Meet Mayhem, Episode 2 : Hell Rules You

[Anesidora The Wicked]

When Sanzo intruded in on the laboratory, the smells inside were not that much better off. Death still lingered in the air, but it was acidic and tainted with various fluids for preservation. There were large cylinders filled with not only the pungent fluids but various people and bizarre creatures.

The crackling of energy and the bubble of chemicals broke the silence, as did the still distant cries that sometimes halted. There was also a whispering from the shadows, betraying the presence of dark creatures he was better off not seeing. But then there was another, unusually cheerful sound that also met his ears.

"Sit Back Now,
Let Me Tell You A Tale
Where Justice Does Not Prevail.

About An Ill-Fated Life,
So Very Full Of Strife
Where Two Wrongs Do Not Make A Right."

It certainly wasn't Koumyo, who had vanished in the darkness somewhere to do as he promised. No, the new voice belonged to the man standing at a long, metal table. From behind, the most noticable feature besides the plume of grey smoke rising from his cigarette was the flowing yet wrinkly white lab coat he wore. To his left sat a stuffed bunny that was spattered with a little bit of blood it seemed, sitting by and watching as he worked. On closer inspection, there was a body on the table, intitially stripped down of clothing and around the torso stripped down to the innards. The scientist was in the middle of a little dissection project and while normally Sanzo probably wouldn't bother with it, the head of long chestnut hair and pointy ears was bound to look familiar...

"When I Was Born
I Did Surely Scorn
My Proud Parent's Name
Then Their Lives Went Down The Drain
Drove Them Insane
My Birth Was A Curse
I Bit The Nurse
Oh, But I Love The Worst
I Deserve To Be Slowly Submersed
Dried Out Then Laid In A Hearse."

Goku, or Seiten Taisei rather if one wanted to be specific, was laid out on the table. His gold eyes stared upward, unblinking and unmoving. His face was devoid of any discernible emotion. It was difficult to figure out what might have done him in, it wasn't likely to have been a violent death. But considering the people involved, it had to have been painful at least.

The doctor working proceeded to hum some of his song as he studied the specimen. Then he stopped, speaking rather then singing. "I got quite a bit of lovely data from the live study...Unfortunately the post-mortem study is not so divulgent." Out came the pancreas which he dropped on the metal slab with a sickening PLOP! He pushed his glasses up his nose as they had slipped just a bit and began turning to his stuffed companion. However, he finally took note that someone else entirely was in his laboratory so he twisted around further to look at Sanzo. A chilling, creepy smile graced his lips. "Ooh, look, Bunny. It's our generous donor. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have gotten our hands on such lovely test subjects."

Ni stepped away from Goku just a little to gesture clearly to a nearby desk. "Well, I already finished picking apart the one youkai...Then I went ahead and had the remains ground up to feed some of the other experiments. Once I'm done with the monkey I'll do the same with him. I've yet to figure out what I'll ultimately do with Red. But in any case, perhaps you want those momentos?" The dark man snickered wickedly, pointing at the bundle which consisted of Hakkai's attire as well as Goku's, with the green headband, broken diadem and a cracked monocle on top. Needless to say, the traveling attire had seen much better days...The silence between them was broken by another cry to which Ni made a stifled laugh. "That one's rather noisy, but I guess he has reason to be..."

[Genjo Sanzo]

It smelled like a slaughter house. The priest's eyes narrowed as the putrid scent wafted out like a breeze straight from hell, tainted with a sharp acidity. It was a madman's workroom, something straight out of a horror movie. Bodies and strange creatures floated in large cylinders, residing in a sickly fluid that he was certain was causing part of the diseased smell in the air.

He wasn't a person for fear. He easily could look a demon in the face and pull the trigger without blinking an eye. On the flip side, however, he wasn't as heartless as those around claimed. He was capable of killing in cold blood, but it did not mean that he liked. Nor did it mean that he saw it as the only avenue. The distant cries that pierced the eery almost-silence caused a cold feeling to pour over him, chilling him to the bone.

What chilled him even worse was the sound that he head. A man's voice singing rather cheerfully a song that told a story not so happy. And it was a voice that he knew. But to who...? His violet eyes swept across the lab, settling on the dark-haired man at the table, working on a science project.

