Chapter 13: Nightmare Ends

"Well done my dear, very well done." A sinister cool voice broke the silence. Her glances dodged between the trees. "Who's there?" She demanded with a tremor in her voice. It didn't answer. She couldn't use her left arm, the bone was broken. She moved to Ebony and shook her "Ebony? Ebony, please wake up. We're in trouble, Ebony!" Hysterical laughter "They won't wake" said the voice. She forced herself to stand. "Who are you, what have you done to them" she demanded, trying to make herself sound confident. "I am Amaya" The female voice replied. A demon emerged from the thicket of the trees, tattered cloth barely covering her large breasts. Clinging to every curve of her. "What have you done to them" her voice wavered, pain making her drowsy. "They are trapped in their nightmares. Transfixed by their emotional pain. So much so that they don't even realize that they are slowly being cut to pieces." She laughed, long black hair falling to her hips. /Hakkai, Ebony, Goku.../ They were all struggling in their dreams, Goku was crying in his sleep. She knelt at his side, brushed his hair from his face./...Gojyo, Sanzo...my new friends.../ Shards of broken glass lay scattered on the forest floor in this imaginary world. Kerri picked a piece up and held it behind her back. She stared defiantly at the demon. "They're all going to die and when that happens I will eat them. Every last morsel. And I will make you watch. I don't know how you out of Sanzo and his party woke up first, but don't think I can't put you back to sleep." She said and reached out, her white arm extended and the fingers tightened around Kerri's throat. "Eb-ack" She jerked backwards and tore at the fingers with her own. "No use struggling girl." She brought Kerri close to her face and ran her tongue along her face. ((Why do the youkai always do that? eew - + ))Amaya brought Kerri close to her face and smirked "Nothing you can do girlie. Just try it, I'll snap your neck." The girl brought the glass and launched it into Amaya's eye. The demon dropped to her knees, howling in pain. Kerri rushed to Hakkai's side. "Hakkai! HAKKAI, YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP. HAKKAI!"

Emerald was the most beautiful colour she had ever seen at this point in time. His eyes opened slowly, pupils large. Sweat beaded across his forehead behind his hair. "Hakkai..." He pushed himself up, injuries meaningless to him. "Kerri?" He took her into his arms, glad that it was all a nightmare. She winced, her black and blue ribs aching. "What is the matter?" She pointed to Amaya unable to speak, weakness making her drowsy. "She put a spell on us...the others are t-trapped in their nightmares. Hakkai, y-you have to wake them up.." He nodded and pushed himself from the ground. Shook Sanzo roughly, a hand gripped his throat. "HAKKAI!" Kerri screamed. He grabbed at the demon's fingers but they wouldn't budge. She turned him to face her "Ahhh, Sha Gonou. How nice to finally meet you." He glared at her and closed his eyes, the chi a blast of light against her abdomen. She screamed in pain but kept to her grip. "Kerri...wake them up" strangled words with the slightest volume. With tears in her eyes, Kerri rushed to Ebony and shook her. "Ebony, wake up EBONY I NEED YOUR HELP. PLEASE" The girl stirred, tears in her eyes. "Kerri..? Did you have a nightmare?" She grabbed Ebony's wrist and pulled her up "No time to explain, we need to wake the others up." She said desperately. "Whats wro-" Ebony gasped, her brother struggling in the grasp of a skanky demon. "Oh...Hakkai, no!" "Help me wake them Ebony" begged Kerri. She complied and walked up to Sanzo's sleeping form. "uh...how to wake him...how to wake him..." She pulled her leg back and kicked him swiftly in the ribs. "Ebony!" Gasped Kerri disapprovingly. "Well, it worked didn't it?" She shouted. Sanzo winced, a cut over his left eye. "What the hell-" He looked to Ebony and glared "What was that for?" He demanded. "Sanzo, no time. Help Hakkai!" She pleaded. This demon was out of her league, sure she could help defeat a few youkai but nothing like this. The priest turned his gaze to the direction that Ebony had pointed and stood. His wounds too were meaningless as he reached for the gun. "Looking for this Genjyo Sanzo?" Sang the demon. She was holding his little silver gun in her disgusting hand.

