civilization could suddenly spring forth from apparent waste like toadstools after a spring rain. As they neared the town, Hakkai could smell breads and rice and meats, people and animals. Voices in conversation and laughter filled the air. With a lifting heart he brought Jeepu to a stop, and when the foursome exited, Hakuryu transformed with a happy chirrup before settling onto Hakkai's shoulder.

"Yes," Hakkai said, stroking the little dragon's neck, "it is time for you to be carried for a time."

Hakuryu chirped again and nuzzled beneath Hakkai's chin before letting his long neck hang down loosely. The little dragon would doze for most of the rest of the day if circumstances allowed. Already his body began to go limp on his perch on Hakkai's shoulder.

The travel-weary silence fell away like melting snow falling from a pine, and as the group stretched their legs and worked some of the stiffness from their bodies, some of the spark returned to their eyes. Soon they were passing between buildings, turning corners, and coming upon the vital core of the town.

"Wow, cool!" Goku exclaimed. "Look at all the people!" His childlike face drank in the surroundings, huge golden eyes darting from one scene to the next like dragonflies flitting over lily pads. Gojyo, too, had a broad grin framing his current cigarette. Hakkai reflected not for the first time how differently individuals reacted to the same situation: Goku's compact body all but vibrated with anticipation, while Gojyo's lithe form spoke of an odd combination of eagerness and contentment; even Sanzo's frown seemed slightly less bitter than usual.

"It's been awhile since we've been to such a busy town," Gojyo observed as they made their way as a group through the crowds.

Seeing smiles on so many faces at once gladdened Hakkai. Too often their travels involved villagers broken by anguish and despair, wan with pain and loss. "This place seems mostly unaffected by the youkai problem," Hakkai said, then added silently in prayer, May it ever be so...

Sanzo grunted in apparent agreement but didn't seem to want to be bothered with actual vocabulary.

It is only a matter of time before these smiles are erased, Hakkai thought. He glanced about, feeling a sudden need to protect the people, to shelter them from the world's sorrows, but he knew it was hopeless. He could but do what he was capable, and that required passing through this town in time, continuing west, and leaving these lives to whatever fate the stars allotted them. If he couldn't even protect Kanan, how could he shelter whole villages and towns and cities? Don't go down that path, he chided himself. Despair was ever a dark passenger within him, and lately it was all he could do to keep a step ahead of it.

"NO."

Sanzo's stern voice startled Hakkai from his thoughts, and he was glad for it; though Sanzo didn't realize it, he had pulled Hakkai back from a dangerous ledge. Apparently Goku had asked for something-food, certainly-and had received the typical brusque answer. The food did smell delicious, but there would be plenty of time for dinner once they found lodgings for the night.

Goku didn't see that, of course. He saw only that he was being denied something he wanted. The compact little demon began to wail his outrage. Hakkai winced. The boy certainly wasn't starving; Hakkai had formulated the theory long ago that the slightest feeling of emptiness resurrected memories in Goku of his long imprisonment. Food had taken the role of reassurance, comfort, and security. Hakkai felt his shoulders beginning to tense at Goku's cries-partially in mild irritation, but also in sympathy. Hakuryu felt the tension too, of course, and stirred.

"Now, now," Hakkai ventured. "What's wrong with buying him a beef bun?"

"A spoiled child develops bad habits, Hakkai." The priest's violet gaze flashed, but his words showed he still hovered in the less-lethal side of annoyance.

That was, at least, until Gojyo added his two cents. Before Hakkai could discreetly intervene, the kappa clapped a large hand to Sanzo's shoulder and crooned silkily, "Spoken like a good mommy."

Sanzo's eye twitched. "Do you have a death wish?"

