Violet eyes peered through the dim light with an ease of many years practice. Kougaiji had spent so much time studying his stone-trapped mother that he could see the tiny details. But it was not his mother's appearance that he was forgetting. Not really.
Kougaiji missed the sound of her voice, the way that she had laughed. The smell of her favorite perfume, and the way she had comforted him. Slowly, as the years drifted past, Kougaiji felt himself lose a little bit more of his mother as time played with his memories.
The prince wondered how much worse it was for her. As much as he hated to see her in her current state, he was able to move. Not so for his mother. She was trapped, unable to move. Was she aware? Behind those stone eyes, was she screaming, mind lost to madness? Or did she sleep, unknowing of her fate until the day she was either destroyed or saved?
Some days, Kougaiji was sure that his mother would never be saved, and he would be forced to watch her fall to pieces.
They almost snuck up on him. Damn impressive, since Lirin never took the bells from her hair. That told him just how caught up in his thoughts he had been. But something had caught his attention, and he turned to face them.
It took only a second, but Kougaiji could tell something was up. He eyed his group warily. Yaone looked more subservient than normal, something he was still trying to break her of. Dokugakuji just watched Kougaiji, but there was something in the back of his eyes that shouted stubbornness. And Lirin looked at her older brother, a strangely serious expression on her face.
"What's going on?"
Doku was the one to respond. "We were curious, Kou. What is our plan of actions? I know you've been doing some research since last week…."
The dark haired demon trailed off as Kougaiji's face darkened. He had found some troubling aspects of resurrection ceremonies. And he remembered why he had started to look for them.
***
The smell of blood was so thick that it clogged Kougaiji's nose. He moved faster, followed by Doku and Yaone. Lirin had snuck out of the castle once more, and had gone looking for Sanzo and the others.
This time, though, Kougaiji feared for his sister. The group had been passing through the territory of some extremely mad demons. So mad were these creatures that Kougaiji had decided to wait on obtaining the sutra. He had no idea how the mad ones would react to anyone being in the place they had claimed.
The silence of the forest frightened Kougaiji more than the sounds of battle would have. If he heard fighting, he would have assumed that his sister was still alive. This silence made him fear the worse.
As the three burst into a clearing, they slid to a stop.
Demon bodies lay scattered, the blood smell intensifying. It mixed with the smell of death, and Kougaiji resisted the urge to sneeze. Instead, he attention was snagged by a light glowing mean the edge of the clearing.
There sat Lirin, her eyes wide as a large gash on her arm closed. After it did, she looked at Hakkai with a big smile on her face.
"That was really cool. Yaone can't do that. She gives really good tasting medicine, though."
As if saying Yaone's name made her notice their watchers, Lirin turned to face the others. "Hi! What are you guys doing here?"
Growling, Kougaiji stalked towards his sister. "What the hell were you thinking? I know I told you why I wasn't going to come after the sutra at this time."
Lirin pouted. "But I wanted to play with Baldy Sanzo."
Violet eyes narrowed. "Can't do a lot of playing if you're dead, idiot."
"Then maybe you should research resurrection rituals better, Kougaiji."
The prince spun around until he faced Sanzo. "What was that, priest?"
Sanzo tilted his head as he studied Kougaiji. Around them was the sound of voices. Hakkai and Yaone were talking in soft voices, too low to make out words. Gojyo and Doku were tossing friendly insults at each other. Nearby, Lirin and Goku were doing the same. Still, Kougaiji could feel Goku keeping an eye on him. Too close to his precious monk, Kougaiji figured.
As if he was satisfied with what he saw, Sanzo pushed himself away from the tree he was leaning against. He started forward, obviously heading for the jeep that sat nearby.
Passing Kougaiji, Sanzo paused. "Every spell I've ever seen requires the sacrifice of blood. Usually blood related to the one being brought back."
Their eyes met, and Kougaiji couldn't help but ask. "Why do you care?"
"Ch. I just don't approve of torturing pets," Sanzo stated calmly. He turned away. "Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku. We're leaving."
Vaguely, Kougaiji heard his group and Sanzo's give familiar goodbyes. When had they become less than deadly enemies? Had they ever been deadly enemies?
His eyes fixed on his sister, who was talking happily with Yaone.
He had some research to do.
***
"I think I need to ask that bitch exactly how she plans on reviving my father." Kougaiji paused. "I also think we need to keep an eye on Lirin."
The tone of his voice was enough for Lirin to not protest. It helped that her mother had been acting very strange lately. Stranger than normal.
