Two days remained until the festival in town but the tension in the Sanzo party was anything but festive. Sanzo was moodier than usual as he tried to figure out what was going on in the minds of his companions, Gojyo was beyond frustrated, Hakkai was silent and horribly conflicted and Koume could hardly even force a smile anymore. The only one who seemed to be more or less unaffected was Goku, and he took it upon himself to try and cheer everyone up. He recommended a leisurely stroll through town and though no one wanted to, they humored him and walked about to observe the townspeople set up.
"You know, Sanzo…" Goku started, trying to open a conversation. "This festival thingy…"
"What about it?" Sanzo asked, not really in the mood to talk.
"Well, you said before that honoring the dead is an honorable tradition, but to make a whole festival out of it…"
"You don't think it's a good idea?"
"No, actually I kind of like it. It's not like they're happy because people are dead, but more, it is comforting to those left behind. It's a chance to remember the good things about their loved ones and use that as strength to keep going."
"Wow…" Gojyo whistled, leaning his arm on the boy's head. "I don't think I've ever heard you say something so profound before, little monkey. You surprise me!"
"Hey, lay off!" Goku said, brushing his arm away. "Don't call me a monkey!"
"And why not?" And just like that, a playful argument started up much like it did before all this drama started. Hakkai tried to step in and quell the fighting before Sanzo's fan would make an appearance—he did not succeed. Everything seemed like it was back to normal… the way it should be… That's what Koume thought as she stood back and watched in silence. They looked so happy somehow, even when they were fighting. The perfect group.
A group that doesn't need you.
Those words stabbed her through the heart. She really didn't fit in with them… she didn't have a place amongst them… maybe she would be better off just leaving. If she turned around right then, would they notice she was gone? Would it even matter to them? Goku would probably miss her… he had such a kind heart that was big enough for anyone and everyone… Anyone… that's right, it didn't have to be her, specifically. Maybe she should just go… unconsciously, she took a step back and just then, Sanzo glanced back at her. The look on his face was… unusual: a mix of shock, confusion and something she just… couldn't understand.
"Oi. What are you doing back there? Come over here before you're left behind."
Left behind… she almost wanted to cry right then. That must have been obvious on her face as his expression instantly changed. Maybe he was finally starting to understand her tears from the night before and why she'd been acting so strangely. Yes… Koume knew it was coming. Sanzo stepped towards her, extending a hand.
"Kou-"
Just then, a loud scream ripped through the air and everyone whipped their heads to the right just as some of the townspeople started running. A building collapsed in the distance and within seconds, a band of about a dozen demons made their appearance, clawing their way through the flurry of people.
"Where the hell did these guys come from?!" Goku shouted, summoning his weapon, as did Gojyo.
"Dunno, but they're crashing the party before it's even started!"
"Then lets show them how we treat uninvited guests, shall we?" Sanzo drew his gun from his sleeve and Hakkai took a defensive stance next to him. As one of the demons was about to pounce on an innocent woman, Gojyo's blade swung at him, cutting him in two like he was made of paper. This sudden retaliation caused the other demons to stop and look their way.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you lousy punks? I'm the only one allowed to chase after beautiful women."
"You… how dare you kill one of us!" Another demon shouted, baring his fangs. "Attack!"
Everyone had a job to do, everyone was working their hardest to keep the demons focused on them and away from the fleeing villagers… except for Koume, who merely stood still amongst the chaos. Bombs exploded around her, weapons flew past, but still she didn't move. Sanzo looked over as he reloaded his gun and saw her still form.
"Koume! What the hell are you doing? Move your ass!" She didn't move, not even as a knife flew through the air to lightly cut her cheek. The blood dripped down her face, but she made no move, no sound. She appeared to be distracted…
"Koume!" Sanzo's shouting got Gojyo's attention and he looked over at her.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Was it the baby? Was she feeling sick? He tried to make his way over to her. "Koume!"
"…I hear something…"
"What…?" Sanzo couldn't understand what she was saying. All his yelling wasn't getting through to her, but one voice did. Turning her head, Koume noticed a small child sitting nearby her. This child was covered in dirt and blood- but not her own- she was covered in the blood of her parents who were laying on the ground. She shook them as she sobbed, calling out for them, not understanding that they couldn't hear her. The sight was just painful to watch… She was alone…. Alone, just like… Koume didn't get a chance to finish her thought as she heard a demon screech above them. Looking up, she saw that this demon had two handheld bombs in his hand and his target was obvious: the child. She had to do something, had to save this child, even though she was alone in the world. Maybe it was her who wanted to be saved… Either way, Koume ran towards the child, grabbing her up in a swift move and tried to make a run for it.
