Of Gold in Thread and Gems

Part of a trio [I think] of Koumyou in Tenkai, not in any particular order of events. This one is with Nataku Taishi, so there are spoilers abound for Saiyuki Reload Blast. The former priest always thought the boy would do well to have a soak. In his clothes. When no one was watching. And with no guarantee he would be coming back. Because the man of moonlight still is important in this journey.

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Specter: He is, he really is, I know it.
Koumyou: Ahaha, why thank you. ^_^ -sips sake.-
Specter: Now then, just to lay down a few things to keep in mind. I'm taking liberties with the ambiguity here; I am only presuming that Koumyou is now in Tenkai and walking about as the rest of the gods do there, as seen in Gaiden. Also, for when talking about Kanzeon, I will try to keep it consistent with the hir and se, but then, I'm also prone to making every other one him and she.
Koumyou: Hopefully, with these things in mind, you can follow his logic better. ^_^
Specter: Right. –tugs on his sleeve.- Can you be my papa please? You're just my type.
Koumyou: Of papa? [you have a type for that sort of thing?]
Ukoku: Brilliant works of Saiyuki is owned by Kazuya Minekura-sensei~, so don't try to sue, or I'll just erase it.

…it… was… what… I… wanted…
… ... ... ... ... ...
…above… all… else…

It was no surprise really that they had hit it off. They being Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Great Bodhisattva of Mercy and Love [and having a good time and cleavage and…], and Koumyou Sanzo, 30th of China, untimely pulled from the land of mortals. Kanzeon had watched over her nephew in his new reincarnation, so she of course had watched over the people he interacted with, his master being the most important. The blond man was no conventional priest to be sure; he was a man that could be called a natural fool but carefully moved at his own pace that no matter how slow it went it was always several steps ahead of everyone else. He smoked like a chimney—but settled for the good stuff when he wizened up a little—and drank like a fish. Sometimes he was infuriating in his own natural stupidity, but the drinking helped make up for it for Kanzeon.

After all, no one else helped her get out of work like Koumyou did. The man was a master of the hiding in plain sight without being a ninja. It didn't help she was starting to grow a sadistic little pleasure in watching Jiroushin run around like a chicken with his head cut off.

So it went without saying, that the former sanzo—though most of Tenkai pretty much still referred to him with title though he had no means of putting it into practice—was granted special permissions [went where ever he wanted as he pleased] to come with the Merciful Cleavage—cough, excuse me, Goddess—into her lily pool that served to peer into the human world, particularly over the Sanzo-ikkou. At first, Koumyou hadn't wished to see his little protégé, his little golden haired boy he loved like his own child, suffering so with the loss and the struggle of the journey he underwent. But he came around because he wanted to make sure Kouryuu, no, Genjyou Sanzo would be able to stay strong. Now he enjoyed the teasing commentary as much as Kanzeon did. Yet that was not the only thing Koumyou had come to grow accustomed to in the shimmering pool's room.

The permanent occupant that sat in the throne in the middle of the pool's perimeter, the small frame of a midnight bluenette, with eyes like faded golden gems that only gleamed with the reflected light of the water before him. He had learned from Kanzeon about the war prince's history, and the events that linked him to Goku in Sanzo's group. And so the blond sanzo came to watch over his son, as much as he did to keep Nataku company. No, there wasn't much telling if such a thing really was comprehended by the war prince while he remained in his comatose state, but he continued to do it anyway, sometimes on nights where it was only him visiting since Kanzeon had been caught in her escape attempts from work. The moon overhead would take a golden hue during those times, rich and enchanting like it had never shown before the sanzo had arrived.

He dared to remove the war prince from the throne on occasion, picking the boy up so he could take his place, then settle Nataku back on his lap. The boy was still warm, even if he wasn't responsive. Koumyou put the boy's hands in his lap, then rested his own on top, sometimes stroking his hair.

"Ahaha, if you somehow are seeing and feeling all of this, Natakun, I hope you aren't mad at me and plotting my second death." Koumyou said to him. "I don't want you to think I'm treating you like a silent pet or something." Really, the little affections were just his overflowing paternal warmth, the same he had showered on Kouryuu. He rested his chin softly on Nataku's head, careful not to mess up his tied bun, as he stared out—questionable, he's always been on the closed-eyed side of the field—over the Merciful Goddess' lily pool. At night it was especially still, and the sky of Tenkai reflected smoothly overhead. He idly kept his hands over the war prince's, rubbing softly over his calloused and smooth skin just to keep him warm from the slight chill of the night air. Duties in life had made both their hands smooth in some places, calloused and weathered in others. Though Nataku had been sitting still for the past five centuries, there was still a reflexive slight curve in his hand and faint redness that showed the imprint of a sword grip. Koumyou's longer fingers softly upturned the war prince's hands.

