A/N: Thank you very much to those who reviewed! I'm very happy to see that there are those who are entertained by this story of mine. I was able to draft this chapter the other day, then continued and finished it today since classes at my school was canceled due to the weather. Please do not hesitate to point out anything that concerns you. Here is the next chapter and I hope that you'll enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki...
Chapter Three
Humming away, the dark-haired scientist idly watched as the various formulas and equations scrolled down the illuminated screen of the monitor in front of him as he sat there in the dark with all the inventions around him, all alone in the laboratory (unless you counted the stuffed rabbit). Face and torso basking in the soft glow emitting from the computer, he just leaned back on the computer chair, rested both legs on the desk, one crossed over the other and waited for the final results. This week had graced him with rather promising information and it could mean the early entrance of the newest addition to their dear 'family'.
The mere thought of it heightened his excitement.
All around him were different kinds of machines and equipment; each of them with their own functions and purpose. Most of them waiting to be tested and used for certain phase of the schemes made by their inventor.
Behind him, the doors slid open to reveal Rien carrying who has returned with the test subject in his arms and his assistant muttering under his breath. Dr. Nii did not bother to turn around and face them but kept his dark eyes focused on the groups of numbers and symbols being shown to him.
"Welcome back," he greeted them, using one hand to type away. A cigarette rested on his bottom lip, in danger of burning out and the pink stuffed animal lying limp on his lap.
Zhou, who had been softly ranting on about how this mission had lacked action was jerked away from his inner rambling when the doctor had spoken. His face contorted in disgust for even just a glance of this twisted being sickened him. "Cheh…you good for nothing lowlife…" he mumbled as he lowered his gaze to the concrete floor.
Rien ignored his sidekick's soft and yet audible whining and took a step forward. "We've retrieved Ming from the mountain." He said simply, and raised the body a bit even though the scientist's back was turned to him. The place was almost eerie with the computer being used by Nii as the only source of light.
At this, Nii glanced over his shoulder and allowed one arm to drape over the back of the chair. The all too familiar gleam had emerged in his eyes, seen very clearly beneath those spectacles. With his other hand, he held up the stuffed bunny. "Hear that? Our little girl is home," he chuckled softly as he made the bunny do a little happy dance, only to receive unimpressed expressions from the two demons. It saddened him a notch but he let it pass and rose from his seat.
He lazily pointed at the incubation chamber resting at the side. "You know the procedure."
Without another word, he sauntered over to the control panel located beside the huge capsule and started up the machine. The ebony-haired demon was very familiar with this particular machine as he had been involved in this project from the very day it started. Rien wordlessly carried her over to the now pulsating machine and gently set her down on the floor of the chamber in a sitting position. It was big enough for two adults but he had no intention of joining her.
From afar, Zhou watched as the two follow the steps in fixing up Ming's room. With a low snort, he turned and left for it was evident that he was no longer needed. None of the two took notice and busied themselves with the girl. In a few minutes, Rien had changed the sleeping girl out of the white shirt and had her wear the two-piece outfit. He then attached the oxygen mask to her face and quietly exited the narrow glass tube. The glass door slid down as he backed away and the machine sprang to life.
The blue hued liquid filled up all the space in a matter of seconds like the ocean waves crashing against a sandy shore, but only gentler, having her once again suspended in its watery grasp. Rubber hoses connected to the bottom of the chamber leads this mysterious substance to the chamber and somehow supports her health. Who knew what this was made up and the true purpose is. But he had the distinct feeling that it does more than keep her stable.
"Well done, you may go now," Nii said and took his place beside the demon who appeared to be mesmerized by this somewhat outlandish display. "Oh, before I forget, make sure to inform your other partner that she is to observe Ming for the rest of the week." He added, as his eyes also settled on the seemingly lifeless form floating in the water.
She would have been mistaken for a dead person had she not began to slowly maneuver herself in to the fetus-position. As she did this, he glanced sideways at Rien and was satisfied to see the wave of surprise flicker over his face. It was for a fraction of a second, but enough to fill him with glee. Rien nodded once and took his leave without looking back. Once the doors had closed behind him, he sighed heavily.
