Saiyuki Reload Fan Fiction ❯ You Were Meant To Be Mine ❯ Cold Pursuit ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The inevitable youkai attack finally occurs. Layla's unstable grip on reality turns out to be an unforseen advantage, especially for Sanzo.

Anime/Manga: Saiyuki Reload Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.17.2006 | Updated On: 10.02.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 187 | Status: Completed

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Cold Pursuit

The hours on the road passed in tense silence. Sanzo smoked one cigarette after another. Goku sat rigid and angry, not even complaining when the noise of his stomach growling could be heard over Jeep's engine. Hakkai as usual said nothing. Gojyo was content to keep quiet. He had more than enough to think about.

Sanzo had blown it with Layla, blown it so badly he'd never make up for what he'd lost. All because he was so determined to shoot Gojyo for that crack about the monks at his home temple sharing little Kouryuu. Gojyo wondered how close to the truth he'd managed to strike. Such a thing wasn't unheard of among monks, but given the way Sanzo idolized his master, Gojyo figured the elder Sanzo would have protected his little disciple from that sort of thing. And then there was that whole weird scene with the crazy monk Rikudo who had once been Shuei....

Gojyo shook his head. It was all too much to figure out. Layla was back in his arms, and even if she wasn't willing to let him give her all the kinds of comfort he had to offer, at least the two of them were OK with each other again. That plus Goku's little hissy fit pretty much guaranteed Layla would be spending the coming night in Gojyo's tent. Hakkai wouldn't be overjoyed about that, but he couldn't expect Gojyo to make Layla sleep outside while they kept up their usual arrangements....

Hakkai pulled over. He stared up at the sky, turning his head from side to side.

"Trouble?" Gojyo asked.

"When we stop, it stops. Something's pacing us. Probably waiting until after nightfall to attack."

"Swell."

"Sanzo?" Hakkai looked over at the monk, who appeared to be asleep.

"Hey, Blondie!" Gojyo yelled. "Wake up and smell the youkai!"

Sanzo raised his head. "Hakkai. How far away are they?" His voice was a harsh whisper.

"Hard to say. If they were closer than a mile, we should be able to spot them. Call it three at most."

"Keep driving. Anything like a town anywhere nearby?"

"The map doesn't show anything, but you never know."

"Keep your eyes open for any kind of structure. We can't let them come on us out in the open."

"Sanzo?" Goku leaned forward. "Are you OK? Are you feeling any better?"

"No. Now shut up and let me sleep."

With that Sanzo sank back into his dozing posture. Goku sat back, looking fretful. He shot Layla another glare.

"Great. More youkai to fight and we've got her to worry about."

"Shut up, monkey," Gojyo snapped. "I'll take care of Layla. You just keep an eye on your precious priest."

***

Nightfall was fast approaching. Layla dreaded the coming of darkness. Even if whatever Hakkai sensed following them didn't reveal itself, there was still the messy business of where she'd sleep tonight to be gotten through. The road had brought them to an area of low hills dotted by clumps of boulders. There was no real shelter, but some of the boulders were tall enough to block the force of the wind whipping across the open spaces. Even though the day was still warm, Layla shivered, huddling close against Gojyo. Hakkai pulled over and looked at Sanzo, who still appeared to be dozing.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai said. "We need to make a decision about camping now or driving on until we lose the light."

"Are they any closer?"

"I'm not sure. Sometimes the presence is very strong, then the next time I look for it, it's very faint."

"They're moving around." Sanzo lit a cigarette and sat smoking and staring the clumps of boulders stretching out across the rolling landscape ahead of them. "Gojyo. Goku. Go find some rocks that give us cover on at least three sides."

Goku sprang out of Jeep, giving Layla room to move over so Gojyo could climb out as well. He turned back to give her a quick, reassuring peck on the cheek. Layla wrapped her arms around herself, brought her knees up and tucked her feet to one side on the seat, making herself as small as possible. Hakkai looked back at her, wearing one of those thin, meaningless smiles he could put on and take off as easily as the monocle he wore. Sanzo sat there smoking while he watched Goku and Gojyo roam around the rock formations. The wind hissed and moaned as it picked up speed with the coming of night. Layla shivered again, wishing for the jacket that was buried in her traveling bag.

Goku appeared on the top of one taller rock. "Here, Sanzo! This is a good place!"

As if that was some signal, the youkai appeared, popping up from their hiding places among the rocks. Four on the left, six on the right.

"Shit." Sanzo threw aside his cigarette and pulled out his pistol, hiking up the skirts of his robes as he got out of the Jeep. "Watch your backs! They could be hiding everywhere!"

Hakkai climbed out of the Jeep and held out his hands to Layla. "Hurry now. We can't risk having them damage Jeep."

Layla stood up, her cramped muscles protesting, making her move too slowly. Hakkai caught her around the waist and lifted her bodily out of the Jeep. Layla had to hold back a cry of surprise. She wouldn't have thought the thin, quiet man was so strong.

"Hakuryuu!" Hakkai yelled. "Transform! Fly!"

The Jeep shimmered, imploding into the form of the little white dragon.

"Kyuu!" Hakuryuu spread his wings and soared into the sky.

Sanzo fired four rounds, taking out two of the youkai nearest them. The noise of the gunshots made Layla scream, clapping her hands over her ears. While she watched, both Gojyo and Goku fought the youkai with weapons that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Gojyo's staff with its sickle shaped blade sliced through one youkai, then another. Sanzo had been right. More youkai kept coming, pouring out of a larger group of rocks up ahead. Goku hooted and laughed, pounding the daylights out of every youkai he chased down.

