SailorStar9: This is Chapter 8 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 8: Wandering Destiny
"What's going on?" Goku wondered. "Neither of them are moving."
"They're both looking for an opening in the other." Gojyo supplied.
"Hey, you dirty bastard!" Goku snapped. "You just try doing something to Sanzo, I'll make you pay for it!"
"My goodness, your pet here is quite loyal." Yisou taunted.
"Stay back, Goku!" Tokusa warned.
"He certainly howls a lot." Yisou added. "I'm amazed at your bold words," he sent his darts into Goku's leg. "Considering you can barely stand on your feet."
"You really have a broken leg?" Gojyo inquired.
"I told you so from the start!" Goku retorted.
"Sanzo, let's split up here." Tokusa suggested.
"I get you." Sanzo agreed. "Gojyo's probably not at his best because of what happened yesterday. And we saw how Goku is. Isn't that right?" he clocked his gun.
"A surprise attack!" Yisou jumped to dodge the pending attack. "What a cheap tactic."
"We don't need to take that from you!" Hakkai snapped, powering up.
"Honor is for samurai, idiot!" Tokusa retorted, just as Hakkai blasted the scorpion demon with a Ki blast.
"We're going after him!" Sanzo informed.
"Gojyo, please take care of Goku." Hakkai requested.
"Bastards!" Gojyo cursed as the trio took off. "They left us behind on purpose."
"For real?" Goku echoed. "You're kidding!"
"He's not such an easy opponent." Gojyo voiced. "We're going after them, monkey!"
"Your wound from yesterday still hasn't completely healed?" Goku reminded.
"Have we lost sight of him?" Hakkai wondered.
"No, that's not it." Sanzo corrected. "Chin Yisou, you're going to kill me, right?" he barked. "You better not miss! He's sure to be around here somewhere. Right now, his goal is to kill me right before your eyes."
"That's not all." Hakkai corrected. "His goal is to destroy me. Sanzo..." he blinked when the priest lit a cigarette.
"What is it?" Sanzo asked. "Ask me something stupid and I'll kill you."
"Then maybe I'd better not." Hakkai chuckled.
"You trying to pick a fight?" Sanzo shot back.
"Is it really alright for me to be here?" Hakkai wondered.
"That's really stupid." Sanzo remarked. "Don't you ask me that again."
"Is that so?" Hakkai mused.
"You wouldn't betray me." Sanzo was certain. "Am I right?"
"You never play fair." Hakkai sighed. "How could I betray you after what you just said? He's here." he was suddenly alert.
"Above?" Sanzo looked up as the pair dodged the darts.
"Are you done with your final little chat?" Yisou mocked.
"I've had enough of your cheesy, puffed-up speeches." Sanzo snapped.
"Is that so?" Yisou noted. "Then please allow me to take up a little of your time. I'll end this shortly Cho Gonou, you killed my entire clan, all for just one woman." he landed on the ground."
"For one woman and my other life." Hakkai corrected.
"I lost my entire clan, even my own father, Hyakugan Maoh, at your hands. No?" Yisou continued.
"So what?" Sanzo shot back.
"My, you know of this too?" Yisou was impressed. "You have a good friend, Cho Gonou. I'm sure he'll be worth losing."
"I don't care what you say to me at all," Hakkai glared. "But I'll personally make sure you never lay a finger on Sanzo."
"I mustn't lay a finger on him?" Yisou echoed. "I see. I can't touch him, then? Oh dear, what a problem. In that case..." he trailed. "Hakkai, you do it! For me. Show me your face as you agonize and suffer in joy."
"Hakkai!" Sanzo gasped when the demon roared in pain.
"Stay back." Hakkai warned. "Please, don't come near me, Sanzo."
"Hakkai!" Sanzo barked, causing Hakkai to grab his throat.
"My arm has a mind on its own." Hakkai muttered.
