Ch. 9
The ground was shaking. He couldn't think, all he felt was the hot pulse of a dying heart, his, Sanzo's, it didn't matter anymore, if all he would ever see again was the dark moon and Sanzo's blood staining his skin leaking in and driving him mad...he'd rather die right there.
The drum of rain against his skull was deafening, the voice calling out to him, the steady, secure, sane part of him fighting back against the other, the one that wanted nothing more than to rip out his own throat.
SANZO!!!
Stop, you must not go there!
Get the hell away from me!
No! You must stop; we have to get past this!
You get past it, he's dead! As in never coming back and I just killed him! Where's the gun? Where's his fucking gun? I'll put a stop to this right now!
Goku! Son Goku! Listen to yourself! He did this! He stopped, did you not hear him? He called out for you! He wants this to end!
I'll make it end!!
No! This is not the way to fix this problem.
Then what is? What the hell do I do now?!
Come to me.
What?!
Come here. You must come to me; you cannot let this anger eat away your soul. He would not have wanted that.
Screw you! I'm not going anywhere!
If you keep on this path you will disappear, you will be forever locked in that cave he brought us out from. No sun, no moon, no stars, only darkness and despair!
....
Please. He stopped knowing what would happen. He did this to save you. You must come to me.
I...I don't wanna. San..zo...
I know. I know.
There was a blinding flash as the night peeled back, the stars suddenly drowned out by the twisting of clouds and wind. Curling in upon himself, bloody hand curled into hair, he screamed violently, eyes snapped open, pupils dilating open and closed while his entire brian was wiped clean and rewritten, a computer with the restart button hit. The sky swirled and flickered in and out, his vision following the jerky movements of time and space and finally he understood, he understood everything, was witness to everything, from the beginning to the end.
He was whole.
***
"So, chibi-saru, you all grown up now?"
He swirled at the sound, crouching protectively over Sanzo's body.
"My, my. Still part beast then are you?"
Straightening, he glanced impassively at the shadowy form, already knowing who it was that stood before him.
"Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Merciful Goddess. Your will has been fulfilled, why do you stand before us."
"'Us'?"
"We are one, we are all."
"Guardian and protector. Lord of the Lower World."
"...."
"What name do you go by then?"
"Goku. Son Goku."
"hmm...You would keep his name?"
"It is our name. We are one. We are Son Goku. You rule in the Upper World, why do you come here?"
Looking past the demon, she glanced at Sanzo's crumpled body.
"You really did it then."
"He allowed us to win. He fought bravely for the protection of all."
"I'm surprised you're so calm about his death. It doesn't pain you at all?"
"We have seen."
"'Seen?'"
"That this is not the end. He is a God, we are not. You have come to tell us something we already know."
"Well it's no fun if I can't play a bit, now is it?"
"Playing is not required to be a God."
"Look here you! Being a God demands playing! Do you have any idea how fucking boring it is up there?! I helped send you boys down here so you could live, but also so I would have something to do!"
"We know. You used us, you also allowed him to die, and for us to live. We are not able to bring those two ideas together; they do not make logical sense."
"They aren't supposed to make sense! I wanted you all to live! Living means taking the good with the bad! I allowed you all to follow your hearts, something Heaven wouldn't have. So what are you going to do? Will you follow orders until someone stronger manages to kill you or are you going to start living?!"
"...."
The Goddess tapped her foot impatiently, waiting while something behind the dead eyes fluttered; the shadows peeling back to allow the light of the living back in. She smiled; it was like sunbeams through the clouds that look.
"So, you better now?"
"We are still ourselves, Aunty."
"Oh, that one's gonna cost you kiddo." But her smile was bright as she walked over to the now kneeling Son Goku.
"You know what you can do. He's gone, but being a God has certain perks."
"Yes. We will travel. Eventually he will be given back to us. Another life that we can live together; without bars this time."
"He was a smartasses prick who liked to annoy me, but he was also my nephew once, and he's lucky to have found you a second time, I'm sure you will find him for a third. Where will you start?"
Goku gently brushed back the soft hairs from Sanzo's forehead, his fingers tingling as his body started to glow, slowly dissolving into twinkling light that floated up towards the Heavens.
"Where else?"
Raising he turn and looked out over the horizon, storm clouds dissipating, the warm light filtering through their tattered remains as he pointed.
"I'll go West."
She smiled and reached up, lightly stroking his cheek and gently placed a kiss on it.
"You know he was always a stubborn one, it might take a while."
"I will walk the Earth and back again until he is reborn. He is mine. My only Sun."
And with that he walked off. The sounds of life starting to flow around him like time.
Sighing softly she blew a kiss after them and glanced up, taking herself home.
***
She'd spend the next few years watching down on them from her chair by the pool. And as the lotuses opened to reveal a glorious sunrise in the Lower World, a crystal lake and emerald canopy, the knobby slate roots of the Bodi tree reaching up from the earth, she smiled. There was a small hand hand reaching out, shocking golden hair and large violet eyes staring as they were passed from weathered to ageless skin, the old woman placing the red chakra on his forehead with chalky umber powder.
There was no fear as that small hand took the larger clawed one. As they set out she could hear the small conversation, where are we going? A very long way. And the resulting quip about how walking would take too long, couldn't he find another way? She almost couldn't hear his mumbled comment about how some things never changed.
With a wave of her hand the water rippled out, obscuring the scene and allowing them their privacy. She'd check in on them again when he was older.
"Merciful Goddess, you look pleased."
"Yes. It looks like he finally found him."
"What name will Lord Konzen go by this time?"
"Ravi. The old lady named him Ravi."
"Ravi?"
"Apparently it means 'the sun'. I think it's perfect, a new life, a new name, and a new day for them both."
She smiled as she walked away. "Sixteen years should be long enough. I'll wait until then to go say hi." A wicked smile was stretched across her lips.
"Oh, yes, that should be plenty of time."
Fin.
AN: Ok! Does this make everyone happier?? Did it confuse you? I hope no one lynches me or anything.... *slips off and hides in the closet*
