Disclaimer: I said it before and I'll say it again... The Saiyuki boys aren't mine. But in this chapter, Shi is my own creation ^___^
Chapter 5: Betrayal
Sanzo and Hakkai followed the vague silhouette as fast as their feet could. It had been decades since they had to exert this much effort to catch up with anyone.
"Tch... what kind of-" Sanzo mumbled to himself.
Hakkai nodded in approval. It was evident that Sanzo was getting tired of the chase. But if it had anything to do with Goku, it certainly was worth it.
"Let's split... we'll cover more ground that way. Plus, there's a probability to corner him," Hakkai suggested.
Sanzo gave no response, but quickly took of into the eastern direction. Hakkai simply smiled, and quickly swerved into the opposite direction.
~:: Meanwhile::~
Gojyo sat on the floor, his back resting upon the wall. He couldn't bear what he was seeing. His old friend now looked like a somewhat ethereal figure, lifeless and limp. He never thought he'd see the day...
"Why did this have to happen to you?..." Gojyo asked, not expecting any answer. It seemed that he knew he only had himself to talk to, but he didn't hesitate to try to act calm and relaxed as he always did.
"Why couldn't it have been me instead?... What did you do to have to go through this?... Tch... Last night... Maybe I should have given you that last meat bun, huh? heh, heh-" Gojyo tried to laugh, but it ended in a lifeless chuckle accompanied by irrepressible tears.
He covered his face with his hands, ashamed for his lifeless friend to see the state he was in. He couldn't hold in the fiery emotion within him; he felt like his chest was ablaze and that if he held it in any longer, he would explode.
He slowly looked up, uncovering his face. The tears formed scattered streams upon his face. He choked as he tried to continue his monotonous laugh.
"D-dam--" Gojyo started to curse, but he felt as if that would be a desecration in front of his companion. "...If I took your place... would it have been any better?" He pondered. "If you didn't... didn't... die... and I did..." He paused a bit.
"Would you cry for me too?" Gojyo said softly.
He started to imagine how things would have been if he took Goku's place now. He started to see Goku poking him to wake him up, and upon realizing what happened, going hysterical. He started to imagine him calling Sanzo and Hakkai, crying and shouting so loudly that it would have awakened Gojyo from the dead. The thought put a momentary smile on his face.
"Yeah... it would have been better, probably... But that doesn't change anything right now, does it?"
Gojyo moved closer to Goku, resting his weight on his knees. He then diverted his gaze to the window. He contemplated as he saw the soft sunlight peeking through the dusty glass. His gaze followed the trail of the light, where it stopped at the table, which had a small bottle of fruit juice- the fruit juice Gojyo hid the other day for himself.
"Hey... that's..." Gojyo said, slightly annoyed, "You..." he looked as Goku, "Don't tell me you..." Gojyo stared at Goku, trying to hide his annoyance.
"Hehe... you... stupid monkey..." Gojyo said, smiling softly.
He reached for the bottle, holding it casually with his right hand. He made a toasting gesture to Goku.
"Here's to you, pal..." He said softly, smiling, and teary-eyed once again.
And he drank.
~::Back to Hakkai and Sanzo::~
All alone, Hakkai clearly saw the figure. He was starting to lose his stamina. Traveling at break-neck speed, it was unbelievable how this figure kept on going. He saw as the figure then turned at a corner. He quickly changed direction.
He lost sight of the black figure. He was alarmed at its sudden disappearance. "How did he-" Hakkai asked himself, unable to process how it all happened.
"Where'd he go?!" He heard a familiar voice say. He looked beside him, and saw Sanzo once again, keeping pace and just as bewildered at the event.
"He should be tired by now!" Hakkai implied. "How can anyone have that kind of stamina?!"
Sanzo showed that he agreed by keeping silent. This thing couldn't have possibly been just any youkai... with its god-like speed, it was possible that it was, indeed, a god.
The two continued to run, clinging on a hope that they can get to whoever this was, and prove that Goku was still with them.
