DC: Don't own any but Quinn and any others obviously not related to Saiyuki. Oh, and I don't own the right's to any movies or songs referred to. You know what? I don't own anything unless I claim it so!

Nothing Much
By: egyptian lullaby

A little fun fact about this chapter:

"…" quotes are for Chinese

(…) parentheses are for English

/.../ slashes are for Quinns Note Pad Communiqué

-...- hyphens are for Thoughts

Chapter Twelve: Worth Two In The Bush

-What do I do?-
Quinn stood there like a lost child, unsure of where her parents went. She could feel her heart beat in her throat, hear her blood pumping through her veins. The surreal vibe that crawled over her skin made her feel alien in her own body. Like she may float back up to the mother ship where her own kind would generously reinvigorate her true memories from another life on another world by means of fantastical technologies beyond her current comprehension. A screeching caw ripped through the fog in her head as a gust of wind made the tear tracks on her face cold and sticky. As adrenaline started oozing through her system thick and hot, she became clammy and shaky. Clenching her fists in on themselves she refocused and watched the giant creatures flap their only wings frantically on the ground as they tried to keep their balance on unsteady legs that were so foreign to them.

-Breathe in,
Breath out.-

Neither bird ever took their eye off her.

San-Ying's bloated feathery monstrosity of a body teetered her way and Quinn dashed to the left effectively dodging what would have been a direct hit by a giant snaggle-toothed beak. Debris hit her knees and torso as he actually slid a little with the landing. Where her escape did get her out of danger a moment ago, she had unwittingly jumped farther away from the guys who were currently trying to get to her with significant difficulties. Quinn mentally begged for help as there was a supremely pissed giant cyclops eye now trained on her not four feet away. Courtesy of a now steadier Shuwen, both Goku and Gojyo had been swiped and tossed about mercilessly thus dashing her hope.

Something whispered in her head... something that was said... but it was too quiet to hear right now. She couldn't focus on that AND save her own skin... which definitely needed saving at the moment. San-ying had managed to get up on his feet and stood at a formidable height of at best guess... 17'. Quinn felt something cool in her palm and looked down; she wasn't sure when she had retrieved one of her boot daggers, but by god she had it now. The massive demon looked down at her and lunged. Facing her fears Quinn ignored the far cries of Goku and ran headlong at San-ying, ducking his beak and charging straight under the bird to one of his legs. Growling and using as much force as she could muster she gripped the boot dagger in her hand the way Hakkai had instructed her to and sliced at the birds left leg.
!CHINK!~clatter~
Quinn came out the other side and looked at the barren hilt of her broken dagger in shock.

(You've GOT to be fucking kidding me!) If there were ever a time to laugh inappropriately given the dire circumstances, that time would be now. Because as Quinn looked back not only did she see her busted blade on the ground but there wasn't a scratch anywhere on his leg.
Complete and utter failure.
Oh is it bitter.
(Cheap fucking shit, I'm gonna die.)

That last comment came out a feeble whimper when she noticed San-ying looking quizzically at the blade with feathered head cocked to the side, and then the hilt in her hand. -Not only have they had a staring problem since first glance but now I have just proven myself a threat, however small and pathetic my attempts are.- The birds fury exploded! He let out a sound she was pretty sure you could hear all the way back where all this crap started in the first place. He ducked his head and charged, Quinn had about five more seconds to decide what the hell she was going to do before it was too late. She decided to grab her other cheap, piece of shit boot dagger and run. Probably not the smartest idea considering his legs were much longer than hers but also he seemed to be gaining his balance back at the same rate as the other one... fast.

Quinn screamed and cut a hard right and screamed again because that just happened to be in the path of Shuwen. She had been chasing Gojyo who had been trying to lure her away from Quinn, but when Shuwen saw her it was over. With both of them going full force Quinn knew she couldn't dodge her, so she took the only option left, under... again. She could feel her muscles burning as she went full tilt, running as hard as she could straight for... the air?

A gun shot... or was it two?

Quinn was so adrenaline soaked that she was numb to the iron arm that had enclosed her waist. It was a green clad arm, it was a warm arm, and Quinn felt herself relaxing just the slightest bit. Back up had arrived.

"Quinn?" Hakkai asked, voice slightly strained.

(Yeah?) Quinn was busy looking down at this point, they were coming to the peak of the jump, almost to the few precious seconds of zero gravity that Quinn had learned to covet. It was a fantastic feeling, not the same as fair rides or roller coasters... all though the latter would probably be the best comparison.

"Would you please take your boot dagger out of my bicep?" Hakkai had a stressed smile on his face.

(What? OH MY GOD!) Quinn's body had a knee jerk reaction causing her to yank the dagger out quite unceremoniously. Hakkai only winced a little and it was barely bleeding to her surprise.

(I'm so sorry! You're lucky it didn't get stuck in there. Did you see what happened to the last one?)

As they slightly floated Quinn watched the aftermath of the two birds colliding on their respective wingless sides. Goku and Gojyo were laughing at the fact that we ran them into each other over near the gazebo debris, pretty much right in front of the creatures. The way the birds were moving though... it was a jerky uncoordinated set of movements not like when they were first trying to stand. Hakkai landed gently behind the jumbled monsters and released Quinn. Sanzo walked up behind them but all three kept their eyes on the deformed couple.

(Do you know what they are?) Quinn asked quietly, but loud enough to be heard over their wretched cawing.

"This is a perversion of a magnificent beast." Hakkai spoke, his words angry. Sanzo nodded in agreement.

