Uncovering Deception


Hakkai chokes back a laugh, imagining his sister's face scrunched up in defeat over the hopelessness of her baby brother's libido. Thinking of Kanan in terms of the dreamworld makes it possible to picture her without pain seeping through and he is thankful for that. He can think for just a moment that it was easier than it was, and that Kanan was indeed a sister, not a lover also. Especially not a tragic one.

He will have to thank Gojyo later for prompting his little daydream.

"Better get back or monkey-boy'll have a fit." Gojyo says, straightening his rumpled tank top and reaching for his jacket on the ground.

Hakkai zips up his slacks, smooths his tunic, and turns to look around for his monocle. He had thought it was on the cloth of cleaned dishes, but it seems to have disappeared. Coming back without it would surely give away what the pair had actually been doing by the river.

Scowling, Hakkai turns towards Gojyo, scanning the ground.

"Gojyo, have you seen my—"

The monocle is thrust in front of Hakkai's face, a tan hand and smiling tan expression delivering it promptly to its owner.

Hakkai takes it, his own smile twisting into a sinister promise for payback in reply to that tease. "Thank you, Gojyo. Missing anything of yours?" Hakkai then produces Gojyo's pack of cigarettes that had tumbled out of the kappa's pocket some time during their escapade. They had been rescued by Hakkai and placed inside his own pants pocket. He holds them out to Gojyo now, only slightly out of reach.

Gojyo reaches for them.

Hakkai pulls back.

Gojyo grins and reaches again.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Gojyo…you really should cut down."

"I have cut down, you bastard. Hand 'em over." Gojyo makes a sudden lunge and gets a good grip on the pack, along with most of Hakkai's hand.

Hakkai uses this leverage to pull Gojyo in closer, and with both of their hands clutching the cigarettes, they kiss, quick and wet and dominating. The winner is never decided; Hakkai gives up the cigarettes, placing them in Gojyo's back pocket personally, but Gojyo does not pull them out again for a post-coital smoke.

Both feel somehow accomplished.

Monocle in place and clothing as little tell-tale as possible, they each grab an armful of dishes and laundry and head back to camp where Sanzo and Goku are waiting.

Hakuryuu, rising from his curled up spot next to the fire, 'kyuus' at their return and flutters over to rest on his favorite perch. He is not at all disrupted when Hakkai bends down to pack away the dishes and clothing, or when Hakkai finds a comfortable spot on the ground.

The little dragon does, however, tilt his head questioningly at Gojyo when the kappa takes a seat next to Hakkai and winces ever so slightly. Hakkai passes Gojyo a devilish grin. Gojyo pretends to ignore him and hopes Sanzo and Goku aren't as perceptive as the parrot.

"Okay, so…we can try now…right?"

"Of course, Goku. You're certain this is what you want?" Hakkai asks this very gently, his sensual side calmed for the time being with a serious matter at hand.

Goku's face is just as serious, which makes him look rather comical. He nods in resolution.

Sanzo and Gojyo meet gazes and simultaneously roll their eyes at Goku's child-like nature. They know this matter is not one to be taken lightly, even if there is at least some reassurance that Seiten Taisei won't rip them to pieces once released. There always is that chance, though, and for that they can't help being a little nervous.

"Should we tie the chimp up again?" Gojyo asks, itching for a cigarette even more than he had after he and Hakkai first finished their tousle.

"Tie me up!" Goku cries indignantly. "I'm not going to attack! I'm good now. I just need to practice."

"Okay, okay." Gojyo concedes, holding up his hands in defense. "Don't flip out, it was just a question. You've nearly filleted, slashed, bitten, and deflowered some of us. Caution isn't supposed to be a put-down."

Goku scowls at Gojyo, especially in reaction to a few of those choice words, but quickly backs down. He could never blame the kappa for being worried. He can tell that all of them look a little on edge, and they probably should be for safety's sake. He just wishes they trusted him more. Or maybe he wishes he didn't feel the same way.

Because he is afraid. He has spent too many years fearing that part of him to ever take it lightly. He hopes pretending to be confident will ease his friends' minds, and his own. If only a little.

"Can I?" Goku asks, posing this question to Sanzo with a small gesture up towards his crown.

Sanzo stares him down a moment, gauging him perhaps, before offering a solemn nod. Hakkai and Gojyo barely have time to get back on their feet before Goku pulls his coronet off in a single fluid motion and tosses it to the ground.

