Minna, I was feeling a little shitty and down today so I decided to come up
with an equally depressing fic just to suit the mood.
Disclaimers : I don't own Saiyuki. Never have, never will :(
Little Heaven
Chapter One
By Hanei Tamashii
Though I was only a thirteen years old at that time, I knew pretty much about the world. To sum it all up, life's a bitch. I knew the responsibility I would hold being the only heir to the family (my father was rich from the various business he had), I knew how much land the family owned and the people it supported, I knew of my father's infidelities -having learnt from mother's constant outburst. I let her hit me, my eyes never leaving her face; her eyes, not the warm brown it was but bloodshot from her endless tears, her sanity loss for the moment due the influence of liquor. I didn't want to understand her, her grief, her loss that had led her to this state but I did. Maybe it was because I too had lost love -my mother's love, as well as my father's.
But hell, I didn't need love. I am Genjo Sanzo! The cold icicle, the heartless bastard, the spoiled boy, the... Shit, who cares about what the boys that worked in his father's plantation calls me. They could call me by what ever names they could think of and I wouldn't give a damn, not a glance, not a care. Yet at my denial, a sinking feeling stirred in my body. I cursed my protesting heart. My pathetic, weak heart that craved for attention, for kind words, for care, for love. Was it too much to ask for? To be cared? I hugged myself as I sat on my bed. No one would want to spend their time with a fouled mouth, bad-tempered, arrogant child would they? No one would bother to know the real me would they? No one would look through the icy mask of mine to find the real mr would they? ... I guess not. I desperately wished for the tears in my eyes to go away - a man doesn't cry. But I was a boy was I not?
"You dimwit! Can't you even carry a sack of rice properly!?"
The loud voice beyond the walls surrounding the garden extracted me from my tangled thoughts. Annoyed and somewhat glad at the temporary distraction, I quietly left my room and walked into the garden. In a quick jump or two, I was hiding amongst the leaves of the large tree at the garden's edge.
I saw a big surly man hovering over a timid little boy. The boy had his head down. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?? The word 'sorry' can't pay for the damage if you tear that sack apart! Now move it! And expect a cut in your pay!"
"Yes sir."
I saw the man that I recognized as my father's rice plantation foreman walk away, leaving the small boy to himself. The young boy (which looked much younger than myself) struggled for awhile to lift the larger sack. His effort seemed useless, the sack was about twice the boy's size. I smirked at his pathetic efforts. It was almost laughable, seeing the boy tugged at the unmoving sack - kicking it, pulling it. It reminded me of a story my mother once told me, something about moving a mountain. But I didn't laugh. The determined look on the boy's face was a different story. I had never seen such a determined look on anyone's face, not since the day father declared that his devotion was wholly to his wife and he would work harder for her. Ceh, what a liar he was.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw another boy jogged over to the younger boy. The new boy's hair was an eye sore. Not only was it feminishly long, but it had the weirdest coloring. It was red. From the tree I sat, I heard them yell at each other for awhile - in a brotherly sort of argument. Then unexpectedly, the redhead picked the sack of rice up.
"You owe me half your month's pay monkey!"
"I'm not a monkey! And the two ran off in a sprint.
I stared at their fast disappearing forms. I could tell they were peasant boys that worked father's plantation but I hadn't seen them before. Ah, the plantation was big, they could have been working in some other part of the plantation doing all sorts of odd jobs. They were poor, hardworking people yet I couldn't help wish I were in their place. Then at least I wouldn't be as isolated and lonely as I was now. I envied the brotherhood those peasant boys shared so strongly, so steadfastly. I didn't even have anybody to call a friend.
"Sanzo-sama! Sanzo-sama! Where are you?"
I jumped down from my hiding spot, landing directly in front of the maid that had been looking. She had been attending to me for quite some time now, and was no longer surprised at my sudden appearance. Instead, she walked up to me and dusted the dirt that stuck to the silken vest I wore over a black, high collared, long sleeve silk shirt.
"Your father wants your presence at his study now, young master." I gave her a nod and pulled myself away from her. Her kindness was artificial, drilled into them for fear they would loose their job. Hn, life was a bitch.