"Not so fast!" The demon yelled, throwing his bombs in her direction. Sanzo saw the demon as well and popped off two shots to kill it before it hit the ground, but the noise made Koume stop running. She didn't realize that the bombs had been released until they exploded, sending her and the child in her arms flying through the air. The explosion burned her back painfully and she let out a yell as she hit the ground, rolling several feet before stopping. The others called out for her as she tried to sit back upright, forcing back a yelp of pain. Even if she'd been injured, she managed to save the girl…. Right? Looking down, however, she saw otherwise. The young child in her arms wasn't moving, wasn't breathing… and Koume's fingers were… covered in her blood. Had the explosion killed her, or… had she been holding on too tightly? Did she…
"Oh dear… it looks like you killed her." Koume's heart skipped a beat as her eyes slowly looked up to behold none other than Nii…. Why was he still there? Was she just imagining him standing there? Was he some phantom there to torment her… no… there was no denying his scent.
"Y-you…" Nii looked down at the pale, motionless child and shook his head, clicking his tongue.
"So sad… but what did you expect? A soulless doll can't possibly save anyone, you know." Sanzo and the others were running towards her before they were stopped by a line of demons separating them, but they weren't attacking. Sanzo growled, glaring at the man.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"That is need-to-know information, and frankly, you don't." Nii said with a grin.
"He's… the one in charge… of Gyumaoh's resurrection…" Koume choked out softly, her body trembling. Hakkai recalled what Kougaiji had told him. So this was the man who brought Koume back to life…
"But he's human… why does a human want to bring a demon to life?" Gojyo asked, confused.
"I'm a scientist, first and foremost, dear boy. Throughout history, scientists have challenged the natural order of this world to accomplish astonishing things. We have changed the world, and I will go down in history, succeeding where so many have failed! I will turn back the hands of time and bring the dead back to life!"
"Using black magic and technology… an unholy, forbidden art…"
" Ah ah ah…" Nii said, shaking a finger at Sanzo. "Be careful what you say monk. Your dear little doll here was given life through those "unholy" methods. She's a product of my hard work. A sinful little creature."
"Hey! Stop sayin such bad things about Koume!" Goku growled at the man. "I don't care if that guy's human or not, I'm going to kick his ass!"
"You'll have to wait in line, monkey, cause I intend to get to him first!" Gojyo responded, gripping his weapon tightly.
"Koume! Get up and get your ass over here right now! Get away from him!" Sanzo tried, but Koume didn't move. Her eyes were locked on Nii, her body trembling. Was it happening already? Was this the end?
She thought she'd have more time.
"What the hell do you want, old man?"
"Me? Why… I want the key to life."
"Excuse me?"
"I want to know the secrets of creating a life… in order to gain more knowledge to help me with my great work, and Koume can give it to me. I think… that's what you want, too…" his eyes fell onto Hakkai, who shivered at the attention suddenly being given to him.
"What… do you mean…?"
"It's my understanding that long ago, you lost someone dear to you. How sad you must be… what if I told you there was a way to get your long lost love back?" Hakkai's heart nearly stopped right there. His eyes widened, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Kanan was gone… she was dead, and nothing could bring her back….right? He suddenly wasn't so sure. What if it were possible? His mind was racing, his chest tightening. Something didn't seem right, but this was Kanan they were talking about. If there was a chance to get her back…. Gojyo tried to yell at him, to tell him not to listen, but he was completely taken in by this mysterious man.
"The key to life is standing right before your eyes, but nothing in this world is free. Tell me… what would you be willing to give up in order to have your dearly beloved back?"
"Anything…. Everything…" He spoke without even thinking about it. If it were for Kanan, he wouldn't hesitate to give up his own life. But was that what he really wanted? Would Kanan be happy with a sacrifice like that?
"Hakkai!" Gojyo shouted again. "Hey, pull yourself together, man! You're talkin crazy!"
"…Is it crazy, Gojyo?" Koume finally spoke, slowly getting to her feet despite her painful burns, leaving the child's body at her feet. "Is it crazy to long for that which you've lost? To reach for something unattainable by normal means…?" Her head was down, voice low and melancholy, her bangs hanging over her eyes. "Maybe it is… but…if it's something within your reach… why not extend your hand to take it…?" Koume stepped closer to the man in the lab coat, putting more distance between her and Sanzo's group.
"Koume, get back here! What are you doing?" Sanzo shouted again.
"What I should have done sooner…" she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. She stopped in front of Nii, keeping her head down. He had the sickest look of satisfaction and it sent chills down Hakkai's spine.
"Koume… please just come here…" he tried calling to her, but she didn't move.
"Cho Hakkai… do you really want her back?" the twisted scientists asked.
"I-I do, but…"
"Very well. Then…" without hesitating, Koume held out her hand, accepting an item from the man. From his angle, Sanzo couldn't tell what the object was right away, until her hand fell to her side. That's when he saw it… a gun.
"K-Koume…" Gojyo paled. What was she planning to do with that?
"Koume, what the hell?!" Goku exclaimed in shock.
"Put that down right now! Drop it!" Sanzo shouted next, fear welling up inside him quickly. While the others were panicking, Hakkai was frozen in place. Somehow, he felt like he'd lived this all before.