Gojyo summons shakujou on instinct. Hakkai takes a defensive stance. Hakuryuu has gone up to perch on the limb of a tree. Sanzo, however, though standing, does not reach for his gun. He simply stares, watching the swift transformation of Goku into the beast.

There is no cry as they are used to, no sounds of pain or distress. Goku simply arches back as his features shift, his ears becoming pointed, his hair longer to stretch down his back, his eyes slit, his fangs glinting in the light of the fire, and his claws sharp enough to slice through most anything. When the transformation has completed and Seiten Taisei stands before them bearing his toothy grin, only the sounds of the crackling fire echo in the small clearing for several minutes.

In a flash Seiten Taisei disappears from view and when he appears again it is on top of Sanzo, the monk pressed down into the dirt, flat on his back.

Gojyo and Hakkai's initial response is panic, each raising their weapon and chi-filled hands. It is only as they take in the sight before them that they realize how little harm Sanzo has come to. In fact, one could almost find the sight endearing with the way Seiten Taisei is curling into Sanzo's chest, purring and nuzzling like a love-starved cat.

"Mine…" Seiten Taisei says in a soft, rumbling voice. He strokes his claws lightly over the front of Sanzo's robes, careful not to tear them.

Shakujou vanishes just before hitting the ground as Gojyo lets out a whooping laugh. Sanzo bowled over by a "cat" and helpless against it. The sight really is too precious not to react to.

Hakkai quickly finds it is difficult for him to stifle laughter as well. His chi fades, returning to his body, and his voice quakes in the struggle for keeping his chuckles down.

Hearing this incredulous behavior though he cannot see it with a mass of brown hair blocking his vision, Sanzo curses beneath his breath and vows to shoot those two bastards as soon as he is free and capable again. "Get the fuck off, idiot!" he yells, pushing at Seiten Taisei's immovable body. "I'm not a bed! And I'm not yours!"

Seiten Taisei growls at this, warningly, but only nuzzles in deeper. He knows enough about this Sanzo-creature now to understand such words have little meaning. "Mine." He says again, more firmly, and hugs Sanzo around the middle. "No share."

Sanzo grits his teeth, hearing Hakkai and Gojyo completely give in to their mutinous laughter. "Fine, don't share me. Whatever. Just get off so I can breathe."

Amazingly, Seiten Taisei does release Sanzo somewhat, sitting up more so that he can better see the pretty blonde's face. He shakes his head at Sanzo and points a dangerous claw towards the coronet on the other side of the fire. "No share." He says, as if this explanation should be more than enough for Sanzo to understand his real meaning.

Still mostly lying in the dirt, Sanzo has decided to ignore Gojyo and Hakkai completely, and instead focuses on deciphering the beast's words. He follows those claws to the coronet. He strains his brain to understand what deeper meaning there could be in the simple gesture and simple words.

When it dawns on him, he feels fairly foolish for having not gotten it immediately.

"You mean Goku." The monks says, slowly, to be sure Seiten Taisei understands. "Goku doesn't want to share me with you. That's it. That's why you're such a clingy little brat."

Seiten Taisei does not appreciate this interpretation, but eventually nods anyway. "No share." He says once more and bends down as if to return to his comfy position on top of Sanzo.

With rather impressive reflexes for a human, Sanzo stops the beast, using both hands with equal force on stubborn shoulders, and pushes. "If you have to cling, fine. But you are not lying on top of me all night. Let me up."

A deep frown settles on Seiten Taisei's face, his fangs peaking out over his down-turned lips. The image is surprisingly cute. Not that Sanzo would ever say so. Regardless, the beast does get up on his feet and allows Sanzo to get to his feet as well. The first thing the monk does once grounded again is whip out his fan and strike the beast on the head, to which Seiten Taisei hisses but does not strike back.

A few more chuckles escape Gojyo and Hakkai, but a threatening wave of the fan silences both of them. It is always a question whether or not Sanzo would ever actually hit Hakkai, and Gojyo almost wishes their cease in laughter hadn't saved them just to see what might have happened.

"We're not doing this so you can have cuddle time, monkey." Sanzo says, tucking the fan away and addressing the beast now rubbing its assaulted head. "You said you want practice, here it is. Now I don't know what you're hoping to do, but my guess is—"

Seiten Taisei suddenly growls. "Lies." He rumbles. "Not practice. Rid of me."

Sanzo pauses. Seiten Taisei's expression has become darker though not threatening. "What do you mean, rid of you?" Sanzo says, stepping closer to the beast since he had backed away after the fan attack.

