"Why the hell are we here?"
"Because we have to find… oh, wait… um… well, Sanzo would want me to do this and whether or not you're still him.. I gotta do it."
"Was that supposed to make sense?"
Koumyou alternated between glaring at the strange brown- haired boy leading him through darkened passageways and glaring at whatever demons might be hiding in said shadows. The gun he kept in his hand, ready to blow the brains out of anything that attempted to invade his extensive personal space.
"Yeah! Here it is… does this place look familiar at all?"
The passage opened up into a rather large room, filled with broken machinery. Scorch marks decorated the walls. It had the look of a museum that had not been entered in a long time. In most places, dust and a bit of ash covered the ground. Someone had pushed a bit of it away, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"No. I've never been here befo-"
Kouryou stopped. What had he just seen? This same room, newer, the machinery spewing fluids and oil… but it was red, like blood had splashed across the walls. His own hand… raising in front of his vision. It, too, was covered in blood, dark blood, way too much blood to be just a wound…
There was something very strange…
"So you feel it too?"
What the hell?

One more.
And another.
Was that one running toward me or away?
Guess we'll never find out now…
So many… it's surprising that there could be anyone left alive in this castle. How many had it been now?
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Oh, don't you know? Didn't, now, I suppose…. You killed my brother. Don't you remember? You demons, any of you? My brother's dead and it's your fault.
So you'll all have to die. There's no way around it, really.
It might be difficult for an onlooker to tell what color Hakkai's clothes were, originally. Demons bleed, you know. A lot. Particularly when you attack them at close range… like stabbing them with a hand knife as they rush at you.
Quite a lot of blood.
How many had it been now? A hundred? A thousand? Was there really any way to tell?
An old folk tale crossed the blood- crazed man's mind, but he ignored it. Species, youkai or otherwise, was decidedly genetic.
There's no way for a man to switch species, no matter how much blood he spills.
"What have you done?"
Hakkai turned his face to a new demon. There were no more behind him. Perhaps this demon was the last? Maybe there were no more left. Wouldn't that be interesting? Would it be worth it? A whole clan for a single boy.
Now isn't that funny?
"So you feel it too?"
"I don't feel anything."
"Bullshit."
"Gojyo?"
"Yeah?" The red- headed man examined the boy who was staring back at him incredulously.
"Sha Gojyo?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I found you!"
Found? Oh, shit…
"Look, if this is about your sister or… cousin or whatever… these things can't be helped, you know…"
The brunette kid started to laugh, which Gojyo took to be a good sign.
"You're exactly the same as you were!"
"Um… do I know you, kid?"
The kid was suddenly serious.
"You should. Do you remember this room?"
"Kind of."
"This is bullshit. I don't know what sort of freak show you two have in mind, but I'm not interested."
"Sanzo- wait-"
"Look, kid, I don't know who you are. I wouldn't care if I did. And my name isn't Sanzo. It's Kouryou. Get it through your stupid monkey head."
And he turned to leave.
"How do you know I'm a monkey?"
"What? Monkey is just a name."
"Yeah, but it's my name. So why do you know it?"
"I'm sure you said it at some point-"
"Why? I hate that name. There's no reason for me to-"
"Shut up!"
"This rings some vague and slightly disturbing bell," Gojyo mused.
"Maten and seitan. Do those ring a bell?"
"No. Heaven and hell? I don't know."
"What about Mt. Gogyo? The weird voice?"
"Never heard of it, and only when I'm severely plastered."
"What about River's Flow? A light above the water?"
"So I was found in a river. Big deal."
"So you remember that!"
"Not really, me being a day old and all."
"Oh." Goku looked crestfallen. "So you really don't remember anything at all?"
"That's what I've been saying all along."
He turned to leave one last time. Goku racked his brain for anything at all that would strike a nerve. What would the stupid monk remember? What was-"
"The rain! When it rains you get all depressed for no reason, right?"
Kouryou stopped, but didn't turn around.
"That happens to a lot of people."
"But especially you."
But why? Sanzo had never told them why…
"Because you can't fly your paper airplanes, right?"
Goku stared at Gojyo and blinked.
"How can you remember that when he can't? I barely even remember that!"
"How the hell should I know? You're the all knowing ancient monkey!"
"Don't call me monkey you stupid water sprite!"
Gunshots echoed around the room, making both of them freeze.
"Shut the hell up!"'
Goku was struck with way more déjà vu than most people get in a lifetime.
"Okay, so assume you're not totally insane and your rambling rings a bit of a bell. Now what?"
"Well, first of all, we're getting you your name back."
"This name is fine."
"Genjo Sanzo's better."
"Why?"
"Have you ever heard of the Sanzos?"
"No."
"That's because they're all gone. The sutras are all here, somewhere. So no humans are required to protect them. So, no Sanzos. But since I think this castle's gonna be deserted-"
"What are you basing this on?"
"No one's passed here in the last half an hour. So there's less demons than before. They're probably still leaving. Anyway, humans will probably take it over and then the sutras will fall into the wrong hands-"
"Wrong hands?"
"Yes."
" Alight, explain this to me very carefully. How exactly am I the right hands?"
"I dunno. I didn't give them to you. But since Kanzeon Botsatsu didn't take the one you had away when she saw you, I guess she figured you were the right person too."
"Not exactly. He was just the one who was most likely to cause havok with it."
Three saucer- eyed faces turned to see the new speaker.
Hakkai fell to the ground, choking. Pain seared through his abdomen, and he was sure that some of his organs were never going to connected to his body again. Above him, the nameless demon laughed, licking a drop of blood off the blade of his sword. He said some words, rendered meaningless by the pain, and Hakkai felt more blood drip down into his back. Not that it mattered. He was pretty much bloodsoaked already.
As if triggered by the crimson liquid, more waves of pain arced over his body, like electric currents. He would have screamed if he had been able to breathe. His muscles twitched spasmodically.
And then it stopped. Thought was replaced by a nice white haze. The demon above him was killed, probably by his own hand, and then there was… nothing.
Well, since everybody else goes for Sanzo abuse, I figured I'd give him a break and hurt Hakkai.

Hakkai: Thanks a lot.

Goku: This is gonna be a 53, right?

Melissa: Um... I guess so... I have problems with numbers.