I'm slowly making my way toward pulling this crazy thing together… Thanks for the support.

Sanzo

Neither of us said a word after we left the village; I didn't know what Gojyo was thinking, and I didn't care. I was just tired and annoyed. We'd gone all the way back only to find there was nothing left that could help us, we'd split up from the other two, left ourselves exposed, and gained nothing from it. The night was still, but I was sure I could hear someone coming up from behind. I could smell the putrid reek of rotting flesh still filling the air. It made me feel sick and my head throbbed. I only had one pack of Marlboro Reds left, who knew when I'd get a chance to buy more? I knew I needed to take my time with what I had, but I couldn't stop smoking one after another, and I couldn't stop brooding. What now? I didn't have my gun, more or less. I knew other ways to fight, but I wasn't a youkai. Skilled as I was, I knew I'd have a rough time fighting Ryptcore without any bullets to shoot him with.

Not that I was worried. That bastard would never kill me, not in a million years.

So what if he did have hideously awesome strength? As much as it pained me to admit it, I knew Gojyo was right: it didn't make sense that Ryptcore had been able to put him down in the blink of an eye but couldn't do the same thing to Goku and I. He could. He just hadn't. He'd been having fun, enjoying the fight and the thrill of the hunt and the challenge. Next time he might not go so easy on us.

But I was not going to die by his hands. I swore that. I would keep living. I had to. And that was all up to me. In the end, none of my comrades could change whether or not I made it through this—these idiots could barely take care of themselves—so even if I didn't have bullets for my gun…even if the only weapon I had was useless at the moment…I couldn't look to them to support me. I couldn't expect them to change the outcome of my life. Not when Hakkai was losing his mind and Gojyo was probably going to run out on us at any given second. In a little while, it might just be Goku and I, and I'd have to face that.

No matter what, I had to make it to India and stop the revival. That was my God-given mission.

But hell if it was going to kill me.

I heard a rustle in the brush behind me, barely resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder, and listened all the more carefully. So far I couldn't determine if I were being followed or if I was just being paranoid. It could be a deer for all I knew, or it could be one of Ryptcore's deranged underlings. Or it might just be idiot Gojyo's idiot brother.

If it was an enemy, I wasn't sure yet what I'd do. I couldn't shoot. I was defenseless.

Not defenseless. Just at a disadvantage.

Gojyo wasn't going to bother protecting me.

Hn. As if I needed him to. No, I didn't need a thing from that bastard. In his condition, he would be more a hindrance than a help anyway, and there was no way I was relying on him.

A twig snapped, and this time I couldn't help looking over my shoulder.

"Nervous?" Gojyo asked.

"Hmph. You'd love that."

"No, I really don't give a shit one way or another." He looked over his shoulder too, but I got the feeling he wasn't checking to see if we were being followed. Maybe he was so stupid he hadn't even realized that we were. The moron was obviously allowing himself to be distracted by that pathetic scene back at the village.

"Why didn't you just go with him?" I snorted.

"With who?"

"Your idiocy is more painful than usual; who do you think?"

"Ji—I mean Dokugakuji? Why the hell would I go with him? He's the enemy."

"I just assume you're ready to go with anyone who's not us at any given second."

I knew I was making him angry. Why did he bother acting pissed off when it was true and he knew it? Did he really think I was so stupid that I hadn't overheard his conversation with Hakkai? Did he really think he could fake indignancy and make me believe he wasn't going anywhere?

"Why in the hell do you keep saying shit like that, Sanzo? For the last damn time, I ain't leaving. I'm not going with that asshole Feng, and I'm sure as hell not going with that dick back there."

"Don't get me wrong, no one cares what you do."

"Oh, right. Well that's a relief. Here I thought maybe you guys might need me for the goddamn, precious, little mission, but it's good to know that's not the case. I guess I'll just go home. Have fun in India, prick, if you make it there."

He was really pissing me off. Did he actually think we couldn't get to India without him? "You're an arrogant, self-centered, sonnova' bitch, Gojyo."

"It's nice to hear you think so highly of me. Either way, I never said I was leaving."

We could make it to India without him. He actually thought he was so important that we wouldn't get there if he left, but that wasn't true. It wasn't.

I decided to trump him at last, "I heard what you said to Hakkai, shit for brains."

He glanced at me, this sort of half-agitated, half-nervous expression on his disgusting face, "When?"

"Morning before last, of course. In Feng's pathetic excuse for a jail."

"Oh. That." He looked away, clearly trying to act casual, "Well, I don't know what you think you overheard, Master Sanzo, but I never told Hakkai I was leaving. So quit making shit up—you're gonna' turn yourself bald."

"Hakkai told you to do whatever you want." I touched the cold steel of my gun as I heard another snap in the woods around us, wished I could shoot something. Gojyo at least. "I'm saying the same thing: do whatever the hell you want, because I don't care. I don't need you, and I'm not wasting my breath trying to convince an asshole traitor like you to stick around."

"God, fine, fine. Think what you want."

I lit another cigarette and kept walking, angrier than ever. This irritating, little mission was becoming more unbearable by the second. It was getting so I couldn't even trust my own damn team anymore.

Some more time passed, and the sky was starting to lighten on the eastern horizon; shit, this sidetrack of ours was taking much too long. Anything could have happened back at the camp by now. It wouldn't matter so much if I'd actually brought back something useful, but as things were now, I'd come all the way over here for nothing.

Gojyo stopped suddenly and stood very still.

"What the hell's wrong with you now?" I snapped.

"Thought I heard somebody call my name."

And now I was in the middle of nowhere with a delusional Kappa.

"I didn't hear anything."

He kept walking, and I saw his eyes darting back and forth, like he was watching for something, "So, what'dya' think's the deal with Hakkai?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything that happened the other night, with his limiter—do you think that's over?"

"You know as much as I do about that." I thought on it a moment, again remembering how bizarrely Hakkai had acted before removing his limiter that night and how strong his blow had been. He might have been holding back a little when he struck me, but that didn't mean he always would. "Hakkai isn't like Goku, you know—Goku's even less of a regular youkai than Hakkai is, so he may not even be affected by the minus wave—but if Hakkai makes removing his limiter a habit, there's a chance he won't come back."

"Yeah. I know."

I added for good measure, "There's nothing any of us can do to stop that, and if he does go berserk, we'll have to be ready to deal with it."