Hakkai and Gojyo, stilled now of all remnants of laughter, approach more closely as well, not wanting the beast to feel cornered but hoping to assist since Goku wants so much to get something out of this.

"What do you mean?" Sanzo presses, catching Seiten Taisei's eye and locking violet on wild gold.

With his head tilting slightly to the side, Seiten Taisei replies by once again pointing at the coronet on the ground. "Wants." He says. "Wants rid of me. Not together. Hates me," he says more quietly, "Always hates me."

The coronet has come to represent the more Goku-like part of their personality, while Seiten Taisei, calmer and lucid now, is the one who is free. They still seem to be separate and while Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai all assumed Goku meant this practice to bring the two sides together, Seiten Taisei seems to be saying something quite the opposite.

A pout rests on the beast's lips, his fangs still protruding adorably. "Lies. Hates me. Lies to you." He says.

Sanzo does not like this one bit. "What are you talking about?" Sanzo does not focus on the fact that Seiten Taisei is actually talking and more than one word sentences. Grammar is still lacking but this is leaps above where they have been with the beast in the past. "If Goku is doing this just to force you back into some small part of his brain then he is stupider than I thought. You're the same fucking person! He said…that lying little rat said there was a time when you didn't need the limiter and you were whole and it was different. Was that a lie too?" A few fierce steps bring Sanzo right up to Seiten Taisei and he grabs the beast by the shoulders.

The child within the beast is timid of this more fearsome Sanzo but not truly afraid. He hesitates, but speaks as clearly as he can. "No lie. We together. Different then. Different now. Wants me gone. Sanzo…want that too?" Slit gold eyes hold nothing of the anger and bloodlust the beast was so filled with once before. They quiver and waver with liquid depths that call out Sanzo's sympathy. They call out Sanzo's love for everything Goku is, Seiten Taisei included. Without every part of him, he would no longer be Goku. Sanzo wishes Goku understood that.

"No. I don't want that. I want you free from the limiter and for every part of you to be whole. If Goku thinks he can have that by overpowering you, then he's an idiot. He doesn't get it. He keeps saying he can control you, but it should be about more than that. This wouldn't mean anything if I didn't want you both. I have to want you both…" Sanzo raises one of his hands from gripping Seiten Taisei's shoulders and cups the beast's cheek, running his thumb along that smooth jawline.

So many times has he stared into the eyes before him, slit or otherwise. Regardless, it is always Goku he sees there. If Seiten Taisei were suddenly gone, Goku wouldn't exist either. It's common sense. We are the sum of our parts, not them individually. Sanzo learned that long ago. If he hadn't he would still be fixated on his damn purple eyes. He never could get used to them.

"Sanzo?"

Sanzo is too transfixed by Seiten Taisei to hear Hakkai at first.

"Sanzo, we will have to talk to Goku of course, but for now, perhaps it would be best if we utilized this time with Seiten Taisei." Hakkai walks up behind Sanzo, Gojyo close beside him. "He is speaking. A good beginning. And since there is no immediate threat, I think we should talk more with him. Maybe…get him to tell us about how he came to be like this."

A small part of Sanzo bristles, angry that Hakkai is speaking only to him. He releases Seiten Taisei and turns to the healer with narrowed eyes. "Speak to him yourself then. He's not an animal. He can understand you and he can answer. Right?" He swiftly returns his gaze to the beast.

Seiten Taisei looks at Sanzo, to Hakkai, and over at Gojyo as well. There are things that still confuse him because his mind is simpler, more direct in this state. He knows who his friends are, he has all of Goku's memories inside of him along with his own, and he feels no inclination to attack unless an actual foe should arrive.

He has not, however, spoken in any lengthy extent since he and Goku were whole all those centuries ago.

He nods and his eyes dart around the campsite, waiting for someone to give him direction. Hakkai steps forwards and takes him by the arm, leading him over to the fire where they sit, and are soon joined so that all of them are sitting around the campfire. Seiten Taisei looks hard at Hakkai and grins, toothy and wide. This man has always been the kindest, gentlest among them, but lately there is also a bit of darkness in him that reminds Seiten Taisei more of Tenpou. It calms him though most people would probably be disturbed at the growing fierceness only a beast would be able to detect.

"Do you prefer to be called Seiten Taisei then? I get the feeling you aren't happy with us when we call you Goku."

"That's an understatement." Gojyo mumbles.

Hakkai ignores this comment. "We will call you Seiten Taisei if that is what you want."

