A/N: Sorry for not updating for a really long time. My school and work schedule is really weird so I have nearly no free time and any that I might have is being devoted to working on Samsara. I have the feeling my writing class is going to be a hassle. You know it's a bad sign when your prof hands back part of the chapter you turned in and tells you it needs a lot of work. Basically he seemed to not get the idea that Samsara is book 5 so a vast amount of it is not going to be spent going into great detail explaining the characters' background.
I do not own Saiyuki, but I do own the Daycarthro Chronicles. Now onward to chapter 14!
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Chapter 14: Another Close Call
"Sera! Sera!" His voice calls her from the darkness that has taken over her mind.
He's worried about me, she realizes.
I have an obligation to look after you, don't take it personally, was what he told her when they first met. For once he wasn't mocking her, but actually seemed sincere.
Let him suffer, she concludes. He only wants to help me because of his own guilt.
"Yelling her name isn't going to bring the stupid woman back."
Stupid woman! That pompous bastard! Who the hell does he think he is? Slowly she begins to regain feeling even though it only reminds her how damaged her left arm is. The talisman on her wrist managed to protect her and Sanzo from Lamya's attack, but her body still absorbed a good amount of power.
"I'm in hell..." Serafina mutters, her oak-wood eyes cracking open only to be met by a pair of blue-violet ones. She looks passed Evan at Sanzo, who watches her from the corner of his eyes. "...and you're here with me," but she fails to hide her relief that he wasn't hurt.
"Glad to see you're not seriously hurt," Raven smiles at her. "The talisman your guardian gave you seems to be pretty strong, but you might want to have Daycarthro bless it for you."
"Yeah, it didn't completely shield you, Sera." Evan places his hand on her wrist, inspecting the burns covering most of her left arm.
"Stop calling me that. You make it sound like I'm a little kid."
"Which is why I enjoy calling you that, Sera," Evan smirks.
"Aren't you going to give your girlfriend a big thank you kiss?" Gojyo nudges Sanzo forward. "You know she probably just saved your life."
"I didn't ask for her help." Sanzo crosses his arms in front of him.
"That's not very nice of you," Gojyo mutters.
"Now, now, Gojyo, you know how bashful Sanzo is," Hakkai whispers to Gojyo.
"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here," Sanzo replies, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
"I really am in hell," she groans, wishing everyone would shut up.
"Che, she must not be that hurt if she can make stupid jokes."
"And you must not be hurt if you can still be a complete ass," she counters, massaging her temple. Sanzo clenches his fist, a wave of anger moving inside of him.
"Stupid woman!" Sanzo whips out his fan about to smack her upside the head, but before he can, his hand comes up empty.
"Just what exactly is this made out of anyway?" Evan asks, eyeing the fan in his hands. Sanzo shakes with anger, while the Demon Child completely ignores him, intently examining the fan he stole from Sanzo. "It must be lined with metal or something to make it hurt so much." Sanzo slams his fist onto Evan's head.
"Stupid demon! Don't take things without asking!"
"Then don't hit people who are hurt!" Evan yells back.
"She wouldn't have gotten hurt if she hadn't been acting like an idiot."
"She saved your life!"
"I didn't ask her to!" The two glare at each other, sparks flying between them. Serafina groans, wishing she were deaf at the moment so she wouldn't have to hear them yelling at each other. It feels like someone decided to use her skull for a drum and Evan and Sanzo's voices are not helping her one bit.
"Now is not the time for you two to be fighting," Raven cuts in, stepping between both of them. "If you haven't forgotten we just lost another person to Lamya and Zev."
"And your point is!" Evan growls.
"My point is, we should not be fighting amongst ourselves," Raven counters, still remaining calm in the face of Sanzo's and Evan's anger. Evan at last turns his back on Sanzo.
