I'm back! Muahahaha... After the exceptional long wait. Now, this one's gonna be sad, so don't flame me for that. 'Kay? Okay, cool. Now, R&R!

Chapter 6

"This is your chance. Go in and kiss her and I'll transport myself into her body and kill her. Nothing will happen to you." The demon inside Muroshi said. Muroshi opened the door to the room Akita was sleeping in. It was nighttime and everyone else was fast asleep. Muroshi walked quietly to Akita's bed and sat there, looking at her. "Hurry up and do it before she wakes up!" the demon demanded. Muroshi leaned down until his lips were almost touching Akita's lips. He closed his eyes and leaned further. He felt their lips brush when he was pushed away by Akita, who was wide-awake.

"Muroshi. What were you trying to do? That's not like you." Akita said, sitting in her bed and looking at Muroshi curiously. "Go- Gommennasai. I- I w- was umm. cold and er. I decided to sleep in your room. I- I couldn't control myself." Muroshi stuttered helplessly.

"Is there any problem that you have, Muroshi? You can tell me." Akita asked. "Yes! I have a problem! I'm - " Muroshi was cut off by a pain he felt in his head. "Fool! Don't think you can get out of this! I'll handle this myself!" the demon inside Muroshi said. "AARRGHH! NOOOO!" Muroshi suddenly had a barrier of blinding white light surrounding him. "MUROSHI!" Akita screamed.

"What the hell was that?!" Gojyo awakened with the rest who was jolted awake by Akita's scream. "That sounded like Akita-chan." Hakkai said. "Yup. And look. We've got a visitor." Sanzo pointed at the white light coming out of Akita's room in the distance. "We've got to go immediately! That might be a demon!" Gojyo grabbed his sickle and ran out of the room with the rest.

"Ha ha ha ha.. Do you remember me?" Muroshi looked at Akita evilly. His form was a demon form, pointed ears and all. "Y- You." Akita couldn't seem to remember whom it was talking to her.

"I'm the one whom you destroyed with mere martial arts on that day when I wanted to eat your parents. But that was not quite mere martial arts, ne? You had some special energy in it. But. Too bad. You didn't destroy my soul. So I possessed your lover's body that day when you left the village. And what good timing. I ate your parents on that day too before going to look for you at the time you were supposed to meet Muroshi at the tree. But you left him. All alone. What kind of girlfriend and daughter are you, huh? Letting your parents be eaten and leaving your lover all alone." the demon grinned at Akita.

Suddenly, Akita remembered. "That day. I left. Muroshi didn't come." she mumbled. "You killed my parents?! And possessed Muroshi?! And you do have good timing. I didn't even know! I left. I left because Muroshi would never be late! He was late that day." Akita said. Everything inside her seemed to crumble.

"If you really loved him, you would wait for him." the demon said.

"Stop it! I don't want to listen to you!" Akita shut her ears.

"You can't run away. You have to fight me." the demon grinned.

"I have no choice. I'll have to kill Muroshi to kill this demon." Akita said to herself. "You should never have done any of those things you did that day. TEME!!!" Akita attacked the demon. But, her kick was defended and the demon threw her off.

"You can't bear to harm Muroshi, can you? I'll kill you this time." Muroshi picked Akita up by her neck and gripped it. "Ack.!" Akita struggled. "Say 'Bye bye' to everyone." the demon gripped Akita's neck tighter. "Ke - sou."

Suddenly, the demon felt something grip his right arm. "Nani?" "Let go of Akita." Gojyo held his sickle threateningly, it's chain bounded at he demon's arm. Gojyo tightened its grip. "Ite!" the demon immediately released Akita who fell to the ground.

"What's happening? Why is Muroshi trying to kill Akita-chan?" Goku asked. "Muroshi is possessed by a demon's soul. It looks like it. The situation is somewhat like a parasitic demon. You need to kill the body and the demon properly. No other way." Hakkai explained. "But, Akita-chan can't kill Muroshi! She loves him!" Goku said. "She'll have to." Hakkai said.