"Ah, my son. Here you are." He smiled, but I could see the strain on his face as he did so. Fake, how fake it was. "Now, now. I want you to do a little something for me. I have some business in the neighboring town and will be taking leave soon."
Before he even went to the point of him calling for me, I answered him, "Yes, I will patrol the plantation today and yes, I'll tell mother about your business after you leave."
I seemed to have shocked him a little as he stood there, eyes wide before me. The shock was brief, but father soon found my obedience an advantage.
"Good, good. Now then," he paused as he smoked from a rolled piece of paper stuffed with tobacco. "I shall be back in two days. Till then.."
I didn't want to hear the rest. I turned and left him. I couldn't face him any longer. The 'business' of his - I knew better. Two days he says? Two days of being relieved from this distraught household, two days of finding comfort in the pliant soft arms of another woman, two days of freedom. And where did that leave me? It was a thought I couldn't bare explore so I hurried to the dirt pathway from the back of the house that led to the paddy fields, the orchards, the little bee farm which had bees exported from some foreign land to produce a higher quality of the already sweet sticky substance.
My father's loyal assistant paced quickly behind me as I checked the lands. Yes, everything seemed to be all right, not that I was paying any attention really. I just wanted to lock myself in my little room and ignore the people I saw that bowed slightly in respect at me. Hah! Respect! What a big fat farce. No one gave a damn about me, I could see it in their eyes. I could read their eyes, I could see the disdain they held for the little prissy boy who got lucky to be born into a wealthy family.
I quickened my steps. The bee farm was my last stop. I approached the netted area alone, having already dismissed the tired elderly assistant. It was to be a quick survey I thought -there was nothing much to check on, I just had to make sure the workers had no complaints. I entered the small shack next to the farm and found it empty. The workers still hadn't return from lunch so I decided to inspect the netting that kept the bees there myself.
As soon as I stepped out, I saw him. It was the same young boy I had seen earlier outside the walls of my garden. What was HE doing here? I sneaked up behind him as quietly as possible. He didn't seem to notice me so far, seemingly intrigued by the buzzing insects. The dumb boy didn't realize the danger he was placing himself in as he neared the entrance of the wooden 'home' of the bees. He was so absorbed at his task, the boy didn't notice I had place my hand on his shoulder.
"Oi." It was short and simple but it did the job. The young boy gave a small cry of shock and turned around. In the boy's haste, his clumsy arms hit the artificial hives. It didn't take a genius to know what would happen next.
"Shit. Run!!!" I didn't need to wait to see what we had to run for. Hive equals bees and knocking one over meant run for your life or get stung. I had grabbed his arm, call it reflex, but I had grabbed the younger boy's arm and pulled him along with me. I heard him gasping for air, so was I, nevertheless the increasing buzzing sound that chased us didn't allow for us to stop for a breath. I looked around, thinking of an escape, a way out. We couldn't run forever. I almost missed it but thank god I didn't - a pond.Well..the muddy, murky little pool of water was undeserving to be called a pond. It was a sorry excuse for a pond if it was.
It had took him by surprise when I leaped for it.. Serves him right for causing all this trouble. A loud splash followed our rather ungraceful dive into the water. I hoped the idiot could hold his breath for a couple of minutes. We had to remain submerged for the moment. It was only when I felt that it was all right to pop out the water did I swim for the surface (in truth my lungs were burning). I emerged from the muddy water and greedily sucked in as much air as my lungs could take. To hell if the bees were still there but thank god they weren't.
Another head appeared next to me from the surface of the water. He looked like a drowned animal, which in a way was true. Didn't his redhead friend call the boy a monkey? Looking at his innocent, childlike face almost made me forget my anger. Almost.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU DOING? NOSING AROUND THE BEE FARM LIKE THAT?! DON'T YOU KNOW BEES CAN GET DANGEROUS?! "
"......" I ignored the boy's guilt filled face and continued my sermon. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF YOU WERE ALLERGIC TO IT!"
"....."
My patience was reaching it's limits and the boy still hadn't answer me. I lifted his chin so that his eyes faced mine and in a lower, demanding tone I told him to talk.
"Erm.... What's allergic?"
For the first time in my life, I felt a twitch of a vein at my forehead. I pushed away the question he threw back at me -somehow I felt that even my most detailed explanation wouldn't enlighten the young boy. I diverted it with another question. "Tell me what were you doing there?"
