Synopsis
Gojyo and Goku leap clear of the rockslide; Gato is buried, but pushes free, and is healed (with much unnerving crunching and popping of mended bone) for the nteenth time by Hazel. H,G&G admit to each other that this is just a bit daunting, but they defiantly gather their strength and prepare to charge Gato. Hazel calls down to Gat that they're running low on souls, so Gat had better finish the ikkou off this time--that should be easy, he mockingly adds, just see how beat-up they are. The big native draws and charges, but the indomitable four pour it on and give him a fierce fight. Hazel, who'd thought them on the verge of death, watches in wide-eyed amazement--and then looks up to see Goku descending on his mesa from midair, nyoi-bo swung back and aimed at his skull! Gato leaps up to tackle Hazel clear of the blow [[it really is cool that they found this lunar-gravity valley to fight in, isn't it?]] intercepting Goku's shattering blow himself and requiring another healing--which drains Hazel's pendant. He's in complete disbelief: how can the ikkou just shrug off the battering and rounds of gunshots they've taken? These people might be invincible, says Gat quietly. That's absurd, snaps the bishop; we'll just retreat and replenish our soul supply--
--but Gato says "No, I won't do that."
Hazel is so stunned that his mouth literally drops open. His faithful Gato, disobeying him? --My journey ends here, the big man says calmly.
What are you saying? Hazel protests, I'm out of souls! if you disobey me you'll die!
But Gat smiles and says, "I'm already dead." And he leaps down from the mesa [[yeah, just like that]] and cocks both pistols for another run at the ikkou.
Hakkai says he's got a bad feeling about this; Gojyo says "let's finish him fast and get outta here." Goku charges, and the battle is again joined, while Hazel looks on in bewildered anger: why is Gat disobeying him, why? Battered on all sides by the ikkou, Gato is on the ropes--and a huge echoing voice suddenly calls Hazel's name. It's the Spirit, Gat says; I've finally fulfilled my promise. Goku's staff punches into his chest; his arm shatters, and he collapses into the sand. Hazel runs to him, nearly in tears, saying that this only happened because he disobeyed. Why did he do it?
The big native smiles wearily, and says that this desert reminds him of his home; it'll be a good final resting place. This is the end of our journey, Hazel, he says gently. The Spirit's voice calls his name, and a light descends, brilliant as a miniature sun. (Is this that sembei thing? asks Goku, and Gojyo snaps back, 'quit thinking of food for once!') As the light comes closer, Gato explains that the Spirit made him promise to protect Hazel.
Flashback: Gato says that the Spirit had brought him to Hazel to kill him, and we see him watching as child-Hazel drops a pack of random youkai. Small Hazel calmly explains that he killed them just because they're monsters, which have no right to live. I'm goin' to exterminate them, says the baby bishop, and as Gat steps forward he coldly adds that he'll kill Gat too if he interferes--anyone who gets in my way is my enemy. [[Hate to say it, but he and Sanzo do have a thing or two in common.]]--Little Hazel starts to walk away, but his face suddenly takes on a wild glare, he gasps and chokes, his hands turn into youkai talons [[what?!]] and as he claws at his head in agony, his eyes turn slit-pupiled...
It was a monster's curse, dying Gato tells Hazel, back in the present. I'm a monster?! gasps Hazel; he begins to laugh wildly, and accuses Gato of trying to fool him, saying he remembers that moment plainly, and that Gato had looked so stunned when his guns failed to fire. But Gat tells him that's a fabricated memory; the Seirei replaced your memories, he says. The Seirei told him it was his destiny to kill the child, he explains; he hesitated, but when chibi-demon Hazel lunged for him, all cat eyes and sawblade teeth, he shot it down. I shot you after you turned into a monster, he tells Hazel, who shouts that it's a lie. Gat tells him to look at his chest, and sure enough there's the scar of a bullet wound [[which, um, Hazel had never noticed before?...'what's going on?' asks Goku. Beats me, replies Hakkai. Me too, 'Kai.]]
Flashback: Gat emotionally says that when he closed the eyes of the dead Hazel, he suddenly saw all the child's past suffering and loneliness. We see baby Hazel crying in the midst of a strew of corpses as youkai snarl around him, see him rescued by Bishop Filbert, wearing the same gold pendant. And we see again the scene we've glimpsed before, Filbert shielding child Hazel from a huge wolf-youkai, only now we hear the whole story: the youkai (it's the wounded one that Filbert was allowing to convalesce in the church) bitterly says that Hazel, who hates all monsters, should bear the curse of a monster. Hazel, to Filbert's horror, laughs, and dares the creature to do its worst, saying it hasn't even the strength of a fly. All monsters should die, he yells defiantly. The huge beast dematerializes itself into a spiral of red vapor/light which strikes into Hazel; as Filbert looks on in horror, the boy turns into the same catlike demon Gat saw--and kills his own master with his own claws. As Filbert lies dying, he gently tells the snarling child that he must put aside his anger and hate before they destroy him, and prays that someone can save him.
At that moment, Gato tells the in-shock Hazel back in the present, I knew why you and I were there...both of us, who were alone and had lost everything. I gave you my soul. Hazel denies it, but the Spirit says that it's true; that at Gat's own request, his spirit was transferred to the child he had just shot down. I entered your body to control the monster inside you, and you gained my powers, says the glowing Seirei. Gato says that he promised to protect Hazel until he was freed from the curse, and the Seirei agrees, but adds that its own life is drawing to a close. Its glow fades away, and Gato says that without its power Hazel will turn into a monster soon; he was supposed to kill Hazel when they happened, but he doubts he has the strength anymore, and he lookes hopefully at the ikkou. With his last effort he tells the bishop that monsters and humans are the same, and that he must discard his hatred...and his hands crumble into sand. His last moments have come.
Hazel, sobbing, turns and begs one of the ikkou to die so that he can save Gato. They gaze back stonily. Gato manages to tell him that everyone's time to die must come; he smiles, and says he enjoyed their journey together, before completely dissolving into dust.
Hazel howls his name, the echoes resounding off the cliffs. Tears stream down his face as he scoops up a handful of white dust and lets it sift through his fingers. Goku quietly notes that Gat was smiling at the last. Something we must protect, says Gojyo.==as Hazel gazes on the now empty heap of clothing, his sobs turn into hysterical laughter, and he says that Gato was right, that it happened just that way--he IS a monster. He begins to choke and gasp as he changes shape, but...um...instead of turning into the cat-demon, he develops one huge, lumpy arm with claws on it...?
No, really, that's what happens...
