It was running through his mind again. A single night of dreamless sleep had almost made him forget.
Koume, no…Almost. He had almost forgotten the horrors of his dreams, the weight of the body on his lap, the taste of metal…
God, no…!
--
The group had no idea how to respond, even after getting the answers they had wanted for so long. Koume, herself was sitting next to Hakkai with a hand over her mouth, and hearing the news, Hakkai threw his arms around her, protectively. Gojyo tried to keep his distance, and Goku was trying not to sob, holding onto the end of one of Sanzo's sleeves.
"Sanzo, there has to be some mistake…"
"…"
"K-Koume's gonna DIE! Sanzo… would you really…then…"
"Sanzo…"
He covered his ears, not wanting to hear it all or see it in his head any longer. Strange, how he would feel so calm outside of the temple and so frustrated and weak inside it. Not knowing if it had any significance, he mentioned that as well, and the others blinked at him again.
"That is strange… especially that this only affected you."
"So, wait, you're saying this temple is… causing Sanzo to get all weird?"
"If that's so, then we should leave, don'tcha think?"
"Well, it was because of Sanzo's declining condition that we decided to stay."
Koume broke from her father's hold and leaned forward, trying to catch Sanzo's eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her directly. She sensed this and backed off, some.
"If you think you can manage until we get to another town… then we should prepare to leave."
And with that, she stood up, heading for the door. Sanzo looked up, surprised like the others, but he made no move to stop her. It was almost as if he couldn't move, but Goku could, and he stood up, also.
"Koume, where are you going?"
"Just out for a bit… I need to get some air. You four continue the meeting without me, okay?"
And she left, leaving three men with downcast expressions and one not happy monkey. He had one hand held out towards her when she left, and it took all that he had to lower it again. Gojyo held his head.
"Damn. That wasn't news I wanted to hear so early. And to think… Koume might…"
"No, Gojyo. Don't say it…"
"But Hakkai-"
"Just don't."
Having the knowledge of such a thing, that your only daughter might be killed, wasn't easy to stomach, and Hakkai started to feel a bit ill, himself. Gojyo saw this and sat next to him to offer comfort. None of them wanted to believe it, but a dream so detailed and reoccurring was hard to ignore. Koume dying, and Sanzo…
"I would probably do it, too."
Sanzo's voice cut through the silence like a knife, and suddenly, all eyes were on him, again. No one had to ask what he was talking about to know, and they tried to just leave it at that. At least… most of them did.
"Don't be ridiculous." Goku spit out, almost bitterly.
"! Goku…"
"Sanzo, that would be pathetic. A weakling's thought… Do you really think we'd let you go through with it? Dying like that… and leaving the rest of us behind? Pathetic! Don't think Koume would want that, either…"
And he left. Goku had a lot of good points, and those few serious words were enough to bring the silence again. Stomping down the hall, Goku tried to hold back his tears. He wasn't a little kid, so he didn't need to act like one; but… he didn't want Koume or Sanzo to die! They were precious to him… And then he stopped, shocked to hear someone else whimpering quietly. Sticking close to the wall, he slowly and sneakily poked his head around the corner. It was Koume. She was leaning against the wall on the other corner, head held high and tears running down over her tinted cheeks. So even Koume cried… Goku hadn't seen her shed even one tear in all the time he had known her, and to find out that she isolated herself to cry and did so silently hurt even more. He was about to make a move until one of the monks in orange robes rounded the opposite corner, spotting her. He made no noise upon his approach, and Koume didn't notice him, either, until he was directly in front of her. Quickly, she wiped her eyes.
"My, my, child… why were you crying just now?"
"It's nothing, sir monk. Please, just leave me in peace…"
"Oh, but I can't possibly." And he reached into a pocket to pull out a handkerchief. "Here. Dry your eyes…" Koume reluctantly accepted it and used it to wipe away her remaining tears. However, before she finished, she heard the voice of the monk again and it stopped her cold.