"This is a Jian, I've never actually seen one, and to see it like this is a very sad sight indeed." Sanzo sighed, seeming honestly troubled by what his eyes beheld.

(To me, Jian is a jumble of nothing right now, what is that?)

"It's an extremely rare pair of one eyed, one winged birds that attach to each other for life for survival. Generally they are thought of as a symbol of marriage in their life long partnership and love. But they are gentle things, and not so very large from most of what I understand about them." Hakkai looked disturbed. Which in turn disturbed Quinn whole heartedly.

(Well... do they know that?) Quinn asked as she pointed at Goku who was running and waving.

"Hey guys you gotta hear this joke we just made up!" Goku hollered from across the way as he started twirling his Nyoi-Bo.

Quinn looked from Goku back to the birds. Two birds that attach to each other for life? How? Just then a loud pop could be heard and the birds screamed in unison. As they did Goku planted the Bo in the ground and vaulted himself recklessly into open air above the Jian. Quinns breath caught in her throat, first Shuwen snapped at his legs, then San-ying, both narrowly missing, eliciting a girlish yelp from Goku at the halfway mark. He landed with a tuck and roll, stopping in a crouching position, waiting to watch the dumb birds fall over backwards, but something terrifyingly amazing happened instead.

They threw their giant wings backwards and caught themselves. Their necks still bent back at an unnatural angle, Shuwen pushed off the ground with her massive wing and flipped them over in sync and they flawlessly stood back up. They raised to their full height and spread their wings, looking down on the crew the Jian released a piercing war cry.

-Shit.-

Suddenly there was a rustling sound off to the side...
(Is that Shuwen's father?!) Quinn gasped in horror as she recognized who was emerging.

"Shuwen!? SHUWEN!" A rather large aging man wearing fine silk clothes burst onto the scene from some shrubbery to the east end of the clearing flanked by four guards.

Quinn wanted to scream out a warning, in fact Hakkai and Gojyo were quick enough on the vocal draw to get one out, but her scream stuck as she watched the Jian whip it's head to the side and without hesitation, charge. The men screamed and abandoned their master back through the brush. Terrified, Lord Jaw-long saw fit to position his sword up and hunker down. Goku wasn't fast enough, The Jian got there first. The two heads bent in unison and snatched the screaming man viciously from the ground. Fighting over a solid grip, between their wretched beaks he was torn a sunder and swallowed. Quinn turned from the sight, bracing herself on a tree she clutched her stomach and bent as if to vomit; the color drained from her face as she processed the fact that Shuwen just ate half of her father.

"NOOOO!" Goku cried out as he was in the splatter zone. The warm blood dripping down his face and sticking his shirt to his chest. The cruelty, the malice... Judgment was now upon this beast. Innocents should be protected and he'd failed. If only he'd had a few more seconds!

"It's time to kill this thing!" Gojyo hollered as he and Goku sprung into an attack formation.

"Quinn are you ok?" Hakkai asked as he put a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

(Do we have to kill them? Isn't there something we can do?) Quinn shuddered as she watched Sanzo raise the snub-nosed barrel of the banishing gun. She calmly walked over and placed her hand on top of it. She ignored the sharp look Sanzo sliced her with and re focused on Hakkai.

"What the hell Hakkai?" Sanzo grit out through his teeth.

Hakkai looked at Quinn and she looked back, back into that beautiful green eye surrounded by stone. And in that moment she could hear her head again, she could hear what had been whispering since this morning when she awoke and progressively gotten more persistent up to now.

-Don't try to save the birds...- Quinn's heart sunk as Hazel Eyes advice started to make heartbreaking sense. She turned and looked at the Jian flying up and dive bombing the boys. That was definitely some kind of bird in her book.

(They have no salvation but death...) Quinn whispered to no one as a tear streaked unimpeded down her face. She released the gun and stepped back with her head down. Sanzo looked at Hakkai with a cocked eyebrow, and the dragon keeper just shrugged and nodded. Hakkai was pretty sure he'd heard what he thought he'd heard her say. Either Quinn was a prophet or she had inside info... and he was going to find out which. First things first though, Hakkai jumped into the fray chucking chi along the way.

-The birds are a wasted effort...-

Quinn watched Sanzo take a couple more well aimed shots before he switched tactics, she felt hollow. The priest's banishing gun wasn't having the effect he was hoping for, this thing was a demon, it was evil, but it was created out of love which must give them some kind of edge... Quinn watched as he gently stroked the edge of the scripture that lay across his shoulders in contemplation.

-They will make their choice, and they will pay the consequences. There is no out...-

(It would be for the best.) Quinn spoke softly. She knew Sanzo couldn't understand her words, but the sound of pleading for mercy was universal. He looked back at Quinn, his facial features and body language were very quiet. It was almost as if he didn't know he was in the midst of battle. The calm of this man was infectious but she couldn't shake her breaking heart. They just wanted to be happy and someone did this to them. They just wanted love, their slice of the pie.
Those poor kids, her poor father. If there truly was no way to save them, a swift death would be the only thing left they could gracefully give.

Sanzo saw something in Quinns face after she spoke. A sad knowledge that only those who had experienced such before would recognize it. The resignation to death is a powerful thing, but why was she not fighting him tooth and nail to save them? Why was she so quick to label them unsalvageable? A loud thud snapped his attention back to the battle, something had repelled Goku from the Jian and he hit the ground hard.

"The talismans on their chests are protected by some force!" Goku announced, holding his arm as he stood back up, spitting blood and wiping a small trail of it from his mouth. The bird was quick, they should have taken them out while they were still slow and separated.
"Maybe we could try to detach them?" He huffed.

