Reflection

Chapter One: Order leads Chaos

The sudden stop was the only real thing that snapped him out of his daze. He hadn't realized how far they'd traveled. It felt like hours when it could've only been a few minutes. Goku didn't even know anymore. He groaned as a headache began to sit in, pounding mercilessly on the back of his skull. Maybe this was all a dream and he would wake up in his bed, with nothing more then a few bruises from the previous night's scuffle with his uncle. Maybe it was all a dream, and as Goku opened his eyes and found himself still seated in the strange bus, he couldn't help but wonder if he was still dreaming.

Goku turned to Gojyo, finding the man resting his head on the seat in front of him. The redhead was groaning softly, and Goku imagined he had the same headache he did. "Gojyo? Gojyo, you okay?" Goku asked softly, shaking his friend.

Gojyo groaned again, swatting his hand away. "Fuck… feels like… something's beating on my skull with a sledgehammer." Slowly, the youth opened his eyes, glancing outside the window. All they could see was thick foliage. It looked like a rainforest, with branches and vines so thick it was impossible to get anywhere. Goku wanted more then anything to get off the bus—as it creeped him out more then anything—but he was unsure of what he would be stepping into.

Karl turned to them, smiling brightly. "Well boys, this is your stop."

"Our stop?" Goku cried, getting to his feet. Surely this man was kidding? "You're joking?! Take us home!"

Karl shook his head. "I can't. Your fee's expired. When you pay me again, I'll be back to pick you up."

Gojyo glared at the man and his riddles. "But we didn't give you any money."

Karl chuckled, as though what Gojyo said was in fact very funny. "I never said the fee was money." The door then opened, and Karl turned to look at them with a slightly serious look. "Now c'mon boys. I don't have all day. You're making me late."

Goku and Gojyo glanced at each other once more before slowly standing. They made their way cautiously down the isle, before stepping off the bus. Goku was hit instantly with a wave of humid air, and repulsed at the feel of it. The ground beneath his feet felt unnaturally soft, Goku assumed it was all the moss and grass that grew almost like a carpet to cover the forest's floor. Gojyo, however, was awestruck by the giant trees that grew all around them. They were each hundreds of feet high, with branches that reached up into the heavens. The width of each tree was easily bigger then any house he'd ever seen.

As the boys took in their surroundings, Karl chuckled softly. "Now you boys be careful," Goku and Gojyo turned to face the man, as he gave them a parting wave. "The trees like to bite." Then he shut the door. Goku reasoned he must've blinked, because a second later the bus was gone, and already the moss was growing over the indents where the tires had been. Goku could only let out a startled gasp; bending down next to the indents and watching the moss grow rapidly. In a few seconds, there was no evidence a bus had ever been there.

Slowly, uneasily, Goku stood, and turned to face his friend. Gojyo's eyes seemed wide and he too seemed at a loss for words. They both stood for another second, awed by their surroundings and what led them there. Finally, Gojyo managed to muster up the will to speak. "Pinch me."

Goku blinked, before doing what he asked.

"Ow, what the hell Goku!?"

"You told me to pinch you!"

"It's a figure of speech, moron."

Goku chuckled softly, falling back onto the soft mossy ground, while turning to look up at the bright sky in front of him. Things could be worse. So far things looked pretty peaceful. Almost peaceful enough to take a nap. He heard Gojyo fall down onto the grass next to him, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Goku knew the older man always had cigarettes on him, no matter where he was. Goku let his eyes close, feeling the sun's warmth on his face. He could hear some faraway birds and along with it, different kinds of insects. Opening his eyes, he looked back up towards the sky. "It nice here, eh Gojyo?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Goku smiled, before frowning. Shielding his eyes from the harsh rays, he tried to find out if what he was actually seeing was real. After confirming that he was not hallucinating, Goku tried to put it into words. "Uh… Gojyo?"

"What is it, pipsqueak?" Gojyo asked, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.

"Uh… This place has two suns."

