Standard disclaimers apply again.
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Goku dove where the shimmering tentacles had dragged down Sanzo. All thought of swimming in cold waters vanished as he searched for the monk. Bubbles swam past his face and he followed its source, his mind screaming Sanzo's name.
He saw the robes then – and the tendrils that wound around the monk. They looked like living water, shimmering and reflecting what light it could catch. The transparent limbs distorted Sanzo's yellowish robes even more, adding to the effect of the water. Darkness enshrouded the limbs' source, enforcing the image of body-less limbs moving on their own.
Living water.
And it's got Sanzo.
Goku set his jaw and swam faster, summoning his Nyoibou almost as an afterthought. Sanzo wasn't moving. The tendrils were dragging him deeper. He had to get to Sanzo!
Light flared past him, heat in its wake boiling the water surrounding it. Goku glanced over his shoulder to see Hakkai ready another ki-ball in his hands. Gojyo was beside him, shakujouu in his grip.
Hakkai released his ki-ball and it sped past Goku to strike at one of the tendrils around Sanzo.
The shimmering limb stiffened, its colour turning into an off-white shade that resembled that of a coral, and burst abruptly into a million glimmering pieces. The tendrils stopped their downward descent, writhing in confusion as some of them released the monk.
Goku gave a mighty kick, propelling himself forward. He grabbed at Sanzo's arm with one hand and swung Nyoibou with the other. Knobbed staff connected with shimmering tendril, showering the water with glimmering pieces of coral.
He almost gasped when one of the sharp pieces scored his cheek, holding onto his breath by sheer willpower, and tried to pry the last tendril around Sanzo's neck.
The crescent blade of Gojyo's shakujou severed it in a quick slash. Goku waved his arm when the limb shattered, shifting his hold to wrap around Sanzo's back. He felt Gojyo's arm come around the monk from the other side. The boy met Gojyo's crimson-eyed gaze as the latter jerked his head upwards. Goku nodded and the two of them carried the unconscious monk back to the surface.
His short cape was pulling at his neck but he didn't stop swimming. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Hakkai similarly rise to the surface a few feet from them. But the seeping coldness in his gut didn't fade.
Goku paused in his ascent when he felt Gojyo's arm slip off. The half-youkai was looking behind them, where shimmering limbs began to swim after them. Gojyo met his gaze again and jerked his head upwards. Get to the surface.
The boy wrapped both arms around Sanzo then and continued swimming upwards. He broke the surface a moment later, searching for the boat as he held Sanzo's head above the water. Finally he found it, the dark arc of its bottom drifting in the rippling waters.
Something burst out beside the boat, a black lump connected to something dark green. "Hakkai!"
"Hurry, Goku! Get Sanzo in the boat before Gojyo runs out of air!"
"Hai hai!" Goku swam towards Hakkai, keeping one arm around the limp Sanzo. The youkai had already upturned the boat by the time he reached them.
Together, they both lifted the monk into the wooden craft. Then, Hakkai lifted himself into it. "Goku, go and help Gojyo. I'll take care of Sanzo."
"I don't need that bakasaru's help." Gojyo was already swimming towards them, red hair streaming behind him. "I took out most of the tentacle-things and they're sure not happy about it."
"Then iku zo, iku zo!" Goku jumped into the boat. "We need to get Sanzo to dry land!"
"Then start rowing!" Gojyo leaped in, just as the tendrils broke the surface to loom above them. "I'll keep them busy. Damn bouzu better be alright after all this."
"Sanzo'll be okay! Won't he, Hakkai?"
"He won't be if we don't start moving!"
The boy quickly grabbed the oars and rowed for all he was worth.
Hakkai was kneeling beside the monk, surrounded by healing green light. He kept limbs close to his body, cramped as it was in the boat. Sanzo's lips were tinged with blue and he still wasn't breathing.
Goku jerked to his right when a tendril darted close.
"Don't go all moony-eyed on the bouzu, you dumb ape!" Gojyo swung his crescent blade to decapitate the tendril.
"I'm not dumb you pervert!"
"I'm not the one going moony-eyed!"
"I'm not-!"
"Behind you!" A ki-blast from Hakkai shattered a tendril, showering all of them with pieces of coral. "Ah, sumimasen."
"Hakkai," Goku shook the corals out of his hair. "Will Sanzo be okay?"
"Hai. He's just-"
As if on cue, Sanzo suddenly woke up in a coughing fit.
"Sanzo!"
"Urusai…bakasaru…"
"Finally got tired of sleeping eh, bou-zew?"
The monk glared at Gojyo, promising death in his deep purple eyes, water trailing down his face. Whether the half-youkai saw it or not, he gave no indication as he wrestled with a tendril coiled around the shaft of his shakujou.
Another tendril flitted close. Goku had to call on Nyoibou this time and slammed one end into the thick limb. He twisted his face away to avoid the coral pieces. When he looked back, another limb had taken its place.
A gunshot, and the limb shattered.
"Keep rowing, stupid ape." Sanzo growled as he shot another limb to pieces.
"Hai!"
"The saru's too slow!" Gojyo had dislodged the coils around his shakujou and was now proceeding to dismember others. "There's no end to these things!"
"Stay back, Gojyo." Hakkai was suddenly beside the half-youkai.
"Hakkai! What do you think-"
"Stay back!" The youkai reached back with both his arms, a yellow ball of energy growing between his palms. "Hold on to something!"
Gojyo stumbled back as the youkai released his ki-blast, one that carried a lot more energy than before. The boat lurched forward in a burst of speed that quickly ate up the distance between them and the shore.
The wind roared in Goku's ears as he struggled to keep his balance on the boat. He had long ago let go of the oars to catch Sanzo as the monk bumped into him. His cheek stung where the coral had cut, speeding air ripped tears from his eyes.
And just as suddenly as it started, the boat jerked to a stop.
Sanzo muttered what sounded like curses under his breath and pushed himself off Goku. A grumble to his side told him that Gojyo was cursing similarly.
"Are…" Goku blinked dust away and sat up, seeing pine trees looming tall above him. "Nani? We're on the shore already?"
Gojyo snorted and forcefully ruffled the boy's hair. "Ba-kasaru. Where else do you think we'd be?"
"I'm not a pet, gokiburi kappa!"
"Nani? You called me that again! I ought to-"
"Damare!" Sanzo yelled, his gun out and aiming at them.
"Maa maa, Sanzo. It'd be better if we dried off first, ne?" Hakkai had his hands up in a peace gesture, calmly smiling all the while.
"Tch." The monk gave them a final glare and tucked his gun away, sleeves dripping wet. Soggy robes squelching, Sanzo climbed out of the boat.
Goku moved to follow the monk when the coppery scent hit him. He turned up his hands, seeing the fading red liquid as it combined with the water on his palms.
"Goku?" Hakkai's concerned voice came to him but he ignored it.
Wetness travelled down his injured cheek but Goku didn't remember wiping the blood away. But he did remember touching Sanzo when the monk collided with him.
His head shot up as it dawned on him, his gaze frantically latching onto the retreating back. "Sanzo!"
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A/N: Whew, I can't believe I wrote this in just a few days. I usually take longer. Anyhow, thanks for all those initial reviews. Nothing keeps me clacking away on a fic better than reviews. Now, if only I could train my muse into being more productive that way…