A/N: I added to this chapter. Click here if you want to skip to the added part.

Chapter 8

Silence is a good thing. It really is. Silence gives you peace of mind and it allows your ringing ears a break from all the noise of the world. It's like a sudden and welcome order amidst chaos.

Chaos is good too. It gives the world variety and it spares you from going mad from an obsessive order. It's an incoherent noise, just soft enough to forget.

And so, being opposites, they balance each other out such as the ying balances the yang; the earth balances the heaven; and something that could be balanced balances another thing that could be balanced. So, yeah, silence or order and chaos are there to make the world a pleasant place to live in.

But what if neither is there?

What would be left?

Not silence; instead a pregnant pause. Not chaos; instead a headache.

It was lucky that these only lasted awhile.

But what if silence and chaos simply overlapped each other, creating something heavy and overwhelming. That's dangerous. No, more than dangerous: it was insane.

Everyday's the same. I feel them merge. I try to separate, resist the urge. – Goodbye, Natalie Imbruglia

~0~

Goku woke up with three different eye colors boring into his own. Self-consciously, he made a small sound that might've been a cough or a moan, but it didn't make the purple, red, and green go away. No, it made those eye colors draw nearer and watch him with more intensity. Feeling a little more than stupid, cheeks slightly red, he greeted those eye colors a good morning.

The purple eyes glared. "What's so good about the morning?" the owner of the purple eyes, Sanzo, asked.

It was only then that Goku remembered what had happened that night. He quickly looked about him. No Kougaiji, he sighed. That was at least good. He fainted while the man was screwing him. That he remembered. How he got clothes back on, got cleaned, and got into bed was something he didn't know. And then he thought about his friends. Did they see them? Scared, he asked what happened.

Gojyo answered him. "We found you sleeping under the shower this morning. What the hell were you doing there?"

Goku sighed with relief. So they didn't see him with Kougajij after all? Thank god. "I was, uh, taking a shower since I had a bad dream and all. I guess that I fell asleep."

They seemed to accept his excuse and he couldn't be happier. No, actually he could be. He wanted to tell them what had been happening to him; he wanted to break down crying and hold unto them for support; but he didn't want to risk their lives. So, he supposed that them not knowing was the next best thing. "Ne, Sanzo," he said, drawing nearer to his master, trying to get the monk's warmth and comfort without he himself knowing it, "what's for breakfast?"

Sanzo almost blushed (he will NEVER blush, never), sensing Goku's presence near him. He didn't even have to look at the other two to know that they were grinning. "Eat yourself," he snapped.

"We'll be having meatbuns," Hakkai informed the boy. "How does that sound?"

"Yatta!" Goku cheered.

"He was lying."

A snort. "You noticed?"

Goku accompanied Hakkai to the store for food, leaving Gojyo and Sanzo to glare at each other for the time being. In all honesty, neither the blonde nor the red head liked it. It gave them a chance to discuss though—it was Hakkai's idea that they discuss while he and Goku went to buy food. After a few minutes, they did more arguing and insulting than discussing.

Gojyo glared at the monk. "Yeah, I noticed. Don't go all sarcastic on me, damned monk. We all noticed. Who wouldn't?"

This caused Sanzo to grunt and turn away. He decided right then and there that he wanted to blow the demon's brains out as soon as possible. It was too bad that Hakkai and Goku would go all ballistic at him if he did. Damn.

"Sanzo, look at me," Gojyo ordered the monk, all mockery gone, in its place, seriousness. When Sanzo refused to look, Gojyo punched the man, causing Sanzo, not to look, but glare at him. Luckily, Sanzo didn't do anything worse but glare. "I've got your attention at least," Gojyo murmured to himself. He glared back at Sanzo. "Why in the world are you still in denial?"

"I'm not."

It was Gojyo's turn to snort. "You are the epitome of people in denial, you know that? Aren't you tired of this conversation? Why won't you just admit that you're head over heels with the saru? Then he might tell us what the fuck is wrong with him."

"I am not in denial."

Gojyo groaned and leaned unto Goku's couch. Damn the couch felt nice. "You know, what if Goku's still being visited by those fucking bastards and getting raped every night right under our noses?"

Sanzo would've retorted if they didn't hear the dropping of something and the scampering away of feet.

Goku was in an oddly happy mood. It was odd because he was raped that night and was almost caught but he was still happy. So, in conclusion, it was an odd sort of happy. Maybe the kind of happy that you always felt right before something bad happens to you.

So, Goku was oddly happily walking along the corridor of the inn, carrying the newly bought groceries. Hakkai forgot something and asked him to bring it back while he returned to the store for peaches [1]. He agreed and was actually excited to eat some of the meatbuns that he begged Hakkai to buy. He was real hungry, not having dinner that night and all.

He opened the door to his room, knowing that that was where Hakkai ordered Sanzo and Gojyo to stay and wasn't really surprised to find them glaring at each other, Sanzo on the bed and Gojyo on the couch. What Gojyo said surprised him however.

"Goku's still being visited by those fucking bastards and getting raped every night right under our noses."

Shit! How'd they know? Goku immediately dropped the groceries on the floor and ran off to find Homura or Kougaiji.

~0~

So, they were all confused. Heck, even Sanzo was confused and he didn't like it. But as it happened, they were all confused, clueless, and irritated.

And Hakkai had only been gone for a few minutes. Couldn't these people take care without him?

