WARNING: This chapter contains text illustrating graphic violence, coarse language, violent sexual references and themes that may offend some readers. After reading this and deciding that you do not wish to read it then do not.
A/N: My stories are not all that great, but if you're going to put a review up to critisize my work, please make it CONSTRUCTIVE critisism and not reviews that outline how much you think the story sucks. Flames are not welcome here. I appreciate all those who put the time in to correct a few mistakes here and there (such as spelling and grammar or a few Saiyuki errors) but I do not wish to read reviews with the content such as "Take this crap down, I've had enough of it". Thankyou.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any themes that you might recognize from Saiyuki. If I did, Hakkai and Sanzo would never leave my bedroom to fight insane youkai. But alas...life is not so kind. vv
Chapter three: The rogue
Sexy lady
Why so sad?
Sway agains the rythm
Gain the things you had
Thin smoke is the mask
Crimson eyes a window
Crawl beside me
Sexy lady
"How long has it been now?" "Two days. She seems emotionally exhausted as well as suffering fatigue. I don't think she eats properly." "No kidding?" "Emotionally exhausted! I'll bet, the bitch tried to-" "Gojyo! No need for such language" "Alright, alright. Sorry Hakkai but what are we going to do with her? We have to get moving." "I agree Hakkai, we must leave her behind" "I do not believe that she could survive much longer on her own" "So what? That's not our problem." "Guys, I'm hungry" Ebony heard the voices from the next room. She forced herself to sit up. Her jacket was folded over the back of a chair. She was fully clothed. The door creaked open, the smaller one with brown hair stood in the doorway. She sheilded her eye from the glare of the light. "Hey guys! She's awake!" She heard a loud sigh and watched as others poked their heads into the doorway.
"Miss?" The monicle shone against the darkness. "Miss...are you alright?" She hesitated to answer. Trust slightly flooding into her face. She woke up, the bullet wound had dissapeared. She clutched her side and stared back into her own reflection in the emerald-green eyes. "Yes...thankyou" She muttered, felt beaten for some reason. He smiled and turned to youngest looking one then back to her. "I hope you don't mind that I healed the wound." She shook her head - what a strange thing to say. "I-" She wasn't partial to doing this. "Please forgive me.." Tears threatening. The one standing before her just smiled. "I understand. But hating all demons is not the right way to live." She blinked, the Sanzo stood with his back ridgid in the doorway, the cigarette smoke filling the room. "Live this way and you are worth nothing." He said "Sanzo-" The dak-haired youkai began dissaprovingly. "He's got a point Hakkai" Said the one with scarlet hair from the other room.
She felt intimidated by these people, they all stood about her. Dissaproving in their stance, their position set to teach her something that she could take into her future. "Take me with you" she said quietly. One of them broke into hysterics at this request. "I don't think so" Sanzo said quietly. "Take me with you, I want to help." She continued, pushed the covers aside on her knees. Begging in her attire. Hoping to create an adequete argument. "Listen lady, we don't take freeloaders." Said scarlet hair flicking his cigarette away as he too entered the room. She stared at him, colours clashed. Trembling skin in memory of their collision. Her knees at either side of his hips. He looked away, not wanting anybody to notice him blush. "Sorry Miss, but-" "My name is Ebony. I am a rogue hunter. I've killed countless youkai I can help you, but it is getting dangerous. I don't think I can do it alone anymore. Please, let me help you." She shifted from the bed to the floor and stood against Sanzo, his cigarette smoke about her face. The scent caught in her hair.
She turned her head sharply, sensed the presence of youkai outside. Cut off her pleading for the sake of her unspoken duty. She looked back at the group and launched herself out the window. Broken shards tearing at her skin. Goku stared after her, jaw dropped. "Well, what are you standing there for? Let's move it." Demanded Sanzo taking the gun from his robes.
The rain diluted her blood, weak streaks down her arms and face. Landed in the gunky mud on the ground below. People passed the boy and the youkai like nothing was happening. Ignoance is bliss, will save you from the cannibals. She wanted to scream in anger, "This town is fucking pathetic." She screamed against the howling wind and the rain. This didn't wrench the citizens from their selfish existances. The youkai held a child hostage, his claws at his throat. "Let him go" she demanded through gritted teeth. "Useless bitch. Take him from me." It challenged. Glowing eyes about her, watching the droplets streaking down her pale and exposed thigh. She ignored those around her and launched herself from the ground, like breaking fragments of glass she broke through the wall of thunderous rain. The youkai backed up a little, his grip about the little boy's neck tightening. Ebony tore the blade that she strapped to her hip and plunged it deep into the youkai's face. The boy wriggled from the grip and clutched Ebony, "D-d-don't let 'em get me" he pleaded with her.
Sanzo led the others outside, "Damn" he muttered as he noticed the masses of youkai forming a cirlce aroung the woman. She was wounded, blood running down her legs. "Well guys, looks like we got a party" Gojyo said casually taking his weapon into hand. Hakkai nodded, glanced at Goku and back to Ebony. "Rogue youkai hunter. Hey Hakkai, isn't that what-" "Yes Goku, we cannot allow that to happen to her too. Come." He pushed past the traffic of lumbering townspeople, led the others into the rain.