"Wait." He turned to me again, nearly ran into a low-hanging treebranch, "Wait just a minute, Sanzo. You're tellin' me you'd actually shoot him; you'd actually kill Hakkai?"

"What, did your cockroach brain go on vacation?" I glared at him. "Of course I would. I wouldn't have a choice."

"But we're going to India to try to reverse the minus wave, aren't we? So-"

"If it can even be reversed."

"So, we wouldn't have to kill him."

"Don't be naïve, Gojyo. Not only is there no guarantee that we can reverse the chaos plaguing Shangri-La, it's stupid to think Hakkai will be any different from any other youkai after he's gone berserk. Do you really expect me to let him run wild and start killing people, or worse yet, start hunting us? You don't actually think that's what Hakkai would want, do you?"

"You don't know what Hakkai would want."

"Oh, but you do?"

That seemed to stump him for a moment, and I actually got some reprieve from his idiotic yammering. It was short-lived though, and a minute later he said, "That's a little narrowminded, don't you think? You'd just kill your own frickin' comrade without even trying to get him back to normal first?"

"I would do whatever I had to do to survive."

"You mean whatever you have to do to make sure the fuckin' mission continues, business as usual."

"When are you going to get it?" I growled. "The mission is the only thing that matters."

"Bullshit! I don't believe for a second that you actually feel that way."

"Then you're dumber than you look."

"What about Goku, huh?"

"Goku already knows I'd kill him if he went berserk." The words shouldn't have bothered me so much, but even just saying them made my headache even worse. Hopefully it would never come to that.

"Yeah right! What're you tryin' to impress me? I know that if Goku went berserk you'd do everything you could to try to bring him back before you killed him!"

Who did he think he was? I didn't like his tone, and I especially didn't like the feeling that he was close to the truth. To shut him up, I grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked him forward, "Shut the fuck up. I don't care about any of you bastards, got that? Go bat shit for all I care. Burn the world down. Join Kougaiji's revolution. I will put a bullet in each of your heads, and then I'll walk to India if I have to."

I could see from his tense body language and his burning gaze that I'd really made him angry; it was the same posture and expression he had when he was about to attack, and I got ready to defend myself. I'd been rolling around in the dirt with Gojyo far too often lately, but that didn't mean I wouldn't put him in his place if he wanted to fight. "Fuck you, Sanzo. You think you're so goddamn tough. You actually expect me to believe that you think you'd be able to do this by yourself? You're a fucking idiot. And I'm not stupid. I know you're not killing Goku without a thought."

"Of course I'd think about it." Did this idiot think I wanted to kill Goku? For the last four years I'd been hoping to God that I'd never be in that situation. It's not as if I was looking forward to it. Just to get on his last nerve, I said, "Hakkai's a different matter though."

"You son-of-a-bitch!" He cocked his fist back to punch, his red eyes gleaming in the pale, grey light.

I got ready to pistol whip him. If I was lucky, it would just knock him out and I could go on my way.

"Gojyo!"

We both hesitated and looked up.

Jeep came soaring out of the trees, screeching and swooping around in a circle above our heads.

A second later, a girl came running out after him. She looked tired and frantic, and there was blood the same color as her hair splattered all over her dress. "Gojyo!"

He jerked away. "Lei? What's going on? Are you all right?"

She shoved past me like I wasn't even there to cling to his shirt, breathing hard and shaking all over. "Y-you have to hurry…Hakkai sent me…to find you."

"What's wrong?"

"It-it's Ryptcore. He attacked the camp. Your friends were fighting him…and…and…"

My heart started beating a little faster, but I forced myself to stay calm. Goku and Hakkai were more than enough to stay alive until we got back to camp. As long as they were there to watch each other's backs, there shouldn't be an issue. I had to stay calm…

"Shit! They both okay?"
"I…don't know. They were both alive when I left…but…"

Something in that hesitation. Something in her voice. I grabbed her shoulder suddenly, harsher than I meant to, "But what?"

When she faced me, she looked dazed, like she wasn't sure who she was talking to or what she should say. She pulled out of my grip, stepped closer to Gojyo and huddled against his chest. "It was awful. Your friend…Goku. He-"

"What happened to him?" I all but shouted.

"He turned into a monster. Something happened to that thing he wears on his head and-"

"Shit!" Gojyo yelled, meeting my gaze. "Shit! Hakkai's fightin' Ryptcore and psycho Goku? No wonder he sent her to find us."

It was definitely not a good situation. Hakkai could hold his own a while, but eventually the two of them would wear him down.

"Goddammit!" I turned away and started to run, scrambling up the mountain path as quickly as I could. "Hurry it up, Gojyo!"

"I'm right beside you, dumbass!" He growled, shoving against me.

I didn't let on that I honestly hadn't realized that. It didn't matter right now. Nothing mattered except getting back to camp and putting an end to this bullshit.

"Lei!" Gojyo called over his shoulder, "You stay here!"

"Here? But Gojyo, I-"

"Trust me. You don't wanna' go where we're goin'."

We ran all the way back to camp. The trail was steep and not very well traveled. There were all kinds of logs and fallen branches to trip over, and I must have torn my robes at least a dozen times. Dawn was beginning to break. I was clutching my gun, thinking about the fact that it was empty, wondering how I was going to fight off Goku and Ryptcore when we reached camp.

I'll think of something.

"We're getting close." Gojyo announced beside me. "Half a mile now, right?"

I didn't answer.

The first thing to do when I got there would be to replace Goku's diadem and get him back to normal.

"Sanzo…you think we'll be too late?"

"How should I know?"

Goku would probably fall asleep after that, as usual.

"What are we going to do when we get there?"

We'd need him for the fight, obviously, but there was no help for it; chances are, Hakkai would be in pretty rough shape by the time arrived, so he might not be any help at all. Gojyo was still injured, so he'd just be in my way. I didn't have bullets for my gun.

"Sanzo? I said what're we gonna' do when we get there?"

What indeed.

"Fight."

We were so close now, I could feel the energy in the air, trembling in the distance like a storm. But something about it didn't feel quite right. It felt familiar, and yet it was so overwhelming…like there was too much of it.

What…?

"Shit, Sanzo." Captain Perceptive said suddenly, using a treebranch to drag himself up the path and run ahead of me a few steps, "That's a whole lot of youkai energy… It almost feels like…"

He stopped. I knew he didn't want to say it out loud any more than I wanted to think it.

"Dammit." I ran even faster, "He can't really be that stupid, can he?"

