Memories of a Life Gone By pt. 10 Promised Dreams and a Fox's Powers
"Are you mad!" the old man cried. "I'll go broke if I do that!"
Sanzo's gold card glimmered in the sunlight.
"Then I'll pay," he replied flashing his card in his hands. "But if I win, it's on the Fei brothers."
"Oo!" the brothers grinned. "Thanks for giving us a nice souvenir and paying for our tab!"
"Save it for when you win," Sanzo glared.
"Hey now..." Gojyo turned still holding Miyuki in his arms. "Is he serious? If we lose, that'll be a big loss!"
With a large bag filled with bread in his arms, Goku walked up. Hungrily, he began eating a loaf.
"What! What!" he asked as food flew from his mouth. "What's happening!"
Gojyo sighed turning to avoid the flying food. Sanzo and the brothers stood off in a glare. Hakkai smiled.
"Uh oh," he began still smiling. "You haven't even started drinking, and your eyes are already unfocused... But then again that's normal..."
Hakuryuu kyued in agreement. The crowds cheered. On a distant rooftop, the monkeys watched.
Smiling, Hakkai folded her cheong sam and held her shoes under his arm as he walked onto the stage taking a seat at a table. Sanzo followed.
"Oi, monkey," Gojyo began as he held out Miyuki to him by the scruff of her neck. "Take care of this, and don't let any dogs get it. Otherwise, I'll kill you."
Goku stared. He smiled.
"Hey did we get a new pet?" he grinned. "She looks delicious!"
The fox let out a frightened bark. Gojyo twitched as he grabbed Goku's head giving it a rough noogie.
"And if you eat her, I won't even kill you! I'll do something much worse!" he cried as Goku screamed.
"Ow! Ow!" Goku winced. "O.k. O.k. I won't eat her!"
"Good," Gojyo smirked as he placed the fox on Goku's empty shoulder. "I'm glad we have an understanding."
Hakuryuu perched himself on Goku's other shoulder. Hakkai smiled.
"Take care of Hakuryuu too will you?" he called out.
"Thank you for waiting!" the old man bellowed making the crowd and contestants turn. "We will now begin the drinking contest."
"Sanzo! Hakkai! Gojyo!" Goku called out as he pushed through the crowd with a large plate of meat buns. "Good luck!"
Hakuryuu chirped. Miyuki leapt from his shoulder to the ground and let out a bark. Goku began to eat shoving a large meatbun in his mouth greedily.
"The rules are simple," the old man continued. "Drink as much as you can amongst the three of you, and the team that doesn't pass out in the end is the winner! Now, get ready!.. Set!... Start!"
The crowd burst into cheers as the first cups of wine grew full.
The contestants drank eagerly. Empty bottles and jugs quickly overflowed the small tables beside where they sat. The man across from Sanzo smiled.
"Wow, monk!" he laughed. "You're really knocking them back! You learn to drink like that in your seminary? Tell me where to sign up! I wish you enough luck to not ruin your pace!"
As more empty bottles spilled over the table, the man groaned.
"Man! Where you all putting the stuff you drink!" he questioned drunkenly. "You guys are like sieves!"
The cup slipped from his hands as he fell backward unconscious. Sanzo snorted.
"Pitiful," he commented snidely.
Gojyo laughed.
"Easy win! Easy win!" he grinned. "This will be a cake-walk."
"Hai," Hakkai smiled laughing lightly. "I still haven't had enough. We'll have to work hard to keep the other teams going... I really need to get smashed."
Sanzo stared at the other tables as he thought. Room to spare, I see... He thought. But there's a still a long way to go, and we'll be drinking a lot of wine before the day's through whether we like it or not. His eyes stopped as he watched the Fei brothers.
"Hey!" the first brother cried. "That monk's team isn't half bad."
"But at that rate, they'll never beat us," the second brother smirked as he leaned in muttering to the first.
They burst out laughing.
"You got that right," the first brother agreed.
Small piles of plates built up around him as Goku slurrped his noodles. Hakuryuu ate too. He cheered sending his food flying.
"Sanzo! Gojyo! Hakkai!" he cheered smacking the ends of his chopsticks together as he ate. "Keep it up!"
"Well!" the old man announced. "We already have participant after participant passing out! Please give us a few moments to clean things up!"
