Hakkai woke with a pounding headache, and the blazing sun shining above was not making things any better.

His instincts told him he wasn't in immediate danger, so he allowed his body to move sluggishly as he carefully scanned his surroundings.

The lush trees suggest that he was in a grove. The occasional chirping of the birds suggest it's peaceful nature, but for some unknown reason the place stirred something at the back of his mind, like an unwanted memory he couldn't quite place in finger on.

He quickly waved it off. There were more pressing matters in hand than trying to remember some unpleasant memories. He moved under the shades towards the faint sound of flowing water, all the while calling out his travel companions' names.

"Gojyo…? Goku…? Sanzo…?, Hakuryuu…?" He had noticed they weren't anywhere near him the moment he woke up, uneasiness was starting to creep over as he scanned his surroundings with watchful eyes.

He vaguely recalled that they had checked in a shabby hotel in a small town, and then….what? What happened after that? He frowned and struggled to remember more, but his memory was fuzzy at best.

Something must have happened, but he had no idea what.

The faint sound of water brought him to a river; he cupped some water up with both hands and tasted it carefully. Pleased that they were just fresh water, he took a few long drinks before splashing some water on his face. The cold water cleared his mind and lightened his mood. He's going to have to locate his companions before making any further plans.

He really hoped this wasn't going to take long, his companions are notoriously incapable of taking care of themselves, and he's often the one who had to pick up their mess and keep them as healthy as possible.

"Oh my….this is rather troublesome…" listening to the birds chirp but not hearing a single human voice, a helpless smile tugging at his lips. He searched for any trace of human activities and his eyes lit up when he found a rocky path stretching out in front of him.

Quickly following the path, a town soon came into sight. But instead of hurrying forwards, his footsteps slowed and came to a stop and wide green eyes stared in disbelief.

Seeing the town didn't give him any comfort. If anything, he felt like someone just knocked the wind out of him.

The town looked so familiar that he could recognize it anytime. But he had left that town roughly two years by now as they have continued their journey west, and there was no way he should be seeing it right now.

The town was the fateful town he and Gojyo had lived for three years, the town where he had met Sanzo and Goku, and the town of the beginning of "Hakkai".

"This has to be some mistake…" with the pleasant small smiled he usually wore firmly in place; Hakkai scanned the all-too- familiar streets and building, feeling like he just walked into a daydream. He took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down and analyze the situation.

So the obvious question should be why he was here. He had ruled out the possible answer of "I'm still dreaming" by giving his leg a painful pinch, the two other possible answers were that either the Three Aspect had intervene, which was rather impossible, or some youkai had done this, which was a more plausible option.

He calmed quickly after finding the answer. He and his travel companions had already seen their fair share of weird abilities youkais were capable of, someone able to throw you around places sound normal enough. He'll just have to make plans to find his companions…or see whatever the youkai who had yet to show himself had in mind for him.

"Hey, young lad, want to buy some fresh pumpkins?" The owner of the vegetable stall he frequented smiled warmly and gives him a wave.

"It's been a while, are your legs getting better now?" not letting his guard down as he made his way to the vegetable stall, Hakkai gave the owner an easy smile while glancing at the fresh vegetables. His mind had automatically started to organize a dinner menu for Gojyo before remembering they no longer lived in Gojyo's house anymore.

The owner and his wife exchange a bewildered look "Haven't seen you before, lad. We'd definitely remember a handsome face like yours. S' ok, you're new here, right? We'll be happy to show you around if you need to. " the owner and his wife smiled benignly at Hakkai.

"I appreciate your kind offer, but I'm doing fine now." Hakkai smiled though he didn't really feel like smiling. Something wasn't right, he had known the couple for a long time, and he could tell they weren't lying when they said they really had no idea who he was.

This was bad.

Hakkai tried a few more stores he frequented, and his heart sank a bit lower every time people give him blank stares. No one remembered him, like the whole town had suddenly had collective amnesia about his existence.

"Looking for Gojyo? " the bartender gave him a friendly smile, " m 'fraid you'll have to take numbers. The guy's been going home early these days, and lots of people are waiting for him to show up."

"He's been going home early?" Hakkai asked doubtfully. He was glad that Gojyo was here as well, but the way the bartender is speaking sounds like Gojyo was still living in that house instead of traveling west…

An unwelcome assumption slowly started to form in his mind.