Gojyo could only stare at Goku, before turning his attention towards the sky. Sure enough, one gigantic sun sat in the middle of the sky, signifying high noon, while a smaller, more orange colored sun sat just past that, on the eastern horizon. Gojyo could only stare for a moment, before looking back over at Goku. The two boys sat in silence for a moment, before they burst out laughing. It took them several minutes before they managed to calm down. After taking deep breaths, Gojyo pulled himself to his feet, dusting stray pieces of moss from his pants. "Well then, Goku, shall we look for some human life?"

Goku jumped to his feet, a grin lighting his features. "Why not?"

Though it was easier said then done. The two began to head through the thick foliage, attempting to find any sort of life. Unfortunately, no matter how they pushed and yanked and cut, they could not make their way through the mass of branches, vines and plant life. Before they knew it they had to pull back into the small clearing they started in. Gojyo growled, his patience growing thin with the damned trees. "What the hell is with these things?" he snapped, throwing his hands up. "It's like trying to break through a brick wall." Smirking devilishly, Gojyo produced his lighter. "Let's burn it down, Goku."

Goku opened his mouth to voice his protests, but before he could speak there was a loud creaking. Blinking, Goku looked up in time to watch one of the tree's branches suddenly swing towards them, knocking them both to the ground. They fell to the forest floor with an ungraceful thud, as the lighter flew from Gojyo's hands. Goku pulled himself up, rubbing his head and opening his eyes in time to watch a tree root slither out, grasping Gojyo's lighter and pulling it deep under the ground. Goku could only stare in a combination of bewilderment and fear. Gojyo, however, became angry that he lost his lighter. "Damn tree!" he cried, racing towards it. "That was my last lighter!"

Groaning, he slumped to the ground in defeat, looking over towards Goku, who sat chuckling. "What do we do now?"

Goku couldn't help but smile. "Well, maybe we should stop fighting against the trees, and try and find a way around them. They don't seem to like the idea of being burnt down much."

Gojyo chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You're enjoying this way too much, Goku."

"Yeah, I am," Goku managed out.

Silence managed to settle between the two, as they settled back down into the soft moss. It seemed as though they'd found a moment of peace, when it was abruptly disrupted. "Hey!" screeched a voice. The two boys opened their eyes at the feminine sounding voice, turning towards a young woman seated on one of the tree's higher branches. "You guys're in my favorite spot! Lirin's mad now!"

Goku and Gojyo didn't even have enough time to shoot each other a confused look before the young woman jumped from the branch. It was easily twelve stories from the ground, and Goku tried to call out to her. As she headed rapidly towards the ground, Goku turned away, expecting a bone crunching thud and the splatter of blood. It never came. Opening his eyes, he turned and watched the young woman land on all fours, with nothing but the sound of bells announcing her arrival. She was probably about Goku's age, possibly a bit older, wearing tattered jeans which one leg had been torn off, with a sleeveless top which accented her large breasts. She had short, wild red hair with glimmering green eyes which narrowed out like a mischievous cat's.

Goku could only stare at the young woman, wondering how in God's name she survived the fall from at least twelve stories. Finally managing to open his mouth to phrase a question, he could only fumble out something incomprehensible, before her eyes settled on him. It was sudden, the way her eyes widened and absolute terror crossed her features. Holding her hands up in front of her, she shook with fear. "Oh… Goddess… It's… it's you!" she screeched, before stumbling backwards. Tripping over a loose root, she fell to the ground, still staring at him, petrified.

Goku could only raise a confused brow. Why was she so afraid of him? Getting to his feet, he held a hand out to help her up. "I won't hurt you," he managed to squeeze in, before she screamed.

"Don't hurt me! Goddess, I don't want to die! Somebody save me!" she screamed again, before backing up until she met a tree. Flipping around, she managed to get to her feet, before pounding her fists on the bark. "Akimono! Akimono, please save me!"