I could hear them now. Snapping and snarling just ahead of us, and I saw the flickering of the camp fire. Shouts were floating through the air and the youkai energy was overpowering. By now I was sure everything was out of control.

But I still wasn't prepared for what I was about to see.

There were four of them. Not just Goku and Ryptcore tearing into each other, but Hakkai and that damn woman as well. They were going at each other so viciously and recklessly, it looked like total chaos: nothing but sharp ears and sparkling fangs and bloody claws. They were like animals, attacking and attacking and attacking, no matter what kinds of wounds they received or who gave them those wounds, no matter how badly they were bleeding or if they looked like they were about to fall over. They kept fighting, almost as if they didn't know what else to do. Ryptcore, I was astonished to see, was worn ragged and bloody, with his intestines hanging out and his chest and arms ripped open, blood gushing down his face and pooling around him wherever he stepped. He was grinning like an absolute lunatic.

Hakkai and Jade looked a little beat up too, but Hakkai wasn't as bad as I'd expected. As far as I could tell, they weren't attacking each other. In fact, it looked like they were working together. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Goku was the only one who wasn't injured, and he was laughing hysterically, ripping into anything that got near him.

A string of bodies was littered throughout the clearing, all of them sawed to pieces with limbs ripped off and stomachs torn open. The reek of blood was so strong that even I could smell it.

Gojyo and I stood at the edge of the clearing, gaping. He muttered 'sunnuva bitch' a couple times, but neither of us could actually speak for several moments.

"It's worse than I thought." I said at last, and somehow I managed to keep my calm, apathetic tone, even though the sight of them all trying to kill each other was really disturbing.

"Right…so…" He ran his hand back through his hair suddenly, "Fuck. I really need a cigarette."

I really needed one too, but I said, "It looks like you'll just have to wait." And started forward, clutching my gun. It took me a second to remember I was out of bullets. What shitty timing.

Gojyo shouldered up next to me, Shakujou in hand, "What's the first move, Lord Sanzo?"

"What, you haven't figured it out yourself?"

"Right, so you're taking Goku out."

"It won't be so easy this time. Even if you manage to create a diversion, it might not be enough with the other three in the way."

"We're still gonna' try though, right?"

"No choice. We'll have to wait for the right opportunity." Damn. Normally putting Goku's diadem back on was simple, but this time I might not get a chance. I didn't know if I could count on Gojyo to be any help.

For a few more moments, we watched fight. It was actually kind of impressive the way they all fought, with such strength and speed and intelligence. All except for Ryptcore anyway. More and more I was getting the impression that he was little more than the proverbial loose cannon. Hakkai was definitely a match for him. If Goku hadn't been there, for all I knew Hakkai would have killed Ryptcore by now.

Ryptcore attacked Jade, reached out and caught a handful of her hair, swung her around and around, laughing like a little boy with a toy. She heaved a ball of purple chi at his face, and he stumbled back, howling and covering his eyes. She landed on the ground heavily, got up a little slower than usual, and leapt after him. They went crashing through the bushes and trees together, snarling and growling.

Hakkai and Goku went at each other, head to head. They too seemed pretty evenly matched in speed and strength and accuracy. Hakkai still had his wits about him, as best I could tell, but it didn't stand up well to the pure insanity of Goku's violence. Neither of them were holding back though, not hesitating in the least, like they were completely unaware that they were supposed to be on the same side.

Goku hit Hakkai hard in the side of the face, knocked him down like a wooden soldier, and before Hakkai could even think to get up, he was on him, laughing triumphantly, claws ready to tear through flesh, blood and even bone.

He sliced into Hakkai's stomach once and blood sprayed everywhere. I heard Hakkai screaming in pain, watched as he thrashed back and forth, fighting to get free.

"Shit." Gojyo muttered beside me.

Goku laughed all the more and struck again, cutting through more flesh, unleashing more hot blood.

"Sanzo." Gojyo hissed. "The others are outta' the way, shouldn't we make a move?"

I couldn't answer him. I could only stare as Goku and Hakkai kept struggling on the ground, more blood pooling around them. Something about seeing Goku this way… Not that I'd never seen his youkai form before. But seeing him trying so sincerely to kill a team mate really bothered me. I couldn't stop thinking about that obnoxious, innocent, annoying, little fifteen-year-old I'd found in that cage, the blank look he'd given me, as if he didn't have a brain. Just a kid. Not that much younger than me, and still…just a child… A horrible, demonic child with powers no mortal deserved to have at their disposal.

Shoulda' left him where I found him. I thought half-heartedly.

"Fuck, Sanzo, we can't wait!" Gojyo snapped, "He'll kill him."

Before I could say anything, he darted out from our cover and went right at Goku, kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him back off Hakkai, and stood over him, weapon ready.

Damn Kappa had some guts, I had to give him that.

For a moment, the fighting stopped; four pairs of wild eyes stared at him.

I watched Gojyo hesitate and grip his shakujou a little tighter. "Alright, Hakkai?"

Hakkai didn't answer; he was getting to his feet slowly, bleeding all over.

"Hanyou." Jade snarled through bloody lips, demonic green eyes gleaming. Maybe she was the only one still capable of speech. "This is none of your concern. I suggest you leave."

"And let you have all the fun, babe? Not likely."

"Where is Genjyo Sanzo?" Ryptcore roared. "Is he hiding like a child?" He laughed boomingly.

"Mind your own fucking business." Gojyo snapped.

Goku was getting up now, rubbing his head, the laughter all gone from his face. He set his sights on Gojyo, bared his teeth.

His gaze… It was so unreal and distant and wild. Nothing at all like the way Goku was supposed to look. I barely suppressed a shiver.

Gojyo scoffed, "What's up, squirt, did I piss you off?"

Goku's smile came back, three times as wicked as before. In a blur, he sprang forward. Gojyo managed to put up his shakujou in time to block, but Goku's weight was still enough to knock him down. He rolled out of the way, barely avoiding being torn to pieces, and took a swipe at Goku. Goku ducked under and punched him in the gut so hard he fell on his knees again. Goku jerked his head up by his hair, snagged him by the front of the shirt, and threw him a few yards, dashing after him, smiling all the while with that dark cheer.

I watched warily, keeping my focus balanced between Gojyo and Goku; hopefully at some point Goku would leave himself open to me and I'd get the chance to make a new diadem for him. There wasn't any point in looking for his old one right now.

