Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction / Saiyuki Reload Fan Fiction / Saiyuki Reload Gunlock Fan Fiction ❯ Truly, Madly Deeply ❯ Truth ( Chapter 13 )

XIII. TRUTH/SOMETHING TO PROTECT

 

A.

 

“Gato…” Hazel kneels brokenly beside his fallen nanny's body. “I forbid you to die!”

 

Gato rolls his eyes.

 

Hazel bawls. “But I … I have no idea how to cook… or clean… or wash clothes… or… or curl my hair… How will I exist without you?” the bishop pleads.

 

“Hazel.”

 

Hazel gasps, looking up in wonder at the pulsating ball of light. He fumbles over for Gato's hand. “Is this… is this…”

 

“Yes, Hazel. This is the Great Spirit,” Gato sighs. “I asked him to put my soul into you.”

 

“No…” Hazel moans, shaking his head.

 

“Yes,” booms the light. “I admit it. I did everything. I sent Gato to kill you, knowing that in the future you would be meeting Genjo Sanzo.”

 

“Nani?!?” Sanzo sputters.

 

“Urusei! I'm talking now,” commands the Voice. Gojyo and Goku snicker at Sanzo being told to shut up. Sanzo narrows his eyes at Gojyo. Gojyo yelps, and plants penitent kisses on Sanzo.

 

The Voice continues. “I sent Gato to kill you, but the big softie couldn't do it. Then you became a monster, blah blah blah… (“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!! HOW DARE YOU!!! Hazel froths at the mouth. Gato shushes Hazel. “It's true, Hazel.”) …Gato shot you in self-defense, blah blah blah… So I put his soul into yours. And I possessed you myself, too.”

 

“Um, why, please?” Hakkai inquires politely.

 

“Huh. So he doesn't enjoy Konzen all by himself, of course… Why should a pasty weakling get the pleasure of possessing Konzen all by himself…”

 

“Konzen…” Hakkai.

 

“That name again…” Gojyo.

 

“Huh? I don't get it…” Goku.

 

“Bakazaru!” Gojyo.

 

“You remember, Goku… all those kami references in Gensomaden,” Hakkai prompts.

 

“Eh?” Goku wrinkles his brow.

 

“Sheesh!” Gojyo smacks a heel to his forehead.

 

“Yare yare…”

 

“URUSEI!!!” Sanzo yells. Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo whip around and stare at their leader. Sanzo is whiter than white, sweating a cold sweat, violet eyes wide with horror. “No… it can't be…”

 

The Voice laughs madly. “Yes, sweet Konzen… C'est moi…”

 

PING!

 

Exclamation marks pop over the monkey's head. “No way!!!”

 

“YES way…”

 

“Homura?!?”

 

“Bingo.”

 

Sanzo stammers, backing away. Gojyo summons the Jakujou, scowling jealously. Hakkai orders Hakuryu to transform.

 

Hazel stomps his foot. “OI! Will somebody PLEASE explain what the heck is going on?!?”

 

“Good night, Hazel… Be a good boy, okay…” Gato smiles peacefully as he turns into dust.

 

The ikkou pile into the jeep, frantic to get away from the kami-phantom. But they are missing one person.

 

“Bakazaru! Get the fuck on!!!” Gojyo yells.

 

Goku swings in just in time, clutching fistfuls of dirt.

 

“Whatever were you doing, Goku?” Hakkai reproaches as they speed away.

 

Goku doesn't answer right away. He sniffs and wipes his eyes. “I… I was getting a souvenir…”

 

“Of what? The desert?!” Gojyo glares.

 

Goku bawls. “Of Gato… I feel so sad for him!!! Waaahhh!!! ….”

 

“So that's Gato's ashes?” Hakkai blinks incredulously. “Eeewww…”

 

Sanzo whacks Goku with the fan. He whacks Gojyo, too, out of sheer habit. (“OI!!!”) He points the gun at Hakkai's head. “Faster Hakkai! Faster!” he commands, looking back fearfully.