Not good, not good. However, there was still time to remedy the situation. After all, Sanzo had merely posed the question rather than stating outright that murder was imminent. No matter. The fragile peace was gone. Hakkai's gaze floated about once more; he saw the smiles, but he no longer felt them. Instead he felt Hakuryu's talons digging into his shoulder. He felt bone-deep fatigue brought by the long and dusty road. He felt…

He didn't know what he felt. Unmoored somehow. Adrift. Dread dropped into his stomach like a weight of ice as he realized these sensations were all too familiar to him. Ones he had absolutely no desire to revisit. He'd felt this way a few years back, after the blind rage had seeped from him. After his blood had poured from him. After his days were robbed of the Sun. After it began to seem that he would survive even when he no longer had any earthly desire to do so. This feeling of being adrift came before that much darker period… before the abyss.

Back from the edge. Don't allow yourself to get closer.

Moving through the crowd with his group again, Hakkai practiced some breathing techniques to work the tension from his body. Body, breath, mind. Body, breath, mind. It helped but not as much as it usually did, and he found himself looking forward to finding lodgings, taking a hot bath, having some sake, then retiring to his room for the evening. Perhaps a couple days of honest-to-goodness rest (he actively ignored whatever Sanzo was saying about not staying long) and some Qigong exercises that didn't involve slaying wave-maddened youkai-

He nearly bumped into Sanzo. The priest cast a perplexed frown before returning his attention to whatever had caused him to stop mid-step in the first place.

"...travelers, yes?"

Hakkai followed the others' gazes to find a man sitting primly behind a table draped with the symbol of the two dragons, Yin and Yang. Something protruded from the corner of his smiling mouth, and it took a moment for Hakkai to recognize them as Mahjong counters. Voluminous sleeves hid his hands completely. There was something reptilian about the youkai.

"Chin Yisou will tell the future of your journey."

A breath of laughter escaped Gojyo. "No thanks, pal."

Sanzo had already turned away and was proceeding along the street. "Telling fortunes with Mahjong tiles is a crock, thank you."

Hakkai didn't have the energy to apologize for his traveling companions' rudeness.

Chin Yisou's expression did not change. "How cruel! And here I see that your faces foretell death. How frightening." He tittered.

This brought the group up short. No fortune teller would ever try to sell such a gruesome fate. Who would pay for such dark words?

"You're living close to death, yes? I can tell. Especially... yes." A long-nailed finger targeted Hakkai. "You."

Hakkai was stricken; his heart gave a double-thump to try to catch up with the missed beat. He knew his expression showed his alarm, and he could do nothing to mask it. He is just getting revenge for our dismissal of him. That's all it is. And I appear the easiest target. It is nothing more than that. So why did his heart feel bound by iron? Why did cotton fill his mouth and choke down any reply? Why was pain flaring in his scar?

Chin Yisou continued, the snake-like smile never faltering. "That lovely false smile hides it so nicely. But your eyes, good sir, are those of a sinner."

Couldn't breathe... Hakkai couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Couldn't think. A bird paralyzed by a snake's smile.

The fortune teller's eyes widened ever so slightly, pinning Hakkai with their cold gaze. "And the scar on your belly. The symbol of your sins. You've committed crimes you can't atone for, yes?"

Yes, a voice inside Hakkai answered. Yes. I've committed crimes for which there is no atonement. I've committed sins for which there is no forgiveness. These followed Gonou to the end of his days, and they will follow me to the end of mine.

Goku broke the spell by angrily slamming his hands down on the teller's table, which didn't seem to impress Chin Yisou. "SHUDDUP YOU GROSS OLD CRINKLY! IF YOU WANNA FIGHT, LET'S GO!"

The reptilian chill remained. "I'm just a fortune teller and not a very reliable one... yes?"

Goku couldn't seem to come up with a way to respond to that. Slippery as an eel. Slippery as a snake.

"See?" Chin continued. "The tiles tell your destiny." He held up a tile for them to see: Devastation. "Calamity follows thee. Indeed. And yet, it's up to you whether or not you believe."

Goku rippled with anger. "What's that supposed to-!"

