Chi: weeeee! I've made slight progress lol. Can you see yet that Gojyo and hakkai at least feel slightly for each other? I hope you can . mean old Jiku! -hits him with a fan-

Gy: As ive said many many many times, i am NOT gay.

Chi: So...the restraining order didn't fall through, did it?

Gy: Uh...no. -sighs-

Chi:hahahaha! in your face. now...on with the story. Gah. im so mean to my bishies. i really, really am.

------------------------------

Sanzo woke up, stiff from sleeping on the ground all night. He pushed Goku off him with a THUD, and the younger male

continued to sleep even when his head came into contact with a rock. The fire had burned out during the night, and Sanzo sighed

heavily, gritting his teeth. "I knew it. I knew that idiot would leave. What. Does he think he'll be able to find Hakkai and rescue him

on his own?"

Sanzo was correct. The area Gojyo had sat down to sleep in was completely empty, and there were footsteps leading off

in the direction of the rising sun, and Sanzo grew quite pissed when he realized that the moron had taken all their rations,

everything really, with him. "Dammit! Goku, wake up!"

"Breakfast time already?" Goku questioned sleepily, rubbing at his eyes and yawning deeply.

"No, idiot. And we probably won't be able to eat for awhile."

This woke Goku up quicker than a splash of icy water in the face. "WHAT! What do you mean, we won't be eatin' for

awhile! Are you nuts!"

"No, I'm not. Gojyo left during the night and took everything of ours with him. The good thing is...at least you won't be

complaining about having to carry around the goddamn bag. Come on. Now we have to go get Hakkai AND Gojyo."

"Dammit. I'm gonna kick Gojyo's ass when we catch up to him."

Sanzo put a cigarette to his mouth, lighting it and flicking the lighter away. "Get in line, monkey."

----------------------------

Sanzo could try and reassure him all he wanted.

But Gojyo knew the truth. He knew it was his fault. So...he'd be the one to get Hakkai out of this mess.

Besides...he wanted to be the one Hakkai ran to...the one Hakkai hugged gratefully when he rescued him...

Unless...Hakkai was dead. And he HAD been dead ever since he was kidnapped, which had been...what...four days?

Gojyo shook his head, shouldering the bag higher up. Naw. Hakkai wouldn't let himself get killed by anyone. And if he

tried to go to hell, Gojyo would just be there to pull him back, like he had been the first time they had met.

Hakkai wasn't going to be a jackass and get himself killed.

Gojyo wouldn't let that happen.

If Hakkai wanted to go to hell so bad, he'd have to take the stubborn kappa with him!

Gojyo nearly tripped over the shifting sand, and he cursed when some blew into his eyes and he wiped at them,

continuing to curse loudly. What was he even doing? How would he be able to find Hakkai?

It was like a needle in a goddamned haystack.

"Dammit, Hakkai! We're coming...or at least I think the others are coming..."

Gojyo sweatdropped. He REALLY didn't wanna think about what Sanzo would do when he caught up to him. Probably put

a bullet in his skull and dance around his body while Goku tried to eat him.

Idiots. Like THEY could find Hakkai. Hakkai had been right about that whole "feeling" he had told Gojyo about long ago.

That...odd sense you got, like you KNEW that one person you cared about most was in trouble, and you had to do anything in your

power to help them. That little alarm had went off like a bell...several times before, but it had never went off as strong as it did

when Hakkai first vanished.

Dammit.

Hakkai had better not be dead.

That would mean everything would have been in vain.

------------------------------

Hakkai felt the sun pour in through the bars a few hours after Jiku's visit, and he sighed, eyes lowered to the ground. He

remembered reading about people being thoroughly broken, their souls snapped and shattered...and after that they could be

forced to do whatever anyone wanted them to do.

Was he at that point?

His stomach rumbled so painfully he nearly bent over double, but he tried his best to ignore it, clenching his fist around a

jagged piece of rock. The rock sliced his right palm open, and blood trickled out of his hand and pooled onto the stone floor,

dripping and echoing in the enclosed space. The pain took his mind off his hunger...his thirst.

It took his mind off the longing that was deep inside him, the longing to be free.

