AUTHOR'S NOTE: None of you really knows what kinda hell it was trying to get this chapter out! It was written and then it died when my evil computer murdered the external hard drive I had it saved on. The stupid thing took every scrap of writing, from originals to fanfictions, with it. Me, pissed? Imagine a very drunk Sanzo after being groped in a very unenjoyable fashion by a local bar pervert and you've got my temperament. God... where can I get a banishing gun, and will it work on a possessed and evil computer?


"Do you really think all that's necessary?" Gojyo asked with a dubiously arched brow, looking over the series of restraints, spells and other bindings still strapping the bed's occupant firmly in place. He ran a finger over a make-shift ankle restraint (there were three on each ankle) constructed out of his own leather belt and felt another crashing wave of guilt slam into him. Hakkai was still completely passed out from the fight in the woods the day before. It was now early evening the day after the fight, and Hakkai still looked like a dead man. It was beginning to scare the shit out of him. That fear was quickly being overshadowed by his annoyance with a certain bitchy monk. He hadn't slept a wink all night due to the fact that he kept glancing over at the bound man. He didn't like the combination of guilt and feeling sick that came over him every time his glance strayed that way.

The slight scrunching of Hakkai's facial features was the only sign that he was still even somewhat aware of his surroundings. Whatever the hell the monk did to him had knocked him out cold. He wasn't going anywhere, at least not under his own power. The towns folk had gaped at them when they'd come screeching into town, and continued to do so as Gojyo carried Hakkai up to their room for the evening. The minute the door had shut, Sanzo had ordered Goku to start tying the unconscious man up. Goku had hesitated briefly over the order, casting his guardian a nervous glance before setting about finding whatever was available to do the job. Gojyo, under threat of being shot for real, grudgingly helped with the task although he did mutter constantly about doing so. It went against his reasoning to tie a guy up when he was out of it, but it went against every fiber of his being to tie up Hakkai.

"I'm not taking any chances," Sanzo stated firmly, casting a slightly malicious glare at the red-head. "He's not stable, even with the limiters on. The gods only know what he'll do if he snaps completely, to himself as well as others. Personally, I'd rather keep him restrained and my ass alive."

"It just seems like a bit of overkill is all," Gojyo insisted, running his eyes over the series of knotted ropes, handcuffs (stole from his own bag, no less), and belts keeping the unconscious man from even twitching a muscle. He could feel the faint thrum of energy coming off the tantras and knew they were pretty damn solid. They had to be, of course, seeing as the power activating them came from Sanzo's force of will. That monk was a tough son of a bitch.

The look Sanzo gave him, an arched brow over are-you-serious eyes, said clearly that the monk didn't agree in the least. Gojyo sighed, shaking his before running his fingers back through his hair and shrugging. "Fine, whatever. It's your fucking party." He grabbed his coat from the chair he'd flung it in and stomped toward the door.

"Where're ya goin', Gojyo?" Goku asked from one of the other beds, lifting his round eyes from where Hakkai was lying pale and unmoving.

"Out," he answered curtly. He couldn't sit in this room or with the monk knowing that Hakkai was suffering and bound up in bed. He hated the fact that he was completely useless to help his friend, someone he cared about as the only real family he had. It made him feel like absolute shit and he didn't like it. He needed to get out of there, get away from all of them and just wallow for a bit in his own self-loathing.

"You're pretty good at running away, kappa," Sanzo remarked dryly before a lighter clicked softly to indicate he was lighting up.

Gojyo wanted to reply to that… but how could he when the bastard was right for a change? He was doing exactly that, running away from everything, but it wasn't because he didn't want to deal with it. He was the type who saw something and had to step back to process it. That was why he was leaving. If he wasn't facing the problem, then maybe he could come up with a way to fix it before everything got worse. So, instead of calling the prick out like he soooo wanted to, he gave a flick of his fingers over his shoulder before opening the door. "See you guys later," he called back and let the door swing shut after him.

He left the inn and stepped out into a mildly crowded main street. People were just now getting ready to go out for dinner or on their way home from a day of work. The whole atmosphere of this place was welcoming and friendly, despite a few obvious signs of youkai attack. There were a few bars in the general area of the inn, but the clerk had been helpful in mentioning earlier (while giving them a wary look) that the 'entertainment district' was a seven block walk from there. Normally, that would have been nothing to him, but with what was going on with Hakkai… he didn't want to risk being too far away should he be needed.

Gojyo tucked his hands in the pockets of his jeans and made a beeline for the first bar he saw that looked relatively empty. He didn't feel like crowds of people and women flirting with him this evening. He wanted to be alone with a beer and his own worthless hide. Seriously, what the hell did he think he could do if Hakkai snapped? He had his fists, his shaku-jou and his concern for the man. That didn't do shit in keeping him from going insane. As much as he hated to admit it, their only bet right then was that Sanzo could control Hakkai should something happen. Oh, that and the off chance Kougaiji's group could get their heads out of their asses and find out what had happened.

He scoffed at the idea, kicking a stray stone into the dusty street. Yeah, right. Whoever ran things at Houtu Castle wasn't letting them in on shit. The chances they would find anything at all were pretty fucking slim. The chances for them openly sharing that information was even less so. It was up to them, as usual, to figure this shit out on their own and fix it.

Except… here he was, running away to a bar to get drunk. Thinking while drunk wasn't ever a good idea. That was how idiots ended up passed out naked in trees wondering what the fuck happened to them. If he really wanted to help, he'd be trying to figure out what was going on, not drinking and hoping the Inspiration Faerie would sprinkle him in magic dust! He stopped in the middle of the street, ignoring the odd looks people walking around him tossed his way, and let his head drop to his chest. "I am so fucking clueless," he muttered to himself.

His head picked up at the sound of children shrieking in time to see a group of small girls go running from around behind a stack of empty crates, one of them crying hysterically as she wiped her hands on her skirt. Curious, he took a couple casual steps closer until he could see the group of boys laughing and congratulating themselves for scaring the girls off. All of them would probably get lecture later by their mothers for being covered from head to toe in mud. One of them held a squirming, wet mass that he discovered was a toad when it managed to escape briefly from the boy's clutches. It was quickly recaptured for further poking and prodding by the group.

A crooked little smile crossed his face and he couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped. No wonder the girls ran screaming. If he thought they'd listen, he'd go over and explain to them that was not how you impressed the ladies. He sighed and turned his back on the happy normal scene and scanned the area around him. Okay, he wanted to help. Fine. How did he go about doing that? He realized he had absolutely no idea where to even start with his search for a 'cure'. Where was he supposed to go for information anyway?