 

The ball of light drags behind them. The wind carries Homura's words. “Konzen… Is this how you welcome someone who's been to hell and back for you? Konzen!… URK!”

 

The light is squashed by the blob of monster flesh sprouting from Hazel's arm. “Hah! If I don't get him, neither will you… Great Spirit my bum…”

 

 

B.

 

“Our journey ends here, Hazel.”

 

“The hell it does!”

 

“I'm afraid so.”

 

Gato presses his palms together in front of him, closes his eyes, and utters solemnly. “I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you.” The big man opens his eyes and - shockingly - grins. (The Sanzo-ikkou gasp in wonder.) “There! It's done!” Gato beams happily.

 

Hazel stands rigid, his fists and teeth clenched. “Will-you-quit-with-the-Allah-thing-already!!!”

 

“Hehehe…”

 

 

C.

 

“Our journey ends here, Hazel.”

 

“What are you blabbing about?”

 

“My nanny contract officially ends today. Oh joy…”

 

“Says who?!?”

 

Gato ignores Hazel as he confides to the grinning Goku. “I've saved up all of my salary… I can finally go to the Bahamas!” Gato sighs in rapture.

 

“I recommend Morocco, if you're planning to eat well,” advises Goku.

 

Gojyo elbows the monkey away. “He's a dead man, baka! He doesn't care about food!” Gojyo winks and nudges Gato. “You ought to go to Kokomo instead… or Ibiza…” THWAK! “Ow…”

 

Hakkai cuts in. “No, no, Gato. It seems to me you're a romantic at heart… I really think you would enjoy Paris…” (“Kyuuu!!!”)

 

Sanzo finally turns from punishing the naughty kappa. “Huh. Baka. All of you.” He nods at Gato. “Egypt. Go to Egypt. You won't regret it.” Gato nods thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

 

“OI! Nobody's going ANYWHERE!!!” Hazel yells. But he is ignored, as everyone is now engaged in a heated debate.

 

“Paris is best!”

 

“Forget Paris! Magic Mountain rocks!”

 

“But snookums… I wasn't thinking of bikinis, honest…”

 

“Oh REALLY???”

 

 

D.

 

“The promised time limit has come.”

 

Hazel tears at his hair in despair. “Why the hell didn't you tell me you had an expiration date, you silly ape!?!”

 

Gato blinks at him. “Don't you know anything, Hazel? Look…” Gato bares his chest. Tattooed on his torso are the words: Best Before… See Bottom For Details.

 

Gato turns around and pulls his pants down and points. “See?”

 

Hakkai cringes. Sanzo winces. Gojyo yelps, and covers Goku's eyes. Gojyo goggles. Goku struggles. “I wanna see… I wanna see…” Sanzo hits Goku with the fan. THWAK! He hits Gojyo as well. “Stop staring, dammit! Baka erogappa…”

 

Gojyo grins at Sanzo. “Nobody has a derriere as sweet as yours, Sanzo mine…”

 

“Huh.”

 

Hazel stares. Tattooed on Gato's bum are the words: EXPIRES AT PRECISELY THE SECOND-TO-THE-LAST EPISODE OF SAIYUKI RELOAD GUNLOCK. NO EXCEPTIONS. NON-NEGOTIABLE.

 

Hazel throws his head back and screams to the heavens. “Damn you to hell, Homura!!!”

 

In the Netherworld, Homura chuckles to himself. “Neither of us gets to kiss sweet Konzen after all… HAR HAR HAR!!!”

 

 

E.

 

Hazel feverishly claws at Gato's ashes, sobbing brokenly.

 

Gojyo and Goku look at each other and nod. Now is the time. Both raise their hand up, fingers curled. In Gojyo's hand materializes… a dustpan. In Goku's, a broom. They soberly begin to sweep up Gato's ashes.

 

Sanzo mutters and lights a cigarette.

 

Hakkai whistles softly and pets Hakuryu.

 

Hazel looks on, bewildered.