A/N: Woohoo! Welcome to the continuation of the Gods Must have been on Crack and Merging Paths. I decided to add Daycarthro Chronicles to the other stories titles, just to show that they are connected.
This particular story has been going on in my head for a few years now and I'm looking forward to writing it. It will be more action-packed and I probably won't make it as long as Merging Paths. And hopefully the Dreaded Writer's Block will not rear its ugly head. Back you evil abomination!
Sorry this took a little longer to write, but I've been busting my butt off at work and I've only had enough time to work, eat and sleep. What a sad 2 months it's been. But now I'm done with that project and hopefully things will calm down a bit. Thanks for your patience.
I do not own the Saiyuki characters, but I do own the Daycarthro Characters.
Now onward to Chapter 1 of The Daycarthro Chronicles: The Fallen Ones!
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Chapter 1: The Rescue
An eerie light glows from the murky windows of an abandoned farm house. Shriveled plants litter the ground, not having tasted water for quite some time. Even though the house has become devoid of any human life, a group of youkai have become its temporary residents.
Inside the living room, three youkai are gathered on the floor, a large jug of sake seated in front of them as their laughter echoes through the bare room. Rust colored stains mar their ragged clothing, while weapons lie by their feet, traces of blood caked on the gleaming metal.
"Haha," The blond-haired youkai laughs before he gulps down a cup of sake, before slamming the empty container down on the wooden floor. "Those stupid humans practically pissed their pants when we ambushed them."
"This one annoying woman kept pleading for her life," the black-haired youkai says, licking his lips.
"I'm telling you Shin, they're all pathetic, like a bunch of cattle waiting to be slaughtered." The blond haired youkai looks to the third member who hasn't said anything in the last half hour. "Hey Xun, what's with that sour look!"
"Unlike you, I'm thinking about more important things than a bunch of stupid humans. I want to know what that guy is up to," Xun glances at the window as if the said person will suddenly appear.
A long silence falls amongst the youkai, the three of them casting weary glances at each other.
"That other one is something else." The blond youkai runs a clawed finger along the surface of his blade, looking at the door leading to the rest of house. "She ain't normal."
"Haha, Liang, you don't think the five of us can handle one little-" Shin stops when the lights suddenly cut out.
"What the-" Xun begins, jumping to his feet. "Gah!" a blood curdling scream tears through the darkness.
"Xun?" Liang calls, gripping his machete.
"Xun!?" Shin breathes heavily as his eyes try to adjust to the darkness. The stench of blood hangs heavy in the air, accompanied with death. He can sense Liang by him, but nothing else, not even Xun. How? How could Xun be dead when there is no one else here?
"Shin, there's some-Ugh!" Liang's words are silenced, followed by a heavy thud.
Shin whirls around to the sound, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever is hiding in the darkness. A gleam of metal catches his eye and he can vaguely make out a figure clothed completely in black.
"Heh, I see you! Did you think you're strong enough to-" His words are cut off when the person in black twists his body, his heel clipping him under the chin, and knocking him to the ground. With one swift motion the person in black slams a knife into the base of the youkai's neck, ending his life.
The figure in black breaks into a run, weaving around the fallen youkai, careful not to slip on the pool of blood gathering on the floor
With one swift kick, the door crashes to the floor, revealing a long hallway.
"Oy!" Another youkai calls, falling into his fighting stance, blocking the person's path.
He continues forward, at the last second pivoting to the youkai's right and with a sweep of his arm, plunging a blade into the middle of the youkai's back. Before the youkai can hit the ground, its assassin is already rounding the corner, reaching the end of the corridor.
The door flies open, but the assassin jumps up, grasping the top of the doorway and swinging his feet into the youkai's chest. The two fall to the ground and before the youkai can react a fist comes crashing down, smashing his skull with another force to splinter the floor boards.
The assassin jumps to his feet, racing towards the end of the hallway, where the last door stands, a padlock securing it. Just as he is about to reach the door, he pulls his arm back, and slams his fist square in the center. The door crumbles under the force.
