Pass the Field of Red Flowers By: Liv

Disclaimer: Gensomaden Saiyuki is of ownership of Kazuya Minekura. No suing please, I don't even have money to buy a simple GS OST. ^^;;

*****

Has he been here?

"Wai~"

"Urusei, kono Bakasaru."

"Maa maa, Sanzo. This must have been Goku's first time to see a field of Dandelions, ne?"

Genjo Sanzo looked away as he gave a 'chi!'

Yeah.he's been here.

While Son Goku leapt off Jiipu excitedly and Sanzo followed the dancing boy, Sha Gojyo's movement was slow. He leapt off Jiipu and walked farther into the Dandelion field. The yellow flowers glowed beautifully in the bright day, reflecting the lighthearted atmosphere. Feathery things decorated the sky. He pocketed his hands as he stayed in a spot far from the noisy boy, the corrupt monk, and the Jiipu who transformed into the white dragon, Hakuryu. His crimson eyes studied the flora, watching the flowers sway and the seeds fly.

"Gojyo?"

Gojyo blinked from his trance and turned to see his smiling friend. "Hakkai."

"You look like you're absorbed by the Dandelions." Cho Hakkai took a couple of steps closer. "Nandesuka?" He knelt and touched a flower lightly studying it closer.

"You wouldn't understand." Gojyo wore a grin as he looked at the far yellow flowers. *Because you don't know what's in my mind.*

"Then, what is in your mind?"

"Are?" Gojyo looked at the standing Hakkai. *How did he know what I was thinking?*

"Can a friend know?" Hakkai's smile grew wider.

So did Gojyo's. "I'm remembering something."

"Something?" Hakkai blinked.

Gojyo turned his attention to the flowers again. "Yeah.an event.in my childhood."

He had been here.more than 10 years ago.



The black-haired man jogged outside the old house silently and waited for his little brother to follow. He turned around to see the boy hurrying in closing the door. "Hayaku, Gojyo! You're so slow!"

The 8-year old boy didn't say a word. Once the old white-framed and chicken- wired door was closed, he quickly ran to his brother. It was just a short run, but by the time he reached the man, he was already panting.

The man smirked. "You're so weak, Gojyo." He patted the boy on the head and watched as the boy's pants stilled. He knew his brother was panicking while closing the door. "What? Are you just gonna stand there or will you follow me?"

Finally, Gojyo stood, wide crimson eyes looking at the smiling man. "Where are you taking me anyway, Jien?"

Sha Jien shrugged. "If I tell you now, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. You'll like it, don't worry." He winked. He placed his hand behind Gojyo's little back and walked northwards with him. "Now, let's go."

*****

Jien stopped as they reached a familiar place, the smile still on his face. It wasn't much of a long walk, just around 10 minutes and they were there. If the presence of red flowers calmed his eyes, it didn't on Gojyo's.

Instead, the child remembered what happened to him just a day ago. How his stepmother trashed the flowers he picked up for her and beat him up, again. The pain and the bruises were still there. His eyes widened in fear and no words came from his mouth.

Jien knelt beside Gojyo. "You remember it, don't you?" He saw Gojyo look at him.

"Why did you take me here.?"

Jien stood up. "If I didn't take you here, we won't be able to reach the place I was telling you about." He looked at the swaying plants. "This field of red flowers isn't all that's there. There's something else beyond it." He turned to look at Gojyo who was focusing on the red plants. "So! You wanna take the shorter track in the field or take the longer one beside the field?"

Gojyo acted as if he didn't hear his brother, but inside, he was deciding which way to go. He sure as hell would want to get these plants out of his sight as quickly as possible, but walking in the field doesn't sound like fun. "I think I wanna take the longer one, instead."

"It's better that way, we get exercise and fresh air." Jien walked ahead of Gojyo, knowing the boy wouldn't follow until he turned around and said, "Last one to pass the field is a dead cockroach!"

"What?! Hey! Oniichan!!" Gojyo called with his young shrill voice as he started to chase his laughing brother.

*****

They didn't really finish the whole field. Jien had decided to stop the race when they were halfway through and decided to walk again. He led his brother to a new field of yellow flowers with soft white things flying lightly into the sky following the wind. The sight of it was much better. In the area of the red flowers, the sky was rather dark.like his house. But in this farther place.the sky was brighter.