"I don't think we can at this point." Hakkai supplied as he shot another chi ball at the Jian, working in tandem with the other two they had sent it rocketing into the sky.

"I think I have the solution." Sanzo responded. He brought his hands together before him and began to mumble some sort of prayer. The scripture on his shoulders began to glow as a mystery wind lifted it off his body and it's length grew with a flurry. The other guys backed off and watched the Jian come barreling back to the ground. Sanzo slowly made his way out to the middle of the clearing, chanting the whole way. The Jian screeched and with one more mighty flap of its wings it was upon Sanzo.

"I BANISH YOU BACK TO HELL!" Sanso flung one of his hands forward and the scripture swathed the Jian tight, winding its way around the bird with such a quickness it barely had enough time for one last screech before it was fully engulfed and smashed to the ground at Sanzo's feet. The scripture seemed to melt the creature within as what was beneath seemed to bubble under the wrap and shrink down, as it flattened there were two distinct cracks heard and a dark blue liquid seeped from between the folds into the grass. after a few seconds the scripture fell away and returned to its keeper. What it revealed was unexpected. Both Shuwen and San-ying lay on the flat of their backs in a bed of black feathers, black gooping holes in their naked chests where their hearts used to be, bared to the sun. Their stomachs grossly disfigured with what the group knew to be undigested dad. They were attached at the shoulder by their shriveled nubs, but their bodies were obviously broken. Laying next to them on the ground were pieces of the talismans that had ruined their future together. They sizzled and squealed as whatever magic, air, and goop left in them escaped under pressure.

Quinn felt a part of herself leave with the couple. How was this fair, how was this right? Every fiber of her being screamed that it was wrong but what other choices did they have? A merciful and swift death.. it was for the best right? Right?! Hakuryu skimmed the wind and landed on her back, crawling up her shirt to perch on her shoulder. Shuddering softly in his chest he laid his head to her cheek in comfort. What just happened was brutal but they didn't get that way on their own, someone gave them those talismans, and Quinn knew someone who knew what they looked like.
On a side note she made a point in her notebook to ask Sanzo what the hell he just did under *What the hell was that?!*.

"Nice one priest, you don't think you could have pulled that rabbit out of the hat a little sooner?" Gojyo scoffed, pretty banged up from the affair he was dusting his pants off.

" I think these two deserve a proper burial." Hakkai voted out loud for the next step. "Go see if you guys can find a couple of shovels."

"I'll come too, Buddah knows you two couldn't stay on task to save your own skins." Sanzo grumbled as he led the way out of the clearing. Though he didn't try to hide the knowing look he shot at Hakkai.

Hakkai watched the others leave mainly because he didn't want to look at the kids anymore. He turned back to Quinn, who was staring at the bloody patched grass that used to be Shuwen's father and saw she barely registered he was there.

"Quinn?" He asked softly.

(Hakkai... would you accompany me back to the mansion please? I think I left something there.) She wasn't technically lying. Hakkai eyed her and nodded, following behind her silently.

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As Quinn and Hakkai entered the mansion grounds, despite the rest of the town evacuating in a panic, the first person they fortuitously see is the one Quinn was looking for. The maid was pacing back and forth on the front steps. She had tears in her eyes as she approached the two party members when she recognized them.

"Everyone ran saying something about giant hungry bird demons. I heard those awful noises... is my mistress okay?" She asked, her expression already bleak with her unconfirmed worst fears.
"Did you see my Lord?" She asked quickly after. Hakkai looked at Quinn, her jaw was set as she looked back at him.

(Ask her who gave Shuwen and San-ying the talismans.) Quinn conveyed quietly. She could have written it down and done this herself, but having Hakkai here made it easier and he offered her a comfort that was hard to deny herself. Hakkai's eyes sparked. So that was what she was up to. He asked the maid gently.

"Why? What has happened? Are they ... are they...?!" The maid cried and fell to her knees.
"I let her go to her death, and warned Lord Jaw-Long of the wedding, what have I done?!"

Hakkai bent to one knee and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We really must know, please, anything you can remember about them."

The maid wiped her homely face with her apron.
"He was tall, handsome, with long gold/brown hair tied down by a bronze band, he came through the window. I didn't like him from the first, I warned her, I did!"

Quinn paled. Tall, long golden brown hair... handsome...(Were there two of them?) She asked Hakkai quickly, maybe a little too quickly. Hakkai eyed her intensely but asked the question anyway. The maid shook her head .

"No, only one. Please, please tell me how my mistress is!" The maid begged of Hakkai. He dropped his head, they weren't going to get anything else out of her, and he wasn't entirely sure they needed more, Quinn seemed to have something figured out already. So he obliged and told her of her Lord and mistresses passing and where they intended to bury the bodies since there was no one else around to do it, sparing the poor girl the more gruesome details. She fell to pieces and but held herself up right, and made her way to the clearing where who she considered her family had perished.

"Quinn, what's going on?" Hakkai asked seriously. He stood directly in front of her so she couldn't deny his presence, and to make sure she knew he meant business he placed his hands on her shoulders and bent over to get on her eye level.

Quinn couldn't ignore him, his piercing green eye searching her soul made her stomach flip and cheeks flush. She mentally admonished herself. What inappropriate timing. She clenched the shirt over her stomach and sighed. Could she be sure it was them? There was only one... but then again, how many guys could pull off the kind of charm that destroys people? Her gut told her she was right.

(I think the guys that tricked me into taking the bath beads are the ones who gave Shuwen and San-ying the talismans.) Quinn spilled the beans.

