18 January 2003

Disclaimer applies to everything

Author's note: To Rook, Thanx 4 ur supportive reviews, and no, I do not store them on my comp, I just happen to be a very fast typist! ^-^ I modified the story to fit ur request, hope u enjoy! Chapter 3 ………

The Dream-maker floated all the way up through the clouds, feeling extremely happy. That is, until she landed in Heaven and found a stern looking Jiroushin waiting for her. "Dream-Maker! Kanzeon-Bosatsu wishes to see you right now." He took her by the arm and amidst protests from the girl, dragged her all the way to Kanzeon's office, where, in Sanzo's words, the kuso baba was waiting. The Dream-maker cringed. 'Jiroushin, why is she calling me?"

Jiroushin shrugged as he pushed her towards Kanzeon's door. "She had that – wily smile on her face;" Jiroushin shuddered. If Kanzeon was a man, he had every reason to believe Kanzeon was hormone-driven. The things she would get into! First throwing four innocent mortals into neverending peril, and her enjoying it all like a movie-goer!

The Dream-maker gulped nervously and knocked on the door. "Who?" Came Kanzeon's deep voice.

"Ah.. Dre – Ah – Ryoko, Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama…" The Dream-maker hastily corrected her name. Darn it!

"Come in, I haven't got all day."

Ryoko @ Dream-maker tentatively entered the room, expecting Kanzeon with a huge paper fan like the one she always saw Sanzo with. "Yes…?" She asked nervously. "You called me?"

"I saw what you did to the Sanzo-Ikkou." Apparently Konzeon was an incredibly direct person. "How naughty of you, Ryoko."

Ryoko hastily dropped to her knees and bowed before Kanzeon Bosatsu, trembling hard. "Please, Bosatsu-sama! It was very bad of me! I'll go and wake them up right away!" She was about to get up when she heard – laughter?

"Don't borther, Ryoko…" Kanzeon chuckled. Ryoko blinked in confusion. "But I thought…"

"Those four need a little break, don't you think so?" Kanzeon propped her chin on her hands, smiling deviously. "To think his own cousin would do something nasty like this…"

Ryoko turned red. "I was angry, because he turned my offer down… and they mocked me…" She said in protest. Kanzeon grinned. "It's hard not to mock you when you look like a cross between a Christmas Tree and an overgrown chicken, Ryoko."

Ryoko could not answer to that, so she shut up. Kanzeon laughed with glee. "Try and live with your own power, Konzen. I'm waiting."

"Lilin! What are you doing?" Dokugaji pulled Lilin's arm where it had been doodling something on Sanzo's face. "Ack!"

She had drawn fake eyelashes and coloured Sanzo's cheeks with red marker, so that he looked like a very sour-faced China doll. Dokugaji couldn't help but snort. He did look rather adorable, but still… "Lilin, you'd better be a hundred miles away when he wakes up."

"Are you kidding me?' Lilin squealed. "I bet he's going to be so mad he's gonna start shooting everything in sight!"

Dokugaji preferred not to answer, instead examined his sword. He was supposed to protect the four, though he can't help at the irony of it. Here was their target, ready to be plucked, and along came them and became baby-sitters. He looked at Gojyo's face. Wonder what was he dreaming about? Women, probably, he snorted with disgust. Then again… the Dream-maker wouldn't be so generous as to give them nice dreams – he remembered the look of malice on her face as she told them off… more likely they're trapped in a nightmare of their own making.

"Hey, Doku, don't you think Goku looks more like a monkey of I do this?" Lilin experimented by pulling Goku's cheeks this way and that, until they were red from all the stretching. Dokugaji smiled. He couldn't help but notice Lilin's fascination towards Goku, although the little demon often talks about Sanzo, he knew Lilin was more interested in the spunky monkey – only she was too innocent to understand.

"Hey, Lilin."

Lilin looked at Dokugaji, who was sitting next to Gojyo. "Dokugaji?"

Dokugaji cocked his head towards Hakkai. "What do you think?"

Lilin frowned slightly. "What? He's cute, but Sanzo baldie is cuter."

"You nuts?" Dokugaji exclaimed in horror. "I don't mind him asleep, but…"

"Oh come on, Doku. Don't tell me you've been quaking in your boots everytime we fight them," Lilin teased him. That brought a smile to Dokugaji's face. He loved the little kid, just like his own, and… "If I quake, it's cause of Gojyo, Lilin."

" But he's a water monster, I heard Goku call him that," Lilin giggled. "I'd rather call him a cockroach. "Hear that, Gojyo? Cockroach – cockroach!" She grinned at Dokugaji. "he's your brother, right? I heard you, when you told Yaone."