They fought a few moments, the other three looking on hungrily.

"Hey, Hakkai!" Gojyo yelled, taking a step back, seconds before Goku's claws would have spilled the contents of his stomach, "How about a little help?"

"I'm afraid I have my hands full with Ryptcore." Hakkai answered languidly, and those chillingly unbothered words made me feel as if there might not be any hope for him.

Gojyo looked shocked, "What?"

I guess I would be shocked too if I were him.

"Sha Gojyo." Ryptcore smiled eagerly. "Your friends can't save you now. The demon slayer and the sage have both lost their minds, and the Sanzo is probably dead at the bottom of a cliff. There is no one left to save you."

How perfect. Ryptcore was just as insane and easily distracted as before.

"Eat my ass, you sack of shit." Gojyo sneered, twirling the chain of his shakujou around once. He slung, apparently trying to distract Goku and slice Ryptcore in half at the same time. Ryptcore had to leap to the side to avoid being sliced in two. Just like that, he was after Gojyo, roaring again, claws arched and ready to kill. Gojyo danced backward, barely avoiding the first to slashes, and I noticed that Ryptcore was moving a little slower than in our last fight. Apparently his wounds were really troubling him. At least we knew he wasn't invincible.

Goku followed suit, and just like that, they were tag-teaming him. Ryptcore went at him from one side, took a swipe so close a few strands of Gojyo's hair floated to the ground. Goku kicked him from the other side, not hard enough to knock him over, but enough that he lost his balance and had to stumble around a few vital seconds, trying to right himself. He blocked another deadly attack, took a slice across the back, spun around, angrily and managed to cut Ryptcore thinly along the chest.

I was just wondering if I should step in and try to help the pathetic bastard, when Hakkai and Jade entered the fight again.

Jade sprang up on Ryptcore's shoulder and tried to bite his neck, smiling all the while; Hakkai darted across in front of him, nearly tripping him, somehow got behind Gojyo, and grabbed the shaft of his weapon.

"What the fuck?" Gojyo tried to jerk the shakujou away, but I could see that Hakkai's grip on it was too strong.

"It will all be over soon." Hakkai assured with a smile even creepier than usual. With that, he tossed Gojyo to the side and rammed against Ryptcore, knocking him back into Goku. The fight started all over again.

"That didn't work worth a shit." Gojyo grumbled, standing up and making his way back to me.

"You'll have to try harder." I snorted.

"Why don't you try, Master Sanzo?"

"I have to be ready for Goku, that's why. We'll never get out of this mess if we don't straighten him out-he'll kill everything in his path."

He was already doing a good job of killing Ryptcore. As I watched him slice the youkai general in the side, I wondered if maybe we could just let him finish Ryptcore off.

"Even if we did that, we'd still have to bring those other two idiots around."

"Shit, this is hopeless, isn't it?"

Instead of answering, I said, "You're an idiot, by the way. You could have gotten yourself killed, jumping in there without a plan."

"Yeah, well you were in a coma or whatever, and someone had to do something."

"Winning this will require tact. Something you're sorely lacking."

"Shove it, Sanzo." He muttered, preparing to dive back in there. "We gotta' get that kid under control."

Behind me, I heard a calm, familiarly annoying voice, "Maybe we can help."

I knew Kougaiji and Dokugakuji were standing there without even having to look. "I doubt it."

Gojyo turned to look at them over his shoulder, "You guys were following us? Damn."

"We don't need your help." I informed them, still keeping my eyes on the fight. "You'll only get in the way."

"Besides, didn't you send him to kill us?"

Kougaiji snorted, "Of course not. I'd be an idiot to unleash Ryptcore himself. In fact, I came all this way to dispose of him."

"That so? Well good luck with that-the guy's indestructible. You'd probably be better off ordering him to go home and go to bed, right?"

"Not likely. Ryptcore is an unstoppable force-he listens to no one."

"Hn. What dumb fuck let him out?" I wondered, more to myself than to anyone else.

"It doesn't matter." Kougaiji answered, stepping up beside me. "If you can calm Goku down, that would help. Otherwise, this will never end, am I right?"

I watched as Hakkai and Goku slammed against each other, trying to maul one another. It was a question with a fairly obvious answer.

Kougaiji didn't wait for an answer anyway. He stepped past me with a cool, "Let's go."

Dokugakuji was right behind him, sword ready.

Gojyo stood beside me. "Shit. Last time that ass fought Goku, he-"

"That isn't our problem." I said stiffly. "If they get killed, they get killed. Our objective right now is to get Goku and Hakkai under control. Nothing else matters."

"Whatever you say, Lord Sanzo."

"Go make yourself useful."

"As you wish."

The diversion worked a little better this time. Kougaiji and Dokugakuji attacked Ryptcore head-on, slicing through the mayhem of the fight effortlessly. It was obvious right off the bat that they were no match for him by themselves: no matter what move they made, he blocked or dodged or simply counterattacked. Even Kougaiji's summoned monster was dispelled with ease, and Dokugakuji got knocked silly in the first two minutes of the fight.

Still, against the two of them, Hakkai and Jade, Gojyo and Goku, Ryptcore didn't stand a chance. He was down in about ten minutes, bleeding and shouting angrily so that the whole mountain seemed to shake. Goku stood over him, laughing hysterically, ready to deliver the final blow.

I saw my opportunity and took it.

I ran at him. It was a risky move to make with the other blood thirsty youkai around, but what other option was there? I took him down as quickly as I could.

He didn't even see me coming, snarled in shock when I hit him. We wrestled momentarily. There wasn't much time. Goku was strong. He could overpower me in a second if I let him. The others were all standing right there. Gojyo, Kougaiji and Dokugakuji might be able to keep the three of them off of me, but I didn't dare count on it. I had to get the diadem on him, and quickly.

His claws sliced through my robes; I felt them clip my stomach, but ignored the wash of sudden pain.

Goku howled, swiping at me.

Around me there was snarling and shouting. I didn't have time to look up.

I began to chant as quickly and clearly as I could, felt the power of the makai tenjyo flowing over my body, the pure energy of it consuming everything. I spoke the holy words. I'd said them so many times, I felt I could say them in my sleep. I pressed my palm against Goku's forehead, slamming him back into the dirt, finished the chant, and the energy of the makai tenjyo flowed down into him. There was light and unbearable heat. My eyes and skin stung.