"I can't drink anymore!" a man whined as an attendant dragged him away.
Attendants rushed around dragging the bodies away and cleaning up the empty and half filled bottles. Another attendant placed a full bottle in front of them. The Fei brothers placed themselves across from Sanzo and the others grinning.
"Now things are getting interesting, folks!" the old man called out again. "There are two remaining teams! The Fabulous Fei brothers! And the Travelling Monk's Team! Now who will win! Let the contest begin!"
The crowd cheered. With a bloated belly and a smile on his snout, Hakuryuu fell from his perch on Goku's shoulder kyuing happily. Mountains of plates sat around Goku, Miyuki, and Hakuryuu. Goku continued eating. She barked.
"Sanzo! Gojyo! Hakkai!" he called out his mouth stuffed with shishkabobs. "Good luck!"
Red faced and rubbing their sore heads, Sanzo and Gojyo groaned.
"Will someone shut that stupid monkey up!" Sanzo growled. "Damn that incessant shouting."
"Man, he's giving me a pounding headache!" Gojyo winced.
Hakkai smiled.
"Well," he began. "I guess I'll just take it from the top again."
Sanzo and Gojyo stared.
"What?" Sanzo asked lightly surprised.
"You know..." Gojyo said. "I've never seen Hakkai drunk..."
"Then we can't underestimate him," Sanzo replied as he took another drink from his cup.
Gojyo slammed his cup down onto the table as he stared into the clear liquid drunkenly. He sighed feeling his cold breath mix with the heat in his throat.
"Your hand's stopped moving," the first brother said.
He grinned.
"I'm doing just fine," he smirked in reply.
"Your face is red too," he said again. "You gonna quit after only that much?"
"No way," he challenged grinning. "Everyone on your team is shaking but you."
The brother laughed and pointed.
"Your eyes must be going blurry!" he cried. "Besides, my kid brothers here are nothing but extas."
The drinking continued as the crowd cheered. Monkeys quickly gathered on the rooftops watching. Gojyo sat in a drunken haze as his hand rested on his forehead. He stared at the table blankly. Sanzo grumbled in drunken agitation. The brothers continued laughing. With a sigh, a brother's cup fell from his hand crashing to the table. The brother fell to the wooden stage with a heavy thud. Hakkai continued drinking seemingly unaffected.
"Something wrong, Goldilocks?" the brother howled drunkenly again. "You look woozy!"
Sanzo stared. A vein popped onto his head. It twitched. Sanzo grew a sadistic smile. Hakkai watched.
"Aaww," he grinned his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Did I hurt your feelings, pretty boy?"
"Sanzo?" he asked worriedly.
Sanzo's smile grew.
"Why you... You actually have the gall to mock me, do you?" he grinned drunkenly " MAKA--"
Hakkai gasped clamping a hand over his mouth as he smiled nervously. The unrolled scripture piled onto the table wriggling and waiting for the finished command.
"Please! Don't you think that using a scripture of Heaven and Earth on a civilian is a little much!" Hakkai cried as he cautiously moved his had away.
"Hakkai," he wheezed.
"Yes, Sanzo?" he replied worriedly.
"It's all up to you now," he wheezed again as he fell forward into the table with a thud.
Hakkai gasped. Sanzo! He thought worriedly. He turned to Gojyo. Gojyo snored. In the audience as she laughed, Miyuki let out an inward laugh. Hurry up and win, Hakkai! She thought. I want my clothes back! Hakkai smiled as he turned to the leftover brothers.
"I guess it's all up to you and m--" he began stopping as the brothers' snoring interrupted him.
"Ok! Listen up!" the old man bellowed. "We have a winner! The Travelling Monk's Team wins!"
The audience burst into cheers and hollers. Goku grinned as he laid on the ground rubbing a bloated and full belly. The mountains of plates and chopsticks towered over them. Hakuryuu chirped happily. Miyuki barked as her fanged mouth seemingly grinned. She leapt and danced around.
"Wow! They did it!" Goku yelled. "Hakkai! Way to go!"
Hakuryuu let out another chirp. Then, he burped. The small black fox rushed onto stage snatching her cheong sam with her teeth and dragged it away into a safe and unseen spot. A shocked smile pasted itself on Hakkai's face as he stared out into the crowds.
