Saiyuki Reload Gunlock Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven above Heaven above Heaven ❯ Watered down plans ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: You thought it had changed? Hah.

Warning: Same thing.

 

Chapter IV: Watered down plans

 

Jiang was only half of a person, insane and she had a character that could maybe be described simple-mindedness rather than naivety but she was also cunning in her own way. She knew she was out of her league battling the whole Sanzo party so she needed to create a situation as unfavourable to her enemies as possible. There was a pile of hay against the back wall of the inn they were staying. It was obvious and easy answer to her prayers. They would have to run blindly out of inn and she would have Mei her sights at door. Dagger wasn't the only weapon she could use; when she had still been one person she had been mighty good with blowpipe. She just needed something to pepper the arrows with and there was a pharmacy in the town.

 

Homura had already found out he could feel the very essence of Rinrei somewhere deep within his mind. Not Rinrei but Mei he reminded himself. His experience with women was diminutive - only Rinrei and they had hardly even kissed before they were separated - but he knew it wouldn't be wise to let Mei believe he was only after his late beloved's soul within her. Even if it was technically true. He was currently standing on the top of a dike outside the town. The distance wasn't really an objection. He was perfectly aware of what house Mei was in and what window was hers. She was sharing a room with Konzen and Goku. All people he needed to associate with were in one place but he wanted to meet only Mei now.

“Probably appearing into her room at the dead of the night wouldn't be such a great idea anyway,” he said not quite persuaded. He was beginning to regret he hadn't talk with Mei yesterday. The closer he was Mei the thinner his patience got. He felt like he could literally snap if he couldn't even see Mei immediately and cursed himself for that tell-tale reaction.

“She might feel intimidated,” Shien agreed with him. They might have waited till the dawn before leaving but he was secretly glad for his lord's impatience. Seeing any other reaction than fatalistic determination or melancholy contentment was a whole new sensation. Also a pleasant one.

Zenon wasn't thinking it like that. He would follow Homura anywhere even including deep under space but that didn't mean he would have been too pleased to spend his night staring an inn. Even watching grass growing would have been more exiting.

“I don't think she is going to disappear if we look into other direction for a second,” he pleaded. “Couldn't we at least go to the town? We would then be nearer to her in case she is going to disappear,” he reasoned contrary to his earlier comment. Homura shook his head.

“She would probably be able to sense my presence,” he told him. “There is mental connection that was regained in that clearing.” Zenon ceased an eyebrow.

“Why not let her? You could talk her sooner then.” There was not an easy answer to that. Homura only knew he felt irresistible need to… not be seen till the moment situation would be perfect. He would meet Mei knowing exactly where he stood. That instinct to hide was worse than pathetic but he couldn't force himself to act against it.

“She would alert Konzen and others and then there would be another fight. I am up to gain her trust.” That was a good reason. He knew that the situation would still be the same in the daylight. They would hardly let Mei wander alone or split up at all. Still day would be better than night. It would be less assault-like then.

His concentration had wandered only few moments but when he turned his eyes back to the town he realised to his utter horror that there was little cloud of smoke below Mei's window and little mocking flames were licking the wooden wall. His both comrades could feel the sudden change in his air. Zenon followed his look.

“Hell!” he swore and reached towards his weapon.

“What is it?” Shien asked nervously. When he concentrated he could feel oddly familiar sense of youki.

“An arson attempt!” Zenon shouted. If Homura had stopped to think he would have reached out with his mind and put out the fire. He couldn't think. The only thing running through his head was: not another time! He hated fate who would take away what he hadn't even got yet and gods whose fault it was. He drew his sword and rose it above his head and Shien and Zenon had barely enough time to think oh no when he split the dike in half with a single blow.

 

Goku was the one to wake to the smell of burning wood and after one second of dreamy haze he realised it came from outside. He stormed to the window with one big jump and Sanzo woke to the creaking of the bed. Goku looked outside and then down and cursed mildly. He felt himself cheated some way. People trying to get them killed were annoying but he rarely hated anyone for it. Being a coward was a different matter altogether. Luckily it was also very useless attack.

“What is it?” Sanzo asked with deceivingly calm voice and hoped from the bottom of his heart it was an youkai attack. His mood had just changed from bad to bloody and if he didn't get some stress relieving at that instant he would do something he would regret later and the nearest unlucky bystander too. Mei got up staring wildly around in their small room and attempted to pull her gun.

“What?” she mumbled and tried to banish sleepiness from her mind. Things were moving on way too fast for her.