To be honest Seiten Taisei has rarely thought of his own name. To him, he really doesn't have one. The gods gave him his title and Konzen named him Goku. Really, Goku is the name he should use because it was given out of love, much as Konzen would probably deny such a claim.

"Goku fine. Konzen name me." The beast says.

Sanzo is startled. "I named you? You didn't have one of your own?"

Seiten Taisei shrugs. "No need. Free." But there is a sadness in the word this time. Lonely, it seems to say. One doesn't need a name when alone. "People nice then. But…no friends. No family. No Konzen. Happy with Konzen. Happy with Sanzo." To illustrate this further, he reaches over to Sanzo beside him and grabs onto a piece of robe, clinging.

Sanzo doesn't brush him off.

Hakkai, on Seiten Taisei's other side, prompts the beast further. "Goku then. Can you tell us how you came to be split? It may help us better understand how to help the two of you come together again."

Even before the story begins, Sanzo feels he understands already; Goku has given him enough hints and pieces of that part of the story. But Hakkai and Gojyo have heard very little and listen intently. Hakuryuu, still safely up in his tree, cranes his neck as well to better overhear. Or so it seems.

"Live alone. Here. Not Heaven. No gold." Seiten Taisei passes an accusing look at the coronet next to Sanzo's feet. "Just me. Then…could think better. Talk. Still strong." He says, looking at his sharp claws and flexing them. "And play. Everyday play. Warm sun. River. Happy…" He trails, his eyes wide and childish in the light of the fire. He looks at each of his friends. "Alone. Not scared when gods come. Friendly. Promise food. Company. Say gold good. No ask. Put on head. Cold. Hard. Feel…different. Their fault." He says with a small growl. "Their fault magic go angry."

"Magic?" Gojyo breaks in, his mind overloading with the simplicity of Seiten Taisei's speech and having to fill in the blanks where the beast leaves things out. "What magic you talking 'bout, chibi?" The endearment slips out of Gojyo's mouth unthinkingly, but Seiten Taisei is not offended by being considered a child.

"Magic." The beast nods, not knowing how else to say it. He looks down at his own body. The power within his small frame is amazing, even to him it would seem.

"Wild magic." Hakkai clarifies. "It's an old term for the lifeforce that runs through Mother Nature's closest creations. The earth itself, the trees, places that marked where the world first came into being, all of these were once considered conduits of wild magic, untamed. As long as it was not disturbed this power helped sustain the world. The legends surrounding Goku makes it seem highly possible his power might just come from that. A true child of the earth."

Gojyo is awed. Goku is just the monkey, his annoying companion and younger brother figure that fights with him over food and complains constantly about everything. The idea of Goku as something worth reverence, even if Gojyo does stand in awe occasionally of Seiten Taisei's power, is hard to take.

Sanzo is not in the least bit surprised. He is more interested in the now anyway, in the hows and whys of Goku choosing to lie to them. There is something unsaid that Sanzo wants to know. Seiten Taisei may be his only hope in finding out what.

"What happened next?" Sanzo asks. "After they put the limiter on you and brought you to Heaven, then what?"

Tilting his head to the side slightly, Seiten Taisei looks Sanzo square in the eyes and his lips twitch, seeking a smile. He seems to hold it back, debating whether Sanzo will appreciate it or not. "Met you." The beast says. "Gods brought me to lady on throne. She say I yours. She say you take me. I live with you. Small bed by your bed. You name me. Give food. Play. Yell sometimes. Nicer than Sanzo." He adds with a short nod, not meaning it to be an insult, just a fact. "Konzen love me. I think love me. Sanzo love me?"

Though they try to avoid looking at him, Sanzo can feel Gojyo and Hakkai want to glance in his direction. It isn't that either doubts the monk's love for Goku, but Sanzo will never be someone that affections come to easily. "Don't ask stupid questions," he says reflexively, and his older companions are not at all surprised by the choice.

Seiten Taisei's expression falls.

"Don't ask question you already know the answer to." Sanzo clarifies, and reaches over as he had before to run his hand along the beast's cheek. He removes it just as quickly as he had offered the gesture, but the beast is pacified. Sanzo is about to ask for him to continue when Seiten Taisei leaps to his feet.

"Play now? Please?"

Sanzo is startled. "Play? What do you mean?"

Seiten Taisei stretches back, darts his eyes about the clearing and into the woods around them. "Play. Want to run. Smell things. See things."

