Sorry for the super ooper long wait guys, life beckons, and it is not easily silenced. I'll try to be more diligent in the future, but for now, thank you all who reviewed, it means the world to me!

"Stupid monkey."

That's what he called me. It's what he always called me. To use my name was an event saved for rare occasions. To hear it meant that all was right in the world. He… Sanzo.

My pants are stiff with blood, mine of course. Something in the explosion had ripped into my hip and it hurt like hell.

"HAKKAI!"

The breeze rustled in the trees around me.

"GOJYO!"

The leaves slowly settled into silence.

"…Sanzo…"

Nothing.

"Sanzo."

Where are you?

"SANZO!"

There wasn't even an echo to follow, and the air swallowed into stillness and quiet around me. I had been wandering for hours and the sun was settling into dusk. This wasn't new, this separation and momentary physical pain. Normally my stomach would drive me into frenzy till

I found the others, but now… something was wrong.

I can't sense him.

No, we don't have a telepathic bond or anything, but you can feel Sanzo. He has this presence, and I can always recognize it, even stronger than Hakkai's or Gojyo's. Even when we're far away from each other, there's still this sense of him. And right now it's gone.

"Dammit…" Ugh, I can't even see straight anymore. I'm so tired…

Ffffffft!

What the… A crossbow shaft?!

I gripped my nyoibo and took a fighting stance but no one was to be seen.

"Come on, come and try me, I dare ya!" Nothing danggit. "Wuss!"

That did it. A group of about 20 youkai stepped from the trees with various weapons, and all of them looked really confident. Dummies, I don't have time for this! I step forward raise my nyoibo… only to be whacked from behind. A youkai stood behind me with a stave. Man, either I'm more exhausted than I thought, or this guy is weak! Weak or not, he and 3 others attack me at once and soon I'm surrounded by the whole group. A mace slams my jaw and I skid to my knees, spots clouding my vision. I raise my nyoibo to ward off a sword and then extend its length through about seven of the mob. The others back off for a moment, only to be cut in two by a familiar weapon, Gojyo's jakujou.

"Geez Goku, getting weak in your ape-ish ways?"

Even the mocking in his words belied the shaded concern in his eyes as he stood by me. Hakkai was several feet away, obliterating the rest. Concern for them and their injuries was far from my mind at the moment due to a greater problem.

Sanzo was no where to be seen.

chao!