The moonlight filters through the dirty windows, as if a spotlight has been cast on the lone figure huddled in a corner, shivering from fright.
As the assassin steps closer to the small figure, the moonlight shines on him. Black clothing covers every inch of the assassin's slim body. Even his eyes are shielded with tinted visor. He is like a living shadow and if it wasn't for the gentle padding of his feet on the wooden floors, someone might think he is a formless phantom that has been born from the shadows.
When he is no more than a mere foot from the bundle, the assassin holds out his hand, but the bundle makes no attempt to approach the person. He sighs as he leans closer to the figure, whispering something in their ear. As if those few words are a magic spell cast on a lifeless doll, its small head shoots up, revealing a little girl's face. She tilts her doll-like face towards the assassin, her brown hair swaying from the movement.
A wide grin spreads across her face as her black eyes gaze up at her savior. The assassin takes a step back, hiding his eyes even though the girl can't see them. After a second, he lowers his arm, offering his hand to her once again. The girl quickly takes it and with one smooth motion the assassin lifts her up so the girl can latch onto his back.
Without a second thought, the assassin takes off, racing through the house with such speed that within seconds they are out in the fresh air of the night. The child tightens her arms around the assassin's thin shoulders, afraid she might fall off at the speed they are going.
He comes to an abrupt halt, turning his head from left to right. In the distance they can hear several people shouting, finally realizing that there is an intruder in their midst.
"Damn," a muffled voice whispers.
With that the assassin heads to his right, away from voices and towards the woods. The girl clenches her eyes shut, wishing that there is a way for them to go faster, away from the terrifying youkai who have kept her locked up in that dark room.
"I'll protect you," the assassin says softly, forcing the girl to open her eyes. They come to an abrupt stop, the assassin letting the girl slide off his shoulders. Her small hand grabs the sleeve of his shirt, wondering why they have stopped, but her question is answered when she spies the youkai waiting for them.
"Gotcha!" A man's voice announces. "With that scrawny body of yours, you must have caught them by surprised." A youkai with silver hair blocks their path, a large axe gripped in his hands. "But I'm glad that you showed up, I was getting bored sitting around waiting."
"Cover your eyes," the assassin says, falling into his fighting stance. The girl does as ask, placing a hand over her eyes.
"Oh, you plan on fight-"
The assassin springs forward, heading straight for the youkai. He raises his axe ready to cut down the man in black. He brings the axe down, but at the last minute the assassin pivots to his right, completely avoiding what would have been a fatal blow. With a twist of his body, he plants a foot on the back of the youkai's head.
"Hahah! Is that the best you've got," the youkai laughs, swinging his axe at the man in black. With a back flip the assassin lands safely away from the swipe. His right leg falls back, preparing for the youkai to attack. The youkai shoots forward, swiping at the assassin, but once again he avoids each strike. "Damn you!" The youkai snaps, slashing at him, but each strike fails to connect. "You can't continue running forever!" He raises his arm, springing forward.
The assassin shoots forward as well, dropping to his knees at the last second and slamming his fist into the youkai's ribs. Ching! Blood pours from the youkai's lips as he stumbles back, dropping his axe.
"How could you..." He presses his hand to his side, blood seeping from a puncture wound.
The assassin falls into his fighting stance, keeping his left hand in front of him. Blood drips from the twelve-inch blade attached to the back of his left hand. With a flip of a wrist, he flicks the blood off. Chang! The blade disappears into the metal gauntlet attached to his wrist. He places the palm of his hands together, before slamming his fists together. Clang! The sound echoes around them.
"Keke, do you really think you can stop anything." He stumbles to his feet. "We'll find you and kill you and she'll..." he points a finger at the little girl who cowers away, covering her ears.
"Nothing will happen to her," the assassin replies, tilting his head to the side.
"You-" the youkai sputters, not believing his ears. "you're a-"
"Does it really matter?"