Suddenly, they saw the figure once again, but it had stopped. It was standing in an alleyway. And in a strange way, though it was far, they could see that it was facing them. They continued to run, and seeing that it no longer moved, they stopped a few meters in front of it.
With a puzzled look on their face, the two stood quietly across their supposed adversary, waiting for him to explain whatever he could.
"Did that exercise invigorate you... or are you all tired now?" The figure said slyly.
"Who are you?!" Sanzo demanded.
"Ohhhh... so it is you, Sanzo. Finally, we meet here." He said calmly.
"What an old line! You could use some originality!" Sanzo said mockingly. "Who are you?!"
"My, my, what a temper!" The figure said. He stepped closer, revealing at least the look of his clothes.
"Taking too long to introduce yourself won't help at all..." Hakkai said, smiling scornfully.
"That friend of yours wasn't supposed to die... Sanzo was my target." The man said casually. He slowly stepped closer, and by now his face was distinguishable.
The two gasped at what they saw.
"You're... how could that possibly be... your skill..." Hakkai rambled, his thoughts were now as jumbled as ever at the sight. Even Sanzo, who had pure shock written all over his face, couldn't say anything.
"What? You were expecting a god?" The man said disdainfully. "Is it really impossible... that... I'm human?"
"Human..." Sanzo mumbled.
"Just to let us know each other better... my name is Shi Mou Rou..."
"Wait... that's... a woman's name, isn't it?" Hakkai asked.
"Yes, it is... And I AM a woman."
The two observed their adversary. Could there be any more that he could say? It just seemed that everything he said made them more and more delusional.
With the black, rugged cropped hair that reached only up to the end of her ears, and the loose, black collared shirt and leather pants she wore, one would have easily mistaken her for a man. Without a trace of makeup and rather strong features, even women would have thought her as a 'handsome' person.
"So... does it matter that I'm a woman? Remember what I did to your friend!!! You guys get so confused easily, it's a surprise why Kou-sama hadn't gotten to you guys until now." She said with contempt.
"She's with Kougaiji?!" Sanzo thought. "Why would someone with her capability work for him? With her skill, she could have gotten rid of him easily!"
"Hmph... You're still a murderer, no matter what you say you are! You better tell us what you know or -and I swear- you're going to feel really sorry for it!" Hakkai said irritably. His sudden turn of emotion shocked even Sanzo.
"Oh really?" Shi exclaimed, licking her lips in delight, "Then show me what you got!!!"
She vanished all at once in front of the two, then reappeared in a blur just inches away from them for just a split second. The two didn't even have a time to exhale.
"Sanzo!" Hakkai cried out, and at once, Sanzo understood. They pressed their backs against each other, looking out on opposite directions as they waited for their foe's next move.
"Hahahahahah!!! That won't help you out at all!" Shi's voice echoed, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"She's too fast..." Hakkai whispered to Sanzo. "We can't even see her!"
"The only advantage we have is to predict what she does next..." Sanzo answered.
"Alright... then, that's what we'll do."
"I'm right ahead of you."
The two took off in separate directions.
It wasn't long till Sanzo saw the figure following him, and then gaining speed amazingly. Sanzo stopped, skidding as he did, turning to face his adversary. He quickly tried to dodge the punch, but was unable to avoid the following kick, which sent him tumbling across the path.
Sanzo tried to get up, but Shi rested her foot on him. She gave an eerie laugh, and looked down upon him.
"You'll make me feel sorry, huh?" She said mockingly.
"No... Hakkai said that." Sanzo answered, and then grinned.
Shi looked behind her, but it was too late- a relatively large blast of Hakkai's chi hit her right smack on her back, sending her flying and then crushing down on the pavement. She soon got up, and tried to dash, but found herself bumping against an unseen force. Surprised, she looked at any possible barrier there could have been, and she saw Hakkai, holding up his palm towards her; He had cast a barrier using his chi.
"Tch..." She bit on her lip.
"It was reckless for you to say that Sanzo was your target, you know. You should have known that at least." Hakkai said, smiling.
"Hah! You can't keep this up any longer. With all that running you did, you can hardly hold up this power of yours!"
"Oh really???" Hakkai smiled.