"What a truly frail creature." Yisou scorned. "It's so easy to work my way into the crevices of your heart. Now hurry, put him out of his misery."
"No!" Hakkai snapped.
"Goodness, why not?" Yisou taunted. "You've taken so many lives. It should be so easy for you to do. Now take your hatred and kill him, just as you killed me. It'll just be one more death added to the many that already taint your hands. Have you had enough time to remember me me by now? That time..."
"I was sure you died then." Hakkai was certain, Sanzo now pinned underneath him. "I killed you."
"You're right." Yisou admitted. "You did an excellent job slicing into me. Cut down by you, who had become a demon by being bathed in the blood of a thousand demons. But right before I breathed my last, I took this." he revealed the 'Life' mahjong tile. "I buried this within my body through one of the wounds you gave me."
This man turned his own corpse into a shikigami. Hakkai realized.
"Do you know why I did such a thing?" Yisou pressed. "It was to meet you, Cho Gonou." he whispered behind Hakkai. Because I wanted to see you suffer. I want to hear your voice in agony as you suffer. I want to take everything from you and destroy you."
"Sanzo..." Hakkai muttered, seeing the unconscious monk under him.
"What a truly simple thing, Cho Gonou." Yisou chuckled as Hakkai let out a roar after realizing that he had killed Sanzo. "My, it seems your friends are here. Please explain it to them. Exactly what you did. Now, it's time for you to lose everything."
"What's going on here?" Goku asked as he and Gojyo arrived. "Sanzo?"
"Don't tell me that bastard Chin Yisou did it." Gojyo pressed.
"I did it." Hakkai replied.
"What are you doing, Hakkai?" Goku demanded, barely dodging Hakkai's blast.
"It's no use." Yisou grinned. "He's as good as my puppet now."
"Stop it, Hakkai!" Goku barked.
"Run, Goku!" Gojyo warned as Hakkai readied another blast.
"It was all an act?" Yisou muttered, blasted into a tree by Hakkai.
"Don't play us for fools, you moron." Tokusa glared, her Vine Whip encircling her.
"We're sorry to have troubled you." Hakkai apologized.
"Not at all, we enjoyed it quite a bit." Gojyo assured.
"I see." Yisou realized what had occurred. "What an interesting performance."
"He'd probably bite his own tongue than strangle me to death." Sanzo supplied.
"I believe you said it was easy to work your way into the crevices of my heart." Hakkai repeated. "But unfortunately for you, my heart isn't big enough to have room for crevices. It's like, don't underestimate me, you bastard. You'll die once more."
"Bastard." Gojyo demanded as Yisou chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"I don't mind dying again." Yisou replied. "But do you think you can defeat me with just your Qigong techniques? Or would you remove your demon power limiters just to fight? Just as you did then?"
"There should be no need for that." Hakkai corrected. "Tokusa taught me the finer points of Chi manipulation."
"Have you lost your mind?" Yisou demanded as Hakkai powered up.
"I believe it was here, wasn't it?" Hakkai asked, stabbing his hand into Yisou's chest. "This is where I stabbed you three years ago."
"It's useless, your Qigong can't..." Yisou muttered.
"Don't worry, there's an alternate use for Qigong techniques." Hakkai added and ripped out the 'Life' mahjong tile.
"Whoever said you only live once never met this guy." Tokusa remarked. "Guess you get to kill him a second time." she joked.
"I'm completely disappointed in you." Yisou muttered, collapsing in Hakkai's arms. "I thought you'd provide more entertainment."
"Thank you very much." Hakkai noted. "Though it was unfortunate for you."
"In the end, I despise you from the bottom of my heart." Yisou muttered as Hakkai crushed the tile in his hand. "A hypocrite who had no scent in life."
"What a coincidence." Hakkai admitted. "I hate you too. I am not a creature like you, without a past or a future."
"Famous last words indeed." Tokusa mumbled as Yisou crumbled.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.