A/N: I know the last chapter's a bit confusing with what really happened to Goku. But it will be revealed in this chapter what Yaone had really done with the saru.
Chapter 12
Kougaiji didn't know what hit him. The wind was knocked out of him and it was getting really hard to think. He honestly didn't know that it could be possible to feel elated and happy first to feeling downright clueless and devastating the next second. But he couldn't have heard wrong. There's just no way in hell that he'd imagined hearing that innocent but very damaging question.
"Hey mister, are you alright?" Goku asked as he noticed the dumbfounded expression on the prince's face. Kougaiji blinked his eyes a couple of times as if fighting off a hallucination.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He said in a dejected voice. He hung his head down and looked at his hands. What could have happened to Goku? He asked himself as he vaguely heard the saru slurp down the rest of the soup he brought him. But I don't think that it could be amnesia. Kougaiji said to himself as he continued his internal monologue.
It couldn't be amnesia for sure since Goku identified Dokugakuji and he hadn't heard any comments from Lilin and Yaone. For sure the both of them would have said something to Kougaiji if Goku did indeed suffer from it. Well, Kougaiji amended to himself; there are certain cases of selective amnesia. Maybe that's what happened to Goku after all. And maybe that's the reason he hadn't heard anything from Yaone. After all the girl is a pharmacist so she must know something even just a little about that field.
But why him of all people?! The prince asked himself in a fit of rage. Goku could have forgotten about Yaone or Doku or Lilin instead. It wouldn't matter to Kougaiji anyway who Goku picked to forget. Except him of course.
A light bulb flashed in Kougaiji's mind. He knew from experience and from often heard comments from the buozo and his ikkou about Goku's playfulness… Maybe the saru was playing a trick on him. Yeah, maybe that's it!! Kougaiji told himself as he turned to face the saru. He was caught off guard when he saw Goku looking at him with a scrunch on his forehead, giving away the impression that he was thinking of something very deep.
"What are you staring at?" Kougaiji asked with a tremor in his voice. His courage and doubts have burned out because of that one simple gesture of sincerity. No, Goku's not playing with him, he must have really forgotten all about him. Kougaiji tried to swallow the large lump that suddenly lodged itself on his throat.
"Have I offended you in any way?" Goku asked him albeit a little sadly. The youkai prince shook his head slowly.
"Why do you ask?"
"I seemed to have offended you when I asked you about being introduced…" Goku trailed off. He looked at Kougaiji as if searching for something in his face.
"You really do seem familiar, but I don't think we've met before." Goku continued as he let his roaming eyes down to stare at his hands. The prince felt as if his heart was being torn in two. Is this what is called karma? He asked himself as he thought about the things he made Goku do. He made the saru kill his won comrades for his own selfish needs. He used him to achieve his goal and made him suffer in the end. It was obvious that the saru regretted his actions. Maybe in his subconscious he knew that Kougaiji is the root of all his suffering… Hence the selective amnesia.
"Yes, I'm with them." Kougaiji finally replied in a tight voice. If that's the case then maybe Kougaiji should spend the rest of his life repenting for his earlier actions. He would do everything in his power to compensate from it. On how to actually do it, he would have to think about that later. For now he'd savor every moment with Goku even if all it was is on friendship level.
"Oh. I see." Goku said quietly. The saru didn't know what to say next to the man – youkai, before him. The prince had acted pretty much strange after he asked that question.
When the prince came into the room, he was warm and friendly. Goku had really appreciated the concern coming from him. The prince had actually bothered visiting and bringing him food when they didn't know each other. He really wanted to make friends with the prince but somehow he had insulted him. And now he was afraid that the youkai might hate him.
But looking at the forlorn figure of said youkai, Goku was led to believe that the prince isn't capable of hating. He looks really, really kind not to mention incredibly hot. Goku felt him cheeks burn at the thought. He shook his head to try and clear his mind. No matter what it takes he would make it up to the prince after making him feel sad about something he had said. He turned his head to face the prince again and saw him looking right at him. Goku smiled his most inviting smile.
"Well, let's start this conversation over again shall we?" He said to Kougaiji. The prince looked confused at the sudden change in conversation.
"Huh?"
"I mean let's start all over again. Obviously we started on the wrong foot right?" Goku asked as he continued smiling. Kougaiji shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm Goku. Nice to meet you!! What's your name?" Goku asked as he extended his right hand for Kougaiji to shake. Kougaiji looked at the offered hand for a long time before clasping it.
"I'm Kougaiji."
"Kougaiji? What a nice name!!" Goku commented as he pumped Kougaiji's hand up and down vigorously.
"I think we'll be good friends!!!" The saru said as he let go of Kougaiji hand. The prince just smiled weakly.
After what Kougaiji felt like an eternity he emerged from Goku's room looking very, very tired. Doku noticed it and waited for Kou to sit down with him and spill everything that's on his mind.
After dropping of the dishes on the sink, Kougaiji did, indeed sat down on the chair opposite Doku and took a shuddering breath. Dokugakuji waited patiently for Kou to start.