A pout immediately formed at the boy's lips. "Well..well..."
"Well what?!"
"Um.. Gojyo nii-chan said that only girls had sweet honey and boys didn't so I just wanted to show him I can make honey too! I was hoping Mr. And Mrs. Bee could show me how they made honey," the boy said without a clue of what he had said.
Hm, honey? That Gojyo fellow must have one heck of a sick perverted mind. I would have interrogated further but a sneeze from the young boy reminded me we WERE still in a murky little pond. Gods knows what lurked in the pond. I swam to the pond's side and promptly pushed myself up. Having done that, I turned to pull the boy up but seeing him look so helpless with river reeds weave about his hair looking like arrows had gone through his head, made me stop.
"You look like a drowned monkey with a couple of arrow shot right through the brain. No wonder you seem to be lacking the intellectual part of yourself right now," I commented.
I laughed inwardly, knowing that the monkey could only make sense of half of what i spoke but I got my desired response nevertheless. "I'm not a monkey!!!!!!"
I would have laughed but it would seem awkward if I did. I hadn't even smiled for a long time and so I offered a hand of help. He held onto my hand ; his smaller but rougher hands in mine. Eager to get him out there and to get a bath, I didn't notice the slip of a grin he gave. Instead of letting me do the pulling, he gave a tug, and in my surprise I couldn't respond. I lurched into the water, getting soaked for the second time.
My temper would have rised, my hands would have automatically whacked the boy, I would have spit out a curse or two but something stopped me. His laughter. The sound of merry laughter, like chiming bells in the wind, so innocent, soothing to the ears, so sincere. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. It was a hint of a smile, but it was a smile nevertheless. I could only wish, and pray, maybe just for today, I would have a real friend.
"By the way onii-chan," I looked up into his golden stare. "I'm Goku! What's your name?"
".....Sanzo. Genjo Sanzo."
To be continued......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
Whoa, this sounds like some kind of weird one-shot, which sounds like, but is not. This fic may last for three chapters or so before I decide to close the book on it. ^^ So till then please R&R!!!!
Disclaimers : I don't own Saiyuki. Never have, never will :(
Little Heaven
Chapter One
By Hanei Tamashii
Though I was only a thirteen years old at that time, I knew pretty much about the world. To sum it all up, life's a bitch. I knew the responsibility I would hold being the only heir to the family (my father was rich from the various business he had), I knew how much land the family owned and the people it supported, I knew of my father's infidelities -having learnt from mother's constant outburst. I let her hit me, my eyes never leaving her face; her eyes, not the warm brown it was but bloodshot from her endless tears, her sanity loss for the moment due the influence of liquor. I didn't want to understand her, her grief, her loss that had led her to this state but I did. Maybe it was because I too had lost love -my mother's love, as well as my father's.
But hell, I didn't need love. I am Genjo Sanzo! The cold icicle, the heartless bastard, the spoiled boy, the... Shit, who cares about what the boys that worked in his father's plantation calls me. They could call me by what ever names they could think of and I wouldn't give a damn, not a glance, not a care. Yet at my denial, a sinking feeling stirred in my body. I cursed my protesting heart. My pathetic, weak heart that craved for attention, for kind words, for care, for love. Was it too much to ask for? To be cared? I hugged myself as I sat on my bed. No one would want to spend their time with a fouled mouth, bad-tempered, arrogant child would they? No one would bother to know the real me would they? No one would look through the icy mask of mine to find the real mr would they? ... I guess not. I desperately wished for the tears in my eyes to go away - a man doesn't cry. But I was a boy was I not?
"You dimwit! Can't you even carry a sack of rice properly!?"
The loud voice beyond the walls surrounding the garden extracted me from my tangled thoughts. Annoyed and somewhat glad at the temporary distraction, I quietly left my room and walked into the garden. In a quick jump or two, I was hiding amongst the leaves of the large tree at the garden's edge.
I saw a big surly man hovering over a timid little boy. The boy had his head down. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?? The word 'sorry' can't pay for the damage if you tear that sack apart! Now move it! And expect a cut in your pay!"
"Yes sir."