Then, just like that, I felt the hot, reassuring metal of the diadem under my fingers, and Goku began to slip back into his normal form. He looked human again. His eyes were closed. He was sleeping.

I barely had time to register the fact that I'd succeeded before I was thrown off him.

I landed in a heap several yards away, gasping in pain and trying to figure out what had happened.

Ryptcore was laughing. He was sagging and staggering and it looked like he could barely stand, but he was laughing and pointing at me, "I knew you were around here, priest…if only I had time to play…."

Blood was running down the side of my head. He must have hit me.

"It's six against one, Ryptcore." The Asahara said lazily as she and Hakkai advanced Ryptcore, bloody claws at the ready. "Prepare to die."

Gojyo was standing over Goku; he and the other two looked ready for action too, and I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with being the only human around, "Hate to agree with the bitch, but she has a point—looks like this is the end of the line for you."

Ryptcore cackled. I couldn't help being surprised at that. He was surrounded and he was badly injured, and yet he stood there laughing as if nothing were wrong, "Impudent, flawed creatures. You have won the battle, that I cannot deny, but this is far from over. Those who fight and run away live to fight another day, and Ryptcore will return stronger than ever. On that day." He smiled down at me, his face brimming with pure insanity, "I will have your heart in my hand, little priest."

I sprang at him. I don't know what I could do to him without my gun, but if I got the chance to use the Makai Tenjyo against him, it just might be enough.

He was slower than before, like I'd noticed earlier, but he still managed to dodge the blow, faded back into the pale, morning shadows, and just like that, he had vanished completely, his psychotic laughter still echoing in the woods around us. I turned around and around a moment or two, ready to keep fighting when he reappeared, but before long, the laughter waned as well, and it was clear he was gone.

"You let him escape, Sanzo." Jade purred.

"I didn't see you making any moves to stop him."

"That's true…" Her eyes slipped up and down over my body. She was still coming forward. Hakkai was right beside her, his mouth twisted in that eerie smile. I tried not to show how nervous the sight made me, and I searched for my gun again. No bullets, I reminded myself, agitatedly. What a pain in the ass.

"Oy, Hakkai." Gojyo stepped over Goku and marched straight up to Hakkai, "Fight's over, man."

"Over?" Hakkai sounded far away. His long, serpentine tongue was hanging from his mouth and his eyes were glazed with hunger. "It's only just begun."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dokugakuji mumbled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him move to stand just a bit in front of Kougaiji.

Hakkai was just a few feet away from me now. I wasn't planning to give him the chance to strike though.

I raised my gun, bullets or no bullets, sticking it straight in his face, "Back off, Hakkai."

He laughed. It was a maniacal, violent version of his everyday, mocking laugh. It reeked of insanity, just like Ryptcore's and Goku's. "Come now, do you think I'm that stupid? Sanzo, if your gun had any ammunition, you would have used it against Ryptcore."

"I do think you're that stupid." I smiled viciously. "I think you're that stupid because you went and took your damn limiter off."

"The limiter, the limiter. Yes, yes, I know how concerned you are with it. But perhaps Sanzo, it's none of your concern to begin with."

"Not my concern? I'm the one who has to put you out of your misery now, you brainless dog."

He took a swipe at me. For a moment I couldn't even process what had happened: it was all so fast, his claws were so sharp, I barely felt them, and I hadn't realized he was within arm's reach. I was just suddenly bleeding, bright red flowing down my chest, staining my robes.

"I suggest you shut your mouth, human. You're not in the position to be killing anyone."

"Hey!" Gojyo grabbed his arm. I couldn't decide if that was ballsy or just plain stupid. "Cut the shit, Hakkai, and put your limiter back on!"

Hakkai wrenched away from him like he was five years old, "Don't pretend you don't feel it as well, my friend."

"Feel what?"

"Superior. I know full well how tired you are of this arrogant human pushing you around, so now's the time to stop whining and do something about it."

"Hakkai…." Gojyo looked dense and stunned and honestly scared, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

I couldn't blame him. Hakkai was much more powerful than the average youkai, and there was no chant I could say that would magically put his limiter back on him. Last time, we'd gotten lucky.

"You and I, Gojyo." He kept his eyes focused on me indefinitely, never wavering, "We'll tear him apart and feast on his flesh."

"Listen to yourself! You wanna' kill Sanzo, Hakkai? Get a grip!"

"You should listen to him, Hakkai." I advised, still straining to remain collected, "If you attack me I'll kill you."

Hakkai just smiled, "I'm not sure you understand the position you're in, Sanzo. You are surrounded by enemies."

There was no denying that. Gojyo was my only ally at this point, and I didn't dare waste a nano second relying on him.

"Hakkai!" Gojyo grabbed his collar, jerking him forward, "You gotta' quit this bullshit man!" He sounded like he was starting to panic, and that was the last thing I needed. "You don't wanna' kill Sanzo! Why bother? You have to put your limiter back on, right now, before it's too late!"

Hakkai threw him off easily; Gojyo hit the ground like a rock and slid a ways, writhed a moment, holding his ribs and moaning.

"You can be my ally or my enemy, Gojyo. The choice is entirely up to you."

"We're both your allies, you jackass." I clenched my fists and got ready to defend myself. If I had my gun I'd just put a bullet between his eyes and be done with it.

Hakkai started circling around me, smiling and licking his lips.

Off to the side, Gojyo was getting slowly to his feet, still holding his ribs. Kougaiji, Dokugakuji and Jade were all watching silently, none of them so much as twitching.

"I'll give you one last chance, Hakkai. Put your limiter back on now, or die like the animal you are."

He came at me so suddenly, I didn't even see him move. He rammed me into the trunk of the tree behind me, forearm jammed against my throat, locking my head in place, "Such threats. Answer me this, Sanzo, what makes me an animal? Are humans not animals just like the youkai?"

I stared into his eyes, straining to see any glimmer of reason and remorse in them, but they were cold and hard. More than likely, they'd always been that way. Never the less, seeing how I couldn't shoot him and move on with life, I had to at least try to get through to him, "You know the answer to that yourself, Hakkai."

"Don't try to flatter me, Sanzo. We've all seen the same thing on this little journey of ours: youkai and humans are not so very different."

"Do you honestly believe that? Think about what the youkai did to you, back when you were human."

Everything in the clearing was suddenly still as death. Hakkai stiffened visibly.

"Sanzo…" Gojyo sounded like he was trying to warn me.

