Enduring Silence

Series: Saiyuki AU

Rating: T

Ch. 1-

"Come, Ravi." Small tentative fingers clutched his as he turned from the old woman and started the long journey back towards Chang'an. It would take months if not a year to make it back. Glancing down at the small child by his side he amended that thought; this would most likely take years and be a growing point for the two of them. Five years had passed since Sanzo's death. The child was only three, Sanzo had been as stubborn as they had thought, waiting two years to be reincarnated. Goku grimaced at the memory.

"What's wrong?" The voice was lightly inflected with concern as it broke through his musings.

"Nothing. I was remembering your last life." He smiled broadly, more teeth than lips showed though in this new form unfortunately.

"Hmm…I don't remember much. There was rain and I was crying. I wanted the pain to stop, but I couldn't feel any pain. Someone was yelling for me, calling me, over and over…was that you?"

Goku was amazed at the level of intelligence the child displayed, really there was something more to this new Sanzo than he could see right now.

"Yes. I wanted you to come back to me. Ravi?"

"Yes?"

"What else do you remember?"

"Not much, shadows, sometimes faces. Oh! And this…it's my special toy."

"A…paper fan?"

"Granny said it was called a hari..hara…"

"Harisen."

"Yes, that's it! I'd hide it here in my sleeve and when she wasn't looking I'd chase the monkeys around in the yard and sometimes the little ones were stupid enough to let me hit them upside the head." The little boy paused his joyous rambling and bit down on his bottom lip thoughtfully before raising his eyes and staring at the Monkey King.

"I wonder why that always made me feel better?" Goku smiled softly and petted his head, earning him a disapproving scowl.

"Were you lonely with the old lady?"

"No. Not really. She was very kind, but she smoked and I don't like the smell of smoke." He crinkled his button nose up in admonishment.

"She always told me that someone would come for me. She said I'd hear them in here." He tapped his head with the folded fan lightly and kept speaking. "I think she was wrong though."

Goku looked down quickly, alarm slowing his steps, "Ravi, do you want to hear someone?"

"Maybe when I'm older. I think since I'm never alone, there's no reason to hear one now. I don't need make believe friends…" he glanced up shyly, "because from now on you'll be my friend, won't you?"

Goku stopped and kneeled in the dusty road, his fingers lightly ghosting over the soft pale skin and smiled, "Your best friend, okay? I have been beside you for many lifetimes; I don't plan and stopping now."

Ravi grinned up at him and flung himself into Goku's arms, wrapping his own small ones around his neck and giving it a gentle squeeze, "Thank you." He whispered.

Goku cradled the boy against his chest and fought the urge to cry. His older self was tight lipped about the whole situation, but inside his chest was still the irrepressible joy and childish innocence that Goku had always maintained. Five years of wandering through China and India again had given him a certain level of comfort with his new form.

Standing, he hefted the child effortlessly onto his shoulder and started walking again.

"Where are we going?"

"A very long ways."

"Are you going to walk to whole way?"

"That was the plan."

"Stupid plan, don't we have something faster?"

Goku smirked and kept walking, "Some things never change," he mumbled.

***