"So, how do you like it, Gojyo?"

Gojyo couldn't close his mouth. He was in awe of the beauty that was in front of him. It was like little fairies with a white aura around them are leaving their yellow houses. He felt his brother's hand on his back again.

"Let's get closer to them so you could touch them."

Gojyo felt his feet move one after another. The first steps were slow, speeding up as he went and soon, he was jogging around the wide yellow field.

Jien smiled at the sight of his younger brother dancing around. He was glad the boy liked it. Finally, the boy stopped and knelt near a yellow flower, studying it for the first time. Jien approached him, hands in his pocket. Reaching his younger brother, he started to speak again. "Life doesn't revolve around a field of red flowers."

"It never revolves around anything so small. Like our house, perhaps." Gojyo heard his brother say and couldn't believe how it made so much sense. From the flower, he looked up to his brother with those wide eyes of disbelief.

Jien's smile never left his face. "There's always something beyond everything." He caught sight of a Dandelion seed flying towards him. He lifted his hand, palm up, and caught the seed. He closed his fist gently.

Gojyo watched Jien as the latter's eyes remained on his fist.

Finally, Jien opened his fist and set the seed free, watching it fly towards the sun.

Gojyo stood up watching the seed, as well. "Na, what did you do?"

"Ore?" Jien looked at Gojyo. "I made a wish."

"Wishu.?" Gojyo blinked.

"It's an old wives tale." Jien looked at the sky. "Dandelion seeds were believed to be fairies that carry your wishes to the mighty gods in heaven."

Gojyo blinked again. "Hontou ni? What did you wish for?"

"I can't say it." Jien said simply. "Or it won't come true." He saw a Dandelion seed flying behind Gojyo. "Why don't you make a wish, too?"

"Are?" Gojyo turned around. He wore a wide grin upon seeing the seed and chased it. Upon reaching it, he leapt and caught it with his clasped hands.

Jien watched the boy bow his head and lift his hands close to his face.

Gojyo's eyes were closed. Finally, when his wish was done he opened his eyes and opened his hands to the wind. He watched the seed fly away accompanied by another.

"They say that if your wishing fairy gets accompanied by another, there's a chance that it will be granted." Jien approached his brother, watching the seed as well with his hand on the kid's shoulders.



And now he was here again.

Why his wish was never granted.Gojyo never knew why. *Probably because the Dandelion seed that flew with mine was Dokugaku's.* He thought. His eyes were still on the yellow flowers. He felt something soft touch his hand and caught it. "Are?" He looked at what he caught opening his palm slowly.

*A Dandelion seed.*

"Why don't you make a wish, Gojyo?" Hakkai encouraged with a smile. "They say Dandelion seeds can grant wishes."

"I know." Gojyo smiled. He looked at it slowly closed his hand looking for a wish and finally found one. When he had told the seed of it already, he opened his hand and watched it fly away to the sun.

A blur of white surrounded Gojyo's vision as the wind blew pass him. What happened didn't register to his mind immediately until soft things tickled his skin. When he looked at them, they were Dandelion seeds dancing around what he knew was his. *They're taking my wish to the heavens now.* He turned to Hakkai who marveled the beauty that happened with a wide smile. "So, how was that?"

"I think it was perfect, Gojyo." Hakkai looked at him.

"Oi, ikuzo!" They both heard Sanzo's deep voice.

Gojyo turned to the monk who headed over to Hakuryu who just turned into Jiipu. Goku was dancing around him.

"Na, na, Sanzo! What did you wish for??"

"For this pain in the ass mission to end."

"Heh??? Why did you say it?? Now it's never gonna end!"

"Urusai, Bakasaru! You asked me."

"Sanzo~"

Gojyo smirked when Sanzo's harisen landed on Goku's head.

"Ikuzo, Gojyo."

Gojyo turned to Hakkai who went ahead. He took a step forward and looked again at the sky remembering the same sky he saw the first time he came to a field of Dandelions.

Years ago, he had wished his Mom would never cry anymore.

But that didn't seem to have come true.

Now, he wished his past would never chase him anymore.

+Owari~+