In all the years that he'd spent time and companionship with the prince, he had learned of the prince's mood swings and his temperament. The way Kougaiji's acting right now just screams that something had upset his prince. And from the looks of it, he had been upset quite deeply.
Doku was a mite surprised when Kou finally lifted his eyes and looked up at him. Doku had to stare for a moment before recollecting himself. He was in shock. No matter how the tough gets going, Kougaiji never lost his cool. And now after a visit with the saru the prince had unshed tears in his eyes!! Doku had never, ever seen Kougaiji this depressed.
"Goku forgot all about me." He said in a little voice.
"What?" Doku asked dumbfound. No wonder, Kougaiji was upset!! He said to himself as he fought the urge to hug the prince. He had really grown to love the prince as a little brother and he doesn't like to see his prince like this. But he also knew that the prince wasn't touchy feely.
"He forgot all about me. He asked me if we were introduced!! He really couldn't tell if he'd met me before!!" Kougaiji all but spit out bitterly.
"Give it time, Kou. Maybe he'll get his memory back or something…"
"But what if…? What if he can't? What would happen then?" Kougaiji asked losing himself in the what if's.
"I can't answer that Kou. But have patience. You will never know." He said as he stood up and crossed the distance between them and patted Kougaiji back in an assuring way.
"Everything's going to be fine you'll see." Doku said as he continued rubbing soothing circles on Kou's back. The prince hiccupped once or twice and then when he couldn't hold back any longer he slumped forward and rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head on his hands cradling them. He just wanted this nightmare to be over!! Doku made a noise in his throat of compassion.
That's when Yaone entered the house again and caught sight of his prince looking forlorn and in dire need of support. And if his prince needs support then by golly she's going to give it to him in full force. She rushed to him and dropped to her knees her fake concern shining in her eyes.
"Kougaiji-sama what happened? Is Goku okay?" She asked as she took hold on Kougaiji's hands. Kougaiji shook his head.
"Goku… Goku… He's" The prince choked, clearly not able to finish the sentence.
"He's what, Kougaiji-sama?"
"Yaone, why don't you get something to drink for Kou and I'll bring him to his room?" Doku suggested as he led the unresisting prince up and to his assigned room. Yaone dusted her knees and stood up as well.
"Yes, I'd bring in the tea in a moment." She said tightly as watched Doku and Kou made their way to the prince's room. When the two had gone from her sight she turned on her heels to make that promised tea. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Doku approach her from behind.
"Goku's forgotten about Kou." Doku said in a little voice. Yaone turned around, totally surprised.
"Doku!! Don't surprise me like that!!" Then she calmed herself down.
"How's Kougaiji-sama's doing?"
"Bad. He's still in shock." They stood around in silence when Doku spoke up.
"Hey, why don't you check up on Goku? Then maybe you could ease Kou's mind… Tell him it's temporary or something." Yaone nodded her head slowly.
"Yes, I think that would be the best. Here, the tea's ready. Make sure Kougaiji-sama finishes that off; I put some herbs in it to calm the prince down so he could get some sleep." Yaone said as she handed the tray to Doku and watched him go. As he vanished out of her sight again she made another batch of tea this time incorporating the same green goo that she claimed was Goku's medicine.
"I believe it's time for another session with the saru." She hummed to herself as she stirred the tea completely erasing the last traces of the green goo.
"What?! That's the fucking brilliant plan?!" Gojyo shrieked as Sanzo finished laying his plans down on the table. Gojyo couldn't believe where Sanzo is coming from. Here they were as dead and as well as can be but the buozo believes that being discreet would be best.
Hello?!! They are officially dead. Being discreet about anything in this situation is hilarious. They could just walk in broad daylight and be seen by the Kougaiji-ikkou with no worries.
Those gung-ho's would probably believe that they had just saw their ghost and were hunting them for their bad deeds. Gojyo believes that this is a golden opportunity that couldn't be let go to waste. Why not exploit this opportunity?
"What?! What's wrong with it?" Sanzo demanded angrily.
"Hello!! Going in when they are not around Goku and snatching the saru up isn't exactly what I call brilliant. I call it extremely plain!!" Gojyo said completely flabbergasted.
"So what exactly do call brilliant? Huh? Ero kappa!!"
"Do really want to let go of them easily?! Why not scare them to death with our haunting?! We want to extract revenge to its full extent right?!" Gojyo asked the seething Sanzo.
"Of course I do!! If you'll just let me finish speaking you may realize that I'm not quite through with the planning!!"
"Oh really? I believe you said: 'That's about it.', after laying your pathetic plan down." Gojyo said sarcastically. Sanzo narrowed his eyes.
"I say I'm not finished yet and I'm going to finish it now if you oblige." He said as he continued to glare at the prone kappa. How could Sanzo forget how annoying the ero kappa could get? Sanzo suppressed a shudder as he thought of how worse Gojyo could be if he was well instead of being partially ill as he is right now.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Gojyo said with a flick of his hand. Hakkai noticed the murderous glare in Sanzo's eyes so he decided to step in on the petty fight.