"Think about what they took from you." I insisted. "Are you really trying to side with them now?"

I felt his grip tighten against my neck, and suddenly I could barely breathe. "How dare you speak to me that way?"

I grated out, "They killed her. Those youkai took her from you forever—they ruined your whole, pathetic life."

"Shut up!" He snapped.

I couldn't help smiling. This was so stupid. "Look at you now: losing control, letting yourself be overwhelmed. For what? You're no better than the demons who made you what you are today."

"I said shut up!" He swung at me suddenly. It was a harsh blow, and I wasn't expecting it; my head slammed back against the tree and a blur of vibrantly colored stars splashed across my vision. Then I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was on the ground. I thought I could hear someone calling my name, but that was fuzzy too.

Damn. Damn that Hakkai.

I groped for my gun.

My vision was totally black now. My body felt numb, fingertips cold and tingly, arms and legs heavy as led. I tried to lift my head but only just barely managed to tilt it back and forth on the ground.

"Sanzo…"

That was my name, wasn't it? Someone was calling me.

"Master...?" I wheezed, struggling to see. I thought I saw a light, somewhere ahead of me. I reached for it, but I felt as if I were stumbling through the dark. One wrong step and I'd plunge over the side of a cliff.

"Sanzo. You have to get up."

"Master…I…"

I could almost see him now, smiling at me gently, so honest and real and tender. My master. My father.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I couldn't…I tried…"

"What the hell're you talkin' about, dumbass? Get up!"

Gojyo…

My vision started to clear at last, the black clouds slowly floating away, and a hazy light cascaded through. Above me there were leaves, vibrant and trembling, with blue-gray sky lightening beyond the canopy. Around me, the sounds of the forest were starting to come to life. I turned my head dizzily.

Gojyo was standing over me. He had his weapon out.

Why did he look so ready to fight?

I wanted to flinch away from him. I didn't need him going crazy and attacking me.

"Sanzo!" He yelled. His voice sounded far away. "Can you hear me?"

No, it wasn't him I needed to worry about…

Allowing my head to fall to the side again, I could barely make out the fuzzy shape of Hakkai: he was standing a few yards away, clutching his arm. Bright red oozed between his fingers.

Blood.

I forced myself to sit up on my elbows, stomach twisted with nausea. "…Crazy…bastard…"

"Glad to see you could join us." Gojyo snorted as I managed to pull myself to my feet. "Any bright ideas?"

As soon as I was up, I wanted to fall down again. My head was spinning and my legs felt like noodles. He really hit me hard, that crazy asshole.

"We gotta' get his…limiter on him…" I stuttered.

Gojyo gave me a disbelieving look, "No shit. Any idea how?"

I couldn't deal with this right now…my head hurt, and now my heart did too.

Gojyo waited a moment, and then he sighed, "Damn, you're useless."

"Look who's talkin'."

He ignored me and inched forward, "Hakkai, listen to me, man."

The other youkai stayed perfectly still. Dokugakuji and Kougaiji were standing side by side, murmuring to each other, but obviously they meant to stay out of it. The Asahara just looked hungry, as if she couldn't wait for more blood to be spilled.

"What." Hakkai snapped, "Could you possibly have to say to me now that you've cut my arm?" He sounded slightly more like himself.

I wondered how long I'd been out and what had happened while I'd been lying there. It had only felt like a matter of seconds.

"This is ridiculous, Hakkai, I don't wanna' fight you."

"You have a very odd way of expressing that feeling."

"What am I supposed to do? Let you kill Sanzo?"

Hakkai didn't answer.

"Alright, you took your limiter off 'cause Goku and that other nutjob would have killed you if you didn't, right? But that's over now, so put it back on and quit acting stupid."

"This isn't like before, Gojyo." Hakkai said coldly, "I'm not playing games."

"You were playing the other night? God damn you're a prick if you call that a game!"

"I will kill you, Gojyo. I highly suggest you don't cross me."

"But what for? Look at me, it's me. I'm your damn room mate, I'm…. I'm your fucking best friend. You wanna' kill me? After everything?"

Hakkai looked mildly convinced at that. I could see him starting to sway a little.

Give me half a chance and I was going to beat the shit out of him.

"What about Sanzo? What has Sanzo ever done to you? I mean, other than being a complete and utter dick every day of his life. What makes you want to kill him out of nowhere?"

"We're youkai." Jade said suddenly. "It's what we do."

"You stay out of this!" Gojyo shouted, turning on her angrily. "I ain't talking to you!"

But Hakkai said, "She's right, Gojyo…it is in our nature to kill."

"Yeah, in hers maybe, but it's not in your nature, Hakkai."

"You seem to have forgotten who you're speaking to…. You may recall that killing is what made me this way in the first place."

"But-"

"Hey." I jabbed him with my elbow, "Your heart-to-heart's touching, but you might want to try out a different strategy."

"Oh, what would you recommend? Shoot him?"

"It might be the only way."

"Fuck you. Hakkai, I can't judge you on what you did or what you're going to do. All I know is, the Hakkai I know would never want to lose his own will and be controlled like this; whether he's human or youkai doesn't matter."

For a long, long time, Hakkai was quiet. He didn't move. The forest continued to brighten as the sun rose, and before long, we were all standing in warm, yellow sunlight. The bodies of the half-breeds that had been killed looked even more gruesome in the light, and I noticed Goku beginning to stir. None of it mattered just now though. No one in the clearing moved.

This couldn't work. Hakkai was too out of control to just stop and listen to reason. Gojyo was an idiot if he honestly believed he could fix this without a fight. Our only remote chance was to do what we'd done before: drag him down and put the limiter on ourselves and hope against hope that it was enough.

"Gojyo-"

"Shut the fuck up, Sanzo."

"Look, you stupid asshole, I don't like this anymore than you do, but this isn't working, and the longer he stands there without his limiter, the more likely he is to go berserk."

Gojyo glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, "You don't think he's berserk?"

I did. When I looked at Hakkai and felt the terrible aching in my head and across my chest, I didn't see how he could still possibly be in conrol of himself, but I'd be an idiot to say that to Gojyo, "Not yet, but he will be if we keep standing around here."

Hakkai laughed suddenly, "I'm disappointed, Sanzo. After all, your deductions are usually so sound."

I glared up at him. "What are you babbling about?'

"Honestly, that's the sort of thing I expect out of Gojyo, not you."