"I... Did it..." He muttered quietly in shock. "O... K..."
The crowds continued cheering.
The full moon shined brightly over the tavern. Grinning, the old man poured wine into Hakkai's cup.
"Well you sure can hold your liquor!" the old man smiled. "Drink up!"
Miyuki nodded as she walked towards them smoothing her dress.
"Yea, Hakkai!" she smiled as she sat beside him. "You did well!"
Hakkai laughed.
"I don't think so," he began as he stared the table where Goku, Gojyo and Sanzo sat sleeping. "I think we should find an inn... Especially with the others in that condition."
Miyuki chuckled as she walked over to the others' side. She sat and rested her head on Gojyo's shoulder. He snored. Goku drooled. Sanzo slept still and stoic. She smiled giggling quietly at their nighttime antics. She let out a yawn her eyes fluttering shut quickly.
"Well if that's what you want, then look no further!" the old man offered. "You and your companions are welcome to stay here!"
"Really?" Hakkai beamed as he downed his cup. "All right! Then I will have one more drink."
The old man smiled a suspicious smile.
They slept soundly as the old man and his monkeys crept into the room. He glared.
"You get to die, passed out, and drunk on good wine," he sneered. "That's a lot more than you jerks deserve."
Their ears perked. Four pairs of eyes fluttered open. Suddenly, the room grew bright with orange light from the gas lamp hanging on the ceiling.
"What! What is this!" the old man cried as he looked up.
Hakuryuu kyued as he hovered by the lamp. He burped blowing a small burst of fire from his lips.
"You cheap bastard," Sanzo glared.
"Attacking us while we're passed out, huh?" Gojyo smirked as he leaned back on his chair. "Chicks must hate you."
"Not very hospitable," Hakkai said as he looked over making the old man turn.
"Though we must thank you for the good wine," Miyuki smiled as she cast him a stern smiling look.
Goku continued sleeping and snoring. Gojyo rufflied his hair.
"Hey, wake up," he said making Goku stir. "Your family's here to see you."
Goku pushed his hand away and looked around at the monkeys.
"Cut that out," he muttered as his eyes suddenly grew wide. "What the hell's going on here!"
The old man glared.
"You knew I wanted you dead?" he asked through gritted teeth. "How did you know.""You moron," Sanzo glared. "Your wine was too good."
Gojyo let out a light laugh.
"Some of the liquor and wine you served was the same Monkey Wine we found on our way into town," he grinned. "Of course we would be suspicious."
"I had hoped that would slip by you!" he disdained glaring.
"We're connoissuers," Gojyo bantered.
"And I'm willing to bet you sent those demons as well," Sanzo continued still sneering and glaring.
The old man smirked.
"I'm not impressed," Sanzo said as he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.
"Well no matter! You can call me Shin! Shin Taijin!" he cried. "And I'll be the one to kill all of you!"
He motioned signaling at his monkeys. The monkeys pounced latching themselves onto their limbs clawing and scratching. Goku danced around trying to wiggle the monkeys off him. Hakkai pried the monkeys away. Miyuki winced the monkeys clawed at her skin and dug into the throbbing wound on her shoulder. Growling, she pried it away and threw it aside. The monkey hissed as he landed on its feet.
"You have your monkeys do your fighting for you!" Goku cried still wiggling and dancing around. "That's low! Let's take this outside!"
"That's more than I need for a worthless bunch of drunks!" Shin replied with a hearty and derisive laugh.
Sanzo growled throwing the clawing monkeys off him.
"Listen you stupid monkeys!" he cried as the monkeys looked up to him chattering. "I'm about to show you the meaning of the phrase 'Lets take this outside!'"
The tavern doors burst open as they rushed out into the night with the monkeys fast running behind them.
"Damn! Those monkeys are such a pain!" Gojyo whined annoyed.
"I couldn't agree more!" Miyuki ran as she held her painfully throbbing shoulder in her hand.
Shimatta! She thought. I think my wound is reopening! She let out a light cough wincing at the throbbing and stinging in her shoulder. A creeping and crawling feeling started going through her. She winced. Gojyo raised his eyebrow curiously.
"Hey! I resent that!" Goku replied as he ran.