He ran a hand through his hair and murmured, "Darn you…you're only making this harder for me…"
"Am I?" a voice asked from within the dark corridor at his left.
He looked up sharply and froze but then relaxed as he heard footsteps that were oddly familiar to his ears. A woman emerged from the shadows, wearing a white lab coat over her black turtleneck top and slacks. Her emerald eyes twinkled behind a pair of thin-rimmed glasses while her short dark hair framed her face as she smiled playfully at him.
She placed a hand on her hip and pointed a carefully manicured hand at him. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked irately. Yet, her eyes were smiling and the corners of her mouth were slightly twitching as she tried her hardest not to smile.
"Sorry but there were some unexpected distraction during the field test." Rien replied and shrugged. "Is everything going according to plan?" he asked, removing his cloak and revealed the outfit he had been wearing underneath it.
His outfit consisted of a fitted black shirt with a navy blue vest equipped with numerous pockets over it, simple jeans hugging his long legs, gloves that did not full cover his fingers and black shoes. Draping the now soaked cloak over his arm, he patiently waited for his colleague to reply.
She made tsking sounds while waving her finger to the rhythm and shook her head lightly. "You really should never underestimate me, Dr. Leila and you know full well what I am capable of." With a wink, she chuckled softly and tilted her head a bit to the side. "So, how's Ming?"
"Unfortunately, she somehow allowed herself to fall asleep during the test and I doubt that it was due to exhaustion." Images of the said girl enduring the harsh wilderness and the fierce winds appeared in his mind. Rien glanced sideways and saw that the female scientist was deep in thought, pondering on what he had just told her.
Gently cupping her chin, Leila thought aloud, "I guess she still needs some tweaking…"
Odd, she was sure that at the last check-up, the girl was fine and there was nothing wrong with her vital status. Then the answer popped into her head and she clapped her hands together. "It's most likely because that was the first time we let her go somewhere beyond the castle's testing ground."
Rien nodded solemnly in agreement.
For the past few months, Ming would only go as far as the courtyard where they tested her fighting skills and right after, she would return to her incubation chamber. It was then he recalled the times when she would suddenly go berserk, but miraculously they were able to calm her down before it was too late. As he went over the past events that had taken place before, Leila was talking about making some changes to Ming, thinking that Rien was listening to her. After a while, she paused and became aware of the demon who was lost in his thoughts.
"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" She waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze. Leila let out a sigh. "You have to keep your head out of the clouds if you want to protect-"
"I know." He interrupted her, turning on his heels and began to walk away.
"Hey! You might as well let Seiki know that you're back!" Leila called out after him but received no response from the gloomy man. Frowning, she murmured, "What's up with him…"
Leila then decided to ignore it then started to think of a way to 'fix' the girl and entered the dark room where Nii and Ming were.
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He was slipping, in between of passing out and staying awake as he let his head hung low. His wrists bounded by the chains that were nailed on the wall, so his arms rested above him while he sits on the floor, and try to feel how one would feel after being severely punished. Long sandy-colored hair flowed from his head, down his back and over his shoulders. His sapphire blue eyes sparkling as he looked up at the dying light bulb above him and let his mind begin to wander.
Let's see…how long have I been here? He thought aimlessly to himself and shifted a bit as something was poking into his legs. Must be another rock…
Setting that aside, he went back to pondering his thoughts, and certain reminiscences. The atmosphere here was almost soothing to him; he enjoys the stillness of the place and the distant sounds of water dripping somewhere in the vicinity was infuriating as it was pleasing
Now he wonders why people hated being locked away when they are given the chance to recollect their thoughts and access to some peace and quiet for once in their life. The answer to this little question of his came in no time at all: They were guilty as charged. While he came here of his own free will take advantage of the lack of demons and other living beings and relish in all of this by himself.
And he would have continued to savor his 'alone time' had he not have allowed the incoming footsteps to penetrate his thoughts. Reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from the waning light. His disappointment was stomped down it occurred to him that there was only one person who would be daring enough to come to this place with him dwelling in it.