The answer came to him in the form of a worn sign hanging outside a building with one word etched in the window; Library. He almost wanted to smack himself in the head with the obviousness of it all. After living with Hakkai for three years, going with him back and forth from the town to return books or pick more up and all the lessons at the temple for Goku, it was borderline stupid of him not to think of looking at a library. His long legs lead him quickly to the long, squat building and again he couldn't help the little snicker that escaped his lips. Him, in a library? Hakkai's jaw would have hit the ground in shock! Thank the gods they weren't back home where people could actually see him going inside one of these things.


Goku squeezed his arms around his stomach in an attempt to get it to quiet down. He was so hungry it was starting to hurt. He glanced plaintively in Sanzo's direction and chewed his lower lip uncertainly. He really wanted to eat… but Sanzo was already cleaning his gun and that usually meant he wasn't in the mood to go anywhere. With Hakkai passed out, they had no one to cook. He'd tried Gojyo's cooking once. He never wanted to do that to his poor stomach ever again.

His gaze flickered over to where Hakkai could barely be seen under all the straps and knots and tantras. He could just make out the shallow rise and fall of his chest and the occasional twitch of a finger, but no there was no sign he intended to wake up any time soon. He took a deep breath through his nose and puffed it out from his mouth to blow his hair off his forehead. At least Hakkai smelled normal now. Back in that forest… It made him shiver to remember it. All cold and lifeless, like blood that had dried into his shirt after a fight. Or like those corpses after Rikudo had done his nasty thing.

He was really scared for Hakkai. Unlike when he lost his limiter, Hakkai would remember anything bad that he did to others. It was just a lucky thing the older man had picked a fight with Kougaiji instead of someone else… like Lirin. Kougaiji was super awesomely strong and could handle himself. Lirin was… well, she was pretty strong for a girl, but she wouldn't have stood a chance if Hakkai had gone after her instead. He knew first hand just how scary Hakkai could get without his limiters. It made him wonder just how bad he was without his. He hoped they figured out how to make him better before Hakkai did something really bad. Hakkai had enough things to make him sad. He didn't need to remember something awful he did when he was out of it.

Goku glanced again at Sanzo, who was reading the news paper and smoking. Even he was scared for Hakkai. It was obvious in the little things Sanzo did. To anyone else, he knew it would look like the monk didn't care two craps about what happened so long as they kept driving a west. But he knew Sanzo. He knew from the way the monk's fingers crinkled the paper edge that he was bothered by something. He could see a little of it in the crease between his eyebrows and the tightness of his mouth. Sanzo was really, really worried about what was going on. The fact that his guardian didn't have a clue on how to fix this was almost as scary as Hakkai without his limiters. Sanzo knew all kinds of stuff. If he didn't know the answer, who did?

Well... Kougaiji did say something about trying to figure out what was going on. Maybe they would find something on their end. That Yaone was pretty smart. She had to be to fight Hakkai all the time. Plus, she was a healer. Who better to fix someone than a healer? And Dokugakuji... well, he was Gojyo's brother, and that kappa was pretty stupid. Then again, Dokugakuji didn't act anything like Gojyo. Maybe he could help, too. He really hoped they could find out something. It just wasn't cool to leave Hakkai hurting like he was.

His head snapped up at the sound of a chair scraping back from the table. Goku flinched as Sanzo stood up, tucking the newspaper under one arm an returning his glasses to the small leather case on the table. He watched as his guardian went over to the bed Hakkai was on and began tugging and testing the restraints, running fingers over the tantras to make sure they were in place. Every time the monk touched one of his spells, a little flare of power spiked through the room. It was an odd sort of feeling, like being hot and cold at the same time. In a way, that power was just like Sanzo, Goku thought curiously. He thought he heard Sanzo saying something about tantras working because of a person's will... but he couldn't remember if that was exactly what he'd heard or not. He jerked a little when Sanzo called his name. "Goku."

"Yeah?" he asked from his spot on the bed.

"Check these, but don't touch the tantras. After you do that, we're going out. There's no reason why the kappa gets to be the only one to have a couple drinks tonight." The last was muttered darkly and with a glare that said Gojyo was going to get the Fan of Doom brought down on him when he got back.

Goku bounced up immediately and began pulling on all the ties hard, making the leather creak and the ropes twist to accept the hard tugs. "So... does this mean I get to eat?" he asked eagerly as he stepped away from the bed, satisfied that nothing was going to give.

"I refuse to listen to your stomach and snores tonight, so, yeah. And if you see that perverted watersprite anywhere, let me know. I've got a fan with his name on it."

Snickering at the malicious smirk on the monk's face, Goku quickly followed after him out of the room. Not only was he going to get fed, but he was also going to get some time with Sanzo... AND there was a really good chance of seeing Gojyo get his ass kicked! He paused in the doorway of the room, one hand getting a grip on the wood so he could lean back and take another look at Hakkai. It made him a little uneasy leaving Hakkai all alone. What if he finally woke up and there was no one there? He bit his lower lip as his wrists began to itch a little at the memory of begin bound. He'd woken up like that, too. Yeah, he couldn't remember it clearly, but still... He knew what it felt like to be all alone and tied to one spot. It sucked worse than anything he could think of, even never having a meatbun again.

"Goku."

His head whipped around at the sound of his name and his eyes lock with Sanzo's cool violet glare. He wasn't certain, seeing as Sanzo's eyes always looked a little angry no matter what he was thinking, but he could almost swear that some of the coldness eased up. He sucked in a breath and flinched a little in anticipation for a fan assault as his guardian came back over to him. Instead, it was one of those rare, treasured moments when Sanzo actually reached out to him. Familiar fingers slid back through his hair, ruffling a little before coming to rest at the back of his head. If it were anyone but Sanzo messing with his hair, he would have gone off on them. He usually hated when people did that... but Sanzo made it something very nice. It always made him feel like everything really was going to be okay. He liked the warm feeling the monk gave him. It felt like the first time he'd stood in the sun and finally had its warmth on his skin. He was the only person to see Sanzo act like the sun, and he knew it was a very special thing.

"Sitting in the room and staring at him all night isn't going to make it go away," Sanzo explained firmly, his eyes unreadable. He was watching Goku, waiting for something out of him. It was one of those looks that meant Sanzo was testing him on something. He'd been getting a lot more of those looks in the last year or so. He just wished he knew why. He didn't like tests at all, especially the kind Hakkai used to give him during class. Tests equalled bad things and headaches in his book.