He handed Ebony the paper fan "Wake the others up with this" he said. Black latex clinging to his body like oil. She smacked Gojyo across the head with the paper fan, deciding that it was best not to know what was happening behind her. "Say, what's the big idea!" Fumed Gojyo angrily. Weakened by his wounds, sitting in a puddle of his own blood. "What the fuck?" He looked over to Goku, deep wounds embedded in his perfect skin. "What the hell is going on here!" He demanded. "What, are you slow! LOOK OUT!" Shrieked Ebony, Gojyo turned in time to watch Sanzo's body hurling towards him. The two men thrust backwards against a tree. "Nice one Sanzo" Groaned Gojyo "Shut your face" retorted the priest and he got back up. Amaya tossed Hakkai against Sanzo and the three men lay in a pile on the ground. Struggling to free themselves.

Goku's golden eyes shone in the darkness. No, not Goku's eyes..."Ebony, watch out!" Called Kerri. She turned, caught a blow to her face and was picked up in the strong arms of Goku in his true form. "What the fuck is going on here" Demanded Gojyo, glancing first at Goku's innocent looking sleeping form and then the evil youkai holding Ebony captive. "Any sudden movements and he'll tear her to pieces" Laughed Amaya.

"What the fuck" was all he could manage

"We're in his dream now, but know, everything that happens to her…will come true, even if he is not 'real' in such a sense….any wounds she sustains will be there. Look at yourselves for proof of this" Amaya said as Gojyo glanced at his body and quickly looked away as he glared at the woman again his eyes turning to the dream Goku's emotionless golden eyes and he couldn't help the shiver that claimed him.

"Goku…please…don't do this"

"He won't listen to you half-breed" the woman sneered as the dream youkai's claws began to gently pres into Ebony's pale throat as a sadistic smirk of joy washed over the face of Goku's true form as Gojyo closed his eyes for a moment.

"he won't…but Goku will" Gojyo said as he looked to Goku's sleeping form

"I'll kill her if you move" Amaya warned as Gojyo glanced at Hakkai and Sanzo whom nodded, they understood, keep her from getting killed while Gojyo wakes Goku up.

"So what if we move…like this?" Sanzo asked as Ebony looked at him in horror as he stepped to one side taking the youkai woman's attention from Gojyo as her eyes darted to her brother, he wasn't going to let Sanzo get her killed…was he?

/Trust us/ his eyes seemed to say as Ebony hung her head looking to Kerri whom seemed frozen on the spot, she couldn't do anything, she was so scared that nay move she made would end the life of her friend.

Sanzo and Hakkai kept the woman distracted as Kerri found her eyes drawn to the sleeping Goku as Gojyo finally managed to inch to his side as the man looked tenderly down at the younger, Kerri's eyes widened as she watched the scene before her unfold.

"Goku…wake up please" Gojyo whispered trying not to alert the woman to their plan as he gently shook the boy, Goku didn't move.

"We've got food for you, a delicious breakfast made by Kerri is waiting, so please, wake up" Gojyo whispered leaning closer to Goku, still he didn't stir, too deep in his nightmare to hear Gojyo's voice.

"Goku…wake up" Gojyo said again his voice sharp as he quickly glanced at the woman to make sure she hadn't noticed yet.

"Goku…"

Goku smashed against the bars again tugging at his bindings, he wanted to be free, come back Gojyo and free him, please…

"Goku…" a voice whispered as Goku froze, was that Gojyo? Had he come back.

"GOJYO…GOJYO PLEASE SAVE ME…PLEASE" Goku shouted as his eyes filled with tears and all strength left his small body as he was wracked with sobs.

"Please…Gojyo…" he whispered

"Goku…if you don't wake up…then we're all going to die…Hakkai Sanzo, Ebony...Kerri…me…please, for the love of god wake up you stupid monkey…please wake up"

"Gojyo save me…please save me" Goku whispered as he lifted his head to look outside his prison as he saw Gojyo standing there, his arms outstretched, his crimson eyes pleading.