“The wall is on fire!” Goku shouted. Mei stared him dumbly.

“Did someone light it?” she asked and got out of bed. Sanzo grunted.

“No, it was spontaneity combusting. Of course someone lit it!” He bent down to grab his shoes. Goku was already in the hallway and shouted as loud as he could:

“The house is on fire!” There were other people in too and he didn't want anyone to get hurt because of them. Sanzo run after him but Mei stopped briefly to grab her packing and then Sanzo's and Goku's packs. She was already on the stairs when she realised she was barefooted. She stopped and looked up but continued to run toward door with other customers. Too dangerous to turn back anymore.

“At least this is shows some imagination,” she muttered.

Outside in the garden Jiang was hiding in the long hay and watching intently at door. The fire was noticed before it grew even near life threatening but that didn't stop inn's customers running like scared rabbits and screaming like stabbed pigs. Temptation to play a bit would have been near irresistible some days ago but now it only served to make her even more sad and angry. No need to be impatient. Nothing would ever change, just the taste of copper in her mouth forever and ever and aching that would never cease. There was a strange crush audible but then the earth monkey of Sanzo party run out of door and Jiang concentrated even harder. Sanzo run out too and Gojyo and Hakkai with the dragon and some meaningless humans but not Mei. Now there was another disturbing sound and the scent of water. Some instinct told Jiang to look and another, wiser one told her to get up and run but she had to get Mei so she waited a bit longer. Eventually a tousled-haired human girl with three packs appeared in the doorway. Jiang followed her with her eyes and when Mei stopped moving and turned to look now bigger flames she aimed to her back and inhaled deeply. Then she realised the danger but she couldn't even blink before an impossible wave flooded over her. She breathed out and then in and got water in her lungs. The world was spinning and it got so dim…

Goku and Hakkai smelled the water and Gojyo and Sanzo heard it coming. Mei was completely dumbfounded when wave hit her legs and get her wet all the way to her knees.

“Wasn't there a dike up there?” Gojyo asked sounding only mildly curious. It wasn't exactly pride that kept him from showing his confusion but the pleasure he got from observing people's reaction to his attitude. Everyone needed to get kicks from something.

“Was is the right choice of words I believe,” Hakkai said. “Though it doesn't seem like we are in danger to drown.” He was right. Po was a rather small river and it was almost dry that time of year. Once the reservoir had been emptied the flood of water was already slowing down. The owner of the inn took a blanket from one of scared customers, dropped it to the water and then began to put out the remaining little flames with it. People began to look around obviously hoping someone would tell them what to do. The rest of the village was slowly beginning to wake up too and some farmers were already up and shouting swear words.

“Do you think Jiang just prevented another murder attempt?” Hakkai asked his voice lowered. Sanzo nodded fiercely.

“Go figure. She seems to be eager to keep us alive. Maybe we should take a little time and put her out of her misery,” he said coldly. Not best possible way to voice his thought. It was some odd masochistic treat of his, want to get a negative reaction out of his friends at times. He had got no idea why. If he had he most likely would have got rid of it already. Gojyo didn't fail him. He shuddered at Sanzo's words. Kill the poor girl for no reason but her helping them now?

“How heartless can you get?” he asked furiously. Still even when saying that he knew there had to be some logic in it. Sanzo was one merciless bastard but he wouldn't postpone the completion of their mission without a good reason. Sanzo gave him a disdainful look like it should have been obvious.

“You think she is now protecting us out of good heart? The only reason she could want us alive is that Homura is still alive too. And she is pained beyond anything you could imagine. Her soul was split to half and half of her is dead already.” She was beyond any saving attempt and Sanzo wouldn't have wasted any on an enemy anyway. If he started taking pity on enemies there wouldn't be end of mourning.

“I guess…” Gojyo said not wanting to say more, not knowing what to say. Mei sighed but banished sickening thoughts and images of splitting a soul from her mind. She looked packs in her hands. They would most likely get into a fight before dawn so she would better bring them back to their rooms and take her shoes. Inn's customers were already going back to their rooms though Mei couldn't understand how they could get any sleep.

 

Merciful Goddess Kanzeon Bosatsu was toying with hir binoculars and grinning. Jiroshi was looking after hir and sighing. For them it was a regular night.

“Ah, this is the best soap opera I have ever seen. If we only had some popcorn.” Se looked at Jiroshi and pouted adorably. Jiroshi was merely annoyed.

“No popcorn. And I don't see what down there reminds you of soap opera. That is merely source discomfort.” Kanzeon shook hir head.