"You resemble that," Gojyo laughed as he took her hand and pulled her along.
Goku growled.
"Goku!" Hakkai called out. "These monkeys are under someone else's control! Go easy on them!"
Sanzo sighed.
"You all are such a pain," Sanzo sneered.
Still in the tavern, Shin laughed.
"Haha!" he bellowed. "What's going outside going to do for you! It's useless!"
Smiling, they walked inside. Shin gasped.
"What!" He cried. "How could you kill them all?"
Gojyo smiled as he ruffled Goku's hair.
"You're not the only one who's used to dealing with monkeys," he grinned.
"Hey!" Goku whined.
Miyuki laughed. Shin glared suddenly charging at them. Sanzo aimed his gun.
"You should learn to heel," Sanzo sneered again as a shot rang out.
Shin burst into dust. Curious chirping and chattering padded their way to the door. The monkeys peered inside. Goku turned.
"Oh hey," he smiled. "You're awake."
The monkeys pounced latching themselves onto his limbs. Mischievous and wrinkled monkey fingers tickled him. Goku burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!" Goku bellowed with laughter. "Hey, that tickles!"
Gojyo grinned as he watched Goku dance around the monkeys swinging on this limbs as he laughed at their tickling. He walked over making a small wrestling match begin. Miyuki watched giggling. She walked over placing herself beside them still watching. Gojyo wrapped his arms around her pulling her into the pile of monkeys. He looked down on her with a drunken haze clouding his eyes. She smiled.
"You're so drunk," she giggled as she turned to a snoring Goku. "And he's really tired."
"You got that right," he muttered as he collapsed on top of Goku at a ninety degree angle pulling her with him.
Goku snored loudly not noticing the sudden weight crashing down on him. She smiled and rested her in on his chest quickly falling into a light slumber.
"Wow what bad manners they've got as he turned to the frazzled pile of limbs and the scattered sleeping monkeys around them. "They're sleeping right in the middle of a bar."
"Ch," Sanzo snorted.
Hakkai turned to him smiling.
"And what about you, Sanzo?" he began chuckling. "You pretending to be drunk and all."
With a sigh, Sanzo sat down in a chair.
"Being drunk was no act," he replied groggily. "I'm totally hammered."
Hakkai smiled nervously as he scratched his cheek lightly with a finger.
"Back at the temple there was a saying for times like these..." he began as his mind drifted back.
Master Sanzo turned to him as he stopped again on the walkway. He smiled.
"Kouryuu," he smiled again. "I'll teach you a very wise saying..."
He watched the memory of his master's mouth move and speak as he began to speak.
"Consume the wine; don't let the wine consume you," he finished.
Hakkai continued smiling. He chuckled.
Her gold eye cracked open as she slowly stood. Silver eyes glowed in the moonlight creeping through the patterned tavern windows. Quietly, she made her way to Sanzo's sleeping side. She studied him as she placed a hand on the scripture resting on his shoulders. A small smile slowly grew on his face. A smile? She wondered. But Sanzo never smiles... She bit her lip curiously as she rested a hand lightly on his head. Lets see what dreams are dancing in your head, Sanzo. She thought mischievously.
"Kouryuu!" a voice called out. "Kouryuu!"
Kouryuu looked up and gasped.
"Master Sanzo?" he asked.
"Lets have a drink, Kouryuu," he smiled.
Master Sanzo sat across from him and pulled out two cups and a sake bottle. Kouryuu watched as Master Sanzo poured the liquid into the cup in his hands. Hopeful, he looked up to him. Smiling, Master Sanzo nodded. As he aged, Kouryuu's robes quickly grew flowing out into his cream colored robes resembling that of the other man before him. Kouryuu drank. Master Sanzo drank. A large smile grew on his face.
She nodded and unwound her fingers from his scripture and slowly walked off with a small smile. Who knew? She thought. Apparently, Sanzo's not the cold hearted jackass he seems to be...
"Ah..." Sanzo sighed in his sleep with a smile. "Sake has never tasted so good."