Yaone and Doku both nodded, each taking a step closer to the youngest of their group.
None of the four noticed a form slip away in the shadows.
Kougaiji missed the sound of her voice, the way that she had laughed. The smell of her favorite perfume, and the way she had comforted him. Slowly, as the years drifted past, Kougaiji felt himself lose a little bit more of his mother as time played with his memories.
The prince wondered how much worse it was for her. As much as he hated to see her in her current state, he was able to move. Not so for his mother. She was trapped, unable to move. Was she aware? Behind those stone eyes, was she screaming, mind lost to madness? Or did she sleep, unknowing of her fate until the day she was either destroyed or saved?
Some days, Kougaiji was sure that his mother would never be saved, and he would be forced to watch her fall to pieces.
They almost snuck up on him. Damn impressive, since Lirin never took the bells from her hair. That told him just how caught up in his thoughts he had been. But something had caught his attention, and he turned to face them.
It took only a second, but Kougaiji could tell something was up. He eyed his group warily. Yaone looked more subservient than normal, something he was still trying to break her of. Dokugakuji just watched Kougaiji, but there was something in the back of his eyes that shouted stubbornness. And Lirin looked at her older brother, a strangely serious expression on her face.
"What's going on?"
Doku was the one to respond. "We were curious, Kou. What is our plan of actions? I know you've been doing some research since last week…."
The dark haired demon trailed off as Kougaiji's face darkened. He had found some troubling aspects of resurrection ceremonies. And he remembered why he had started to look for them.
***
The smell of blood was so thick that it clogged Kougaiji's nose. He moved faster, followed by Doku and Yaone. Lirin had snuck out of the castle once more, and had gone looking for Sanzo and the others.
This time, though, Kougaiji feared for his sister. The group had been passing through the territory of some extremely mad demons. So mad were these creatures that Kougaiji had decided to wait on obtaining the sutra. He had no idea how the mad ones would react to anyone being in the place they had claimed.
The silence of the forest frightened Kougaiji more than the sounds of battle would have. If he heard fighting, he would have assumed that his sister was still alive. This silence made him fear the worse.
As the three burst into a clearing, they slid to a stop.
Demon bodies lay scattered, the blood smell intensifying. It mixed with the smell of death, and Kougaiji resisted the urge to sneeze. Instead, he attention was snagged by a light glowing mean the edge of the clearing.
There sat Lirin, her eyes wide as a large gash on her arm closed. After it did, she looked at Hakkai with a big smile on her face.
"That was really cool. Yaone can't do that. She gives really good tasting medicine, though."
As if saying Yaone's name made her notice their watchers, Lirin turned to face the others. "Hi! What are you guys doing here?"
Growling, Kougaiji stalked towards his sister. "What the hell were you thinking? I know I told you why I wasn't going to come after the sutra at this time."
Lirin pouted. "But I wanted to play with Baldy Sanzo."
Violet eyes narrowed. "Can't do a lot of playing if you're dead, idiot."
"Then maybe you should research resurrection rituals better, Kougaiji."
The prince spun around until he faced Sanzo. "What was that, priest?"
Sanzo tilted his head as he studied Kougaiji. Around them was the sound of voices. Hakkai and Yaone were talking in soft voices, too low to make out words. Gojyo and Doku were tossing friendly insults at each other. Nearby, Lirin and Goku were doing the same. Still, Kougaiji could feel Goku keeping an eye on him. Too close to his precious monk, Kougaiji figured.
As if he was satisfied with what he saw, Sanzo pushed himself away from the tree he was leaning against. He started forward, obviously heading for the jeep that sat nearby.
Passing Kougaiji, Sanzo paused. "Every spell I've ever seen requires the sacrifice of blood. Usually blood related to the one being brought back."
Their eyes met, and Kougaiji couldn't help but ask. "Why do you care?"
"Ch. I just don't approve of torturing pets," Sanzo stated calmly. He turned away. "Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku. We're leaving."
Vaguely, Kougaiji heard his group and Sanzo's give familiar goodbyes. When had they become less than deadly enemies? Had they ever been deadly enemies?
His eyes fixed on his sister, who was talking happily with Yaone.
He had some research to do.
***
"I think I need to ask that bitch exactly how she plans on reviving my father." Kougaiji paused. "I also think we need to keep an eye on Lirin."
The tone of his voice was enough for Lirin to not protest. It helped that her mother had been acting very strange lately. Stranger than normal.
Yaone and Doku both nodded, each taking a step closer to the youngest of their group.
None of the four noticed a form slip away in the shadows.