"Are you sure?" Hakkai asked.

(Well of course I'm not sure Hakkai.) Quinn furrowed her brows at him. (I didn't see the transaction. But I don't know many tall long golden brown haired men around here.) She crossed her arms and shrugged his hands off her shoulders.
Was she sure? Pfft.
Hakkai stood back up to full height and seemed to mull it all around in his head.

"Well if it is them, then they've followed us quite a ways and set quite a malicious trap, that worries me."

(Me too.) Quinn scuffed her shoe on the ground and chewed on the inside of her cheek. Hakkai turned around as if to head on down the path and Quinn took a step to follow only to have him stop. He still seemed to be pondering.

"There is, one more thing I wanted to ask you about..." Hakkai turned and looked down at her, she was giving off a vibe that she was done talking, but he wanted to know.
"You said something out there, after you asked me if there was anything we could do to save them... 'They have no salvation but death.' Why did you say that? The way you said it, it almost made me think you were remembering something someone had told you."

Quinn froze. -I thought I thought that! I said that? I didn't say that out loud did I... good grief-

(Did you answer me when I asked you if there was anything that could be done?) She asked, staring back unflinchingly.

"No, I didn't."

(Then what's the next best logical conclusion to draw from that?) With that, Quinn walked on, leaving Hakkai to trail behind unsatisfied.

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After the burial of Shuwen, San-ying, the priest who married them and one other guest who was impaled by the busting gazebo, they left town. The decision was unanimous and everyone was too tired to even bicker in the jeep as they whipped their way through a dense forest. The evening was quiet and calm, they'd been on the road... or what Quinn reckoned passed for a road here, for at least seven and a half hours. The air seemed to get warmer as the night got darker. The wind whipped Quinns hair in her face and she noted that it had gotten longer. No longer the cute pixie cut she'd started out with but it was half way down her neck, stinging it as it lashed past her skin. After pulling another annoying clump of hair out of her mouth she was done.

(Hakkai can we stop for a minute? I'm feeling a bit cooped up. And I hafta potty.) Quinn's request was 2nded and 3rd by Goku and Gojyo respectively. There was nothing but a disappointed sigh from the front passenger seat and Quinn was pretty sure Hakuryu tapped the breaks a little for him while squawking a little squawk. Hakkai lightly chuckled and obliged.

Once they were parked Quinn felt a strange irrational urge to run away. Just run as far and fast as she could for as long as she could. Though the feeling continued stubbornly, her thoughts squashed putting it into action.
The guys were faster than her. They would catch her.

Her head felt like it was going to explode. Too many thoughts, too many feelings, she was on the verge of emotionally passing out when awake and constantly reliving the terrible things in her micro dreams. Startling her back into consciousness every. damn. time. Leaving her soaked in adrenalin; heart racing with eyes wide, looking for the strike momentarily until she could regain some semblance of control again and calm herself down. Realizing it wasn't real... but that's just it: In the strange dimension she'd found herself it may as well be. She officially had no way of releasing these certain thoughts and feelings, and honestly worried that they were going to eat her alive from the inside out. Like little monsters chewing at the fringes of her sanity, not to be sated till there was nothing left but a hollow crazy shell. Quinn feared that person because she didn't know if there was a way back from those hellish depths. She found a spot behind a tree and just sat, knees tucked up to her chest and her hands pulling at the top her hair absently. Ah, to be alone for just a moment. This place was fucking her up beyond recognition.
-I've handled these feelings before. Different circumstances, but they produced the same feelings.- What she didn't want to admit to herself was that, in the process of dealing with those feelings the first time around her own way, as a child, had retarded her ability to function properly in certain aspects as an adult. She was afraid if she tried to deal with them the same way she had before it would simply break her. Telling herself to suck it up would only go so far, something in her was deeply disturbed and the dam was going to burst.

What she really wanted right now, more than anything in the world... even more than going home- some real sleep.

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The big bad twins seemed to have a chip on their shoulder. The bath beads didn't work, the talismans didn't work, their personal charm-... Ugh this was almost to the point of frustration. They liked to think of themselves as pretty laid back, not getting easily flustered per say. It was a gift.

"What are we going to do now?" Herb leaned an arm above his head against a large trees trunk as he watched Quinn through the foliage. Balancing took little effort for he was perched on a large branch, his brother sat just one below him. The ancient tree they occupied in was tall and strong, and smelled heavily of sap in the warm evening.

"You know, I think we've been going soft on them. I mean honestly, when you think about it, all we've really done is give them opportunities to bond." Erb replied, posture slumped over, toying with fingernails while staring at the ground below his free hanging feet.

"Bond you say..." Herb thought about this. Something fantastically awful crept into the back of his mind. "Yes I would have to agree that they've been having far too good a time." A small smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, his eyes focused on the target.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, brother?" Erb Looked up slyly propping an arm up on one knee.

"Aren't I always... Ni hasn't tracked us down, like the crazy bloodhound he is, yet either."

"A little wiggle room maybe? I think it's time for some discord." Herb grinned, but if someone else had seen it they would not get the urge to smile back... unless they were his twin.

"They are after all... in our home."

"Nature is a dangerous thing."

