GOKU'S NEW FRIEND
Keiuin temple— Spring. The time where the flower blooms, the air is filled with the soft fragrance of the colourful wonders, buzzing of bees and chirping of birds synchronized to a beautiful natural orchestra. The spread of vast azure sky makes the world appears so calm and peaceful.
Below the sky, on the field of grass surrounded by sunflowers, a young boy laid on his back, stretching his arms as a black-and-white butterfly rested on his middle finger. The boy giggled. All of the sudden, the surrounding area around him turns darker, the air blows harder. The boy jerked up, causing the butterfly to fly away. The shadow hovered above him motionless. He looked up, and smiles.
Meanwhile, in the temple…
The familiar smell of freshly brewed coffee dissipates throughout the room, as a man with a monocle on his right eye poured the coffee into a clay mug. He handed the mug to a golden-haired monk who is busy reading a newspaper. He had to place his face so close to the paper to shift his sightings from seeing wriggles to readable letters since he had lost his spectacles. Another adult with eyes and hair the colour of crimson red sitting across the monk used this opportunity to mock on his age. This makes him receive countless whacks from the famous harisen. But the face of the annoyed monk, regarding the pain inflicted on him, is priceless.
"Well, well… looks like our Sanzo-sama isn't that all mighty after all," the cockroach-head teased.
"If you're so free, why don't you go and search for my glasses that you misplaced, you good-for-nothing kappa!" And once again a hard 'THWACK!' landed on the kappa's head.
"Ohho? So now it's my fault then? You were the one who stupidly entrusted me with that glasses of yours to a direction that's even impossible for anyone to remember!" Gojyo shouted defensively.
"That saru could do it just fine… Heh… then you're level of intelligence is much lower than 'stupid'…," Sanzo smirked.
"Why you—! T-That chibi saru is just different! I always wonder how did you ever end up being a Sanzo-houshi when you're not even acting like one?"
Whacking, yelling and cursing ensues. Was that gun shots and sound of blood splattering? No one knows…
The only sane person in the room shook his head. Hakkai took a chair and placed it in front of an open window, sipping his cup of coffee while letting the fresh air swept past his face.
"Haa~~~ it's such a wonderful day indeed," Hakkai said, smiling, ignoring the chaos behind him.
Just then, a figure appears by the window. "Hakkai~~~~~~!"
Hakkai waved back to that familiar face."Ah~~ Hi, Goku. Having fun?"
"Yeah! I really loved spring! Look! I even got a new friend," Goku said, as he lightly stroked a creature he sat on like a flying carpet.
"My, it looks so fluffy! Remember to return it back where you found it. You know you can't have pets…" Hakkai too patted the creature's 'fur' without thinking too much. "Aren't you hungry? I'm going to make you your favourite meat buns."
"Maybe later… I wanna collect wild berries and those beautiful orchids to put in Sanzo's office. Saa, Kumo-chan! Let's go up the hill I showed you just now!" Goku patted his friend and they fly up into the sky, heading towards the hillside.
"Okay, Goku! Be careful!... Goku? Did he just—? Sanzo! Gojyo! Come here, quick!"
"What is it Hakkai? ...Wha—?" Gojyo's jaw dropped.
"Goku! Get down RIGHT NOW!"
The backyard.
Goku sat on the grounds, rubbing his head. "Ow… It's not my fault! Kumo-chan just kept following me! It's just soo cute I couldn't resist it!" The fluff of cloud; which Goku named Kumo-chan, stayed close to Goku all the time.
"Hmph… I thought so," Sanzo said, tucking his harisen in his clothes as he did.
"What is it, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, as he bent down closer to the cloud.
"It's one of those legendary creatures that only exist like once in a thousand years. It is said that when this cloud appears, there's going to be a hurricane and it is its job to protect the place from the disaster. So far, that's the story I heard of. It's harmless though," Sanzo explained in a monotonous tone.
"….So… that means we can keep it?" the chibi asks hopefully.
"Are you crazy? Didn't you hear what Sanzo just said? That thing brings disaster! We have to get rid of it—OW! What's that for, bakasaru?" Gojyo massages his ankle that the chibi stomped on.