"She should be aware of what she has to do, or she'll regret it." Sanzo said. "But - " "She has to, Goku. Even if it's like that time, those four sisters." Gojyo cut Goku. Goku cringed at the memory. "Whatever it is, it's up to her." Hakkai said.

"What happened, Muroshi? What happened? How come the demon's in you?" Akita felt like screaming.

"Gommen, Akita.. My mind was weak. Too weak. That's why he can enter me. Gommen." Suddenly, Muroshi's voice was talking to Akita in her head. "Please, kill me, Akita. You know you have to. Please." Muroshi pleaded.

"I- I can't. I love you, Muroshi. How can I kill you? You know that." Akita said. "If you love me, then you'll save me and kill me. That will stop all my suffering." Akita closed her eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Attack me."

Akita opened her eyes to the demon's voice. "Prepare to pay back for all that you have done." She said. "Hontou? Hmph. You'll regret you ever made that statement." The demon smiled. He dashed straight at Akita, aiming at her heart. Just as he was about to reach her, a red glow appeared at Akita's hands. "It's." the glow grew brighter and brighter. "PAY BACK TIME!!" Akita blasted at the demon.

"Nani?! NOOOO!!!!" the demon's soul burst into dust, leaving behind Muroshi's body and what remains of his life.

"What was that? That red glow from Akita-chan?" Goku asked. "She recovered so fast. She can release her own energy now." Hakkai said. "You mean, she can fight like you, Hakkai?" Goku asked again. "I guess. She must be strong, recovering from that injury so quickly." Hakkai said.

"Muroshi?" Akita let Muroshi's head rest on her lap. "Akita. You did it. You helped me. Arigatou." Muroshi smiled. "No. Muroshi, you can't leave me. Not like this." Akita trembled. "Don't cry. I've got something for you. Look." Muroshi gestured at his right pocket. Akita probed in Muroshi's pocket until she felt something smooth and cold. She took it out and discovered a silver ring with a blue diamond on it.

"That's for you. If you look carefully at the diamond, it's the same shade as my eyes. It wasn't easy finding a ring like this. Hand it to me, I want to put on you." Akita handed the ring to Muroshi. He held her left hand and put the ring on Akita's ring finger.

"Kirei, ne. It looks so beautiful on you. I intended to give it to you on that day when we were supposed to meet, but because of what happened, I couldn't. I want you to remember me with this ring. Like you're looking into my eyes when you look at it. But you should also move on. Okay? Muroshi smiled.

"Muroshi." "Sayonara, Akita. Aishiteru." With that, Muroshi passed away in the cold night.

Akita closed her eyes. "Sayonara, Muroshi." A tear rolled down her cheek when a warm hand wiped it away. Akita opened her eyes. Sanzo knelt in front of Akita. "Sanzo."

"You shouldn't cry. Gojyo doesn't like women to cry, you know." Sanzo said. "Hontou. Yes, I should be strong. For Muroshi. For everybody." Akita said. She watched as Hakkai carried Muroshi's body to the hospital. "He'll be given a proper burial." Sanzo stood up. "You should get some rest. We're leaving tomorrow." "Okay."

The next morning, Akita was already seated in Hakuryu, a thick blanket on her shoulders. "Ohaiyou, minna!" She forced a smile and waved at them.

"Didn't you eat breakfast?" Hakkai asked. "I didn't have the mood or appetite to eat." She replied.

". Ne. Akita-chan. I saved a meat bun for you. I kept it warm. You should eat something." Goku handed a warm meat bun to Akita. "Food always cheers me up, so it should also cheer you up, too!" Goku smiled.

Akita looked at the bun on Goku's hands. "Arigatou, Goku." Akita ruffled Goku's hair and took the bun. She felt the warmness in her hand and ate it. Goku grinned.

"You can't keep it in you forever," Gojyo said when Akita was done eating. "What are you talking about, oniisan?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You want to let it all out, but you're scared to."

Akita's eyes started to well up with tears, but she blinked them away. "You don't like to see women cry, oniisan."

"Well, I'll ignore that for now. You need to let it all out." Gojyo hugged Akita. Tears rolled down Akita's cheeks. Then, she sobbed and released all the sorrow inside her while Gojyo hugged and comforted her.