At least, it looked like a science project. Was he dissecting a doll? Who the hell would make a life-sized doll like that, though?

(Later, after waking up and thinking back on the dream, he knew why he had initially assumed the corpse to be nothing more then a doll. The sight in and of itself was too horrific for even the jaded priest to believe, causing him to reject the reality for a much safer train of thought.)

But no doll would have the film of death over their eyes, clouding vibrant eyes to a dull shade. No doll would ever be made with a pallor of death, or cast in the appearance of a creature as violent Seiten Taisei, let alone a life-sized doll. The priest barely even heard the rest of the song as he stared at Goku's lifeless form, feeling as though something precious had been torn from him.

The sickening sound of the pancreas hitting the slab caused him to jerk as though slapped, snapping him out of his stunned stillness. Those violet eyes, no longer so drooping, stared hard at the scientist before narrowing.

Donor? What the hell is he talking about...? I wouldn't give my worst enemy to this sick fuck.

His gaze flickered to the pile of clothing and adornments before returning to the scientist. A fire appeared in his eyes as he reached into his robes, taking hold of the comforting weight of his banishing. Jerking his hand out, he aimed the weapon at the scientist, looking pissed to high hell.

"You're going to fucking pay.. for..." The priest stared at the toy in his hands. His finger pulled the trigger, and the brightly-colored barrel lit up with a high-pitched squeal that was more annoying then offensive. ".. What the hell?"

Fucking nightmare! The thought flew through his mind as he threw the weapon away in disgust. That was all right. It wasn't the only weapon he had. He reached into his robe, going straight for the hammer-space cache of weapons he always had. Maybe a magnum would blow a big enough hole in this fuck's head. His hand closed on a hilt and he jerked his hand out-

... A nerf gun? He stared at THAT for a moment before his eye twitched and he pulled the trigger. The dart didn't even fly straight, and hit the corpse of Goku in the head. He threw to the side, hitting one of the creatures in the shadows in the head as he reached for a different weapon. This time, he went straight an uzi. To his relief, it seemed completely normal. Pointing it at a tube, he braced himself as he pulled the trigger to test it-

A little flag popped out of the barrel. 'Kapow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow!' The vein in his forhead grew and he reached for the one damn thing he always knew worked-

Except his fan wasn't normally made of out of feathers with purple faux bunny fur lining the ends. Staring at that for a moment, he threw it out the door behind him before turning back to the scientist.

There's no point to this, and I'm wasting time. I need to get Gojyo out of here.

Gazing hard at the scientist, he started to walk, then broke into a run at the next cry, racing straight for it. He had to save someone...! He had to save Gojyo!

Then... Then he'd make the bastard pay a thousand times over for Hakkai and Goku.

[Anesidora The Wicked]

But don't you see? A creepy voice that sounded vaguely like his master murmured on a passing wind from the open door. You brought them here and then you failed. You practically handed them over to him...Just like you handed me to her.

"How...cute."

Ni could not help but sit there and giggle at the amusing array of weapons the younger man seemed to have up his sleeve. It wasn't exactly what he would have pegged Genjo Sanzo for carrying, but this was after all, a nutcase's fantasy world. It had so many delightful quirks to it.

When Sanzo started to walk, the scientist reached into his jacket and when the blond proceeded to run, his hand shot out and slapped against the bamboo breastplate of the younger priest with some considerable force. His hand however was actually closed around a small cylinder full of liquid and a couple odd items. With his other hand, he gripped the collar of the frantic monk's robe and pulled him close enough to whisper in his ear. "I know you're just such an eager beaver to see the precious pet you brought me, but you need the key to get in there first, no?" Casually, Ni pushed the cylinder into the blond's hand before he let him go and skipped back in case Sanzo saw fit to retaliate. In fact, without stopping to grant Goku the decency of a death cover, Ni disappeared into the shadows as Koumyo had earlier. That left Sanzo with his monkey, the whispers and the wails.

It seemed to be Goku's turn to have a word, though it was a simple, innocent question. ...Why, Sanzo...?