(Author's Note: If you didn't already know a Kitsune can see into people's dreams. Other powers include: reading minds, possession, shape shifting (as kinda seen in the last chapter), and illusion casting (this is done with the Kitsune-bi (The Fox Fire)). Foxes also guard something called a "Hoshi no Tama" (The Star Ball). It holds all their powers which they gather as they age, and if someone gets a hold of it, the fox has to obey their command otherwise suffer a decrease in their power and rank. Whether this will come into play in the main story somehow is still undecided.)
Memories of a Life Gone By Side Story: Romancing the Memories pt. 9: Evening the Sides
Konzen stared up from his papers. He twitched. Megumi shrugged as she held her bandanges in her arms.
"What's with the matching looks?" he asked flatly. "So what's happened this time?"
"Oh we just had a few childish wrestling matches," Kenren replied smiling. "Did we become manlier?"
Konzen sighed.
"You're all lying," he muttered as he turned to Goku with a questioning look. "You all did something again didn't you? Goku?"
Tenpou cast the small boy a wink.
"Uh..." Goku began as he threw his arms up in a dramatic shrug smiling. "I don't know! It's a secret!"
Konzen glared. Kenren turned away whistling. Tenpou smiled. Megumi blinked.
"Don't ask me," she replied. "I came in late."
Konzen let out another sigh.
"Just don't get Goku into anything too weird," he snorted. "It seems unavoidable, but it's definitely not welcomed... Why did you all come here today?"
Megumi smiled as she turned for the door. She let out a quiet sigh.
"If you'll excuse me..." she began bitterly as she walked. "But my primary duties are calling. I've got to make another appearance with my Lord..."
Kenren perked. He nodded his head in thought.
"Oh..." he started as he sratched his bandaged head. "I almost forgot. There's a meeting today. It seems Nataku is coming back from the Lower World."
Goku gasped. A wide grin cracked his face.
"Nataku is coming back? I'll go!" he cried as he ran after her. "Megumi-neechan! Wait for me!"
"I knew you were gonna say that... Hold it!" Kenren cried as he grabbed onto Goku's long locks making the boy run in place his chains rattling loudly. "You and I will go. Just give us a moment. You coming, Konzen?"
"No," he groaned as he grabbed his papers standing. "I have to take these documents to that useless hermaphodite."
"Lets go! Lets go!" Goku cried impatiently as he pulled on Kenren's coat.
Kenren sighed and turned quickly walking out the door. Goku bounced out excitedly after him. Kenren chuckled ruffling his hair as they walked. Tenpou chuckled as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. As he turned away, he took a long drag.
"Tenpou..." Konzen began making the spectacled man turn.
"I know," he finished as Konzen's lightly shocked look replied. "Weren't you going to suggest that it was dangerous for Goku to be friends with Nataku and for Kenren to be seeing Nataku's doctor?"
Konzen nodded.
"Indeed," Tenpou replied smiling. "Li Touten is a very greedy man full of ambition and no worth.. But we all have probably craved to see that boy's smile..."
Konzen stared disbelieving at the partial woman before him.
"Kenren's got dismissed as the army's general? And Megumi's quit her doctor's position!" he asked lightly shocked and confused. "Kanzeon..."
"Kenren's not officially out yet, but you're wrong if you think Tenpou asked for him to be dismissed," Kanzeon replied as it continued reading her papers. "But Megumi quit a while ago... Apparently, she 'missed' her work as Nataku's caretaker. Though I'm not sure what Nataku's caretaking has to do with her going down to the dungeons every night and screaming her head off. Who knows what's under that dress of hers..."
A greedy man... Konzen thought as Tenpou's words rang through his head. Full of ambition and no worth... Then those guys' injuries were... Kanzeon's voice broke through his thoughts.
"But Tenpou is one step higher than Li Touten position-wise," Kanzeon continued nonchalantly. "Yet, right now, Li Touten is slacking off under the protection of Nataku and Megumi. They're both a rather good set of pawns if I do say so..."
The thoughts ran quickly through Konzen's mind.
"But no one has told me anything..." he muttered.
"Probably wasn't worth talking about," she replied boredly.
"I'm the only one who doesn't know anything," he sighed again. "I've got no idea of the upper officers' movements or the inside information. It's like I'm an outsider."
It makes my blood boil. He thought bitterly. Kanzeon stared up at him from her chair. She chuckled.
