SailorStar9: This is Chapter 7 of this fic. (Sighs) Every time I write these B.S. disclaimers I die a little inside. Remember, boys and girls, reviews are an author's subsistence.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and the pairings.
Chapter 7: Tragic Revenge
"I've been pretending to have forgotten about it," Hakkai sighed, awakening from his dream. "But..."
Deeper in the forest...
The wound that will never be healed has begun to ache, ever since I met that man. Hakkai looked at the 'sin' scripted mahjong tile in his palm. He's most likely someone who hates me for what happened then. But why's he acting in such a roundabout way? The one and only love I couldn't save, I can't embrace anyone now, not with these hands tainted by my sins.
"Man, you have a short lifeline." Gojyo remarked.
"You scared me!" Hakkai exclaimed.
"That's my line." the hanyou shot back. "I can't believe how easily I snuck up behind you."
"So, which one is the lifeline?" Hakkai composed himself.
"The line right here." Gojyo pointed.
"You're right." Hakkai agreed. "It's short."
"Oi, Tokusa, get your ass down here!" Gojyo shouted.
"Whatever, kappa." Tokusa muttered and jumped down from the tree she was hiding.
"Did I happen to wake you two up?" Hakkai looked at his two companions.
"You forget that I sleep with one eye open." Tokusa reminded. "It's about him, right? That fortuneteller?"
"Yes, Chin Yisou." Hakkai replied.
"Don't you just hate it when the past comes back to bite you in the ass?" Tokusa muttered.
"Ni Hao." a puppet greeted the trio. "Cho Gonou the murderer.
"Why does it know your old name?" Gojyo demanded.
"A mahjong piece?" Tokusa frowned, spotting the 'Hate' tile in the puppet's palms. "Chin Yisou!"
"You seem to have forgotten, so I'll make you remember." the puppet continued. "You'll never find peace anywhere because you're a sinner."
"Damn thing's shooting its mouth off!" Gojyo retorted. "What the hell do you..."
"I understand what you wish to tell me." Hakkai cut in. "But if you have business with me, why don't you come out and speak for yourself?"
"Yes, those are the eyes, Cho Gonou." the puppet continued. "That's your true face."
"You bastard!" Gojyo roared, kicking the puppet against a tree. "Quit fooling with us, scum-sucker! Come on, we're going back, you two. We'd better stick together."
"Gojyo, look out!" Hakkai shouted a warning.
Gojyo turned and the puppet took the chance to fire a shot into the half demon's chest.
"That's for what you did to me." the puppet chuckled.
"Damn puppet..." Gojyo muttered and collapsed.
"Hakkai, what's going on?" Sanzo demanded as he, Goku and Hakuryu hurried to the scene.
"Gojyo's been..." Hakkai started.
"Damn it..." Gojyo cursed. "Something's crawling through my veins."
"What is that?" Goku gasped.
"Goku, move!" Tokusa barked. "I hate being right." she muttered. "It's a seed; a live seed to be exact, one that sucks blood and takes root in the veins. Chin Yisou... it's his messenger."
"That bastard?" Sanzo echoed.
"Now, if you don't do something quickly, he'll become just another tree in the forest." the puppet taunted. "The seed's buried right next to his heart. What will you do, Cho Gonou?"
"You bastard, what are you after?" Sanzo glared.
"So fun!" the puppet laughed. "It's so fun, Cho Gonou! You hurry over here too."
"And I've heard enough." Tokusa growled, scattering the puppet's head with a vine dart.
"So that's what this is about." Sanzo noted. "That demented bastard's got quite a hobby."
"Goku, hold down Gojyo's arms." Tokusa instructed. "This is going to hurt, a lot."
Goku nodded.
"Are you happy now, Chin Yisou?" Tokusa demanded. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?" she turned and pointed her thorn dart at Gojyo.
"Tokusa, what are you doing?" Goku pressed.
"Hakkai, close the wound as soon as I shoot." Tokusa instructed.
"Please wait, the target's too small." Hakkai protested. "And the seed's right next to his heart."