Lips curved in a small smile, he laughed softly as a familiar face appeared behind the bars of the small prison he was in. "Nice to see you again, Rien." He said, smiling genially at the demon then noticed his current form. "Hm? You're wearing your limiter again? Really, you never fail to amaze me…"
Rien had been right to follow his instincts that told him that he would find this man here. He let out a soft groan and brought a hand to his forehead. "And you just never seem to stop playing around Seiki…"
There on the dirty and cracked floor sat his partner, his first one before Leila and boy did he look like an idiot at the moment. Torso bare, he was wearing only a pair of olive green pants and no shoes as well. But folded neatly on the side is his spotless tunic that matched his bottoms and the boots beside it. Amazing that he had not caught a cold from staying here in this chilly dungeon and enjoy coming down here from time to time.
An inquiring look replaced the smile on Seiki's face and cocked his head a bit to the side. "Why? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong." He said innocently, almost pouting and started to unclasp the chains. The chains clinked as he allowed them fall to the grimy floor and got up on his two feet. Rubbing his wrist for the metal cuffs had made them a bit sore; he averted his gaze to Rien's.
"So, what brings you here?" he asked smoothly as he started to put on his shirt.
While waiting for Seiki to finish dressing up, he settled his back on the brick wall behind him, his gaze lowered to the ground. "The trial at the mountain has ended earlier than expected so we brought Ming back and Leila is to keep an eye on her."
Seiki nodded slowly, corners of his mouth pulled back in a smile and he started slipping on his shoes. "And what did you tell Zhou? Surely he's the only one who doesn't know the truth…"
"Of course he doesn't because he's a dolt," Rien said haughtily and folded his arms across his chest. "He actually believed everything that I told him." He added and an amused smile formed on his lips.
Finally done, Seiki stretched; letting out a satisfied sigh as he felt some parts let out a soft crack and exited the cramped prison cell. Tying his hair back into a braid he said, "Well then, we ought to go and give Leila a hand."
"Yeah, whatever…" Rien mumbled as he shrugged at his all-too-cheerful partner and both of them went into the elevator. Seiki then started going on about the wonderful plants he had purchased the other day for his younger sister and their grandmother.
"Mirei was just so adorable the other day! And Grandma couldn't stop trying to stuff me with her famous homemade dishes and-"
Usually, Rien would ask the enthusiastic man to save his chitchat for later but right now, he was not in the mood to argue with him and so pretended to be mildly interested with his storytelling. Giving him some nods here and there, agreeing with his opinions and somehow being able to get away with the fact that he was not entirely listening to Seiki.
"Oh! I simply must tell you about the time when we all went camping together!"
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Chewing on her bottom lip, the orange-haired demoness tried very hard to ignore the pacing male in the room. Eyes closed tightly, she tried to tune out the sounds of his shuffling feet as he walked back and forth until finally she just could not handle it much longer.
"Doku! Will ya relax? I'm sure my big brother is going to be fine!" she said irritably, whipping her head around to catch his eyes with hers. When she realized that she had practically snapped at her dear friend she quickly clapped a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry! I just-"
The sporadically haired demon paused and looked over at her. A few seconds passed before his shoulders dropped and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Lirin, but it's been hours since Kou was summoned by that witch…" he said softly and seated himself on the chair beside Lirin.
Earlier, one of Kousho's minions came with a message stating that she wishes to have an audience with the Demon Prince. Ever since, he has not returned and Dokugakuji was worried sick even though he has no reason to be. The two were in their private dining room, where the four of them would have meals together like a real family. On top of the table were the dishes that Yaone, their pharmacist and another one who is very close to them as well, had prepared earlier but Doku left his share untouched
A bit of guilt began to set in Lirin's guts as she watches him continue to sulk and so she held out a plate of meat buns to him. "Here, eat; you look like you've been starving for days." But he looked away and it annoyed her.
