I am insanely happy with this chapter. If the beginning seems random it's from reading nimblnymph's Enemies, right? way too much (If you haven't read it, go now. That's an order.). Yay Yaone! Also, from my mind believing Lirin has a crush on Sanzo…they make enough girlfriend jokes about it in the show. Ha ha. But in any case, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and thank-you so much for the reviews and hits! I'm still amazed at how many people are reading this – blows my mind. So Thank-you.
Chapter 7. Lirin and Rain.
"Prepare to meet your…it's a puppy!"
Sanzo gagged as Lirin tackled him into a crushing hug. They had all been sitting nicely under a tree for lunch when Lirin had arrived. He was still smarting from that incident with those other two dogs from last week and the annoying demon child was not helping at all. Ever since that first attack, the demons had been coming in full force, much like they did when he was still human. It really had only been a matter of time before Kougaiji's team showed up in person. Or at least one of them in this case.
"Hey! Get off of Sable!" Goku shouted. How dare she hold him like that? She just shows up out of no where and starts her usual doom speech and then hugs his dog!
Sanzo felt himself get yanked off the ground from under his front legs, his back paws dangled freely. He glared at the others laughing and tried to ignore Lirin's affections as she rubbed her cheek against his head. He could never escape from this child!
"Oh I'm not hurting it!" Lirin looks around. "Hey, where's baldy Sanzo anyway? I was hoping we could play again today."
It became quiet much too quickly as all activity stalled to a stop. Only the light breeze and the wavering smoke from a used cigarette dared move.
"That's just cruel." Goku clenched his fists. How dare she.
Lirin stared at the group and felt a chill. They had all gotten so serious so quickly that it was scary. Goku's eyes were vicious and that Hakkai fellow Yaone seemed to like, his eyes iced over. She didn't like them when they were scary, they were all friends right? Weird friends, but friends none the less. She took a step back still holding the dog by the front legs. "What'd I say?"
"Sanzo's dead." Goku growled. "How could you possibly forget something like that!"
Sanzo hit the ground with a thud when Lirin dropped him. He yelped a little but when he looked up to glare at her he didn't expect what he saw. She was staring out into space and her eyes had widened. Tears were threatening to spill but she seemed to hold them back as if she wasn't quite ready to believe it.
"What?" Lirin questioned. She couldn't have heard that right.
"He's dead. Your brother's men killed him a month ago!" Goku was shouting. He expected cruel taunting from underlings but he never expected it from Lirin.
"You're lying." Lirin held her head, hands shaking. "Sanzo can't be dead."
"You bitch." Goku was tempted to hit her. "Stop the act. How could you not know!"
"Hey, Goku." Gojyo took a few steps towards the boy, something in the way Lirin was shaking told him she wasn't as informed as Goku seemed to think. "I don't think she's lying."
"Lady Lirin!"
"Ms. Yaone." Hakkai looked up as the lady demon approached. It broke his own anger rather quickly at the interruption.
"Lady Lirin, for the last time don't go running out of the castle! You had been doing so well for the past month and, oh. Hello Mr. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku." Yaone swallowed a little after realizing the tense atmosphere she had interrupted.
"Yaone! It's not true is it!" Lirin clutched at Yaone's jacket. "Sanzo's not dead! Right?"
"Lirin." Yaone's mood sobered quickly from her usual lecture. "I'm sorry."
The tears came freely now and she sobbed into Yaone's waist. Goku relaxed from his aggressive stance and realized that maybe she really didn't know. It was hard to comprehend how an honest statement, mistake really, could bring back so much pain so quickly. He fell into the dirt on his knees and pet Sable slowly. He could hear Hakkai start to fix something in the pot, it felt warm to his back, but he didn't bother turning to see what it was. The click of Gojyo's lighter echoed in his ears.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Lirin muffled through the outfit.
Yaone sighed, she knew this was bound to happen. "Your brother, didn't want you to know until he'd gotten to the bottom of what happened."
