Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Tainted Love ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

On the way to the ruined town, Goku had described to Sanzo in great detail the half-breed's astonishing transformation. Seeing it with his own eyes, however, the monk was truly awe-struck. Gojyo's startling metamorphosis brought back to mind something that he had read in the many scriptures of Chouan Temple.

There was a reason why the union of a youkai and human was considered taboo by the gods, and it certainly did not have anything to do with bad luck. Every one or two millennia, such a forbidden union would produce a hanyou of formidable power that could bring about utter ruin and destruction on earth.

Seeing Gojyo as a fierce Angel of Fire, Sanzo knew in an instant what his mischievous traveling companion had turned into.

"By the gods, Gojyo's a fire elemental!" Sanzo found himself gasping out.

"A fire elemental?" Goku asked beside him, gold eyes looking at him curiously.

"A very special hanyou with the power to control flames. Karin's right! With that kind of power in his hands, Gojyo would be virtually unstoppable!" But then, a dreadful memory crossed his mind. "Come, Goku! We've got to help him!"

"But…I thought you said he's very powerful?"

"We can't allow him to use his fire power to the limit!" Sanzo cried, hurrying towards Gojyo.

Before he and Goku could get close, Gojyo lifted his hand to them. In the blink of an eye, walls of flame surrounded them.

"Forgive me, Sanzo, Goku," Gojyo said gravely. "This is my fight. I can't let you interfere."

"Gojyo, for heaven's sake! Don't use it! Don't use that power!"

"To save Hakkai, I'll do what I must."

To the dismay of the monk, Gojyo took off into the sky, soaring across the blast crater and heading towards the doll and his lover.

"Sanzo, what's Gojyo up to?" Goku asked, now very concerned at the monk's reaction.

Instead of answering that question, Sanzo's hands closed into tight angry fists at his sides. "Just get ready, Goku. We're breaking out of here." Inwardly, he thought in determination, If you think you’re going to go suicidal on me, Gojyo, you’re wrong! I won't let you die!

~~~~~

As he neared Hakkai and the doll, Gojyo saw Go's wraith charging at him with an ethereal spear in his hand. That weapon, conjured up by blood magic, could harm an ordinary mortal, but certainly not the elemental that the half-breed had become. Zipping under that thrust, Gojyo plunged his claws inside Go's chest. There was a look of surprise on the fat man's face. He never knew that the redhead could cause harm to his ghostly form. Go screamed as Gojyo slashed upward, totally obliterating his spirit.

Next to attack was Cheun, throwing sharp shurikens. Gojyo retaliated by flapping his wings, sending flame blades that destroyed those projectiles. He then blasted Cheun with a beam of fire, his ghost instantly incinerated by that blast.

Strong arms suddenly seized Gojyo from behind. Turning, he saw that it was the giant called Muroi, who kept him trapped for Phaksee to plunge a sword into his belly. Gojyo cried out in pain. As Phaksee yanked out the sword, the flames in Gojyo's eyes flared up, furious that this miserable little ghoul would dare inflict harm upon him. With a roar of rage, the half-breed unleashed a wave of fire from his body, and destroyed Muroi and Phaksee.

To his amusement, Gojyo saw Nagai's spirit hide inside the doll's body. As he swooped down to seize the toy, however, he was struck by a strong chi blast, sending him crashing into a tree.

Clutching his bleeding abdomen, Gojyo got to his feet, seeing Hakkai poised to deliver another energy attack.

"You play dirty, Jinnei," the redhead remarked in sarcasm.

"I dare you to attack, Gojyo," Jinnei spoke through Hakkai's lips. "I dare you to kill the man you love."

To his shock, however, a sly grin went up Gojyo's lips. "You have the gall to challenge me like this? I would rather kill Hakkai with my own hands than have you taint his body and soul like what you've done to me."

Closing his eyes, Gojyo called forth a different kind of flame from the depths of his heart and soul. The effort caused blood, instead of sweat, to trickle from his brow. The pain in his belly was almost too excruciating to bear. Still, he continued to dredge up that primal power. As he raised his right arm, the limp was enveloped by flames as black as night.

Gojyo smiled, seeing Jinnei's fear reflected in Hakkai's green eyes. So, the blood magician knew what Dark Flame was.

"DIE, JINNEI!" the half-breed roared as he charged at the blood magician for the last time.