"Yup, heard e's been takin' care of some random guy he picked up from the road." Another guest spoke up beside him.

Hakkai's eyes widen, Gojyo's smiling face and words came to his mind: "This is the first and last time I'm taking a man to bed."

Gojyo had never "taken any man to bed" in the three years they had lived together, so this could only mean the person he was taking care of was….

Resisting the urge to sigh, Hakkai tried to organize his thoughts. So not only was he sent back to the starting point, he had also been thrown back in time as well. No wonder no one knew him, he was bedridden and recovering from the wound Chin Yisou gave him at that time.

What now? Gojyo would probably take him in after some explanation for now, but he needed to get back to his own time. A certain grumpy but knowledgeable monk was probably his best hope in getting out this mess.

With his mind made up, Hakkai thanked the people and stepped back outside. He was about to head towards Gojyo's place when he noticed smoke rising from the mountains.

The thick smoke suggests that the cause of it was likely from huge buildings being burned. The voices of gossiping drift into his ears

"...What's going on?..."

"…I don't know, but I heard there are youkais living there…"

"…terrible, I don't know, but I hope they keep away…"

Hakkai's breath caught in his chest, then started to run with full speed towards the smoke. He now understood why he felt the woods look familiar. He had spent days scouting the area, calculating the perfect time and place to hide and ambush. His mind was in total rage but at the same time clear and focus.

All so he could get Kanan back.

The burning place was no doubt Hyakugan Maou's castle, which was burned down to the ground a few days prior to his arrival. But now…

Ignoring people gaping at him, Hakkai ran towards the mountain and trees. Now he was back in time and without the wounds. He'd probably had a chance to take Kanan's remains and give her a proper burial, away from that cursed castle she had suffered so much from. She deserved so much better than that hideous place.

With a silent prayer to the Gods, he charged towards his destiny.

Sanzo had told him more than once that the gods save no one, and looking at the castle engulfed in flames, he was force to remember what it means that gods had no mercy.

Legs weak with overwhelming despair and sorrow, he could only stare at the blazing flames. The unbearable heat forced the onlookers to retreat a few meters away as the ablazed building burned with the horrible smell of burned flesh and marl. He knew there was nothing he could do, the enhanced body of his was still not enough to keep his promise to Kanan.

How could life be so cruel? Back then, he wanted nothing more than to live a peaceful life with Kanan, but the youkais had robbed him of his petty dream, and he wasn't even allowed to take her body back and give her a proper burial.

He had once thought he had made peace with his past, but the despair that threatens to take over suggested that it was only his wishful thinking.

But as the ghost of kanan's smile came to him, a red-haired man with a wide grin, a monkey-boy with huge appetite, and a prissy-blond with piercing eyes also popped into his mind.

No, he closed his eyes firmly and willed the image and voice of his beloved away. He had long since made up his mind to continue on his new life and was blessed with irreplaceable friends who accept everything he was and is. No, I'm no longer Cho Gonou, I am Hakkai, Cho Hakkai.

With tremendous efforts, Hakkai forced the emotions down and calmed himself. It was a while before he noticed someone standing right in front of him. He lift his head curiously and frozed, all previous thoughts forgotten.

Cladded in white monk robes with a green sutra sitting on his shoulders, the man standing in front of him has golden hair that seem to glow in the sunlight and droopy sharp amethyst eyes. Most people would be distracted by his good looks before finding themselves at the end of a muzzle or having their asses handed to them. The green sutra seemed harmless enough, but having seen it activated countless times, Hakkai knew better than to underestimate that absolute power.

Though slightly younger than what he remembered, this man was no doubt the leader of their little crew- Genjo Sanzo.

Seeing the face he knew so well gave Hakkai both a sense of hope and dread. "Cho Hakkai" did not exist four years ago. The person who lived at that time was the miserable mass-murderer "Cho Gonou", and the person in charge to bring the mass-murderer to justice was the very person standing there and holding him at gun point of his banishing gun.

"Cho Gonou, I presume?" Sanzo's steely voice rang at his ears, eyes and face cold as marble. "Under the orders of Sanbutsushin, I am ordered to bring you back to face your judgment for mass murdering. Come quietly if you don't want to die a painful death. "

-tbc-

Author's note: This is my first story, please read and review.

I'm really in need of beta-readers as I'm not a native English speaker, please contact me if you are willing.