"Make some sense already, Hakkai."

He was just shaking his head and smiling. He would have looked normal, if it weren't for that goldn eye, and those ears and the sharp teeth making that smile so dangerous. Suddenly, he reached into his pocket.

My body went stiff and I got ready. I don't know what I was ready for—it wasn't as if Hakkai carried a weapon. Just the same, you couldn't be too careful when dealing with a rogue youkai.

He pulled his hand back out, reached up to his ear, and just like that, clipped the limiters back on one at a time. In a matter of seconds, he was just normal Hakkai again, standing there smiling at us like nothing had happened. Something about that smile though, was horribly wrong. It looked upbelievably fake, and I knew that this wasn't over.

"Sorry for the fuss." He said simply, strolling toward us, "I suppose I lost control for a few moments. I didn't hurt you, now did I, Sanzo?"

My head was still pounding and I felt like I was going to be sick, but I didn't answer, and Gojyo didn't say a word either. We exchanged a single glance, but neither of us spoke.

"Well, as long as no one's dead, I suppose I can heal everyone's wounds, and then we may as well press on, don't you think so, Sanzo? Or would you rather take the day to rest since Goku's the only one who managed to get any sleep?"

Goku was twitching on the ground now, drooling a little and murmuring about food. He'd probably be awake soon now that the sun was up, and then he he'd be whining about breakfast. The very thought made me exhausted. And now there was something else as well, something I couldn't quite identify, even though it seemed to be sneaking up behind me, reaching out to drag me down.

"It might be wise to rest." Hakkai went on calmly, "Although with Ryptcore still around, perhaps it would be foolish to stay in this same spot. We'd best—"

"Wait just a damn minute!" Gojyo interrupted suddenly. "That's it? 'Sorry, I lost control for a few moments, let's move on'? You almost went crazy, Hakkai! You wanted to kill Sanzo—hell, you threatened to kill me—and now you just want to pretend it didn't happen?"

Hakkai gave him one of his scathing looks, "Do you perhaps have a better suggestion? As best I can tell, there's no point in standing here discussing it."

"You don't know that. Maybe we can prevent it from happening again. I'd at least like to know who killed all these people." He gestured to the heap of slaughtered hybrids—he would care about that. "You or Goku?"

"What makes you think it was either of us?"

"Fine. Forget that then. What-"

"As for preventing this in the future, that's something I'd advise you not to waste your time worrying over. I only removed my limiter because I was fighting Ryptcore and Goku. As long as that situation never reoccurs, I should think there won't be anymore problems of this nature."

Hakkai sounded sure of himself, voice confident and even reassuring. Firm. But I noticed the way he glanced at that woman, a pensive look on his face, and I saw the way she smiled back at him, so predatorily and anxious.

"Now then. I'd rather not discuss this any further. Shall we move on?"

"Right." Gojyo snorted. "You'd rather not discuss how you tried to kill all three of us in one night. I get it."

The next look Hakkai gave him was almost frightening.

Gojyo shifted back and forth nervously, but Hakkai just kept staring at him.

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty, Gojyo?"

"No, but-"

"If it is a matter of wanting me to feel remorseful over my actions then believe me, I'm not at all proud of what I did, and I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that it never happens again. What more could you possibly want from me?"

"I just-"

"Or could it be that you're looking for an apology?"

"No, I just think it's a bigger deal than you're acting like it is."

Hakkai studied him a long moment, like he was trying to decide on a way to react. When he finally answered, his voice was unusually cold. "I see. Well as much as I appreciate the concern, everything is under control now, and rather than dwelling on it, I suggest we pack up Goku and move along before Ryptcore comes back."

With that, he went and began gathering up the supplies that had been scattered across the camp during the fight.

"That dumbass." Gojyo grumbled.

"He's a youkai." Jade said out of nowhere, "You can't judge him for how he is anymore than he can judge you for your red hair."

He scowled at her, "Can it, girly. This has nothing to do with you."

"Doesn't it?" She smiled innocently, but her eyes were shining.

"Don't tempt me. I have no problem shredding you right now."

"Oh, a big, scary hanyou. I'd better keep my distance." Still smiling insolently, she stepped between us and walked away as well, went to stand over Hakkai as he was packing things up. I couldn't hear what she was saying. Rather, I didn't want to listen in the first place.

Head hurting worse than ever, I turned, only to find Kougaiji and Dokugakuji standing there.

"What now?" I demanded, "Don't tell me you want to fight us too."

"You four…" Kougaiji said slowly, "What is going on with you?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He stared after Hakkai a moment, and then shrugged suddenly. "Nothing."

"Hn. How irritating. Well, if you don't want to fight, I suggest you get out of my way. We're moving out, and as you can see we don't have time for anymore distractions."

"What about that woman?" Dokugakuji asked. It looked like the two of them were intent on playing twenty questions, "Who is she?"

Gojyo sneered at him, "You mean you haven't heard of Jade the Asahara?"

They exchanged looks, and then Kougaiji answered. "Never. But…there is something strange about her. Is she traveling with you, Sanzo?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"You'd better watch your back either way; I don't think trusting her is wise."

"Thanks for the advice." I snorted, lighting a cigarette. The nicotine soothed me a little, and I began to feel my headache lifting. "But we're already several steps ahead of you."

They both looked at me a while, then at each other. Presently Kougaiji said, "At any rate, Ryptcore is the real problem. We'd like to join forces with you until he's been killed: letting him roam the countryside unchecked is out of the question."

"This again?" Gojyo moaned. "Look, it's like we told your buddy here earlier." He jerked a thumb at Dokugakuji, "We're not interested in joining up with anyone."

Just the sound of his voice was enough to bring my headache back with a vengeance. "You're in no position to make those kinds of decisions when you're going to be leaving soon anyway."

Gojyo did a double take of me. "What? Wait, what? How many times I gotta' tell you, Sanzo? I'm not leaving!"

"Hmph. Whatever you say."

He glared at me, "Oh, so what're you tellin' me? You want to join forces with these guys? You want to team up with the enemy?"

So he was going to continue to be his irritating, obnoxious, utterly stupid self. Some things never changed.

I felt the sutra resting heavily on my shoulders.

Some things never stop changing…

"That isn't what I said." I growled. "Of course I don't want anymore potentially insane youkai with me. Dealing with two of them right now is bad enough. I'm going to keep heading west, and I don't care what anyone else does, including you." It wasn't as if I could trust my own team mates any better than I could trust Kougaiji at this point. They were all going berserk and running out on me.