Pouting, she set the plate down and tackled him. This move caused both of them to fall to the ground. "Whoa!" His eyes widened as with the grace of a three-legged cow, they toppled off the chair. Landing hard, he winced as his back was no aching and he could not get up for there was a certain girl lying on top of him. Doku was just about to say indicating the pain he was going through when he saw that Lirin silent and her hands grasping the front of shirt.
"He'll be fine! I'm sure he will!" she cried out, then lifted her face off his chest. A grin spread over her lips as she laughed sheepishly at him. "Come on! Yaone is going to scold you once she finds out that you didn't eat a single bite of her cooking!"
Without waiting for him to reply, she jumped off the baffled demon and started to pile his plate with food. Doku slowly pushed his upper body off the ground and quietly observed as the now hyped up girl tried to make up her mind on what to have him eat. His sad complexion had now faded away, to be replaced by a softer one. A small smile crept its way to his lips and heaved himself off the floor.
For a moment there, he had let his worries engulf him in its sticky grasp but with his loved ones around him, there was no way he would let himself succumb to something like that.
"This one you should definitely sample Doku!"
Her voice laced with enthusiasm jerked him away from his thought, reminding him of where he was at the moment. Doku shook his head lightly and mentally scolded himself. Now that was over, he stepped up to the flaming orange-haired girl who kept on moving around the table, dumping large portions of food on to his plate.
"Slow down there, I don't think I'll be able to eat all that." Doku pointed at the plate that was literally overflowing with food and some weird-looking substance that she had poured over it. "And what the hell is that!" he exclaimed as the 'sauce' was of a rather disgusting shade of purple and dripped off the edges of the plate.
It looked vile…
Unfortunately for him, to the bouncy kid it was the most delicious thing she has ever made with her own two clawed hands.
"Lirin's Ultimate Special Secret Sauce!" she said cheerfully and took a spoon. "Try it! You'll love it. Now say 'Aah'." Sticking the metal ware into the squishy concoction, she scooped some up and brought it near to his face.
Only one word in the name Lirin came up with can he use to describe the horrid liquid right now.
It was ultimately disgusting.
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Cautiously walking down the semi-lit hallways is the apothecary named Yaone. While going down the cold corridors, she kept on fist resting on her chest and the other would softly brush against the metal wall. The long absence of Lord Kougaiji had finally pierced her cool demeanor and caused her to start worrying about the Prince. With Doku still at the room with Lirin, she assumed that the young lady would be safe in his care. And there was enough food for the both of them. So, she gathered her courage and went off to search for their leader.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, its thumping amplified in her ears as she continued down the empty hallway. She was sure that Kougaiji was brought down this way for she exited the room just in time to see them before they were shrouded in the darkness.
Really, have they not considered of installing more lights in here?
There were some on the ceiling, but not enough to fill the all thewinding corridors with light for them to be able to see if there was anybody up ahead. Several times has she bumped into someone because of that, but mostly due to her sometimes being too engrossed with thoughts to notice others in her way.
Her skin was tingling, her intuition kept on prodding her that someone was following but every time she glances back, she was only met by the blackness of the passageway behind her. Yaone shuddered at the thought of something creepy suddenly appearing out of nowhere but she made sure as to not lose her composure.
The farther she goes down the hallways, the lower the temperature went and it felt as thought she had just stepped into a weird dimension. Out of nowhere, she sensed an ominous aura, not that of a demon, almost and but, it felt so different. Yaone suddenly started to feel lightheaded and let her body lean on the freezing wall. It almost felt as though she was touching ice, but she ignored it and forced herself to continue on.
I have to make sure that Lord Kougaiji is alright… Yaone thought to herself, determination etched on her face.
After what seemed to be hours, she finally came across a set of bolted doors and they were unlocked. As she stood there in front of them, it became evident that it was from the room behind these doors where the aura was seeping out from. Yaone stretched one hand to the handle and was about to open it when another feminine hand perched itself on her bare shoulder.
"Well, well, seems like we have a visitor."
