Title: All That's Left
Author: Brad C
Disclaimer: Kazuya Minekura
Nii muses around his short smoldering cigarette, leaning back against the chair with his hands cushioning the back of his head. He reaches one hand over the desk, fingers swiftly tapping on a few keys on the board. The monitor brought up a small blurry video of a blonde priest monk and his followers. The headphone gives off low moderate muffling sound and static noises, resting next to the keyboard beside his cold cup of coffee. The doctor then stubs his finished cigarette into the ashtray, on the table beside him. He perches up from his seat, grabbing the battered up cigarette box and fishes out a fresh nicotine. He glances over at the blue screen before him, muttering around the cigarette in his mouth. "When the time comes… We shall meet again…"
The sun slowly begins to set across the horizon. The skies giving off a radiant and vibrant yellow and blood orange red glow, it gradually turns violet and turns deep dark blue. The night skies slowly devour the strong and powerful daylight.
"Are those two guys still following?" Sanzo grumbles underneath his breath, turning his head slightly over his shoulder. "Can't help the fact that the Great Sanzo Priest has many fans…" Gojyo interjects, mouthing around his cigarette with a crooked grin on his face, hands in his pockets following behind the blonde priest. "If you don't shut up, the next fan is going to be shoved up your ass…" The blonde priest snarls at the redheaded water sprite. Gojyo chokes out a small laugh, taking the cigarette out from his mouth and exhaling a few streaks of smoke.
"They are indeed troublesome…" Hakkai answers with a politely with a small grim smile across his face, running his finger through his white dragon's hair. Hakuryuu croons tunefully, closing his eyes as he feels his master running his finger through the hair of his small dragon head. "Sanzo… Are we there yet… I'm hungry…." Goku moans grumpily, pacing side-by-side next to the blonde priest. "You can stop thinking about food for once, untilwe find a place to stay." The blonde priest gives an exasperate sigh. "I don't always think about food, Sanzo…" Goku grins as he smiles from ear to ear, following the blonde priest every step. Sanzo glances down at the monkey and grumbles. "Well we better soon, the weather is getting awfully cold outside," Hakkai suggests delightfully, speaking in his usual motherly tone.
The four hurries inside a small inn, the blonde priest reaches into the sleeves of his robes and fishes out his gold credit card. The inn manager hands the card and swipes it, and hands it back to the blonde priest, smiling in a very delightful and respectful manner. The foursome makes their way upstairs to the bedrooms. "I get a bed with Sanzo tonight!" Goku shouts cheerfully, taking a few big strides to catch up with the grumpy blonde priest. "Oh no, you don't…" Sanzo interjects, shoving his hand in front of the young brunette's face, "You get your own room tonight, stupid monkey." "Oomph…" Goku muffles, taking his hand and removing the monk's hands off his face, "But Sanzo…" His voice fills with concerns as he glances up looking at the blonde monk with bright yellow eyes. "I'm going to bed…" Sanzo retorts as he opens the door of his room and closes it behind him. Goku goes to his own bedroom, closing the door slowly behind him, and leaves a small crack open. In hope the blonde monk will find his way into his room.
Gojyo and Hakkai were already in their own shared room, sleeping soundly.
The radiant moon finally reveals itself as the skies gets darker. The large full moon illuminating brightly against the dark blue skies, hanging very lowly watching over the earth and the human activities below. It smiles warmly and coolly, brightly like a mother watching over her children sleeping, guarding them as they sleep.
Nii takes off his black shoes from underneath his work station, slipping into his yellow bunny slippers. He chuckles to himself mischievously, still remembering that he stole them from the young demon prince sometime ago, and wonders why he has not bother to get them back. The doctor grabs his pack of cigarettes and lighter from his desk and places them inside his shirt pocket, grabbing the bunny doll sitting beside the computer monitor, and curls it underneath his arms of his lab coat. He opens the door and walks in a slow steady pace out the door and out into the balcony. The doctor settles the bunny doll against the pillar, sitting mindless on rail with its endless smile.
"Here you are again… Showing up in front of me, when I am not looking…" Nii sighs fondly with his head hanging low over his shoulders, reaching a hand into his black shirt pocket and grabs a box of cigarette and lighter. He pulls out a stick of nicotine out from the battered box and lights its up with both hands. He rests both of his arms lazily on the balcony rail, gazing at his own two feet. Nii glances up hesitantly; pushing up his black framed glasses with his middle finger, and then stares at the large full moon with admiration glistening in his eyes. He then turns forward facing the wall with his back to the moon. He smiles faintly with hint of sadness in his eyes.
Sanzo walks towards the windowsill, opening the window to his room. The window would not budge or swing open with ease. He lifts his leg high above his waist, and kicks it hard against the window. It still would not budge. He grumbles annoyingly, grabbing the handle again, pushing against it with his right shoulder and finally yanks it wide open. Sanzo looks down out the wide open window with his eyes wide in shock from his room, nearly giving himself a heart-attack due a stubborn window problem. The blonde monk grabs the handle and pulls the window back in a bit. He settles down by the windowsill, and lights up a stick of cigarette. Sanzo looks up at the full moon without blinking an eye, "Nothing has changed as has it? Not even this weight of burden…"
"The rabbit will hide from the lion by day. They will only devour by night…" Nii says to no one in particular with a grim smile on his face, the sound of his voice raw and ragged. He takes his cigarette inhaling deeply with his eyes closed, savoring the black licorice in his mouth. He pulls down his orange tie around his neck, leaving it more loosely and casually around his neck. The doctor turns around and faces the bright moon again with few more strands of black hair covering his eyes behind his black-framed glasses, "I assure you. He will get the message, when this game is over…" Nii answers quietly, leaving the cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth. He reaches over to the pillar where he left the bunny doll, curling deeply into his arms again.
Nii walks off slowly, pacing steadily back inside to the laboratory chamber.
Footnote:
1. In China, Lions are known to repel evil.
