Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction / Saiyuki Reload Fan Fiction / Saiyuki Reload Gunlock Fan Fiction ❯ Episode1: Truly,Madly,Deeply ❯ Black Crow ( Chapter 14 )

August 5, 2005

 

XIV. BLACK CROW/ WHISPER OF DARKNESS

 

In which the frail-bodied High Priest is poisoned by the mud-demon… and the frail-minded Brat Prince is poisoned by the scheming Ni Jenyi's inventive innuendoes. Kougaiji promises the salvation of his flying dragon, if they surrender the sutra. But the ikkou fear The Wrath Of Sanzo more than the possibility of their leader dying. The fight is on! Oh, yes… Kougaiji sports a pretty bracelet too…

 

 

A.

 

Ni Jenyi taunts Kougaiji about his group. “I know about people close to you… Things that maybe you don't know… Information is my specialty, you know,” Ni Jenyi smirks. “Take that Yaone girl, for instance… all alone in this world, her parents died early… You ever wonder where she learns her newest healing techniques?”

 

Kougaiji shrugs.

 

“That's right, my Prince… She's exchanging secrets with that nice green-eyed young man… exchanging a *lot* more than secrets, I might add…”

 

“So? Her love life is none of my business.”

 

“And what about your lover, hmm? Did you know he has a playboy reputation to match his brother's? Yours is not the only number in his little black book…” Ni Jenyi grins triumphantly.

 

Kougaiji smirks. “I'm afraid your information is useless, Ni Jenyi. My Doku and I … we understand each other. We have an open relationship…” Kougaiji's eyes glaze as he thinks of his secret crush…

 

Ni Jenyi scowls, and narrows his eyes. “And what about Lady Lirin?” the scientist cackles merrily. “I hear she's gotten farther with Genjo Sanzo than you'll ever hope to in a million years…”

 

Kougaiji loses it. “URUSEI!” he yells, stung. “She got an *autograph*. That's it!” he glares.

 

“At least she got *something*…” Ni Jenyi arches his eyebrows mockingly.

 

“Huh. I have my pride,” sniffs the Prince.

 

“Yes, and your sister has a picture of the man you secretly lust after, signed in his own beautiful script…” taunts Ni Jenyi.

 

Kougaiji trembles with rage. “Fine! I'll show you…” he mutters, and stalks off.

 

“Oi…” Ni Jenyi calls after him.

 

“Nani?!”

 

Ni Jenyi tosses him a bracelet.

 

“What's this, then?”

 

“Oh, just a little *love charm*… I had it especially made by this witch-doctor friend of mine… It's supposed to make you a love god. Your heart will *POUND*.” Ni Jenyi smiles secretly to himself.

 

“Huh. Just you wait. I'll bring that snooty monk back here on my shoulder! And after I've cured my obsession with him, I'll give him to my darling sister as a present…”

 

 

B.

 

“That looks good!” Lirin drools, as Yaone hands her another dish to set on the table.

 

“It's an organic medical dish, like the rest,” Yaone beams. “*Very* good for you…”

 

Lirin starts to gobble the food.

 

“Oi!” Doku yelps. “Don't eat them all by yourself! OI!”

 

Kougaiji sits at the head of the table, silent. Yaone approaches him hesitantly.

 

“Ano… Don't you like the food?” Yaone asks timidly. Dazed maroon eyes blink up at her. “Er… I cooked usual dishes, too..”

 

“It's not that,” Kougaiji sulks. “Don't you remember? I specifically instructed you last week…”

 

Yaone sweatdrops.

 

“I'm swearing off the carbs today!” Kougaiji glares at Lirin, who is blissfully shoveling fried rice into her mouth.

 

“Eh, I already told you, beefcake, those Zone and Atkins diets are not for you…” Doku drawls.

 

Kougaiji bolts. Doku runs after him.

 

“Kou! Wait up, dammit—“ Doku grabs hold of the Prince's arm, forcing him around. “What's gotten into you?! Why are you being so tense?!”

 

Kougaiji flushes and drops his eyes guiltily. “None of your business!” he hisses, and shrugs Doku's grip away. The Prince dashes off.