~~~~~

"EXTEND, NYOIBOU!"

Goku's trusty staff stretched out, carrying the saru and the monk up and over the wall of fire. Once out of that temporary prison, they were shocked to see the half-breed charging at Hakkai, who in turn was firing energy balls at him. What horrified Sanzo the most was the sight of the black fire that engulfed Gojyo's right arm.

"Let's go, Goku!" the monk cried in panic. "We have to convince Gojyo to put out that flame!"

Goku ran after the monk. "Why? What kind of flame is that anyway? It's black!"

"Dark Flame…" Sanzo answered, not hiding his growing dread. "It's fire summoned up from an elemental's soul. Once unleashed, it cannot be controlled. Like the great phoenix, the fire will consume him until nothing is left but ashes."

"No…" Goku quickened his pace, overtaking the monk as he rushed for the redhead. "Gojyo, don't do it!"

The half-breed, however, was determined to destroy the blood magician.

In a last ditch attempt to protect his leader and friend, Nagai, whose spirit was still inside the doll, came between the rampaging hanyou and Jinnei. But Gojyo simply slashed the doll and the wraith within to ribbons with his claws. With a shrill war cry, the half-breed thrust his whole arm into Hakkai's chest, the Dark Flame allowing it to pass through mortal flesh without harming it. The momentum sent them toppling over the edge and into the bottomless pit of the blast crater.

"GOJYO! HAKKAI!" Goku screamed in horror, reaching the rim too late to grab either of them.

Looking down, the boy saw Gojyo wrench a white, writhing shape out of Hakkai's breast. Yelling, "Goku, catch!" he tossed his lover up and into Goku's safe hands.

"Are you going to send me to Hell, Gojyo?" Jinnei asked the half-breed, an evil smile on his face. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I won't be sending you anywhere, Jinnei, not even Hell," Gojyo answered. "You'll just be…gone…poof…like you never existed in the first place." Baring his claws aflame with the dark fire before the stunned ghoul's eyes, he said in finality, "Sayonara, Jinnei-san, and thanks for the memories."

Jinne let out an agonized cry as Gojyo tore his soul to shreds with his claws. The Dark Flame incinerated each shred, in turn, until nothing was left of the blood magician.

It's over, Gojyo thought in relief. It's all over at last!

Then, searing heat and agonizing pain ripped through his entire being, causing him to scream. Curling up into himself, the redhead saw that his whole body was enveloped by the terrible aura of the Dark Flame. As another wave of pain tore through him, he found himself falling deep into the pit, unable to fly.

"MAKAI TENJOU!"

Before he knew what was happening, Gojyo was gently wrapped in the parchment of the Maten Kyoumon and slowly pulled up out of the pit. However, the Dark Flame was much too powerful for the Sutra. Seeing the parchment catching fire, Gojyo unfurled his wings and broke out of the Sutra's protective cocoon.

"Gojyo, what the hell are you doing?" Sanzo yelled angrily, as the Maten Kyoumon settled on his shoulders. "The Sutra could've helped you!"

The half-breed shook his head. "No, it won't. The Dark Flame will only destroy the Maten Kyoumon. Just take a good look at it, Sanzo."

The monk glanced down, and was surprised to see the Sutra singed in various spots.

"Save it for Gyumao, Sanzo-sama," Gojyo told him. "I'm not worth it." He suddenly doubled over in pain.

"Gojyo, don't give up!" Goku cried in despair, still holding Hakkai in his arms. "I'm sure there's a way to contain the Dark Flame! We just have to look for it!"