The tree groaned again, and before Goku could blink, a large branch smacked him to the chest. It wasn't hard, but it knocked the wind out of him as he was thrown back against the mossy ground. He heard Gojyo call out his name in alarm, rushing to his side. After managing to choke in air, he sat up, watching as the questionable girl disappeared beyond the foliage, before almost immediately, the branches closed up, locking them inside once more.

It was silent before another moment, before Gojyo managed to chuckle softly. "Wow, Goku. I never thought you were that ugly."

Coughing, Goku got to his feet. "Shut up Gojyo," he muttered bitterly, before turning to search for a new way out.

---

The Order was in an uproar. Then again, looking at what had previously taken place, could anyone really blame them? Grinding his teeth around his cigarette, he continued walking down the long, crowded hallways. It was only recently that one of the large storage areas had been ransacked; most of the supplies had either been stolen or destroyed if not needed. It caused panic to ripple through Capital City. Everyone was terrified, and they blamed the Order for not dealing with the Rebellion sooner. He ground his teeth in annoyance as he dodged a woman with a stack of books. The people could bitch all they wanted, but it wouldn't do any good. There had been searches non-stop for the Rebels, but nothing had turned up. They may not have had very decent numbers, but they damn well knew how to hide.

Genjyo Sanzo headed down the hallways, turning and twisting within the main building until he came to an empty corridor. It didn't surprise him. Very few people were permitted down in this section of the building. It was where the people in charge of the Order resided. They didn't much like noise.

After twisting and turning down several more hallways, Sanzo stopped at a dead end. Grinding his teeth, he tried not to lash out. He hated this building. It had a life of its own, and often closed off hallways or moved staircases or even rooms if it found it enjoyable. The building often liked to pull such pranks on Sanzo, for it knew how much he hated it. "Oliver!" Sanzo yelled out, the sound of his rough tone echoing through the desolate hallway. "Open up this wall right now!"

"And what if I don't want to?" cooed a familiar voice from a nearby painting. Sanzo's eyes snapped towards it. It was of an elderly man, one of the Oder's founders. Oliver—the building, as it liked to be referred to—often possessed pictures and paintings so it could speak to whoever it was he was pulling a prank on. The man within the painting moved, placing his elbows on the table and smiling wickedly at him.

Growing impatient with the building, Sanzo reached into his uniform, pulling out his revolver and pointing it directly at the painting. "Well then, I'll have to start shooting until this wall opens up, won't I?"

The painting fell back into its original position, not without Oliver muttering a soft, "Bastard," beforehand. The walls then gave a rumble, before it opened up, revealing a hallway that had gone dark. But as Sanzo began to head down it, Oliver lit the torches that sat dotted along the sides. Sanzo headed quickly down the hallway, before stopping at a door, and opening it. He didn't even bother to knock, he knew it didn't matter.

Seated behind the desk was Kanzeon Bosatsu. The woman was as annoying as she was mischievous. With long, dark hair and glinting eyes hidden behind thick lashes. Though her usual devilish smile was long since forgotten, and a look of pure seriousness lined her features. Sanzo's eyes strayed to the other figure in the room. Kougaiji. He stood perfectly straight, his slanting indigo eyes never leaving Sanzo's form as he pulled himself into the room. His long red hair hung down his back while his demonic features set himself out in the room with two other humans. He was a spy they had hired to keep a watch out for the rebellion, though he was proving to be more hassle then he was worth, in Sanzo's opinion. The bastard refused to give away the location of the Rebellion, and he hadn't even bothered to warn them about the attack on Capital City's supplies.

His eyes settled on Kanzeon as he crossed her legs confidently. The Hermaphrodite smiled at him, as though enjoying the tension between her nephew and Kougaiji. Sadist. Sometimes, Sanzo felt like the most normal person he knew. "Well Sanzo, Kougaiji has finally decided to report back to us, and since you're in charge of the department, I figured you'd like to hear."

Sanzo's eyes trailed dangerously over to the redhead, his lips set in a firm line though inside his mind was raging. If that damned bastard had reported in a week earlier, then he'd have a shitload less paperwork to do. "So, now the rat decides to show his ugly face."

