Ok, so the last chapter left yall with a little surprise! Sorry! Anyway, the whole twig-snapping bit will be explained later. Which chapter I have no clue. Sorry! Stupid Because of it I don't think some people got their e-mails about my story updating! I know I didn't get mine from when you all reviewed! Not to mention the really huge writers' block I had! Anyway, time to thank reviewers for their reviews!

Too lazy to log in- Nice name! That's awesome! Sorry for leavin ya with that evil cliffy!

Devil-Angel- Oh fun. I hate it when my computer goes completely wacko on me! Pisses me off sometimes! Yeah, they're starting to realize it and then trying to find reasons why it can't be true. But that'll change! Hehe!

C.T. Saiyukily Twisted- Epp! Don't hurt me! I promise I'll be really good! Lol!

Doublelynn- Lol! S'ok, no biggi that your review was late. So long as you reviewed and you're happy with the story!

Steven- Yeah, I know what you mean.

Ok, now on to the chapter!

Chapter 7

Sanzo and Gojyo burst into the room as fast as they could when they had heard the girls scream. What met their eyes they couldn't understand. All four of the girls were screaming in pain and hugged themselves as though that would ward off the harm. Hakkai and Goku were at a loss as to what to do or what was wrong.

"What happened?" Sanzo yelled.

Hakkai looked up at him in complete confusion. "Your guess is as good as mine! They were all asleep and then all of them suddenly started screaming!"

"What do we do? We have to calm them down!" Goku yelled, afraid to touch them for fear of making the matter worse.

"I'm not sure, Goku!" Hakkai said, watching the girls helplessly.

Gojyo watched the girls wither in pain, almost as though they were being torn from the inside out. He had to do something. He couldn't stand to sit back and watch them scream in agony. Gojyo quickly made his way over to Kirashi's curled form and sat beside her. The others watched as he gently picked Kirashi off the ground and placed her in his lap, wrapping his arms around her small figure. He couldn't stop the pain, but he could at least comfort her.

Kirashi fisted his shirt with her hands, burying her face in the side of his neck in pain. It hurt. It hurt a lot, but it was comforting to feel someone there with her. Another wave of pain hit her, causing her to let out a small scream, which is bit back. Gojyo's arms only tightened around her, pulling her closer to his body.

Gojyo held Kirashi for a while and then looked at the others. "We can't stop this if we don't know what it is, but the least we can do is give them some comfort."

Goku looked down at Julin, her body curled in its tight form as though protecting herself from the pain. He thought for a few moments before taking off his cape. He removed everything from his chest except his shirt before gently picking Julin up. He followed Gojyo's example and placed her on his lap, pulling her close.

Julin wrapped her arms around him, curling her hands into fists on his shirt. She didn't know why but it felt like her whole body was on fire. It hurt to move, but she found some comfort in Goku's arms. She didn't have time to think as more pain came crashing upon her body. She cried out, clutching to his body like a lifeline. Goku didn't mind and let her hold onto him.

Hakkai carefully picked Maki up, pulling her onto his lap and letting her lean back on him, his arms carefully wrapped around her smaller frame. She held onto his arms, resting her head against his chest. She was in so much pain, and any kind of comfort was gladly accepted. Pure pain shot through her body like an electric shock. She didn't know what was wrong, but it hurt too badly to really care. She just wanted it to stop.

Sanzo looked down at Hitachi, who lay on the bed curled up in pain. He sighed inwardly before removing the sutra from his shoulders and putting it away. He also took off the gold that hung at his chest from around her neck. Hitachi could feel the dip in the bed as Sanzo lay down beside her, wrapping his arms around her trembling body and pulling her close to him. The fabric from his priest robes was soft and smooth. Comforting actually. But it was unable to stop the pain erupting from somewhere in her body.

The guys held them close to their bodies, offering what little comfort they had as each wave of pain crashed upon them. It took a few hours of holding them, trying to calm them down, before the pain subsided and the girls were in a light sleep. Then, they gathered out into the hall to talk, making sure to not wake them.

"What was that all about?" Goku asked, as he looked at Hakkai, hoping for some answers.

"I'm not sure, but I think that when the man attacked them, he wasn't looking to injure them. I think he poisoned them somehow. With what, I'm not sure," Hakkai stated, looked at the girls. Their skin was a bit pale.

"Well if we don't know what it is then how do we stop it?" Gojyo asked, looking back into the room where the girls slept.

"I'm not sure. I can't tell how to stop it if I can't determin what it is," Hakkai said thoughtfully.

"We'll wath over them for now," Sazo said as he lit one of his cigarrets. "We'll see how this poison effects them and try to find out what it is. We'll take turns watching them tonight. Any changes wake the others. Hakkai, Gojyo, you're first."

Hakkai and Gojyo nodded and sat with the girls as Sanzo and Goku went to sleep. The girls tossed and turned all through the night, but the morning was much better. The guys awoke to find Hitachi, Kirashi, and Julin all sleeping peacefully and Maki up and about collecting her things for a bath. Their skin color was normal and they seemed to have no memory of the night before. All they could recall was the attacks against them from that old man.

"This is very odd," Hakkai said as he watched the girls make breakfast once again.

"Maybe the poison didn't effect them?" Gojyo suggested, watching them carefully in case something actually did happen.

"Maybe, but we'd better still keep an eye on them. Keep a lookout as well for that old man," Sanzo said quietly. They didn't want to worry the girls, so they avoided telling them of last night's events.

For the next few days, this continued on. The girls seemed normal and ready to get back on the road. Their wounds healed nicely thanks to Hakkai, but they were becoming suspicious of the guys keeping such a close watch on them.

After a while, Sanzo decided it was time to get moving again. Hakkai couldn't find anything wrong with the girls, but he still stayed suspicious as they went on with their journey again, heading West. It seemed to them the danger had passed and there was no need to worry anymore. A failed attempt at stopping them…or was it?

Hehe, bit of a short chapter but there is a reason. The next few chapters will be getting the guys a bit closer to the girls. You'll see quite a bit of past events and maybe some answers to some of the questions brewing in people's minds. But first, you gotta review!