"Brat... You'll never find out anything until you start looking around. You can even look around in secret," she began as she stood and looked up to his taller figure. "It's not like you a child who can't read and write unless when told to. How many years have you lived, Konzen?"
How many years have I lived? He wondered. Kanzeon's hand reached out and entangled itself in his long tail of hair hanging over his shoulder.
"And do you think you can still be that little runt's sun?" she asked as she kissed the long golden locks.
They knelt humbly before the Emperor. The Emperor smiled.
"Well done, Nataku," the Emperor complemented. "I hear you have once again worked unbelieveably hard."
Nataku didn't reply as he continued staring at the red carpet under his kneeling form.
"I graciously accept those complements that I do not deserve," Li Touten smiled as he bowed his head.
You have done nothing. Megumi and Nataku simultaneously thought. She cast a discreet glare his way.
"You all are excused. Rest well, Nataku, and take care of him as well as you always have, Megumi," the Emperor said as he dismissed him with his hand.
Megumi nodded as she bowed.
"As you wish," Nataku obediently replied.
They stood and began walking out quietly amongst the army's crowd.
"Hey!" Goku called out as he pushed through waving. "Welcome back, Nataku!"
Nataku grinned.
"It's you!" he cried excitedly.
Megumi smiled as she continued walking stopping at the grand hall entrance doors. Li Touten placed a stopping hand on his son's shoulders. He leaned down to whisper.
"Don't," he began quietly. "That boy is nothing but a heretic being born down from the Lower World is he not?"
Li Touten grew his snake-like smile.
"Kill him," he whispered as Nataku's eyes went wide. "And Megumi too... After all... Does heaven really need three unclean beings?
Worriedly, Megumi watched as her large ears twitched at the sound of his voice and the conspiring words pouring from his devilish lips.
Konzen twitched as he stared at the battered man before him. Smiling, the man contined smoking.
"So who have you and the others pissed off now, Tenpou?" he asked flatly.
Tenpou laughed.
"Oh you know," he replied casually. "Just the usuals. Li Touten and his attendants, minus Megumi-san of course. I'm pretty sure she and Kenren are fixing up each others wounds by now... And performing Kenren's own style of 'medical treatment.'"
Konzen sighed.
"Of course," Tenpou continued as he took a drag from his cigarette. "If you haven't noticed by now certain people are interfering where they shouldn't and have been hurting a few innocents in the process..."
Konzen nodded.
"As far as Nataku goes, we can't do much," he replied. "Would you care to shed some ideas on that fox woman?"
Tenpou smiled a convincingly genuine smile. His calculations continued their calculating in his head. He leaned in.
"Well," he whispered. "I've heard a few rumors recently.. Between Li Touten and someone very close to the Emperor. Apparently, someone in chains is being brought up to Li Touten's room very late at night. And judging from the sounds, it sounds like a pair of animals going insane..."
Konzen's eyes grew wide.
"And I've even heard," he continued smiling. "That Li Touten goes down to the Lower World to talk with some rather strong youkai."
Konzen stared shocked.
"You realize what would happen if such things were spread around?" Tenpou proposed. "Li Touten would be ruined.."
"Have you the evidence to prove such things?" Konzen asked snorting as he turned away.
"Well," Tenpou began as he laced his fingers together. "It should be obvious. After all with all the demon uprisings in the Lower World and the first appearance of Nataku as the War Prince is just too opportune. Though I will admit, before Nataku came around those of us in the army could barely handle it..."
"You really think?" Konzen asked.
Tenpou nodded.
"And I'll tell you one thing I've heard from someone close to the source," he continued to whisper. "Everytime Megumi goes to undress him to change his bandages, there's something just not right about him. It's as though he were man-made..."
Konzen didn't reply as he sat in a shocked silence. Well minus for the last two, Tenpou thought still smiling. I'm totally basing this on no evidence what-so-ever.. But I'm sure that the rumor will be able to spread when it needs to...
. . . . A few nights before. . . .
Megumi paced around the room worriedly. Kenren quickly followed in her frantic footsteps trying to catch her.
"Oi!" he cried as he pulled her into his arms quickly. "Stop it! Will you calm down! You're making me nervous!"
Tenpou looked up from his book.
"Are you all right, Megumi-san?" he asked worriedly.
She shook her head shaking as she dug her nails in Kenren's coat.
