Ensnarement-The End Approaches

A few days later Ran woke up feeling rather apprehensive. Kusuma would be returning to the village at any time and she was sure that Karin would be his next target. The past few days had past without any sign of him, but none the less she still went to help Karin everyday…just in case.

After her little moment with Gojyo she had an easier time keeping her temper down and even started smiling naturally at everyone. This day was no different from the others and after saying goodbye to her dad she grabbed her hammer and walked out the door. "Another beautiful day…I hope today will be another false alarm," Ran said to herself heading off into town.

Half way there Ran felt something grabbed her leg and she fell flat on her face. "Hello Ran," a honey-tongue voice called from above her. Ran looked up to see the face of the demon she loathed and despised.

"Kusuma." She spat out his name like a swear word.

"Are you ready to come, my dear?" Before Ran could answer, a scythe attached to a chain sliced through the thick vine, freeing Ran from its hold.

Ran turned and saw Gojyo standing there with his staff looking very cool after his rescue. "I hate guys who think that all women are their play things," Gojyo stated matter of factly. "Hey are you okay over there?"

Ran quickly got on her feet and rushed over to where he was standing. "I'm fine…and thanks for the help," she said smiling.

"That's my first victory of the day."

"So, he's finally showed his face," Goku said coming to join them. "I've been waiting to have a crack at this guy."

"So, you two insist on getting in the way of my prize?" Kusuma said with a slight tilt of his head. "Then I suppose neither of you cares if this village goes to waste."

"You two stop, we can't let you be the cause of the destruction of this village," the towns people all shouted at Gojyo and Goku.

"Geeze you'd think they'd be happy we're getting rid of this guy," Goku muttered glancing around at the people.

"I have been nothing but benevolent to these people. I provide their animals with fields to graze on and I give their crops the boost they need to grow. All I ask in return is a little female companionship," Kusuma stated suavely.

"Female companionship my foot. If that's all you wanted then maybe you should have picked one and stuck with it instead of taking all the women," Ran shot back angrily.

"Ah it's nice to have a little fire in my women once in awhile. I'm going to have quite a bit of fun with you."

"Bastard," Gojyo growled. His scythe shot out at Kusuma but several plants got in the way.

"My, my, but you're not so different from me, are you, Sha Gojyo. You want this woman all to yourself, don't you?"

"While I wouldn't mind," Gojyo said with a smile. "I'd prefer her being with who SHE wants."

Ran looked over at Gojyo in surprise, she half expected him to say something rather perverted but his response blew her away. "I see you were rather impressed by his comment, Ran. Shortly you won't even remember he exists," Kusuma said as he threw out his vines. Ran readied her hammer ignoring the pleas of the villagers to not fight back.

Using the skills that Gojyo had taught her, she ducked and dodged most of the vines while Gojyo and Goku hacked away at the rest. As much as they hacked away, the plants just kept on growing.

"Dammit, is there any end to these things?" Goku asked.

"Just shut up and keep fighting," Gojyo snapped at him.

Ran kept dodging as much as possible and knocking away the vines that she couldn't dodge. Then one slipped by their efforts and wrapped itself tightly around her body and forced her to drop her hammer, then it carried her over to him while his other vines kept Goku and Gojyo busy.

"Come on Ran, it won't be so bad. Over time I might just grow on you," Kusuma spoke as she got dragged nearer and nearer.

"I don't need anymore perverted comments, especially not from YOU!" Ran spat angrily. Kusuma was about to say something more, when there was a sickening thud and suddenly his vines dropped lifelessly to the ground.

Ran fell to the ground and looked up at Kusuma to see what made him drop her. Then to her surprise her father stepped up from behind him with an ax in his hands and anger written all over his face. "I won't allow you to take another daughter from me," Tetsuo said angrily.

"Dad…" Ran stammered surprised.

"Well it doesn't matter, you're too late anyway," Kusuma stated as a smile spread across his face before his body rotted to nothing. As his vines fell away from her body her eyes widened in fear and her fingers started to tremble.

"Karin," she whispered.

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Ten minutes earlier…

Karin was back at the inn with Sanzo and Hakkai. Both were relaxing, Sanzo reading his paper and having a smoke while Hakkai was enjoying some herbal tea that Karin had made. "I'll be right back, guys," she told them. "I need to take my aunt some tea."

"Is she not feeling well this morning?" Hakkai asked out of concern.

"I think it's the damp weather we've been having lately," Karin said with a shrug. "Anyway, be back down in a few."

"Tell her I said hi," Hakkai said warmly.

"I will," Karin replied before heading up the stairs toward her aunt's room. When she reached the right door she went in and held up the tea she had brought. "Auntie, I brought you some tea," she said.

Her statement was followed by the sound of shattering glass as she dropped the tea she was holding. Standing before her was none other than Kusuma who had a winning smile on while her aunt lay unconscious on her bed.

"What have you done?" She said in a panicked whisper, looking at her aunt in worry.

"Don't fret, I merely put her to sleep," Kusuma said in a soothing voice as he made his way towards her. She tried backing away but a thick plant stopped her. Then her next course of action was fighting back. But before she even had the chance to get into position he seized hold of her chin. "Your aunt…. Would you like to save her?"

Karin froze. "I can grow anything I desire, and it so happens that the one thing that can heal her is this rare fruit that only grows in India," he explained holding up a small fruit, tan, and shaped like a flower bud. "I will give you this fruit to save your aunt…if you will agree to come with me and get the Sanzo party to leave."

Karin stared at the fruit; the fruit that could possibly save her aunt's life. But if she were to except his offer… would her aunt ever be able to forgive her? "Karin?" Hakkai called to her. "Is everything alright?"