"What are you talking about, Ms. Yaone?" Hakkai questioned as he heated up water for tea. It might help to calm Lirin and Ms. Yaone looked like she could use a cup at the moment as well. He carefully removed two mugs from his bag, not breaking eye contact with the demon woman.
"Lord Kougaiji didn't authorize that particular assassin, even if he did claim to work under his name." Yaone stroked Lirin's hair. "He's been trying to find out who sent him and wanted to get the facts straight before he informed people of Sanzo's departing officially. Unfortunately rumors somehow spread and assassins have been acting on their own trying to get the scriptures."
"But he still told you." Lirin looked at Yaone with accusing eyes. "Why couldn't he tell me?"
Yaone sighed. "He didn't think you'd be able to handle it just yet, he just wanted to protect you. He's still having a hard time with it himself, even if it's the vanity knowing he had no part in the matter. And if it makes you feel better, Dokugakuji and I, didn't even find out until about a week ago ourselves. Rumors spread slowly this time around."
Lirin didn't even come back with a response, she released Yaone and just hit the dirt and cried. She couldn't believe Sanzo was really dead. She'd never get to sit on his head and bug him again, and she'd never get a meat bun or play or call him names or watch him get mad and it just really hurt.
"Hey, Sable." Goku called out when the dog moved away from him.
Lirin looked down when the dog came over and licked her face. He forced a leg between her knees to get better access to her face and neck. He whined and tried to get her attention and she forced a smile. "What a good doggy."
Sanzo relaxed a little when she pet him and eventually that pet turned into a hug. The girl was annoying, but she reminded him of Goku more than he cared to admit. All this sap was going to rot his teeth if he got any sweeter during this whole escapade, but as he felt Lirin sob into his fur he knew, just like the other times, it was okay. In her own little way, Lirin cared about him, too. They weren't kidding when they said you didn't realize just how many people cared until you showed up at your own wake.
That Sanzo's a friggin' softie, isn't he? Unless it's all those dog instincts he keeps complaining about, or at least that's what he'll claim, anyway. Gojyo mused to himself as he leaned up against the trunk of the tree providing shade. He nursed his Hi-Lite slowly and really hoped that Hakkai and Goku would be faster on the uptake. Than all this could be done with and over and they could all just laugh about this whole mess. Well, he hoped they could laugh about it, there was always the chance they couldn't forgive Sanzo for all the grief. Taking a second look at Lirin crying into Sanzo's back changed his mind.
Goku couldn't help but feel a little jealous watching Lirin hug Sable. Sable was always there for him when he felt down, so it made sense that he'd go to Lirin, too. But he still couldn't help how it made him feel. There were just some things he didn't want to share, selfish though it may be. But he was allowed to feel selfish once in a while, wasn't he?
By the time Hakkai had finished making tea, Lirin had calmed down quite a bit and any signs of tears were gone. He handed her a cup filled with some light tea. "You're a strong girl, aren't you Lirin?"
"Yeah." Lirin nodded taking the cup and rubbed Sable's back with her free hand. He was such a good doggy, and he reminded her of Sanzo for some reason. The thought made her smile. "Sanzo would be pissed if he saw me crying for him, and the thought of that cheered me up. How can I stay sad when I picture his face all hot and angry about stuff?"
"Wouldn't you miss it?" Gojyo prompted. "I mean, wouldn't you remember he can't do it anymore?"
Where are you going with this? Sanzo looked over at Gojyo. Lirin had finally calmed down and so far she was the only one of them that was making any sense over this whole depression thing. Crying for him really was pointless, it's not like he really deserved any of it.
"Of course I miss it!" Lirin stood up and put her hands on her hips. She ignored Hakkai grabbing for the cup she had forgotten and he had caught it before it hit the ground. "But what good's moping going to do about it? I'd rather take action and remember the good stuff than whine about how it's not there anymore."