"I have more important things to do than fight with you," Evan says as he tosses Sanzo's fan back to him. "I'll meet you back at the house," Evan tells Raven as he appears next to Serafina. "Let's go," with that Evan and Serafina both vanish from sight.
"We should head back now," Raven finally says when everyone fails to move. Currently, everyone looks exhausted from running around all day and it doesn't help how many close calls they have had. The feeling of defeat hangs in the air. They failed to retrieve two people who are now in the clutches of Lamya and Zev, who could have anything planned at the moment.
"But I didn't really get the chance to fight. Everyone keeps running away," Goku whines.
"With Lamya around, I'm sure you'll have lots of fight," Cassandra whispers, thinking of the blonde demon who has come fairly close to killing each of them several times, especially Evan and Raven.
"Really?" Goku asks his eyes becoming starry. "She's so strong! It's been so long since I got to fight someone really good. It's always those really weak youkai, but they're not even good enough to build up a sweat."
"I swear if the bakasaru ain't talking about food, it's fighting," Gojyo smirks slightly. "But what can you expect from a bakasaru."
"Stop calling me bakasaru!"
"A bakasaru by any other name, would still be a bakasaru," Gojyo replies matter-of-factly. Sanzo places his hand on his forehead, trying to control the anger swelling inside of him.
"An ero kappa will always be an ero kappa!" Goku yells. Sanzo hits both of them before their argument can escalate any further.
"And an idiot will always be an idiot," Sanzo counters, walking off.
"Sanzo! That was mean!" Goku cries, rubbing the lump on his head.
"We were just talking," Gojyo grumbles.
"Keep it up, and you won't be talking for a while," Sanzo flashes his gun to emphasize his point.
"Now Sanzo, you should really watch your temper," Hakkai laughs.
"Ch," Sanzo grunts, quickening his pace so he can get away from the idiots before they do something else to piss him off.
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Warner glances up from Lirin then back at the card he is about to turn over. This is it...Warner thinks to himself as he takes a deep breath. He quickly flips the card over, his eyes widening slightly when he sees it's a jack. But before he is able to claim the jack as his own, Lirin's hand slams down on the card.
"I win!" Lirin cheers, setting the card with the other jacks from the deck.
"Damn, that's the fifth time in a row," Warner groans. "Well, at least you didn't crush my hand like he did last time." He tenderly rubs his hand.
"That was pretty funny," Lirin laughs.
"Yeah…" the Vaerire sweat drops. He looks away from Lirin, his eyes focusing on Yaone who is currently engrossed in one of Raven's chemistry books. It's a nice change from her pacing around, Warner smiles slightly.
"Let's go another round so I can kick your ass again." Lirin shuffles the cards. "Maybe this time we should make a bet. If I win, then you have to buy me dinner."
"And if I win?"
"Then you pick which place we'll go to," she grins at him, a fang sticking out for her lip.
"That isn't a really fair bet," Warner sighs.
"It's not like you are going to win anyway," Lirin replies, placing the deck on middle of the table. Yaone glances up from her book when she hears the front door open. Everyone walks in, looking battered from some fight.
"Hey guys, how did it go?" Warner asks, thankful for the save.
"I'm going to sleep," Cassandra yawns.
"I'll join you," Gojyo smirks. Cassandra slams her foot down on Gojyo's foot.
"I think Raven is already joining her," Warner grins. Cassandra slaps him upside the head as she walks passed him on her way to the stairs.
"Perverts," Cassandra says as she disappears upstairs.
"I'm going to get something to eat." Goku stretches his arms, heading for the kitchen.
"Not if I beat you to it!" Lirin calls, racing passed him.
"Hey, leave some for me!" Goku chases after her.
"I'm surrounded by a bunch of idiots," Sanzo mutters, rubbing his forehead.
"I'm going to check on Serafina," Raven states as he also goes upstairs.
"Hmph," Sanzo grunts before stalking off.