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Hakkai was just about to talk to Sanzo about posting camp for the night when he felt... strange. So strange in fact, that he stopped in his tracks, practically holding his breath. He creased his brow and looked around, feeling slightly dazed, and found that the others had also stopped and just stood in place. Something was moving out there. Trying to stay alert Hakkai noticed a sound... a sound that made him think of a gooey leather demon egg hatching. Recognizing the bizarre turn his train of thought took he shook his head. Trying to rid himself of the slight numbing feeling that felt almost like a cold hug. Blinking he looked at the bushy tree line and watched a pink four petal flower open, then another and another and another, till they opened with such a succession that it looked like a cascade across every bush around them. That was the sound, the sound of thousands of blooms opening like a waterfall. He almost fell over when he spun to keep watching the event.

Goku yawned and discovered that the air tasted sweeter, and a light pink fog had enveloped the small clearing they had claimed for their break, waiting for Quinn to be done with her business. This isn't good.

Sanzo opened his mouth to warn everyone while holding his arm in front of his face out of reflex. But a ringing in his ears started getting louder and louder till he couldn't stand it. A moment of intense vertigo, a flash of light and he was out cold.

They were all out cold.

"Works every time." Erb twirled one of the delicate pink flowers between his fingers, standing over a peacefully sleeping Quinn.

"FlashNox, potent and obedient." Herb said in approval and walked off towards the rest of the group, carrying one of his own. The flowers around them seemed to turn their pink heads and watch him leave.

Erb gently freed a velvety petal from its seat and bent down tucking the rest of the flower behind her ear. "Intense enough to put the most resilient of warriors asleep, yes FlashNox is good at that. But when ingested it becomes a poison of anger." Lightly stroking her jaw he moved to open her mouth, placing the single petal on the flat of her tongue. It almost immediately disintegrated. "That should be plenty."

Erb entered the clearing to find his brother finishing up the last petal with Gojyo. Herb stood and stretched, tossing the barren stem with a flourish. "I don't know why we didn't think of this before brother."

Erb chuckled as he stepped over Goku. "We've been trying much too hard."

"It's ingenious and I'm a little ashamed we didn't do this sooner." Herb threw his head back with a triumphant HA!

"Herb, I'm not seeing their pet around here..." Erb eyed the clearing looking for a small limp dragon.

"Don't worry, the FlashNox knew to count him in. If it didn't get him here somewhere out of sight it'll catch him when he lands in the forest."

"Well we've got about 16 hours to kill before they wake up.. we may have gone a bit over board." Erb said sounding pleased. Turning in toe with his twin.

"Are you kidding? A day at least! Let's go find a good spot to watch the show!" Herb and Erb laughed as they both stepped over Hakkai, only slightly crunching his limp left hand with a heel, and on out of the clearing. A whisper swept around the edges, upon their exit. One by one the flowers withered and died, falling from their vines and landing gently spent and brown on the grass below.

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-dream-

It was feral, it was power, it surged through Quinn as if she were standing over a large air grate and it was blowing full blast. Her skin tingled, it felt like a hum, the base of a song only the ancients knew. When she opened her eyes she found herself sitting lotus style on a mountain swallowed by a golden glow continuously flowing up and away from her. Quinns hair was haloing her face and her clothes undulated about her softly despite the fierce power within. Something flashed in the distance- an orb of light shone bright hovering steady above the horizon. She focused on it and watched it slowly make its way up higher and higher until it seemed to arch above her and move down behind her. Her head leaned all the way back, never taking her eyes off the orb and she felt something change, she was no longer sitting she was falling backwards fast. It took the breath from her as she twisted in the air to look down, she watched the mountain side speed towards her for impact, Quinn spun again. If she was going to die she didn't have to see it. She heard a loud rumble beneath her but she just looked at the sky, a phantom force seemed to press against her stomach forcing her to fall faster, it was going to happen. She was going to die, right before she felt she was going to hit the ground she desperately reached her hand out to the orb for help, the mountain side opened beneath her and swallowed her whole.
She plunged into pitch black gasping at the drastic change and cried when she felt someone grab her hand. They didn't hold on long, just long enough to yank her up and slow her velocity. Quinn yelped when they let go and grasped out again only to hit her right shoulder blade on a rock. The force violently spun her to the left and she hit the ground hard. She just laid there petrified. A sound made its way to her and she felt she needed to get up, she needed to move. She was in the presence of primal and prey only lived another day by being smart enough to sense when they were in danger. Quinn quietly grit her teeth and rolled over, she had bright blotchy spots in her eyes, crouching painfully she tried to rub them free, damnit she just got those fixed. As her vision cleared the room lightened, like a cloud moved out of the suns way so it could shine again. Through bars made of mountain and slathered with sutras the light shone brightly, hiding the corners of the room in black. It was from there that the sound of chains clinking along stone held her attention. Was something in here with her? She stood.

H-hello? Quinn quietly called out, but her voice didn't come from her throat, It was like the walls absorbed her vocals and echoed it back out into the space... this prison. The chains stilled and a growl replaced their noise. It was unlike anything she'd ever heard before.

Why are you here?

Quinn quirked her head to the side, that voice...

Goku?

NO! The walls barked with a growl, the sound of chains snapping filled the air and a young looking demon charged forward, painfully stopping short of grabbing her throat. Quinn gasped and stumbled back almost falling, her hand covered her mouth. The demon before her had claws and fangs, golden slit eyes and pointed ears. He shook his head angrily and the walls groaned with his protests as he tried to get around the fact that he was chained to the them by a metal collar around his bare neck and wrists. He wore a black shirt and raggedy pants. his trademark coronet Quinn had gotten so used to seeing on his crown was missing.

~Tensei~ The walls seemed to whisper of their own accord

Why are you here?! The walls spoke but his lips never formed anything other than a feral snarl. Heswiped at the air uselessly but she could still feel the wind off the attacks they were so fast. His brown hair was spiky on top but the back flowed down to his hips, though Quinn was positive that before her was her friend Goku.