"I can't. You see… I'm a creature that was never meant to exist… I never had a purpose, a reason to live… until now."
"Koume, don't…"
"I want to make you happy… all of you. That's all I care about, and the only thing I ever wanted for myself was… to be wanted; to have a family who cared about me. So I thank you for letting me experience that, even if only for a while… I knew I never really belonged here, though… eventually, I would have been thrown away anyway."
"That's not true, Koume…!" Goku said, tears forming in his eyes. "We love you… we don't want you to go anywhere! I don't want you to leave!"
"Thank you, Goku…" She said softly, voice full of sincerity. It was chilling…. "If you remember me... If I can make those I love happy, then my time here wasn't wasted." She slowly rose the gun, pressing the cold metal to her temple. "Hakkai… I'm sorry I remind you… I'm sorry I cause you pain. I never wanted to hurt you." Hakkai gasped. So she heard him the other night…! Now he was sure… making that deal with Kougaiji was a mistake and here he was, about to lose everything all over again!
"Koume! Forget all this bullshit, drop the gun and get your ass over here!"
"I'm sorry, love… but it's too late for me…"
No… not again… not those words, gentle and sad… and hopeless. Hakkai didn't want to hear it all over again, he didn't want to watch this scene play out right in front of him. He could hear the rain drumming in his ears, could feel the ache of the wound in his stomach… Not again… don't….
Koume wasn't going to stop, wasn't going to come to her senses! The hands had been dealt and there was only one card left that Gojyo could play. He saw her finger lightly squeeze the trigger so he knew he had to do it now. He took in a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Koume, you're going to kill your baby!" Everyone's eyes widened and jaws unhinged at the sudden yell and Koume hesitated… only for a moment before tears cascaded down her cheeks. She smiled sadly, regretfully, but she pulled the trigger anyway. The gun clicked and the bullet left the chamber; however, instead of a splash of blood, a bright light lit up as the bullet made contact with her skull. That blinding light poured from her head like blood and was absorbed into the bullet, which then dropped to the ground a few feet away. The light now gone, Koume's arm fell to her side, the gun dropping to the ground. She swayed a bit, barely standing, and then collapsed like a limp rag doll.
The group wasn't about to be held back any longer, and it took them only seconds to rip the demons in front of them apart. Sanzo rushed past the scene of death first and slid to a halt next to Koume. He carefully pulled her body into his arms and shook her.
"Koume! Koume, hey! Look at me!" Her body was heavy, cold, and her face was completely emotionless. Her eyes didn't open, her chest didn't rise or fall and not a single breath escaped past her lips, and yet there was not a drop of blood to be found. He shook her again, more forcefully this time, but still she didn't move. The others rushed over to her aid and Hakkai searched desperately for a wound to heal, only to find none. How was it possible…? How could it happen to the same person twice…? While they were concerned with her, Nii's only concern was the bullet which was dispensed, now letting off a soft glow. He knelt down to retrieve it seconds before three pairs of angry eyes were directed at him.
"Hey, asshat! What the hell just happened?!" Gojyo growled in pure rage.
"Fascinating, wasn't it?" Nii answered, smiling. "I designed this bullet myself… it's one of a kind, completely unique… it's purpose… is to extract a single soul."
"To extract…"
"You mean it pulled her soul out of her body…? But…"
"That means, simply, that the body in your arms is nothing but an empty shell now. Without a soul, even a fabricated one such as this, the body will simply die." Sanzo pointed his gun at the man, ready and willing to put a bullet in his skull.
"Give it back to us! We aren't going to just let you walk away with that!"
"Oh, but I can't give it back. You see, I want to study it, and use it for my next experiment." He looked away from the bullet to the lifeless body on Sanzo's lap. "I was going to let you keep that…. But I have to admit I'm curious… If she is really with child… hmmm.. what would happen…?" He made his decision and with a snap of his fingers, more demons appeared and the Sanzo party was quickly knocked aside, away from Koume's body. As they recovered themselves, they looked up to see a demon with wings carrying Koume's body away, and the doctor was on board a flying dragon like Kougaiji usually used.
"Thank you for your time, gentlemen." Nii said, waving to them. "I'll come back for your scripture another day… this is a fine enough reward for my efforts." He was going to get away, going to take away their only chances of saving Koume… and Hakkai couldn't stand by and watch this play out any longer. He yelled out loudly and ran at the flying dragon, jumping high up into the air to grab onto the dragon's tail.
"You're not going to take her away from me!" The doctor looked surprised for a moment, then a pleased grin stretched across his face.
"Would you look at that… a consolation prize. You'll be a fun toy to play with." The dragon flew even higher and Gojyo jumped up to his feet.
"Hakkai, you idiot! Just let go! Get your ass back down here!"
"I wont…! I can't leave her now!"
"How admirable…" His goal met, Nii gave the signal as the dragon and the flying demon flew away into the sunset, leaving what remained of the Sanzo party amongst a field of demon corpses.