"I think he wants to stretch his legs a bit, Sanzo." Hakkai suggests, wearing his more congenial and motherly smile. "He hasn't been able to do that in…goodness, who knows how long. Whenever he has been free since we have known him he has either been rampaging or helping defeat a foe. I think it would be alright to let him go off for awhile. If the limiter caused their split, perhaps the more time he spends without it the more the two personalities will fuse."

"Whoa. So you're just gonna let the chimp run around?" Gojyo says, holding up a hand as if to ask his sensei if he really is in the mood to sacrifice small animals today.

"I doubt he'll cause any trouble." Hakkai assures.

"Do you forget who you're talking about? With the limiter on he'd caused trouble on his own."

"Gojyo."

"I'm just saying."

"Play!" Seiten Taisei yells, and bounds forward to tackle Gojyo back into the dirt, since Gojyo seems to be the only clear dissenter. "Please play. Be good. Promise. Not long. Please please." He is sitting on Gojyo's chest, his claws resting harmlessly on the kappa's shoulders as he begs.

Gojyo's instincts cause him to tense. Those glittering fangs are turned up in a smile, the claws are not seeking to harm him, and the eyes no longer shimmer with that raw cruelty they had grown so used to. Gojyo reminds himself that the dangerous part of Goku's "wild magic" has been calmed, or at least split more evenly to not be so consuming.

Collecting his bearings, Gojyo places his hands on Seiten Taisei's shoulders and squeezes lightly. "Okay, go off already. You don't have to beg me. Long as Hakkai and goldilocks say fine, I'm all for it. Just don't bring back any mutilated squirrels to show us or anything."

Seiten Taisei considers this with a wrinkled nose, turns to acknowledge Sanzo who nods his assent, and in his otherworldly swiftness, is suddenly gone, leaving the others to wonder after him.

"What's he gonna do anyway?" Gojyo asks, sitting himself back up and subconsciously checking over his body for any marks. It still amazes him that he can have an encounter with the beast and not sustain any injuries.

"Act like the monkey he is and play in the trees." Sanzo suggests. "Who cares. Him I trust. It's Goku I'm not so sure about."

The three remaining members of the ikkou discuss what they think might be the best way to deal with Goku. His motivations are unclear. He wants to overpower Seiten Taisei but judging from what they have seen of the beast, there isn't much reason to fear him anymore. Sanzo debates telling the others of his suspicions, that what Goku wants to suppress is not fierce power but the truth. Memories. Things Seiten Taisei could and probably would tell them if prompted that a part of Goku doesn't want them to know.

He does not tell them this, but he will be sure and bring it up to Goku. In the meantime they decide to allow Seiten Taisei to remain out as long as he wishes. Since being without the limiter only makes him more coherent, they don't see much harm in it. When he returns to them after his forrest romp, they simply explain that when they come to a town tomorrow they will have to put the limiter back on.

The prospect of getting more time to "play" has the beast easily agreeing to these terms. He curls up next to Sanzo when they ready for bed and begins to purr. Gojyo and Hakkai chuckle a little again, mainly because they know Sanzo is embarrassed by public display of affection.

He glares at them. "Shove it. He can cling, but that's it. I expect the same from you two. No funny business. We are never having a repeat of…that night. Understood?"

Half of Hakkai is scandalized just to be reminded, the other considers this a challenge to be taken up later. "Not to worry, Sanzo. I can assure you nothing sordid will take place in these woods."

Gojyo stifles a laugh.

Sanzo huffs, knowing not to believe things the healer says while wearing certain expressions—like the one he is wearing now.

Seiten Taisei shakes his head. "Lie. Already did."

Gojyo and Hakkai stiffen.

"What?" Sanzo says.

The beast curls away from Sanzo just enough to look through the fire at Hakkai and Gojyo lying together on the other side of camp. "Already did. I smell by river. On them too."

For a moment the others had completely forgotten Seiten Taisei's keener sense of smell. Gojyo and Hakkai feel supremely foolish.

Sanzo glares at them as Seiten Taisei turns back to him and resumes his hypnotic purring.

Gojyo decides to stare at the stars.

Hakkai looks back at Sanzo with an unapologetic grin. "Goodnight then." He says, as if he hasn't a thing to be ashamed of. "Some of us are early risers after all."

Sanzo pretends he didn't hear that.

-----

So far along their journey the Sanzo-ikkou has not encountered a single youkai. The few towns they have passed have been small, all towns they missed on their way West due to their final shortcut on dragons. They have taken note of this lack of demons and also realize that the more East they get the more likely this is to change. Being so far West, when the Minus Wave was finally and forever cut off, nearby demons that returned to normal fled to Houtou Castle.