What happened to you? Quinn heard the walls whisper in her voice.

You make me sick.

Quinn knit her brows.

Excuse me?

I know why you are here. He suddenly stopped struggling and stood still. The only thing moving was his chest, in and out, steady. There was still an underlying growl to his words.

You are here because you are weak. Quinn held her breath.

You will never go home. Quinn felt he was right. It was a truth... and it hurt, those words. They stabbed her and made her bleed.

You think you know insanity? His eyes snapped up and bore into her own. In an instant it was like someone had hit the fast forward button and tears pricked her eyes. The walls screamed and yelled. They cried and wailed as Goku, in high speed repeatedly threw fits and beat on walls-rocked himself to sleep-laid on the floor breaking down, the sun and moon danced. They fanned up and down up and down as the days, months, years passed. When it finally stopped it was night and he wasn't a demon anymore. He was wearing the same black shirt and dirty torn pants but his diadem was in place and he was looking at the ground.

You know nothing about insanity.

It was Goku's soft voice that rang clear, not the rough growl of the demon. Though a light crying could be heard fading in and out. He lifted his hands palms up and his chains followed. Quinn choked, is this real? She reached out and gently laid her hand in his. He didn't move, he felt so cold. Her world swirled as he snatched her by her wrist and jerked her into his chest. Pinning her arms he breathed heavy on her neck. She spared a glance up to see one of his ears long again, fear gripped her. She felt claws gently scraping down her ribs.

Centuries. Centuries of isolation...of nothing, no one, family- friends nothing... His grip tightened forcing the air out of her lungs.

If you push us away, that's what you'll be.

Quinn heard his mouth open and the walls bubbled a mirthless laugh. She felt the faintest touch of a fang on her neck and promptly freaked. She struggled against a seemingly steel frame. She didn't care if she wasn't making an impact, the exertion made her feel like she was doing something other than being helpless. He dug his claws in her sides just enough to immobilize her. She whimpered.

Please don't hurt me Goku.

I don't want to hurt you, I want to protect you! Goku's voice rang sweet again but pained.

Then why are you doing this?

Because I'm trying to save you from where I lived, for a very long time. Quinn heard three snaps and then the chains hit the ground. She went rigid, he was free. Goku didn't release her but he simply turned them both around, pushing her back to his chest, to both of them facing his demon self again. The demon had inherited the chains and proceeded to thrash about and time sped forward again. The sounds the walls shared utterly ruined her; what a miserable existence, what an impossible experience. She watched the creature before her go fucking through it day and night and day and night, sometimes never sleeping... sometimes doing nothing but sleep.
Raging, crying.

Such a hollow and cold reality. Then it was like someone cut the reel and she was back in pitch black. Shocked she opened her eyes wide and looked around. Goku still held her tight but he wasn't digging claws in anymore, he was just holding her and she cried. She reached up and grabbed his forearms crossed against her middle and cried for him and his pain. His long suffering had hit her like a brick. He was so alone, she was so alone. He was bound to a prison, as she in her past had been.

We don't live there anymore.

Quinn didn't say anything. Goku grabbed her arm and turned her to face him in the dark, she couldn't make out a line in his face.

It's time for you to be strong. Stronger than you've ever been before. His hands moved down her arms and held her hands gently.

Why? Why do you need me so much? Her voice was rough along the stone.

Why don't you need us? What makes you think, for one second, that we're going to give up on you?

Because I'm not worth it!

You can't keep fighting yourself. Shit happened and that sucks, but you have to find worth in yourself. You have to find your own reasons for acceptance, no one can do those things for you. Neither of us were caged of our own volition, but that doesn't mean you have to stay in it forever.
I didn't.
His hands slipped from hers and the light brightened once again, Quinn squinted and turned around. Goku was standing behind her by the bars, he slowly looked up and Quinn followed his gaze. There standing just on the outside was Sanzo. Not sparing her a glance he reached down and offered his hand to Goku.
You can stop crying now... I'm here... the walls whispered several times before fading away.
The Monkey King smiled and took his hand, but before he was pulled up he looked back to Quinn.

So, are you coming or not?

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Quinns body ached, as she came to she could smell the earth; blades of grass tickled her cheek. She tried to roll onto her back but found the motion stopped by the tree she'd sat under... what felt like an eon ago. Her head pounded and her right shoulder blade vibrated with pain, grunting she rolled onto her front. She felt stiff like she hadn't moved an inch for a week. She shook her head and pushed herself up on her hands and knees, taking deep slow breaths. She felt something slip from the hair behind her ear and watched it fall to the ground. A shriveled brown flower bounced off the back of her hand and lay harmless on the grass. Quinn looked at it curiously, how did that get behind her ear? Something felt off. She couldn't tell if it was personal or in the environment that caused her unease but she was on edge. Why was she sleeping? When the hell did she fall asleep? There's no way the guys would have just let her lay down in the middle of the woods and then leave her! She steadied herself, grabbed the flower and pushed herself up. She leaned on the tree and winced.

"You're in biiiig trouble."

Quinns head whipped up to see Hazel Eyes wringing his hands half hidden by a bush, eyes wide and darting.
(What the hell happened? What's wrong?)

"Look, it's about to get really hard. You're either up for it or you're not. Either way nothing is going to stop it."

(Please just tell me what I need to know.) Quinns tone practically begged.

"FlashNox."

(What the hell is FlashNox?)

"You're holding one." He pointed to her hand with the flower. She looked at the flower almost fearfully.

