Disclaimer: All Saiyuki elements belong to Kazuya Minekura.
Note: Wow…my first anime fanfic. I've written plenty for games, and I hope I do a good job with these characters, as I love them all very much…

By the way: This story will feature a rather unusual twist, which I have never seen done seriously enough for me to appreciate. Please have an open mind, as this is a rather 'experimental fic'.

Update 2/24/05: Well, ArchFaith is still going strong after all these years. I'm just breezing through to clean up the paragraphs and spacing and whatnot...I wish I had gotten the chance to finish this...I'm actually quite fond of it...

Ido no Fukashigi
Daiisshou: Bousan-dono no Giwaku
Chapter 1: The Monk's Misgivings
by ArchFaith (formerly known as the ArchPrincess of Saturn)

There were and had been many old Chinese legends, each concerning an epic story or particular phenomenon that had been impressing and influencing the kingdoms of the East. One story proud old mothers love telling their betrothed daughters on the night before their wedding winds like this:

The two beautiful demi-gods, Chun-Ying and Yu-Lee, were deeply in love and deeply in trouble. An angry god, Ju-Lin, persued them across the land and accused Chun-Ying of stealing "the water of generations", ancient well water that had magical power. Chun-Ying died, and Yu-Lee begged for his return, laying her life on the line so that her lover might see the daylight again. Ju-Lin created a magical well, named it "Nyonin-No-Ido", and made Yu-Lee the keeper of this well. If she could fulfill the task given her, her lover would return. But no one can remember what the task was.

Mother would tease and tell her daughter that Yu-Lee was a faithful wife, as the daughter herself must one day become. But such a legend was only an old-wives tale.

(-)

It was hot.

Not the pleasantly lighthearted, lemonade sipping warmness that will come and go late on a summer's night.

Nor the meditative, strip-inducing negativity that you know is a necessity to the survival of your sanity.

It was just hot.

And on through the desert they journeyed, the brave pilgrims of Kanzeon Bosatsu. The monk, the gentleman, the monkey, and the half-youkai. Four unlikely wanderers in this sweltering world of wind and dust, dune after dune, broken only occaisionally by the youkai-infested villages they would pass through. How far to Tenjikutoku…that was a question they would never dare ask.

The green jeep lumbered faithfully onwards, making small dragonlet noises from time to time. A peep here, a fragmented complaint there…they got more numerous as time wore on, with no compensation whatsoever.

The two noisy ones were asleep in the back. Apparently the heat had caused them to pass out, during a rather dull argument which had quickly lost its usual invigorating quality. Therefore, the wilting paper fan the monk casually clutched was of use; no bobbing heads to hit, and not even enough structure to provide a gust of wind to cool his aching head. It was tossed off the side of the jeep and landed in the sand, making a dent in the ever-changing desert. One tiny change. An insignificant event to try and mar the pristine fury of the lonely plains of sand.

The gentleman had a half-smile on his face, despite the circumstances. Although, the monk subtly noted, it was half of a half smile…less than what usually occurred on his cheerful face. When shall we arrive at a village, he was wondering. When, not if. Of course they couldn't die in this godforsaken desert. They had faced much rougher, savage things, such as the greater youkai, angry mortal puppets, rainy nights…

The monk shifted and pushed his hair from his eyes. He was tired as well. Because of the added heat, their exhaustion levels had risen. He and the driver were the only ones who had held out. The gentleman because he needed to, the monk because he wanted to. Dominance and control over one's situation. That was the most inner teaching of his life, and one that he kept to the fullest. He was always on top of the situation, always the leader. There were never any exceptions.

And he would remain conscious even the lot of it was very boring and sandy and humorless and negative. It made him want to close those amethyst eyes, to get out of this disgustingly spontaneous world. Made him want to-

"We should be arriving in the next town shortly," Hakkai politely informed him, with a slightly larger smile on his face.

"Hn," Sanzo agreed, with his monotone restlessness.

"According to the map, it's called Nyonin-No-Ido," Hakkai said as he whipped it out, stopping the jeep momentarily to have a look at it. "Hai (1)...two miles north." He looked at Sanzo for a sign of approval, knowing automatically what the answer would be. Still, Sanzo-sama liked having an edge over him, he knew; and the last thing he wanted to do was make a nuisance of himself.