"Gyah!" The youkai's pupils turn a pure white as his youki suddenly rises. His claws elongate to deadly blades and his muscles bulge as a wave of power gathers inside of him. "Die!" He yells disappearing from sight. The assassin jumps back as the ground explodes where his feet once were. He lands a safe distance with barely enough time to avoid another strike.
He's fast, the assassin thinks, avoiding yet another strike. I might have to use that...
"Keke, you can't run forever. When I catch you I'm going to hang you by your entrails." His claws tear through a boulder, leaving cleaning shaved chunks behind. "You can't keep dodging forever. Getting tired yet?!"
A rock hits the side of the youkai's head, turning his attention to the little girl. She hurls another rock at him, hitting him in the eye.
"You little shit!" He shoots forward, settling on a new target.
"Stay back!" the assassin suddenly yells, the girl immediately ducks, her hands shielding the sides of her head. "Stupid," his muffled voice grunts.
The youkai appears in front of the girl raising his clawed hand to strike her.
A chain whip wraps around the youkai's neck, yanking him away from the girl. Youkai looks behind him, finding the man in black clenching the end of the chain whip in his right hand. The assassin digs his heels into the soft ground, trying to keep the girl out of his reach.
"Look at you, you can barely hold me back."
"Close your eyes!" The assassin yells.
Cling!
"Huh?" The youkai's eyes widen when he feels the increase in pressure around his neck, but he only has enough time to do that, when thousands of blades appear on the chain whip that is currently wrapped around his neck.
A soft thud sounds as something hits the ground, the girl slowly looks down, finding the decapitated head of the youkai staring up at her. A silent scream tries to escape her throat, but the only sound that comes out is a gasp of air. A gloved hand covers her eyes, trying to prevent the image from being engrained on the girl's memory.
Clang! The blades retract into the chain whip, and he quickly retracts it into gauntlet attached to his right hand.
"I told you to look away," the assassin says. The girl shakes her head, small tears running down her cheeks, his hand doing little to stop the tears. A long sigh escapes the assassin lips. "You're really not what I expected at all." He uses his body to block her view of the dead youkai and slowly removes his hand. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
He suddenly shoots forward, lifting the girl up. A gloved hand covers the girl's mouth as the man in black presses them closer to the tree trunk. The distant sound of footsteps race towards them, most likely the fallen youkai's comrades.
The warrior raises his hand, his slender fingers gripping a small remote. He brings his thumb down on one of the buttons. Click!
Kaboom! An explosion rips through the forest in the opposite direction that they are heading in. The youkai screech to a halt, their feet creating skid marks in the soft top soil.
Click! The assassin presses another button, triggering another explosion a few feet away from the first explosion.
"They went the other way, you idiot," one of the youkai snaps, before breaking into a run towards the explosion.
Click! He presses button after button, setting off several bombs leading the youkai in the opposite direction. When the final explosion is set off, he removes his hand from the girl's mouth, easing her to the ground. He kneels down to her so they are eye-to-eye.
"That'll keep them occupied for a while. We need to start heading out. We have three days to reach the first rendezvous point." He offers his hand to the girl. "Cayla, you have to trust me. I swear that I will protect you no matter what."
Cayla slowly nods her head, a small grin lighting her face.
He turns his back to her, kneeling down and motioning to his back. The girl jumps on, wrapping her arms tightly around her savior's neck. He rises to his feet before taking off in a sprint, burying themselves deeper into the forest.
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A large cloud of dust follows a small green jeep as it speeds along an unpaved road. In the front seat is a blond-haired monk who listlessly looks out at the passing trees, while next to him in the driver's seat a brown haired young man has the steering wheel gripped in his hands, his head slightly slanted forward. In the back, a man with vibrant red hair sighs as he stretches his long legs, while the brown hair youngster next to him looks just as bored.
"Eh! Sanzo! When are we going to stop for a break?" Goku asks, leaning over the back of Sanzo's seat.
"Whenever we reach the next town," Sanzo replies, pushing Goku's face back.
