Chapter 5: The Hierophant

"Hakkai… Are you sure Mr. Monk's coming with us?" Goku asked from the backseat.

"And more importantly, why am I sitting in the backseat with bakazarou here?!" Gojyo complained.

"Maa, maa… Kouryuu-san's a guest. We should show hospitality…" Hakkai smiled as he saw Kouryuu descending the steps of the temple in casual clothes, "Konnichiwa, Kouryuu-san! So… Are we all ready then?"

"Hai!!" Goku cheered, "Na, Hakkai… Are you sure they do have a pool?"

"Of course they have a pool, bakazarou!! What kind of damn millionaire doesn't own one?!" Gojyo replied violently.

"A hydrophobic!" Hakkai laughed as he drove on.

So off they went into the direction of Nijiyama. Meanwhile, as the four drove on, the immortals kept the mansion spick and span.

"Naa… Hibi-chan… Why in heck do we have to do this?" Quietus moaned in an apron as he vacuumed the carpets.

"One, we don't have any servants. Two, we want a good impression, ne? Three, what fun could a dusty old mansion be?" Hibiemi enumerated the reasons on her fingers, "By the way… we do have powers for a reason. So if you don't like vacuuming the carpets…"

"Sou… You're right." Quietus thought as he left the vacuum and controlled it with his mind.

An hour later, the doorbell rang.

"Konnichiwa!" Hibiemi greeted the four at the mansion's front door.

"SUGOI!! Hakkai! Can I go swimming now?" Goku bounded into hyperactivity.

"Hai, hai… Right, you're Ms. Hoshizora?" Hakkai asked the young immortal.

"Right." Hibiemi smiled as she welcomed the ikkou in.

"Are you sure you really have no tricks up your sleeves?" Kouryuu suspiciously whispered.

"I'm positive… I wouldn't be cleaning the house if I was…" Hibiemi spat back. Quietus, transfigured as Hiro came bounding down the stairs in a hurry.

"Gomen… I couldn't choose what to wear…" He laughed as he 'pat' Kouryuu on the back again. Unfortunately, it drove him to cough again.

"Sou ka… You must be Gojyo and Goku, ne?" Hibiemi acknowledged Hakkai's other companions, "The changing rooms are near the pool. Have fun."

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Hakkai smiled, "You said you'd tell the truth if we'd come here."

"Of course I will…" Hibiemi smiled as she summoned a bowl of candy from the kitchen, "Candies?" The two mortals declined.

"So, Ms. Hoshizora…" Hakkai started, "Mind if I call you, Hibiemi? I feel awfully uncomfortable talking so stiffly…"

"Go ahead. I believe you want answers to why I know everything…" Hibiemi smiled slyly, "I think you'll find these pictures quite interesting…" She took an album from underneath the coffee table and showed them an old picture.

"I can't believe this…" Kouryuu looked unbelieving in the picture. It was him, Hakkai, those two companions of his and…

"You!" Hakkai looked up at the immortal, "You're in this picture…"

"It was taken a day before… The tragedy." Hibiemi said without a hint of emotion in her voice, "I believe you don't want to believe me…"

Kouryuu gave the photo back. The immortal slipped it back into the album and placed it back where it belonged. She got up and started in the direction of the pool.

"Where are you going?" Kouryuu asked.

"The pool. Obviously. You didn't expect that, did you?" The immortal smiled, "Let's just live a little, shall we? I didn't live forever to mourn over a tragedy that happened a century ago… Last one there's a rotten egg!!" She stuck out her tongue as she rushed off.

"CANNONBALL!!" Goku cheered as he splashed into the pool without concern for Hakkai who was just passing behind him. Due to the huge amount of water splashing out, Hakkai ended up drenched from head to toe.

"Daijoubu… Daijoubu…" Hakkai laughed as Kouryuu handed him a towel, "Watch out! I'm coming in!!" The brunette continued laughing as he dived into the pool. He rose out of the azure depths and waved at Kouryuu, "Ne, Kouryuu, why don't you join us here? You're wearing your swimming trunks, aren't you?"

"Anou…" Kouryuu shyly looked up, afraid to jump into the water. Luckily (or unluckily in Kouryuu's point of view) the blue-haired pink-eyed Hiro passed by and pushed the monk into the pool.

"Damn you!!" Kouryuu grumbled underwater. Luckily, Hakkai was by his side and dived to help Kouryuu out of the bottom of the pool.

"You're lucky you didn't drown…" Gojyo laughed, "This water's a nice seven feet deep!"

"Seven… feet… deep…" Kouryuu gulped. He turned to Hakkai and whispered, "I'm afraid of drowning…"

"Don't worry, Kouryuu-san!" Hakkai smiled as he secretly held him by the waist, "I won't let you drown…"

"Damn… He's afraid of drowning…" Quietus murmured as he stood in front of the diving board, "Hibi-chan… I wonder why such a stern monk could be so frightened of pools where he can't touch the bottom…"

"Search me… It could be his modern past…" Hibiemi shook her head as she pushed the older immortal aside and dived into the pool, drenching the nearby Gojyo.

"Ick… Chlorine…" Gojyo wiped the water off his face.

"Wai!! Diving board!!" Goku cheered as he sped to where Quietus was about to jump. He pushed the shape-shifter out of his way and jumped towards the very center of the pool…

"Chlorine…" Gojyo moaned as the waves from the jump hit him.