Synopsis
After the flashback: we catch up with the ikkou eating at an inn, Goku cramming down the stir-fry so fast that Gojyo chides him, saying he can't possibly be able to taste the food that way. He gripes that Goku forces him to eat too fast as well, to make sure he even gets any; but Hakkai, with Hakuryu perched on his shoulder, feeds the dragon a nibble and says there's no reason for Gojyo to make such a fuss.
Just as Sanzo is about to add a grumble, Hazel and Gat walk in. Hazel asks permission to sit at their table, and, taking their collective silence for agreement, lets Gato fetch him a chair--but as soon as he sits down, Hakkai, Hakuryu, Gojyo and Goku, as one, rise and very pointedly move to the next table. [Go, Team Youkai.] Hazel, in his sweetly nasty way, allows as how he's much obliged that they moved to make room for him. He settles his chair directly across from Sanzo's, remarking that it's amazing he can even eat at the same table as those demons. Sanzo snorts and focuses on his cigarette.==
A little kid arriving with his mom trips and falls; Gato helps him to his feet, but the boy's terrified of the huge stranger and runs to mommy. Hazel chuckles, commenting that children do favor their mothers; and then quietly adds that he's an orphan, and never knew his parents. I have no memories of bein' cared for that way, he says. There's a shade of sympathy in Sanzo's eyes, as you can imagine. We see him remembering a day in the past: Kouryuu standing in the rain with a begging-bowl, rain dripping off his hat, softly chanting as he waited for passers-by to give coin offerings for the temple. He watched a small boy ride past on his dad's shoulders, and then the sun broke through the rainclouds, and Koumyou arrived, calling for him.==
He's pulled from his reverie by the smash of a plate on the floor and a woman's scream--the restaurant is being attacked by youkai, and they've spotted Sanzo. Hazel wryly remarks that he envies Sanzo-han's popularity. The ikkou meets the PoRY head on and sets about wiping the floor with them, but Hazel turns Gat loose, and youkai drop like flies. The threat is over before the disgruntled SI even has a chance to loosen up, and they stand there seething (Hakkai actually folds his arms in a flat-out sulk!).
Hazel chuckles, saying there's something about them he just can't put his finger on; why do they fight demons when they're demons themselves? Goku angrily retorts that they don't fight demons just for being demons, and Gojyo adds that they fight youkai because they attack the ikkou--they don't seek them out for no reason as Hazel does. If you attacked us, adds Hakkai coldly, we'd defeat you too. (Hakuryu agrees.) Well, now, that's a tall order; you think you could beat us? smiles Hazel, but they're not kidding. Want to try? asks Gojyo, shakujou at the ready. But before it can go any further, Sanzo snaps for them to stop. We're in the way here, let's go, he says, and strides for the door.
The ikkou climbs into the hills on foot, and Goku glances back tp see the Hazel-tachi following. They never quit, groans Gojyo, and Hakkai wonders for at least the third time how long they plan to follow the SI. Sanzo's just ordered it forgotten when --who should plunge out of the sky but Lirin! Ohisashiburi desu ne, Sanzo-ikkou! --"Long time no see!"-- she calls cheerfully. Sanzo mutters that yet another pest has arrived. =) Goku tries frantically to tell her to get out before she's spotted, but too late; Hazel's caught up with them.
Who's the guy in the weird outfit? asks the puzzled princess, is he a new member of your party? Hazel turns on the Southern charm, complimenting her cleverness and producing a loaf of melon bread seemingly from under his hat (seriously, where did he have that?) as a a gift. Amusin' little lady, isn't she? smiles the bishop as Lirin happily chows down; the ikkou watches all this with bafflement and deep suspicion.
And next thing you know, there's Lirin sitting in Hazel and Gat's inn room, all sharing a game of cards! WTF?! The princess has told them she's after the Maten Sutra, but that she just wants it for her brother, which Hazel allows is right nice of her.--when she takes a bathroom break, Gat asks what his boss is planning, and Hazel smiles coolly: what should we do? We want the Scripture's power, but that's just the beginning. He sits back, and says that nothing went right for them in this country until they met Sanzo. We need him, he says; we've been having too many nightmares lately.
Lirin returns, and asks about his gold pendant, which she spotted at their meeting. Hazel holds it out for her to see, saying it's his most treasured possession. Lirin says it's pretty, and he says he'll show her what it does the next time he uses it.