The cylinder that had been pressed into his hand stood a few inches tall with a silver metal top screwed on. Inside, the liquid was a putrid and pale orange. A heavy, vile looking key clinked around, the sound sometimes muffled by the other occupant of the glass container. An eye, but not any humdrum human eye. This one was rather unique due to the red-hued iris around the pupil. Sanzo would have to either unscrew the top and reach in or smash the cylinder open in order to retrieve the key. Either way was horrid in it's own right.

Open it and risk touching it...or break it open and destroy it. You might as well destroy it, because neither of you are getting out alive... The whispering voice chuckled grimly, now sounding like Hakkai. They had all been consumed by the darkness and there were two left.

Over beyond the single, thick metal door there was another somewhat expansive room. Ni liked to refer to it as the playroom actually. It was where a lot of the...messier projects took place. A lot of his favorite toys for torture, dismemberment, and other recreational and intriguing works were stored on racks lining the wall and scattered over several tables. Hooks hung from the ceilings on heavy black chains. Most were emptyhanded, but they all had remnants of caked on flesh and blood. In the back, the source of all the tormented and furious screaming continued writhing in the iron chair he was trapped in. Thick, sharp edged claps held his hands and feet in place, cutting into swollen and torn flesh as he squirmed, trying to pull out of them and failing miserably.

Gojyo let out a pitiful moan, bending down as he panted for air. He was growing hoarse with all the screaming. He stopped calling for names ages ago, or what felt like it anyway. Now he was just screaming. Why? Because he was in pain and felt every place the sick little bastard had cut him up in.

Wearing only a long black shirt that came to mid-thigh, his bandanna which had drooped down over his eyes and the bolero jacket much like the one he tossed on, the half-breed looked like an absolute, mauled wreck. The long, normally straight crimson locks were matted with blood and showed evidence of being tangled. The darkened bandanna hid the damage to his left eye, which had been pried out. The other had also been dug from it's socket but had been left to dangle much to his own disgust. Tears in the shirt around his ribcage made visible where skin and flesh had been trimmed away, showing bone and even organs which had also been just slightly picked at. His left leg from the knee down had practically been carved up right down to the bone, effectively useless and in dire need of amputation. Lastly, his wrists and ankles had suffered due to his thrashing, worn down and bloody from the sharp edges.

Swaying from one side to the other, the fatigue had really started to catch up to him as did the blood loss. If only he could go into some manner of shock, maybe seize up and fucking die. But every time something creaked or clinked loudly, he jumped in place with an added, violent shudder and let out a string of obscenities. If he couldn't kill the people responsible, he might as well cuss them out. What more could they do to him at this point anyway?

[Genjo Sanzo]

I handed no one over to her!

The thought was flung out in cold rage as the priest tried to shovel his fear somewhere that he didn't have to face it outright. He could feel it in his gut, cold and hard, like a boulder had taken up residence there, shuddering to the heigtened beat of his heart.

If he needed any other proof that this was a nightmare crafted by the youkai woman, however, it was the voice that sounded so close to his master. Even then, however, it was rather difficult to try to pull his mind from this overly-realistic world that seemed to be the sum of all his fear and guilt.

The hand snaked out, slapping against his chest, forcing him to stop. Actually, it was almost like a miniature truck hitting him. Breath exploded from his lungs as he struggled not to see stars for a moment, turning his angry violet eyes to the scientist. The scientist's lips were close to his ear, making his skin crawl, and not just from the morbid twist of words, or the insane joy in the bastard's voice.

Sanzo's violet eyes dropped to the cylinder that had been pressed into his hands, his fingers slowly uncurling-

He nearly dropped vial. Somehow, he didn't, but his eyes widened at the sickly mixture in the vial. Almost coincidentally, though he knew it wasn't, the eye seemed to be staring right up at him.

Then, to top that off, the soft words brushed across his mind. His eyes closed as he tried to hide the pain that rang through him.

"This... isn't real..." He muttered. "Goku isn't..." But, like the nightmare it was, his eyes were forced to stare at the pathetic body on the table. Then... The next voice hit. In a flare of anger, his hand convulsed, clenching around the vial, cracking it, then shattering it. Shards of glass stabbed into his hand, blood flowing from the new wounds, as the disgustingly vile liquid dripped from his hands to splash on the floor.