Sanzo laughed to himself and laid down fully on the ground with every intention of taking a nap. He found it amusing Lirin understood better than the rest.
"Lady Lirin." Yaone smiled. Her princess was definitely growing up. "That's very mature of you."
"I'm not a little girl, Yaone." Lirin pouted.
"Of course not." Yaone stood. "I think though, it would be best if we left now, however. Come now Lady Lirin, we should go back. I'm sure Dokugakuji and Lord Kougaiji are waiting for us."
"Ah! That's no fun, Yaone." Lirin ducked down and clamped Sable into another hug and giggled when he yelped. "Can't I stay and play with them and the dog some more?"
"I'm afraid not." She turned to the others. "Forgive us for intruding, and we are sorry about your loss, even if it is a bit late to be mentioning it."
"Accepted." Hakkai smiled. "Take care."
Yaone waved and pulled Lirin off of the dog before she really did suffocate it. Lirin's pout from losing the dog was quite adorable, now if she could feel confident that it wouldn't cause problems later. Once she had a firm hold on the girl she teleported them off to their flying dragon for a long ride home. She felt justified in stealing the baths afterwards when they got home.
Sanzo was going to have to find drastic measures to break the group out of their newly instated mini-depression. He snorted dirt from the road out of his face as they drove along and shook his head. Lirin had shook some foundations of the group and left them all in a piss-poor mood that was ticking him off. Hakkai was depressed from having the topic of Sanzo brought up, no surprise there. Gojyo was fine, but pretending to be somber for the sake of keeping the secret at the moment, which was in a way annoying because he only added to the foul mood. And then there was the monkey, Goku was stuck somewhere in a guilt state of not obeying Sanzo's possible wishes of living after a loss and falling in a similar limbo state of denial that Hakkai was also facing. All they needed now was rain.
And, as is the rule of all things: if you ask for it, it shall appear. The rain came abruptly and fell in a downpour that would have given a waterfall a bit of competition. His fur clung to his skin and Sanzo felt he resembled a drowned rat from looking in the side mirror. Or from what he could see squinting through the sheets of water. Damn the Jeep for not having a top!
"Ah! This is bullshit!" Goku complained and tried to use his cape as a cover for the rain.
"It certainly did come out of nowhere, didn't it?" Hakkai tried to force a smile on his face. The rain pounded on Jeep's hood and he tried taking deep breathes quietly. It just wasn't his day.
Gojyo stared longingly at the remains of his drenched cigarette and sighed as he tossed it over the side. "How far was the next town?"
"Just a few miles, so do hold on." Hakkai looked to his side and smiled a bit at the pathetic sight. It was kind of cute, in a helpless sort of way. "Oh, it'll be okay Sable. We'll be in town in a few minutes so you won't have to shiver anymore."
Sanzo stared at Hakkai's twisted smile. I don't give a damn if the local inn accepts pets or not. I'm sleeping inside.
Gojyo chuckled to himself and held his tongue from responding to the demand. He just accepted the fact that he would be seeing Hell if Sanzo didn't get a bed for the night like the rest of them.
"What are you laughing about Cockroach?" Goku scowled. He was wet, his dog was wet, Hakkai was going to be cranky all night and Gojyo was laughing, the bastard.
"Nothing, just amused at what our luck has been like. Rather laugh about it than get all weepy." Gojyo just leaned back in his seat and let the rain smack him in the face. He was soaked to the core, anyway as it was.
"I guess." Goku slouched in his seat.
When they finally did get to a town, Sanzo bust into the inn from between Hakkai's legs the moment the door was open. He forced down every single urge to shake himself off and just let himself drip on the wooden floor. He was thankful when he realized the innkeeper was two or so feet from the door. Covering your host in water did not do well for your hopes to stay inside the building. Damn it's cold in here.
"I'm sorry sirs, we don't allow pets in the building." The inn keep stated with a fake smile. It was late and he hadn't been expecting anyone else today. So much for closing up early and now he had to clean the floor!