"Ryptcore's following you." Kougaiji went on, like we hadn't said anything at all. "I refuse to return to India until I've seen his corpse, and there's safety in numbers, you know. It could be in everyone's best interest—I for one would feel uncomfortable wandering through the wilderness with just Dokugakuji, knowing that maniac is loose."

"Besides." Dokugakuji added, "It's not like you can keep us from following you. Whether you willingly decide to let us travel with you or not, we are going too."

I couldn't believe how unbearable this trip was becoming, and suddenly I wished this wasn't my problem at all. I almost wished I weren't a Sanzo in the first place. A man like me wasn't cut out for this kind of pain in the ass work.

Master…I trusted you for all of my life, and yet I still can't make sense of why you chose me…

Those were thoughts best saved for later, when I actually had time to think about them.

I was so frustrated, I threw my half-smoked cigarette down, kicked myself for it immediately.

"Do whatever you feel like. Just don't expect anything from us—if you two get your asses in some awkward position, don't think for a second we're coming to the rescue."

Kougaiji's eyes narrowed, "I think your group is far more likely to find itself in an uncomfortable situation, Sanzo."

Everything was going wrong, so he just might be right in that.

"Well now that that's settle, I believe there's something else to discuss." Hakkai cut in. He was standing next to Jeep and he'd already gotten Goku into the back seat—the monkey was sleeping like a log—the few remaining half-breeds were standing there too. I saw the girl who'd come to find us standing at the front of the group, holding a boy in her arms. He had an uncommonly obnoxious face, even when he looked scared shitless.

"Please, human." The girl pled. "Hear me out. Our leader is dead."

I barely noticed the hulking corpse of Feng strung off to the side, one arm completely torn off.

"We can't return home, and we have no one to guide or defend us."

"Don't look to me to fix that." I said immediately. I was not taking this freak-show field trip under my wing.

"I wouldn't think of it. But Gojyo…"

"What about him?"

"I thought he might be interested in guiding us."

"Eh?" Gojyo looked startled, "Guiding you where, Lei?"

"There's another village, a lot like ours, just a few days journey from here. It's not exactly like ours—humans and youkai live there too—but it's safe for our kind. If it's not too much trouble, I'd ask that you see us there safely."

Here it came. Gojyo was going to say yes—if only because it was a woman who was asking him the favor—and run off with them. Just like I'd known he would. Good thing I'd never wasted so much as an ounce of faith on him. Now the only question was-

"I dunno about that Lei. We're all sort of in a mess ourselves. I mean, I'd like to help, but I can't just leave the guys."

She gave him a disgustingly helpless, pleadingly feminine face, "It's not that far from here, Gojyo, I promise. You could take us with you over the next couple of days, break off to lead us to the village, and only be away from your friends for a few hours. I swear. And it would mean so much to us. Without Feng…I really don't know where else to turn."

I thought I saw tears forming in her eyes. What a disgusting act.

That idiot bought it. He pushed his hair back once before turning to me, "It really doesn't sound like a big deal, Sanzo."

"It sounds like a big deal to me."

"Can't they just go with us a ways?"

"Are you out of your pea-sized mind? Of course they can't! Do you know how much easier we'll be to spot if we've got a whole goddamn parade with us? And we won't be able to use Jeep if we take all these extra people with us. It's a massive inconvenience."

"But it's just an inconvenience." He growled. "It's not like it would be a huge problem or like it would seriously mess up our whole game plan. We're talking about taking five extra people with us for just a couple of days. What's so wrong with that?"

I'd had enough. I didn't want to argue with Gojyo anymore: I didn't think I could take it.

"I said no. I won't endanger this mission over something so-"

"So what? Stupid? Meaningless? If Ryptcore finds them he'll kill all of them. You want that?"

I tried to block my hesitation and my guilt. I couldn't go around protecting and saving everything I came across. This was a world where survival of the fittest was the only thing that rang true—a violent world. I couldn't allow my judgement to be impaired by every little issue of morality. If I did, we'd never get to India. It was just another executive decision I had to make for the good of the group and the mission. I didn't expect a halfwit like Gojyo to understand.

"Why should it matter to me what happens to them? I asked ruthlessly, "Come to think of it, what does it matter to you?"

"You fucking asshole! You know damn well why-"

"Sanzo." Hakkai interrupted reproachfully, "It really wouldn't hurt, you know. We're going to run into Ryptcore again whether or not we're riding in Jeep, and it's not quite fair to condemn all these innocent people to death just because we're in a hurry, don't you agree?"

"It isn't about what's fair, Hakkai. It's about staying alive."

"I don't know about you, Sanzo, but I don't plan on dying by Ryptcore's hands, regardless of whether or not a handful of Children of Taboo are with us for a mere fraction of this journey. Perhaps if that's something you're planning you'd best go off on your own after all."

"Just whose side are you on?" I snapped.

Hakkai looked surprisingly troubled at that, but answered calmly, "I'm not choosing a side, Sanzo. I'm just asking you to think about this logically. Ryptcore will likely find us whether they are with us or not. Clearly we'll have to fight him again and again until either he's dead, or we are, and sacrificing what's left of these people when it was us who led Ryptcore to their village in the first place seems senseless to me."

Already I could see there was no winning this. When Hakkai and I argued, it always seemed to be my unyielding stubbornness against his carefully planned arguments; all too often I felt like he got what he wanted because he had some way of making me feel as if my opinion was wrong, even when I knew full well it wasn't.

Still, even if my position on the matter was flawless and sensible, I knew I couldn't win. If I put my foot down and said absolutely not, those two idiots would probably go off together and walk the half-breeds home without my consent. I couldn't trust them to stick around for anything, and we'd already seen how well Goku and I had done against Ryptcore by ourselves. This time it looked like I had no choice but to relent.

"Fine, have it your way then. But you two are the ones in charge of them, understand? I want nothing to do with it."

"I hardly think anyone needs to be assigned the task of 'being in charge of them.' I'm sure they're perfectly in charge of themselves."

"Just don't expect my help."

"Oh, no, of course not, Sanzo." He smiled all too brightly. "We won't be expecting anything out of you."

I ignored his little dig. There were other, more important things to worry about, like how I was going to make it to India when everything was falling apart.

Not falling apart. They're just a little out of control. I can handle this.

If only there were some way I could convince myself of that.