 

Doku shakes his head, then spots a piece of paper on the floor. He stoops. He reads, and then his cheeks flush furiously. “That Ni Jenyi…” He stalks off.

 

Crumpled in his hand, on Ni Jenyi's Bunny stationery, is a fanfiction printout, of a KougaijixSanzo pairing.

 

 

C.

 

The ikkou come upon the puddle on the mountaintop. Goku lives up to his nickname, as usual. “So? It's a puddle. So what?”

 

“It's unnatural,” Sanzo rasps scornfully.

 

“It's impossible.” Gojyo rolls his eyes.

 

“So…” Hakkai prompts.

 

The mud-demon cackles. “Well done, Sanzo-ikkou! So you penetrated my disguise…”

 

“Now, Hakuryu, please hide yourself for a while…” Hakkai instructs, and deposits the dragon behind a large rock.

 

“And NO WANDERING OFF like last time!” Goku scolds, wagging a finger.

 

“The next one who goes on strike gets a bullet in his head…” Sanzo snarls.

 

“Then quit `going on strike' on me!” Gojyo pouts, looping his arms around Sanzo.

 

Sanzo elbows him off. “I'm still mad at you! Don't you touch me!”

 

“But I'm going into Sanzo withdrawal…” Gojyo wheezes and hyperventilates.

 

“'Ch. Serves you right…”

 

The demon pops furious mud bubbles. “OI! Will-you-listen-to-me!!!”

 

 

D.

 

“MAKAII TENJOU!!!”

 

The mud-demon melts into nothingness, but Sanzo gets poisoned. Gojyo rushes to him. Sanzo weakly pins him with a piercing stare. Hakkai supports Sanzo instead.

 

“Daijobou, Sanzo?!” Hakkai cries.

 

“Is he all right?” yells Goku.

 

“What happened to him, Hakkai?” Gojyo demands worriedly.

 

“He's poisoned. We have to go back to the village, and get him to a doctor,” Hakkai replies. Gojyo gasps, and clutches his heart.

 

“Why can't you do it, Hakkai?” Goku asks curiously.

 

Gojyo panics again, throttling Hakkai. “Heal-heal-heal!!!” the kappa shrieks.

 

“I—I played hook—hooky—urk!—from poiso—poisoning 101…” Hakkai chokes.

 

 

E.

 

Kougaiji arrives, and assesses the situation smugly. “All right, I'll help you,” Kougaiji states haughtily. “There's my flying dragon over there…”

 

“Kougaiji!” Goku gasps, his eyes large with hero-worship. Gojyo narrows his eyes suspiciously.

 

“Ja, we're off, then!” Kougaiji turns and walks over to Sanzo.

 

“OI!” Gojyo blocks his path. “What the HELL do you think you're doing, Brat Prince?!”

 

Kougaiji raises disdainful eyebrows. “I'm rescuing the damsel in distress, of course.”

 

Sanzo twitches weakly.

 

“*Over my dead body*,” Gojyo growls.

 

Hakkai laughs weakly. “Even if that saves Sanzo, we'll be killed by him anyway.”

 

“Did you think we were just gonna say yes?!” Gojyo snorts. “That *I* was gonna say yes?!” Red eyes glint dangerously.

 

“What happened between you and Doku anyway? Are you guys broken up, or something?” Goku asks.

 

Kougaiji blows on his bangs and rolls his eyes. “Fine. A duel for the, er—pretty boy, then. You up for it?” he challenges Gojyo.

 

“Bring it on!” Gojyo growls.

 

 

F.

 

Kougaiji and Gojyo begin the duel. Gojyo gets the upper hand, but once again Goku lives up to his pet name.

 

“Kougaiji! Behind you!” Goku yells in warning, as Gojyo prepares to strike a blow.

 

Gojyo gnashes his teeth. “Time out, please.” He gives his opponent a pained smile. “Will you excuse me?” he says politely, intending to give the idiot monkey a good piece of his mind.

