"Gojyo! Gojyo, where are you?!" Sanzo yelled into the black forest as he wiped his soaked face and grumbled. "If I find him first, I'm going to shoot his balls off."
"Gojyo! We need to leave, man! Gojyo!!" Hakkai was on the other side of the tent, squinting into the darkness and hoping he could possibly catch a glimpse of the red-head.
Goku sat in the tent curled in a ball with Hakuryuu beside him as he just stared at his hands and the claws that now adorned them. The blood had long been washed off but the smell still stuck to his skin like a wet cloth. Then the scent of another's blood filled his nostrils as a cold breeze broke into the tent. Goku gasped and sat up quick, "Oh man."
Goku burst out of the tent, slipping a little on the slick leaves covering the ground. "I know where he is!" His statement immediately captured the attention of Hakkai and Sanzo and practically echoed through the woods.
"What? How?" Sanzo started, but paused when he saw the look Goku gave him.
Son Goku looked up at Sanzo with the gravest expression the priest had ever seen on the him. "I smell his blood."
"Oh no," Hakkai whispered. "Which way, Goku?"
"This way." Goku leaped into the bushes and Hakkai and Sanzo followed. His pace quickened as he realized the amount of blood needed to be given off for such a strong scent like the one he held. *Shit Gojyo, hang in there man.* Goku though to himself, then shouting to the others he added, "We need to hurry! I don't think he's in good shape!" Goku ducked under a few branches as behind him, Sanzo nearly missed the twigs that threatened to snap him in the face as Goku plowed through them. Goku sped up as the scent grew stronger. "Right here!" Goku jumped over a large rock and landed in a small clearing. He looked down at his feet and shivered as a flash of lightning lit up the amount of blood that pooled in the leaves at his feet. Sanzo and Hakkai stepped out of the bushes and joined Goku to stare at the mess before them. Goku covered his nose with his forearm as he tried to rid his head of the horrible possibilities that caused the mess in front of him and to block out the overwhelming stench of his friend's blood.
"Where is he?" Sanzo asked as he inspected the clearing with his sharp violet eyes.
"Maybe he tried going back to the tent on his own," Hakkai suggested.
"Gojyo!" Goku yelled in desperation into the shady-black jungle trying to locate the lost kappa.
There was a rustle in the trees behind them as suddenly, four large needles flew from the trees. Hakkai, Sanzo, and Goku were able to dodge them but barely managed to keep their balance on the slick leaves covering the forest floor.
"What kind of pussy fights with needles?!" Goku cried out as he summoned his Nyoi-bou and knocked a few needles from their trajectory path to his neck.
"Sanzo look out!" Hakkai jumped towards the priest as five needles flew at Sanzo from behind. A chi barrier grew around them and the airborne needles bounced off the force field, lodging deeply into the ground around them.
"Thanks. You know, you'd think this guy would run out of these sometime soon." Luck smiled down on them when the wind then blew the leaves of the trees just enough for Sanzo to catch a glimpse of their stealthy attacker perched on a bough. *Heh. Found you.*
"So what now?" Hakkai asked. "You see something?"
"Drop the shield, Hakkai." Sanzo cocked the Smith & Wesson and raised it to the tree as the protective barrier vanished. "I hate these annoying little ninja wannabes." He locked on to his target and fired, the gunshot echoing loudly through the drenched forest. There was a scream from the tree as the demon disintegrated as it fell towards the ground. "Take's care of that little bastard." Sanzo grumbled.
"Is it just me or was that demon a little bit more difficult than the ones we've been dealing with lately?" Hakkai thought aloud.
"We should probably head back to the tent just in case Gojyo dragged his sorry carcass back there." Sanzo stepped towards the woods, annoyed as he rung out his shirt. "Besides, this is the only pair of clothes I had left and now I'm soaked."