"No one speaks to Kumo-chan like that! Come on, Kumo-chan! Let's go!" Goku got on the cloud and sped away.
"Ah~~ Goku! …Is it okay to leave them just like that?" worryingly, Hakkai questioned the monk.
"Nah… It's fine. The cloud chose Goku as its 'master'. That thing's very obedient and won't let anything harm that saru," Sanzo confidently assured him.
"Well… I guess so."
In the temple, almost time for dinner—
"Where did that bakasaru went? He should be back by now, he even missed lunch!" Gojyo said to no one in particular, as he helped out Hakkai with the food.
"It is sort of worrisome… Shouldn't we look for him, Sanzo?" Hakkai suggested, setting out dinner on the table while thinking of where Goku might be.
Sanzo settled his paper on the side of the table and started smoking. "Hmph… that chibisaru's no good in sulking… I bet he's already in front of this door by now—" Even before Sanzo could finish his word, the door slammed open.
"HARAHETTA~~~~~! Wha~~~! It's dinnertime!" Goku squealed, taking a seat next to Sanzo. The cloud that Goku found just floats around behind Goku's seat.
"Man, where were you the whole evening?" Gojyo asked Goku.
"I was flying around with Kumo-chan of course! We went to the sea, over the mountains~~~ It was fun!" Goku shouted excitedly.
"Ch-! Idiot! What if you fall?" Gojyo looked unbelievingly at that child.
"Ah~~~ It's just nice that you're back anyway. Goku, wash your hands first, please." Hakkai said in the usual motherly tone as he filled up Goku's bowl with stew.
"Hai~~~~~!" Goku got up from his seat and went over to the kitchen.
"….Doesn't this cloud looked a bit different?" Hakkai stared at the cloud. It looked bigger and seems to be darker. Hakkai touched the cloud, and rather than fluffy, it felt squishy. "It's like… it's going to explode…" The cloud then hover around the stew ceiling.
"Oi, saru! Where did you say you went just now?" Sanzo asked Goku as he reappears from the kitchen.
"Eh? Let's see… First we went to up that hill and I ate wild berries and oranges, then we went over the mountains, that's where we find this hot spring! It's soo fun!"
"You found hot spring? And you're enjoying everything for yourself? Stingy monkey!" Gojyo shouted.
"Gojyo! Then, where else?" Hakkai asked again.
"Well…. Then we rounded the forest, over Gojyo's house, then to the sea! Kumo-chan stopped for a very long time there, I guess he really liked the breeze. But then I didn't go swimming there, because you said not to if there's no adult with you. I really wish I could collect some seashells for Sanzo…"
"Quit ranting! How long were you there?" Sanzo started to lose his temper.
"Ah! Um… Until it's time for dinner! Why?"
The cloud is still hovering over the table.
"Uh-oh…" Hakkai sighed with a smile.
"Chase it out!" Sanzo ordered at the top of his lungs.
Suddenly, Sanzo's cigarette burnt out. "Wha—?" Tiny drops of water escaped from the cloud.
"Chase it out NOW!I can't afford to have rains in the temple!"
"Ah? Saru, hurry up and get your friend out of here!" Gojyo pulled Goku next to the cloud. The cloud electrocuted.
"—te! I can't touch it like this!" Goku pulled his hand away.
The cloud electrocuted some more. Larger droplets of water started to drench the whole room.
"Oh no, this isn't normal rain. We need to get out of here! A storm is coming!" the healer warned.
But, it's too late. Heavy rain poured and flooded the whole room, the passageway, the prayer's room, almost the whole temple, to be exact. There was a faint voice shouted,"WHOHOO! A WATERPARK!" then a loud 'THWACK!' in the distance. That night, all of the people in the temple are forced by the Hoshi-sama to clean up the mess that the storm caused. Sanzo Ikkou waited outside the temple, partially drying themselves while the monks do their job.
"What's wrong, Goku?" Hakkai asked when he noticed the chibi sort of spaced out.
