Konnichiwa, minna-san! So far the votes are:

Goku/Mako- 3
Gojyo/Mako - 2
Sanzo/Mako - 3

and NONE for any of the other couples. Well, if you want to see *your* fave couple (or prefered,
as the case may be), *please* vote verdamnt! (If you speak German, please don't be offended at
my language choice =^-^=;;) Also, this is a very emotional chapter. If this kinda stuff is
stuff you don't like, my apologies, but it's necessary . (Trust me, I don't like writing the
stuff much, either.)

On to chapter 8

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Heikai-sama ... "
"What is it now?"

The youkai slave gulped and looked down.
"They failed again ... he was not there this time."
"BAKA!!!" she shouted, "IF HE WAS NOT THERE, THEN *WHY* DID YOU ATTACK?!"

The youkai began to tremble.
"I - I thought ... I thought that ... "

The imposing figure of the woman stood from her high throne.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO ATTACK UNLESS HE WAS THERE! I WANT HIM BROUGHT TO ME! WAKATTA?!"
"Hai, hekai-sama!"

She sat back down and sneered at him.
"Do not fail me again, do you hear me? I will not tolerate all these failures. If we are
to succeed I must have him within my grasp. And when they come to rescue him, I shall have all
the pawns I need to raise a king."
"Hai, hekai-sama! I shall do as you order!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Makoto and Rei sat next to each other on the bed farthest away from Sanzo. The Senshi of Jupiter
knew what the monk was capable of, but was relieved to see that he was focused on Gojyo for the
time. Hakkai was currently fussing over the said red head and occupant of the other bed, while
Sanzo glared at the children on the bed and then down at Hakkai, then at the teens, then at
Hakkai, and back and forth, from his position against the wall.

A door opened slowly and Goku walked in from the bathroom in only his jeans with a towel around
his shoulders, fresh and clean from the shower. Makoto noticed this, but was not aware of the
fact that she was staring at him as he approached the bed until Rei poked her, none too gently,
in the ribs. The other girl quickly looked away and blushed lightly. The boy was oblivious, as
guys tend to be, and sat next to the red faced girl, too close for her comfort. Hakkai signaled
that he was finished and Sanzo nodded back. He pushed away from the wall and stalked toward the
children. They gulped simultaneously and moved back as far as they could.

"So," the pissed monk began, "You found your friend. I hope you're happy ... WERE YOU
TRYING TO FIND DEATH AS WELL?! I said, TOMORROW, we would look for her! What the *fuck* could you
*not* understand about that?!"

Nobody dared answer the enrage man as he paused for air.
"What were you trying to pull, going out alone like that?! D'you really wanna get your-
selves killed?! And to top it all off, you almost got Gojyo killed! Are you *trying* to give me a
heart attack at a young age? You're my freakin' responsibility, and I will *not* be the one to
explain why I no longer have a group to "go west" with me when you get us all KILLED! WHAT WERE
YOU THINKING?!?!"
"THAT I WANTED TO FIND MY FRIEND!"

A sudden silence filled the room, and not a comical or akward one, either. It was shocked, shock
that Makoto had raised her voice to a nearly glass-shatering level, shock that she of all people,
had raised her period, shock that she raised it to Sanzo, of all people. Makoto wanted to stop
there, she truely did. Unfortuneately, she found herself unable to.

"I wanted to find my friend," she whispered, "You don't really know what it's like to
have companions, but feel something missing, do you? NO, because YOU DON'T CARE!!! I wanted my
friend, who's shared my pain, who's been through hell and high water with me, who's fought with
me, who knows me, who's shed tears and sweat and blood with me ... WHO'S FUCKING DIED WITH ME!!!"

Rei's eyes widened, mirroring the nearly blank look that was on Makoto's face. The shock of
recieving memories that came pouring back as almost too much for them. The battles, the blood,
the sweat, the tears, the betrayals ... the deaths. All with blank faces and fuzzy body features
of people who were once friends. Only Rei's and Makoto's faces and features could be made out
among the grayish colored bodies. The two sat there in shock, Makoto with a hand clapped over
her mouth. To become that emotional in front of so many people was high on her list of 'no-no's'
or things not to do. Rei hugged her, sobbing, while she stared off into nothingness. The three
conscious men gawked at the pair, trying to understand what had just happened. Finally Goku
snapped out of the trance like state most of the room was in.