"Wait up, Sanzo." Goku trailed after Sanzo as they disappeared into the bushes. Hakkai decided to give the clearing one last before he'd go, still doubting Gojyo would be back at the tent after the mess that was left. "Gojyo..." He was just about to head after Sanzo and Goku when a bloody, clawed hand reached from behind and grabbed Hakkai's throat.
"Ack!" Hakkai's breath was choked from him as he felt himself drawn and held fast to a familiar body. The corpse of a demon was thrown into Hakkai's view and he noted three kunai protruding from its face. "My God...San-!" A hand was slapped over Hakkai's mouth as he was spun around only to come face to face with the last person he'd expected. "Gojyo!"
"Hey beautiful," Gojyo purred.
* * *
"What now?" Sanzo stopped in his tracks, grabbed Goku by the collar, and flew back to the clearing.
"Sanzo?! What's up?"
"Hakkai's in trouble."
It wasn't long until the monkey and priest were back in the clearing and frozen in awe as they saw Hakkai held by the throat and hugged against Gojyo's body.
"What the--Gojyo?!" Goku cried out. He was once again severely confused, but this time with good reason.
Hakkai was barely able to force out any words as his windpipe was threatening to stick shut. "G-Goj-- Ack!"
Gojyo's grip tightened steadily causing Hakkai to squirm in his grasp, much to his pleasure. The hybrid spun his captive back around to face the two other shocked party members.
"Let him go, Gojyo! I don't know what's wrong with you, but you know I will *not* hesitate to shoot you." Sanzo threatened as he held up his gun and aimed it at Gojyo.
"Sanzo! It's too close to Hakkai! And besides that's still Gojyo!"
"That's not Gojyo, Goku"
"Are you so sure, monk?" Gojyo looked to Sanzo for the first time, his eyes were fierce and brighter than normal, with a sliver of a pupil centered in the intense red orbs.
"What the hell happened to you?" Sanzo glared at the kappa as he studied him, realizing it was in fact, his comrade. *Damn...*
"Heh. You could say I just woke up. And now," Gojyo's hand made its way to Hakkai's left ear and hovered over the three small, silver ear cuffs. "I'm going to do Hakkai the favor and wake him from this disgusting dream."
Hakkai swayed between consciousness and blackness as his air supply had been depleted for far too long. His eyelids fluttered as he kept his gaze on Sanzo and the gun he held at him, although the image he saw was beginning to blur around the edges.
"Gojyo! Don't!" Sanzo's finger instinctively pressed harder against the cold trigger. *What the hell should I do?*
Meanwhile, Goku was fighting a silent battle within his own mind. All he could smell was blood, all he could hear was madness, and the images that burned in the back of his eyelids could send any sane person to an asylum. "S-Sanzo, I don't feel so good."
"Goku, now's not the time to complain about being hungry."
"But I'm not--" Goku's words faded as he slunk back to a tree hugging his churning stomach with one arm while the other hand held his forehead. The images and thoughts in Goku's mind burned hotter and hotter. *No...No! Why do I want to hurt my friends?! They're my friends!!*
* * *
Gojyo placed the top cuff between his index finger and thumb and wickedly tugged on it, releasing a bit of pressure from Hakkai's neck as he did so.
Hakkai's voice was hoarse and dry as he painfully forced himself to try and reason with the hybrid. "Gojyo please, you don't want to do this." Hakkai pleaded, but he knew it didn't matter, whatever had Gojyo held onto him tight. He just felt so bad for Sanzo and the position he was thrown into. Not only that but he could see Goku was having his own problems. Then, sensing that he was losing Hakkai's attention, Gojyo shook his prey lightly.
"Hey, forget about them. They're not going to help you, they're too scared."
"Say that again, lech!" Sanzo shot back.
"I think I made a point when I said it the first time. Now, Hakkai, this might be a bit uncomfortable at first," Gojyo grinned. "But I think you'll learn to love it." With that, Gojyo slowly pulled the cuff in his grasp from Hakkai's ear and tossed it to the ground where he crushed it with his boot.