"Hn," he replied, as if it were a long-awaited answer to a mysterious question. Hakkai set the jeep moving once again, to the strain of the chokingly dry desert wind.

Sanzo was falling asleep as they neared the entrance of the town. It was small and humble; a dirtbag of a living area in some angry wilderness. Why these people chose to live their lives here, who knows; but at least they had an inn to rest.

It was a small village, with about only a hundred people. The buildings were arranged in a circular fashion, with the residential houses on the outside, and the market and other businesses within. It all seemed the same; sandy dirt floor, cube-like adobe huts, thin decorative spreads hung out to advertise the food.

The inn was a shabby-looking brown stone building in the center of town. As they headed near, a few village women walked by, looking at them with strange and excited glances. They quickly walked past the jeep, whispering amongst themselves.

"They must not have visitors often," Hakkai commented, as he stopped the jeep in front of the inn. He hopped out and walked inside, leaving the party waiting in the heat.

Sanzo hastily turned to slap Gojyo's and Goku's heads. "Wake up you useless baka (2)," he murmured, making sure their cheeks were good and red.

"Oioi! (3) Sanzo!" Goku yelled, coming out of his trancelike sleep. "Hey…where are we?"

"A town."

"Is there food?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"Always the smartest one, eh, Sanzo-sama," (4) Gojyo said mockingly as he rose, pressing his right hand to his cheek.

Sanzo felt his brain twist into a knot before Hakkai emerged. "They have room for us," he politely informed them. "Four rooms, actually."

"Good, then I won't have to share with these morons," Sanzo said as he opened the door and climbed out. His yellowish robes fluttered about, hot and sticky as they clung to his body. Hakkai handed him a worn wooden key. "Don't disturb me until tomorrow."

"Suit yourself Sanzo, but it's dinner time!" Goku yelled after him as his slim figure waltzed inside. He opened the door and gazed about. The front room was bare except for a carved brown counter where an old lady sat. She was a hard-working woman who wore a faded brown dress that looked as if it had seen richer days.

Her grey eyelids widened a bit when she glimpsed him. She quickly stepped in front of him to prevent him from going any further.

"You are…a monk? A high priest?" she asked, her old creaky voice drawing the syllables out.

"Yes…" Sanzo answered, wondering what could be so special about a hot-tempered monk who needed some rest.

The old lady blinked as she tried to think of more words to say. "We have never had visitors like you and your friends in this village," she continued. "It is a great honor."

"Yes…" He had decided to go easy on the woman, to try to shade his annoyance as this fake flattery she bestowed upon him. After all, she was senile, and probably didn't know any better.

She stepped aside and bowed deeply. Sanzo strolled past her without acknowledging, without really caring what high reverence she credited him. "Please, bousan-dono, (5) feel free to call me whenever you need something. My name is Yu-Lee and I am most honored to-"

He shut the door to his room as so not to hear the rest.

How strange, he thought. That's never happened before. Such high respect she holds me in. Stupid old woman. She still believes that holy men perform miracles and cure diseases and such. No one behaved like that nowadays…

He was already suspicious.

By now he had taken off his sutras and placed him in a drawer on a nightstand next to the bed. His robes came off half way, so that the tight body shirt and long gloves could be seen. Such edgy clothing for a high priest…

Stretching out, he lay awake for a few minutes before he was out cold.

(-)

Creak…snap.

Sanzo's violet eyes sparked open, glistening like an elegant feline ready to go hunt prey. That noise…it was only a natural noise, such as animals wandering around or someone carrying something, but it woke him none the less.

Sitting up, he looked about at the dark shadows that wove themselves into the folds and cracks in the stone of his room. It must be about early morning, far too late for dinner. There would be no one awake and no one to cook any kind of sustaining meal.

He decided his sutras would be safe in the drawer.

He rose and opened the door of his room. Down the hallway he paced, past his comrades' rooms.

