Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ asakaze wo fuku toki ni ❯ One ( Chapter 1 )

Note: I wrote this sitting in an airport for a delayed flight. Oh, btw, major CHARACTER DEATH and boyXboy relationships. Don't flame me.
Saiyuki is owned by Kazuya Minekura who is wondrous. XD XD XD

Asa Kaze wo Fuku Toki ni
-M Li

The wind glided across the brittle plains. It was an acrid breath of air--the sort that left lips dry and skin chapped. It moaned quietly as it threaded through the cracks and breaks of the lone monument. Its fingers loosed hunks of rock and masonry, which tumbled down to the earth, landing with soft thuds swallowed by time and silence.

Only the barest of sound existed in the crumbling fortress. A few souls clung together, witnessing the aftermath of their toils.

A young man knelt down, a soft wash of green light pouring from his hands, mending the rends and breaks of a man who was his enemy by fate. Behind him, he could hear quiet sobs. He ignored them, dully absorbing himself in the man under his hands.

A cigarette was precarious balanced between long, brown fingers. The coal slowly burned up to the filter. The man cursed automatically and dropped it, though his face registered none of the pain. He stared out of a rendered section of the wall and watched the sun rise.

The sobbing behind him refused to abate.

"Just... stop," he whispered, refusing to turn, to acknowledge.

"Kou!"

Several happy cries broke the air as Kougaiji opened his eyes. Hakkai leaned back, taking a deep breath, trying to remain upright. There was a moment of silence when even the wind's pervasive whine stopped--everything save the whimpers echoing across in the chamber.

The prince turned his head, his eyes searching out the source of the cries.

Goku's blood-blackened fingers ran through the blond hair over and over again. Between sobs, he whispered, "It's going to be okay." Kougaiji met the dark eyes. No one had closed them yet.

He turned and stared at the light crawling over the walls.

***

This was Gojyo's fifth reincarnation. He was just as annoying as the first, at least in Goku's opinion, though apparently Hakkai's fourth self didn't think so.

"Listen, kappa, I'm old enough to drink!"

"You've got to be kidding me. You're just a baby monkey. No way would I buy you a drink. That guy would have my head," he said, thumbing at the dark haired man beside him. A smile--honest, happy--crossed the green-eyed man's face as he made a dismissive comment. Goku pouted, staring at the mug of beer as though to will it over to him.

"So... did you ever find that other guy?" the fifth Gojyo** asked.

Goku's eyes left the froth slipping down the side of the glass and fell to his hands.

"Not yet."

"Seems like he had some bad karma. He's probably been working his way up from a worm."

Goku glared as viciously as he possibly could and considered throwing a piece of bread at the kappa's head. He ate it instead.

Hakkai smiled at the 'boy' and touched his arm. "You'll find him. I have a feeling."

Goku nodded and tore the crust from his bread.

***

He hated waiting. Whenever he had any time to himself, he'd think about those last moments.

Before the final battle, it hadn't rained in weeks. He had asked Sanzo if that didn't make him happy. The monk had shrugged. Goku then had asked him why he hated the rain.

"Koumyo Sanzo."

He didn't say anything more. Goku knew not to press. The fact that he had gleaned that much...

Then his mind would inevitably return to those last few moments before the film covered those violet eyes and built an timeless void between them.

White robes billowed gently, loose ends of sutra fluttered like delicate caterpillar legs. The scriptures tangled around the demon king's form, connecting him to Sanzo even after death. The sutra broke the monks' fall, his body bounced awkwardly before the sutra began to crumble, and he slid to the floor. Goku felt it rather than heard it.

He didn't remember running or gathering him or anything for some time afterwards--just the glazed look and the words.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Sanzo...?"

"Aren't you afraid to be alone?"

Goku hiccupped. "Yes."

The torn fingers moved weakly, groping at nothing. Goku caught them and squeezed his hand.

"So was I."

He'd had a lot of time to contemplate those words and the mystery behind them. He puzzled over the kind way in which they were said. In the end, he didn't know.

With a growl, Goku splashed water on his face and stood. Thinking about that time never helped. Moving, doing, that eased the pain. Travel was a good lozenge.

***

His scalp felt like it was getting a sunburn. He ran his hand through the dirty mess of hair and sat on a nearby crate.

Cities were cities, Goku decided. There wasn't much to differentiate one from the other-some had better food than others. His stomach rumbled at the thought.

He pulled out the cracked gold card that Sanzo used to tout. It wouldn't hold together too much longer. Goku wondered how he would eat then.

A shadow came over him.

"Hey, oniisan." He looked up.

A flash of purple and yellow come and gone in a moment-with his gold card. Goku jumped up, confused and angry that his next meal would be denied, but the thief was gone. With a groan, he dropped back on the crate. The heat must have caused him to hallucinate, and now he was going to starve.

Feeling completely drained and useless, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

***

He awoke to someone throwing pebbles at his knee.

"You're pathetic, you know."

A boy was crouched at his feet, idly tossing pebbles. In the dim evening light, he could see a grease-stained package beside him. Goku's stomach rumbled. The boy looked up from his task, revealing a bruised, gaunt face which seemed to make the dark eyes unnaturally large and luminous. His hair was so dirty that Goku couldn't distinguish a color.

The boy turned to the package, the light from a window reflect in his eyes-violet. Goku nearly jumped on him, but he recalled the kid's earlier disappearing act and remained still.

"Those are for you," the boy said, looking at the bag.

"What's your name?"

The boy looked back up at him, a haughty look coming over him. Goku noticed an old scar running from mid-cheek to lip.

"None of your business."