"Gojyo! We need to leave, man! Gojyo!!" Hakkai was on the other side of the tent, squinting into the darkness and hoping he could possibly catch a glimpse of the red-head.
Goku sat in the tent curled in a ball with Hakuryuu beside him as he just stared at his hands and the claws that now adorned them. The blood had long been washed off but the smell still stuck to his skin like a wet cloth. Then the scent of another's blood filled his nostrils as a cold breeze broke into the tent. Goku gasped and sat up quick, "Oh man."
Goku burst out of the tent, slipping a little on the slick leaves covering the ground. "I know where he is!" His statement immediately captured the attention of Hakkai and Sanzo and practically echoed through the woods.
"What? How?" Sanzo started, but paused when he saw the look Goku gave him.
Son Goku looked up at Sanzo with the gravest expression the priest had ever seen on the him. "I smell his blood."
"Oh no," Hakkai whispered. "Which way, Goku?"
"This way." Goku leaped into the bushes and Hakkai and Sanzo followed. His pace quickened as he realized the amount of blood needed to be given off for such a strong scent like the one he held. *Shit Gojyo, hang in there man.* Goku though to himself, then shouting to the others he added, "We need to hurry! I don't think he's in good shape!" Goku ducked under a few branches as behind him, Sanzo nearly missed the twigs that threatened to snap him in the face as Goku plowed through them. Goku sped up as the scent grew stronger. "Right here!" Goku jumped over a large rock and landed in a small clearing. He looked down at his feet and shivered as a flash of lightning lit up the amount of blood that pooled in the leaves at his feet. Sanzo and Hakkai stepped out of the bushes and joined Goku to stare at the mess before them. Goku covered his nose with his forearm as he tried to rid his head of the horrible possibilities that caused the mess in front of him and to block out the overwhelming stench of his friend's blood.
"Where is he?" Sanzo asked as he inspected the clearing with his sharp violet eyes.
"Maybe he tried going back to the tent on his own," Hakkai suggested.
"Gojyo!" Goku yelled in desperation into the shady-black jungle trying to locate the lost kappa.
There was a rustle in the trees behind them as suddenly, four large needles flew from the trees. Hakkai, Sanzo, and Goku were able to dodge them but barely managed to keep their balance on the slick leaves covering the forest floor.
"What kind of pussy fights with needles?!" Goku cried out as he summoned his Nyoi-bou and knocked a few needles from their trajectory path to his neck.
"Sanzo look out!" Hakkai jumped towards the priest as five needles flew at Sanzo from behind. A chi barrier grew around them and the airborne needles bounced off the force field, lodging deeply into the ground around them.
"Thanks. You know, you'd think this guy would run out of these sometime soon." Luck smiled down on them when the wind then blew the leaves of the trees just enough for Sanzo to catch a glimpse of their stealthy attacker perched on a bough. *Heh. Found you.*
"So what now?" Hakkai asked. "You see something?"
"Drop the shield, Hakkai." Sanzo cocked the Smith & Wesson and raised it to the tree as the protective barrier vanished. "I hate these annoying little ninja wannabes." He locked on to his target and fired, the gunshot echoing loudly through the drenched forest. There was a scream from the tree as the demon disintegrated as it fell towards the ground. "Take's care of that little bastard." Sanzo grumbled.
"Is it just me or was that demon a little bit more difficult than the ones we've been dealing with lately?" Hakkai thought aloud.
"We should probably head back to the tent just in case Gojyo dragged his sorry carcass back there." Sanzo stepped towards the woods, annoyed as he rung out his shirt. "Besides, this is the only pair of clothes I had left and now I'm soaked."