He was left alone in the silence to stare at the crushed eye and the key in his hand, coated by the disgusting liquid. His stomache wanted to revolt, and the rage inside him was threatening to consume him, as well as a surprising wave of hopelessness. But something was holding the rage back.. Something inside of him.

Glancing at Goku, he averted his eyes immediately, muttering under his breath softly before moving forward.

I'll come back for you, Goku. I promise.

The ominous metal door rose in front of him. Whatever lay beyond it.. He knew it was only going to get worse. But he had to keep going. His feet moved of their own accord as he lifted the gore-covered hand to push the key into the lock, turning it, and hearing the lock click. Slowly, the door creaked open, allowing him to slip inside.

The room might have been a room of horrors, but Sanzo's eyes were only looking for one thing, the being in the very back of the room. Barely paying attention to the racks or horror, the disgusting implements, and whatever else was there, he rushed through the room, making a beeline straight for the rack that held-

He froze in mid-step, eyes widening as he took in the kappa's state.

There's no way I could get him out of here and get him healed... It's a wonder he's still alive... No. It's not a wonder. It's a nightmare.

"Gojyo-!" He started to say, but suddenly found himself silenced. He tried to lift his foot, and found himself frozen to the spot. His violet eyes widened just a bit more before he began to try to struggle to move. But his limbs weren't responding, and the only sound coming out of his mouth was a harsh rasp that could barely be heard

He had had enough nightmares in his life to know what it meant.

No... No no no!

[Anesidora The Wicked]

"Sanzo...?" Gojyo stopped his thrashing which had started anew when he heard the door open and the footsteps rush towards him. He held his head up, obviously spent. "What the hell happened?! All I remember is hittin' the fuckin' hay and the next thing I know I have some asshole cuttin' me up! Sanzo! You asshole, I know you're there!"

"Present and accounted for times two?"

The bound redhead twitched, looking around despite his lack of vision to pinpoint where that unfamiliar voice came from. It wasn't anyone he knew. He still tried to listen for his shitty monk but the rasping sounds of futile vocalization were lost amidst the ambient noises of Ni's little play room. "Sanzo..." The kappa whined.

"I do believe he's lost a majority of his fight..." A loud clanging came from the shadows, as did Koumyo who was stepping back into the fray with his devilish monk staff in hand but his appearance was much different then earlier in the nightmare. He was gaunt, most of the flesh beneath his skin had rotted away. His Sanzo robes had been traded in for the black ensemble he had donned when Anesidora raised him in undeath. Behind him, two churning orbs floated along, one churning with bone, the other with a searing hellfire. The undead master casually sauntered towards his former student, ignoring the whimpering half-breed nearby. He paced around Genjo instead, face stoic.

"This is quite familiar, hm? As you can see, this would have to be the greatest wrong you've done me yet. Irritating a demon that can manifest horrors such as this..." Koumyo hissed at him in that haunted echo of a voice, leaning in to murmur close to his ear, the smell of undeath clear as day and powerful. After he rounded the frozen young man he came to stand a couple paces away from Gojyo, looking him over. Thinking, he looked back at Genjo with his trademark smile though instead of it being particularly happy, it was laced with dark cruelty. "I believe penance is in order here...Your mongrel friend won't see the waking light of day again I'm afraid."

While Gojyo and Koumyo's words were intended to tell Sanzo that he was not the only one trapped in this hellish nightmare world, the kappa in the waking world wasn't even asleep. He was in the process of closing up in the Shangri-La actually. But Sanzo wasn't aware of that detail...So they tried to convey the wretched that idea that he too was enduring this hell and that it would soon be over for him.

"Kouryuu...Do you think kappas are very flammable?"

The question made Gojyo jerk up in the seat, shaking at what did not sound like a jokingly propositioned question. It was fucking serious. "You wouldn't...Sanzo, a little help here..."

"Oh but I would...and you shouldn't bother calling for Kouryuu, he's agreed to watch."