"Um, Hakkai? Did you find Dokugakuji?" Yaone asks. The smile slips from Hakkai's face, not quite sure how to answer the question without worrying Yaone too much. But no matter what he says, he can't change the fact he wasn't able to save Dokugakuji.
"Miss Yaone, I'm sorry. The demons beat us to him." Yaone lowers her head slightly.
"Thank you for trying," Yaone finally says, turning to go to her room.
"Yaone?" Hakkai whispers, about to rest his hand on her shoulder, but she is already out of his reach. For a second he watches her disappear into one of the rooms, worry etched on his usually smiling face.
"Hey, Hakkai, having woman trouble," Gojyo asks, draping his arm around Hakkai's shoulder, reminding Hakkai of Gojyo's and Warner's presence.
"That's the worst trouble," Warner nods his head. "Communication is the best solution."
"Or..." Gojyo leans forward a mischievous grin on his face. "You can always do something to relieve her physical needs." Hakkai laughs nervously while a faint red hue crosses his cheeks.
"I don't think Yaone is that kind of girl."
"Yeah, hentai, everyone knows there are different types of girls. If Hakkai comes on too strong he could scare her away," Warner argues.
"But if he keeps avoiding her like this, he won't get anywhere."
"Ano..." Hakkai interrupts the two.
"All right!" Warner suddenly smiles, causing Hakkai to smile uneasily. "We both agree Hakkai should talk to her, so..." Warner and Gojyo push Hakkai over to the room Yaone is in.
"Good luck!" They shove Hakkai forward, causing him to stumble into the room, while Warner and Gojyo scatter. Yaone doesn't look up at him from her spot next to the windowsill.
She looks so sad, Hakkai thinks, his eyes darkening slightly. It's my fault for not trying hard enough.
"Miss Yaone, are you all right?' Hakkai's voice drifts into her thoughts. She quickly wipes the tears away from her cheeks, not wanting him to know she was crying.
"I'm fine, Hakkai," she replies, forcing a smile on her face. Hakkai stands next to her looking out the window which faces the garden in the backyard.
"I'm sure they will be fine," Hakkai smiles slightly, his fingers gently brushing the back of her hand, before resting his hand on top of hers. "We're get them back...I promise." Yaone's face reddens slightly from his touch and his words.
Why am I acting this way around him? He's my enemy. My only mission is to help Kougaiji-sama retrieve the sutra from the Sanzo-ikko. Hakkai and I should be enemies. Her eyes trail down to his hand resting contently against hers. Is he really my enemy? Yaone wonders, gazing up at the young man next to her. If he is really my enemy why does he always try to comfort me when I'm sad? Are we really more than just allies now?
"Thank you, Hakkai," Yaone finally says. Hakkai glances at her, blushing slightly at how close they are to one another. He pulls his hand away from hers, realizing he shouldn't be so forward with her.
"Sorry," Hakkai laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should probably check on Goku and make sure he hasn't cleaned out the fridge." He pauses before leaving the room. "If you ever want to talk, I'm more than willing to listen."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Why does he have to be so nice? she wonders. No matter what I do, I can't think of him as my enemy. I'm sorry Kougaiji-sama.
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"What the hell were you thinking?" Evan demands, wrapping Serafina's left arm with gauze. "I told you to sit this one out, but like an idiot you ran off on your own."
"My guardian's talisman protected me," she replies, her right hand fingering the metal shackle resting on the bed.
"And what if it wasn't strong enough?" Evan snaps. "You are such an idiot," he bitterly whispers.
"I know," she mutters, closing her eyes as she rests against her pillows. "Everyone keeps telling me that." Evan studies her face and he knows she regrets her actions. His eyes dart away, deciding to drop it for now.
"And what's the deal with Sanzo?"
"He's a prick," Serafina offers.
"That's not what I meant," Evan replies. "Do you like him?"