Letting out a long breath, Goku twisted his mouth thoughtfully before saying, "Yeah... but at least someone'll be there if he wakes up. An' besides, isn't Hakkai always there when we get hurt? It doesn't seem right leavin' him all alone when he's hurt."

He must have gotten the answer right because he got the biggest prize of all in response; Sanzo smiled. He never actually smiled the way most other people did. It was just the barest curving of lips, sometimes with a small laugh thrown in. Goku could keep the count on both hands how many times he saw Sanzo smile since being taken off that mountain top. But no matter how small it was, it always made him so happy to see it that he nearly cried. Making Sanzo smile was the absolute best thing ever. Even better than a life time supply of meatbuns!

"If he wakes up, give him some water but don't even think about letting him loose," Sanzo warned as the smile faded almost as quickly as it had come. "And if Gojyo returns, don't let him do it either. I don't care what you have to do, just make sure that idiot doesn't remove a single thread of rope. I'll be back soon."

"Where ya goin'?" he asked as the monk began walking away again.

Sanzo paused with his back turned and looked over his shoulder with an arched brow. "I'm in the mood for meatbuns and there's a stand across the street. Want anything?"

Goku couldn't contain it any longer. He felt a wide grin break across his face as he began bouncing up and down. He knew Sanzo didn't like meatbuns at all, so the only reason he was 'in the mood' for them was because he knew Goku loved them. Sanzo was the best, and he didn't care what that stupid roach had to say about it! "Meatbuns, meatbuns, meatbuns! I wan meatbuns, Sanzo!"

"Well, duh. It's a meatbun stand, monkey. That's all they make. Do you want anything else?"

"MEATBUNS!"

"No, shit." Sanzo let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. "Fine. Meatbuns. Don't leave the room and remember what I said; if that kappa tries to remove those bindings, do whatever it takes to stop him."

Goku's grin turned wicked as his fingers curled into fists. "Even kick his ass?" he asked, delighting in the very idea of doing it.

"Take pictures if it comes to that," Sanzo called back as he headed down the stairs. Goku watched him until his head disappeared from view before turning back into the room and shutting the door. He glanced at where Hakkai was stretched out on the bed and hesitated on the way back to his own. Hakkai looked like crap. He was all pale and sweaty at the same time, and he kept twitching a little. The aura coming off him now wasn't as prickly-hot as it had been. It was a little closer to how Hakkai normally felt. Did that mean...

Goku took a deep sniff of the air and let out a surprised sound when he didn't smell the decaying scent that was Hakkai's evil twin. Maybe, he was getting better on his own. He approached the bed slowly, his entire body right down the the smallest hair ready to leap back if necessary. Slowly, he reached out a hesitant hand and touched Hakkai's cool, damp forehead.

He jumped back when a little whine preceded the partial opening of green eyes. The look in those eyes was not at all like the Hakkai he knew. There was nothing in them but exhaustion, pain and a whole lot of sadness. Goku felt his lungs get tight at that look, his own eyes widening to the point that it almost hurt, as Hakkai's lips parted and a croaked groan came out. "Go...ku..."

"Yeah, I'm here, Hakkai," he said quietly, dropping to his knees by the bed. "An' everyone else is, too. Well, not here right now... Sanzo went to get some meatbuns, an' Gojyo's, um... well... somewhere. Are ya thirsty? Sanzo said you can have some water. I'll get it if you want!"

He wasn't certain, but he could have sworn he caught the faintest trace of a smile from Hakkai. There was the slightest shake of his head to say that he didn't want water before he hissed, wincing tightly. "Goku... leave. Have to... leave... now."

"Huh? Ya want me to go away?"

This time, Hakkai shook his head with more strength than Goku had thought he'd be able to pull out with as weak as he was. It was a little violent in motion and definately more than a little frustrated. "No, me. I... have to... leave. Have... to leave... before..." He hissed, his body arching off the bed sharply.

Goku scurried backward on the floor, his heart speeding up to slam against his ribs. Hakkai wanted to leave? But why? He was sick, and he could barely walk as it was. The aura around him was pulsating wildly, one minute feeling like a steady, welcoming warmth and in the next it felt ready to scorch his skin right off. That nasty, dead, old blood smell was starting to get stronger, too. It wasn't a big stink like what would be left on a battle field, just a fain trace of it that changed Hakkai's personal smell. Hakkai was really unstable, he realized as the man bucking on the bed growled with the strain of his body trying to contort against the straps. Any thoughts of pity and perhaps letting him go faded with the change in aura and smell. Goku shook his head firmly and said, "Uh-uh. Sanzo said not to let you go, no matter what. I can't do that, Hakkai."

"Goku... please! Please, before... AH, GOD!" Hakkai's body fell into a series of sharp, spastic fits that rocked the entire bed frame. Goku jumped to his feet and backed away until his knees hit the edge of a bed and sent him falling across it. He couldn't do anything but stare as Hakkai continued to scream and twist as much as he could, like he was trying to escape his own skin. What was going on? What was he gonna do? If Hakkai died... Maybe CPR... except he didn't even know what it was! All he knew was that it was supposed to save someone's life. It was pretty useless not to know something that could save a life. Where the hell were Gojyo and Sanzo, damn it? They'd know what to do. He was just a kid, for crap's sake!

Just as suddenly as the spasms started, they stopped completely. Goku blinked, staring at Hakkai's panting form intently. There was no movement except the rapid rise and fall of his chest, no sound except for the gasps for air. Tentatively, Goku managed to unglue himself from the wall, sliding across the bed with just as much caution as he'd shown when he'd first approached the other man. His heart was beating so fast he could feel it pulsing against the skin on his neck and wrists. When he put his feet on the floor, his legs felt all wobbly like he hadn't eaten in three hours. He wasn't embarassed to admit he was scared. The room was practically flooded with that nasty, stinging aura from the woods and there wasn't a trace of Hakkai's scent left to pick up. He could hear another frantic heart beat besides his own, but the pace was uneven and sometimes a beat didn't come at all. The other man was still in human form, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. He'd seen Hakkai take out plenty of youkai assassins with his limiters on. Great, he was in a room with Scary Hakkai... and he was all alone.