"It's the Sanzo band." Said one of the youkai grinning as he launched at Goku. Ebony fell to the ground, being struck hard by the hand of a youkai. She watched Goku flip his entire body back and kick the youkai hard in the face. The mud smeared in her face. Her attacker grasped a fistful of her hair and jerked her to her feet. She slashed the blade across the youkai's wrist, the decapitated hand fell into the mud. Gojyo released the axe-blade, the chain snaking through the air cutting all in its path to peices. Sanzo held his gun steadily and fired at will at the oncoming enemies. Hakkai rushed to defend Ebony, concentrating his chi against the youkai who were advancing on her. Their eyes met, a mutual understanding of losss breifly passed between them.
Sanzo fired the bullet into what seemed the last youkai in the vicinity. "well, that was a good work out" Goku said streatching his arms. Ebony gasped, claws pushed through her shoulder. The youkai standing behind her pulled her against him and smirked at the others. "Back away Sanzo party and hand over the scriptua or I'll kill her." His forearm beneath her chin, Hakkai froze arm reached out to her. "Yeah, that's right. You just stay there." Sanzo rolled his eyes, Goku and Gojyo laughed. "Why do we always run into these idiots? I'm starting to get real sick of it." Scoffed Gojyo staring confidently at the two before him. Hakkai forced a smile and tried to hide his concern for the hostage. "Look at him. I could squash him like an ant!" Goku exclaimed enthusiastically. Sanzo moved to shoot the Youkai but stilled when Ebony elbowed her captor in the ribs. The youkai staggered backwards, she tore at the flesh of his throat with her knife and pushed his clumbsy limbs off of her.
She herself staggered into the shelter carrying the young boy on her hip. Her hair clinging to her shoulders and the rain running over the leather she wore to keep warm. She set the boy down on the ground but he didn't want to let her go. She smiled at him "It's ok, the danger has passed. Your mother must be worried sick." Ebony said. She cupped the boy's face in her hands and kissed his forehead. /Little brother, I have failed you./ The words repeated over and over in her mind. Like the echos of a hollow surrounding or the many reflections of one person in a number of mirrors. She forced stability into her stance "Let me heal you" Hakkai said carefully walking towards her. Gojyo took her arm and looked away from her, she flinched and followed them back to their room.
Gojyo forced her to sit on one of the beds, the gashes taking their toll on her body. Hakkai asked her to remove her jacket and she did - reluctantly - but did. Hakkai lay his hands just over her wounds, the chi creating a shimmer on her skin. The light catching the water droplets. "You realize how stupid that was don't you" Sanzo demanded quietly "I didn't see you rushing in to save that kid" she hissed. Hakkai sighed and handed her the jacket "Done" he said "thankyou" Ebony forced a smile. "Your mistake is that you care too much lady" Gojyo said lazily. She glared at him "You might not give a shit about anybody but yourself but I happen to want to protect people. That is my mission." Goku sat on his bed and looked helplessly at Hakkai. They were all asking the same question /What do we do with her/
Hakkai asked for Sanzo to step outside with him for a moment please. Sanzo complied and closed the door soundly behind him. Ebony held Gojyo's gaze, folded up like a castle and brick walls. She glared "What are you looking at" He smirked. "You just look so damned hot when you're wet, that's all" "I think that we need to take her with us." He said, almost a glimmer of desperation in his gentle voice. "No Hakkai" The preist said firmly. "I think that she may become...one of...us if she continues this way." He almost became clumbsy with his words. "I doubt it Hakkai" "Sanzo, did you not feel her power? I fear that she may become a victim of the curse that hounds me." "Become a youkai?" "Yes, I can see it. If she keeps on killing she will become that which she so desperatley despises. Sanzo, we cannot let this happen." "Why?" Hakkai was silent for a long time. Considering his argument. "She could possibly become a devestating enemy." Sanzo shook his head "What you are really thinking is that you want to prevent this happening to her because it hurt you so badly." Hakkai didn't answer. The preist rolled his eyes "Alright, but if she gets into trouble she is your responsibility."
When they opened the door, Gojyo was on the floor beneath Ebony's foot and Goku was sitting trying to compress his laughter. "Gojyo, stop fooling around" snapped Sanzo. Ebony lifted her heel and stepped away. "We leave at dawn tomorrow. Be washed and dressed by then or you get left behind, understood?" Sanzo said bluntly. Ebony broke her cool exterior with a flicker of a smile and nodded. "Gojyo, since you and the lady have such a history you can sleep in her room tonight." He continued while pulling a cigarette out of the packet, which was lying on the bedside table. "WHAT!" The two exclaimed outraged. "No way" Gojyo said defiantly. "That wasn't a request, it was an order." He said quietly. "I don't need someone baby sitting me" fumed Ebony. Sanzo turned to her "Get used to it." He said.
She led Gojyo down to her room without looking back at her. "You know lady, this'll be alot easier if you and I-" "don't even think about it" She snapped letting him into her room. She took the jacket off and right in front of him and dragged the zip of her boot down. "Got a problem?" He shook his head and slumped onto the couch. She peeled the clothes off of her trembling body and picked a towel up from over the end of her double bed. He stared at her, couldn't tear his eyes away from the giant scars covering a good part of her upper body. She looked back at him and cocked a brow "What are you looking at? Never seen a naked woman before?" "'course I have" He replied angrily. She shrugged and slipped into her bed. "Where'd you get the scars." She hurled a pillow at his face and said "There's a quilt over the back of the couch."
-----
Thankyou for taking the time to read the third chapter, I hope that you enjoyed it. Constructive critisism and supportive reviews are most certainly welcome