"To think that master Sanzo has to suffer because of you." Koume looked up in amazement.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me. The reason master Sanzo is suffering is because your presence has weakened him. You've made him soft…"
"You'd better watch yourself, monk. You're walking on thin ice!"
"Oh, am I? I think you are mistaken."
A sudden fear spread throughout Koume's body and she found herself backing up as the monk approached her. All too soon, she found her back against the wall again and her eyes were wide with fear. What was it that she was so afraid of? Why did this human frighten her so much? At that time, she felt like a child, cornered by a terrifying bear. The monk was just a bit taller than her, but his eyes… they were cold as ice, chilling as death. The monk continued to speak in a low voice as he reached out for her. His fingers just barely brushed against her cheek, one moving to touch her left ear, which still held a scar from a bullet wound, and then they lowered, tracing the patterns on her power limiter about her neck.
"What a pitiful creature you are… running around, tailing master Sanzo like a pet looking for attention. You have caused him weakness and taught him fear. What a better and…longer life he would have… if you never existed!"
Suddenly, the monk's hands were wrapped about Koume's neck, starting to squeeze. Koume wheezed, feeling air abandon her, and that's when panic set in. He was choking her, trying to kill her. She was slowly dying, everything blacking out, and what amazing strength this old man had… almost inhuman! Just as Sanzo predicted… But no, she wasn't ready to give in, and her demon instincts started to kick in as she clawed at the arms that were holding her. No matter how deep she cut him, he didn't budge, as if he didn't even feel a thing. Instead, he squeezed tighter and lifted her up so her feet were no longer touching the ground. Why wasn't she causing an effect? Or maybe she wasn't using as much strength as she thought she was. Things were turning dark, and she could no longer try and escape. Goku gasped, seeing her hands drop and her eyes fall closed. He suddenly broke out of his trance and ran towards the monk, yelling.
"Get away from her, you bastard!"
The monk wasn't expecting anyone to be around, and he didn't have time to think before a fist collided with his jaw. His hands opened up and Koume was dropped to the floor. Air suddenly assaulted her as the monk went flying, and she gasped and coughed, not prepared. Goku dropped down beside her and helped her into a sitting position, but she was still gasping and there were light bruises forming around her neck.
"Koume, hold on… Hakkai, Sanzo, Gojyo! Get out here!"
Hearing their names, the three other men jumped into action, and after a moment, they rounded the corner to see Koume sitting on the decking against the wall and Goku sitting beside her, glaring at a monk on the ground. Panic overtook them and they rushed over, Hakkai falling to his knees to examine Koume. His hands glowed with Chi, and almost instantly, Koume was feeling a little better, though still a bit breathless. Gojyo looked at Goku and then the monk, and Sanzo glared as the monk carefully got to his feet. Both of his arms were scratched but not too bloody, and one of them went to his bruised cheek.
"What happened here?"
"I'll tell you what happened! That, that THING attacked me! I wasn't doing anything, and suddenly, she jumped me! Look at what the beast did to my arms, and then the other one jumped in and hit me! I swear… they've both gone mad."
"Liar! Koume was the victim here! You… you tried to strangle her for no reason, you smelly old man!" Sanzo's eyes narrowed.
"Is that true?" He asked, looking at Koume. Weakly, she nodded.
"Oh? And what about these cuts, and the blood on her fingers? It's proof!"
Looking down, everyone saw the blood staining her hands. Although, the amount of it belied the old monk's statement, as he looked not to be so injured to have lost so much blood. Hakkai took a cloth from his pocket and a bottle of water to clean the blood before standing up- a terrifying look upon his face.
"For one, I believe Goku. Koume's throat is bruised. You did strangle her."
" ! B-but… master Sanzo!"
Not like he was gonna stick around to hear more excuses and lies. Feeling a little more refreshed after the walk in the woods, Sanzo glared at the monk again before pulling Koume to her feet and into his arms. The others seemed to get the hint and they quickly turned and walked back to their rooms. Each one gathered their belongings and walked to the front of the temple. Several monks followed them out, begging them not to go, but none of them listened. Hakkai summoned Hakuryuu and once he transformed, they all loaded into the jeep.