“But you can not see where things are going from there. This is really the most amusing situation.”

“If I were you I would feel more concerned about Li Touten's new plans.” Some silent inner whisper told him it was utterly stupid to get himself any further into bodhisattva's plans than he was anyway due to his position but he was ignoring the voice more often than ever these days. He knew why and it was scaring him a bit but it couldn't very well be helped.

“No need to be concerned. Ukoku Sanzo is taking care of that for us,” Kanzeon said and felt a warm glow inside hir chest. In these unfair worlds and especially unfair Heaven it was good to know that if nothing else Karma was incorruptible till the very end. And after justice would be hir turn.

“How?” Jiroshi asked. He was starting to get even worse feeling about it.

“One word: Qi” Kanzeon said. Jiroshi winced and stared Kanzeon utterly shocked. Se almost pitied the poor man, especially for what se also planned to tell him. Se wouldn't have told it to the man but he was the only one se considered a friend in that paradise of self-righteous flatterers.

“He just can not.” He said it so sternly he almost believed it.

“Oh, yes he can,” Kanzeon said more merrily than se probably should have. “ And it's a good thing for us. You see, they are not afraid of love without reason at all. There is nothing more powerful - and therefore dangerous - than unconditional love.” There comes the reason, Jiroshi thought. Like he didn't know it already.

 

“I think we too should go back in,” Hakkai had just enough time to say before the screaming started. It came from opposite sides of the town.

“Youkais!” was heard from the left and it was accompanied with lots of wordless sounds of terror but oddly voices didn't sound really pained.

“An assault,” men were shouting from the direction of the dike. No dying sounds there either.

“We'll go after those who come from fields!” Hakkai shouted and grabbed Gojyo from the wrist. “You come with me,” he said. It was more like instinct than deliberate decision. It had always been Gojyo for him. Goku watched them running.

“You think they'll be alright?” he asked. He knew they would but he still wanted Sanzo to say it.

“Ch, of course. Come now.” One step was audible behind them.

“No reason to go anywhere,” a mildly amused but also agitated voice told them. They both turned around.

“Homura,” Sanzo only acknowledged. The other man bowed mockingly.

“As frigid as always I see. Where is the one who tried to kill you?” Sanzo smiled inwardly. That act could be played by more than one.

“Giving higher regard to our lives than the night before I see. You think we would be here now if we knew?” Even in that situation Homura could appreciate Konzen's insolent nature. In Heaven he had watched Konzen and his clique from afar and liked the way they had bent the rules.

“I can see you are still what you used to be, Konzen,” he said simply. Sanzo disapproved that comment. Greatly.

“I am not Konzen!” he shouted and shot. And realised then that bullets did no good.

“Though your temper has got even worse,” Homura mused. “And I am sure Konzen would disapprove your firm denial.”

“Stop talking to Sanzo like that!” Goku demanded angrily. Now Homura turned around to match his eyes even though is heart wasn't in the verbal sparring. He could feel Mei vaguely but there wasn't saying more than that she was near. Tenpou Gensui and Kenren Taisho would be better to take good care of her.

“And you won't watch him being badmouthed. It's comforting to know some things never change. But tell me how you would go against a god.” It was just regular teasing and they were all surprised when Goku's right hand moved a little bit nearer his limiter. Goku wanted to be of use to Sanzo. Sanzo had saved him, Sanzo had given him everything and there was so little he could give him back because Sanzo was the most self-satisfied person he knew. There was one thing he was really good at and it was fighting. So he fought and he usually won. If he won quickly, Sanzo wouldn't get injured. He was strong and strongwilled and wouldn't maybe die even if he were killed but still he got injured a lot more than Goku liked to see. If it was just youkais, it wouldn't have been so bad. They were pretty good at fighting youkais and most of them were cannon fodder class like Gojyo called them. But there were also good fighters like Kougaiji and cowards who would try and poison them or make traps. Goku really loathed traps. They were unfair. Then there were humans like Kami-sama. Humans were usually crappy fighters but maybe generalizing wasn't so smart after all.