"Fuck you, he wouldn't sit there and let you fuckin' torch me!" Despite saying that Gojyo was starting to get hysterical.

"Ah, but he's standing right here with me, my dear." As if to emphasize, Koumyo stepped backwards to place an arm around Sanzo's stiff, frozen shoulders. He turned his head to look at the blond, his hand gripping the monk's far shoulder with almost bone crushing force, "Should I use a fireball or a pillar? Or should I strategically place some seeds and then set them off?"

With the redhead growing more frightened by the minute and Sanzo paralyzed and helpless to do anything, the former priest was agonizingly slow in determining what he would do to the prisoner. He gave his pupil a little shake. "No input? Well, be that way then...You know, I suspect he will burn rather quickly, but for him it may be particularly painful. Water sprites and all...They're not partial to fire magic, you know." It would be like Koumyo to engage in useless banter, even as he was playing the part of a dreaded villain. As he spoke to the blond, the searing orb of fire levitated closer to Gojyo then he particularly liked, being forced to lean back against the seat.

"...Sanzo!"

"Oh, enough already, you're like a broken record...I'll permit you one last fond farewell, Kouryuu, I think you'll only have about five seconds before he misses it." The paralytic spell over the monk was released at the same time the spell that engulfed the damaged kappa in flames ignited. The agonized screams didn't last particularly long, as Koumyo had suspected, it seemed water sprites were particularly susceptible to being set ablaze. The smoke was quite terrible and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Gojyo's incoherent screams eventually died out and all that remained of him before long was nothing more then smoldering ash.

"And then there was one..."

[Genjo Sanzo]

Damn it, you idiot! Move! Don't let this beat you!

The priest struggled futilely against the paralytic spell that held him ensnared in place. His violet eyes were wide and unblinking as he stared at the kappa, trying to reach him through any means possible. But his limbs were unresponsive, and his throat was beginning to ache from the smothered shouts.

His eyes turned, even as he tried to fight against the bonds, towards the loud clanging. For a moment, he was stunned out of coherent thought as he stared at the spectre of his former master. No.. This wasn't his master. And yet it was. A ghastly creature of undeath, a being of nightmares.

No.. Master Koumyo!

As the stench of undeath wafted over him- he couldn't even jerk away as the scent caused him to gag- the memory of the demoness's words came back to haunt him.

Heaven is supposed to be save from this... Master Koumyo should be resting in the afterlife, awaiting reincarnation!

That, however, did not last long. The next set of words caused him to fight even more furiously against the bonds, struggling to break free.

LEAVE GOJYO ALONE! His mind shouted, to no avail, as the same words tried to escape his throat. This was no joke anymore. It didn't matter what happened to him, but Gojyo had to get out of here! He had a miniscule chance to survive, but only if he got the fuck out of here!

The suppressed shouts burned his throat as he tried to move, tried to do anything to reach Gojyo, to stop this spectre from hurting him. The shock of seeing Koumyo would hit him harder later, but right now... Something in him was panicking. He didn't even know what it was. It was some part of him he had never truly known before, some part of him that had always been burning embers before, and was now flaring up in pure rage. It had stirred at the mention of Hakkai's death, had shuddered at the sight of Goku's deceased corpse. But at the sight of the kappa, it had begun to mantle. And now, in the face of his imminent death, it was flaring.

When it came to asking his input, his answer would have been a snarled 'Leave him alone!' and possibly a rather rude 'Fuck you!', as the panic for the kappa was overriding the horror he felt over his former master. In fact.. he was seeing quite a bit of red.

What the fuck is wrong with me? .. Fuck I don't care right now!

The useless banter from Koumyo certainly didn't help things, as it actually really fucking scared him. Especially since the burning orb was making it's way towards the kappa.

DAMN IT! GOJYO!

And just like that, he was released.

"GOJYO! NO!" The priest shouted, stumbling as he was released, lunging at him before recoiling from the flames. It wasn't that he was afraid of fire... But there was something... wrong about those flames, something that he could sense to every fiber of his being.

And just like that, the kappa was gone, his screams lingering in Sanzo's mind as he stared at the ashes, stunned to his very core.

