Chapter 1
"What do I do now?" The youkai that was forcefully copying Kougaiji's style asked himself as he looked annoyingly at his unconscious charge with the mop of blood red hair.
He had been thrilled by the fact that he had survived the Sanzo-ikkou unscathed and had ended up with a hostage. He had been so sure that his Excellency, the hag queen herself would be so pleased with him and his handiwork. But when he showed up in her throne room… The youkai suddenly shook his head disgustingly at the memory.
The hag queen, more known as Gyokumen Koushu, had been so angry with him that she began to froth bubbles at the mouth. Well, okay she didn't froth bubbles but she was so rabid looking that he was painfully reminded of a dog.
So anyway, there he was pompous and looking very pleased with himself when he strolled casually in the throne room.
"Where is the sutra?" Her majesty asked him without further ado.
"I failed to retrieve the sutra but…" He answered smoothly but was cut short when the hag queen rose from her throne and looked down on him loathingly.
"Then what purpose do you have here?" She asked bitingly. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut short again, this time by a thrown object by Gyokumen Koushu, nearly hitting him between his eyes.
"I don't attend to anything that's unimportant!! I don't associate with you to have friendly chats!! I need results!!!" She sputtered angrily as she sank down on her throne heavily. Having spent her energy at ranting, she settled at glaring at the offending sight that was him.
"But your majesty… I did bring someone in…" He stuttered quickly, as he eagerly dragged the unconscious form of the kappa inside the room. The hag queen squinted and tried to figure out who he had brought in.
"Sanzo?" She asked curiously. The youkai shook his head, the proud smile he had earlier forming on his lips.
"I believe his name is Gojyo. He's a member of the Sanzo-ikkou." He replied smoothly as he took a bow. Unfortunately for him, the hag queen took that time to throw another temper tantrum and threw another object, which happened to be her shoe, and hit him at the top of his head while he was bowing.
"Your majesty?" He asked her confused.
"Fool!!! What use is he? I need the sutra or Sanzo!!"
"But we could use him as hosta…"
"Enough!!! Get out!! Get out!! OUT!!!" Gyokumen Koushu screamed at the top of her lungs as she threw various objects from within her reach. The poor youkai darted out from the throne room as fast as he can while dragging the unconscious kappa with him.
The youkai scratched his head as he plopped down beside the lying form and started talking conversationally, as if his 'companion' could hear him.
"So what do I do with you now?" He asked Gojyo as he noted that the trickle of blood from his temple had finally stopped flowing.
"Well, perhaps I should kill you now… Who knows what you might do to me when you awaken." He said with a flourish as he took out a spare knife from his back pocket. He looked down at the kappa and tapped his cheek.
"Yes, I should definitely kill you. After all, if you were just serious with the fight, I could have never won." He stood up, smoothed his pants and smirked.
"So adios, amigo." He said as he raised the knife. With a deep, calming breath he struck the knife down…
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To say Hakkai was frantic with worry at Gojyo's disappearance was a major understatement. His hair was tousled, with him running his fingers through it again and again as he tried to think rationally and his monocle was thrown aside to grant him better access to his forehead as he smacked it from time to time.
"Hakkai don't fret." Sanzo said calmly as he lit a cigarette. His tenth one in the hour.
"Yeah. You know the ero kappa's strong. He won't be easy to ki… I mean defeat." Goku said carefully. He had already alerted Hakkai a couple of times… When he used the words 'kill' or 'die'. Even the dense saru was able to recognize that Hakkai's worry was way over than it should be for a friend. Maybe something is going on.
"I know he's strong! But what if he's immobile? Unconscious? Surely he won't be able to…"
"Hakkai, that's enough! Worrying your butt out isn't going to help him." Sanzo said angrily as he threw his cigarette down with a growl. Hearing Hakkai moan and groan with apprehension for an hour straight was getting on his nerves. Even the saru who is always lively at any given situation was bent out of shape and quiet, all because of Gojyo's disappearance and was intensified more so because of Hakkai's continued rant.
"I'm sorry. It's just that…" Hakkai trailed off as he looked at his feet. Sanzo grunted.
"Sorry isn't going to cut it."
"I know." They lapsed in silence, nothing left to say anymore.
"Ne? Don't you think we should rescue Gojyo?" Goku asked them after awhile. He sat cross legged on the ground, looking at them sadly. Sanzo snorted.