"Crap-tastic," he muttered, licking his dry lips nervously. He wanted to go over and make sure Hakkai was okay, but he really, really didn't want to get that close to him when he was in scary mode. Hell, he'd almost taken out Kougaiji when he was like this! Kougaiji was no joke in a fight, too. Goku knew, he had the bruises to prove it. He somehow managed to catch a deep breath and took the first step closer and further into that awful aura. The aura was changing, too. He'd felt it when Hakkai was without his limiters and it stung like this... but it never felt like an evil energy. Dangerous, hell, yeah but never bad. Whatever was going on was beginning to change him completely. That was so beyond uncool! He took another step, the floor boards creeking under the weight. Goku froze, sucking in a sharp breath.

Hakkai's eyes snapped wide open, his lips parting in a deep gasp of air as he stared at the ceiling. The energy level shot upward so that it felt like a bunch of tiny, burning hot needles were being stuck all over his skin. Goku wanted to rub his arms but he didn't want to move and draw attention to himself. No such luck there. He swallowed hard as Hakkai slowly turned his head to look at him, green eyes darkening in color as well as mood. A smile began to curve on his lips, slow and definately not the usual Hakkai Smile.

"So... they left the little one to do the babysitting," he commented, his voice flowing in a smooth purr of sound that was more pervy Gojyo than Hakkai. It made Goku tense nervously. Hakkai took a deep breath and let it out slowly, stretching against the bed as much as he could while being bound up. It was a movement that was entirely too sexy for the smart, kind man he usually was. He lifted his head off the bed and arched a brow at the belts, ropes and spells tying him in place. "Hmm... well, this certainly complicates things. I don't suppose there's anyway you would just remove one of these tantras?"

Goku shook his head and somehow managed to coax his voice to come out of the corner it was cowaring in. "Nope, Sanzo said not to," he said, his voice a little hoarse and much quieter than normal. This was just really creepy, seeing this stranger use Hakkai's voice and body. He wasn't shaking any longer, which was good, but his heart was still beating pretty hard.

"Ahh, yes... It figures you're under his orders," Hakkai sneered, his face twisting into a sour, angry look. He laughed dryly and cast a disgusted glare in Goku's direction. "You don't even dare to breathe unless he says you may. How very fortunate for you, to follow along so blindly. It must be nice not having a single opinion that is your own."

"That's not true, an' you know it, Hakkai," Goku argued, his hands tightening into angry fists. He knew it wasn't really Hakkai saying those awful things, but he couldn't help feeling hurt by them. He did a lot of things without Sanzo's permission! Like sneaking that dog into the temple... and eating peaches out of the Merciful Goddess' tree... He had is own thoughts, and he had a lot of them, damn it!

Hakkai smiled at him, but there was nothing nice to it. "Actually, allow me to rephrase that. You cling to him like a disgusting little parasite. You eat away at his very existance like your life depended on it."

"Sh-Shut up! You know that's not true, Hakkai! I wouldn't ever to somethin' ta harm Sanzo!" he shouted, unable to stand hearing those words any longer. He didn't care if it was the other person speaking! He wouldn't let anyone say that about him.

A low, harsh laugh came from the man on the bed, the cruel delight in that laugh mirrored in his eyes. "And just like that parasite, you're going to be the death of him."

"I wll NOT! I would never do that to Sanzo! Hakkai, tell him it's not true. Ya've gotta get him ta shut up," Goku hollered as he fought back frustrated tears. It was all a bunch of crap and it was being said just to get him to act stupid. If so... why did a tiny part of him actually think that it could be true. How many times had Sanzo risked his life for him? Every time he remembered waking up after his limiter came off, it was Sanzo who was there for him. Sanzo who was cut up worse than the others for getting close to him. For the first time ever, Goku began to wonder if maybe he more of a risk to Sanzo's safety than a help. Yeah, the words were said to be mean, but there was some truth to them. His fingers curled even tighter into fists, his short nails cutting small little half moons into his palms. Goku turned his face away and closed his eyes as a hot tear fell. He was dangerous for Sanzo.

"You're a horribly selfish boy, you know. Completely uncaring and ignorant of the fact that the very people you wish to protect are the same people you will ultimately destroy. And why is it that you cling so desperately to them? Because you're afraid to be alone? You were better off to everyone around you on that mountain top!"

"So says the psycho strapped to the bed, " a low, cold voice said from the doorway. Goku's jaw drop as his gaze whipped over to see Sanzo leaning casually against the door frame. His entire body was relaxed and calm, but there was nothing except a cool anger in his violet eyes. Sanzo was pissed... but was it at Scary Hakkai or him?

Hakkai gave another slow smile as he picked his head up off the bed to look at Sanzo. "Ah... we were just discussing you, Master Sanzo. What marvelous timing," he commented with fake cheer.

Sanzo pushed away from the door frame and entered the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his full attention on Goku. Goku swallowed hard, and looked at the floor. He didn't want Sanzo seeing him close to tears. The hem of the monk's ivory robe came into view near his feet and made him shift a little nervously. "Save it, fruitcake. I just came back to collect something I forgot." Goku jumped and jerked his gaze back to Sanzo's in shock when his guardian clamped a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Well, parasite, are you coming or am I going to have to carry you?"

While he cringed at being called a parasite (and was he gonna be pissed if that became his new nickname), Goku nodded with a relief that was felt all the way into his toes. If it weren't for the fact that it was Sanzo and that the person who had just hurt his feelings was laying in the same room, he would have thrown himself on the monk in a grateful hug. He didn't hesitate at all in getting out of the room, stopping just outside the doorway to wait for Sanzo.

The monk lit a cigarette in the room and blew the grey, nasty smelling smoke in Hakkai's direction. "You must be pretty desperate to get out of those things," he said in that low, deadly tone of his that usually meant pain was about to be inflicted.

"Oh, really?" he heard Hakkai's voice ask back, no longer mild and amused but openly hostile. Goku took a half step back to the room out of instinct to protect Sanzo before he remembered that the guy doing the threatening was tied to the bed. "And whatever gave you that impression?"

"Why else pick on a kid, asshole? Piss him off and hope he fucks up and lets you out... that was the plan, right? News flash, prick; Goku makes no mistakes in a fight. So, if you want to keep your pretty face intact, I'd suggest laying off of him in the future. He's got a right hook that'll wire your jaw shut for the rest of your life." Sanzo paused, tapping his lower lip almost thoughtfully. "Actually... I take that back. Do us all a favor and piss the monkey off. That way, we won't have to listen to your bullshit day in and day out."

