Chapter 0: Preview of Believe Me "Sakura"
Note: This is going to be a 3-part series based on all the different series of Saiyuki. There are many official series; however, I will only be going based off three of them. Saiyuki Gaiden, Saiyuki, and Saiyuki Reload are the three series I will be working on, in that order. This is the first one, Saiyuki Gaiden, which tells how the characters' souls in Saiyuki were shaped. Each series is named after a particular song. This series is based off the song "Believe Me" by Fort Minor. I will try to follow the series as closely as I can, while still adding in my own characters.
"Master Konzen Douji!" a voice cried out in desperation. "Master Konzen! You need to get that sister of yours under control!"
Konzen sighed exasperatedly, not bothering to look up from his papers. "What did she do this time?"
Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama (1) entered the room leaning on the doorway. "Nothing, nothing at all! She was merely playing in the garden with me. Perfectly harmless."
Konzen snorted. "Nothing is ever harmless with you around!" he retorted.
"She was most certainly not in the garden with you, Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama! She was with Nataku-sama again! Those two were up to their old tricks again, playing practical jokes on the upper officials!"
"They were perfectly harmless!" Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama snorted, crossing her arms. "Miharu-chin didn't do anything wrong!"
"She helped Nataku-sama draw nose hairs on several of the officials last night."
"That probably explains why you are so upset and also why you are wearing a mask to cover your face." Konzen said lightly, glancing up at the official.
The official's face flushed and his hand unconsciously touched just below the middle of his mask. "Master Konzen, we beseech you! Please! You must reign in your sister!"
Konzen sighed and placed his head in his hands. "I need to finish this paperwork! I will speak to her about this when I see her next. Now, all of you, out!"
The officials filed out, grumbling as they did so, but none would openly oppose Konzen, who was above them in rank. Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama stared at Konzen for a moment before pushing off the doorframe and leaving the room. Konzen continued to hold his head in his hands long after everyone else had left, trying to think. He finally looked up, gazing at the picture frame on his desk. Inside it was a picture of a younger version of him, with a little girl with long black hair and aqua eyes. Why did Miharu have to grow up so fast?
"Brother!" squealed a familiar voice, preceding the body that launched itself towards Konzen. Small, fragile arms wrapped around his neck as a body plopped into his lap. "Big brother!"
Konzen wrapped his arms around the smaller body in his arms automatically. No one in the world would believe the child-like woman he held in his arms was both his sister and only a few years younger than he was.(2) The 20-year-old girl that sat in his lap did not look a day over 14. She didn't act a day over 14 either.
"What is it? You're heavy." Konzen complained.
Miharu pouted, latching onto her brother's neck tighter. "That is mean, Konzen! And I came all this way to see you, too! Can you not be a little nicer to your one and only beloved little sister?"
Konzen sighed, tightening his grip around the little girl's waist. "Fine; what do you want?"
Miharu's face lit up. "I wish to go down to 'under heaven' for a bit. Please, please, please, please, please?"
Konzen released her waist and brought a hand up to his head to rub his temple. "Really, why in the world would you want to go down to 'under heaven' for?"
"Because it sounds like fun, because it seems exciting. Why, should I not want to go down there?" Her wide, honest eyes stared up into his.
"Probably because it's dangerous to go down there; it's just not safe for you to go down there alone right now."
Miharu sighed and loosened her grip on her brother's neck. "Fine, you win! I will not go to 'under heaven' if you are so adamant against it!"
Konzen's hand slid down, squeezing her waist slightly before releasing her. Miharu understood his silent signal and immediately hopped off her brother's lap. "Brother?"
"Yeah?" Konzen sighed tiredly, expecting another request.
Miharu paused, biting her lip in her hesitation. Konzen didn't look up, merely ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. ". . . Nothing. It is not that important after all. Good bye." She spun around and flitted out of the room as if she didn't have a care in the world.
The chains on Goku's wrist hurt. They were cold and heavy and they made it slightly difficult to move around. He really didn't understand why everyone was making a big deal over him. Was it really that big of a deal that he existed? Why did they keep calling his a 'heretic creature'? He stared at the cherry blossoms as they passed through the line of trees, heading inside. The pink trees were really pretty, he wondered what they were called. As they turned away from the pathway, Goku noticed a figure standing in the middle of the pathway, staring up at the trees. Long flowing black hair with green streaks in it whipped around a pale face.
The figure turned to stare at him, a feminine face, like that of a girl, even though the clothes they wore were for a boy. The figure looked slightly surprised to see Goku, but then they smiled wide, their whole face lighting up. They waved to him as the man dragging him along tugged on his shackles yet again. "Hurry up!" He commanded. Goku turned to glare at him, before pointing at the cherry blossoms. "What are those called?" He glanced back but the figure had already disappeared from sight. The man glanced at the cherry blossoms and sighed. "Sakura. Now hurry up and come inside. We'll figure out what to do with you in here."
Goku nodded absently, repeating the name softly to himself. "Sakura."
(1) I will be using the "merciful goddess" full name because word doc doesn't like me and her first name is too close to Konzen's in spelling.
(2) This anime does not actually mention Konzen's real age, so I am going with his age in Saiyuki Reload. It lists his age to be 23.