Kougaiji glared. "Shut up. I did the best I could. I tried to warn you, but they wouldn't let me go."

Sanzo smiled bitterly. "And thanks to your wondrous efforts, one third of Capital City is going to die during the Eclipse." Sanzo crossed his arms, glaring the man down. "If you just told us where the Rebellion is hiding, we could go down there and arrest them and none of this would have happened."

"Hey!" Kougaiji snapped, loud enough that the sound ricochet off the walls of the small office. "I have a wife and newborn daughter out there, and I'll be damned if I let you arrest them!" he yelled, before settling back and crossing his arms. "I'm doing this to help both sides, not let you trump over my new family."

Sanzo glared, but did not go on. After a moment's silence, he finally spoke, "Well then, what news did you bring us?"

Kougaiji sent one last glare over towards the Hunter, before he sighed. "The Rebels are planning another attack in four days. They're going to strike the second station, on the east side of Capital City."

"So soon?" Kanzeon interjected.

"Idiots," Sanzo added.

Kougaiji nodded. "They're going to attack after the First Sun has set, when there's less light. They said that it would be a surprise attack, and they assume you wouldn't be expecting them so soon."

Sanzo nodded, absorbing all the information. "All right then. We'll need to reinforce our security, and block off all possibilities of a surprise attack."

"And Sanzo?"

Said blonde looked up, a soft frown lighting his features. "What?"

Kougaiji looked uncertain, as if he didn't have the right to request a favor. "Don't kill anyone," he said finally.

Sanzo's features softened from a look of annoyance to plain indifference. He gave a short nod. "We never have before, Kougaiji. We're not about to start now."

Just as it seemed a moment of pure understanding had settled between the two, the door was suddenly thrown open, and Kougaiji's younger sister burst in. With unnatural speed, she threw herself into her older brother's chest, sobbing hysterically. "Kougaiji! Kougaiji!" she sobbed. "I saw it! Lirin was so scared! So very scared!"

Sanzo frowned; clearly dismayed that Kougaiji's younger sister saw the need to rush in, not caring for the seriousness of the meeting. Kougaiji met his eyes, giving him an apologetic glance before turning down to the bundle in his arms. "Lirin, clam down. Where are your manners?"

"But Kougaiji, I saw it!" she cried again.

Sanzo resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "Saw what?" Kougaiji asked patiently. Much more patience then Sanzo ever thought he'd be able to have in that sort of situation.

"Seiten Taisei."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the entire air in the room tensed. Sanzo shut the door, trying to stop anyone from overhearing while Kanzeon stood a look of outrage and a glimmer of fear in her eyes. "Are you sure that's what you saw?" Kougaiji pressed, sliding his younger sister into a nearby chair and studying her closely.

The young girl nodded, hiccupping. "Akimono saved me."

Kanzeon's sharp eyes flew to Sanzo, her glare making something in his chest twist. "I thought you had Seiten Taisei in your care, Sanzo," she snapped. "Where is he now?"

Sanzo glared back with equal intensity. "He's still back at my house. I have him under severe lockdown, he didn't get out." His eyes then turned back to the young girl in the chair, frowning deeply at inward thoughts. Was it possible the demon managed to slip past his notice? He doubted it. "The trees were probably playing tricks on her again."

"I know what I saw!" Lirin snapped, her eyes holding defiance as she glared up at Sanzo. "Akimono wouldn't play tricks on me! Not scary ones like that!"

Sanzo glared back at her, but could tell she was not wavering in her story. Finally having enough, Sanzo snorted and headed towards the door. "Wait Sanzo!" Kanzeon cried. He turned back to her, frowning deeply. "I want you to look into this. Find out what Lirin saw."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed. He didn't have time to play with the damned trees again. "I have paperwork."

"You're a Hunter, finding and taking care of miscreants and rebels is your first priority." She answered, before a smile tugged on your lips. "Besides, this became your number one priority the day you decided to take Seiten Taisei into your care two years ago."

"And what a mistake that was," Sanzo snapped.