There was an angry snarl and the sound of the bed thudding against the wall as it was jerked hard, but Sanzo ignored it as he walked out of the room and shut the door. He looked at Goku and arched a brow at the wide grin he could feel spreading across his face. "What?" the monk demanded.

"Nothin'," Goku replied, laughter creeping through in his words. He followed after Sanzo down the stairs, once again floored at how awesome the man was. "So, ya forgot me, huh?" he asked, brimming over with happiness that his guardian had come back up to spend time with him.

"Actually, the meatbun stand was closed. I was just coming up to tell you that you'd have to make do until breakfast," the blond said indifferently.

Goku skidded to a hault as all his happy feelings were flushed down the toilet. He didn't really... did he? He shook his head and ran to catch up with Sanzo. "Hey... ya didn't mean that, did ya? I mean, that's pretty funny as a joke, but... Sanzo! SANZO! You DID mean it, didn't you? Ah, man! You're so cold. You're colder than an ice cube. No, a hundred ice cubes! No... make that a thousand ice cubes! Not even that's cold eno-"

WHACK!

Stars exploded in his head at the familiar feel of thick paper being brought down across his skull. Goku stumbled and just barely caught himself from falling. "Oooowww...," he groaned, touching his sore head carefully.

"Shut it, parasite! I get it, I'm cold. Get over it and pick a restaurant already!"

"An' I'm not a -did you say pick a restaurant?"

Sanzo shrugged and blew a line of smoke into the night air. "We're out, might as well stuff that pit you call a stomach. So just pick a damn restaurant. I don't feel like sitting down to eat at midnight."

Goku grinned, and stopped rubbing his head to point eagerly at a seafood buffet restaurant he saw. All You Can Eat Crabs? Heeeell, yeah! "Then I want here! Can we go here, Sanzo? Huh?"

The monk rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath before shoving him between the shoulder blades toward the entrance. "When I die due to the poor sanitary conditions of this place, you will be digging my grave, parasite!"

Scowling over his shoulder, Goku walked inside the restaurant with a heavy feeling on his heart. "Why're you callin' me that instead of monkey?" he demanded as his stomach did a sick little somersault. He hoped he wasn't going to be sick. The food smelled amazing.

Sanzo's eyes narrowed briefly before he landed and open handed swat to the back of Goku's head. Right over the lump from the fan beating. Goku glared back at him as his head pounded in pain before sliding into the booth the monk indicated with a motion of his fingers. "It's a good descriptive word, idiot. I'll be using it on the kappa, too, so don't think it's exclusive."

"I'm not an idiot," Goku muttered darkly before setting the menu up in between him and his guardian. He sank lower into the booth seat and glared holes into the menu. He didn't need to look at it, seeing as he was getting the all-you-can-eat crab special, but it never hurt to take a peek for later.

"You are if you believed what he said."

Goku's stiffened at the statement and slowly lowered the menu to notice Sanzo was watching him with vague amusement in his eyes. He could feel his good mood returning instantly as he realized that Sanzo was right. It was only a word. Why was he getting so upset over a word? Especially if that word could be used on the kappa, too! He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah... I guess I was kinda bein' an idiot. Sorry."

"Whatever." Sanzo crushed his cigarette out and managed to get the waitress' attention. "I take it you know what you want?"

"Uh-huh. Hey, Sanzo?"

"Hm?"

"Can I please call Gojyo a parasite first?"

"Knock yourself out, kid."


Yaone jerked awake so quickly at the touch on her shoulder that she nearly felly right off of the stool in her laboratory. A deep, amused chuckles reached her ears just as two strong hands quickly came around her waist to help settle her back on her perch. "Sorry, Yaone," Dokugakuji said as he leaned against the table she had been working at. Normally, the hardened black rubber surface would have been littered over with pieces of metal, different types of powders and a number of mixing vessels. Now though, there was so much paper on it that the black surface couldn't be seen. Both of them looked over the different stacks and shared a moment of dismay at the amount of work.

"You've been down here for almost sixteen hours straight now," the swordsman continued. "I know you haven't eaten, and so has Kougaiji. He told me to come collect you for dinner in his room."

"No, I'm afraid I can't," she replied regretfully. Dinner sounded very good, and it probably wouldn't hurt to eat something, but there was still so much that had to be done. She still had massive amounts of notes to cross reference, and if she took a break for food that would mean even longer than Cho Hakkai had to suffer. They had been fortunate in finding a few clues in Nii's laboratory and the Sanzo party to point them in the right direction. As soon as they'd returned after their first encounter with a deranged Hakkai, she had gone straight for her lab and Kougaiji had gone to track down the commanding officer of the last assassination attempt. Unfortunately, the man had met with an 'accident' that involved him being found dead in his room after hanging himself from the ceiling. The funny thing was... there was no chair near him. It would have been impossible for him to have strung himself up to hang without the aid of something to stand on.

Off how those types of coincidences always seemed to happen when Lord Kougaiji wanted answers.

Kougaiji had tried his next option; Lady Gyokumen Koushu. Obviously, the only thing resulting from that conversation was him storming into her laboratory, livid and cursing her roundly while she quickly made him an herbal tea to relieve headaches. After three cups of tea and Dokugakuji coming down to hear what had happened, Kougaiji confirmed that the conversation went as everyone had expected. Lady Koushu was 'offended he would even think such a thing', reminded him that 'the Sanzo party was to be destroyed anyway, so what did it matter', and that if he had done his job right the first time around none of her 'poor soldiers' would have to feel inclined to do it for him. Oh, and naturally she had no idea the commanding office had been suffering from suicidal depression.

Naturally.

Yaone shook her head and began running through the list of toxic and hallucinogenic plants again to cross off any that didn't have a permanent or long lasting effect. She shook her head and muttered about the politics of living in a castle while ignoring Dokugakuji in favor of work. Once she was done with this elimination, she would have to consult her own notes and medical reference to see which of those plants could possibly effect a youkai. From there, it would be a simple matter of checking the supply listings for Nii's lab against her findings and she would then have the cause of Hakkai's ailment. After that, mixing an antidote would be nothing.

Kougaiji was still of the mind that they were dealing with a youkai and not some kind of natural toxin, but he wasn't having much luck in supporting his theory. He was basing it off of what Goku had said, that a youkai with stronger aura had spit into Hakkai's face. Both of them agreed that the act of spitting was to deliver the poison, but Yaone theorized that perhaps it was part of a new suicide pill or something of the like. It wouldn't be unlike Nii to start making them standard issue, to be used only if faced with possibly being kept alive for interogation. Not that the Sanzo party had a history of doing that... but the idea behind it was sick enough for the 'good' doctor to find it an intriguing side project.