And now there were Homura and his followers also and even if they all would fight at once, the end would be unsure. Oddly none of those mindmessing psychos they met every once in a while never tried to manipulate his feelings towards Sanzo. All others' feelings but not his. He had once heard Hakkai saying to Gojyo that it was because in the last analysis he was Seiten Taisei and no one dared to press his back against that wall. Maybe it was the reason even though Goku hated removing the limiter. He hated what it did to him. Hakkai helped him with learning self control, and he had said he was making good progress. He hadn't told Hakkai that he remembered more of what happened during the attacks every time it happened. He was too ashamed. If it only would work vice versa and Seiten Taisei would remember. Not too likely. And still he would do it for Sanzo because Sanzo could always restrain him. His faith in that was solid as rock. Shien and Zenon braced themselves against the worst possible scenario. They remembered what had happened in Heaven when Nataku had stabbed himself and that was not something to take lightly. Homura was surprised. Just his presence intimidated Goku that much? And Sanzo was sure of one thing. Goku would not do that for him anymore. He hated the look in Goku's eyes after romp as Seiten Taisei. Mei had joked that the way the golden coronet kept falling of was so bad it was a habit by now and even though even she hadn't laughed at her own joke no one could deny truth in those words. They had been so careless it was almost criminal and the price was always some painful injuries for their three companions and the ashamed, submissive, simply unbearable look in Goku's eyes. It would have been nice to stay in denial but for all his bad temper and swallowing in angst every rainy night Goku had still managed to get under his skin. Well, if he developed a trauma of beautiful nights too he would never sleep well.

“Don't even think it,” he warned. “He is not worth of another angst speech of you.” Goku gave him perplexed but pleased look and actually blushed a bit.

“But surprisingly you have got heart,” Homura said. “I hope Tenpou and Kenren are taking as good care of Mei than you of Goku.”

“She would be dead by now,” Zenon whispered to Shien.

“Hey, where she is by the way?” Goku asked bluntly. Homura felt a knot forming inside his chest. He had wanted to appear calm and cocky and he had talked when the assassin was still roaming free. Pride truly was a sin.

“Didn't she go with your two other comrades?” he asked against hope. Sanzo shook his head.

“No. Goku. Can you catch her scent?” There was anger for Mei disappearing all alone against all orders but even more worry. Then they heard a gunshot from the inn.

 

Mei climbed the stairs up and entered their room. She dropped packs without any further ceremony and grabbed first her shoes, then dropped them and went for her jeans and jacket. Boxers and a top was not a good choice of clothes now. She could have cared less for other party members seeing her like that. She had travelled with them what seemed now like an eternity, slept often in jeep with them or in the same room bathed in a river in the middle of nowhere and she had witnessed the others in various states of undressing and had been witnessed in turn. It meant nothing. Then again assassins and tow's people were a different matter. When she put on her jeans she heard some noise from outside. At first she didn't pay attention but when she took her jacket the window opened and the next thing she knew she was pinned down to the floor. Her head hit the floor and an ill-timed haze dimmed her senses. The only thing that came to her mind was: I still didn't get my shoes.

Then she was lifted so fast she was only aware of the rush of air and her head hit the wall. She tried to concentrate to the wet warm form pressed against her body.

“Uh, I really hope that you are a woman,” she managed. Then she could just feel the air getting thick of tension.

“I can not very well be anything else,” a bitter voice answered. Mei blinked and her vision cleared but when the woman had talked she had already recognised her.

“Jiang!” she breathed. The youkai nodded and pressed her more tightly back to the wall.

“And I will kill you,” Jiang announced simply and even though she was careful with those insanely sharp talons it mattered a little when the hands those talons were attached to were around Mei's neck. Mei gave a quick glance and saw her gun on the floor. It was so frustratingly near but still out of her reach.

“Why you would go to this much of trouble to protect us and then just kill me?” she asked. From this close Jiang's youkai powers were a huge disadvantage to her but if she would get the woman to loose her concentration just for a second…

“You would keep Homura and those guys fighting,” Jiang explained calmly. “If I kill you they will fight and I can kill the winner.” So calmly, so sensibly. Her grip was tightening and Mei made an audible sound of choke. A blood-red panic was slowly rousing but she forced it back. She had to make Jiang loose her grip. She didn't want to die. No one wants, she reminded herself but a wiser part of her mind decided it wasn't good time to berate herself. Jiang appeared to be really simpleminded. If only it worked. She let her eyes grow wider.

“Homura,” she whispered with awe and hope. Jiang tensed and began to turn around. Mei could hardly believe her good luck. Jiang realised the trick almost immediately but things seemed to be moving so slowly to Mei. She knew she could grab Jiang's hand before she hers. When she reached it she knew like some times in her martial art classes that everything would go just perfectly. Jiang was so strong the timing had to be perfectly right and not only almost but she managed and twisted youkai woman's hand and when she heard a nauseating crunch the pace of things speed up to the normal. Jiang screamed and Mei threw into the floor and got a hold of her gun. Then she went flying again turned around in the midair. Jiang threw her against the wall again but this time Mei bent her head down and it didn't hit the wall. They realised exactly at the same moment that Mei's gun was between them its barrel pointing at Jiang's navel. Mei inhaled sharply and pulled the trigger just when Jiang tried to pull her hand away. It only served to turn the gun to point to the left side of her chest.