Yaone froze, her blood suddenly turned cold and she could not even turn her head to see who it was. Even so, she knew perfectly who the woman behind her is. She let out an 'eep' sound as an arm was wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled to the side of the female scientist. For a moment, she shut her eyes, bracing herself for whatever the consequence for trespassing here maybe, but nothing came. Only silence greeted her and so slowly unveiled her eyes to find herself staring at a pair of twinkling green eyes.
"Wow, I wasn't expecting Kou's very own apothecary to come down here all by herself." Leila said, amused and looked at the demoness from head to toe. The woman silently snickered at the thought of what might have happened if this pretty one was caught by someone else. She quickly eased down her twisted ego and focused her eyes on the pale face of the female demon in her hold. "I suppose you're looking for your darling Prince?"
A tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks and she looked away, mumbling an apology. This only entertained Leila even more and she gave Yaone a pat on the back. "Don't worry for you've come to the right place!" She held out a hand, her palm facing up, to the steel doors. "He's been here for quite a while you know…I bet he found it too overwhelming for him…"
Leila reached into her pocket and pulled out a key card. Waggling it between her fingers, she winked at Yaone. "Of course, we can't just let anybody enter the premises."
Only now did Yaone become aware of the small electric box with the card slot latched on the wall right beside the heavy doors. And for a split second there, she felt stupid but then convinced herself that it was not entirely her fault for not noticing it right away. With this weird presence looming in the atmosphere, it almost clouded her senses.
How can these people work in here?
After inserting the thin plastic card into the slot, the front side of the box fell open to uncover the keypad it was hiding and the lid was attached by hinges. Mildly impressed with their security, she watched as Leila started to type what looked like a very long password and stiffened when the female craned her neck towards her.
Fingers tapping away on the blinking keys, she smiled at the demoness. "Anyway, you're a sharp one as you were able to sense me even though I was able to blend perfectly in the shadows and-"
At the mention of that, Yaone politely held out a hand. "Wait, it was you who was following?" she asked, trying to process this into her brain. Dr. Nii was sneaky, but she did not expect to be others to be just as stealthy as him or even worse. Possibly even more twisted although she has not known the said man for a long time. Still, she and the others were quite wary of him.
Somehow, this had Leila flattered. "Oh! You didn't know that I can be as silent as mouse? Well it's quite easy because the trick is-Oops! Doors are opening and we ought to get moving!"
The huge doors slid open soundlessly, startling the demoness as she was expecting them to be produce creaking sounds like most large doors do and she gasped as white mist escaped the confines of this mysterious room. Leila's mouth curved into a smirk as she once again draped her arm around the woman's shoulder and started to lead her into the slightly fogged room.
Bringing a hand to cup around the side of her mouth, Leila called out in a sing-song voice, "Paging Prince Kougaiji! You're one and only apothecary is here!"
What mortified Yaone was not the numerous sinister-looking machines and equipment in the laboratory, but something at the other side that had immediately caught her eye. As she lowered her gaze, observing it, it dawned onto her that the form standing in front of that 'thing' is none other than Lord Kougaiji!
"Lord Kougaiji!" she exclaimed and released herself from Leila who just stood there with a sly smile formed on her lips. Relief flooded her body as she rushed over to the red-haired demon's side and even let a small smile to appear on her face. "I'm so glad that you're safe!"
"Yaone? What are you doing here?" Kougaiji inquired, his face still holding on to its stern complexion. His earrings chimed as he whipped his head around to meet her concerned gaze. "And the others?"
"Both of them are in the room upstairs, but-"
"Alright, that's enough talking for the show is about to begin!" Leila's heels clicked on the hard floor as she stepped up to them, interrupting their cute moment together. Adjusting her glasses, she asked, her gaze focused on Yaone, "Now, could you tell me what you think of our dear 'friend' here?"
An eyebrow was arched in confusion for she had not completely understood what she had just said. "Friend?"
Instead of answering, Leila pointed at something behind her and so she whirled around. It was as though the beating of her heart had come to a stop when it dawned on her what was taking place in this laboratory. Right before her is one of the incubation chambers, she has seen them before but this is the first time she has witnessed one being used.