"Sanzo…" Kanzeon warned.

Sanzo waved his hand in dismissal. "I'll look into it, okay?" he snapped, before sighing. "For Fuck's sake the Sun Goddess must hate me," he muttered bitterly, before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

---

Sanzo was grateful when he finally got home that evening. The First Sun was slowly setting, leaving nothing but the dull glow of the Second Sun to light his way. Sanzo had never seen true darkness. Whether it was night or day, there was always at least one sun in the sky. Perhaps that was what made the Eclipse so terrifying. For an entire year both suns would disappear from the sky and the entire world was shrouded in true, suffocating darkness. Crops died, oceans receded, and earthquakes shook the land. It only happened once every fifty years, though the effects of what took place during that year could be forever damaging.

He pulled himself into the small house he called home, dumping his jacket and bag on the floor withy a dull thud. The house seemed eerily quiet. Perhaps Seiten Taisei did escape. Kicking his shoes off, he headed up the stairs, towards the last room at the end of the hall.

The door had a giant lock on it, and was covered with seals. Nothing got in or out without his permission. It had taken him three months to finally find a method to keep the damned trouble maker confined. Once he had been confined the Order had decided he should not be moved. For if even one thing went wrong, and he was released again, the Order doubted they'd be able to stop him. Sanzo agreed. He still had the scars from the last time Seiten Taisei escaped.

He unlocked the door, opening it and stepping in. His guard up, he prepared for any sort of attack. He managed to get in and close the door before any escape attempts were made.

The room wasn't overly small, but it wasn't the biggest in the house. There was a bed set up in the corner, a bookshelf Sanzo had stalked with books, and a desk he'd set up in the corner. Each book Sanzo had bothered to give the demon had been shredded; the remains of each book had been thrown along the ground like the bedding for the nest of something truly terrifying. Sanzo didn't care about the books; he doubted the demon would read them anyway. The walls of the room were covered in seals exactly like the ones outside the door. He guessed the powerful seals were the only reason the demon hadn't ripped up the walls as he did to everything else in the room. The bookshelf, after being emptied of everything, had been put on its side, and placed on one side of the bed, as though the demon intended to build a wall. The desk too, had been dragged over to the end of the bed; the other two sides were protected by the walls of the room. Sanzo often thought that despite the demon's powerful and bloodthirsty nature, he still liked to fall asleep knowing it still had protection around it.

Sanzo had still not spotted the demon, and decided he was probably sleeping. Cautiously, he headed towards the protected bed, peering over the bookshelf to try and get a good look at the demon before him. The blankets had been clawed and ripped in places, but somehow they managed to stay together. Same went for the bed Sanzo had given him. He was surprised to find Seiten Taisei lying, curled up in the bed, right where he'd left him. Seiten Taisei's golden eyes were open, and looked hazily up at him, a small, knowing smile lighting the demon's lips. Frowning, Sanzo wondered what was wrong with him. Normally every time Sanzo entered the room, the demon was all over him. Whether it was in wonder at what he'd brought for dinner, or another cleverly planned escape root. This was the calmest he'd ever seen the demon.

Concerned, Sanzo reached out, gently laying three fingers over the demon's forehead. Seiten Taisei just let out a low purr, which was unlike him. There was no swat of the claws at the unnatural contact, which surprised him. Sanzo frowned at the heat radiating from the demon's body. It felt like a fever. Great, now he had to take care of a feverish, psychotic, bloodthirsty demon. How bad could today get? "Fuck," Sanzo cursed, pulling back his hand. Seiten Taisei opened his eyes lazily, looking up at his keeper with an all-knowing look. "You troublesome brat."

"Seckoi un'molite Gn'hiat so," the demon mumbled in a croaked whisper.

Sanzo stared at the young demon as it purred softly, frowning at its natural dialect. "You know I can't understand a word you say."

Seiten Taisei just smiled.

A/N: I have the perfect image of ST in this chapter, and I just want to glomp him. He's so adorable. Anyway, please review, and I'll love you forever. Tata!