"I'll have to insist." Hakkai smiled and tilted his head. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "The dog and dragon are quite well behaved I assure you."
This man gave him the creeps. The middle-aged, balding inn keep gave into the threatening, yet polite, demands and hid the shaking in his voice. "Of course. But it'll cost extra."
"Fine." Hakkai warmed his smile up slightly. No need to make the man wet himself. "Three rooms please."
"Sure, this way."
Sanzo followed the group up the rickety stairs and noticed the build of the building. It was old and there were leaks along the seams of the walls. He had a feeling the stay here wouldn't be pleasant. He watched where he was going when a nail caught on the fur of his paw, they were lucky this place hadn't collapsed in on itself. He winced as the rain fell against the walls and shattered against the window panes. His new hearing enhanced the sounds and he had a feeling he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight at all, unless he wanted nightmares. A sneak peak at Hakkai tipped him off that the other man wouldn't be sleeping either.
Hakkai watched as the three doors were unlocked and waited for Gojyo and Goku to choose the rooms that they wanted. A peak inside told him that these rooms were not exactly uniform in their upkeep, but it didn't matter if he got a less than pleasant room. It's not like he'd be sleeping in it the way the water was streaming down the walls and windows. What surprised him was the moment that Gojyo and Goku had chosen doors, Sable had walked into the room that was left. Hakkai chuckled, maybe the dog had gotten used to sleeping with him instead. He hoped Goku wouldn't be too upset.
"Hey, why's Sable going with Hakkai?" Goku tried to hide the pout in his voice.
Realizing that even in dog form, the rain was going to get to Sanzo, and that the most logical choice would be to sit up and keep Hakkai company, Gojyo thought quickly. "He probably is off because of the rain."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Goku turned to Gojyo. "He's a dog, why would the rain put him in a bad mood?"
Gojyo smirked and ruffled the boy's hair. "You'll understand someday."
"What the heck does that mean?" Goku openly pouted now and watched the water sprite go to his room. "Fine, don't answer."
Hakkai shook his head as he watched Goku finally turn and head into his own room. The door slammed shut and Hakkai sighed. He'd just deal with it in the morning and let his attention fall on his room. Hakkai shut his own door and stared down at the dog. "You like to cause trouble don't you?"
Sanzo rolled his eyes and watched Jeep fly over to the bed and curl up tight. Apparently the pipsqueak knew the routine of rainy days quite well. He himself walked over to the same bed and jumped up towards the end closest to the window. Sanzo settled down and just began the long night of staring outside and wished for a smoke. The pitter-patter of the raindrops lulled him into his usual trance.
Hakkai watched the dog stare out the window and he could see something in those eyes that was painfully familiar. Perfect, the rain reminded him of Kannan and the dog was reminding him of Sanzo. Two important people in his life that he couldn't save and had to watch die. Those painful emotions decided to tag team Hakkai at once and he didn't like it one bit. "I take it back."
Sanzo broke from his trance to look back at Hakkai at the sound of his voice. The look in Hakkai's green eyes was hardening and he suppressed a shiver. Something told him that Hakkai was not a very happy demon at the moment, and it wasn't just the rain.
"You don't like to cause trouble." Hakkai walked over and placed his hand on Sable's head. "You like to be cruel."
Sanzo felt the weight of Hakkai's comment more than he did the force now settled on his head. Both were intensified by the thunder that suddenly struck outside. It was going to be a very long night indeed. The rain kept pounding against the building and echoed loudly in the room.
"It's almost as if you enjoy bringing up those painful memories. You're worse than the rain" Hakkai's grip tensed. "There are times where you really are a relief in this little group, like when you cheer up Goku or Gojyo. But then other times, and especially when I'm around as well as right now, you act just like him."
Sanzo tried not to wince when the grip shifted to hold onto a clump of fur. Sanzo felt the skin tightening around his neck in almost a chokehold. He doubted Hakkai even knew he was doing it.