"Come on Sanzo!" Gojyo adds. "I know you're a hard-ass, but my ass is getting numb from sitting for so long."
"Request: received. Status: rejected," Sanzo says, not even bothering to look at them.
"A couple of minutes of stretching our legs is not going to put us behind."
"No," Sanzo replies.
"Oy, Hakkai, talk some sense into him," Gojyo says, glaring at Sanzo. A few seconds past and Hakkai fails to say anything. "Um, Hakkai," Gojyo asks, a sweat drop forming on his forehead.
All eyes fall on Hakkai, waiting for a response.
"Shit!" Gojyo swears, reaching over and grabbing the steering wheel, along with Sanzo. Hakkai jumps in his seat, startled by the sudden appearance of his two companions. "Hey, don't be falling asleep while you're driving!"
"If you were getting sleepy, you should have said something," Sanzo snaps.
"Haha, sorry. I tried to rest last night, but you three were having so much fun."
"Sorry," Gojyo and Goku reply, while a sweat-drop rolls down Sanzo's head.
"Pull over," Sanzo grumbles, flicking the cigarette butt out the window.
A few minutes later they are standing in a clearing. Gojyo stretches his long legs, before twisting his waist side-to-side."
"It so nice to walk around for once." Hakkai's eyes suddenly lower, not liking what he's seeing. "Ah, looks like there's a fire over there."
At Hakkai's words, everyone looks at the faint cloud of smoke that has formed in the distance.
"Do you think it's youkai?" Gojyo asks, turning to Sanzo.
"I don't intend to find out," Sanzo replies, flicking his lighter on. He places the small flame close to the cigarette resting on his lips. A long puff of smoke escapes his lips, his violet eyes focusing on Goku. "That's in the opposite direction of where we're heading."
"You don't give a damn unless you're the target," Gojyo smirks as he stretches his long arms over his head. "Oy, Hakkai, I'll drive the rest of the way to the next town. You get some shut eye."
"How kind of you Gojyo," Hakkai replies.
A long growl interrupts the group, all eyes shooting over to Goku.
"It's not my fault it smells like barbeque," Goku yells, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
"Is that all you can ever think about is food!" Sanzo snaps, slamming his fan against Goku's head.
"I can't help it. All we've had lately is canned food!"
"Che, if you really want to drive then let's go." Sanzo stands to his feet, crossing his arms in front of him. "The sooner he eats the sooner he will shut up."
"I still have a can of peaches," Hakkai offers, pulling the can out of a bag.
"Wah! I want fresh food. Fresh! Not canned! Stuff like chicken, pork, beef-" His mouth begins to water, picturing a twirling rotisserie chicken and a dancing steak. "I want meat!"
"Better watch it Sanzo, he might get hungry enough to eat us," Gojyo laughs.
"Only an idiot would let himself be eaten by another idiot."
"You might give him indigestion," Hakkai laughs, earning a glare from Sanzo.
"Let's go!" Gojyo orders, deepening his voice to sound like Sanzo's
"The second we get to the next town, I'm killing you."
"Hai, hai Sanzo. Sure you'll kill me, just like all those other times-" His words are cut off when a bullet hits the end of Gojyo's cigarette.
"You son of a bitch! What if you missed?!"
"I did miss," Sanzo replies, nonchalantly.
"Now now, guys, I really don't have the energy to stop the two of you from fighting. So please behave." Hakkai tilts his monocle, the glass glinting in the light.
"Damn, I don't know who to be scared of the most. Pissy monk, or straight faced Hakkai?" Gojyo grumbles as he climbs into the driver's side seat. "Come on guys, the sooner we get to the next town, the sooner we can get away from each other."
Sanzo casts one last look at the faint cloud of smoke. In a few hours, the fire would die out completely and whatever caused it would probably be long gone. It will only be a matter time before we will get dragged into whatever stupidity is happening now. But for the moment, he plans to rest in the next town and hope it will be a while before trouble falls into his lap.