That was as far as Goku got before an other-worldly cry rent the peace of the afternoon. Hakkai whirled to his right, paralysis broken at last, and the heart that seemed moments ago to have forgotten how to pump now pounded frantically within him. A massive form, insectile, broke through walls. Homes and stores fell to rubble in seconds with no mind to the people or memories residing within. The creature's body blocked the sun; its shadow fell over the ikkou. All around them citizens scattered like ants in an oil-doused mound. They shrieked in fear, and those lucky enough not to have been separated clutched their loved ones as they fled.

Gojyo gave a cry of dismay. "Don't tell me that's another of Gyamaoh's assassins!"

"I don't know about that," Sanzo replied. "The Sanskrit on its chest signifies a shikigami."

Gojyo blinked. "A shikigami that big?"

And just like that, the smiles had vanished. Sooner even than Hakkai had feared. Much sooner.

"Calamity follows thee…"

Indeed it does. Hakkai looked to the fortune teller's table, but Chin Yisou had disappeared. Who on earth was that man? These thoughts held Hakkai's fraying focus as did the giant creature bearing down upon them. Distracted during a battle. Not good.

Sanzo shielded his eyes with an upraised hand, his expression pensive and troubled. Instinctively the four closed ranks, backs turned to one another, so that a pair of eyes guarded each corner of the compass.

"Ack! This is terrible!" Goku exclaimed.

Behind him, Hakkai heard Gojyo growl a curse. "I don't know who you're working for"-a click as he separated the shakujou's blade from its staff-"but you've got a lot of nerve blowing our day!" Gojyo made his move while the others watched. The crescent blade, tethered only by the chain and by the kappa's immense skill with the weapon, sailed toward the shikigami and scored a direct hit. However, even as the blade returned to the staff, the others could see that no visible damage had been done.

"Ah shit," Gojyo said in dismay. "I didn't even scratch it! That ain't no ordinary shikigami!"

Sanzo added his two cents, but Hakkai's attention was drawn to the creature's leg-and to the rubble it knocked toward them. "Everyone, watch out!" he shouted.

They scattered. Goku fell backward with a cry, just managing to escape the path of a slab of stone larger than he was. "That was too close! I thought I was going to die!"

Seemingly unperturbed by the close call, Gojyo grinned wickedly. "Whatever it is," he began, referencing the creature, "it's big and hard and purple... but then, that wouldn't remind you of anything, would it, priesty?"

Sanzo gave him a flat stare. "How can you squeeze in vulgar jokes at a time like this?"

Blades won't harm it, but maybe... Hakkai turned toward the priest. "Sanzo, try the Maten Sutra!"

The priest gave a slight nod. "I suppose I have to. Goku, go distract it."

Goku positively beamed. "On it!" Off he went, shouting insults at the "alien crab" and leaving Hakkai to wonder if at times the little demon enjoyed battle just a little too much. As Hakkai watched, however, Goku came to an abrupt halt before he'd even reached the demon.

What ...? Hakkai's good eye strained to find the matter, and upon closer inspection, he saw-incredibly-a cat winding its way affectionately around Goku's leg while the monster closed in. And not only the monster, Hakkai now saw. A strange youkai hurtled through the air above Goku. And Goku was still distracted by the cat.

Hakkai's heart clenched painfully in his chest. He was too far away to help. "GOKU! Look ou-!"

The strange youkai, no larger than Goku, went straight for the shikigami. One powerful strike, and the segment of abdomen containing the Sanskrit crashed to the ground. Goku, Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai blinked in astonishment.

"Uh… what the hell was that?" Gojyo asked.

The youkai approached the cat, picked it up, and cuddled it. "Mya. Kitty better be more careful next time." She giggled as the cat nuzzled her. "That tickles, meowsie!"

Gojyo seemed rather annoyed. "A little girl? She wrecked that crab like nothing."

The girl laughed again. "The Sanzo Gang! There you are!" She beamed. "My name's Lirin! I came to beat you up for Kougaiji onii-chan!"

"'Oni-chan'?" Hakkai repeated. "Oh boy."

"You're Kougaiji's little sister?" the rest of the group exclaimed at once.

Lirin winked playfully. "Time to die!"