"Huh," Serafina's eyes shoot open. "When hell freezes over!" she snaps. "That man annoys me to no end. He is such an arrogant bastard and who does he think he is always calling me stupid woman. I'm starting to think he only does it to piss me off. Then the bastard doesn't even acknowledge I saved his life, instead he says it was entirely my fault. And the nerve of him thinking he could hit me with the damn fan of his!" She clenches her fist, wishing Sanzo was right there so she could put a few dents in his skull.
"And you're getting all worked up over him. If it was anyone else, you would have ignored them," Evan points out. "Don't be a fool and let your emotions get the better of you."
"I'm not letting my emotions do anything because I don't like him," she counters. "Why do you care anyways," she mutters.
"Let's not start on this crap again. I told you it's partly my fault what happened to your mother and father. I'm taking responsibility for my actions by making sure you don't get anymore screwed up than you already are. I'll help you get rid of Lamya, but as I told you before, you're still not strong enough. So don't get yourself killed until then." The boy finishes wrapping her arm. "Tomorrow, I'll try to heal it again. You're lucky it's still functional, but lay off of it for a while."
"All right." She flexes her left hand slightly, but a shiver of pain races up her arm.
"Evan?" she finally says.
"Hm," the boy pauses.
"I still haven't forgiven you."
"Good, it'll keep things more interesting," Evan smirks before leaving the room.
Why the hell would I like Sanzo? Serafina thinks bitterly. Only an idiot would fall for a bastard like him.
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A/N: Well, that's it for now. Hopefully this was worth the wait, it not sorry. Now some responses to the reviews!
OABoo—Don't worry, this should be cooling down for a while and there will be plenty of character interaction. There should be plenty of peace and quiet for a while, it wouldn't be any fun if this ended so quickly.
Kikki—I think next chapter will have the Sanzo-ikko exploring the new world they're in since I have been neglecting that. But there won't be anymore bad guys in here since I think there is enough at the moment.
Triple X—I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
Rook—I'm sorry I didn't update for a while, but thank you for reminding me how long it had actually been since I updated. I can't believe it has really been that long, time is just flying by for me. Oh, yeah, and the thing with Raven's little spell, if it was a safe spell, Raven would have used it earlier. Desperate times call for desperate actions, right?
Kurtain—Hm. The fight between the Sanzo-ikko and Homura gang? I wouldn't know since I have only seen the first season. I'm so deprived, but I did see the first episode of Saiyuki Reload. I love it. I can't wait for Anime Junkies to release the next one.
Swtrkgalditress—Looks like Serafina survived Sanzo's wrath this time, but I'm sure the issue will pop up very soon.
Thowra—When will I be giving the Hybrid out? I at least want to try to get it published before I graduate, which will be in May. I also think the story needs to be improved more before I even try to get it published. Nothing worse than not giving a story the proper attention it needs. Another hard part is finding a publisher who might be interested. Just looking at The Writer's Market makes feel queasy. So as soon as I get over this fear, I'll try. But I promise to let you know if I do happen to get published.
Ruby—Well there was some fluffiness between them in this chapter and I'm sure there will be more in the coming chapters. I hope you like it.
Ali—Hm, Seiten Taisen Son Goku...I guess you're just going to have to wait and see what happens. -
Sumitra—I'm glad you are enjoying this and I'll try to update at much as possible. So please bear with me if my updates are kind of slow.
Thank you to Rook, Triple X, OABoo, Sumitra, Kikki, Kurtain, Ruby, swtrkgalditress, Thowra, Ali, and MystiquePixie for reviewing.
Oh yeah, before I forget, congrats to my sister for having her baby boy. 10 pounds, 11 ounces, glad I'm not you. ' Can't wait to see you in November.
Next chapter we might have a little bit of SxS and of course the Sanzo-ikko and Raven-tachi will find some way to get into trouble, well mostly Warner, Gojyo, Goku and Evan. They are such a troublesome combination. Hopefully Sanzo's sanity will remain intact, as little as he already has, that is.
Till next time!