"Stay close now." Hakkai held out his hands. Light gathered between them into a ball that shimmered and crackled like tame lightning.

Two youkai charged them, shrieking and slavering. Hakkai hefted the ball of light and flung it at them, knocking them flat.

Layla's head ached. Her throat was raw from screaming. It was all too much, too much like the bandits with their horrible laughter as they cut down the guards and the pages and even the two old men who still served as grooms. The smell of blood, of death, of all the things inside a body that should never see the light of day.... Layla dug her fingers into her hair at her temples, trying to stop the whirling, flickering images in her head. Hakkai tugged at her arm, making her run with him. Something hard pressed against her back. She slid down, crouching at the base of one of the boulders, still holding her head, grinding the heels of her hands against her temples to keep all the madness and the grief and the rage inside. The rage, that terrible fury, the need to kill and kill and kill....

Chanting cut through the madness gathering in her mind. Sanzo's voice, chanting the sutra. Layla opened her eyes to see Sanzo standing at the center of a mass of spiraling lengths of scroll. They had wrapped themselves around one large youkai, who screamed and struggled in the grip of the sutra until he vanished in a blast of light. Sanzo stopped chanting. The sutra shrank back to its normal size, hanging across his shoulders. Sanzo stumbled backward, fetching up against another boulder not two yards from where Layla crouched. He pulled out his pistol and snapped open the chamber, shaking out the empty shells. He pulled a handful of fresh bullets from his sleeve and began inserting them into the chambers. He made it as far as three when another youkai appeared on top of the stone Layla leaned on, mere inches above her head. With a shriek the youkai threw himself on Sanzo, slamming him against the side of the boulder. Layla winced at the sound of Sanzo's head cracking against stone. His eyes rolled back, his body went limp, and the pistol fell from his grasp.

"Sanzo!" Layla cried.

The youkai threw Sanzo flat on his back and sat across Sanzo's belly, laughing. The monster had shaggy green hair and a mouthful of fangs. He ran its claws through Sanzo's golden hair, trailing one claw down his cheek.

"Ho ho, it's priest meat for me! Hey, you bastards! Look at me! I get to live forever!"

The youkai pressed harder, drawing a line of blood down Sanzo's cheek. He licked his claw, smacking his lips with gusto. Inside Layla, something shattered.

Move forward. Pick up pistol. Close chamber. Pull back hammer. Press muzzle to back of youkai's head. Pull trigger.

The youkai exploded in another blast of light. The pistol's recoil slammed it back into Layla's belly, making her double over and grunt with the pain. She dropped to her knees beside Sanzo, holding the pistol in both hands. Another youkai approached, this one more cautious. Layla watched its muddy eyes, eyes that looked past her. Its lips twitched with new confidence. Layla waited, holding her breath, straining her ears. When a clawed hand grabbed fistful of her hair and jerked her head back, she bent backward, jamming the pistol under the youkai's jaw.

Click.

She pulled the trigger again.

Click.

Again.

The youkai exploded. The recoil from the pistol slammed it into her forehead, leaving her dizzy and weak. A filthy bare foot with clawed nails kicked her in the throat, knocking her over and leaving her choking while she gasped for air.

"Stay down, bitch," the youkai snarled. "Once I'm done with the priest, we'll all have plenty of time for you!"

Echoes. Echoes of the bandit leader. Echoes of the pain, the fear, the blood. The killing rage poured through Layla, burning churning blazing screaming rage. Now Layla welcomed it, the way it put strength in her shaking legs and steel in her spine. The youkai bent over Sanzo, running its filthy hands up and down Sanzo's arms, over the black leather of Sanzo's arm warmers. Layla tapped the youkai on the shoulder. When he turned on her, she backhanded him with the pistol. Blood gushed from his broken nose, splattering her hands and skirt. Layla stared at the blood. Her whole world turned red. She threw her head back, screaming at the sky. The pistol blew the youkai away.

Click. Click. Click.

Bullets. More. Somewhere.

Layla knelt beside Sanzo and stuck her hand inside his sleeve. Her fingers closed on several round, hard shapes. She pulled her hand out of Sanzo's sleeve and raised the pistol. A hand clad partly in black leather shot up to catch her wrist.

"Enough, Layla." Sanzo's voice. "You've done enough."

The screaming in her head faded. The red mist gave way to the real colors around her. Sanzo knelt before her, holding her wrists. His golden blonde hair was mussed. His robes were filthy. His cheek still bled from the youkai's claw. Layla ducked her head in shame.

"Forgive me, Sanzo-sama. I didn't kill that one fast enough."

Sanzo stared into her eyes, the violet depths of his calling to her, giving her somewhere to hide. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Goku said I can't talk to you anymore, Sanzo-sama. He said I make you sick, and sad." The tears overflowed, streaming down her cheeks. "I was so happy to meet another Sanzo, and now I've ruined everything...."

"Stop that!" Sanzo shook her.

"They wanted to eat you," Layla whispered. "I had to kill them. Had to. Had to stop them."

"Layla." Sanzo smoothed her wild, tangled hair back from her face. "You need to rest now. Do you hear me? It's time for you to rest."

The last of the madness slid away from her, obeying Sanzo's command. Layla's eyelids grew heavy. She sagged against Sanzo's shoulder. Sanzo's lips touched the place on her forehead that still hurt from the pistol's recoil. With his kiss came a cool, sweet peace. Layla closed her eyes and slept.