Title: Plea for Justice
Author: dorei no ryu
Disclaimer: If I owned it I would be rich and happy. But I don't, so I'm poor and borrowing happiness for a moment.
Summary: A desperate man seeks help. Pre-series.
Author's note: I know that as a scholar Hakkai might be well versed on numerous topics and caught up on current events, however, it always seemed to me that he knew a little too much and sounded a little too bitter and sad at the beginning of Episode 24(?). And I felt that this could be one possible reason for his dislike of the Demon Army. Oh and if this has been done before, I humbly apologize. I don't have the Manga only the Anime, so Sumimasen! -bows deeply- If not, hope you enjoy!!
He was numb. How could one not be when their world is suddenly and irrevocably shattered. But as much as he was numb, he couldn't sit still. He couldn't just stand around waiting. Because if he did, his mind would wonder down the dark paths of his imagination and torture him with horrible images. Images of a beautiful girl who means the world to him in the hands of foul, disgusting, vile demons.
But no matter how hard he tried, every time he closed his eyes that is exactly what he saw. As a result he hadn't slept in over seventy-two hours, not since he returned home and found it a shambles. Now his fatigued subconscious began to flash images on his wakeful mind and he found little escape. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to get her back.
All he could ask at first was How? He didn't know how to fight, not really anyway, basic self-defense and such. His skills would not be enough to fend off a horde of monsters, he was but a mere human, and they were demons. He needed help, he knew that. So he went to the town elders and begged them to help him rescue his love. But they backed down and said there was nothing they could do. Cowards! His mind spat. That's all they are - COWARDS! Saving their own skin by letting those creatures have my gentle, caring Kanan. He had to stifle the sob that burned in his chest.
Oh, my Kanan! I told you I would take care of you, but I didn't know. I didn't know that they had come while I was working to take you away. Why didn't I know? He closed his darkened emerald eyes to stop the tears from falling, yet one managed to break free and trace a line down smooth silken cheeks. His emotions were careening back and forth and suddenly his despair was replaced by steely determination and rage. I will get you back, my love! I will find a way to bring you home again.
And that was exactly why he was here at the moment, enduring this torturous waiting. When the town revealed their spinelessness he had to search for other means of assistance. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled hearing about a group of demon slayers. So for the past twenty-four hours he had hunted down a contact to this group. And he was now waiting to meet that contact. With each passing second he could feel himself whither little by little. He needed Kanan if he was going to continue on living and with her gone, he was dying slowly.
What seemed like an eternity later, a stranger came up to him. "You Cho Gonou?" He demanded, no polite greeting for this rugged warrior.
"Hai. Please let us sit down and talk." His usually calm tenor sounded strained in his ears, but was surprisingly not as frantic as he felt inside. He led the man into the small restaurant to hopefully secure their services. The instant they reached the table and settled themselves in, Gonou spoke again. "Domo arigato gozaimasu, for coming so quickly. I have contacted you so that I may hire you."
"I can't imagine you just wanted to meet us. So what's the story and who do you want us to get?"
"My... fiancé was taken by the Crow clan and given to Hyakugan Maoh. I want you to take out both demon clans and bring me back my love."
The man stared blankly at first, but then abruptly broke out in hysterics. It took him several minutes to calm down enough speak again, tears in his eyes. "You want to hire a band of demon slayers to take out two clans, powerful ones at that, all for the sake of one woman?" And the laughing commenced anew.
The dark and deadly glare that sprang from verdant eyes eventually sobered the man. "Hai, that is exactly what I want you to do. She is my life and I will not leave her in their hands any longer."
Releasing the last few hiccuping chuckles, the man tried to regain his previously stern visage. "Listen kid, we don't exactly care about the reason, we'll gladly take out demons whenever we can. But right now, killing demons isn't exactly condoned. There is peace between humans and demons right now, so if you want us to kill them, you're going to have to pay us a pretty penny."
"I'm not a wealthy man, but you can take all that I have. Just please leave quickly."
"How much?" The man's face was set in grim determination, he would not budge until he got a price.
"All my savings, at least a couple of thousand in there."
"That's not enough. You want us to take out two whole clans, that's got to be around two to three hundred people at least. And you want us to do it for a few measly thousand? If I was in a good mood, which I am at the moment, we might possibly be persuaded to do it for 50,000. Otherwise the price will just go up."