I saw the man that I recognized as my father's rice plantation foreman walk away, leaving the small boy to himself. The young boy (which looked much younger than myself) struggled for awhile to lift the larger sack. His effort seemed useless, the sack was about twice the boy's size. I smirked at his pathetic efforts. It was almost laughable, seeing the boy tugged at the unmoving sack - kicking it, pulling it. It reminded me of a story my mother once told me, something about moving a mountain. But I didn't laugh. The determined look on the boy's face was a different story. I had never seen such a determined look on anyone's face, not since the day father declared that his devotion was wholly to his wife and he would work harder for her. Ceh, what a liar he was.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw another boy jogged over to the younger boy. The new boy's hair was an eye sore. Not only was it feminishly long, but it had the weirdest coloring. It was red. From the tree I sat, I heard them yell at each other for awhile - in a brotherly sort of argument. Then unexpectedly, the redhead picked the sack of rice up.
"You owe me half your month's pay monkey!"
"I'm not a monkey! And the two ran off in a sprint.
I stared at their fast disappearing forms. I could tell they were peasant boys that worked father's plantation but I hadn't seen them before. Ah, the plantation was big, they could have been working in some other part of the plantation doing all sorts of odd jobs. They were poor, hardworking people yet I couldn't help wish I were in their place. Then at least I wouldn't be as isolated and lonely as I was now. I envied the brotherhood those peasant boys shared so strongly, so steadfastly. I didn't even have anybody to call a friend.
"Sanzo-sama! Sanzo-sama! Where are you?"
I jumped down from my hiding spot, landing directly in front of the maid that had been looking. She had been attending to me for quite some time now, and was no longer surprised at my sudden appearance. Instead, she walked up to me and dusted the dirt that stuck to the silken vest I wore over a black, high collared, long sleeve silk shirt.
"Your father wants your presence at his study now, young master." I gave her a nod and pulled myself away from her. Her kindness was artificial, drilled into them for fear they would loose their job. Hn, life was a bitch.
"Ah, my son. Here you are." He smiled, but I could see the strain on his face as he did so. Fake, how fake it was. "Now, now. I want you to do a little something for me. I have some business in the neighboring town and will be taking leave soon."
Before he even went to the point of him calling for me, I answered him, "Yes, I will patrol the plantation today and yes, I'll tell mother about your business after you leave."
I seemed to have shocked him a little as he stood there, eyes wide before me. The shock was brief, but father soon found my obedience an advantage.
"Good, good. Now then," he paused as he smoked from a rolled piece of paper stuffed with tobacco. "I shall be back in two days. Till then.."
I didn't want to hear the rest. I turned and left him. I couldn't face him any longer. The 'business' of his - I knew better. Two days he says? Two days of being relieved from this distraught household, two days of finding comfort in the pliant soft arms of another woman, two days of freedom. And where did that leave me? It was a thought I couldn't bare explore so I hurried to the dirt pathway from the back of the house that led to the paddy fields, the orchards, the little bee farm which had bees exported from some foreign land to produce a higher quality of the already sweet sticky substance.
My father's loyal assistant paced quickly behind me as I checked the lands. Yes, everything seemed to be all right, not that I was paying any attention really. I just wanted to lock myself in my little room and ignore the people I saw that bowed slightly in respect at me. Hah! Respect! What a big fat farce. No one gave a damn about me, I could see it in their eyes. I could read their eyes, I could see the disdain they held for the little prissy boy who got lucky to be born into a wealthy family.
I quickened my steps. The bee farm was my last stop. I approached the netted area alone, having already dismissed the tired elderly assistant. It was to be a quick survey I thought -there was nothing much to check on, I just had to make sure the workers had no complaints. I entered the small shack next to the farm and found it empty. The workers still hadn't return from lunch so I decided to inspect the netting that kept the bees there myself.
As soon as I stepped out, I saw him. It was the same young boy I had seen earlier outside the walls of my garden. What was HE doing here? I sneaked up behind him as quietly as possible. He didn't seem to notice me so far, seemingly intrigued by the buzzing insects. The dumb boy didn't realize the danger he was placing himself in as he neared the entrance of the wooden 'home' of the bees. He was so absorbed at his task, the boy didn't notice I had place my hand on his shoulder.