Gushing and bubbling liquid was sealed inside, but that was not what had caused her to take a step back in horror. It was the body of a woman floating in it. Eyes filled with shock and fear, she covered her mouth with both hands, and her knees suddenly became weak so it was that she did not crumple down to the floor.
"Lord Kougaiji…what is this?" she said, breathless at the sight before her eyes.
The Prince did not answer her question right away and his hands balled into fists as he tried to restrain himself from breaking the blasted tube right then and there. When he was introduced to this so-called woman, he was just as astounded as she was and was very outraged that it was not only the revival of his father they were doing. Nobody had informed him of this, and just when does he find it out is the day when their little project has been completed.
Secrets, they were everywhere and they were all being hidden away from him, waiting for the day to surprise in the most unpleasant way possible.
He opened his mouth to try and explain but he was cut off by the soft snickering of the notorious Dr. Nii who appeared from somewhere at the side, hugging that repulsive bunny to his chest while his other hands dwells in the depths of his pocket. Scowling, he glared at him, but his deadly gaze did not affect the male scientist at all.
Nii's eyes rested on the Yaone who was still a bit stricken with horror and perplexity but enlivened him as now more than one shall be in for the wonderful surprise they had prepared tonight. "Why hello there, I wasn't expecting you to drop by."
Out of desire to stay away from this evil man, she moved closer to Lord Kougaiji who kept the brunt of his focus on the two scientists. Both of them wearing the same cynical smiles on their faces as they chuckled softly together and Leila walked around them to situate herself at the control panel.
"Time to wake up my dear." She cooed as she walked up to the chamber and knocked gently at the clear surface.
Over all the sounds of the gurgling liquid, the soft rapping reached the sensitive ears of the woman inside. Her nose twitched under the oxygen mask, and her eyes fluttered open. At first, she could not make out any defined shapes, only seeing swirls of blue and deformed images through the sea of cool colors. At a slow pace, she broke free from the curled-up position and started to look around, trying to find something amidst the seemingly invisible force keeping her afloat.
Excitement and delight filled Nii's whole body as he witnesses the awakening of Ming, their new toy to play with. Just on time, the doors were opened, announcing the presence of the one who had requested for this project.
"She's awake!" Lady Kousho said gleefully and brushed past the two stunned demons. A sort of crazed happiness flickered over her face as she placed a pale palm over the warm surface, capturing Ming's interest.
After a few moments of moving about inside the tube, her vision finally became clear and she was able to make out the people staring at her. What caught her attention most is a rather ravishing woman who was peering closely at her through the glass. Almost fascinated by the lady, she propelled herself down so that they were at the same level and saw the hand pressed against the wall that stood between them. Perplexed by this, she copied Lady Kousho and placed her hand directly on the spot where the manicured hand was resting.
"Let us all welcome Ming!" Leila chirped and pulled a lever.
A thunk was heard and Kou jerked his head up. His crimson eyes settled themselves on the bottom of the huge capsule and immediately noticed the movement happening there. "Stand back!" he shouted and grabbed Yaone.
"A-Ah!" His sudden action took her by surprise but then came to realization that he knew what happening and did not want her to be in the way. "Lord Kougaiji…"
Lady Kousho, her arms were outstretched as the glass opened with a whoosh spilling its contents. The strange liquid flooded the floor, but the turquoise-haired demoness and the two scientists were too intent on Ming to notice. Once the water had flowed out, Ming felt the law of gravity take place and fell forward, into the arms of the being, the first one to come into contact with her. Loosely embracing Ming, Kousho went down on her knees, ignoring the fact that her clothes were soaked.
What was important is that her toy was here…
All Yaone could do was watch this unbelievable event while Kou's frown deepened at the sight of his stepmother take this creation of theirs into her arms like a real mother welcoming her baby, but this one she has in her embrace is not of her flesh and blood. The puddle the two were in, resembled a small ocean but it was no holy deity perched on it.
It felt odd, her legs felt heavy and the lack of water made her experience the numbness in her body. Strands of her soaked hair clung to her face and parts of her upper body. She just kept still as a pale hand removed the mask from her face, allowing her to breathe in the natural gas around her.