"Nothing can help me. I knew this long before I decided to use the power. Now, I have to go…before the Dark Flame consumes you too. I have to go far away where I could not imperil any innocent lives."

Goku burst into tears. "No, Gojyo! Don't go! Don't leave us!"

The warm tears splattering on his face woke up Hakkai. The first thing he saw when his eyelids fluttered open was the Angel of Fire his lover had become, flying above them surrounded by a dark aura.

"Gojyo…" Hakkai mumbled in confusion. Then, he remembered what happened and how the redhead had saved him. He sat up at once, a wave of dizziness hitting him for a moment. When his surroundings have stopped spinning, he turned his gaze back to his lover. "Gojyo…what…how…"

"Oh, you're awake. I was hoping you didn't have to see me like this." Gojyo said reassuringly, "It's all over now, Hakkai. You're safe."

Hakkai looked away in shame. "I…I'm…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm to blame for everything that's happened. Because of my selfishness, I've endangered the lives of everyone."

A scream was wrenched from Gojyo's throat as pain seared through every cell, every fiber of his body.

"GOJYO!" Hakkai cried out as the Dark Flame burst out of the wound of the redhead's belly, like a dark angry cloud.

Somehow, Gojyo managed a weak laugh as he drew the flame back inside himself. "Oh, dear! Looks like I really can't stay any longer. Sorry that I couldn't be with you until the end of this journey, guys."

Hakkai raised a trembling hand to that fallen, but brave, angel. "Gojyo…I'm begging you…don't go…."

Tears of molten lava streamed down Gojyo's face as he smiled. "You have no idea how much I want to kiss you one last time, Hakkai, but…" A sad, little shrug. "…I'm afraid that I might burn you alive."

Gojyo turned and flew away, ignoring his companions' pleas. "Farewell, my friends," he wept in bitterness. "I'll miss you."

~~~~~

Hakkai stared in disbelief at the departing figure of his lover. He had been angry at the half-breed's deception, true, but he never knew that it would lead to this.

Suddenly, a hard fist was driven into his face. Hakkai found himself lying on his back, with Goku on top of him, hitting him again and again in fury and despair. Every punch grew stronger and harder than the last, and with good reason. Goku's kinko was slowly breaking from the strain of his grief-stricken mind.

Perhaps it was just as well that Goku transformed into the Seiten Taisei and beat him to death, thought Hakkai. His heart and soul were being shredded to bits by guilt.

Suddenly, the angry saru was lifted off him. As Hakkai sat up, he saw Goku struggling in Sanzo's embrace, seated on his lap.

"I HATE YOU, HAKKAI! I HATE YOU!" Goku wept hysterically, the pupils of his golden eyes transformed into vertical slits. "BECAUSE OF YOU, GOJYO'S GOING TO DIE!"

Uncharacteristic tears were pouring down Sanzo's face as he laid his hand on the kinko, suffusing it with a golden glow that closed the cracks.

"That's enough, Goku! Please!" Sanzo whispered hoarsely, as he kissed the boy again and again at the top of his head while rocking him back and forth. "I swear to you. Gojyo won't die. We're going to look for him and we'll save him."

In the end, Goku fell limp in the monk's arms. Even as he slept, tears trickled from the corners of his eyes.

With resentment, Sanzo asked, "Are you happy now, Hakkai? This is what you wanted, isn't it, for Gojyo to be gone from your life forever?"

Hakkai's hand went up to his face and it came away wet. He hadn't noticed that he was crying.

"No, I'm not, Sanzo," was Hakkai's firm reply. "I won't be happy, not until I bring Gojyo back to us."

* * * * * * * * * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Three chapters in two days…not bad. Okay, this story is nearing its end. So what's next? More of "Metamorphosis". And all those who enjoyed "Musings In Oil" will probably be happy to know that there will be four more "Musings" stories coming your way. In fact, I've been writing the second "Musings" tale while doing "Tainted Love", so just hang on and wait and it'll be coming to you soon. Now, time for me to go back to my deadlines.








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