Jiang's face was so surprised it would have been funny if it hadn't been so sad. Her hand still moved towards Mei's throat as if it had a will of its own but then Jiang completely froze. Her sanity was forcing its way to back with the cold that was taking over her body. She was at death's door and her other half had already made it there but Yamarajas could not judge an incomplete soul. She had been waiting for herself. Mei felt her breath catching to her throat. A big white appeared behind Jiang's back and the woman's body gave away the darkest black she had ever seen. For a second there was a huge mark of Yin behind Jiang with that little vital whiteness that made her whole. Her eyes were shining with emotions so strong they gave away their own light and her expression was so grateful Mei felt she couldn't breathe.

“Thank you,” the woman whispered with a quickly weakening voice. She smiled when she saw human woman's pained expression. No need to feel bad for me, she wanted to say but her time was running out and she had more important things to say. Vital things.

“You need to be wary of Nii Jienyi. He is also Ukoku Sanzo and he has a Sutra he didn't tell Gyoukumen Koushu about so even Homura didn't get it. Koushu is the leader of the revival project. Jienyi…” Her voice was cut short and she fell hard to the floor and Mei could feel there was no more life in her. She felt strange wetness on her cheek and she realised with slight awe that she was in tears. Then the door crushed down and Mei turned around pointing with her gun. She was silent for a moment.

“Homura?” she asked like it shouldn't have been possible. “You really are here?”

 

Hakkai and Gojyo were running towards the screams. Some town's men had apparently been getting together to examine together what had happened to their dike. Oddly enough Hakkai still could get no scent of deaths.

“They are not even trying to kill anyone,” he told Gojyo. “Till now there should be no end of corpses. It means that whoever has been sent after us is civilized enough to not kill innocents. Which leaves only…” He intended Gojyo to full the empty space but he said nothing. He preferred Kougaiji to many of their enemies or actually to all of them but meeting the Kougaiji party also meant meeting Dokugakuji. Why his brother had chosen such tonguetwister to his name he didn't know. It could be imagined that if a man decided to take a new name he would take something cool sounding. He didn't like the situation at all. They were dancing on eggshells and sooner or later someone was bound to get really hurt. Or die. He reminded that they could die. And then there would be a blood feud between brothers and as if Jien killing their mother for him hadn't been bad enough. Maybe mixed blood really was bad luck. Then he got a grip of himself. Hakkai didn't believe in that and he didn't either. Not really. He had never tried to deny what he was. He had never dyed his hair, or worn contact lenses to change the colour of his eyes.  Because that was the easy way out, and Gojyo had never been the naive kind of person who could trick himself into believing the easy way equals the best way. It rarely even equalled a good way. Claiming sky to be green wouldn't change its colour. They run past a dark alley and turned to the left in the next corner. Hakkai was faster of them and he crumbled into something warm and they fell together getting their limbs tangled.

“Kougaiji?” he asked. His hand was palm against Kougaiji's chest and he was ready to call forth a chi bolt that would rip through man's chest. Kougaiji felt it and froze. That reaction caused Hakkai to hesitate. The tension seemed to be crying for anything that would send them over whatever edge they had been teetering on.

“It didn't take you long to get yourself into compromising position,” Gojyo grinned.

And the tension was gone. Hakkai stood up and helped Kougaiji up too. The street was dark but he knew Dokugakuji and Yaone eased up too.

“If you are up to fight us I fear that you'll need to take a number. There are already two assassin parties around.” He gave their nemesis an amused look. “You might consider organizing yourselves a bit better.” Still even when saying it he knew Kougaiji hadn't come for the Sutra or their lives that time. There was no promise of battle in the air. And Kougaiji shook his head to confirm his thoughts.

“We didn't come to fight this time,” he said. “We have got a common enemy now and we came to propose a temporary alliance.” Hakkai pondered that for a second. Someone who was powerful enough to make Kougaiji search for allies. Someone who would be threat to the both parties. It was just a guess of course but a well-educated guess. Kougaiji had a Sutra too.