==Meanwhile, G,G&H are crammed into one inn room, and Goku is going stir-crazy; there were only two single rooms available, and of course Sanzo claimed one for himself and left the other three to fend. And to make matters worse, isn't the Hazel-tachi (henceforth the HT) staying here too? Hakkai confirms they are: this is the only inn in town, and Hazel checked in before we did. Goku is going ballistic with exasperation, and Gojyo is close behind; he decides ice cream is their best option.==So, we next see them jammed onto one bench in the lobby, eating popsicles (or whatever's the Chinese/Japanese for 'ice cream on a stick'--Hakkai lets Hakuryu nibble his). Goku wonders what Hazel wants with Lirin. Gojyo snidely suggests that he might have a thing for little girls; they snicker over the wrongness of the notion, but Hakkai grimly adds that despite his hatred of youkai, Hazel appeared to take to Lirin right away. There's something strange about that, no matter how you look at it. Maybe he hasn't noticed she's a youkai? wonders Goku, and Gojyo doubles over in laughter, saying there's no way.
In the inn room: Lirin is asleep on the bed, dreaming about food; she slides onto the floor, and is moved back into the bed by patient Gato.
In Sanzo's room: He has his death-of-Koumyou nightmare again, this time with Kinzan in flames plus more and fangier youkai, and goes outside for a smoke. The moon is full, the hotel courtyard flooded with light.
HG&G are restless; Hakkai smells the cigarette smoke from outside, takes note and closes his eyes. Gojyo shifts position; Goku's stomach growls, and he quietly grumbles that he's hungry. And Hazel, in his nightshirt, comes walking toward Sanzo. Looking at the moon, Sanzo-han? he asks, and with his voice all three of the ikkou are at attention, eyes open wide. ==Sanzo retorts that he couldn't care less about the moon. He gets up to leave, but within two strides Hazel's voice stops him: "My master was murdered by monsters." [As before, he says "monsters" in English--neither "youkai" nor "bakemono".] Sanzo turns to face him. --That night as well, the moon was lovely, says Hazel; Hakkai and Goku are wide-eyed as they follow the story. In my country, Hazel tells him, we call youkai 'monsters'. It's common knowledge that you oughtn't open your heart to a monster, but my master was a different sort of man.--We see Hazel's memory: the same kindly-looking older man in clerical robes we've seen before [I'll save us all some time and say now that he's Bishop Filbert] hears a sound, sees glowing eyes by the door of his church, but gently says that all are safe under God's eye here, and that if the stranger is wounded, it may rest here and recover. We see small Hazel in the background, overhearing his master's words...and then we see him running, Filbert lying dead, the church in flames. Hazel-chan looked up to the moon and angrily swore he'd never forgive the youkai.
==Sanzo stares impassively. Master was murdered by monsters, Hazel repeats, and all three of the ikkou's youkai are listening. ==You've seen me bring the dead back to life? It's an ability I discovered I had soon after my master died, and I'm sure it was born from my hatred of monsters. Saving people from monsters with this power has become my life's mission. ==Sanzo snorts. A pretty far-fetched story, he says; you're wasting your time. He's walking away, but: But aren't you the same, Sanzo-han? asks Hazel. Wasn't your master killed by demons as well? That grabs him: he stops, cusses, asks who told Hazel that. Just a shot in the dark, smiles the little bishop, but sure looks like it hit home.
==I understand you on some level, he goes on; I'm sure you hate youkai, don't you? After all, you can't trust them; even if you're traveling with them, you never know when they'll show their true faces, and they'll kill without a second thought. [The camera pans over the now-seemingly-sleeping, quiet ikkou; we know this is a question that has gnawed at Sanzo since the moment the Three Aspects ordered him to bring these three along.]--So you kill them before they have a chance? snaps back Sanzo, and Hazel smiles: do you understand me now? he asks. I don't, retorts Sanzo, and again he tries to walk away, and again Hazel's next line freezes him in his tracks: Sanzo-han, what will you do if your demon friends go berserk and start attackin' humans? Would you kill them? Or--
The wind rises, blowing Sanzo's hair and the leaves of the trees. I'd slaughter them, he growls, and again turns to walk away.
The curtains flap, and Hakkai sits up in bed: 'the wind has really picked up', he says, and closes the window. Hazel smiles at the sound, knowing the conversation must have been overheard.
And at Houtou Castle, Dr. Ni and 01 are playing chess as usual; the old youkai comments on the brightness of the moon, and Ni wonders what's on the other side of the face she shows us. Legend says there's a frightening demon living there, he says,and grins, saying he finds just considering that thought exciting. 01 thinks he's cheating...
...meanwhile, Kougaiji watches over Doku and Yaone, lying in their beds in the infirmary...
---and Hazel says he has one more question: like me, weren't you orphaned in childhood? Sanzo says nothing, but Hazel takes that as assent, and says the monk's reaction when he discussed his past this morning had given it away. What's your point? cuts Sanzo, and Hazel-rah finally makes his pitch: as we're so much the same, why don't you come along with us to kill off the demons? There's no need for you to keep company with the likes of them. ---You have a point, says Sanzo [Hazel thinks he has him], but I have no intention of coming with you, or of being killed by anyone.
And with that, he strides firmly away, leaving a stunned and angry Hazel standing in the courtyard, speechless.