She was banking on the youkai having popped some kind of pill or potion to terminate himself and that his saliva introduced the toxins to Hakkai's system in a dose that was small enough not to kill him but large enough to effect him. Kougaiji suggested that the act of spitting triggered a poison that the youkai carried externally, a defensive mechanism. The list of youkai types that produced poison was limited and well documented, but none of them used spitting as a way of attacking their enemies. Not to mention, there was no record of any new youkai with poisoning capabilities having been hired by the castle... but again, that wasn't too surprising. There were a lot of names that didn't make the payroll reports, which meant that in order to get the information questions had to be asked. Unfortunately, there were only two people who could answer those questions. One was dead. The other wasn't talking and couldn't be made to do so.

Yaone's heavy sigh quickly turned into an outraged squawk when a strong arm curved around her waist and hauled her off of the stool so quickly that it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. An 'oof' escaped her as she was flung over a solidly muscled shoulder like a sack of potatoes and march toward the door. She could hear the one responsible for her sudden departure from her notes chuckling wickedly. "Doku, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded as she squirmed to try and break free. A blush stained her cheeks when his hand moved lower down her back to control her movements, still being mindful of who he was holding with the placement of his hands.

"Oh, yeah... I forgot to mention the other part of Kou's orders," the swordsman laughed. "He said if you wouldn't come willingly, then I was to get you to dinner however I could."

"And this was the most reasonable way you could come up with?" she asked wrly.

His shoulder shrugged under her stomach and she didn't to see his face to imagine the impish grin. "Brute force, what can I say?" he teased.

Yaone did give him credit though for setting her on her feet outside of the laboratory door. He waited for her to lock the door, keeping a firm grip on her wrist in case she had any ideas of bolting back in and locking him out. She wasn't about to deny that the thought did cross her mind... but that would be a childish thing to do. She tucked the key away into the pouch on her waist and arched a brow at where he was still holding her wrist. "Treating me like a potentially hostile prisoner isn't helping to make me more inclined to have dinner with you two."

Dokugakuji grinned and leaned down so that their noses were almost touching. "This is to keep you from booking it back. Kougaiji wants you to eat a proper meal, get a proper rest and relax for a bit."

"Are you certain this is just Lord Kougaiji talking?"

The taller man chuckled and drew back, lifting her arm by the wrist he still held and wiggling it to emphasize the fact that he wasn't letting go. "Those weren't is exact words, but the idea is the same. Besides, I agree with him. If our healer gets sick, we're screwed. So, food then rest and then you can go back to research. Any luck with that, by the way?"

Yaone shook her head and didn't bother fighting the tug on her arm as Dokugakuji began to lead her down the hall. This had to be how a leashed dog felt, she thought bitterly. "I have a few sound ideas, but I need the evidence to back them up. Once I have the evidence, I need to find the source of the toxin in order to make an antidote."

Dokugakuji glanced over his shoulder and arched a brow. "So, you're still sticking with the whole poisoned-by-drug scenario?"

She nodded, frowning at the question. "You don't agree?"

The swordsman shrugged and made a face that clearly stated he was beginning to doubt the theory. "I'm no scientist, and I suck at research, but it seems to me that if Nii was behind this he'd be praising himself from the highest tower to the lowest dungeon. He'd want to rub in the fact that he finally took out one of the Sanzo party before Kou did. The fact that there's been nothing said makes me think perhaps she acted independantly of everyone and that it didn't go exactly as planned."

Yaone let out a low, controled breath as his words spun through her head and were processed accordingly. Yes... that would make sense. Gyokumen Koushu had done things like this in the past, hiring assassins with no clearance through Kougaiji and then not mentioning anything about it when those assassins failed. When she'd been confronted before about doing this, she'd simply said it was part of the 'do anything' statement in regards to freeing Gyumaoh. There was just one tiny flaw in his theory, the same as with Kougaiji's. "If there was an independant contract put out, Doku, and the person to pick up that contract was a poisonous youkai, there would have been a good deal of testing and notes taken about them. There's nothing so far, from what I've been reading, to support that."

"Or maybe you're not seeing all the possibilities," he countered quickly. "You've gotta admit, Kou's theory is a lot simpler than yours. If it's a youkai attack reflex, like that scorpion clan that was wiped out in the desert, then we just need to identify what clan we're dealing with and go from there."

"But, Doku, you're not listening to me. There is nothing to tie into a youkai attack reflex. No documentation, no notes... not one single scrap of paper. The list of poisonous youkai is very short and very well documented. If that was what we were looking for, it would have been there." They had come to the door to Kougaiji's rooms already and had remained outside debating. The smell of food wafted under the crack of the door and made her stomach lurch hungrily. Hmm... perhaps this stopping to eat and relax wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Dokugakuji sighed heavily and ran a clawed hand back through his short hair. He obviously still didn't agree with her, but he wasn't going to push it any further. He offered a smile and shrug as he reached for the handle of the door. "We can talk about it later, but right now we're under strict orders to do nothing but eat, sleep and take our minds off of it. I know it's important, but we've gotta look out for ourselves first, right?"

Yaone gave him an answering smile and nod as he opened the door. Both of them stopped dead in the doorway, jaws dropping at the sight before them. Kougaiji's room was usually to very image of tidy. Not even dust bunnies dared to disturb the organized perfection of his room. However... Yaone blinked and shook her head to be certain she was seeing correctly. Rolls of faded parchment were stretched out across the floor in a carefully arranged pattern that left very little stepping room for those seeking entrance. The parchment sheets were so wide that they had to be placed on the floor in order to see them all more clearly. Various objects, from a leather slipper to a crown worn only for special occassions, were placed on the corners in an attempt to keep the sheets from recurling on themselves. Books covered in faded leather and with pages so old that the writing was a pale brown against yellowed paper were spread across the bed, opened and marked in places with colored ribbons.

"My... lord?" Yaone called hesitantly, stepping carefully onto a blank floor segment. She could hear him somewhere in the disaster of his room, and it sounded like he was on the balcony.

"Out here," he called back before returning to a muttered voice that she could only faintly make out.

She glanced back at Dokugakuji who shook his head to deny he knew what was going on. Sighing, Yaone began cautiously picking her way between the scrolls on the floor, heading steadily toward Kougaiji's voice and the smell of food wafting in from the open doors. As she went by, she couldn't help but glance at the writing, her natural curiousity taking precedence over respecting her lord's privacy. She frowned as she leaned closer, nearly tripping Dokugakuji to the ground by her sudden stop.

