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Ch 1

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Red and brown muddled, the dirt and blood sticking his hair to his face and neck. He was on the ground and surrounded… 'Shit' that youkai had gotten in a good hit. In this battle he was alone, the others were fighting somewhere off in the distance but he could not sense them. The crisp night air rushed into his lungs as he regained his breath. Lean and experienced muscles reacted with speed as the redhead threw his body back onto its feet. "Come on you assholes!" The yell came from rough bloodied lips flecked with sweat and spit. Stumbling from fatigue, his eyes saw mostly haze. Chain and blade extended as the horde rushed him "Fuck You ALL!!"

Limbs, blood, bodies …all fell like a disturbing sinful snow onto the ground in an eerie silence. Ragged breathing came with the rise and fall of Gojyo's chest. He was badly wounded and more youkai were coming. The kappa turned to face the demons but found his legs had been immobilized. A youkai half alive on the ground was smiling up at him with menace and hatred. Gojyo thrust his weapon into the pitiful excuse for an existence and reached down to cup his leg where the creature had stuck him with a knife. Brow knit tightly the red head ripped the blade from his calf. Turning at the waist he made a stand from the only stance he could manage.

Again and again the youkai came at him and over and over he defeated the blood thirsty beings. Finally after seemingly hours of battle they stopped their onslaught, presumably due to utter and absolute defeat. Gojyo's whole body ached, especially his legs. He could feel every muscle straining but they just would not move. Crying out in frustration he used his arms to move his lower limbs one by one. The painstakingly slow process only ended when he fell to the ground in exhaustion and slept.

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Gojyo's eyes flickered open; the sunlight hurt his vision so he closed them and inhaled deeply. 'Wow do I smell like shit…' body odor and dust spewed through his nasal passages. Groaning he tried to gain his bearings and stand, neither task was successful. His lower extremities were like a rag dolls, useless and limp. "Well my legs may not work but my arms still do…" grumbling Gojyo began to dragging himself along the ground, as his legs were no longer rigid enough to support him; he pulled his broken body down the path in front of him.

A few hours later the kappa was resting with his head against the ground, suddenly his eyes snapped open. He could hear a dull roar coming from the earth and whatever it was it was getting louder every second. Gojyo pulled himself into the brush alongside the road and hid watching the dirt where he had been laying… nothing. A few moments passed and Gojyo pushed his way back out onto the road and looked more closely at the ground.

"Oy!" shouting could be heard and the rumble was finally discerned as the hum of a hot engine.

"Gojyo!"

Looking up there was Sanzo, Hakkai, and Goku approaching at breakneck speed in Jeep. The monkey jumped from the vehicle as it screeched to a halt in front of the red head. "Where have you been?" he asked in a semi-concerned voice. This question earned Goku a swift fist to the skull courtesy of Sanzo.

Their bruised and bloodied comrade smiled up at his companions before collapsing back onto the ground and letting needed rest settle into his weary bones.