"So?" Dokugaji shrugged. "Life doesn't go your way. He's my little brother," he poked Gojyo's sleeping face. "And we know it. That doesn't make us less enemies, or more brothers. It just is."

"Oh…well" Lilin said with a mock sigh. "Doku?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry…"

Dokugaji sweat-dropped. Wonder how the Sanzo-Ikkou handles Goku every time he says he's hungry…

Lilin suddenly pickled her ears. "Who goes there? She cried suddenly, fist ready. Several sinister laughs could be heard. "I smell fresh meat… FRESH MEAT!!!" as tons of glowing eyes peered from inside the bushes.

"Geeezz…. If there was any fresh meat around I would've grabbed it first," Lilin groaned. She was starving! Doku gaji sweat-dropped. "Think she means baldie and the gang, Lilin."

"WHAT?" Lilin shrieked. "Sanzo doesn't look good as a steak, so buzz off!" She and Dokugaji began attacking the horde of errant demons. Back to dream world…

"ITAI!!!!" Goku sat up and clutched his head where it banged on the ground. He heard footsteps and looked up to find Sanzo staring at him, the ever famous paper fan ready to strike. 'Na… don't you turn into a pork bun on me, Sanzo!!!!" Goku whined angrily. That stopped Sanzo. "Pork bun? What are you talking about, you stupid monkey?!" He took out the gun instead and began making pock-holes around Goku, causing the boy to cringe. "You're not a pork bun?"

"No more than you're a genius," Sanzo remarked dryly. "Looks like you're not part of this, huh?"

"Whatever… I'm really hungry… with all those pork buns that keep changing into different things…" Goku got up and dusted himself. He noticed that he was no longer surrounded by pork buns… and Konzen was gone too. A strange sadness entered his heart and he wondered… what was going on? As if sensing his puzzlement, Sanzo said, muttering to himself; "The Dream-maker made us dream of our worst nightmares… our past. She's gonna pay, oh she's gonna pay…" This time they were in a forest, so deep that it was difficult to walk. "Damn it… what is it this time?!" Sanzo swore. That Dream-maker had some nerve…

Hakkai sped through the land, feeling bitter. You never changed, Tenpou… who was Tenpou? And why did the guy look so familiar? So familiar it hurt…

He screeched to a halt suddenly, not believing his eyes. Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku stood a little way off, talking quietly. "Sanzo! Gojyo! Goku!" He shouted with relief, happy to find them again. But suddenly Sanzo pulled out his gun and aimed it at him. "You murderer. Look what you've done?" Sanzo snarled. Hakkai stopped dead, and then he saw it – Sanzo's robes were torn and bloodied, his face scratched. Gojyo had numerous wounds, and Goku – the almost indestructible Goku was holding a broken Nyoi-Bou. All eyes were leveled on his, and they were murderous. 'What… what's going on?"

"Don't pretend." Gojyo snapped. "We told you not to take off your limiter – look at the damage you've done!"

A wave of confusion washed over Hakkai. "… me?" he said in confusion. "Did I… do this?"

"What kind of a comrade are you?" Gojyo said accusingly. "Think you're such a hotshot? Forget it. You're a threat."

"A threat." Goku repeated. "You didn't even feed me today."

"A threat." Sanzo's gun clicked as it leveled on his face. "All threats must be eliminated."

All threats must be eliminated. That phrase jolted him out of his confusion. Sanzo… Sanzo trusted him. No matter what, Sanzo knew, he would have stopped him if he thought it was dangerous.

Whether I help them or not, they won't die.

I won't die. Hakkai suddenly thought with fierce determination. "Don't try to fool me! Those guys aren't so thick to be hurt by me!" He let fly a blast of energy, and the world suddenly turned black. Gonou….

Kanan…? Hakkai opened his eyes. In the deep black void, he saw her – "Kanan…" He whispered. He started to go to her, but suddenly stopped. It was a dream, just a dream… but… there must be a reason.

"Gonou… I love you. I love you so much…" Kanan whispered brokenly. "Why did you have to do this?"

"I… I wanted to save you…"

"You killed so many. For me. I'm – Gonou!" Kanan cried out harshly. "You're a youkai… you should kill yourself – because you left me that day, I was taken…"

A light suddenly glowed somewhere in his mind, and Hakkai smiled sadly. "No, Kanan… it was fate. You, and me… and now, Cho Hakkai…" he looked at his hands. They were stained with the blood of youkais, and he knew… no matter what, this was something he had to accept… "Kanan, I'm a youkai, but it's the right path… my path. I can't change the past, but I can change the future. I can't hide in your shadow forever…"

Kana smiled slowly. "Yes, Gonou… you are dead now. Cho Gonou is dead..." She faded slowly, the smile lingering in Hakkai's mind.

So, what do you think? Ideas? Comments? Flames? Review please!