"Please…Goku…wake up" he whispered as Goku's eyes widened as he stared at Gojyo…was this all a dream? It couldn't be. It was too real, the image began to fade.

"GOJYO…NO DON'T GO PLEASE"

"YOU" a voice shouted as Gojyo looked over in shock as the woman finally noticed him and what he was attempting to do as another true form Goku seemed to appear from nothingness as it launched at him and grasped at his throat, the maniacal gleam in those golden eyes scared Gojyo, they scared him like nothing had ever scared him before.

"Goku…we'll die…I'll die" Gojyo whispered as Goku looked up again as Gojyo appeared again, he could see hands at his throat, Gojyo was being hurt…he was just sitting here

"GOJYO" Goku raged as he fought against the bars harder then ever as everything around him seemed to shatter into nothingness as it fell in shards around him, the prison, Gojyo, everything, until he was in darkness.

"Go…ku" a voice whispered as he began to open his eyes as stared in shock, there was Gojyo being strangle by…him in his true form. Goku quickly looked himself over…no, he was still in his human form…what was going on?

"W…What?" he stuttered as he spotted the youkai woman, Kerri, Ebony, the wounded Hakkai and Sanzo fighting against a woman, the second him holding Ebony captive…

His eyes fell back to the struggling Gojyo

"Gojyo…no…NO" Goku shouted as his eyes turned to the woman and a silver glint entered his enraged brown eyes as he launched at the woman, faster then any of them could follow, faster then was possible he had her by her neck and began to squeeze as the two fake Goku's disappeared.

"How…dare…you" Goku hissed his voice low and powerful as the woman began to shake, she was going to die, at the hands of this monster youkai.

"You kill me…you're trapped here forever.." she rasped as Goku glared at her his hand tightening slightly as Sanzo stepped in.

"Goku…wait" he said as Goku shook his head

"She hurt…she made us see…she…" he whispered rage filling his every pore

"Get us out of here of he kills you and we figure it out ourselves" Sanzo said as she glanced at him nodding.

"Release me" she hissed at Goku whom shook his head as she glared at him

"Then stay here forever"

"I'll take my chances here" he hissed as his tightened and her frail throat was crushed underneath his fingers as the world around them shimmered and faded leaving them once again back in full reality, albeit wounded, but back in reality.

"Oh thank god" Gojyo said as he let himself fall limp from his place on the ground.

"Seems she was lying about us needing her to get out of there" Hakkai said a small smile on his lips as his eyes turned to Ebony, she was still sitting where she had fallen when released by the Goku that had disappeared.

"She would have attempted something if he released her" Sanzo murmured as Goku crawled off the woman feeling completely drained, emotionally and physically. Looking himself over Goku noticed his wounds as his eyes widened, he had moved that fast in this condition, looking over at Gojyo he breathed a sigh of relief seeing he was just sleeping.

"In the morning, once I've recovered some strength I will heal you all" Hakkai said as he looked to Kerri and smiled bowing to her.

"We have yet to thank you for waking us" he said as she looked away the nightmare still too fresh in her mind.

"I…I just woke you…and Ebony…" she whispered as Ebony forced herself to stand as she stumbled over to her friend.

"You did good" she said as Kerri nodded as Ebony sat down beside her

"Don't know about you men…but we're getting some real sleep" Ebony said as she fell backwards and stared at the sky

"Yes…sleep" Sanzo murmured as he sat down leaning back against a tree as he sighed looking over their party, all of them wounded and battered…he found himself wondering about their nightmares as he dismissed those thoughts and instead closed his eyes and fell into her warm brown eyes in his dreams.

"Sweet Dreams everyone" Hakkai murmured as he looked them all over before laying down to get some rest as well.

Elendur – we promise that there will be more comedy after this

Shy-Phantom – this was essential though

Elendur – You'll understand as we go on

Shy-Phantom – that is of course if you continue reading, we don't know if you like or hate this since people DON'T REVIEW

Elendur – Ah yes…that…please review more if you're following this, encouragement is always good.