The Strength of Crimson

Chapter 6

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"Hey Hakkai, we're far enough from the town now, don't ya think?"

"Hmmm. . . you maybe right, Gojyo." Hakkai glanced around him, a cold smile growing on his lips. "I will most likely have to remove my limiters to fight."

"Bullshit."

"Pardon?"

"You don't have to remove them. You want to remove them."

Hakkai laughed lightly, anger hidden under the carefree sound. "I guess you're right there."

"'Course I'm right. I'm always right when it comes to you."

"Gojyo?"

"Yeah?" Gojyo looked over at his friend, meeting the intense green stare, seeing darkness hidden in their depths.

"If I lose myself, I want you to do anything that you can to bring me back. Promise me this."

"I promise. Anything I have to." Gojyo replied, dropping the stub of his cigarette on the ground, crushing it beneath his toe.

"Good." Hakkai reached up with his chained wrists, pulling the silver limiters from his ear.

"Oi! What'cha doin'?" Their guard called, but it was too late.

Hakkai removed the final limiter, handing them to Gojyo, who dropped them in his pocket, taking a step backwards as Hakkai's body started to change. The young healer screamed, arching as his body was forced to change. His ears elongated, turning from the rounded human ears to the long, pointed ears showing his blood as youkai. His hands changed from the blunted fingers of a human to the tapered, clawed fingers of a youkai. Vines began appearing from under his shirt, crawling up his body, breaking the chains around his wrist, showing what Hakkai truly was.

Gojyo gasped lightly as the now youkai Hakkai turned towards him, studying the redhead with two different eyes. The right one was Hakkai's usual dark green eye, pupil round and human, but the eye was dull and soulless. His left eye was gold with a slitted black pupil in the center, contracted down to a thin line. He sneered slightly, revealing slight fangs. God. No matter how many times I see him like this. . .it still scares the shit outta me. "Hakkai."

"Put your hands out." He replied, his voice an octave lower than his usual voice.

Gojyo held his hands out infront of him, watching as vines crawled over the metal, slipping around the cuffs, between his skin and the heavy iron, sitting there for a moment before contraction, shattering the cuffs. "Thanks."

Hakkai nodded, turning back to the battle. Within seconds, he had killed the closest ten demons, all ripped apart or strangled.

Gojyo stood behind him, held in place half by awe and half by fear. After a few minutes, he leapt into action, grabbing Hakkai's shoulder. "Hey! Leave some for me, 'Kai."

"Of course." Hakkai smiled lightly, stepping to the side.

Gojyo summoned his shakugetsujo,flying into the fray. He heard Hakkai move into action as well, both of them moving through the band of youkai, easily killing them. They finally reached the leader of the youkai, who was cowering against a tree, hands half raised above his head.

"Please! Don't kill me!"

Hakkai didn't respond, rather he leapt forward, claws extended in a killing strike. Before he could reach the youkai, however, he was slammed to the ground with a strong hit from the side.

"'Kai!" Gojyo yelled as his friend skidded a few feet on the dirt. He started forward, then jumped back as vines crawled over the ground, heading for the new youkai that had appeared. The other youkai was a huge creature, dark and disgusting, his hands alone the size of Goku's head. He dodged the vines that were creeping towards him, kicking out at Hakkai, who cried out as he was slammed to the side. Gojyo started to move again, then realized it was safer if he stayed where he was.

Hakkai stood slowly, his eyes narrowed in a dark glare as he stepped forward, pulling one hand back, a chi ball growing in his palm. He rushed forward, slamming the chi ball into the other youkai's chest before being slapped away himself. He went skidding across the ground again, this time leaving a long trail of blood. Hakkai lay still where he was, gasping, struggling to rise, then falling.

Gojyo growled, jumping into action. He started slashing at the other youkai, wounding it more with each strike. The youkai finally grabbed his shakugetsujo, throwing him with it. Gojyo hit the ground hard, his breath leaving him in one sharp gasp. "Shit."

By the time he got up, Hakkai was already on his feet, launching a furious attack on the youkai. Vines and chi crawled around the youkai, ripping it apart. The youkai screamed in pain as the chi-strengthened vines bit deep into it, tearing limb from limb, killing it. Hakkai stumbled forward to the dying youkai, then knelt, plunging a hand into its chest.

Gojyo shuddered as he watched the vines on Hakkai's arm move down, then contract. The demon shuddered, coughed, and lay still. Great. Now to get 'Kai back. He pulled the limiters from his pocket, dropping his shakugetsujo, rushing forward. He was able to catch one of Hakkai's arms and hold it before vines crawled up his body, tightening in a death grip. He struggled to raise his free arm, the arm that clutched the limiters. Hakkai snarled, slashing at him, plunging a hand into his chest. Gojyo coughed as he felt vines in his chest, binding his lungs in in their grasp. Hakkai closed his fist, crushing one of Gojyo's lungs. "Hakkai!"

Hakkai froze, which gave Gojyo just enough time to slam the limiters back on Hakkai's ear. The young man shuddered, pulling back from Gojyo as his form once again changed. The long youkai ears returned to round human ears, claws returned to nails, fangs retreated and the vines crawled backwards, disappearing. Gojyo dropped to the ground as the vines released him, coughing, struggling to breathe with a collapsed lung. Hakkai stared down at him with wide green eyes, both of them the dark forest green he was known for. "Shit! Gojyo!"

"H... heal me. . . asshole." Gojyo coughed, blood splattering his lips.

Hakkai dropped to his knees, laying his hands on Gojyo's chest, spreading healing chi in the young man's body, repairing the damaged lung. "How's that?"

Gojyo drew a deep breath, then his eyes widened as a shadow fell over them. He summoned his shakugetsujo within seconds, slamming upwards with the blade on the end. Hot blood splashed over Hakkai and him as the blade sliced the gut of the youkai standing above them opened. Hakkai pushed the youkai backwards as it fell, standing, brushing his hands off. "It's good. Thanks, 'Kai."

"Did I do that?"

"Yeah."

Hakkai's head fell and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Gojyo."

"Hey, I don't care." Gojyo shrugged. "How are you?"

"I'm. . . fine." Hakkai muttered, before coughing, holding a hand over his mouth. When he removed his hand, he looked down at the blood splattering it, frowning.

"Hakkai. Heal yourself."

"I'm fine."

"Liar."

Hakkai smiled a bit, then turned his healing chi inward, healing his own wounds. Halfway through, he crumpled to the ground with a soft moan, curling around his abdomen.

"Hakkai!"

"I'm fine, Gojyo." He smiled up at his friend. "I am just a bit more injured than I expected, and I have used more chi than I thought."

"God, 'Kai." Gojyo shook his head, slipping one of Hakkai's arms around his shoulders, lifting the green eyed healer from the ground. "Come on. We should get back to Sanzo and the monkey."

"Of course."

Gojyo shook his head, helping his friend slowly walk back towards town, both of them silent, thinking over all that had happened.

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A/N: Ahhahahaha. Sorry about the long dely. I forgot about this story.. . . .

oops.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thanks to mimi and Phantom Gypsy. You two rule! ^^