The demon kingdom is therefore bustling with life, returning to the full court Rasetsunyo remembers from her days as queen. She has taken up her role again, though in more of a figurehead manner, and has allowed all refugees access into the castle for as long as they choose to stay.

She has also fallen back into her role as mother, having acquired a few extra "children" in the process, and is enjoying her more maternal duties most of all.

"How do you get the stitches so straight?" Lirin asks, poking her head over Rasetsunyo's shoulder to watch as the youkai woman works on a patch for the quilt in her lap.

Rasetsunyo smiles to herself, glancing up at Lirin before returning her eyes to the needle and thread. "Much practice, dear. A steady hand and patience is all one really needs. You can help me if you like."

Lirin comes around Rasetsunyo's chair and plops down onto the floor in front of her. She pouts. "I can't sew well. Yaone keeps trying to teach me. I think my hands are too small."

A secretive smile creeps onto Rasetsunyo's face; the excuses of children who refuse to be poor at anything they do. "If you would rather help with the more creative end than the practical one, that's fine too. You can tell me whose patch I should do next."

"Whose?" Lirin questions, tilting her head to better get a look at the half-formed quilt.

The patches are all vastly different. The way it looks now it resembles an even-sided cross with one patch in the middle and one coming off each side, making five in all.

The one in the middle is a rich violet with a center shaped like Ra-mama's earrings. It has flowers and what looks like a rope winding through it with a large knot.

The one right on top is burgundy with little versions of Ra-mama's earrings all over, along with a small crown in the center surrounding a heart.

The one on the right is dark blue with what looks like a hand holding onto the hand of someone smaller. There is a sword lining each of its sides.

The left one is rosy pink with a darker pink ribbon very gracefully coiling around its edges. An even-armed cross sits in the center, like the quilt itself, and there is a chalice on either side of it.

Finally, and not at all least, is the one on the bottom, the one Ra-mama is still stitching. It is an earthy green with rabbits in the corners and three linked hearts in the center. The reason Lirin is so excited by this patch is because Ra-mama is stitching Lirin's name onto it.

"It's me!" she cries, up on her knees to more clearly see the quilt. She searches for names in the other patches and is not surprised which ones she finds. "And Nii-chan!" she says, pointing to the dark red, "And Yaone and Doku!" she says to the pink and blue, "And this one must be you, ne, Ra-mama?"

A glance at the center patch makes Rasetsunyo smile even wider. "Very good, dear. I thought it would be best to make a family quilt. Do you like it?"

Lirin is far too excited at the thought of being part of a "family" quilt to really care what other parts of it she might like. "It's great! Nii-chan has the earrings like yours and a crown coz he's prince, right?"

"My little prince." Rasetsunyo smiles, though she knows how much Kougaiji blushes at being called his boyhood nickname.

"And Yaone's is the frilly one?"

"With a healing cross for her abilities." Rasetsunyo adds.

"And Doku's sword, and…is he s'posed to be holding my hand?"

"A brotherly image." Rasetsunyo clarifies. "A helping hand to those younger, smaller, and in need. He has been a great help to your brother. Very selfless. A good man."

"What about me?" Lirin presses, running her hands over the small rabbits in the corners of her patch, careful not to bump Rasetsunyo's stitching. "Why bunnies? And why three hearts?"

Rasetsunyo puts down her stitching for a moment and gently takes hold of Lirin's face. She stares into the eyes so like her son's and cannot help but love the girl just as dearly as if she were her own. "Three hearts because you bring the two last hearts of my family together and make it even better. And rabbits for luck, for your amazing speed and cleverness, and because you really are too adorable." She lightly bops Lirin's nose before picking up her needle again. "Why, do you not like it?"

Done with the floor now, Lirin has rushed over to grab an extra chair and pulls it next to Rasetsunyo. She shakes her head vigorously in response to Rasetsunyo's question. That she is in the quilt at all is enough for her. "But…whose next then? How you gonna make it a whole blanket?"

"That's what I need your help for, dear. Who should be next? Who else is part of the family?" There is mischief in Rasetsunyo's expression that Lirin is too innocent and ignorant of to notice.

Lirin, of course, falls right in Rasetsunyo's hands. "Baldy!" she cries, on the edge of her seat. "He can go by me and Doku! And that red guy, he can be by Nii-chan and Doku, since they're brothers. And Mr. Hakkai can be by me and Yaone coz he's the only one really nice to girls. Oh, and Goku can go in the last spot. Perfect!"

