Rating: M
Parings: ST/Goku hinted Sanzo/Goku
Warnings: Blood, fighting, slight morbidity. Kinda creepy Goku.
A/N: I love this chapter. It was one of the ones I was looking forwards to writing most when I started this. And people will finally understand where the summary comes from! Yayz! Very exciting. As always, thank EoS for betaing, and Minekura for giving us such a wonderful manga that we can all love and worship and draw fanfiction from.
C&C appreciated.
Eternal Earth
Chapter Eight
Goku had always thought he had an understanding of what was right and wrong. What was good and evil, but the more time he spelt with his alter-ego, he realized he knew, indeed, very little.
The Niyou-bou in his hands twirled and whipped, the crimson stained staff becoming nothing more then a blur as it smashed and cracked in bones and muscle. There was blood on his hands, his clothes, the ground, the streets, his face, his staff. The blood was everywhere and soon Goku found himself intoxicated by it. He felt like he was just swaying, dancing about and not even fighting. His mind seemed to have separated from his body, unable to think or focus or do anything. He was surprised he hadn't already been cut down, but he guessed he was still fighting because the bodies were still falling and the blood was still flowing.
Why was he doing this again? The scent of blood seemed to have wiped his memory.
Oh yeah, now he remembered.
"What do you mean?" Goku asked timidly as his brows furrowed in confusion, attempting to understand what it was the demon was trying to tell him. His eyes trailed back down to the orb in front of him, the large glowing Egg looked as though it was made of glass and swam with a purplish light. It was so beautiful, Goku felt the need to simply keep it for himself and hide it away. It was infectious.
Seiten Taisei smiled softly at him, recognizing the expression on Goku's face. "This is called the Egg of Genesis, Goku. It's a special Egg."
Goku let his eyes trail back up to his alter-ego, brows furrowing in confusion. "An egg?" he echoed. "It looks like a gem."
Seiten smiled, approaching the egg and laying a hand gently on top of it. "Yes. It's an egg. It's similar to what we were born out of." Goku shot him a confused look and Seiten merely smiled. "There's a subtle difference with this one. Whereas our egg was fertilized with the earth's aura, this one will be fertilized with something else."
Goku slid off his spot on the log, and carefully approached the egg. Placing his hands to it, he could feel the warmth radiating under his fingers. Looking back up to the brown-haired demon, he smiled. "If we fertilized it, what would be born?"
Seiten returned the smile. "Her name is Lilith. She would be our sister," pausing, he turned his attention back down to the egg below him. "And I plan to fertilize this egg and hatch her. It's part of how we're going to cleanse the world. She'll help us, because that's what she was born to do."
Goku smiled happily, running his fingers over the smooth texture. "What do we need to fertilize her?"
"One thousand human souls."
Goku's eyes snapped up to meet Seiten Taisei's, the smile slipping from his lips as his hands drew reflexively away from it. "What?" he cried out, a little too quickly.
Seiten frowned at Goku's actions, leaning forwards the take his hands and place them back on the orb. "They don't have to be good souls, Goku," he told him softly, attempting to remain as soothing as possible. "We can use the souls of evil people. That way, Lilith will know what to destroy when she is born."
"I…. I know, but…" Goku's eyes trailed off and he bit his lip anxiously.
Seiten could not help but crack a smile, finding the expression absolutely adorable on his lover's face. Leaning forwards, he placed a kiss to his lips. "It'll be okay," Seiten told him, before stealing another kiss. "The ends will always justify the means."
"What does that… mean…?" Goku asked softly. He found his answer somewhere in Seiten's mouth.
Another whip of his staff and another man fell. Suddenly the mounds of men around him were gone, and there was nothing but blood and bodies, along with a strange light that seemed to hover over all the corpses. Goku stared through half-lidded eyes, his mind still muddled by the overpowering scent of blood. Turning his attention to Seiten, he watched as the demon pulled out the Egg of Genesis, grinning like mad as he held the purplish orb out in front of him. Suddenly all the light—or souls, as Goku assumed—shot towards Seiten like bullets. There could've only been about a hundred of them, but they all slammed into the egg simultaneously, with enough force to send Seiten shooting backwards.
As soon as all the souls were absorbed, Goku quickly headed over towards his blood-cloaked lover.
Seiten was grinning as he ran his hands over the orb. "Look Goku," he breathed. "The egg, don't you see, it a bit lighter now. The egg… when it's fertilized, it'll be pink. And then… and then we'll have saved everything Goku. And it'll be you and me… forever…"
The blood seemed to have been affecting Seiten Taisei's mind as well, though in a different way then Goku. Seiten almost seemed drunk on the scent and his incoherent mumbling and stumbling only seemed to prove that. Seiten dropped the egg suddenly, allowing it to fall to the ground with a soft thump. Reaching out, the demon brought Goku into a ferocious kiss, biting his lips until he drew blood. Goku didn't mind the soft sting, and attempted to keep up with Seiten's animalistic side.
Seiten Taisei suddenly broke out, gripping Goku's hands as he spun him into his arms. Laughing loudly, he began to twirl and spin his lover until the two fell into a strange dance that was all their own. Goku could feel the blood under his feet, soaking into his clothes and his skin. He could feel the bodies and sense where he'd have to step over yet another. The entire scene should have been mortifying, but in a strange sense it was calming and exciting.