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The gentle clanging of metal sounds as a young man walks along the path leading to the charred remains of a house. Four youkai wait for him, their anxiety increasing as the distance between them and the man decreases. When he in only a foot from the youkai, he slams the tip of his staff down, pushing up a cloud of ash, the youkai flinch from the action.
"I heard there was an incident last night," the man says. The end of his staff taps against a blacken skull, his brown eyes lighting with fury as he stares down the group of youkai standing off to the side.
"The girl's gone."
"She's not capable of getting away on her own. Do you know who did this?" he asks.
"No one got a look at them."
"Them? How many people were there?"
"Not sure. Anyone who saw who did this is dead."
"Didn't I tell you to guard her closely?"
"We did!" he snaps. He freezes, looking away. "I'm sorry Lord Lucilius. We had five of my best men guarding her."
"Obviously it wasn't enough." His eyes close, the youkai quiets down, knowing not to disturb him. "How interesting," he finally says, his brown eyes opening. "I don't sense any essence here. Could they have been human?" he wonders, turning the skull over so he can examine the damage to it. "His attacker crushed his skull. The other one was a stab wound to the neck. Most likely the first strike was fatal. "
"We're searching east of here for them."
"Why east?"
"There were several explosions coming from that direction and we could sense someone there-"
"Explosions? What were the other targets?"
"Targets?"
"Yes, were they directed at other youkai?"
"Well, no-"
"Have you ever thought that those explosions were just a distraction to lead you away? And don't you find it odd that this place is devoid of the attacker's presence except for the area where there were explosions?"
"But we found other evidence that they went that way."
"Probably planted evidence. Search west. You said it was five of your best men. It's either that our best is mediocre or whoever did this is skilled."
"Or the person was someone they knew."
"Oh, so you think you have a traitor," Lucilius asks.
"Not at all. I was wondering if you did."
"And what does that mean?"
"I haven't seen that woman who came with you in quite some time. I wouldn't be surprised if she did this."
A long silence follows, Lucilius contemplating his words.
"You could be right. She does what she wants."
"You're telling me she killed some of my men because she felt like it?"
"I can't be held responsible for the actions she takes. But I guarantee you that if that were the case, their sacrifice will be well worth it in the long run."
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"There's word that there was a disturbance recently. She could be using the opportunity to flush the person out before they become a bigger threat." Lucilius whirls around, casting one last look on the youkai. "Either way, search the area and bring the girl back, if not, then your comrades lives really were wasted." The youkai nod their heads before taking off to the west.
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The morning dew glistens off the patches of withered plants. The assassin stops as he reaches the top of a hill overlooking a small village. Cayla slides down his back, landing on her feet. She stretches her small arms, a long yawn escapes her mouth while the back of her hand wipes the sleep from her eyes.
"We'll rest for a bit," his muffled voice says as he kneels down on the ground. He rummages through his satchel before producing a food ration wrapped in a white cloth. "Here," he hands the food to the girl, but finds she is curled in a ball, fast asleep. A long sighs slumps his shoulders, before he slides down the base of a tree trunk. He presses a button on the side of his visor and a grid appears on the landscape, the lines curve with the contours of the land. A twinkling green light appears on the summit of a mountain-their rendezvous point.
He presses the button again and the grid disappears. Less than 3 days left to reach the meeting point and all this will be over. He glances at Cayla, surprised that she can fall into such a deep sleep. He doesn't want to admit it, but he keeps finding himself thinking of a time that happened so long ago.
How time can fly so quickly, but still leave behind memories so fresh that they seem like they had happened only yesterday. Would Cayla also look back at this encounter as a fresh memory or a distorted nightmare?
His eyes drift shut, knowing any sleep he can get will benefit him in the long run, but once again his mind drifts to a time when another child was driven into a dark world against their will...