"Kumo-chan… Where's Kumo-chan?" Goku ran back into the temple, to the kitchen, where he last part with his friend. He kept yelling out the cloud's name, the other three tailing after him.
"Kumo-chan? Kumo…-chan?" Goku knelt down on the wet floor. "Where is he? Sanzo, where is he?" the chibi asked, those golden eyes started to water.
"Goku…" Hakkai knelt beside the chibisaru, similar to what a mother would do to a saddened child. "You see, Goku, Kumo-chan is still around, except that now he changes to rain, the rain water will then flow to the nearest sea or lake and soon, water vapour will vapourize and rise in the air to form another cloud, or maybe Kumo-chan. When the right time comes, the cloud will condense and rain is formed. And this circle, Goku, will repeat over and over and over," Hakkai explained, using less complicated words as he could.
Of course, most of the scientific words just past over that saru's head, so long it doesn't sound delicious, it is not of his concern. He does understand one thing though.
"So, Kumo-chan's not… dead?"
"Nah… it's really normal for clouds to do that. Never heard a dead cloud before anyway, saru…" the red-head smirked.
Sanzo took a long drag from his cigarette. "Haa…" He started to walk to the direction outside of the temple. "All this trouble and stuff really makes me hungry. Sukiyaki would be nice," Sanzo said after short silence.
"Yeah… sukiyaki does sound good~~" Gojyo responded. He ruffles the saru's hair and head towards the temple's gate as well.
"Come, Goku. Let's all have sukiyaki." Hakkai simply smiled at Goku, and looked at Sanzo that's backing himself from them. 'Ahahaha. He really can't hide his soft side.' The green-eyed chuckled at this.
Goku swept his tears away with his small hands and nodded to Hakkai, as a 'yes'. "And I'm gonna eat a whole lot!" the chibi exclaimed.
"Is there any time that you don't? Heh, bakasaru with a stomach for a brain," the red-head teased, smacking Goku's back at the same time.
"Stop calling me bakasaru, gokiburi ero-kappa!" With this, the saru stomped on Gojyo's foot and darted away towards town.
"OW—! Come back here, baka chibisaru!"
"Haha! Try and catch me!" the saru runs faster, very fast that the other adult started panting already.
"Huh… kids," Sanzo took a drag and exhale puffs of smoke in the humid air. Hakkai's smile never left his face.
xxx
After their hectic meal, both parties return to their places. Goku babbles all the way the way back to temple and Sanzo just have to agree with that saru wanting him to tell a story so that he'll be silent. As soon as they reached Goku's room, the chibi sat down on his bed and searches under his pillow for something. He got out a book and handed it to Sanzo, also motioned Sanzo to sit beside him. Sanzo raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be lying down if I'm supposed to tell you a story?"
Goku, taking no notice on how irritated Sanzo looks, just smile and simply said, "I wanna see the pictures!" Sanzo took the book. 'Anpanman' is written on it. '…Food... Figures, it's the only book he'll read.' There are many pictures of buns and food in it.
Just when Sanzo is about to 'unwillingly' read, Goku lied down next to Sanzo and seconds later, he drifted to sleep.' Kumo-chan… Waterpark…,' the saru murmured in his sleep, soft giggles follows.
"Hmph... Unbelievable…" Sanzo himself gave a small smirk and place a blanket over the chibi. He then left the room, leaving Goku with his wonderful dreams.
-Epilogue-
"Hakkai~~~ Look, I found something! Can we keep it?" Goku stroked the feathers of a creature he found.
"I don't know, Goku. You know better how much Sanzo hates pets, right?" Hakkai was hesitating to touch the feathers at first because the colour is fiery red, as if it's burning. He gave it a stroke anyway. "You hungry, Goku?"
"I'll eat later, I wanna play some more, bye, Hakkai!" With this, Goku fly off on that creature.
"Bye! …No...wait! Goku! Sanzo, Gojyo! Come here!" Hakkai shouted.
"Oi—in the world? Is he even allowed to ride on that?"
"A ….phoenix?" Sanzo couldn't believe his eyes…