Rasetsunyo agrees completely. "Would you like to help me decide what goes on their pieces?"

For a moment, Lirin's face finds a little mischief of its own. "Can I design Sanzo's?"

-----

In another part of the castle, Dokugakuji is extremely anxious. He has been helping in every area he can, taking care of the refugees, checking on the soldiers in charge of guarding Gyumaou's chamber, and occasionally exploring the parts of the castle Nii kept blocked off to see if there are any surprises left behind. There are still several areas to be flushed out, but so far all has gone well.

Meaning Dokugakuji is extremely bored. Especially since his best friends keep sneaking off together. He is happy for them, and knows it is about damn time they wised up to their feelings, but the puppy-love stage has them forgetting most things about life outside of each other. He isn't even entirely sure they have slept together, but the bite marks he caught on Kou's neck the other day makes him wonder.

What he really wishes is that Kougaiji would come and confide in him, give him the inside scoop, but the pair made a pact not to do that since Dokugakuji knows them both so well. It would be too inappropriate, Kou said.

It's guy talk; it's supposed to be inappropriate!

The formality around the whole thing has Dokugakuji sorely longing for time with his brother. With the war over he finally has the chance to reconnect the way he always wished he could. He and Gojyo talked, but he still doesn't feel he has—or ever can—make it up to Gojyo for leaving all those years ago.

When Dokugakuji rounds a corner only to discover Kougaiji and Yaone stealing a kiss in the hallway, he has made up his mind.

"Yo! If you two can focus enough for a minute to hear this, I'm thinking of taking off for awhile."

Kougaiji and Yaone pull apart, both flushed from being caught, and quickly right themselves. "Oh, Dokugaku, excuse us. What were you saying?"

"What do you mean taking off?" Kougaiji asks, apparently having heard more than his partner in crime. His face is serious despite his blush.

"A vacation." Dokugakuji explains. "You two need time alone, Lirin's off with the Lady of the castle most the time, which is fine by me, and…I kind of feel like getting away. The Sanzo party can't be too far off yet. Maybe I'll go bug my little brother for awhile."

The reaction Dokugakuji expects is exactly the one he gets. "Goodness, we haven't run you off, have we?" Yaone asks, concerned. "We really shouldn't be so public about all this and…let ourselves get carried away as we have."

Yaone's voice is sweet and her mannerisms better than any reform school graduate, but Dokugakuji knows her well enough to not entirely buy the sweet act. He always figured she would be wild in the bedroom. Not that he would ever be stupid enough to tell Kougaiji he's wondered about that.

He shakes his head. "It's no big deal. Go be crazy in love, I'm glad for it. Keep the making out in the corridors down to a minimum, please, but otherwise…" he trails off with a grin, watching Kougaiji's cheeks turn the same shade as the prince's hair.

"Well," Kougaiji manages, "If it's what you want, I give you my blessing to go. Keep in contact and send our regards to the Sanzo party."

"Oh, and do take some of those muffins I made the other day, will you?"

Dokugakuji lifts his arm in a wave and walks on down the hallway. "You know I love you and your cooking, Yaone, but a man does not show up to see his bro bearing muffins. See you two love-birds later, okay? And don't get into trouble. Got it?" A final pointed look is passed back to the pair, focusing mainly on Kougaiji, which makes the prince feel strangely…warned.

He isn't entirely sure what Dokugakuji means to bully him about, but whatever it is, he decides he is definitely not going to do whatever it is he is being warned against.

-----

Full on into a new day, the Sanzo ikkou is well on its way to wherever the jeep will lead them. Thankfully, that elusive larger town is finally on the map, and they are closer to it than Hakkai first guessed. They should have warm beds and a good meal lined up before the sun goes down.

Riding along in the jeep, Seiten Taisei is having an utter blast. Gojyo has repeatedly referred to the beast as an excitable dog, since he can't seem to sit still and often stands up on the seat in the back to feel the wind rushing past him.

"It's air, you dork, what's the big deal? Don't you move fast enough to get that rushing feeling on your own?"

Seiten Taisei ignores the comment; he is having far too much fun.

"Sit down." Sanzo barks, smacking the beast in the shin since he has once again stood up on the seat, his arms outstretched as they sail over the desert landscape. "If we hit a bump and you go flying, we're not turning around to pick you up, got it?"

