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TITLE: If Only, If Only
AUTHOR: Eyes of Shinigami
RATING: T
TIMELINE: Set after the Kami-sama arc. Seeing as how this particular timeline is following the anime, the Homura arc will be mentioned. Just FYI.
PAIRINGS: 58 and eventual 39.
WARNINGS: Slash, angst, some fluffy bits, language, maybe some slight OOC.
SUMMARY: Upon entering a rather normal looking village, a woman claims that Goku is her son and vows to take him back. What will Sanzo and the rest do when she actually succeeds? Read and find out.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Saiyuki. That privilege belongs to Minekura-sama. I do own the story and the original characters used, so there.
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"Well, doesn't this look like a nice, quiet village?" Hakkai asked cheerily, parking the jeep in front of what seemed to be the only hotel in the entirety of the village. However, he knew very well that his companions (as well as himself) were more than tired from the day's journey, as well as the fact that they hadn't found a proper place to stay in nearly three days. Camping outside was beginning to get really, really old.
"I could really give a rat's ass right about now," Gojyo responded flippantly, hopping out of the backseat before prodding Goku from his gentle slumber. "Hey monkey, we're here."
It took Goku a few minutes to blink awake, rubbing his bleary eyes on the back of his hands. "A-already? Wow…" he murmured, awake enough to take the time to look around. The village seemed normal enough, but something about the atmosphere set the golden-eyed boy's nerves on edge.
"Is something the matter? Or are you just going to sit there while the rest of us unload the jeep?" a familiar voice asked in annoyance, just enough to make Goku snap from his reverie. He turned to face Sanzo, who was staring rather intently at him.
"I'm coming, I'm coming, sheesh," he replied, climbing rather ungracefully out of the backseat and starting to help Gojyo unload their belongings. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had, even going so far as to wait until Sanzo disappeared inside the building before getting the attention of his redheaded companion. "Hey, Gojyo…do you…get a funny feeling being here?" he asked vaguely, unable to look the other man in the eyes.
"No…what the hell is wrong with you? Didja hit your head or something on the way here? This village is fine. I think all the heat and demon-fighting's making ya as loony as Sanzo with that shit," the water sprite retorted, though he did take note of the monkey's expression before it dissipated into his usual smile. He wasn't sure if he should take him seriously or not.
Goku wasn't convinced, but he did his best to pretend as he let out a laugh and plastered on a wide smile. "Guess you're right. Maybe the hunger's just making me crazy!" he responded jovially, taking it upon himself to disappear into the building before Gojyo had a chance to ask him about it again.
The redhead sighed, more than a little confused. Maybe the monkey was right, but…he felt fine. His senses told him nothing was wrong. "Fuckin' monkey," he muttered, following the others inside the building that they would call home for the night.
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Once inside, the four companions were pleased to see there wasn't much hustle and bustle around the small hostel, a sight that would promise a night of rest and relaxation.
Or at least, so it would seem.
"Malachai? My…little Mal…? Is that you…?" Goku heard a tentative voice ask, causing him to turn around and see. The nervous feeling intensified when his spun gold eyes met a pair that looked…exactly like his own. In fact, the woman that had spoken to him looked miraculously like him, down to the same round face and lack of height.
"Goodness what is all the…" Hakkai started to say, his words cut off by the startled gasp that left his lips when he saw the two mirror images staring each other down. "Oh my…what in the…"
"What the hell is going on here?" Sanzo asked angrily, not liking the way this woman was studying Goku. He looked from one round face to the other, more then tempted to step in front of his charge to put distance between the two of them. But then, that would be far too telling of a gesture, and that was something he didn't need to worry about now.
"Malachai…you've come home to Mommy…I knew you would…" the woman spoke again, wrapping her arms around Goku and pulling her tightly to her less than ample bosom. She was taller than Goku for sure, but still much shorter than his companions that stood agape in shock. Even the monkey was at a loss for words, a phenomenon unto itself. "I've missed you so much…please forgive Mommy for being so bad…" There was so much conviction in her voice, clearly showing that she was more than sure that this was her son.
She kept a tight, tight hold on Goku until Hakkai politely cleared his throat to get her attention. However, he was not expecting to receive such a poisonous glare as a reaction. "Pardon me, ma'am, but I do believe you are mistaken. His name is not Malachai," he intoned in his usual mannerly way, finding himself uncomfortable with the weight of her eyes upon him. "His name is-"
"It doesn't matter what his name is. Look, lady, this kid is not who you think he is. Now, if you will excuse us, we have had a very busy day and we are quite tired, so we'll be off," Sanzo cut in, interrupting the green-eyed man before he had a chance to finish his sentence. It seemed that Hakkai was not the only one uncomfortable with the exchange.