"Wait up, Sanzo." Goku trailed after Sanzo as they disappeared into the bushes. Hakkai decided to give the clearing one last before he'd go, still doubting Gojyo would be back at the tent after the mess that was left. "Gojyo..." He was just about to head after Sanzo and Goku when a bloody, clawed hand reached from behind and grabbed Hakkai's throat.
"Ack!" Hakkai's breath was choked from him as he felt himself drawn and held fast to a familiar body. The corpse of a demon was thrown into Hakkai's view and he noted three kunai protruding from its face. "My God...San-!" A hand was slapped over Hakkai's mouth as he was spun around only to come face to face with the last person he'd expected. "Gojyo!"
"Hey beautiful," Gojyo purred.
* * *
"What now?" Sanzo stopped in his tracks, grabbed Goku by the collar, and flew back to the clearing.
"Sanzo?! What's up?"
"Hakkai's in trouble."
It wasn't long until the monkey and priest were back in the clearing and frozen in awe as they saw Hakkai held by the throat and hugged against Gojyo's body.
"What the--Gojyo?!" Goku cried out. He was once again severely confused, but this time with good reason.
Hakkai was barely able to force out any words as his windpipe was threatening to stick shut. "G-Goj-- Ack!"
Gojyo's grip tightened steadily causing Hakkai to squirm in his grasp, much to his pleasure. The hybrid spun his captive back around to face the two other shocked party members.
"Let him go, Gojyo! I don't know what's wrong with you, but you know I will *not* hesitate to shoot you." Sanzo threatened as he held up his gun and aimed it at Gojyo.
"Sanzo! It's too close to Hakkai! And besides that's still Gojyo!"
"That's not Gojyo, Goku"
"Are you so sure, monk?" Gojyo looked to Sanzo for the first time, his eyes were fierce and brighter than normal, with a sliver of a pupil centered in the intense red orbs.
"What the hell happened to you?" Sanzo glared at the kappa as he studied him, realizing it was in fact, his comrade. *Damn...*
"Heh. You could say I just woke up. And now," Gojyo's hand made its way to Hakkai's left ear and hovered over the three small, silver ear cuffs. "I'm going to do Hakkai the favor and wake him from this disgusting dream."
Hakkai swayed between consciousness and blackness as his air supply had been depleted for far too long. His eyelids fluttered as he kept his gaze on Sanzo and the gun he held at him, although the image he saw was beginning to blur around the edges.
"Gojyo! Don't!" Sanzo's finger instinctively pressed harder against the cold trigger. *What the hell should I do?*
Meanwhile, Goku was fighting a silent battle within his own mind. All he could smell was blood, all he could hear was madness, and the images that burned in the back of his eyelids could send any sane person to an asylum. "S-Sanzo, I don't feel so good."
"Goku, now's not the time to complain about being hungry."
"But I'm not--" Goku's words faded as he slunk back to a tree hugging his churning stomach with one arm while the other hand held his forehead. The images and thoughts in Goku's mind burned hotter and hotter. *No...No! Why do I want to hurt my friends?! They're my friends!!*
* * *
Gojyo placed the top cuff between his index finger and thumb and wickedly tugged on it, releasing a bit of pressure from Hakkai's neck as he did so.
Hakkai's voice was hoarse and dry as he painfully forced himself to try and reason with the hybrid. "Gojyo please, you don't want to do this." Hakkai pleaded, but he knew it didn't matter, whatever had Gojyo held onto him tight. He just felt so bad for Sanzo and the position he was thrown into. Not only that but he could see Goku was having his own problems. Then, sensing that he was losing Hakkai's attention, Gojyo shook his prey lightly.
"Hey, forget about them. They're not going to help you, they're too scared."
"Say that again, lech!" Sanzo shot back.
"I think I made a point when I said it the first time. Now, Hakkai, this might be a bit uncomfortable at first," Gojyo grinned. "But I think you'll learn to love it." With that, Gojyo slowly pulled the cuff in his grasp from Hakkai's ear and tossed it to the ground where he crushed it with his boot.