“Are you talking about Homura?” he asked. Talk about a shock, he thought amused and hoped he could have seen Kougaiji's face better.

“Have you already met her?” Yaone asked hastily. “You all seem to be alright.”

“We have already had that honour,” Hakkai said dryly. “Though I am sure Sanzo would prefer otherwise. You want to meet him, right?” He gestured to them to follow and turned to walk toward the inn. Then he came to think about the situation and frowned.

“You should probably hide your ears. People here are a bit jittery right now.” Kougaiji sighed frustrated. It seemed that Hakkai wasn't about to volunteer any information.

“So your Sutras are gone too?” he asked. Hakkai turned to look at him and his expression was so innocently confused it was an obvious fake.

“No, why? He proved to have the intention though.” Gojyo smirked and fought off a huge grin. Hakkai spent so much of his time showing off his “Pardon me” and “Oh my goodness” -nature that it was easy to forget how devilish he could be when he felt like it. Gojyo never forgot though. He had lived with Hakkai three years after all.

“And how you kept him from doing it?” Now Kougaiji was everything but writhing. Yaone could tell that the gentle-eyed man was having fun. Surprisingly Hakkai seemed to have a slight flaw in his character but Yaone would forgive him that and anything gladly if he only would share that piece of information. Hakkai made sure his body language was perfectly normal.

“We didn't. It was just Mei.”

And there was silence. Then Lirin wan was the one who spoke. Hakkai was surprised. He hadn't noticed the pint-sized demon princess was there.

“But Mei sucks at fight,” she complained and Hakkai frowned. Good thing Mei wasn't there to hear that. Lirin really was too acid-tongued sometimes.

“She didn't fight. She just got herself into very unfavourable situation.” Hakkai's voice was slightly reproachful. Still he wasn't truly angry with Lirin. Really how the girl would know better when her idolized older brother spent all his time not caring if he hurt people as long as he got what he wanted. Hakkai respected Kougaiji as an enemy and acknowledged his noble character but that didn't change the fact he didn't like Kougaiji. After the incident with the scorpion woman, when they had got their second Sutra, he had told Sanzo how Dokugakuji had told him he couldn't forgive them and how he understood. He did. Kougaiji had kept them from getting Sanzo to the town after he had got should-be lethal dose of a poison. He couldn't forgive that.

“What exactly did she do?” Now Kougaiji's patience was beginning to wear thin. That bastard was enjoying himself.

“It wasn't anything she would have done, really. It appears that Homura is in love with her.” Kougaiji ceased to walk as if he had crashed into a wall and all his comrades did the same. Gojyo was hard pressed to chuckle in Hakkai fashion but the fact the situation was indeed unfavourable kept him from doing it.

“In. Love. With Mei?” They could understand every single word but still they had difficulties accepting it. The thought they all shared though they articulated it in different ways in their minds was that they could understand if Homura would fall for some ultra-sexy die-hard warrior babe and they would understand if he would fall for someone meek and delicate who needed a knight in shining armour to shield her from the world. Homura might want someone as cocky as he was someone to keep by his side no matter what the situation or someone to cherish but whatever the choice it would have to be absolute and perfect. Ultimate like his nature was. What Homura would see in between-being like Mei was beyond them. Hakkai nodded and continued walking.

“Sanzo might want to form an alliance since Mei for understandable reasons is not too thrilled and protecting her might prove to be a full-time job.” Not to mention Mei wanted to be able to protect herself. Hakkai on his part wanted to be able to protect her. Maybe, if he could save someone who truly needed it he could sleep even rainy nights well. Or at least feel a bit better.

Where Sanzo is?” Lirin asked then. “I want to ride on his shoulders.” If Sanzo only would decide to stay on their side maybe she could ask if he would be her boyfriend. Kougaiji would go ballistic but that would be just more fun.

“Ah, I don't think Sanzo would allow it in front of enemies. Maybe you could settle with your brother.”

“Yup!” Lirin agreed happily and hugger Kougaiji's arm. “Piggyback me!” Kougaiji began to look suffering. He would never say so to his little sister but his ego suffered too for things like that. Dokugakuji looked perplexed and whispered to his younger brother:

“Your friend doesn't seem too pleased now. This is way out of character.” Gojyo shook his head.

“You really thought he was a perfect ineffectual mother of the group?” he asked. For some reason impossible to understand he took pleasure of being able to prove he knew Hakkai better than other people, even if those people had no qualifications for it. Even if those people didn't actually know him or were even enemies like his brother.