"Sanzo ... " the boy started, "We only wanted to find the girl. We weren't counting on
the attack ... K'so! We didn't know that *they* knew where we were! And how Gojyo even knew we
had gone and why *you* let him out of the inn ... those are *your* problems."

The monk stared at the young youkai. This was the first time any of them had dared talk back to
him. Kouryuu urged him to listen to them, but Sanzo really did not want to hear it. He was used
to having control, he *needed* the control, to prove to himself that he was not useless. But
even Sanzo had to admit that they were right. He tried to keep such tight reign on them that he
knew sooner or later this would happen.

Instead of saying anything that would show them that he was sorry, however, he placed his "Sanzo
Glare of Death" on them and sniffed.
"Saa ... that's all very well and good. Do what you like. I don't care anymore, I don't
have to look after you, seeing as you can do such a good job of that yourself. When you decided
what you are going to do, you can either leave or go back to your room or whatever."

And with that, the great monk that was Sanzo exited from the room and went to his and Hakkai's.
The others stared after him, each flinching when the door slammed. Hakkai stood and walked over
to Makoto. She thought he was her brother, and maybe they were long lost siblings, but at the
moment, she needed a family tie to lean on and he was going to be there. He looked at Goku,
asking the boy without words if he could sit. Goku just nodded and moved off the bed so the
healer could sit.
"Mako-chan ... " Hakkai whispered.

She looked up at him with red eyes, tears not released swimming in them. Hakkai once again
reeled at how much she looked like him, but he did not say anything. He just gave her an
encouraging smile and opened his arms. She all but fell into them, with Rei still clutching her,
and sobbed.
"You know, Mako-chan ... he's really just worried. Sanzo ... did not have a normal child-
hood, he can't express his emotions properly. And he's scared, scared to make any emotional
attachments to anyone," he paused as the girl snorted, " Why, exactly, that is the case is
something we don't know, but I do know that he's scared because I was like that to, so don't
snort at me, young lady."

Makoto giggled and Rei smiled against her back.
"Yeah ... I suppose you're right but ... "
"Shhh ... I know. You regained some of your memories, ne? And from the look of things I
doubt they were pleasant ones. I'll get Sanzo to understand that."
"Iie," Goku denied.

The Senshi looked up at him, confused.
"Huh? Why can't he?"
"I've known him longer than all of you," Goku sighed, "If you wanna make him understand
anything, you've gotta do it yourself, and be persistant. He's not just gonna accept any apology
outright, either, but he'll do something to show that's it's accepted or whatever. You've gotta
pay attention and be on the lookout for it, though."
"But *he* owes *us* an apology, too," Rei reminded him sharply.

The youkai teen shook his head.
"With the action that shows he accepts *your* apology, he'll do something that show's
*he's* sorry, too. Trust me on this, please? I've been around him long enough to know his
mannerisms."

Makoto smiled and pushed away from Hakkai a little.
"GROUP HUG!" she grinned.

Goku grinned back, relieved at the release of tension in the air. After all the trials of the
day, the hug was just what they all needed.
"Now! I think a three course meal is in order! I'm hungry!" he declared.

Peals of laughter rang through the halls, reaching Sanzo's ears as he paced.
"I shouldn't have gone off on them like that ... Baka ... This isn't going to help
any ... and what'm I gonna do if they all leave? ... Well, shit, this is a fine mess I've gotten
myself into ... " he muttered to himself, "But they're laughing ... maybe they won't leave ... I
don't want them to leave, I need them until we defeat Gyumao ... "

He stopped pacing the halls and retreated into his room, lighting a cigarette. He embraced the
lungful of smoke like a lover and looked at the door that sperated him from the others.
"Please don't leave, Mako ... we need you ... " he whispered, "I need you ... "

~Owari, chapter 8~

Muwahahahahahahahahaha!!! Sanzo having a romantic side! ::gasps for air as she rolls on the
floor::

Gomen, minna-san. The votes are tied, so I'm hinting at both for now ... until we have a tie
breaker. Voting ends with the post of chapter 9, folks, so get your votes in.