Author's Note: Yeah, my friend insists I must keep writing while recovering all my lost data by suggesting-cough- that I write this. Guess it won't be too hard, as I happen to love Saiyuki. Sanzo is my favorite, followed by Goku! Sadly, I haven't read the manga but I do have the box sets of Saiyuki and Saiyuki Reload. Need to re-watch them in their entirety, as it's been some time.

Warning: Though this is rated teen, this story will contain language simply because-as any true Saiyuki fan will know and pardon- the guys swear. A LOT! I might use stars to edit out the worse words, but you are on your own for the lesser ones. 'Sides, I've heard kids use their kind of language before so I think the teen rating is safe for this.

Prologue: This Way a Change Comes

(15 Years Ago…)

Kouryuu looked up at his master, wondering why the older man had suddenly picked them both up and brought them here. It was an old temple, buried deep in the woods with absolutely no one around. But somehow…somehow….the temple was well kept. Yes, the trees and plants were wild but beautiful in their own way.

He was about to ask when he noticed movement off to their side. Turning his head, he saw a woman standing there but she was turned away from them, like she was watching something they couldn't see. The woman herself wasn't very tall, in fact she seemed very petite like a glass doll. Long dark hair cascaded down her back, contrasting sharply from her pale skin. She turned to look at them with dark blue eyes while running her hands up and down her jean clad thighs, as if to wipe them clean of something.

A bright smile broke over his master Koumyou's face, one he had never seen before. "Devi-chan!" He called. "I was worried you would not make it for a while." The woman smiled at them as Kouryuu looked at her in suspicion, gaining her attention.

"Ah Koumyou, this must be Kouryuu right? Your prized pupil?" She asked softly, her gaze breaking only to look at whatever she had been staring at before briefly then switching back to him. "I've heard much about you." Her voice was smooth like the flowing of a stream.

"Mommy! Look what I found!" Someone ran into Devi's legs and wrapped tiny arms around them, grinning up at her. Devi quietly reached down and ruffled the equally dark hair of the little girl in dusty clothes and even if she hadn't of spoken, no one would doubt that the little girl was her daughter.

That must have been what she was watching. Kouryuu thought blandly, looking over at the little girl. A good part of him wasn't sure how to react, he had never been around children his own age before, even if he was convinced she was a few years younger then himself. He looked up at his master and noticed the almost sad look that had crossed the older man's face as he gazed at the little girl.

"This must be little Ren?" Koumyou asked, adopting his familiar smile and attracting said girl's attention. She scooted a little closer to her mother, tugging at her jeans even as the woman nodded.

"Who are they mommy?" Ren whispered.

"This is my dear friend Koumyou," Said man flinched, "and his prized pupil Kouryuu." Devi ruffled Ren's hair again. "Why don't you go explore some more?" Ren grinned and raced over into the wild garden, quickly disappearing into the green leaves that accented brightly colored flowers.

"Kouryuu, why don't you go and join her? Devi-chan and I must speak alone." Looking up in shock at his master, he barely registered the light push in the direction Ren had disappeared in. He had never really talked to anyone his own age and now his master wanted him to try and play with another child? He had decided that maybe this was all a weird dream as he slowly made his way through the plants.

A humming caught his attention and he followed it, finding the raven haired girl skipping stones across a small pond. She looked back and grinned at him before turning back to her game. He fidgeted lightly as he stood beside her and watched, unsure of what the point of her little game was.

"You want to try?" Kouryuu snapped his gaze down to Ren, shifting his eyes down next to her hand full of little pebbles. He slowly reached over and took on of the stones, glancing at the pond then mimicking how she had thrown hers. It skipped across the pond and landed on the other shore. "Wow! You have a good arm!" He fought back the blush at the compliment.

"What is the point of this?"

"I think it depends on how you look at it, or so mommy says." Ren said as she tried again, it skipped five times before sinking. "The point is to see how far you can get the stone to skip and then try to beat your own score. Mommy says it's a challenge to push one to better oneself."

That made sense. "Where are you from Ren-san?" She looked mildly confused at the honorific but shrugged it off.

"New York."

"Where?"

"New York!"

He sighed. "I have never heard of this New York." He felt the urge to squirm again at the awkwardness. "Why are you and your mother here?"

"Mommy said that she needed to talk to a friend, the only one she could trust. That's all she told me."

It's seems we are both being kept in the dark then. Kouryuu relaxed then and sat down, Ren following his example. "Hey Kouryuu?" She asked then quietly, only struggling on his name a little.

"Yes?"

"Will you be my friend?"

He froze. He had never really had a friend before, unless he counted his master. But, would it hurt? "Alright." With a squeal she tackled him in an enormous hug.

(Present Day)

Sanzo sat up quickly, gasping for breath. He hadn't dreamt of the little girl from the strange temple in a very long time, not since before his master had died. He hardly remembered anything about her anymore, except that she had been quite small and very full of life. She had been his first and, if he thought about it, only friend.

He had only been eight when they had met and for two years they saw each other at that temple every few months while his master and her mother talked. At ten, the visits had suddenly stopped. He had gone to question his master Koumyou about it and the man had looked so sad, it had nearly broken his heart. Looking back on it now, he realized that the two females must be dead, how else could he explain it?

Just another precious person I failed to protect… That is why I cannot let anyone else get close… Why I can't care about anyone… In the end, I just loose them.

(In The Heavens)

It wasn't everyday one would find the Merciful Goddess Kanzeon almost giddy and practically bouncing around. Really, it was beginning to freak the other gods and goddesses out. Even her assistant was wondering if he should apply for a vacation early.

Gazing into the pool before her throne, she watched the newest events unfold. About time. She thought. It has only caused us a lot of problems in the past, but this should set a good number of them right again. You who was born to the wrong world, it's time to come home now.

The water rippled.

This will be fun.

(Back below the Heavens)

Sanzo looked up from reading the paper, a frown marring his face. He didn't even notice as Goku and Gojyo fought over the food while Hakkai tried to sooth over the situation.

What was that he had just felt?

Quietly he took out a cigarette and lit it, allowing the nicotine to help his thoughts. He had felt many power bursts in his time, he was a Sanzo priest after all, but this one had been different. It wasn't demonic at all, it was the power of something he had never come across before.

Glancing over, he noted that none of his companions had noticed it. He doubted the fighting would have been enough to keep them from feeling it, especially Hakkai. Drumming his fingers on the table, he tried to pinpoint exactly where it had come from while wrestling his curiosity back.

Whatever it was, it was right in their path. Flicking the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray, Sanzo made a mental note to check out the area the signature burst had come from.

Otherwise his damn curiosity wouldn't let him sleep for days. And that would piss him off.

To Be Continued…

AN: Yeehaw! What did I tell you, short short short! Ah well, next chapter will make up for it. Do I have you curious now? My friend said she was impressed with the fact I could come up with the whole plot on my own so quickly (it just took helluva long time to write though), when all she wanted(and asked for) was a Saiyuki fanfic. I don't know, maybe I read too much?