The swordsman cursed under his breath and quickly caught his balance before giving her a mild glare. "Warn a guy next time you make a sudden stop directly in front of him," he reprimanded lightly before bending over and squinting at the paper with her. "Anything interesting?"

Yaone very gingerly kneeled on the floor, trying not to disturb the papers as she did so. "I can't tell," she answered honestly. "It's not a language I know. It looks like sanskrit, but I don't think-"

"It's pali," Kougaiji said, causing both of them to look up guiltily toward his voice. He was leaning against the arched frame to the balcony and looked vaguely amused as Doku helped Yaone to her feet. "It was on its way out of being used when my father decided to start his warmongering."

"We didn't mean to pry, Lord Kougaiji," Yaone explained quickly.

The prince waved her concerns away before motioning for them to step out onto the balcony. "It's an ancient language, one that was once considered the language of scholars and Buddhists."

"And you're giving us this little lesson because..." Dokugakuji prompted as he placed a hand to Yaone's back to encourage her after their retreating lord. Yaone finished picking a path through the scattered documents, finally emerging onto the stone balcony that circled nearly half way around one of the upper levels of Houtu Castle. Up here, the clouds weren't nearly as thick and black, a faint trace of greyish sunlight peaking through to brighten the cold stone that the castle was made of. A low table with cushions surrounding it was set up just to the left of the door and was covered in plates of food. Kougaiji took a seat at the head of the table, looking oddly pleased with himself. Yaone and Dokugakuji sat down on either side of him and waited for him to explain.

"Because it occured to me," the prince said as he poured wine into the two glasses on either side of his own. "That there was one very critical flaw in all of our searching. We weren't looking back far enough."

"Far enough for what?" Yaone asked as she took a sip of the deep red wine.

Kougaiji flashed a quick smile, one that instantly removed the weariness aquired over years of fighting and turned him back into the young man he was. "We've only been considering the documents from the last few years, ever since Gyokumen Koushu started the ressurection project. During the time my father ruled, there were almost fourty-two distinct youkai types."

Dokugakuji let out a low, impressed whistle as he ladened a plate with food. "Damn, that's a lot! Fourty-two, you say? What happened to them all?"

"They aided my father and were annihilated by the Heavenly Army. My point is, at that time in our history there were more youkai to keep track of. Poison carrying clans were still very rare, but they were just as well documented as they are to this day. And there were a lot more of them."

"But, my lord, if you're looking in ancient records for a specific clan that's most likely extinct, how does this help us?" Yaone interupted before taking a bite of chicken.

Kougaiji's indigo eyes were glowing with excitement as he answered her question. "Because, as with all wars there are survivors. Those scrolls in there," he nodded toward his room for emphasis, "are the family lineage for the Toad Clan, thought to have been completely wiped out during the war."

Yaone exchanged a look with Dokugakuji and was glad to note she wasn't the only one confused with their lord's leap of logic. She could guess what he was trying to hint at, but how he came to the conclusion was still very much a mystery. "Lord Kougaiji, may I inquire as to why the Toad Clan was specifically targeted out?"

The smile he gave her was one of pure pride as he took a sip of his wine before replying. "When you want to know the latest battle tactics, you speak with the commanding officer in the army. When you want to know what happens inside the castle-"

"-You speak with the servants," Dokugakuji finished with a knowing smile of his own. "You got one of Koushu's servants to talk."

"Close. Actually, one of her servants was gossiping with a cerain soldier who feels he owes me his life. Sifu came shortly before the food arrived to tell me what he learned. The servant claimed to have overheard her mistress discussing an assassination plan on the Sanzo party with the soul remaining survivor of the Toad Clan. Sifu happened to be in the area at the time she was talking and thought that the information was perhaps something I should know." He paused to give a bitter, mirthless laugh. "Apparently, he's the only person here who seems to think it's important to keep me informed of these things."

Neither of them responded to the partially sarcastic comment. They both knew it was eating away at Kougaiji's pride that, though he was technically the prince and next in line to rule in his father's name, he had no true authority in that regard. As long as his mother was being held hostage, he would never have the chance to try and help his people instead of throwing them into chaos. In some respects, Yaone pitied him to the point she thought her heart would break. Just listening to him say his mother's name was evidence enough that he adored her. He would do anything to save her... including sacrifice his own people. Some days, she couldn't help but wonder if Queen Rasetsunyo would have wanted that. Kougaiji always made her seem so incredibly gentle and kind. She couldn't imagine a woman like that would be happy knowing her son was a virtual hostage because of her. But, of course, that was an opinion that would never leave her lips. She trusted Kougaiji implicitly to know what course of action should be taken.

Kougaiji sighed wearily and began pushing the plates and glasses far enough to give him some space to spread the scroll out. "Unfortunately, the old records room was in utter chaos due to the scientists pawing through it for information. It's taken me hours to compile these notes and arrange them accordingly. The Toad Clan were once very prosperous and powerful, or so I've gathered from the geneology and historical pieces in the group. During the war, the Heavenly Army targeted those of great power and influence who were unwavering in their support for my father. It was a preventative measure, to keep another uprising from occuring. If you'll notice here," he ran a claw along several lines listing names, the fact that they belonged to the Toad Clan and that their death was confirmed. "Every single one of them was listed as being diseased and that their bodies had been identified. Except for this one, that is. Ankou, son of Tsunling. He was only ten at the time, but his body was never found."

"So... you think this guy escaped and survived five hundred years in secrecy only to join Koushu's freak parade and get killed by a human monk with a gun?" Dokugakuji asked dubiously. "You think that's our most likely option?"

"I'm saying it is our only option. The Toad Clan were poison carriers. They administered that poison-,"

"-By spitting it at their enemies," Yaone finished softly. Her chest was tight with a mixture of horror and excitement over his discovery. Creating an antidote from amphibian oil was going to be extraordinarily tricky. There were so many different types... and finding the correct one was going to be such work. "Lord Kougaiji, is there any mention of a cure for their toxin?"

Kougaiji shook his head grimly. "A family secret, apparently."

"And those four just killed the last family with that secret," Doku groaned as he dropped his head onto the table. "It'd be nice if something could be solved easily for a change."

"At least we know what we're dealing with now," the prince offered almost consolingly. "That's one step closer to fixing the mess Koushu started. Yaone."