"Sometimes I think it's not that you're like him, but that we've replaced him with you. Maybe I just see him in you because I want him to be here so badly. The empty space was getting to us so much we'd put anything there to fill it. Take the place of the one that was taken from us and shook our balance."
Hakkai dropped to sit on the bed at this point and pulled the dog into his lap. His grip never loosened during the entire time. Eventually he forced his fingers to release the fur and just started stroking it. Sanzo had little choice but to just go along with the attentions. Hakkai was in his own little world right now, but he hoped maybe the man could catch a hint during his own monologue. Hakkai was so close and miles away all at the same time. It was rather aggravating.
"It's really not fair. First the love of my life, and now a dear friend." Hakkai hunched over onto the dog and held it close. "Why? Why must you insist on reminding me of him. Why do you have to act on the things he loved? You play with newspapers, you always seem to find a pack of Marlboros somewhere forgotten, and you do it all without a care. And it's not that you're even doing anything that a dog wouldn't do on its own, maybe it is just my own damn mind projecting. It's worse than Gojyo's hair all those years ago, I just. Can't I catch a break for one damn time?"
It was at this point that Sanzo had officially dealt with enough of this pathetic bullshit. Screw the rain, screw dying and screw this god-damned atmosphere. If he heard one more pity speech or one more rant about missing Sanzo he'd shoot them all. But he didn't have a gun so he went for the next best thing.
Hakkai literally was dragged off the bed when the animal he was holding jumped down to the floor. The demon hit the ground with a thud, landing on his side and looked up at the dog glaring at him. Something had changed. "Sable?"
Good. Got his attention. Sanzo smirked and trotted over to the door. A quick jump and he pushed the door open easily. It helped that the hinges didn't work properly and the lock had been broken. It was practically a swinging door anyway, and for once he was thankful for shoddy workmanship. He turned back and realized Hakkai hadn't moved from the floor. He bristled his fur with a shake and getting restless, he barked before heading down the hallway. Hakkai was smart enough to take a hint and follow.
"What on earth? Sable!" Hakkai pushed himself off the floor and chased after the dog. By the time he had caught up he found himself standing on the porch of the inn. The night was pitch black save for the street lights chasing away bits of darkness. He found himself staring at the rain, and the dog that was sitting in the center of the muddy road, soaked. The familiar intensity that Hakkai felt when their eyes locked was something he hadn't felt for a long time. He found himself stepping out into the rain without any control or will of his own.
About time. Sanzo stood on all four legs as Hakkai wandered towards him. They never broke eye contact.
Hakkai stopped about two feet from the dog, could feel his own hair plastered to his face and monocle. He saw something there, something so recognizable that it forced him down to his knees, mud splashing upwards from the motion. "This is truly cruel."
Sanzo didn't even bother moving, barking and pleading worked with Gojyo, but not here. Hakkai needed the contact, the emotions behind the look, he took a step closer.
"So truly cruel." Hakkai laughed. "How could you? You bastard. How could you do this to me?"
Hakkai fell on all fours, hands squelching in the mud. He felt like crying and laughing and strangling the mutt in front of him.
"Did I do something to deserve this?" Hakkai refused to break the eye contact with the dog. "Did you have fun?"
Sanzo simply held to connection Hakkai was so desperate for.
"You've been here this entire time, and made me feel like shit and miss you so damn much it felt like my head would explode. You caused all this pain for all of us and rubbed it in like salt."
Sanzo sighed and finally dropped his head to walk over to just lean on Hakkai, shoulder to shoulder. You act like it was intentional.
"It might have well been." Hakkai shook. "I won't forgive you, Sanzo."
Not asking you to. Sanzo smirked and took a seat, never breaking the contact between the two of them. It's not my fault you took so damn long to notice.
Hakkai just laughed, leaning on Sanzo's smaller frame. If he was crying, no one could have been able to tell. The tears were lost in the rain.