Shi frowned. It was impossible that he could still have enough energy to use that barrier. The only way out was to distract him.
Hakkai drew the barrier closer to him and Sanzo.
"Now," Sanzo said casually, dusting himself as he slowly stood up, "What are you going to tell us?"
"What did you do to Goku?!" Hakkai demanded. He locked eyes with Shi, and the anger he showed through his eyes made Shi want to crawl out of her skin. But, not letting that get to her pride, she quickly and confidently answered,
"Why should I tell you?"
Sanzo's eyebrows met. He was getting sick and tired of these games. And the longer this continued, the more Goku's life was in danger. And that must have definitely been her motive.
"This barrier can easily shrink, you know what happens after that." Hakkai said, his glare growing even stronger, but at the same time, he had a malicious smile on his face.
Shi's nerves crawled. "Hah! Like I'd believe that. If you did that, you'll never return your friend!"
"That's fine... besides, torture is always an option." Sanzo said, catching on to Hakkai's motive.
Shi looked away, and bit harder on her lip which was now beginning to bleed. The pain of her pride was greater than the pain she inflicted upon herself. She was furious at how weak she was to fall for their trap.
"It's... it's a poison... there's no use" She answered, agitated. "It simply makes you sleep, but after that, you never wake up... unless..."
"Unless what?!" Sanzo demanded, he was scared as ever at the revelation.
"Unless he's that strong... Only he has the power to fight it, that is, if he realizes it..."
The two were silent for a while, but then Hakkai spoke up.
"Where did you put the poison?"
"I put it in those drinks... I put it there for Sanzo. I thought the juice was for him but-"
"The juice?!" Sanzo exclaimed
Shi nodded.
Sanzo remembered that Gojyo was left behind, and if Goku drank it, it was possible that Gojyo could get his hands on it too. He quickly took off, Hakkai at once following him, despite the extra weight he was carrying.
~::Meanwhile::~
Goku trudged along the dirt-covered path of the town. He felt empty as ever, and soon started to forget where he was going. He was walking, but his thoughts were somewhere else. His eyes lost their bright color, and his once-energetic body was now similar to a zombie's.
He looked up, and realized that he had wandered off into the trail leading into the forest. He didn't care, with all the events that took place, it felt like nothing mattered anymore.
He sat upon a big rock which situated itself in the middle of the forest. Goku pondered about the possibility of demons coming to attack him.
"Let them kill me then..." He said blankly.
"Let who kill you?" A voice suddenly asked.
Goku turned around to find the source of the familiar sound, that familiar voice that always seemed angry and had always shouted at him...
"Sanzo!!!" Goku shouted in delight as he saw his friend there, walking towards him. He quickly jumped down from the rock, and then ran towards his friend.
He stopped just in front in Sanzo, and then he started to doubt. He remembered the events that had just transpired. Could it have been possible that he was just another illusion?
Goku held out his hand, and touched Sanzo's hair. He softly ran his fingers through it, and his eyes grew wide, and so did his smile, as he felt the softness of his friend's sunlight-like mane.
"What are you doing?" Sanzo closed his eyes, seemingly annoyed.
Goku quickly withdrew his hand, and put it behind his back. But it wasn't long before he jumped and hugged Sanzo with all his might.
"Why did you leave me???... Where did you go??... I... I missed you..." Goku said in a child-like tone.
Sanzo paused, his eyes wide. It took him some time to realize what was going on.
As soon as he realized what Goku was doing...
~WHAPAAAMMMMMM!!!~
Sanzo folded his arms across his chest, as his right hand held on tightly to his trusty fan. And as usual, Goku held his head as he chanted in pain..
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow!!!" He shouted, but deep inside, he was glad things were back to normal.
They soon sat down together. Sanzo sat down in a lotus position, and, with his eyes closed, meditated upon things that Goku might have never understood. Goku grew impatient with the silence. He couldn't believe how insensitive Sanzo was. After the ordeal he went through, the least that he could do was explain where he had been all day, or at least explain why they all left him behind like that.