 

But Kougaiji holds up his hand. “Allow me.” Kougaiji walks over to the sheepish Goku, and snaps his index finger against the monkey's forehead. “This isn't a *joke*, you silly ape. Our honor is at stake here.” Kou leans in close to look Goku straight in the eye. “We are dueling to prove who Genjo Sanzo's true knight in shining armor is. Wakaru?”

 

Goku scrunches up his mouth. “You're talking funny, Kougaiji.”

 

“You look funny, too,” puts in Hakkai.

 

“'Ch. Let's hurry up and finish this,” calls the kappa impatiently. “I've booked me and my baby a table in the next town's nicest restaurant, as a kiss-and-make-up present… If I lose my reservations I'll kill *all* of you!”

 

 

G.

 

Doku finds Ni Jenyi.

 

“I know you're behind this! What ideas have you put into his head!” he accuses hotly.

 

Ni Jenyi makes an innocent moue. “I didn't do anything…”

 

Doku narrows his eyes, then whips out a piece of paper and waves it back and forth in front of the scientist.

 

“Then how do you explain *this*?!”

 

The paper is a yaoi doujinshi of the Brat Prince and the High Priest. The little Bunny logo gives it away.

 

Ni Jenyi whistles softly. “Sou ka… Note to self: the theory of the powers of suggestion really *does* work…”

 

“Grrr…”

 

Ni Jenyi sidesteps a livid Doku and talks hastily. “Listen to me! Since you love your boss, let me give you this piece of advice…”

 

“Advice?”

 

“Hai… You better stop wasting precious time here and hurry off to your beloved spoiled Prince, or it will be too late,” the scientist singsongs merrily.

 

“Exactly *what* do you mean by that…” Doku glares menacingly.

 

Ni Jenyi shrugs. “Oh… Just a rumor on the grapevine that your lovesick brother and his icy lover are on the verge of another breakup… I'd FLY if I were you…”

 

Doku gasps, turns, and runs. “Dammit Gojyo! It's all *your* fault, as usual!”

 

H.

 

Kougaiji grows weary. “Dammit, a joust, I said! Whoever heard of a joust of three against one?!” he glares.

 

Hakkai sticks his tongue out. “You started it, you sneak! Throwing a fireball and singeing my pretty, delicate hands…”

 

Goku looks at Kougaiji concernedly. “Something's strange with you!” he declares.

 

“Yeah. Isn't it unreasonable for you to fight us by yourself?” Gojyo frowns. “And what are you doing chasing after my Sanzo, anyway? Has Lirin rubbed off on you lately?”

 

Hakkai cuts in. “Guys… I'm worried about Sanzo…”

 

Gojyo darts a glance to his rapidly weakening lover and faces Kougaiji with grim determination. “Well, Kougaiji, we don't need you or your dragon. Why don't you just go away?” Gojyo waves a hand carelessly. “Go on back to Doku, where you belong…”

 

“Iie! This is something that I must do, to get that aloof, icy creature out of my system once and for all!”

 

Goku shakes his head. “Wrong again, Kougaiji, I'm sorry to say. Sanzo is like Bad Medicine***. Look at Gojyo, he's already waaayyyyy addicted to Sanzo…”

 

(A/N: See Bad Medicine, by the same author.)

 

Sanzo stirs. Hakkai rushes to him. “Sanzo, you're awake!”

 

A weak, barely perceptible twitch. “Who can stay unconscious with a rabble of loud fools around you…”

 

Hakkai pushes him back down. “Don't talk… save your strength…”

 

Sanzo struggles weakly, purple eyes trying to focus. He just makes out the lean, lanky form of Sha Gojyo firmly planting himself in front of Kougaiji. He hears the kappa's low, dangerous warning. “Kill me if you must, but *nobody* touches my Sanzo. NOBODY.”

 

“Baby…” Sanzo sighs, and faints again.

 

Kougaiji watches the whole scene with desperate eyes. It's no good, he thinks. They really *are* retarded for each other… Even if I manage to take him away, Genjo Sanzo has to want me back as much as I want him…

 

Then he remembers the bracelet. *Love charm*. He puts it on. His pupils dilate, his nerve endings come afire.

 

Thud-THUD! Thud-THUD! His heart pounds, as promised. Genjo Sanzo is mine…