Goku's stomach growled again, and the boy rolled his eyes before dropping the package in his lap.

"I'm Goku."

"That seems about right."

This kid-Sanzo or not-was really annoying. He looked like he'd struggled through his own measure of hardship, though.

Goku opened the package and took out a meat bun. His heart flipped in joy. As he bit into it, he contemplated how he could get the boy to reveal his name. If the kid was who he thought he might be, he'd have to be very clever about it.

The boy had resumed flipping pebbles at the wall.

"You think too loudly," he muttered. Goku nearly choked. "Why do you care what my name is?"

"Because I do," Goku said around the bun.

The boy looked up, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Then he stood, dusting himself off. He was wearing a short, tattered robe that left his arms and legs bare. His knees and feet were heavily scratched. Muddy scabs rose from the mess.

"I don't have one."

"Are you alone, then?" Goku asked, reaching into the bag for the second bun.

The boy eyed him petulantly. "I don't need anyone. Therefore, I'm not alone."

Goku smiled brightly and looked down at his bun. He recalled that Sanzo had always saved a portion of his meals for Goku, though he would strike him with the harisen if he ever mentioned it. He looked at the kid.

"Did you eat?"

The boy nodded at the same time his stomach growled.

"Wanna split it?"

"I'm not a beggar."

Goku nearly fell off his crate. "But… But! You stole my card to get these!"

The boy took out the card and held it to the sky, examining it.

"You were an easy target."

"You can't just go around doing that," Goku said, tearing the bun in half.

The boy put the card on the crate and took the bun.

"I gave it back, so stop whining," he said, delicately biting into the bun. Goku sighed in resignation.

"It's cold out here. Let's go to an inn."

"I'm not like that."

Goku swallowed. "Huh?"

"I don't do things like that. I don't owe you anything."

"What are you talking about?"

"Like you don't know!"

"Look, kid, I was just trying to be nice."

The boy's cheeks colored. "I don't need help!"

Goku inwardly groaned. "Fine. Stay out here in the cold. Don't get cleaned up. Be filthy and hungry and really, really confused for the rest of your life!"

The boy stared at him in bewilderment. "You're a crazy person, aren't you? Why would I go with you? Besides the fact that you're nuts, you can't even take care of yourself. You're probably some kid from a rich family. You don't know anything!"

Goku had enough. He grabbed the kid's wrist and started to walk. The boy squirmed and writhed behind him, trying to break free.

"I'm going to call you Sanzo. That's your name now. You're a little brat, but since you're Sanzo, I'm going to help you."

The boy, unable to fight Goku's grip, began to follow him quietly.

"You can't just name me that. You aren't a monk or anything. Only holy men can name someone that."

"I don't care. You're Sanzo now."

"Whatever."

They walked into the dully-lit lobby of a rather tattered old inn. "A room please," Goku said, feeling around for his gold card. It was gone. He turned to the boy who was eyeing the bowl of mints on the counter.

"Did you steal it again?" he whispered irritably.

"No," the newly appointed Sanzo replied. "Don't tell me you lost it."

Goku reddened.

Sanzo slapped his forehead. "Baka saru." He reached into his robe and pulled out a few gold coins. The lady took them and gave him the change.

"Second room on the left."

Goku followed the boy, shocked and a little embarrassed.

"Your card was maxed out anyways." The boy opened the door and eyed the room critically. "Looks like shared baths," he said, loosening the belt of his robe. He turned to Goku, one sleeve half off a white shoulder. "Do you mind?"

Goku blushed and turned around, stripping out of his clothes and wrapping himself in a clean robe provided by the inn.

Sanzo tugged on his sleeve. He turned. The boy was slightly shorter than Goku. His eyes-all knowing and completely ignorant-were set in a face that looked too young. He turned away and left the room. Goku hurried after him.

"Don't look," the boy said as they entered the baths. A thick cloud of steam weighed down the air. No one was around. Goku took off his robe and stepped into the bath, obliging the boy by turning his back until he heard him slip into the water. He found a seat on the ledge and sighed contentedly.

Sanzo was scrubbing himself. The blood and grime ballooned in the water around him. After several minutes of vigorous rubbing, he seemed to think he was sufficiently clean and waded over to the seat across from Goku. He eyed him warily. His skin was very pale with a patchwork of bruises and newly irritated scratches.

"Who did that to you?" Goku asked.

"No one in particular," Sanzo replied with a shrug, though he visibly pressed down further under the water. Goku wondered if this was Sanzo's first reincarnation since that time. Even if he hadn't been an ant, he seemed to have still hit upon some very bad luck.

"You have a funny smell."

"Huh?"

"I've met lots of youkai before. They really stink, but they don't smell like blood."

Goku shrugged. He felt too relaxed to get offended. The water was just a little too hot, and he was feeling very lazy. Sanzo seemed to be saying something, but he couldn't quite make it out.

***

He awoke to a cool morning and a bright ray of sun directly in his eyes. He groaned and tried to hide his face in the pillow. The sun burned down on his ear, which was almost as irritating. He gave up trying to return to sleep and rolled over, wondering how and when he'd gotten into the bed.

He suddenly realized he wasn't alone. On the other side of the bed, Sanzo was lying towards the window, the covers at his hip. Goku couldn't tell if he was awake or not. In the bright sunlight, he could see that the boy did have blond hair. It was still a little grimy, but it looked seductively soft.

"I decided to stay."

"Eh?" So he was awake.

The boy continued to face the window. "A baka saru like you will never make it on your own."

Goku nearly laughed at that pompous statement, but he immediately recalled whom he was talking to.

Sanzo rolled over and met his eyes.

"Thank you," said Goku.