"Master Sanzo, please reconsider! These vagabonds are dangerous! They'll be the end of you!" But Sanzo didn't even glance their way.
"I'll take my chances. Hakkai, drive."
"Gladly."
The group left the monks and the temple in the dust, and after leaving the boundaries of the temple, Sanzo, again, felt lighter. Something wasn't right… the group managed to get outside the neighboring town and had just entered the open space past the forest town when Hakkai had to put his foot on the break. If they hadn't suspected trouble before, they surely did now, seeing all the monks from the temple standing in a line before them.
"What the HELL, man. Didn't we just leave those creeps back at the temple?"
"Yeah, well it looks like they already miss us…" Goku and Gojyo joked.
"Not only that, but this feeling…"
"Yeah. I can sense it now, too. They're demons…"
Koume then leaned forward in-between Hakkai and Sanzo.
"I think I understand now! They must have set up dark talismans to hide their auras, but in the meantime…"
"Yes. It's not compatible with Humans, so Sanzo was the only one negatively affected by it."
"It took you long enough to notice, Sanzo-sama… just a day or two more and we could have ended your lives quietly, slitting your throats as you sleep. But now, I'm afraid you'll have to suffer!"
The old monk from before stepped forward, his arms now fully healed, and he was smiling. Instantly, Sanzo reached for his gun and fired a shot, but he somehow managed to move out of the way. The monks behind him were laughing, and the older man up front was grinning.
"I'm afraid I'm far too fast for that to work on me, Genjyo Sanzo! Now… if you hand over the scripture, I just might let you all live!"
"Hmm, let me think. …Get bent. How's that?"
"Is that your final answer? Are you really willing to risk the lives of your companions?"
"They can take care of themselves."
"But then… what about your little demon lover?"
Sanzo flinched and closed his mouth, but Goku saw this and instantly jumped into action, leaping over the others and between them and the monk, Nyoibo already out. Gojyo and the others were soon to arm themselves, surrounding Sanzo protectively.
"That's enough! Time to kick your ass, demon!"
"Yeah. You've wasted a LOT of our precious time, and now we're gonna make you pay for it."
"On top of that, your rules are strict, even for me. I did not enjoy listening to these three complain for so long!"
"Yeah, and your food sucked! Lets go!"
The battle started, and dust went flying, masking most of what was happening. As was typical, Goku and Gojyo counted their victories, trying to beat each other in the art of battle, but for people who were so cocky and had such an amazing power over Sanzo, it was strange to see them dropping like flies. They weren't a challenge at all, and that seemed far too suspicious to Hakkai, in particular. Looking around, he tried to determine how many demons were remaining, and in his search, he found that several demons were simply kicking up dirt. That's when it hit him.
"Oh no… Everyone! It's a trap! Don't get separated!"
"A trap?"
"Ah, hell…" Koume just barely heard Hakkai call.
"What? ….Sanzo?"
She looked all over for him, but she couldn't see through the dust. It was getting in her eyes and making them burn, such a terrible feeling… In fact, it was bad enough to inspire an idea. She had seen Hakkai use his chi to do many things –heal injuries, create barriers and attacks- so she put her hands together and gathered her chi into her palms. Once she had gathered enough, she slammed her hands onto the ground. Her intention was to crack open the stone and create an air pocket, forcing the sand to be sucked up below them. It worked, and she looked around, finally being able to see her comrades, but what she saw was not all too pleasant. Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo were pinned down in one spot, surrounded by a dozen demons. With the three of them together, it wouldn't be a problem, but quite a ways left, she spotted Sanzo, all on his own.
"Sanzo!"
Koume tried to run to his aid, but she was tackled by a demon from behind, and she fought against it. She was punched in the face, blood pooling at the corner of her mouth, but even as its claws tore at her arms, she was thinking only of Sanzo. He still wasn't at full strength yet, and she would do anything to protect him. So, she swallowed her pride and spit out her own blood into the demon's eyes, distracting him long enough to blast him away with her chi. It was more condensed than Hakkai's, but just as effective. Once he was gone, Koume rolled back onto her feet and started running towards Sanzo again. Said priest was popping shots off as quickly as he could, and dodging close-quarter attacks when he had to reload. One demon even got close enough to scratch his face, but that one didn't live very long.