"Fifty?!? But I don't have that kind of money." Gonou was decimated. He was prepared to pay of course, but he didn't know they would ask for a fortune.
The man seemed unflustered, "Then I suggest you find a way to get it, then you can try to contact us again. But I can't guarantee that you'll get the same price. Like I said, it may go up."
"Up?? I'm just a schoolteacher where am I going to get that kind of money??"
"I don't know and I don't care."
"But, I thought you said that you enjoyed killing demons. That's what I want you to do. Can't you just..."
"Look, we don't do charity. It takes money to feed, clothe and house us. If you can't produce the cash, then we're not going anywhere. You're just going to have to find a way to live without your girlfriend." The man stood and left, not waiting for further pleas that were sure to come from behind him.
Gonou sat there for several moments stunned. What could he do now? What was there to do? He either needed money or had to accept Kanan's fate and move on. NO! I will get Kanan back, if it's the last thing I do! Jumping up he ran out of the place bound for his last chance to get help.
Without pretense, he barged his way into the room where the Town elders sat discussing affairs. At his intrusion they stopped conversing and looked at him curiously. "Cho-san, what is the meaning of this?"
"You must help me. If you won't fight with me, loan me the funds to hire a group that will."
"You forget, Cho-san, our village is not wealthy. We have very little in our stores and it must be used to preserve our people. We cannot waste it all for the sake of one person."
"But Kanan, she was loved here. You can't abandon her to those beasts. I'll work for free if I must, but please, help me. All I'm asking is for financial support. None of the townspeople would have to get involved. The town can surely spare enough for that."
"Listen to me, you are young yet. When they came, we tried to fight them off, but they were too strong and too many. Some of our men were hurt and Kanan told them to stop fighting. She would go willingly if it meant that no one else would get hurt. She asked us to tell you that she loved you and not to worry. And we have done that. Now you must accept her decision and let her go."
"I can't. Don't you understand, she is my life, my entire existence. I have nothing left, she is everything to me."
"There will be someone else, in time. You just need a little time."
"NO! I don't want anyone else. I want Kanan."
"I know. Kanan was special. But it was her beauty that spared her from death. She may live a while yet, while at Hyakugan Maoh's. Be content to know that she did this for all our sakes' including yours. Let her sacrifice mean something." The elder paused looking into the pained gaze of the teacher. Trying to find any words that might calm the young man down, he uttered something that sealed his death as well as the others. "It was better her than us."
As the words quickly sunk in, Gonou's heart pounded loudly in his ears drowning everything else out. The world moved in slow motion all around him. But inside he was a raging fury. And then - Snap! His mind went red. Before he knew what was happening, everyone in the room was lying on the ground in a pool of their own blood. During the frenzy, he could heard someone shouting in the distance, 'Bastards!! Cowards!!' And somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that it was his own infuriated voice that screamed at them as they fell lifelessly to the floor.
Enraged, he ran out of the building killing anyone that got in his way. On instinct he made his way back to his shattered home, he had decided that if no one was willing to help him, he would take matters into his own hands. Vaguely he was aware of the passage of time and the pregnant dark clouds rolling above him. Rummaging through the debris, he found the dagger he had stowed away in his study. It was a gift when he graduated from school but he thought it an odd present and just stuffed it in his desk. Now he wondered if fate had already chosen this course for him and provided him the means of revenge. Clasping the hilt of the weapon in his hand, it felt comfortable, even familiar to him.
But he didn't ponder on it for long as he looked at the front door that was still ajar. Outside, he could see that the laden clouds were starting to release their load. He felt the sudden storm reflected his own turbulent emotions. Not caring about the coolness that the rain brought, he walked out into the gloom brandishing his blade and headed for Hyakugan Maoh's castle. The drumming in his chest was almost drowned out by the pounding of the downpour as the skies opened up. With determination hard and cold as ice, Cho Gonou walked into the living nightmare that would stay with him for the rest of his existence.
-owari-
Well, we all know what happened after he got to Hyakugan Maoh's so I won't bore you with that. But I do hope it made you think a little. Like I said, it always sounded to me there was a hidden disdain for Huang Long in Hakkai's voice and I could see that this was a high possibility as to a reason why. It could also be a reason why he was upset that Tongpu joined up with the group. Anyway, thanks for reading. And if it would not be so much trouble, please submit a review!!! PLEASE!!!! Domo!