“He is the nicest person there is most of time but if people he cares for get hurt he can be slow as hell to forget. He didn't forgive either.” Dokugakuji felt his cheeks blushing and was happy for the covering darkness. Despite what he had said he wasn't all that unforgiving especially since his conscience had ruthlessly reminded him that they had practically begged for it and what had happened afterwards was more his fault than anyone else's. The miscommunication between him and Gojyo felt bad but he let it once again remain that way. If they would understand each other better it would just hurt that much more. Gojyo was bothered too but it wasn't for his brother that time. Something seemed to be off. Not seemed, he realised suddenly, but heard.

“Hey, why there isn't any shooting or battlecries?” he asked. “Weren't Sanzo and Goku supposed to fight there?”

 

“Um. Good night?” Mei tried. It was pretty lousy try but how was she supposed to make small talk with a god? To her relief Sanzo and Goku appeared to the doorway the next moment.

“Are you all right?” Homura asked and made an attempt to kill the youkai woman on the floor again with only a stare. It was almost as good as Sanzo's evil glares. The relief was flowing through him but there was also the shock of seeing the results of Mei being threatened. She had killed. It was permanent now, no lying himself about it anymore. Mei was Rinrei in roundabout hand me over -way but for some aching reason that changed nothing. He still needed her like nothing else.

“I'm fine,” Mei said and risked a glance to Sanzo. Sanzo was staring her judgingly and Goku worriedly and Mei remembered how horrified they had looked when she had told them about reading Homura's thoughts just some hours ago. It's not like with you two, she wanted to say. I have small talk with Kougaiji too. But that would only have served to make them even more suspicious so she raised her gun and aimed to Homura's chest.

“Don't take this wrong, I really appreciate that you would protect me but would you now please take your leave so I could get fully dressed?” Homura actually blushed to her surprise. And something unwanted was again getting through. Embarrassment, patience and impatience tangled into tight knot and Homura nodded.

“I am terribly sorry for the inconvenient timing.” He glanced the body lying on the floor and Mei realised he hoped he had come sooner instead of later. Anyway she hadn't time to say anything before Homura turned around, grabbed Sanzo's hand and dragged him along and Goku followed them both. Mei saw Sanzo's expression and she also heard the inn's owner's voice from the corridor and smirked mischievously. Poor man. Then she took her jacket and she even got the shoes without getting distracted. She looked at Jiang and felt sorry for leaving her lying down there like that. She should at least place some cloth on her face…

“What that crack was?” a fat worried-looking man asked and eyed Homura warily. His eyes were glued to the chains. Sanzo's smile was full of acid.

“Nothing, Mei just shot down an youkai.” Man's eyes widened and he ran towards the door. “Youkais!” he screamed and the whole inn went into uproar all over again. Sanzo eyed the scene dryly amusedly and looked then Homura.

“Whatever you are up to better bring it on now. I don't have the whole night to play with you.” Zenon smirked to Shien and nudged him and Shien made rather good attempt to glare at him considering he was blind. What was so funny was far beyond him.

“I merely want to have a conversation with Mei. Probably with Son Goku later but with Mei only first.” Sanzo was beginning to feel he had spent so much time agitated lately it couldn't be healthy even for him. The god was pissing him off.

“Concerning what matters?” he demanded to know. “Mei is my underling and if she has matters to discuss with a man that wants to kill us that's fucking my concern too!” Homura eyed him disapprovingly.

“Your bravery is admirable but that foulmouthing is rather uncalled for. I just want to tell Mei what I am doing and what for.” Sanzo wanted to throw a fit. He wanted it so badly it almost physically hurt him but he also wanted to know where he was standing with the rouge god. He was currently having two conflicting instincts and a man with a loaded gun and conflicting instincts makes tends to get violent. Shien sighed. It seemed that it would end up fighting again. He felt bad for Homura. Talk about things changing from bad to worse. Sanzo's finger twitched on the trigger but the creaking of the door kept him from pulling it when Mei stepped to the corridor. Homura looked straight into her eyes and opened his mouth but Hakkai's cool light voice kept him from saying anything.

“Are you having youkai trouble up there?” he asked pleasantly.

“No. We are having Homura,” Sanzo answered. They could practically hear the casualty flowing away from Hakkai's voice even when he was quiet. Then it also became obvious that there were more than two men outside.

“Well, we have got Kougaiji and he demands some of your attention too,” Hakkai continued hesitantly. Now Shien winced. Now that was the true art of things changing from worse to worst.

