Open up Your Mind-A Song that Pierces the Darkest Depths
"Man, I can't believe those guys. I was worried at first about what it was, but now it just bugs me that they think we shouldn't know," Ran vented slamming her fist into a tree. "I mean, it's as if they think we can't take it…whatever it is."
Karin sat nearby running her fingers back and forth over the grass. "We can't force them to tell us if they don't want to. My biggest concern is their mood lately."
"Yeah…they do seem really out of it," Ran muttered sitting down next to her. "The way they are now, they'd be susceptible to almost any attack. Oh sorry…I probably shouldn't think like that," she quickly apologized after seeing Karin's face fall.
Suddenly the hairs on Karin's neck tingled and she looked towards the shadows. "Who's there?" She called out.
"If you value your friends' lives, you will return to the inn without delay," a whispering baritone voice told them.
"Who are you?" Ran demanded standing up swiftly.
"You really want to be asking questions when your friends' lives are in danger?" he asked quickly.
"How do we know you're telling the truth?"
"Do you really want to take that chance?" Ran looked at the ground in frustration.
"I think we should listen to him Ran…I don't know what it is but, something tells me we can trust him," Karin said standing up as well.
"Alright…we'll trust you. Let's go," Ran replied leading the way back.
Karin gave a single glance back at the shadows before following her friend. The shadow watched them leave with bright sapphire eyes. 'Why did I help them?' He wondered.
Karin and Ran burst into the inn minutes later to find the four boys lying on the ground in what looked to be bitter torment. "Hakkai!" Karin yelled running forward only to be stopped by a barrier.
"It's no use," a sultry female voice told them and they looked to see a demon woman looking very pleased with herself. "They are all fallen deep within there own nightmares, trapped in a future they fear the most. Soon their minds will fall into decay."
"Not if we can help it," Ran declared taking out her hammer and slamming it into the barrier. She stopped when she saw that her attack had no effect.
"You can't just burst in there like you did this inn. If anything so much as damages this barrier then their conditions will only worsen," the demon declared triumphantly. Karin threw her chakram at the woman but she easily deflected it. "Attacking me is useless," the demon declared. "Their despair flows into me and gives me unimaginable power. And soon, yours will as well, as you watch your friends slowly die."
"How could we not have realized this was happening?" Karin thought to herself painfully as she stared at Hakkai's anguished face. She had seen his face look that way before. And all she could do was… An idea dawned on her. "Ran, I think I know a way to reach them."
"Really? How do we do that?" Ran asked holding up her hammer ready to defend against the demon.
"We need to sing to them," Karin answered.
"Excuse me?"
"Well you know how lullabyes are soothing to people? I sang a lullaby to Hakkai when he was feeling down so maybe it'll work again."
"Well…maybe so." Ran glanced over at Karin and then returned her eyes to the demon. "So if we do that how are we going to keep demon woman off our backs?"
"Ha! Call their names and sing to them all you want," the woman laughed. "Your voices will never reach them."
"We'll just see," Karin said. She wondered what sort of song they should sing to them. Then suddenly words began forming in her mind and she opened her mouth, allowing them to float out with predetermined notes attached to them. It was almost as if someone was using her voice as a microphone.
"Moshimo ima subete ga umaku nante ikani, makesou ni naru toki datte," she sang, and then she heard Ran beside her sing the next part.
"Hitomi wo tojireba kokoro kara sekai ga miete kuru," Ran sang catching on. "In this world when life can be so tough you must be strong. Just believe in yourself and don't you fear. So open up your mind and close your eyes. Take another look from the other side."
The demon woman started to scream in anger as she felt her hold on the boys slipping. "I won't let you," she screamed rushing at them. She was stopped however, as Chihiro and Hakuryuu got in her way and kept her away from the girls.
"Kodoku na yoru demo mayoi osoreru toki mo
ima wa hitori demo kono ashi de doko made mo
aruite ikeru hazu dakara"
In their worlds the boys were momentarily distracted from their depression when they heard two people singing. "Someone's singing…" they all thought. "But who?"
Karin and Ran raised their voices, allowing their words to ring through the air.