He could hear Goku's obnoxious snoring and Gojyo's sleepy mumblings. No, the others would be of no use. He opened the door to the inn and stepped out into the warm night air.

No crickets could be heard in this town; there was no wet grass for them to cling on, no place where they could slowly and contently sing their sweet songs of night. He carelessly sauntered through the small rows of dirty buildings, observing as he went.

Out of curiosity, he glided over to a small well that was partially hidden behind two small buildings. Looking down, he could see that there was a small amount of water, only enough to last a village one day.

There was a bucket sitting on the edge of the well, with a rope tied to a large rock that served as an anchor. Sanzo took it and lowered it in, filling it halfway with the cool liquid. He took a sip, being slightly dehydrated.

Hm, not bad, he thought as he drank. Usually village well water was a bit tainted and dirty, but this water was crystal clear, and quite tasty at that. He drank the whole bucket before he was satisfied.

Setting the bucket on the side of the well, he turned to go back.

"Oh!" It was the old woman again. She was carrying a small cooking pot in her wrinkled hands, her tired old eyes taking in the sight of the very quiet monk.

"Oh, sumimasen (6), bousan-dono," she whispered once she had gained control of herself. "I didn't know you were there."

Sanzo watched her as she slowly put her pot down on the ground and proceeded to lower the bucket into the well. "This water is delicious, bousan-dono. Have you already tasted it?"

"Yes…" Sanzo answered, studying her closely.Yu-lee smiled a little, unable to contain her amusement.

"This water is special…we only use it on special days, such as when a high monk pays us a visit."

She reached her hand out to pour the water from the bucket into the pot, a sharp force took hold on her hand. Sanzo's long nails practically dug into her skin as he pulled her face close to his, violet eyes crazed with anger. "Drink it."

"Nani?" (7)

"Drink some of the water." He let her go and she stumbled backwards, catching herself before she fell into the dust.

"If-if you wish, bousan-sama," she replied, startled. She scooped some water into her hands and took an elegant sip. Sanzo watched her sharply, as an hawk studies its prey before swooping down and justifying its existence.

"There," she said as she slurped it up. "It's really very good." She turned to the monk and smiled sweetly. She picked up her filled pot and ambled on back to the inn, calling behind her, "It's still very early, bousan-sama. You should go back to bed."

Sanzo sat on the edge of the well, looking after her. Well…it had tasted like ordinary water…and the woman had drunk it without any fuss. Still…

"Chikusho," (8)he mumbled as he made his way back to the inn in the early morning. The sky shaded into violet and dark yellow, causing quite a cacophony of light in the heavens.

Something was afoot, and it irritated him to hell when he couldn't figure out the meaning, or the motive.

"Mmmm." As he reached the steps of the inn's entrance, something feeling faintly like arsenic welled up inside his stomach, causing him to clutch the column of the inn's veranda in pain. Why wasn't the woman affected? He could hear her humming in the inn's kitchen as she boiled the well water. Mocking me, that youba, (9) he thought as he limped into the inn.

His stomach twisted in several knots as he shuffled down the hall. Yes, it was definitely poison working. He tried to cry out, but could not; the poison numbed his voice box and kept any sort of sound from emitting.

Gods… He managed to open the door to his room and fall into bed. The poison was fast-working, paralyzing, muting, and making him ache so fitfully that he had to stifle his desire to grab his exorcism gun and shoot himself right then and there.

He moaned as he collapsed into bed, fainting from a lack of oxygen and too damn much pain.

Over in the kitchen, Yu-Lee smiled as she chopped some onions and dropped them into the pot.

TBC

Here's a little glossary of terms I used:

Japanese: English

(1) hai: yes

(2) baka: idiots

(3) Oioi: Hey!

(4) sama: polite address for a respected person (in this case, it has a mocking undertone

(5) bousan-dono: highly respected monk (or lord)

(6) Sumimasen: I'm very sorry

(7) Nani: What?

(8) Chikusho: Damn

(9)Youba: witch/hag

Note: I hope you liked my story so far. There will be a lot more surprises coming along, so stay tuned! And don't worry, I'll be nice to poor aching Sanzo-sama…:smiles evilly:

XoXo
Archie