"Guys, this isn't the time to fight." He said as he wedged himself between the two. Sanzo narrowed his eyes at Hakkai but obliged with the monocled one's request. Gojyo did the same as he tried to tame himself down.
"As I was trying to say, we'd have to teach that youkai prince a lesson. I gathered that he did indeed have true feelings for my… I mean for Goku so…" Gojyo caught that slip up and Sanzo realized he was in for a teasing.
"What is it that I heard?! MY Goku?! My? When is he yours, buozo?" Gojyo said grinning wildly.
"He's my pet so he's mine." Sanzo said in a deadly voice. He cast a warning glance at the kappa who mimicked sealing his lips with a key and threw the key as far away as possible. He grinned and gave the thumbs up sign giving a signal to Sanzo to continue.
"By using the same technique I performed earlier, I will stage an act that will lead the prince to believe that he had killed his beloved saru." Sanzo let the words sink first into Hakkai and Gojyo before speaking ahead.
"But that's not all. We have to build the paranoia out of Kou first. That's where the haunting Gojyo mentioned earlier comes. By haunting him and blaming him for our deaths and crap and by dropping hints that he'll finish the job he started by finishing Goku by himself." He said with a flourish as he reached for another cigarette.
Hakkai nodded his head clearly impressed with the idea. Gojyo meanwhile had his mouth open wide in shock. He caught himself and shut it and shook his head. After awhile of clearing his thoughts he grinned manically.
"Now that's what I call brilliant!! When do we start?" He beamed at the buozo. Sanzo just smiled as manically as Gojyo did.
"As soon as you finish playing the invalid."
"HEY!!! I am not invalid!!"
"Hey, feeling better now, Goku-sama?" Yaone asked as she entered Goku's room and set the tray down on the bedside table. Goku's eyes lit up when he saw Yaone enter the room.
"Yaone!! Just the gal I've been waiting!! I've got so many questions to ask you." Goku said as he received the mug of tea Yaone handed her. He smelled the scent of it deeply before breaking into a huge smile.
"My, this tea smells so great!!"
"I always make the best for you, Goku-sama." Yaone replied as she watched Goku happily drink the tea she brought for him.
"Hmmm… And it tastes as good as it smells!!" Goku held the mug to Yaone as the latter filled the mug to the brim again, emptying the contents of the pitched as she did so.
"So what is it that you want to ask about?" Yaone asked gently as she pulled a chair right next to Goku and sat down on it. She waited patiently as Goku drank all the tea in one large gulp. The saru burped loudly. He noticed Yaone looking at him expectantly so he excused himself.
"Sorry 'bout that anyway as I was going to ask… Well how should I say this? Ummm…" Goku brought his hand to his temple as if it could help him phrase his question better.
Yaone's patience meanwhile was wearing thin. She has to wait for Goku's eyes to turn glassy before she could commence with the session. But with Goku's strong resistance to the drug she gave him, it almost always takes quite awhile to take its effect when a normal being would be under its spell the second it touches its throat.
"You see Kougaiji seems to know me well, and I'm fairly certain that I knew him from somewhere but I can't quite place my finger on it. But as I think about it the more and more, I am certain that I don't know him. Talk about conflict!! So, Yaone this is where you come in… Have we, I mean did me and Kougaiji met before? I really don't remember much about my past except the fact that I've been traveling with you guys about like forever……." Goku trailed of his sentence as he started to get groggy. Yaone smiled. Thank the heavens!! The cue she had been waiting for appeared before her eyes. Goku's golden eyes turned glassy. He was ready.
"Can you hear me Goku?"
"Yes.""I'm going to tell everything that you need to know. What I tell you is your reality, understand?"
"Yes."
"You are Son Goku. An orphan left to my care. We are like brother and sister. I am all that you have in this world. Doku and Lilin are our traveling companions." Yaone talked slowly so Goku could comprehend what she was saying. Sure that the saru understands she ploughed ahead.
"You are a warrior. You fight excellently with the staff." Goku nodded absently. Yaone thought that giving Goku his fighting abilities would be wise. She doesn't need someone who couldn't be of use and might be a liability when the time comes. Now the next blow is the clincher.
"Kougaiji… You hate him with all your guts. He's violated you and you are scared of him. He's more powerful than you and you can't do anything about it. You hate Kougaiji. You despise him. Really, really despise him. Only I can protect you from him. Remember you are afraid of Kougaiji. You don't want to be near him. He is your living nightmare. He is our living nightmare." Goku's head continued to nod up and down. Satisfied with the session, Yaone clicked her fingers together. Upon hearing said noise, Goku's glassy eyes focused.
"How are you feeling, Goku?" Yaone asked him for the second time since she arrived in the saru's room. Goku who looked like he had been roused from sleep turned to her and smiled.
"Just fine, ne-chan. Just fine."
T.B.C