"I won's miss." Tokusa assured. "I taught you the finer points of chi control, didn't I? If he dies because of this, it'll be because his heart is too weak."
"You're pissing me off!" Gojyo snapped. "I ain't dying now!"
"Shut your big mouth or you'll bite your tongue." Tokusa warned and released her thorn bullet.
"The wound's closed." Hakkai reported, healing Gojyo. "He's unconscious but his pulse is normal."
"That was bad for my heart." Goku sighed.
"It's my fault, isn't it?" Hakkai muttered. "Chi Yisou's obviously after me.
"Quit it." Sanzo chided. "Shut up!" he barked when Hakkai was about to protest. "Cool it! Losing it now is exactly what he would've wanted. Hey, Goku, bring some water." he ordered when Hakkai fainted.
"Got it!" Goku nodded. "Hakuryu, let's go!"
"He doesn't seem to be getting much sleep lately." Tokusa stated. "It's not surprising, I suppose. Everything most likely went just as he scripted. He aimed to bury the seed right next to Gojyo's heart to make us shoot Gojyo in front of him. We sure played right into his hands." she snorted. "I have no idea what gave rise to Chi Yisou's hatred, but it's obvious that what he wants isn't to kill Hakkai. He wants to destroy him."
"Awake?" Sanzo asked, when Hakkai opened his eyes.
"Where are we?" Hakkai inquired.
"We're still in the forest." Tokusa supplied. "Less than half a day has passed.
"Do you have any idea who that demented fortuneteller is?" Sanzo asked the demonic pair.
"No, but he knows about my past." Hakkai replied.
"And he knows your old name too." Tokusa added.
"And he hates me." Hakkai stated.
"I've heard rumors of surviving members of Hyakugan Maoh's clan." Sanzo remarked.
"Hyakugan Maoh..." Hakkai muttered. "I thought I'd killed every last one of them."
"Apparently, you missed this one." Tokusa stated.
"You should've made sure." Sanzo agreed.
"What kind of thing is that for a monk to say?" Gojyo chided. "It's no good. I searched the whole area, but the fog's too thick."
"Searched?" Hakkai echoed. "Goku! Did something happen to Goku?"
"After you collapsed, he went to get some water and disappeared." Sanzo explained.
"You stay here!" Gojyo snapped, pushing Hakkai down. "You're the one the bastard wants."
"You expect me to just sit here and watch more people get hurt because of me?" Hakkai shot back.
"There's a phase, 'hold nothing'." Sanzo voiced. "'If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your father, kill your father. Free of everything, not bound by anything. Live your life just as it is. It's the one thing my predecessor taught me. That's why I'll continue to kill all those who would stand in my way. Whose enemy that might be, matter not at all. Now, if you got that, cool your head and get back in shape. I have no need for excess baggage."
"You know, he actually told me the same thing once." Tokusa chuckled. "Just not in so many words."
"So, what're we going to do?" Gojyo asked.
"About what?" Sanzo asked.
"The monkey, man, the monkey." Gojyo replied.
"Goku's missing and the fog isn't lifting." Sanzo agreed.
"I just feel like we're on his fortunetelling table and I don't like it." Gojyo sighed.
"If he gets any one of us, he wins." Sanzo stated.
"I ain't dying." Gojyo promised. "I super-hate losing."
"There you are!" Goku ran towards the two adults. "I thought I got left behind."
"You stupid monkey!" Gojyo scolded.
"I went to get water, but I got lost!" Goku defended.
"Goku, you're alright." Hakkai beamed.
"Hey," Tokusa warned.
"Where's Hakuryu?" Sanzo asked.
"Sorry, I lost track of him on the way." Goku apologized. "Don't worry, we'll find him when the fog lifts. Come on, let's hurry up and get of this creepy forest."
"Goku," Sanzo started.
"Sanzo, Tokusa-nee?" Goku gaped when both adults pointed their weapons at him. "What is this?"
"It's not you." Tokusa corrected.
"The one I called for was that stupid monkey." Sanzo added.
"It's me, Sanzo." Goku insisted.