(Okay, and what does it do?) Quinn watched his eyes darken.

"It makes people very angry when they ingest it."

(I didn't eat this!)

"Yes you did. So did the others. You need to get out of the forest, now. Get to the next town as fast as possible!"

Quinns eyes widened, (Why?)

"Because I think they're coming to get you. If I'm right, you all need to be in the right state of mind if you want to live. You need to go now! You don't have much time before it kicks in fully!" At that he turned and disappeared in to the shadow of the bush.

(Wait!) Quinn stumbled forward to grab him but missed. When she looked behind the bush there was nothing but shadows. He was gone. She started mentally revving her mind up. That was the most direct thing she'd ever gotten from him and she wasn't about to take that for granted, it was time to move.

Quinn burst into the clearing and found the other four passed out on the ground. None of them stirring, Quinn ran to the closest one, Goku. She paused for a moment remembering her dream. Almost as if she were double checking for pointed ears and claws. She shook her head and dropped to her knees, shaking him hard she tried to wake him up.

(Goku, GOKU, you HAVE to wake up now!) He stirred ever so slightly, mumbled "meat...buns" and flopped back over. Huffing Quinn got up and tried Sanzo, falling to her knees she shook him mercilessly.
(Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!) She hollered in his ear. Nothing. Releasing a growl of frustration she got up and practically skid into Gojyo.
(HEY! GOJYO?! PRETTY GIRLS!) She was all but rolling him over with her feet. When nothing came of that (Oooo!) She screamed angrily. -No gotta calm down, calm down- She started getting sweaty. Bouncing back up she went to her last hope in helping wake any of these guys up.
(Hakkai, HAKKAI! Oh please Hakkai you have to hear me you have to get up! We have to go! PLEEEEASE!) She found herself standing over him and grabbing him by the shoulders of his shirt. (HAKKAI!) She yelled and slapped him in the face in her desperation. Gasping at what she'd done, Hakkai groaned and she let his shirt go, dropping him to the ground abruptly.
(Oh god I'm sorry, fuck, Hakkai you have to get up!) He brought a hand to his stinging cheek and rubbed it as he slowly opened his eyes. Quinn grabbed his other arm and started pulling him up. Hakkai furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Quinn? What happened?" He allowed her to help get him on his feet, but he leaned heavily on her.

(C'mon, perk up, we gotta move, nownownow, we have to go, help me get the others!) She slapped his chest as if she were slapping strength back into his body. He stiffened at the hit and became more alert, noticing the rest of his party passed out in the dirt. Quinn let him go and ran back to Gojyo, shaking him by his jacket almost in a panic.

"Quinn, what's going on?!"

(I'll explain while we run, just trust me and GET THEM UP!) She shouted the last part in Gojyo's ear causing his face to wince. (HA! HA! Gojyo c'mon man you gotta get up! You great heavy bastard!) The last came out gritty as she was forcing him to sit up whether he was ready or not. Hakkai ran over to Goku and pulled a mini meat bun out his sash.

"Goku, hey Gooooku, I have a tasty treat for you!" He wafted the bun under his sleeping comrades nose, and like a shot Goku sat up, blindly reaching for the food.

"Yougottawhatta?" Goku muttered and finally opened his eyes, he smiled a little smile and reached with accuracy but Hakkai stood and made him work for it.

"Oh c'mon man, I'm tired, just gimmie the damn bun! He hopped up and Hakkai obliged. Goku ate it whole.

"We have to wake up Sanzo, Goku." Goku watched Hakkai run over to Sanzo, who was on the ground, his eyes widened.

"Holy shit what happened?!" Goku ran over and pushed Hakkai out of the way.

"Sanzo, SANZO! Hey why isn't he waking up? Sanzo?!" Goku shook him hard.

Hakkai moved over to help Quinn stand Gojyo up on sleepy shaky legs. She popped his cheek lightly trying to get him to come around quicker, boy he was a behemoth! Hakkai helped take a lot of the load though. It seemed to bring him around and he wobbled back into his own kilter looking dazed.

"What's goin' on guys?" Gojyo looked at Hakkai as Quinn slipped away over to the other two.

"Quinn, I can't get him up!" Regardless of the feeling of anger that edged into her rational cognitive faculties, what she was about to do she'd wanted to do for a minute. She yanked Sanzo up by the tight black shirt under his robes and slapped him. Sanzo gasped and his violet eyes flew open, with true gunslinger speed his hand reached to his side and he whipped his gun out, aiming it right at Quinns face.

"Let. Me. Go." Quinn looked him dead in the eye and didn't flinch.

(Then run.) Quinn stood, turned, swept her previously scouted bag from the ground and ran in the direction they'd been going before they stopped at the clearing. She heard the guys call out after her in confusion. She had to get up front, even with the gun dead centered she'd had a sudden urge to punch Sanzo in the face, the flower was kicking in. She was hoping the energy it took to power through this forest on foot would be enough to flush whatever toxins that were in that flower out of her system. Who made her eat it in the first place?! Well she had a pretty good idea of who it was but there was still some doubt in her mind. She heard the foliage around her rustle and the guys caught up, all looking agitated.

"Quinn why the hell are we running?!" " What the hell happened back there?!" Sanzo and Gojyo grilled respectively.

(We got knocked out by some flower called FlashNox.) She was already running low on energy, she wasn't built for long panicky sprints. Gasping she spared a glance at Hakkai as they split a tree in the race.
(How the fuck do we get out of this forest Hakkai?)
"What's she sayin'?" Goku asked.
"Hang on, did you say FlashNox?"
(Yeees!) She wheezed. (Where is the closest exit?) Hakkai veered right and the pack followed.