Mei ran downstairs simply because she wanted some more harmless enemy to talk with than Homura. Goku was unsure whether he should run down to protect Mei from Kougaiji or stay up to protect Sanzo from Homura. Then Homura took care of the problem by running after Mei and Sanzo after him cursing under his breath. Eventually only Shien and Zenon were left behind.

“Shit,” Zenon stated stoically and shrugged. “Let's get down.” There was three hostile parties and Mei and Homura had their talk first because they were most rapid, even Mei.

“What are you thinking?” Homura asked. He hadn't got any idea which buttons to push to get reaction out of Mei and he loathed himself for wanting it.

“Can you not just catch it from my mind?” Mei asked. Bitterly, angrily.

“You overrate this thing. All I am receiving now is stubborn lack of co-operation from your part,” Homura said. Sadly, determinably and proposing.

“That might give you a good idea,” Mei said and showed more than she intended. Show no hesitation.

“So you say,” Homura answered and that time Mei was left outside. And she didn't like it. And they had both have all they could take by then and suddenly there was space for the rest of them. Sanzo eyed Kougaiji and felt a dejá vu. That same conversation all over again and he decided he wouldn't ask what Kougaiji was up for even if it killed him. He could guess anyway.

“What's in it for you?” he asked bluntly. Kougaiji was shocked into silence. During that silence they could hear screams of men who were encouraging each others. And then a bunch of men with weapons and some sharp things that weren't originally been used as weapons began to run towards them. They couldn't be seen immediately but the noise would have awoken even the dead. When men saw them standing there they stopped running and one of them took a step toward them.

Did you see where the youkais went?” he asked panting. Homura blinked, Kougaiji blinked and Sanzo's smile was suddenly genuinely assertive and amused. It shouldn't have been that fun. And the gods were watching.

 

“Can you say now that this is not a fine soap opera?” one asked.

 

“They went that way. To the left,” Sanzo said and pointed needlessly to the left since the men obviously couldn't see it. They immediately continued running to the direction Sanzo had pointed and left the three parties wondering what had just happened. The night was dark as, well, night. It was a new moon and stars didn't give enough light for human eyes. They were standing there too civilised to be blood-lusting youkais. The street lamps didn't give off any light, the lamp oil had run out and no one had thought of adding some or there simply weren't any street lamps. Hakkai was the first one to react. He laughed.

"Nice and smooth," he said, his smile widening. "But then, you're not our fearless leader for no reason at all, are you?"

"Are you making fun of me?" Sanzo asked but without his usual edge.

"Would I do that to you?" Sanzo's hand reached his Marlboros reflexively but pulled his hand down. Then he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yes. Although I have this feeling that I wouldn't know if you did." Hakkai emitted more of his warm silent amusement.

"Maybe you're right,” he said. Gojyo, Goku and Mei shared the current huge change of the air. Seemingly even the foul mood could be ruined because they really didn't feel like fighting after all the night's havoc. Too bad being tired was no excuse.

 

“You shouldn't be doing this to them,” the other told.

“I didn't. They are managing themselves. Isn't it funny?”

 

Kougaiji was greatly troubled for Homura being there. The situation didn't feel like getting violent but proposing the alliance in front of Homura was simply unbearable. Because it would feel like begging. If it had been only the Sanzo party it wouldn't have been because they needed help too but somehow Homura witnessing the situation changed the connotations. But he would do anything for his mother. Because no one should have their deaths sucking like that after they had had a life of being married to someone like his father. Rasetsunyo deserved the second change and Lirin deserved a loving mother and he deserved succeeding because if all the death and suffering had been in vain he couldn't live with himself. He had made the world bleed; he had to get his mother for it.

“I came to talk with you, Sanzo. About Homura. I assume he has made it already clear that he wants the Sutras.” He hadn't tried yet, that much was sure because Goku was still standing calmly by Sanzo's side. Because Sanzo was still unharmed and that was good, since way up high on the list of things the world didn't need was Goku catching the scent of his precious Sanzo's blood on someone. On anyone really. Kougaiji remembered the time he had pushed Goku to drop his diadem and he didn't want to see another time.

“I want to talk with you Mei,” Homura said without paying any attention to Kougaiji.

“I am listening,” Mei told him. She winced surprised when Homura took her hand.

“I meant just us two,” Homura specified and looked at Sanzo. “Don't worry, I'll send her back soon. And I think I'll later talk with you too, Son Goku.” And then they were gone.

 

The third one was watching too and he was pleased. Everyone had their weaknesses and a living, breathing weakness was the best of them.