"Li Touten," she whimpered. "He'll do something awful to all of us. I just know it... And he'll use Nataku to do it!"
Kenren ran his fingers through her hair as his hand roamed her back comfortingly. She winced as his hands ran over the fresh and sensitive wounds hidden under her dress. The sickening feeling churned Kenren's stomach. He put on a grin as he pushed the feeling out of his thoughts.
"Calm down," Kenren comforted with a grin. "Like I said, he'll have to go through me to get to you..."
She smiled a shaky smile as she slowly pulled away. She rushed for the door.
"I've got to show you both something," she began frantic. "And you've got to see it now while Li Touten's out and Nataku's sleeping."
Kenren and Tenpou cast each other worried looks and quickly followed. The nighttime halls stood eerily quiet. Her heels clacked down the hall as she walked shaking. Kenren and Tenpou's booted and slippered footsteps followed close to hers. Quietly, she opened the door to Nataku's dark room and crept inside letting the bright hall light spill onto Nataku's bed.
"I've known about this for some time," she whispered. "I just can't like the looks of it."
Slowly, she pulled Nataku's blankets from his shoulders. Tenpou and Kenren's eyes went wide. Their eyes ran over his body staring shocked and disgusted at the segment limbs.
"It's like a doll," Kenren muttered as he gently sat on the bed.
"I've never seen anything like it before," she whispered.
"That's because something like this is definitely illegal in heaven," Tenpou added as he walked over and studied Nataku's sleeping figure. "But he's probably getting away with it because Heaven is desperate for a War Prince.. He's probably found a way to create the circumstances for him to be made..."
He touched his fingers to the warm flesh and gently ran over the ball and socket joints set on his elbows, waist, and wrists. An idea came to Tenpou's mind.
"A man-made human killing machine," Kenren murmured shocked.
"Megumi-san," he whispered hopefully. "You should've told us earlier.. I think we may have just found a way to get out of Li Touten's control..."
She stared at him her mouth gaping open. Kenren wrapped his arms around her. He pecked her cheek.
"If all goes well," he purred into her ear. "You'll finally be free."
She smiled at the thought as Kenren caught her lips in his.
"WHAT! A gay liason! That's the most proposterous thing I've ever heard!" Li Touten cried slamming his fist down on his table. "You've got no proof! I've never done such a thing with anyone close to the Jade Emperor!"
Tenpou and Kenren smirked.
"Do you really want to risk making that judgement, Li Touten?" Tenpou smiled. "After all with something like that getting out it could really ruin what you've done so far. Not to mention all the other things we've heard..."
Li Touten glared.
"Fine," he sneered. "Name your price..."
"The girl, Megumi," Kenren grinned taking a drag from his cigarette as he rested his feet on the desk. "I want her. Give her to me."
"You can't be serious!" he screamed. "I found her in the Lower World! She belongs to me!"
Kenren grinned.
"Well then," he continued grinning. "I guess I'll just pass on the little bit of information I've heard around Heaven. After all, I know lots of women. And know what gossips women can be..."
Li Touten growled.
"Fine," he sneered. "Take her."
"Why thank you," Kenren grinned as he stood and started for the door. "I think I'll go see my new pet right now..."
Tenpou smiled as he stood and followed him out. Li Touten seethed. An attendant walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Roughly, he brushed it away.
"Li Touten-sama," another attendant said. "There is one thing you could do..."
"What!" Li Touten snapped. "I've got nothing now!"
"Well..." the attendant began. "But there is a legend about the fox demons in the Lower World, and if it proves true, then Megumi should be no exception..."
He turned to him.
"Go on," he commanded. "I'm listening..."
"Have you ever heard of something called the 'Hoshi no Tama'..." the attendant began.
Li Touten listened. A smile grew on his face as an evil laugh escaped his lips. You all haven't won, yet! His thoughts sneered. It turns out I've got one more trick up my sleeve...
(Author's note: GAIDEN SPOILER. In the manga, Nataku was a man-made human with doll like limbs (think the Barbie's with the really bendable arms and legs thanks to the joints and stuff). Yet, somehow he lived and breathed like a human. Li Touten created him from a set of machines he had somehow had access to. I don't know how but from what pages of the manga I've seen, he was able to do it.)