"Just hold on tight hitomi tojita nara
Look inside yourself kagayaki ga aru kara
Yes, subete shinjite hoshii
You can take another look from the other side
Just hold on tight kokoro kujikete mo
Reach into your soul ashita ga mienakute mo
Yes, ikiru tsuyosa ga areba
You can take another look from the other side"
CRASH! They watched as the barrier was split apart and they watch the fragments rain down before fading away.
"Ai no subete ni deau made..."
Karin ran over to Hakkai and tried to sit him up, but he still seemed to be suffering from an internal struggle. "Someone… please kill me," he whispered. Karin's eyes welled up with tears and she felt a lump in her throat but she forced herself to keep singing.
Ran stooped down next to Gojyo and continued singing while keeping one eye on the demon. To her sadness she could still hear him saying that he would always be alone.
kono sekai de ikinuite-iku tame no tsuyosa wo
anata ni negatte-iru kara
kokoro no tobira wo hiraitara [1]
nanika ga miete kuru
"Who's singing?" they all thought looking around them for the source of the sound. Then Sanzo spotted both Ran and Karin floating above him with concerned faces both reaching down and trying to get him to take their hands.
Just remember you are not alone
So don't you fear
Even though you're miles away
I'm by your side
So open up your mind and close your eyes
I'll be there for you no matter where you are
Hakkai looked up and saw Karin standing over him with a kind smile.
hoshi no inochi nara nagai kedo itsu made mo
onaji kono hibi ga kurikaesu wake ja nai
ashita wa dare ni mo mienai
Gojyo looked up and saw Ran above him gesturing heavily for him to take her hand.
Just hold on tight hitomi tojita nara
Look inside yourself kodou kanjiru kara
Yes, "MIRAI" shinjite hoshii
You can take another look from the other side
Goku felt the chains slacken and the men disappear and looked up to see both Ran and Karin reaching for him, calling him to them.
Just hold on tight kokoro kujikete mo
Reach into your soul ashita ga mienakute mo
Yes, chigau sekai ga atte
You can take another look from the other side
ai no subete ni deaeru yo...
As the song came to a close Ran and Karin saw these dark green worm/leech creatures slide out of their ears unmoving. "Wow those things are gross," Ran thought moving Gojyo away from one.
"No my precious babies," the demon cried seeing the worms on the ground. "How could you kill them?"
"Anyone who dares to hurt our friends must pay the price," Karin replied coldly.
"I'm hungry," Goku muttered stirring and sitting up. Ran smiled and looked down as Gojyo started stirring as well.
Hakkai sat up slowly after his eyes opened, and placed a hand to his head. Soon afterwards Karin hugged him tightly and said, "Thank goodness you're all right."
Hakkai was stunned for several moments. Then, slowly, his arms enclosed over her in a tight embrace. He never would have thought he would be as grateful to have her in his arms as he was at that moment. Karin must have sensed his respite because she said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you like that."
"No, I should be sorry," Hakkai replied pulling her in closer.
Gojyo groaned as he sat up and was shocked to see Ran sitting next to him with worry all over her face. "You idiot…don't go getting yourself hurt like that. You're supposed to be really good at knowing when danger's behind you," she exclaimed giving him a hug too.
Gojyo's eyes widened and he wasn't sure what he should do. Thankfully he had his instincts working for him and he wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry, I guess I got distracted by a pretty face."
"You won't get away with this!" The demon woman shouted. "You will all—"
BANG! She sputtered as shock and pain took over her features. "Shut the hell up," an awakened Sanzo said holding his smoking pistol.
The demon woman gave out one last cry of anger before she disintegrated along with her disgusting worms. "Now that was interesting," Ran said scratching her head after letting Gojyo go. "So….who's hungry?"
"I am…what's for dinner?" Goku shouted jumping onto Ran's back.
"How about some good old fashioned home cooking?" Karin suggested. "I could probably whip us up something nice."
"Would you like some help?" Hakkai offered, smiling at her for the first time in days. Karin nodded, happy that he was looking at her again.
"Alright," Goku shouted rushing to the nearest table and sitting down expectantly.
"Hey Karin is there any meat in there?" Ran asked as Karin and Hakkai headed for the kitchen.
"Nope…looks like they're all out."
"Okay…I'll go see what I can't russle up in the forest," Ran replied heading for the front door.
"Hey can I come with?" Goku asked.
"Not this time, monkey boy," Gojyo said already at Ran's side. "It's my turn."