"I have heard of you, you hack. Claiming to be a holy man while on a journey with two abominations of God and slaughtering everything that gets in your path. How dare you! If I had known that my precious baby was going to end up with a man of your character, I would have never let him go off on his own!" she snapped angrily at Sanzo, sounding for all the world like she was indeed Goku's own mother. This surprised all members of the party, for they were all sure that they had never heard someone scold the blonde so openly. She hugged Goku more tightly to her, even as the boy began to struggle against the unwanted embrace.
It didn't take long for Sanzo to regain his composure and return her glare with own of his own famous ones. How dare this…hussy insult him like that? And how dare she claim that she knew what was best for a boy she had never met before? "Listen lady-" he started to snarl in response, finding himself interrupted by the older brunette.
"Miss, as noble as your intentions are, I do have to agree with my companion on this. I can assure you that this is the first time we have set foot in this village, and that Goku here has been with us for quite some time. We are from the East, you see, and we are merely passing through," he tried to explain rather diplomatically, before the situation got anymore out of hand than it already was.
"So, give us back our monkey and go about your business," Gojyo added sneeringly, grabbing Goku's arm and tugging him rather unceremoniously out of her grip. He kept his own hand firmly on the monkey's arm in case she tried to grab him again.
The woman kept right on glaring challengingly at the three of them, though she made no move to try and grab the boy back. "I don't care what sort of lies fall from those pretty lips of yours, mister. A mother would know her child anywhere. I don't know what sort of distorted nonsense you put in his head while he was away, but it's going to stop here. I don't understand how people think a fake Buddhist monk, a bumbling half-breed, and a man with eyes like the Devil himself are any sort of heroes, with you going around and picking up children and brainwashing them," she continued to scold, her frown deepening as she continued to meet their gazes. She easily stared down angry vermillion, cold violet, and enigmatic emerald without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Perhaps Gojyo would have been impressed with her boldness, if her comment hadn't stung so badly. The last thing he wanted was to be lumped in the same category as that asshole (1). "I don't know what the hell you're on, lady, but you need to back the fuck off before you find yourself in a very nasty situation," he warned, not even bothering to care that this was a woman that he was speaking to, and an older one at that.
"I quite agree. I was trying to be polite and understanding with you, but you are trying my patience like nobody's business," Hakkai added, narrowing his eyes at her. He didn't appreciate her little comment either, causing his sensei-polite mode to wear thin rather quickly.
Sanzo didn't even bother to respond, pulling out his gun and aiming it for her forehead. Even then she didn't show signs of backing down, which served to piss him off even more.
The woman didn't even flinch, softening her gaze as she turned it from the three men to the boy still clutched tightly in the redhead's grip. "Ignore these men, Mal. Come on, come to Mommy. I'll take you home and fix you your favorite dishes. Your room is waiting for you, and even Kuro will be happy to see you! He's missed you so much!" she said soothingly, holding out her hand to him as she smiled warmly.
As if on cue, Goku's stomach growled at the mention of food, but he made no move to take her hand or go toward her. Instead, he clutched at Sanzo's robes like a confused child as he shook his head. Something about the way she looked at him scared him more than fighting demons or even demigods ever could. "I-I'm not M-Mal…m-my name is G-Goku and I-I don't w-want t-to go w-with you," he stammered, tearing his gaze away from her shocked expression. He knew he was being rather weak, but something in her eyes…the way she looked at him struck fear into him the same way Homura's eyes had. It was bordering obsession, though he couldn't really fault her for it. Still, he would have preferred if she would have just left them alone.
Thankfully, none of the others had pointed his behavior out; in fact, they all seemed to look rather smug with the knowledge that he wasn't so easily swayed. "Now that that's settled, I think you need to get the hell out of here and leave us alone. The monkey belongs to me," Sanzo said, not catching his slip of the tongue as he turned with the others, with Goku still attached to his robes.
Before they could get very far, the woman spoke again. Her initial shock at being rejected wore off, giving way to another angry glare. "You can't take my baby from me forever…I'll make him remember me…he'll come home to be with his mother, you watch! Such evil men you are!" she screeched, until finally the hostel manager came into the room, motioning for two other men to escort her out of the building.
The manager bowed respectfully to the four of them, looking decidedly embarrassed. "I am so sorry, Master Sanzo, for such nonsense. You must forgive Miss Hanna…she hasn't been the same since her son disappeared," he explained, a bit surprised when a dismissive hand wave was all he received from the stoic priest.
"Yes, well…please ensure that we have no other incidents this evening. We are quite exhausted from our journey," Hakkai answered, offering a bow of his own before heading up the stairs behind his companions.
\(1-I was talking about Kami-sama, if anybody missed that. I know there will be at least one person out there who wouldn't get it, so I thought I would save myself the trouble. Now, back to our regularly scheduled fanfic)