Although Seiten Taisei is not foolish enough to take Sanzo's threats seriously, he is understanding of the monk's worried tone and sits back down. He slept better than he can ever remember last night, curled up against Sanzo the whole time and allowed to rise with the morning without that awful crown on his head. He feels freer than he has ever been.

He is not looking forward to putting the limiter back on.

"Just sit still awhile, will you?" Sanzo says, softer, almost gently beside Seiten Taisei's ear. The monk slips an arm around the beast's back, mainly to hold him steady but also for the contact.

Seiten Taisei starts to purr.

"Knock that off." Sanzo growls, lowering his voice even further. "Do you always have to attract attention to yourself?" Meaning Sanzo would rather the purring did not attract further barbs from Gojyo and Hakkai.

The purring does not cease. "Sanzo comfy. Warm. Like sun."

"Sanzo IS comfy AND warm like THE sun." Sanzo corrects, and realizes how loudly he said that when Gojyo looks back with a raised eyebrow. "Fuck off."

"Sanzo IS comfy AND warm like sun. THE sun." Seiten Taisei repeats. He looks up at Sanzo with adoring eyes, but Sanzo is too busy glaring at Gojyo.

"That's very good, Goku." Hakkai provides, looking back through the rearview mirror. He meets gold eyes in the glass. "You're improving as far as…well…humanity goes, I suppose I must say, but how do you feel? Do you feel like you and Goku are still very much separate?"

Seiten Taisei considers this a moment, then frowns. "Still separate." He says. "We remember both ways. But still different. He wants back now."

"You can sense that?" Hakkai is intrigued.

Gojyo and Sanzo stop making faces at each other long enough to pay attention.

Seiten Taisei takes longer thinking over his answer this time. "Not…sense. Know. Me always want out. He must want out too." He nods to himself.

For a moment, Sanzo and the others feel a little guilty for allowing Seiten Taisei free reign for so long without consulting Goku first. The chimp probably assumed it would be a quick outing, like in the past, but it has been almost a full day and night now. They hadn't really considered Goku's reaction to this.

Sanzo looks up and meets both red and green eyes in the mirror. "Maybe it's time we replaced the limiter. We'll be reaching that town soon and the last thing we need is to attract unnecessary attention. We get enough of that as it is." As he is speaking, Sanzo can feel Seiten Taisei tense beside him. He feels torn between two versions of the same thing, which makes him feel foolish. They are both Goku, just different forms of him. Sanzo wishes he didn't feel that things he did for one are a betrayal to the other.

"That's probably wise, actually, if you're alright with that. Goku?" Hakkai says.

Calling Seiten Taisei "Goku" has helped, but the beast is not their Goku, not the way they know him best.

Seiten Taisei looks up, already moving out of Sanzo's hold. He doesn't speak, he only nods. He will not fight them on this issue because with the same intensity he once tried to kill them he now desires their love, and will do nothing that might risk losing it.

Sanzo reaches back into the supplies where they carefully wrapped up the coronet so a new one wouldn't have to be summoned. He holds it out to Seiten Taisei but the beast does not see it; his eyes are tightly closed, anticipating, waiting for Sanzo to put it on for him. Again, Sanzo cannot help feeling a certain guilt as he places the crown back where it usually rests.

A convulsion wracks Goku as he transforms, but when he falls against Sanzo, wholly returned to normal, he immediately rights himself and pushes the monk away. Like a pouting child, he says nothing, turned into the corner of his part of the backseat. The way things are now, Goku remembers everything that Seiten Taisei experienced. Sanzo and the others know this.

Therefore, the rest of the ride into town is strangely quiet. Allegiance has shifted; the lines no longer make sense. Goku will not look at Sanzo. Hakkai and Gojyo will not pressure either of them. The only reprieve from the silence comes when they finally reach the city and park outside one of the many inns.

Sanzo, getting out of the jeep after Goku, grabs the boy by the shoulder, spins him to look him in the eye, and says, "We need to talk."

tbc...

A/N: I'm sorry! I'm a senior and I have a new boyfriend and things get crazy. I have a boyfriend who accepts my yaoi fettish, is cute, and likes to bite. I'm happy. I hope you can understand why homework was hard enough to get done, let alone this. Maybe that was more information about your friendly neighborhood Crimson than you wanted, and if so, i apologize. ;-)

I will try and do better, but I have alot of writing this semester. A novel, for example. My roommate was very good about not nagging, but finally, I can appease you all with a long chapter. Hope I didn't alienate you by taking so long. The next part will hopefully come soon. This town has oh so many fun surprises in store.

Crim