Taking in short breaths, the same hand graced her chin and gently lifted her face to meet a pair of eyes filled with positive turmoil. "Your name is Ming." Kousho said, and her smile widened.
"M-Ming?" she choked out.
"Sorry to ruin this touchy moment but would be so kind enough as to let us know what you think of her?" Leila appeared at their sides, her hands clasped behind her back and smiling cordially at them.
"Hmmm…" She started to stroke Ming's hair, carefully deciding on what words to use to describe this young one in her arms. "I think I better try and play with her for a bit to know…" she mused, but the evil smirk remained on her red-painted lips, slightly parted, showing a white fang of hers.
Leila nodded. "Of course!" Then transferred her gaze at the Demon Prince and gave him a rather mysterious smile. "Alright then, you two may go now. You can tell your other friends about this as well. Heck, let the whole world know if you want to but just remember to mention my name!" She gave him a thumbs-up and whirled around to start contacting her other colleagues to let them in on the latest news.
It ticked him off to see her act like that to him, but he brushed it away and turned to Yaone. "Let's go, I'm sure they're wondering where we are right now." Kou said curtly and made his way to the open doors with the pharmacist trailing behind him.
Yaone started to think on what will happen now that this 'woman' is here and what were they going to do with her? Wait, how did they even create her? Her breath got caught in her throat when it dawned on her. The possibility that they had experimented on her, so did they kidnap her?
Frustrated, he walked until he was at a reasonable distance from the cursed laboratory and punched the wall, causing a cracked dent to form. His sudden outburst forced Yaone out of her thoughts and her eyes widened at the realization of what he was going through.
"Yaone…"
"Yes my Lord?"
"I want you to do something…"
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"Sanzo! Hakkai! Kappa-"A clenched fist hit its mark on the teenager's head. The golden-eyed boy cringed and grabbed his poor aching head. He whipped his head around to find the water sprite behind him with an annoyed expression all over his tanned face.
"Next time say my real name you monkey boy!" Gojyo snapped while Hakkai chuckled somewhere away from with Sanzo at his side.
Winter had arrived at Chang'an; a blanket of snow covered the ground, trees decorated with clumps of the white and soft ice, the sky a dreary gray and the temperature dropping lower by the minute. The four were on their way to spend the rest of the evening tucking in a dinner of nice hot pot.
Hakkai sighed wearily but somehow managed to keep his signature smile in place. "At this rate, we might not be able to make it in time before the store closes."
Sanzo scoffed and just reached into his robes for a cig but then remembered that he had already smoked the last one back at the temple. "Darn it, those bastards better hurry up or else I'm going without them…" he grumbled, a frown creasing his face.
This only made the brunette chuckle softly as he returned to the arguing pair. "Hey! If you want dinner then you might as well pick up the pace!" he called out good-naturedly.
"Dinner?" Goku stopped in the middle of preparing himself to throw a snowball at Gojyo. The two were just about to have a little war of their own when they were reminded of their purpose of being out in the cold. Tossing the snowball aside he cried out happily, "Let's go! It's Sukiyaki night!"
"What? Tch and I was all veered up to beat you…" Gojyo murmured, but threw one at the kid anyway. Inserting his hands into the pockets of his coat, he sauntered back to the two men. "Don't forget about the warm sake."
Angrily brushing the bits of snow from his hair, he chased after Gojyo. "Come back here!" he yelled but then was caught in one arm of the half-breed. Flailing, he started clawing (although he had no claws) at the arm wrapped around hi neck.
"Let go!" he demanded.
THWACK!
"Urusai!" Sanzo shouted and turned to continue walking towards the restaurant. Sometimes he wonders how on earth he ended up with these goons.
Clapping his hands gently, he said, raising his voice, "Come on you two, best to get there before it gets dark. We wouldn't want to keep the hot pot waiting."
At the mention of the dish, Goku eyes twinkled with excitement, almost salivating at the thought of the scrumptious ingredients being tossed into the soup and eating all the meat. Still drooling, Gojyo's face twisted in disgust at the boy.
