By yumeneko
Disclaimer: As usual... Saiyuki is Kazuya Minekura-sensei's... I'm just torturing some characters here.
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Note: Look who has come back from the grave… There's something about Hakkai…
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Chapter 4: Break Into The Soul
The town was quiet after Goku and Lirin left to investigate the lair of the sorcerer. The alleys were quiet and not a soul was on the streets. All the lights were off except the light in Hakkai's room. Sanzo was sitting beside the sleeping brunette, drinking a bit of beer as he read the newspapers.
"Oi, Sanzo." Gojyo called from the door, "Are you okay there?"
"Go away… I don't need any help." Sanzo growled as he continued to read.
"I went to check on the saru. He's not is bed." Gojyo said.
"Goku…" Hakkai stirred from his sleep, but Sanzo clasped his arms around him and eased him back to sleep.
"Hakkai… I know you're worried. But I can't afford you to go fainting anywhere you go." Sanzo whispered.
"Demo, Sanzo… What if he gets hurt?" Hakkai worried, "Can't I do something?"
"Go to sleep… The last thing I want to do is get you hurt. Don't worry, Gojyo will go look for him…" Sanzo assured the healer.
Hakkai wrapped his arms around Sanzo's neck and drew him close to his heart, "Arigato, Sanzo…"
Sanzo nodded against Hakkai's neck as he rose to tell his commands to Gojyo.
"Okay then… I'll find that saru…" Gojyo assured the monk on the other side of the door.
Sanzo went back to his task of taking care of Hakkai.
"Sanzo… You don't need to look after me so much…"
"Shikashi, Hakkai. What if the curse on this town hurts you?"
"Don't worry. I'm strong enough to fight it off myself." Hakkai smiled at the worried monk, "Please… For the sake of the people in this town… And me…"
"Okay, Hakkai… But be careful…"
"Hai, Sanzo."
As Sanzo left for the lair of the sorcerer, a cold wind blew over Hakkai and he heard the same words from the time he fainted.
Hakkai… Hakkai…
His heart beat faster as the wind blew harder. And suddenly, he felt something thrust through him.
"What is this?" he whispered as the unknown thing went through him. At his door materialized a cloaked figure.
"It's your soul…" The hooded figure said in a very familiar voice, "It's being sucked through you… You won't feel anything… But before you completely black out, I'll show you who I am…" The man removed his cloak and bent over Hakkai.
"You… You're… me." Hakkai's eyes widened to see the stranger's face.
"Exactly… I've got your face… your body… and your voice. I'm the perfect replacement." The stranger smiled devilishly, "A little gift from you to me…" The stranger caught Hakkai's lips with his own and kissed him passionately, the stranger never letting go of Hakkai while Hakkai had no strength to push him back, "Sayonara, Cho Hakkai…" The stranger said as he continued to hold Hakkai in his arms, "No wonder Sanzo likes you so much… Such soft lips… Makes me want to wish I was him…"
"I wonder if Hakkai's alright…" Sanzo wondered as he looked back at the hotel far behind him, "I wish he is…"