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He tilted his head onto the palm of his hand, looking from one general to another. Their discussion had gone longer than he thought, and it was starting to get irritating. It should have been a simple matter of who would take in the little girl who suddenly found herself without a mother and father. Grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, not even a cousin wanted to take her in. A cursed child, was what they had called her. He turned his head, his blue eyes focusing on the little girl sitting on a bench in the hallway, her eyes vacant as she stared at the wall in front of her. Even though she had gone mute since the ordeal, he was fairly certain that she understood everything that was going on.
"Like I said, we should send her to an orphanage."
"What good will that do, none of them will be equipped to deal with her situation."
"Then who is going to take her in? We can't throw her on the streets!"
The young man suddenly stood up, his white robes rustling around him as he made his way to the little girl. He ignore the calls from his superiors to come back, his only concern was the little girl he now found himself standing in front of.
"How troublesome," he said, looking down at her. She lifted her head up, her bloodshot eyes ready to shed tears. "You've heard everything, haven't you?"
She nodded her head.
"Don't take it to heart. It's not that no one wants to take you in, it's because they are afraid to. You were the one those people were after. Your remaining family members are afraid if they take you in, the same thing that happened to your parents will happen to them." He motioned to the room he just came from. "They are trying to figure out what to do with you. Do you understand the situation you're in?"
Her little head swayed forward, her dark hair covering her face.
A long silence fell between them.
"I might look young, but I've already made a name for myself in the Royal Guard. I'm considered one of the strongest amongst them. I was able to fend off the demons after you, a feat that no one else has been able to do." He held his hand out to her a warm smile curving his lips. "I would be honored if you allowed me to become your guardian."
The girl eyed the large, muscular hand in front of her. Did she really have a choice? She placed her small hand on top of his and his smile widen. He slowly bowed his head so it rested on the back of her hand.
"I am Mikaelis Gousod, Royal Guard, first class stationed in the Palonnea province and I swear that I will protect you no matter what."
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The assassin jerks awake, sensing something not right with area. He taps a foot against Cayla, who slowly opens her eyes. He places a finger to his lips, telling her to keep quiet. Who is it? he wonders, trying to figure out whose essence has entered the area. He suddenly whirls around, placing himself between the person and Cayla.
A woman stands before them with long dark hair tied in a ponytail. A white uniform clothed her slim, but muscular body, while her oak-wood eyes glare at the assassin in black.
"I finally found you," she states, taking a step towards the two. "You have nothing to fear, I'm here to help you." The dark-haired woman holds her hand out to Cayla. "I'm Serafina Malay, a warrior of Daycarthro." She leans her head to her side, looking down at the assassin with distasteful eyes. "Who exactly are you?"
The assassin takes a step back, placing a hand in front of the girl to stop her from moving forward. The assassin shakes his head and the girl steps back, knowing to trust him. With one firm push, the assassin shoves the girl back, springing forward as he heads straight for Serafina.
"Damn," Serafina mutters, raising her arm to block the incoming strike.
The second his fist makes contact, he whirls around, the heel of his foot knocking her arm away, leaving her wide open. At the last second, Serafina arches her back, just as he releases the blade on his left hand, avoiding what would have been a fatal strike. She twists her body, about to plant a steel-toed kicked to his abdomen, but he flips back, soundlessly landing a couple of feet way and completely out of harm's way.
"You're pretty impressive," Serafina says, falling into her fighting stance. "I can tell you're a member of the Royal Guard. Which Academy are you from?"
The assassin doesn't reply, remaining in his fighting stance.
"The least you can do is give me a name."
A long silence falls between them, neither of them making a move.
"I asked, who are you?!" she snaps.
"It's Mikaelis," he suddenly says, catching her off guard. "But, was it really that frightening to not know my name?" His hushed voice asks. "Don't you know, fear is for the dying?"
"Is that so? Why should I be scared of someone I've never heard of?" She releases the hand-blade on her right hand, preparing herself to take him down no matter what. "Then I guess we should see who gets scared first..."
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A/N: Yeah, that's it for the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to hear from you. Remember reviews fuel the creativity. Till next time!