His features twisted into a snarl as he clenched his fists, some feral part of him taking over.

"You think all of this will make me drop my cause, and forsake the Heavenly Aspects?" His voice rang out, taunting to the unseen watcher that he knew was orchestrating these events. Despite whatever he thought in the dream, deep down, he knew it was still a dream. "A series of fucking nightmares? Even if I was alone, I would still go! This alone is enough!" A bitter laugh began to escape him as that feral part of him found this infinitely amusing in it's rage. "If anything... It'll make me tear you apart even faster, you fucking bitch."

[Anesidora The Wicked]

For the first time since the nightmare began, Anesidora made herself heard with a dark giggle. "Your stubbornness knows no bounds it would seem...Consider this more like a sneak preview of what will happen to you and your other two friends when you pay us a visit...after you bury the kappa, of course."

As Sanzo was busy yelling at her in his feral rage, Koumyo shifted the staff in hand and drove it through his former pupil's stomach from behind. It was hardly a fatal blow but would prove to be incredibly painful. After pulling the staff out of the fresh wound, the undead monk swung the weapon to strike him and knock him to the ground.

"Mm, I would have you join me in undeath, Kouryuu...But I'm afraid one of my pesky little diseases is starting to take hold. See?" The bastardized version of his master pointed towards his stomach where he had just impaled him. The wound was beginning to froth with a garish green ooze began to eat at his flesh as it seemed to grow and spread. "Slimy Doom...A very unpleasant way to go if there ever was one..."

A flash overhead had Koumyo turn his gaze upward to see what the commotion was. If the ceiling had been open before, no one had taken note. As it was, the open sky hung above them. Seven shadowy monsters were fighting with a handful of fighters, fighters who did not appear to be fairing very well. It was more then likely none of them were familiar to Sanzo in the least except the shorter of the group whose hair stood like a flame wick. Vegeta. The shadowy figure he was fighting had a tint of orange to him. The others seemed to have their own unique coloring.

"Gah!" The Saiya-jin grunted, knocked from the air to crash into the stone floor near Koumyo, who slowly turned to observe him. Grunting, Vegeta started to push himself up, a bloodied and battered mess. His angular eyes blinked wearily when he saw the injured monk. "Tch, idiot! You shouldn't be h-"

His opponent didn't give him any room to finish as it dove down and drove it's feet into Vegeta's torso, absolutely crushing him. Falling limp, the other fighters followed soon after their strongest was taken down. "Mm. I guess that settles that then." Koumyo muttered, looking around at the various fallen warriors. The seven shadowy figures hung back in the air around them, chuckling in their dark, distorted voices. The former Sanzo gestured around the carnage ridden area, "As you can see...If these warriors fail, you don't have much of a chance of success. Before you die, Kouryuu, I have a question. Do you know the difference between love and lust?"

"Sanzo?"

The dark blue shadow twirled behind the blond, snickering at his plight while the ooze continued to devour him.

"Sanzo!"

Koumyo lifted a gloved hand and waved his fingers at him, smiling at him.

"Sanzo, wake up!"

[Son Goku {Saiyuki}]

It wasn't uncommon for a monk to come get him when Sanzo was having nightmares. But in this case, he was very worried because he had been shaking the monk for several minutes and he did't seem all that responsive. Unless one counted the screaming and thrashing to be responsive material, however undesired.

"Sanzo?"

He grabbed the blond's shoulders to give him a rough shake.

"Sanzo!"

Goku didn't want to...But he started to slap the priest, making sure not to hit him too hard yet just enough to knock him out of it.

"Sanzo, wake up!"

[Genjo Sanzo]

The rage that burned through his body was welcome, like something inside of him was struggling to break free. Something in him was not going to be contained, was not going to let this happen. He had no idea what it was, but hung onto it grimly, letting the fires from it's rage flow through him.