"We will, after Hakkai stops crying." Hakkai looked at Sanzo as if he grew another head. Was it just him or Sanzo tried a stab at humor?
"I'm not crying." He said just as stubbornly. Goku looked at the both of them curiously.
"Ne? Are you joking around?"
"Those youkais are probably sent assassin of that bitch Gyokumen Koushu." Sanzo said, completely ignoring the saru's innocent question.
"Do you suppose they brought him in the castle?" Hakkai asked, trying his best not to worry. He really should spend all his remaining efforts in rescuing Gojyo. After all, the bouzo is right, fretting wouldn't do anything.
"Probably. Small fries like him would like to boast their conquest."
"I see."
"So it's Houtou castle then?"
"Yeah."
"Yey!! Operation rescue Gojyo begins!!" Goku clapped and cheered after a moment's silence from his place on the ground. Sanzo hit him with his harisen.
"Baka saru!"
"Che." Hakkai laughed lightly for the first time since Gojyo's disappearance. He was thinking that anything's possible with this lot. They would probably recover Gojyo in no time. He smiled again as he watched the two settle down.
"So who's up for planning?" He asked them happily as he sat down with Goku and started hatching a plan.
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"What the fuck…?!" The youkai yelled angrily as his sword hand was roughly pulled away from its destination. He looked up, ready to snap at the one who caused the untimely delay. He bared his teeth only to cower in fear when he realized who the man was.
"Kou-Kougaiji sama!!" The youkai sputtered incomprehensibly as he ducked to the floor in the lowest bowing position.
"How did you bring him here?" The demon price asked his subject as he realized that the lying form was no other than Gojyo, brother of his own loyal Dokugakuji.
"I… I…" The youkai can only stammer. He was in awe at the presence of his idol, the prince himself, Kougaiji-sama. The prince snorted in disgust. Unlike his pompous step mother, he hated being fawned upon. He was just as normal as everybody else. Why the special treatment?
"No matter." He cut in, barely suppressing his irritation at the said youkai. He bent down and picked the unconscious form of the kappa and swung him to his shoulders.
"I'll take care of this. Carry on." Kougaiji ordered the youkai as he walked away, leaving the said subject staring back at him in wonder.
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"Yaone! Yaone!" The prince called out as he entered a room in the palace where he and his comrades always meet. The curvaceous youkai appeared immediately with his sister in tow.
"Yes, Kougaiji-sama?" She asked politely, while wondering inside what the hurry was all about.
"Treat him." He said shortly after he heaved his burden on a nearby table. Yaone and Lilin bounded to the table to inspect who their master had brought.
"It's the ero kappa!!" Lilin exclaimed, thoroughly surprised.
"Did you defeat him, master?" Yaone asked. Kougaiji shook his head.
"No, he was brought in by some men of Gyokumen Koushu." He said rather unbelievably. He had not still figured out how that youkai beat the kappa. Gojyo was a strong fighter. He's a match in strength with Doku, maybe even more. How can a simpleton brought him here?
"But why?" Yaone asked. Just like him, she had a hard time believing that Gojyo was caught as easily as this.
"I don't know." He answered truthfully. Just then Doku made his entrance.
"What's up prince?" He asked gaily as he looked at his comrades. He had not yet noticed that half youkai lying on the table. Instead of answering, Kougaiji coughed while Yaone busied herself with tending Gojyo's wounds. Lilin who was as dense as ever said;
"Your brother's caught by mother's men." Doku's jaw dropped and literally flew to where Yaone is. He inspected the man and when sure that it was indeed his brother turned to the prince.
"How?" He asked dumbly.
"I don't know myself. He was lucky I came just in time. The youkai who caught him was about to kill him." The prince said.
"Ughhh…. My aching head…" Someone said as he cut through their thoughts. They looked in Yaone's direction to see the kappa trying to sit up. Doku was at his side immediately.
"Oi, what happened to you?" He asked his brother, letting himself worry for once.
"I don't know." Was all the reply he got from the still drowsy kappa.
"You don't know? Gojyo, you almost got yourself killed!!" He said urgently.
"Gojyo? Who's Gojyo?" He asked dumbly, his eyes crossing. After so much effort the kappa collapsed, asleep once again.
Kougaiji, Yaone and Doku looked at each other. Could it be…?
"Has he got amnesia?" Lilin asked the three older companions innocently.
t.b.c.
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