Seiten laughed as he spun Goku again. Colors and senses were all blurring to him, and he had no idea which was up anymore. Seiten pulled him back into his arms, licking a portion of his neck before biting down, hard enough to draw blood. Goku allowed the territorial mark. Seiten leaned up against his ear, his breath airily light as he said, "Let's dance the dance of death, Goku. While the world falls to ruin around us."
Goku's muddled mind was unable to decipher the true meaning behind the words, as Seiten spun him out again, and their twisted dance of death resumed.
And as the world turned to a blur of red around him, Goku found all he could do was laugh.
---
They had no idea where Goku would be, but they had to start somewhere.
So, early that morning they all piled into Jeep and headed out. They had no idea where they were going, so they headed out towards the closest village to start asking about them. For several hours, they got nowhere, until they caught wind of a massacre some miles upwards. It was a group of bandits that had been traveling around killing and robbing. Apparently someone slew them all over night. The people rejoiced, though Sanzo wasn't so sure if they should be rejoicing.
It was only a few hours' drive, and without any other leads they headed towards it.
Sanzo had sat in the front seat, staring out at the scenery pass them by. It was unnaturally silent as Hakkai drove, and Gojyo smoked quietly in the back seat. It was soothing, but something in the pit of his stomach told him that this was wrong. This silence was wrong somehow. As much as Sanzo hated to admit it, they needed the monkey's presence there. He just... added something. Did something no one else could do. Sanzo had yet to find out what that "something" was.
Gojyo and Hakkai had been curious towards Seiten Taisei and Goku, but Sanzo offered them nothing. He didn't owe them anything, and they wisely kept quiet about it.
He was not worried about some stupid murder-worthy primate. He was just annoyed that the brat he had saved and fed and clothed had decided just to run off without notice. Sanzo probably wouldn't have minded if the boy had told him he was leaving. Hell, he probably would've rejoiced and given the brat a suitcase and some money if that would've gotten him to leave faster.
He was not concerned about the brat. Hell, he probably wouldn't even bring him back. If the brat wanted to fuck around, then by all means. Sanzo would just deliver a few "goodbye smacks" and leave. Hakkai and Gojyo would be against it but he didn't give a damn what they thought. It was his fucking monkey, and he could keep it or let it go if he wanted to. Weren't monkeys supposed to live in the wild anyway? Not cooped up inside temple walls. Goku was probably happier this way anyway. It was going to be… quiet without him. But he'd learn the get over it.
Fuck, he was not getting attached damnit!!
By the time they got to the site, it was beginning to grow dark. They had pulled up towards it, and Jeep had given a soft 'kyuu.' Sanzo didn't blame it. The entire site was soaked in blood. The scent was so strong; even though most of it had dried Sanzo could still smell it. And there were bodies everywhere. It looked like most had been dumped in a pile, and a dim campfire was set up a ways away. Sanzo had practically jumped out of the jeep, taking a few hesitant steps forwards when he spotted when looked like Goku. But then on closer inspection Sanzo realized the pointed claws and devilish eyes belonged to none other then Seiten Taisei.
He had to remember the Goddess' words. Seiten Taisei and Goku were separate. But then… where was Goku? Had Seiten Taisei already killed him? Sanzo grit his teeth at the thought, and reached towards his gun.
As though Seiten Taisei had finally sensed their presence, he looked up. Sanzo could see the demon's expression harden and he shakily stood up, stumbling for some reason. Suddenly he was in front of them, and Sanzo took a step back in surprise. He could hear either Gojyo or Hakkai breathe Goku's name, and Seiten's eyes snapped over them to silence them.
"Sanzo..." the demon hissed, causing the blond's eyes to go wide. He had never heard Seiten Taisei speak before, and had always been under the impression he couldn't. Seiten's eyes trailed back over to him and he kept his expression hard, attempting to stare the demon down. That would prove useless. "I should kill you where you stand."
"Where's Goku?" Sanzo snapped.
The demon let out a string of humorless chuckles. "You don't deserve to know. You have no right to know. Now leave, before I cut out your throats."
"You killed a goddess," Sanzo snapped back, eyes sharp and accusing.
Seiten let a bloodthirsty smile catch his lips. "That I did. Your end will be similar if you do not leave."
"Why do you need Goku?" Sanzo snapped. "What are you trying to gain?"
"That is not for you to know."
The rustling of branches caught everyone's attention. Four pairs of eyes snapped to watch as Goku stumbled through the foliage. Goku looked rumpled; his hair was matted with blood that Sanzo prayed wasn't his own. His clothes looked torn and he seemed to have lost a bit of weight, but otherwise it was the same dim-witted, innocent, golden-eyed boy he'd lost over a week ago. Sensing the tension, Goku looked up from the fish in his hands, and paused. Golden eyes met violet and in that moment time froze.
"Sanzo…" Goku whispered, allowing the fish to slip through his fingers and fall to the ground. Seiten glanced between the pair, who seemed lost within each other.
"Goku," Seiten commanded suddenly, causing Goku's eyes to flicker towards his. The demon stepped away from Sanzo, heading towards him. "Let's go."
Goku looked reluctant for a moment, glancing between Seiten and Sanzo. Finally, he sighed through his nose, allowing a soft, sympathetic smile to cross his features. "I'm sorry, Sanzo."
If Sanzo thought to move, he could've reached out. Grabbed Goku. Punched Seiten. Done something. But instead, he merely stood there and stared as Seiten approached the boy, pulling him into a possessive hug and shooting Sanzo a victorious smirk before they phased out of the area.
But Sanzo just stood there and stared, long after the pair had disappeared.