"Does it still burn to this day, Natakun…? These hands of yours that wrought so much destruction?" He cupped them both in his and kissed both palms gently, as any father would his child's scratches or bruises. "Here, Natakun, let's soothe them a little…" The blond shifted his arms around Nataku's back and under his knees, lifting him up into his arms as he stood, walking the few paces to the steps into the lily pool. The moon reflected without blemish so fully one could think to capture it from the water's surface. The waters he knew got one wet, but only when in the pool itself. So unhesitatingly Koumyou stepped slowly, as fluid with the water himself, making a small ripple that fanned to the corners of the wide pool. He carefully put the war prince on his feet, putting him chest deep in the waters. Keeping their fingers loosely interlocked, the blond dipped both their hands in the water.

He could've imagined it, but he thought he heard a small quiet sigh.

Their fingers slid apart, Koumyou bringing his hands up to softly wet Nataku's hair. And to his utter surprise, though carefully quelled, the war prince's eyes slowly slid closed.

"Oh Natakun…" Koumyou breathed, trailing his hands to the boy's cheeks to kiss the mark on his forehead. "Mother and father may be here in Tenkai…" The blond Sanzo referred to Kanzeon and himself respectively. "But here is not your home anymore." He drew back a little, golden eyes looking up at him with taints of sadness in his gaze, as if tears could have welled up at any moment.

"A little longer, Natakun. Wait a little longer… and you can go home."

When he picked the boy up to return him to the throne, he ended up staying the whole night. The grip on his robes, by small soft hands now cooled by the lily pool water, had been too strong to break physically. The faintness of pleading in golden eyes, eyes he had mistaken before to be so lifeless, had been too strong to ignore emotionally.

He didn't know Ukoku had taken to wearing the sanzo robes in black. Really, it was quite stylish, Koumyou reasoned. If this was a new thing he had missed out by just a few years or so, he was going to temporarily be a smidge angry [getting very angry had caused too much of a disturbance in Tenkai, and they had begged him to please not do it ever again if he could help it]. But seeing Ukoku, looking into the lily pool with Kanzeon and Nataku, and his first encounter with the Muten Sutra on his shoulders before the Sanzo-ikkou, was what he was waiting for. Koumyou needed to know where he stood in his bet with the raven. The conclusion of their first encounter at its end, the blond sanzo had his answer.

That night, the Hunter's moon gleamed in both Tenkai and the human world. The gold color was striking even to the uncaring kappa and 31st of China looking up at it when the chi user and heretic child commented. That night, walking hidden in plain sight, the 30th of China walked quickly with the Taishi in his arms, making his way to the gates of Tenkai. In the same way he had observed the Merciful Goddess yielding the great gates a few times before, he got them open, not waiting for them to fully part before he said his farewells.

"If you can forgive them being used words, I'll repeat them to you." He held the war prince's hands from the opposite side of the gates, kneeling to be at eye level with him.

"Stay strong, Nataku Taishi."

"He's gone! Kanzeon-sama, we have a problem!"

The Merciful Goddess looked up from hir papers as Jiroushin came in, the utmost urgency in his voice. Thinking it was something that wasn't as important as hir assistant was making it sound, se sighed irritated and stood up.

"What is it, Jiroushin?"

"War Prince Nataku has gone missing!" Kanzeon's eyes widened in shock. As se rushed to the room of the war prince's throne to confirm it with his own eyes, se noticed Koumyou in a breezeway across from hir, smoking a kiseru pipe and staring out at the dogwood trees as he always liked to do. Strange… why wasn't he in a frenzy over the news overtaking Tenkai of the missing Nataku? Hir steps slowed some.

…That clever bastard. Kanzeon smirked. Se always knew they were going to get along.

…...and so…...
…...he descended…...
…into our world…...

Specter: Tada~ did it. Waow, that was fast and not completely random. Sorry if some parts seemed rushed everyone.
Koumyou: I am curious to know myself how he got out, haha. ^_^
Specter: I'd put money that you or Homura [or Shien] did it. Really.
Koumyou: Well, we are bound to find out soon enough, Minekura-sensei willing.
Specter: For those about to fly off the handle, 'Natakun' is not a typo, it is an affectionate combining of 'Nataku-kun'. One could read it 'Nata-kun', but I am accustomed to a non-hypenated combinations [similarly, 'Gokun' (from 'Goku-kun') or 'Aluchan' (from 'Alucard-chan')]. So anyone who reviews and mentions it, I'll point and laugh and call you a stupid weeaboo. Reviews kindly appreciated. Thank you for reading.