"Yes, my lord?"

"This is your top priority for now. I want you to focus on finding a cure for this. Whatever you need to do it, I'll see that you get it personally. Dokugakuji."

"Yeah?"

"I think it's about time you had a family reunion. While I don't normally hold with telling the enemy any information, I feel that in this instance it's not only warranted but necessary."

"Sure thing, Kou." Both Dokugakuji and Yaone quickly rose and retraced their carefully extracted path from the documents littered across his floor. The swordsman gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze before hurrying down the hall toward the main entrance way. Yaone returned to her laboratory, her mind racing over where to even start. Clearly, all of the research she'd been doing was now pointless due to the fact that the evidence was now pointing toward amphibian poison.

It was while she was clearing space on her crowded table top that Yaone realized two things. One, she didn't know much of anything regarding animal toxins. And two... now that she'd had a few bites of food, her stomach was all but eating itself for more.

"Damn it," she muttered hotly as she pressed a palm to her stomach in an attempt to ease the cramping. She'd known all along that stopping for food was a very bad idea! She let out an irritated huff of breath and ran her other hand through her bangs as she surveyed the piles of plant and herbal books stacked on her table. First things first; she would find something quick to get rid of the hunger pangs. Then, it was time to see how much knowledge she could cram in on amphibian hallucinogens and toxins. It was going to be another very long night.


For once, they were unanimous on one thing; both of them wanted to be freed. Granted, their reasoning for this agreement was in complete polar opposites, but at least they were working toward one goal now. Hakkai could feel the darker side of him lurking in the background, sitting back to let him take the reigns and figure out the best way to break loose. Hakkai groaned and winced as the force inside him tried to surge to the surface again. They may have agreed on the necessity of being free, but that didn't mean either of them were working copacetically to achieve that. If anything, it was getting more and more difficult to separate his thoughts from the others. One minute, he thought he was himself and the next he'd feel the unmistakeable brush of the other's energy in his thoughts. The line that separated them was becoming disturbingly more blurred as the days wore on. It nearly made him sick with panic to think that one day he would wake up and not know himself.

"I can get us out of here. All you have to do is step back," it offered. An angry growl came from it when he clamped firmer on the thin control he still maintained on it.

"I can do this just fine," Hakkai gritted out. Both of them knew this wasn't entirely true. With all his focus bent on trying to control the monster inside (it smirked in response to being called a monster) it made it very difficult to focus on anything other than that. He could feel the tantras' power constricting around his own natural aura, flexing ever so slightly when he applied more energy into breaking it. It was firm enough to keep him bound but loose enough so as not to shatter under strain. Very much like the man who created them, he thought bitterly. He didn't know why he was so surprised to discover Sanzo was so skilled in crafting the spells. It seemed fairly standard that a sanzo priest would know how to do that. Perhaps it was more the amount of very cleverly woven skill he could detect that was surprising. Unlike with Rikudo's spells that were so solid they felt like running into brick walls repeatedly, Sanzo's were more delicately made but infinitately stronger. It was like being caught in a net made of thin, wire razors. If he pushed too hard, the give would stop and he would find himself sliced open.

The presence began to pace in his mind irritably, clearly unhappy about their situation. Hakkai tried to ignore it as best he could while keeping his control solid. He'd been groggy and worn out when it had taken over and tried to taunt Goku. Granted, he still wasn't in the best of conditions, but at least he had a minute amount of control again. The presence sneered at him and slammed itself against his mental barriers hard enough to make him cry out. "I'm sorry... did you say you CONTROL me?" it demanded angrily.

Hakkai didn't apologize to it, simply tugged on the thin chain still tying it firmly into the submissive position. "Which of us is chained?" he said through clenched teeth, uncaring how stange it might have appeared that he was talking to himself.

The presence gave him another heated glare before it returned to pacing.

Sighing, Hakkai went back to tentatively feeling out the tantras for any sign of weakness. Before he could even think about getting free of the physical bindings, he had to remove the metaphysical ones first. He knew that his friends were only trying to protect him from hurting anyone, including himself. They were just going about it the wrong way. Keeping him with them would only lead to disaster. He had to get away from them, and everyone else, to protect them from what was happening. The hold he held over that thing inside him was steadily fraying away. At any moment, it would snap completely and he'd be lost in the blood lust. He wanted to be far away from them before that happened.

"You're disgusting in your hypocracy," the voice said derisively. "We both know that what you want most at this moment is to taste their blood first. You want to sip the cool, controled calm of the priest's blood. You want the burning struggle of life and death in the little one. You want to take the offered sacrifice of the half breed, knowing that while you drink his essence down he's dying inside. That is the ONLY reason you want free, so that you may be the first to sample their blood."

"You're sick and completely off the mark. I want to protect them, as they've always protected me!"

"THEY protected YOU? How many times have you saved them from death? Where would they be right now without you watching over them constantly? Do you honestly think they'd still be alive if it weren't for you?"

"I do!"

"You're lying! Nothing comes fo free in this world. You know that better than anyone. The happiness you had with HER-"

"Leave her out of this!" Hakkai shouted, gasping as his aura flared in response to his growing anger. The tantras pulsed threateningly around him, adding a sharp sting like the burn of the summer sun to his skin as a warning of its potential damage. Youkai aura stood no chance against a holy power. There was going to be no escape.

"Finally, you say something intelligent! True, our youkai powers are useless against these little spells... but chi energy isn't derived from youkai aura, is it? It's completely internal, finding the strength from within and giving it physical force."

Hakkai's eyes widened as he finally caught up to what it was saying. Chi energy... if he focused his chi against one of the tantras, the others would crumble with it. They worked together, in a network of power. Take out one, and the circuit would dissipate. The presence in his mind smiled slyly and purposely stepped back further into the shadows, allowing him the room he needed to consentrate. He knew once he did this that all bets were off and that he had to be prepared for it to throw itself at him full force. Right now, they had a truce. Slowly, he took a deep breath in and released it out just as carefully, relaxing his tightened muscles one at a time. A few more deep breaths and he reached the stage of calm he needed for drawing on the energy within. He could feel it rushing down his arm, almost glad to be free at last. It gathered in his upturned palm, a frail ball of light that was a mix of pale green and yellow swirling into life. He had it. Now, it was only a simple matter of directing it toward the tantra on the bed post and preparing to control the waiting monster anxious to pounce out.

Hakkai slowly began to relax his fingers and allow the chi energy to rush toward its target.