"Oi." It was short and simple but it did the job. The young boy gave a small cry of shock and turned around. In the boy's haste, his clumsy arms hit the artificial hives. It didn't take a genius to know what would happen next.
"Shit. Run!!!" I didn't need to wait to see what we had to run for. Hive equals bees and knocking one over meant run for your life or get stung. I had grabbed his arm, call it reflex, but I had grabbed the younger boy's arm and pulled him along with me. I heard him gasping for air, so was I, nevertheless the increasing buzzing sound that chased us didn't allow for us to stop for a breath. I looked around, thinking of an escape, a way out. We couldn't run forever. I almost missed it but thank god I didn't - a pond.Well..the muddy, murky little pool of water was undeserving to be called a pond. It was a sorry excuse for a pond if it was.
It had took him by surprise when I leaped for it.. Serves him right for causing all this trouble. A loud splash followed our rather ungraceful dive into the water. I hoped the idiot could hold his breath for a couple of minutes. We had to remain submerged for the moment. It was only when I felt that it was all right to pop out the water did I swim for the surface (in truth my lungs were burning). I emerged from the muddy water and greedily sucked in as much air as my lungs could take. To hell if the bees were still there but thank god they weren't.
Another head appeared next to me from the surface of the water. He looked like a drowned animal, which in a way was true. Didn't his redhead friend call the boy a monkey? Looking at his innocent, childlike face almost made me forget my anger. Almost.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU DOING? NOSING AROUND THE BEE FARM LIKE THAT?! DON'T YOU KNOW BEES CAN GET DANGEROUS?! "
"......" I ignored the boy's guilt filled face and continued my sermon. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF YOU WERE ALLERGIC TO IT!"
"....."
My patience was reaching it's limits and the boy still hadn't answer me. I lifted his chin so that his eyes faced mine and in a lower, demanding tone I told him to talk.
"Erm.... What's allergic?"
For the first time in my life, I felt a twitch of a vein at my forehead. I pushed away the question he threw back at me -somehow I felt that even my most detailed explanation wouldn't enlighten the young boy. I diverted it with another question. "Tell me what were you doing there?"
A pout immediately formed at the boy's lips. "Well..well..."
"Well what?!"
"Um.. Gojyo nii-chan said that only girls had sweet honey and boys didn't so I just wanted to show him I can make honey too! I was hoping Mr. And Mrs. Bee could show me how they made honey," the boy said without a clue of what he had said.
Hm, honey? That Gojyo fellow must have one heck of a sick perverted mind. I would have interrogated further but a sneeze from the young boy reminded me we WERE still in a murky little pond. Gods knows what lurked in the pond. I swam to the pond's side and promptly pushed myself up. Having done that, I turned to pull the boy up but seeing him look so helpless with river reeds weave about his hair looking like arrows had gone through his head, made me stop.
"You look like a drowned monkey with a couple of arrow shot right through the brain. No wonder you seem to be lacking the intellectual part of yourself right now," I commented.
I laughed inwardly, knowing that the monkey could only make sense of half of what i spoke but I got my desired response nevertheless. "I'm not a monkey!!!!!!"
I would have laughed but it would seem awkward if I did. I hadn't even smiled for a long time and so I offered a hand of help. He held onto my hand ; his smaller but rougher hands in mine. Eager to get him out there and to get a bath, I didn't notice the slip of a grin he gave. Instead of letting me do the pulling, he gave a tug, and in my surprise I couldn't respond. I lurched into the water, getting soaked for the second time.
My temper would have rised, my hands would have automatically whacked the boy, I would have spit out a curse or two but something stopped me. His laughter. The sound of merry laughter, like chiming bells in the wind, so innocent, soothing to the ears, so sincere. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. It was a hint of a smile, but it was a smile nevertheless. I could only wish, and pray, maybe just for today, I would have a real friend.
"By the way onii-chan," I looked up into his golden stare. "I'm Goku! What's your name?"
".....Sanzo. Genjo Sanzo."
To be continued......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
Whoa, this sounds like some kind of weird one-shot, which sounds like, but is not. This fic may last for three chapters or so before I decide to close the book on it. ^^ So till then please R&R!!!!
