Chapter 17

Oh, The Possibilities

"Oh. My. Kami."

"H-how is this still possible? This town is so close…"

Nai closed her gaped mouth and continued to stare, "Like

I said, oh my Kami."

Gojyo put a hand on the woman's shoulder, "They're all demons; all of them. It's…"

"…Amazing."

Goku grabbed Sanzo's sleeve, "Sanzo, why haven't they lost it?"

Sanzo took a glance around the street and the demons shopping at the outside market, chatting happily and children running about their knees. "Something is going on here."

Nai shook her head, "As beautiful as this is. This just doesn't seem right. They're so close to the wave yet they've managed to stay completely sane."

A young demon woman approached the group with a smile on her face and said, "Excuse me. We couldn't help noticing you all standing here. You're the Sanzo party correct?"

"That is correct." Hakkai answered her just as kindly.

"Welcome to our village. You can follow me to the town's lodging."

Hakkai walked alongside the monk, "Maybe we can find someone and ask about the minus wave. I can't imagine that it just went around this town. They must be protected from it somehow."

Sanzo dropped his cigarette on the ground, "Yeah. We're not leaving until we find out what the secret is."

"Here you are."

"Thank you miss." Hakkai cleared his throat, "If you don't mind me asking. How is it that this town hasn't been bothered by the minus wave? I'm sure you've heard of it."

The woman's smile never wavered and she nodded her head, "This town was simply protected. We had a few farmers who wandered out to the edge of their fields and they turned, but upon return to the inner limits of the city, they became normal again."

Nai approached Hakkai and the woman, "Do you know why?"

"A story we tell is the closest to the truth."

Sanzo relaxed in his chair and sighed, lighting another cigarette. "Might as well tell it."

"They say that the very heart of good was born in the caves under this city. Hundreds of years ago a god and goddess decided they wanted to live among the humans of this world and fled the heavens when the goddess was with child. They didn't know that upon their departure, the other gods and goddesses cursed their child. So instead of a beautiful god, a hideous demon was born from the goddess. The God took the child to be rid of it, but could not kill his own son. As the child grew he saw that the child emanated every good there was. When he was killed by a human, the god and goddess buried him in the caves and blessed the area around it with the protection of the purest good, protection meant for demons, protection from man and the curses of the gods."

Goku smiled, "That's amazing. So is it there? The grave in the caves?"

The woman smiled, "Yes it is."

"Oh Sanzo can we go see it!"

Sanzo whapped the boy with his harisen, "This is not a museum!"

Nai smiled, "So it really works? This whole city of demons has yet to be touched, and never will be."

"That's right."

She frowned a bit, "Has anyone involved in this tried to come here? Attack the city? Tear it down?"

The woman frowned too, "We believe they would have if the prince didn't help to wipe us off the map."

Sanzo finally looked the demon woman in the eye, "The prince?"

"Yes, Prince Kougaiji."

"So it's Kougaiji, haven't heard that name in a while." Nai took a seat on the bed in Sanzo's room.

The blonde scoffed, "Who cares. He finally decided to leave us be."

Gojyo smirked, "You don't miss your little girlfriend Sanzo-sama?"

"I'm choosing to ignore your stupidity."

Hakkai held his hands peacefully in the air, "Come now, lets just enjoy the down time."

Goku yawned and Nai brushed back his hair, "Somebody's sleepy."

"Nuh uh! I'm hungry."

"Stupid monkey. You don't even know the difference between hungry and sleepy."

"And you don't know the difference between horny and horny you ugly kappa!" Goku bit back, sticking out his tongue.

Hakkai stood, "Why don't we find you something and go to bed Goku."

Gojyo stood behind them, "Wanna come with to find a bar girly?"

Nai shook her head, "No. I'm going to head to my room."

"Suit yourself."

Sanzo lit a cigarette as the other three males left the room and Nai smirked, "When are we going on that fieldtrip teacher?"

He scoffed at her, "When those idiots eat and sleep so I don't have to listen to them whine."

She chuckled and sighed. Then she became a bit solemn and crossed her legs under her, putting her chin in her hands, "You think they'll turn again?"

"I know they will. If there is a secret here that we can take with us, we might as well do it."

She nodded, "All this time we thought demons were acting out as a side thing to this. But they've been forced to act out on purpose…"

"We not only have to stop the resurrection, we have to shut down the generator too. Dammit…" Sanzo seemed heavy at the thought of more work tacked onto this mission.

Nai examined him. He had bags under his eyes and his skin was an almost unhealthy shade of white. His hair hung limp and his attitude was more sour than usual. "Have you been sleeping?"

"What the hell do you think?"

"No need for hostility."

He stood and started to strip of his robe and the sleeves of his undershirt, "I just want to sleep and not think for once."

She sighed as the bed dipped behind her, "Well I would like that too. Your thoughts keep me just as wide awake."

"No one told you to tune into radio Sanzo."

"You shouldn't even be on air in the middle of the night."

Sanzo let her hear him chuckle before he stretched out on his back. He had dozed off a bit, content with the woman sitting by his side, when she spoke again, "How long are we staying?"

"I don't know. This is as good a village as any."

"And?"

He sighed, "There is only one more village between this one and Houtu castle. But I doubt it's safe."

Nai pushed all of her hair back away from her face "I can feel it even this far away… a huge, evil, aura."

"It's him, Gyuumaou."

She shook her head, "It's crazy that I can feel it and he's not even awake."

"He'll be awake soon."

Nai finally looked over her shoulder, now instead of violet bearing into the back of her head; it was drilling into her own orbs. "Hm, I'm going to bed."

Sanzo gently grabbed her wrist as she stood and tugged. Nai cuddled up next to him without a word, putting her head on his chest. The last noise of the night was the remaining three entering their rooms, and for the first time in a long time, all five slept peacefully.

"My lady."

"Look at them. All asleep and dreaming." Konzeon looked down on her five travelers with a smirk on her face.

"My lady," Jiroshin continued, "The war gods wish to council with you."

The hermaphrodite goddess sighed, "Another boring meeting. You would think they could just pick someone to be war god and be done with it."

Jiroshin seemed nervous, "They wish to hear your thoughts on who they've chosen."

"Oh? Little ol' me?"

"They're sure you'll approve. But being one of the five bodies of heaven. It is only law that they council with you first."

Her smirk widened to a grin, "I get the feeling this is going to be good."