Karin turned in the direction of his voice but Kusuma placed a hand on her cheek and turned her face back to look at him. "It's a fair trade, don't you think? You'll be able to save your aunt. I'll even let the other women go, eventually. In return, you'll stay with me, forever."

"Karin?" Hakkai called again having not heard her response the first time.

"Well," Kusuma pressed keeping his hand on her cheek. She didn't have much time as the sound of Hakkai's footsteps on the stairs alerted them that he was coming.

"What will it be, Karin?" Karin felt a heavy weight in her stomach at the choice she was being given. But she knew what she had to do.

When Hakkai saw the plants growing on the walls and ceiling leading to her aunt's room, he was immediately filled with dread. "Karin!" he shouted, running as fast as he could towards the room. He tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge.

"Out of the way," Sanzo said coming up from behind him and shooting the lock.

They burst through the door and found Karin in the arms of Kusuma who looked quite pleased with himself. Karin looked over at Hakkai as she spoke, "Please…don't follow me." As she spoke a single tear fell from her eyes and rushed down her cheek.

"Well now you know that she cares for me. Farewell Sanzo party." As he spoke, a flurry of flower petals began to whirl around him and Karin. "Unless you leave now I won't hesitate to kill the rest of this town."

"Karin!" Hakkai tried to jump forward to save her, but he was blocked by thorns. He could do nothing but watch as she vanished along with the demon. Hakkai stared at the place she had disappeared in devastation. It was happening again… just like the last time. Once again, he had failed to protect her. "KARIN!!"

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Down below Ran crashed through the front door with Gojyo and Goku behind her. "Karin…are you here? Karin!" she shouted hoping to hear a reply of some sort. Then she saw Hakkai and Sanzo come down the stairs alone. "Hakkai where is Karin?" Ran asked now feeling a large lump in her throat.

Hakkai didn't answer but he had such a look on his face that Ran felt two different fears now growing within her. The fear that she really had lost her best friend, and the fear of the intent behind those normally gentle green eyes. "She got taken by Kusuma," Sanzo told her calmly lighting a cigarette.

At Sanzo's words Ran fell to her knees her mind unable to form any normal thought. "She's gone….Karin is gone and it's all because I was too stupid to realize his plan in time," she thought to herself.

"Well isn't this what we were waiting for? Let's follow that guy now and take back our money while giving him what he deserves," Gojyo said enthusiastically.

"Hey…" They all looked to see Yuzuna stumbled her way down the staircase looking extremely out of it.

"Yuzuna-san," Hakkai said in surprise.

"Auntie!" Goku exclaimed, catching her as she stumbled a little.

"So, even after Kusuma attacked you you're still able to stand," Sanzo noted.

"Save her," Yuzuna breathed. "I don't care what it takes, or what you have to do, but you better sure as hell bring her back here alive. Otherwise… I'll hunt you all down and make you pay."

"Don't worry, we've got no intention of letting a pretty girl die. I don't plan on letting one cry either," Gojyo said placing a hand on Ran's trembling shoulder.

She looked up at him with scared and almost desperate eyes and he felt sorry for her. Then she gave herself a little shake and stood up slight determination filling her eyes again. "We're going to save her Auntie. I know I can't do it on my own…I've failed too many times, but if we follow Karin's energy we should be able to find her and Kusuma," Ran told the others.

"Then let's hurry," Hakkai said seriously. "We're wasting time here." They all left the inn.

"Ran, do you think you could lead us to the place you went the last time you followed him?" Sanzo asked her.

Ran nodded. "I think so."

"But how are we gonna fight off all those weird plant things?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, the last time Sanzo shot them we were hospitalized," Gojyo pointed out.

"What about the spring?" Hakkai asked seriously. "I remember Karin mentioning it once a few days ago."

"The spring? That's right, she was really determined to get some of that water…I just couldn't figure out why," Ran agreed.

"What's with this spring anyway?" Gojyo asked.

"It used to be a lake before Kusuma came along. Once he did, he covered up the whole thing. Now you can only reach it through a small passageway that leads down," Ran told them.

"Oh I remember that stuff, it was really cool," Goku exclaimed.

"How so?" Gojyo asked.

"Well, when some of the water dropped onto those plants, they just shriveled up and died."

"BAKA!" Gojyo yelled hitting him on the head. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Karin told me it was nothing important," Goku exclaimed rubbing his head.

"She must have wanted to do this on her own, so she kept all of us in the dark," Hakkai stated.

"I could care less what plans she had, I'm getting my money back from that bastard," Sanzo said, loading his gun.

"Not to mention your pride," Gojyo remarked.

"Your gun isn't going to do anything for you," Ran said shaking her head. "But I think I have something that might work. Be right back." She rushed back into the inn and a few minutes later came back with a small gun and a large jar of water. "Here, if Goku is right then you should have no trouble if you use this."

"I refuse," Sanzo said blatantly, staring at the water pistol appallingly.

"Look, if you want to get yourself poisoned again, then fine. But don't come along then because you'll only be dead weight," Ran snapped at him.

Sanzo gritted his teeth but took the pistol anyway. "I'm going back to the spring for some more water just in case. If you head through the north side of town and keep on the path you'll come to a large clearing with an enormous tree. That's where I lost the trail the last time," Ran explained.

"I'm coming with you," Gojyo said.

"Me too!" Goku exclaimed excitedly.

"In that case, Hakkai and I will locate the demon's castle. Don't expect us to wait up for you," Sanzo told them walking off.

"Sure thing, your holiness," Ran called after him and Gojyo laughed.

BANG!

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CM:Oh no's. What will they do? Will Sanzo actually use the water pistol? Stay tuned. Please review. _