"Let me tell you something." Sanzo snapped. "The only one allowed to address me so familiarly is that stupid monkey."
"Thorn Whiplash!" Tokusa flailed her whip and Sanzo fired his banishing gun at the imposter.
"Come on out, Chin Yisou." Gojyo voiced as the marionette turned to dust, leaving a inscribed 'Monkey' mahjong tile behind. "Sanzo-sama and Hana-hime seem to be quite enraged."
"The puppet was very well made." Yisou chuckled. "What gave it away?"
"You didn't do your homework." Gojyo chided.
"The first thing he always says is, 'I'm hungry'." Sanzo pointed his gun at the puppeteer.
"'I'm hungry', is it?" Yisou echoed. "That's so hard."
"Where's Goku?" Tokusa demanded, readying her vine whip.
"Well, what do you think?" Yisou taunted. "Is he wandering somewhere in this fog?"
"I won't miss next time." Sanzo fired a shot at Yisou's feet. "Where's Goku?"
"Goodness, you're so impatient." Yisou chided. "Perhaps you're deficient in calcium. Why not just shoot me now? That is, of course, if you're able to." with a snap of his fingers, he summoned a sea of centipedes to surround the group.
"The day one of these battles is easy for us, I'll know for sure we've finally broken reality," Tokusa muttered.
"What the hell is this?" Gojyo looked at his feet.
"Hyakugan Maoh was a centipede demon." Yisou explained as his centipedes crawled up the quartet's bodies. "If you move too much, they'll bite and poison you. If you get bitten by that many centipedes, it could cost you your life. Are you still not sufficiently enraged?" he lifted Hakkai's chin. "Now, take a good look at the son of the centipede bastard that raped and impregnated the one you loved! Was that your revenge? Killing my entire clan? Or..." he gave his captive a slap across the face. "Was it your sense of justice to protect mankind? Well, I don't like your almost admirable hypocrisy. But only your disgrace and desire to kill can comfort my soul." he gave Hakkai a kick.
"Don't you say another word." Tokusa warned. "Your voice offends my ears, like always. Scatter, Senbonzakura." the millions of cheery blossom petals swept the centipedes away and freeing her comrades.
Gojyo took the opening to swipe Yisou with his blade. "I don't think I've been this close to being pissed in a long time. Isn't that amazing? I'm usually so mild-mannered."
"Hey, you okay, Hakkai?" Sanzo called.
"Hakkai?" the shell-shocked demon echoed. "Who is he?"
"Get a grip!" Gojyo snapped. "You are Cho Hakkai!"
"I'm alright." Hakkai assured.
"Your attack was quite effective." Yisou admitted, grabbing Gojyo from behind. "Please go ahead and shoot." he taunted as Sanzo trained his gun at him. "Will you aim for the chest like last time?"
"Sorry for the wait." Goku apologized dropping in from the air and forcing Yisou off Gojyo.
"Took you long enough, you bastard!" Gojyo scolded.
"Not like I had a choice!" Goku protested. "My leg's broken. And I'm hungry too. It's the pits."
"My arm's all shattered." Yisou chuckled.
"Doesn't this bastard feel any pain?" Gojyo wondered.
"I suppose, but seeing your sappy get-together takes me beyond my pain and makes me sick to the stomach." Yisou shrugged.
"He's finally shown his true colors." Tokusa warned as Yisou licked his lips.
"Sanzo, I still say he's weird." Goku confessed. "He doesn't smell like he's alive at all. He's hurt that badly and acts like nothing's wrong. It's just not normal."
That's right. Hakkai realized. I remember now. That man I killed! I'm sure I killed him that time.
"Now I think that's quite enough idle chitchat." Yisou cut in. "I gave it some thought, you see. How would I be able to make you the happiest? The answer was very simple. Tormenting your little friends would be the most effective. I've had fun with the red-haired young man and the golden-eyed boy. Next." he tossed his razors at Sanzo and Tokusa; Sanzo catching the blades between his fingers and Tokusa slapping the razors away with her whip. "He's really going to lose some of his little friends." he taunted.
"You just try it." Tokusa growled.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.