"Gross! Control yourself will ya?" Gojyo immediately unlatched his arm from the boy and started wiping his arm on his jacket. Great, he so needs to bring it to the dry cleaners after and he is going to make the monkey boy pay for it. "You're a monkey not a dog."
"And you're a water sprite!" Goku snickered and avoided Gojyo's fist. Sticking out his tongue, he shouted, "I'm going to beat you to the Sukiyaki place!" With that, he turned on his heels and started running across the field of snow.
The three of them did not make to quicken their pace and just leisurely strolled after their hungry monkey. Laughing aloud, Hakkai said, "It's a really nice day to day. Right?"
"Yeah…" Gojyo replied, unimpressed and gave him a shrug. But then, he could not help but silently agree for the weather today was not all that bad. Sure it was cold, but it was not like they were freezing to death or anything.
Up ahead, Goku stopped in his tracks and glanced back to find the three way behind me. Cupping his mouth with his hands, he called out, "Hey! I'm going to eat all of the food if you three don't hurry up!"
A vein started bulging on Gojyo's head. "Darn that brat…" he muttered. Raising his head up, he shouted back, "Like we'll let you keep all the food to yourself you bottomless pit!"
The monk sighed irritably, but did not produce his paper fan to whack the heads of the two delinquents. The snow crunching softly beneath their feet, he tried to figure out another way to silence these two, permanently. Like hell, would that be possible as who knows how long can these goons continue with their yapping.
"Ah Gojyo!" Hakkai cried out as the half-breed suddenly sprinted his way towards the boy causing a small shower of snow to spray at them.
"Come on you lazy monk!" Gojyo who had captured Goku once again took the honor of prodding the priest with his annoying voice.
Twitching, he reached for his gun and took aim.
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"Rien, it's been three years hasn't it?" Seiki asked, lazily tracing the rim of his wine glass.
Both of them had found themselves a quiet bar and decided to indulge themselves with some wine to celebrate the success of the project. Raising a glass to his partner, he asked sadly, "And why do you look so down today?"
Ever since they arrived at the town, Rien had been quiet, only answering Seiki with small gestures but other than that, he has not spoken a single word after they left the unpleasant atmosphere in the Hontou castle. When the question was fired at him, he just briefly glanced at him and reached over for the bottle of wine.
"None of your business…." Rien muttered under his breath, filling his glass with the yellowish liquor.
"Even after three years of working together and yet you still don't trust me…" Seiki said softly, leaning forward with his fingers entwined together. A smile was on his lips, but there sadness was present in those blue orbs of his. "You know, Grandma won't allow you in the house if you come to the doorstep with that awful look on your face." He added teasingly.
"What's the difference? She won't let me in anyway after getting just a glimpse of this face of mine…" Pressing the glass to his lips, he downed his drink and gently set the glass down on the wooden polished counter.
Inwardly chuckling, Seiki could not help but be amused by his dear friend. Signaling at the bartender for another bottle, he said, "Anyway, our job here is done and now I can go do what I've wanted to do for a long time…"
This sparked some interest in the ebony-haired demon and lolled his head towards Seiki. "Oh? And what would that might be?"
Before answering, he took the delicate glassware into his hands and started to twirl it between his fingers. A far-off look in his eyes as he let seconds pass before opening his mouth and said softly, "A journey…"
Moments of silence passed as he watched Seiki sip his wine, with no intention of saying anymore on the topic. For the first time since they came, Rien smirked. "So it's that journey…yeah…you kept on talking about it before…"
Seiki agreed with a nod. "That's right and before I forget, you want to listen to the story of when I visited Brazil?"
There was nothing else better to do, so Rein absentmindedly waved a hand, indicating that it was fine with him. "Fire away."
Delighted by this, Seiki wasted no time and started his little take right away, making gestures and drawing pictures on napkins to help the interested demon visualize the place. People slowly trickled out of the small establishment as they let the night fade away and chatted about different topics. And for the first time, Rien actually listened to every detail of the stories.