"Prepare to die, Genjyo Sanzo!"
"Screw you and go to hell!"
Sanzo reloaded his gun, and in an instant, he fired off 5 shots. Turning around, he saw Koume running up to him, but as he was about to wave to her, the monk from before appeared between them. Before Sanzo's eyes, it changed into a blue-ish colored demon wearing raggedy clothes. Sanzo glared and rose his gun again, but when he pulled the trigger, nothing happened. He hadn't fired the last shot, so what was happening? He paled, seeing as the gun had jammed. His momentary confusion was all the time necessary for another demon to run into him. As if it was all planned that way, the Smith and Wesson flew out of Sanzo's hand and into the demon leader's. Defeating the last of the underlings, the others could only watch in horror as the blue demon gripped the gun and aimed it at Koume, who was still running that way.
"! No, Koume… Koume… turn back!!" Sanzo yelled, but Koume kept running his way, as if she didn't hear him. Maybe he wasn't yelling loud enough for her to hear. Although, she was gathering a chi ball in her hands…
"You want to send me to hell, Genjyo Sanzo? Well that's just fine with me, but I'm taking some of you with me…!"
Time moved in slow motion as the demon pulled the trigger. The yells of the others were silent, as was breath and wind and all other noise expect for the sound of the gun slowly clicking and then… -BANG-
Sanzo wanted to close his eyes and fall into darkness, but even then, he couldn't UN-see the fate that was destined. It was like a dream. The world took on a coppery color like the sand, and there was no sound. This was a dream Sanzo wanted to wake up from, but this time, he knew it wasn't just a figment of his imagination. As he watched the bullet fly and Koume's eyes grow wide as saucers as the sheer force of the shot threw her body back, he had to admit it. …It was really was happening. Koume's chi had been released just a blind of an eye earlier, and when it hit the demon who had shot her, time returned to normal and he vaporized. …And Koume was lying still on the ground.
"…..Oh, God…"
"Koume…!"
Almost stiffly, the Sanzo party moved to where she had fallen and looked down at her. Blood was, again, pooling at the corner of her mouth, and her hand was clenched over the spot where the bullet had gone. Although there wasn't any blood visible, the stillness of her body sent shivers down their spines. None of them dared to touch her. At least, not until Sanzo reached them. He was the most devastated of them all, having seen the fate coming for over two weeks. Yet, he still wasn't able to stop it, and on top of it all-
"With my own gun… Good God, Koume." He fell unceremoniously to his knees before her, and with great care, lifted her into his arms to lay her small body against his chest. She was heavy, as he thought she would be, but her lips weren't blue, and her cheeks still held a hint of color. Still, she made no movements as the monk embraced her.
"Koume, don't do this! Don't leave…"
"Sanzo…" Goku attempted to reach out to offer support, but he just couldn't. He ended up pulling his hand right back and lowering his face. Hakkai and Gojyo were simply silent. Sanzo almost sobbed.
"Koume, damn you… I-I… I know I never said it enough. …I love you, Koume. I didn't mean for this to happen! I love you too damn much to just let you go now!"
"I love you, too…Genjyo."
Hakkai and Goku both gasped and four sets of astounded eyes looked down to see Koume's eyes flutter open, and a small smile spread over her face.
"What the…. Hell?"
"But she got shot! …Right?"
Sanzo looked down to the girl's abdomen and her tightly clenched hand. Slowly, he set his onto hers and started to unclench it for her, although it took some effort. And there, when it opened up, to everyone's surprise, on a burnt palm, lay Sanzo's last bullet. It was a miracle, to say the least, a kind that hardly ever happened to them, but it was one that the group welcomed with open arms.
"Can't let myself die so easily… what would you think of me, then?"
"….Shut up." Sanzo grunted as he embraced her again.