Later he'd wonder why seeing the kappa die had triggered it. Perhaps it had just been because of the mere fact that he had been the last of his companions to 'live'... And the only friend of his that was quite possibly dead in the actual world. Even then, however, it felt like lying, and that wonderfully rage-filled part of him was not content with lying like tha-

Pain shot through him like a tidal wave as the young priest had forgotten about the second threat in the vicinity. His violet gaze dropped to the staff that, for a split second, was sticking out of his gut. The staff was pulled rudely out, and his arm crossed over his middle as he stumbled, strength beginning to drain from him. He could already tell that it wasn't an immediately fatal wound, but there was something wr-

The ground met him with full force as his ears rang from the blow. Grimacing, he struggled to push himself up, turning his eyes to the traitorous actions of the man he had once called master. The wound, however, was suddenly beginning to burn, like something was... melting his innards?

"What-" At Koumyo's words, he jerked his gaze down to stare at the rather sickly mess that was being made of his wound. His mind immediately raced, trying to find some explanation for this, even as a violent explosion of coughing escaped him, blood hitting the ground in front of him as his guts were being turned into something excrutiatingly horrible.

"D... Damn it... What now!?" The priest growled as the flash exploded over their heads. Forcing his gaze upwards, he squinted, able to make out... seven shadowy monsters. A group of shadowy fighters were fighting the monsters, but none of them were famili- Wait. That retardedly spikey hair. Wasn't that... Yeah. Only one person he knew had hair like that. He wasn't able to make out the features of the creature, something kept obscuring his visions, though he felt like there was something he should know.

"Vegeta, what-" Yeah he didn't really get a chance to say much more. An explosion of blood escaped the prince as the monster dove on him like a springboard. Like flies, the others fell as well. He tried to make out their faces, but that peculiar aspect of nightmares kept him from being able to turn his gaze fast enough or focus. And with the green, garish slime eating at him from the inside, he could barely focus as well. His violet eyes squinted, trying to make out anything about the seven monsters, anything that would help them. But once again, he just couldn't seem to focus on them.

Koumyo's voice caused him to swear, jerking his gaze back around as he tried to pull himself, failing as his hand slid in the blood on the ground, causing him to fall painfully into the puddle caused by his own blood and Vegeta's-

... What kind of fucking question was that?

"Sanzo?"

That voice... Who was calling him? The pain, it was killing him. Was it creeping up into his lungs? A violent coughing spasm tore at him.

"Sanzo!"

That annoying voice again. He could feel himself dying... Was this it? Was this all there was?

How... Boring.

The thought rang through his mind as everything went still, like a pond. The thought gave him pause. Yes... Yes it was boring.

I forgot who it was who said monotony could kill a man.

It was a quote he had read once, wasn't it?

But here, death doesn't even exist.

Death.. doesn't even exist.

"Sanzo, wake up!"

Violet eyes jerked open in a face that was pale and sweating. For a moment, his pupil was so dialated it almost seemed slitted. He blinked once, then twice, as his pupils dialated normally, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Feeling came back to him in a rush. He was freezing, his limbs trembling. He felt like he had been put through the wringer, and his throat felt raw. Blinking a couple more times, one hand immediately groped at his abdomen, feeling no wound through the undershirt.

His eyes tried to focus. It took a long moment as he panted, the nightmare still clear in his mind. A pair of golden eyes, however, were staring at him.

Sanzo felt dazed as he forced himself up, reaching up to push his hair back from his forhead. It had all felt.. So damn rea-

Wait.

His violet eyes widened as he jerked his gaze to the annoying monks that were huddled in the doorway. "What the hell do you think you're doing? One of you get on the phone and find out if Sha Gojyo is all right. Don't ask fucking questions, just do it! NOW!" Like rabbits, the monks were sent running, leaving him alone with..

With Goku.

His turned his gaze to the kid, staring at him for a long moment, probably not even hearing a word that he said. Slowly. He swung his legs off the bed, leaning forward for a moment to take a deep breath. Then, one arm swung out-

And pulled Goku to him in a tight embrace.

"Shit." Sanzo swore softly as he held the kid to him, bowing his head to let the blond strands hide his expression. How the hell could he think of going a trip that might kill the kid that was like a little brother, a son to him?

Because Goku's stronger then that.

Even then, the doubt still lingered.

"You ever fucking let that madman kill you like that, and I'll kill you myself." Sanzo muttered.

At least my brain isn't melting away at room temperature for eternity..