"He opened the door, dropped the food, and ran off?" Hakkai asked, perplexed. Next time, Gojyo'll be doing the shopping. "What in the world did you do?"

Truth be told, Hakkai wasn't being fair. The two were just as anxious as he was, Sanzo even more so, puffing on his cigar like there was no tomorrow. Gojyo was even pacing the room. That in itself was something.

Gojyo threw his hands up in the air and turned about to face Hakkai. "We didn't do anything! I was talking to great Sanzo-sama here about his being in denial and when I was telling him about how Goku might be getting raped every night under our noses—" Gojyo gasped and covered his mouth in shock. Hakkai's green eyes widened. The redhead cursed. "Shit! What if he is . . .?"

"Then those sounds that we heard last night . . ." Hakkai's eyes widened even more in realization.

"KUSO!"

There was a sickening crack of glass and a string of incoherent curses flew from Sanzo's mouth. Hakkai and Gojyo looked and saw that Sanzo had just punched the mirror and was turning red in anger. Sanzo then regained his composure, best as he possibly could, straightened his robes and promptly strode out of the room. He, unfortunately, didn't go too far and was hauled back in by Gojyo.

"That's seven years bad luck! It's as if we don't have bad luck right now. Where the hell do you think you're going?" the taboo demon asked, angrily clutching Sanzo's elbow.

"Where do you think?" Sanzo spat. "Isn't it obvious now? They probably threatened Goku that they'd kill us if he tells us anything and Goku, being the damned idiot he is, obeyed them. The fucking saru's probably off to beg for our lives or something and he'll probably go with them to compensate. Now, let go of my arm before that happens or I'll blow you head off. Kami-sama, I swear, I hate talking to morons. Let go!"

Gojyo, being the wise man that he is, immediately did, seeing the sense in Sanzo's words and knowing that the monk would not hesitate to kill him if he didn't. As soon as he was free, Sanzo hurriedly went out with Hakkai and Gojyo trailing after him.

They took the jeep.

~0~

Goku ran to the opposite side of town where Kougaiji told him that the doctor would be. Unfortunately, the town that he was in was rather big, more like a city in fact, and he had long way to run. He had to get there before either Homura or Kougaiji finds out that the other members of the Sanzo-ikkou knew what was happening to him.

But then, he couldn't help but feel bitter. If they knew that those two were still doing him, why didn't they stop them or something? Maybe they really didn't care. What if . . .?

No, he had to stop thinking of such things. He should just simply be happy that he was able to escape before they questioned him. He was lucky. He probably wouldn't be able to answer or face them if they were able to ask him.

He was still running. He was almost there. Just look for the rabbit.

~0~

Nii smiled at his computer, watching as Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai hurriedly ride the jeep in search for their youngest companion. It was a good thing that he brought the mechanical butterfly camera with him, one of his earlier and effective inventions. He programmed it to follow the monk everywhere. Yeah, he had a hell of a time watching the monk bathe.

On another part of the screen, Goku was running towards his clinic, sweaty and almost breathless. Nii had to smile again. He had two mechanical butterflies with him and he programmed the other one to follow Goku about everywhere as well. Kougaiji didn't know about it, however; he made sure of that. The prince wouldn't appreciate having him watch them have sex.

Besides, he got to touch Goku when the boy went to him for treatment.

Right . . . treatment.

Nii looked at the older members of the Sanzo-ikkou and grinned. He raised his bunny and played with it. "You're late. You're late. You're very very late." [2]

~0~

What was it? A red door with a painted picture of a white rabbit. That's what the clinic usually had. In every town that they stopped at, it was there and so, what reason did he have to think that it would be any different?

He was right. It was there. Just up ahead. With a final burst of energy, he rushed forward and slammed the door open, seeing the doctor looking expectantly at him.

"You know," Nii said coolly. "I thought that they would be able to figure it out earlier."

Goku just looked at him with panicked eyes. "How can I get to Kougaiji and Homura? I didn't say anything. I swear. I don't know how they knew," he cried.

Nii stood from his lovely chair and patted Goku on the head. "I know. I've been watching you."

"And just how did you do that?" a familiar voice asked angrily.

Nii was surprised at the unwelcome intruder but retained his composure. He spoke without looking at his new visitor. "Ah, dear prince, I have my ways. May I ask what brings you here?"

Kougaiji, who was standing behind him, leered at the frightened Goku. "Business," the prince answered simply.

The doctor raised an eyebrow and turned around to be able to look at Kougaiji. "Is that so? Well, I don't suppose you can go about your business now that the other members of the Sanzo-ikkou know."

The demon hardly looked disappointed. "That's true. That's a problem, isn't it?" He looked at Goku, who was trying to make himself seem invisible. "What should we do Son Goku?"

Goku stopped trying to make himself invisible and glared at him instead. "I don't know," he spat out. "If you touch them . . ."

A/N: Yeah, I know. This is short too. Think of it as some sort of rising action right before the climax. Right . . . climax. *snicker*

[1] Peaches! Yeah! Remember the episode when Sanzo goes bitch out on Goku because of the rain? Yeah. When Homura goes kidnap Goku? Hell yeah. *smirk* Goku gave Sanzo peaches. It got into my head that Sanzo might like peaches.

[2] Think Alice in Wonderland. You know the bunny all panicky to get to the queen?