Goku pouted, and he pondered on what happened at the fruit stand and at the bar. He decided to tell Sanzo about what happened. But as soon as he opened his mouth, Sanzo had cut him off.
"Goku." Sanzo said, as Goku opened his mouth wide, ready to say something.
"Huh???" Goku said instead.
"I... have to show you something..." Sanzo said as he slowly opened his eyes.
Goku quickly stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants. "Sure! I'm game!" He said in anticipation.
The two walked in an area that seemed to be hidden and forgotten by the town. Everything started to grow misty, and forest creatures were looking more and more strange. Goku felt chills going down his spine, but he simply shook his head and diverted his attention to his companion.
Sanzo stopped in his tracks. "Here..." He said, with a stoic expression.
Goku wondered about what he was talking about, and soon realized that Sanzo was looking at a cave.
"This... this is where I found you..." He said
Goku quickly ran to the entrance of the cave, and saw the vast darkness within it. Despite the moist ground they walked on going there, the cave's floor was dry, and stony.
"Ah-re? Where you found me?" Goku asked. "I always thought it was in anoth-"
Goku suddenly felt a strong push from behind him; he unexpectedly moved forward, stumbled and fell, crashing his face onto the rough terrain. He slowly stood up, shocked at the thought that it could only have been his friend who inflicted that force.
He looked behind him, seeing the great contrast of the light from the entrance and the darkness he was now in.
"S-sanzo... that wasn't very funny..." Goku said, forcing a smile.
Sanzo glared at him, and said nothing.
Goku got up, but as soon as he got a meter close to the entrance, something held him back. He looked at the source, and saw that his wrists were with rusty, old shackles which had now created a wound on his skin.
"What... where did this-" Goku looked at the shackles, but then he heard the click of metal. He looked up, and suddenly saw that there was now a gate between him and the light. He was trapped, and he could do nothing but stare blankly at his friend.
Sanzo looked down on him, and slowly opened his mouth.
"Baaaaka Saru*..." He said forcefully. (*stupid monkey)
That statement tore Goku's heart into pieces, and he felt as if his soul departed from his body. His head was blank, and he couldn't process what was going on.
"Sanzo... what's the meaning of this???" Goku said softly, forcing another smile.
"SHUT UP!!!" Sanzo barked, "I've had it with that stupid, whiny voice of yours! This may not be where I found you... but this is where I'm going to leave you!"
"S-sa.." Goku said, fighting back his tears.
"You never mattered. All you did was cause us more trouble! You are not of any help...You useless... little... stupid... monkey..."
Goku locked his eyes on the bright figure, which was growing hazy as tears filled his eyes.
"You never mattered..."
And with that, Sanzo turned his back on Goku, and walked away.
"SAAAAANZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Goku yelled at the top of his lungs, as he watched in disbelief as his companion didn't even stop to hear him one last time...
"S-Saaanzzooooo!" Goku said with his remaining breath, the word now audible only to him.
He closed his eyes as tears uncontrollably flowed down from his eyes and unto the dry, stony ground.
"Sanzo..." Goku said one last time. In his thoughts, he contemplated on only one statement...
"The sunlight is gone... nothing matters anymore... Just let me die....let me die..."
He closed his eyes, and curled up on the floor as the last three words played over and over in his head.
"Let me die..." He said under his breath.
Author's note: Hiiii!!! Thanks soooo very much to those who constantly review my work! You have inspired me soooo much to continue. I know I took a long time to create the next chapter, and luckily I was able to swipe some time to continue! hehehe! (can't tell you what I was supposed to be doing though XD) *Ahem* anyways... This is the third time I've revised this chapter. I can't believe that I submitted this chapter with so many errors! Grammatical errors really turn off the reader's mood... T_T ...and I guess I'm of no exception... ^_^ I want to give my best with whatever I do!!! (Okay, fine...so you've noticed my being an obsessive-compulsive XD)
ah... I'm sorry if you guys found the action scene of Shi a little... fast. Honestly, I'm not much of an action whiz ^_^;; er, but I hope you guys found this chapter exciting! ^_^ Uhm, if ever there are any more errors, etc., kindly notify me, k? :D