"What's FlashNox?" Goku and Gojyo asked in unison. Barely out of breath, actually it looked like everyone but Quinn was just jogging.

"Oh shit." Hakkai said lightly. "FlashNox is the very old name for the Rage Blossom. I'd like to know how you know that name. I did read a book on it once though, that's probably what knocked us out. When it blooms it releases a toxic pollen that could drop a very large animal... but you have to eat it for it to do any real damage."

(WE DID EAT IT!) Quinn cried in anger, pumping her arms and legs faster trying to distract her mind from irrational thought. Single minded focus is what was going to get her through this.

"We ate it?! When?!" Hakkai looked at her incredulously.
"We ATE it?!" Gojyo and Goku chimed together again.

(Someone made us... eat it when it.. knocked... us.. out.) Quinn felt her pace slow and leaned into her run harder. Sweat beaded down her face in her mass exertion. Her throat started to burn and feel cold at the same time. It was hard to gauge her air intake.

"She said someone made us eat it when it knocked us out. " Hakkai's translation was strained. Now he was worried.

"Well how the hell does she know that?" Sanzo piped up, glaring with such scrutiny it made Quinn falter a step. All they guys looked in turn.

(Can I *gasp* please explain that, if we... get outta here?) Quinns legs were rubber. She was still running full tilt by sheer will power. She felt like she was going to start drooling, it was hard to swallow.

"It's not far, just up here. I read that this flower is easily manipulated if you use the right kind of magic. I'm sure someone must have sent it for us." Hakkai looked back and saw Quinn struggling hard, he flashed a look at Gojyo and he nodded in return. Gojyo ran up quick around and behind her and swept her off her feet. Eliciting a yelp of surprise from her, Quinn grabbed around his neck with one arm and hyperventilated, she weakly hit his chest with her free hand in a mindless effort to catch her breath as she coughed. Her whole body burned with the run. On the plus side, the group speed increased impressively, putting a little strain on Sanzo now.

"Quinn why are we running like mad men?" Gojyo asked as he ran in toe with Hakkai.

(I think Hakkai is right... they're coming for us.) Her face was beet red. Boy she wished she could speak Chinese again. The world would be so much easier to deal with if they all could understand her. She could feel the unnecessary anger creeping into the auras around her. As Hakkai translated they burst through the brush and out into full sunlight. They were out of the woods, Quinn looked with squinted eyes and pursed lips. Everything seemed to have an extra glare on it, making it hard for her to see. But as her eyes adjusted to the light she looked around to see a small farm with three horses grazing in the pasture closest to them. Jackpot.

(Put me down Gojyo.) Apparently Hakkai didn't hear her because there was no translation. So instead she looked up and locked eyes with the half breed and said a little more sternly with a hand pointing down.(Gojyo. Put me down!)

"Ah... just needed me long enough to not have to do anything huh?" First he said it, then Gojyo shook his head and looked slightly apologetic. "Well I don't know where the hell that came from." Quinn waved him off. Everything still hurt, and she wasn't near as fast as before, but she had a plan. It may not have been the most glorious plan to end all plans but maybe this one was quick enough to get her where she needed to go. She took her first step and a large crash bellowed from the belly of the forest. Birds crashed through the tree tops in the distance, yelling obscenities at whatever had frightened them, she was sure. The ground shivered beneath their feet. Another crash only this time you could distinguish tress falling, hear animals fleeing through the underbrush... something big was coming. Quinn realized she was staring gap jawed at her doom.
(Okay! Let's move!) She clapped her hands and began to sprint across the field albeit a little awkwardly, but managed to clear the fence.

"Hey!" Hakkai pursed his lips and was hot on her heels.

"Why is she going near those horses?" Goku asked.

"Did she just put a halter on one?" Gojyo wondered aloud as he and the rest of the group cleared the fence. Another ominous crash thundered in the forest, spitting more scared birds into the sky.

"I'm about sick of being left in the dark. We're out of the forest Quinn what the hell's going on?!" Sanzo snarled as he came up to Quinn and the horses. He noticed that in the time it took them to run the rest of the pasture she had all three horses haltered and was leading one to a barrel. She hopped up on the barrel and swiftly moved onto the horses bare back. Gripping it's mane tight in her fists she looked back for just a moment before she tightened her knees and verbally yahed the horse forward.

"What is it Fu?" A scared woman called from the little house just up the hill.
"I don't know Mae," A large gun cocks as a door opens with a creak, the man's voice sounding much clearer now. Another crash shook the ground harder and whatever it was in those woods got closer. "Stay inside I sai-Hey what are you doing with my horses?" A gunshot rang loud and clear.

(Grab a horse and run you idiots!) She spurred her horse faster and jumped the fence and rode out onto the road that skirted the forest heading straight for the next town. The guys scrambled to get on the beasts with the added encouragement of a shotgun. Hakkai and Sanzo on one and Gojyo and Goku on the other, the first set made it cleanly the fence. When Gojyo nicked his horse forward Goku got bumped off and landed on his butt hard.
Another gunshot, a bigger crash. Animals burst out of the tree line in a panic.

"Are you fucking kidding me! OW! Wait Gojyo!" Shaking off the fall and glaring Goku watched a chuckling Gojyo turn the horse around and accepted his offered arm. Gojyo slung him up behind him and onward they raced.

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End of chapter TWELVE!

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khaliasenpai, Amber Anonymous, American Senpai, and Shades Of Purple84!

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