Ran rolled her eyes but quickly turned to hide her grin. "Whatever. Come on, let's go." And the two headed out.
As Hakkai and Karin began preparing what they did have, the two didn't talk for a while. "Are you still angry?" Hakkai suddenly asked her. Karin looked at him.
"I was never angry… well, okay maybe that's a lie," Karin amended. "But Ran and I realized that if you guys don't think we should know, then we won't press you as long as you guys just continue to be yourselves."
"I'm very sorry about the way I've been acting," Hakkai said after a short pause. "I didn't want to hurt you. I was trying to protect you…though I guess I was doing a disservice instead."
"Hakkai, I don't want you protecting me if you end up getting hurt because of it," Karin said seriously. Hakkai suddenly remember when she had conveyed to him how the last person she had been close to had died and he wondered if he had inadvertently reopened old wounds. "I don't like seeing you hurt," Karin added with a smile as she touched his arm lightly. "I like seeing you smile."
"Do you really want to know what happened?" Hakkai asked after careful consideration.
"Only if you feel you can tell me," Karin replied as she focused on the food.
"Just don't fly off the handle. Homura removed your limiters during that last encounter and you turned into a demon and attacked us," he explained as delicately as he could.
Karin stared at him letting the news sink in. "Was anyone hurt?"
Just the type of question he would expect from her. "No, Homura stopped you before it got too extreme."
"So I was… a bad demon?"
"I'm not sure if 'bad' would be an accurate word for it. You just weren't yourself," Hakkai told her.
"But… why can't I remember any of it?"
"I'm not sure but I'm going to do what I can to try and keep it from happening again," Hakkai promised.
"Well it's not your fault…you know…what happened," Karin told him placing a hand on his arm. "What happened is not your fault."
"I have to disagree with you," Hakkai said with a sad smile. "It's my blood that's caused this to happen."
"It's not your fault," Karin repeated her hand moving from his arm to his shoulder.
"If I could have protected you better…" Hakkai said, his voice nearly breaking.
Karin's hands grasped either side of his face. "It's not your fault." She whispered.
"Alright…you win," Hakkai conceded with a smile, putting his own hand on hers. "Now let's get that dinner made or Goku's going to throw a fit."
In the meantime Ran and Gojyo were walking through the forest trying to find some game. "See anything yet?" Ran asked.
"Nope," Gojyo said not having spotted anything of particular interest yet.
"Well, if you see anything then—whoa!" her foot got caught on a rock and she stumbled but Gojyo caught her.
"Nice job twinkle toes."
"Oh shut it," Ran muttered. Then she grudgingly added, "…And thanks."
"Don't mention it," He said lighting up a smoke. "So… you still wanna know what's been up the past few days?"
"Well it has been bugging me," Ran said once she got her footing again.
"Alright then…I'll tell you. You got shot by Zenon and then you kind of went on a power trip. You were beating the crap out of him while you had that wound and then after he left you kind of turned on me," Gojyo explained.
"I see…is that why you didn't tell me before?" Ran asked looking into his eyes.
"Yeah, I guess I wasn't sure how you'd take it," Gojyo said scratching the back of his head.
"Well… I didn't hurt anybody, did I?" Ran asked warily.
"Nope, I managed to snap you out of it before you did any serious damage."
"Really? How?"
"Trademark secret, honey," Gojyo said winking.
Ran's face crinkled into a frown. "Wait a minute… wasn't that when you said something about…"
"Hey look over there," Gojyo suddenly said. "I think I see something." And he took off.
"Gojyo!" Ran called after him.
"Hurry up slow poke!"
"Hey Gojyo one more thing," Ran said grabbing onto his arm. "I'm sure they knew about it before hand…is there anything I can do to make sure it doesn't happen again?"
"Just keep close and don't go making yourself really angry," Gojyo said rubbing her head.
"Deal," Ran said. "Well looks like there's a buck…let's get dinner and get back before the others get worried."
CM: Next time on Saiyuki...
Goku: "Who's this guy?"
Sanzo: "Who cares, so long as I can get a decent nights sleep."
Gojyo: "Wait, what's his relationship with her?"
Hakkai: "Well this certainly is a strange turn of events."
Goku: "Does he really hate her that much?"
CM: Who's this strange person? Stay tuned, and please review. ^_^