Was this how Goku had felt? Trapped inside the Earth for five hundred years with nothing to do but look out at the sky?

Hakkai smiled bitterly. No, Goku had it better. Goku didn't have someone torturing him out of "love"; Goku could at least

look out into the damn sky...Hakkai couldn't.

Hakkai raised his palm to his face, forgetting he was bleeding until he smeared the blood all over his face, and he felt the

cut burn when blood mingled with the salty wetness of tears.

Stupid. Why was he crying? Nothing had happened to him yet!

Hakkai buried his face in his hands, hiding from the warm light. He could always try escaping again, but the memory of

the pain that attacked him the last time he tried still lingered fresh in his mind, so he moved his hands away.

No. Better to just sit it out and wait for his imminent death. He'd die and leave bones behind, his corpse would be forever

smiling...

The morbid thoughts came stronger to him now that he had been alone and without contact from everyone excluding Jiku,

but Jiku was insane.

Oh God. What was he going to do!

There was a rustling up at the bars above his head, but he didn't bother to look up.

Maybe it was a vulture, trying to get in so it could peck at his bones when he died...

"Kyu?"

Hakkai's eyes widened, and he looked up quickly, heart beating quicker.

"H-Hakuryu?" he said quietly, not quite believing something he loved could be just outside of his reach.

"KYU! Kyukyukyuuu!" Hakuryu waved his little head in between the bars, excited and overjoyed to see his master, and Hakkai could

see tears shining on the tiny dragon's face.

"Oh...Hakuryu! I never thought I'd see you again!"

Luckily, the space between the metal bars was wide enough for the tiny dragon to make a tight squeeze through, and he flew down to

Hakkai, cheeping happily as he landed in Hakkai's arms.

Hakkai hugged the tiny dragon to him, and felt its tiny heart beating wildly in excitement. Something poked him in the ribs, and Hakkai

frowned, pulling away from the dragon.

There...was a note attached to Hakuryu!

Carefully, as though removing the letter-necklace would somehow hurt the dragon, Hakkai pulled it off and undid the letter, eagerly

reading it. The more he read, the more the expression on his face changed until he got to the end. Hakuryu watched his master, confused,

as he crumpled the letter up, hands shaking.

"Those bastards." Hakkai said as calmly as he could, although he felt despair and anger rising in him.

"Kyu?" Hakuryu was completely confused now. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. His master was supposed to call out

happily, then kick ass so they could get out of there. Not...crumple the paper up and collapse against the wall with a sigh.

"Jiku was right. He's...always been right."

"Kyu?"

"Well...if they don't care about me...they can go to hell."

Hakuryu cocked his head, not understanding. Why was his master so unhappy? That one redhaired man had written out a letter of

love; he had watched him do it! He should be happy, not...depressed?

"Hakuryu..."

The dragon curled into his owner's arms, rubbing his small face against the cut in his master's cheek. He...was in so much pain, it hurt

the dragon just to think about what might have happened to him!

"Kyu kyu kyuuu!"

Just like Hakuryu was a little plush toy, Hakkai clung to him for support, hugging his tiny body tightly. "Oh Hakuryu...Don't abandon

me."

The dragon gave a small snort. He would never abandon his master, not even if death parted them! He would still find a way to get to

him...no matter what.

Hakkai seemed to sense the small creature's intense loyalty, and the first smile in days appeared on his face, lighting up his depressed

eyes.

"Thank you...Hakuryu..."

----------------------

Chi: There? See, Im not completely mean. I dont want him to suffer completely.

Gy: of course not. you want him AND hakuryu to suffer!

Chi:waaaah! I do nooooot!

G:I'm huuuungry!

-chi and g hug each other, bursting into tears-

Sa: Great. Look what you did now!

aw...hmm. I dunno when this story will end. I think its going to be soon. hakkai's been abused long enough. Ha:I'll say. -chi sweatdrops- yeah. so...yeah. Confused as to why the letter upset hakkai? I'll give you a hint: its not the real letter! XD doesnt make too much sense does it? yeah well im insane so bwahahahahahahahahahaha! ha: she reallyis insane...

next chappie will be...soon lol. when i figure out how i want to word this...