Disclaimer: Well, here's where I'd tell you that I tried to buy the Naruto genin from Masashi Kishimoto, but he refused to sell them to me, and kicked me out of his office, but instead let's talk about how I'm back from my self-induced isolation away from writing! YAY!! I'm so happy to be back, with no more school, and no more finals!! So, be happy with my tired mind's ideas!!

Warnings: Yaoi, swearing, mentions of rape, insanity, and possible torture. For starters. If I'm missing anything, just go ahead and refer to the first chapter, and the next three after it.

Pairings: Realized I didn't put this here at all, I don't think, so here they are: Hakkai-Goku, mentions of Sanzo-Gojyo, later on will be Kougaiji-Yaone, and one-sided Homura-Goku.

What Dreams May Come

Chapter 8

"Wow! Is that your palace, Kougaiji?" Goku asked tiredly, but still managed to project an overabundance of excitement in his voice.

Below them was a huge rock and wooden palace that rose up into the clouds and stretched over hundreds of acres of land. There were guards stationed not only at the front gates but also on and around the palace. A little ways to the east of it was a large lake, but it looked more like a puddle next to a house from the air.

Kougaiji, riding on a silver dragon next to the five hundred year old youkai, grinned, proud of his establishment. "Yeah; that's the youkai palace. Pretty impressive, isn't it? Although, I think maybe Father overdid it when he built it all those decades ago."

Sanzo snorted; that was an understatement. "There's a lot of youkai energy in the air around here. It seems you've employed more soldiers than your father. Can you trust all of them?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably atop his own silver dragon. Of course, he probably couldn't really blame it on the dragon; perhaps it was the stupid lecher's arms which were currently wrapped around him. He turned to glare at their source.

Said lecher, one Sha Gojyo, grinned, but refused to remove his arms.

Sanzo growled; why did he put up with this guy? One of those muscled, lean arms drifted lower than his stomach, resting just barely at the apex of his thighs. Oh, that's right; that's why I put up with him. Sanzo didn't shiver, like his body wanted him to; instead, he growled again and steadfastly looked in front of him.

Gojyo chuckled and pushed his hand down a little more, feeling the monk tense beneath his hands. He wanted to do more, but felt he'd tortured the monk enough for now, and allowed the hands to drift back up to the monk's waist. He would save the play for later.

Hakkai saw the exchange out of the corner of his eye, and envied them for it. He wished he could have that, with someone. His eyes drifted unwittingly over to Goku; perhaps...

No. I told myself I wasn't going to think anymore about that! I need...I need to stop thinking about him! Maybe some conversation will help keep my thoughts...clean.

"So, Kougaiji, has your rein as Youkai Prince been uneventful?" Hakkai wondered, his fake smile plastered on his face. Thankfully, no one noticed; at least, he hoped.

Kougaiji turned his attention away from Goku, who'd been wondering about the types of food his palace held, and glanced over at the monocled man. He shrugged. "I guess it has. At first there were a lot of uprisings, but that was just from the people who'd been infected. Since then, it's lessened a lot; my palace is only full of people I trust, that's true. It's mostly servants and, of course, my group."

Hakkai nodded. "That's good. And your food supply is good? I mean, not even fully-stocked restauraunts can easily accomodate Goku's appetite."

Goku scoffed. "Please. I'm eating for three here; cut me some slack! Oh, 'Kai, I meant to ask you. Have you ever heard of a plant that's shaped like an eggplant, about as big as one, except it's the color orange. And it's got weird carvings on it, and a large blue leaf connected to the stem."

Hakkai began to shake his head, then stopped. Actually, that did sound a bit familiar. He wracked his brain as to why that description sounded familiar, then jumped when he realized what it was. "Goku, are you talking about the Amarante Fruit?" He asked, surprised that Goku would know of such a rare plant.

"Is that it? I didn't know the name, but I've been dreaming about it for the past few nights. I think the cubs are trying to tell me I might need it." Goku rubbed a clawed hand over his distended middle.

"Do you even know what that fruit is? Or rather, what it's made of, and what it does?" Yaone asked, a little fearfully.

"No, but I know my cubs need it. Why; is it really bad?"

Hakkai answered for Yaone. "Goku, the Amarante Fruit is full of...well, no one is really sure exactly what it is, but they know it's some type of ancient blood. The blood fills the fruit; you can suck it out by poking the veins and sucking. It's often used to gain power, or heal bad internal injuries."

Goku shrugged. "That stuff doesn't concern me. So, do you know where I can find any?" He really didn't care; he just knew that his cubs needed that fruit. They needed it to survive.

Kougaiji cleared his throat. "Actually, we carry a stock of Amarante fruit at the palace, in case of emergencies. While you're with us, you're welcome to have some. Hang on; we're descending."

Goku nodded and gripped the dragon's neck, watching everyone else do the same. The dragons landed gracefully in the center of the courtyard, where five female youkai were standing, waiting to take the dragons.

Dokugakuji reached up and drew Goku into his arms, being careful not to move the large child more than necessary. The others climbed down as wel, and allowed the youkai females to take the dragons away for food and rest. Kougaiji led the way to the guest rooms, beautiful, huge rooms that connected at the center by way of a parlor.

Dokugakuji laid Goku on the bed in the east room, moving back to allow Hakkai to check to see if the move had affected the earlier work he'd done on the youkai's body. It hadn't.

"Yaone, please fetch one Amarante Fruit from the vault. Bring it here, and let no one see it." Kougaiji commanded.

Yaone nodded and walked out; Gojyo moved out of the way to let her pass.

Sanzo pulled out the newspaper he'd been carrying around and flipped it open, settling himself on one of the only two chairs in Goku's room. Gojyo situated himself by the window so he could smoke, and Hakkai pulled the other chair up by Goku's bed.

"Hey, Sanzo, give me the comics section when you're done, 'kay?" Goku asked, pulling up the quilt, for he suddenly felt a draft from the open window.

"Sure, whatever." Sanzo allowed, pulling out the section and tossing it over.

"Comics? Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that you read such things." Kougaiji sighed, sitting Indian-style on the floor.

Goku was about to retaliate, but Yaone returned just then with the Amarante Fruit. Just the smell from the fruit make Goku's mouth water, and he eagerly held out his hands for it. Yaone hesitated, but Kougaiji nodded, and she pulled it out of a pouch on her waist and handed it over.

Goku used a claw to poke a hole in the bottom of the curved fruit, before bringing it to his mouth and sucking deeply the dark red, almost black fluid that dripped from the hole.

Everyone watched, fascinated and a little disgusted as Goku eagerly and happily sucked out all that the fruit held, not letting even a drop escape his quick tongue. His adams's apple bobbed spasmadically with each quick swallow, and his cheeks began to redden at holding his breath to drink.

Hakkai glanced away, covering his mouth. To others, it would appear he was holding down his lunch, but that wasn't true. In fact, he was was hiding his blush; watching his Goku suck juices like that made him hunger for something he shouldn't. Wait, his Goku?

Accept it. Accept what you cannot change, and make the most of it.

The odd, resounding voice startled Hakkai, and he glanced around, readying a small amount of Chi in his hand just in case it was an enemy. Even though he knew that it wasn't; but it was something just as deadly.

Oh, come now. Don't try to guess just yet who I am; where's the fun in that? You'll find out soon enough. But in the meantime, just accept what you're feeling. Let it grow inside you, and build upon it, or else you won't survive.

Hakkai felt a chill at those words; they felt so foreboding, so ominous. Yet, at the same time, they elicited a feeling of exhileration, a feeling that something great was approaching in the future. But what did they mean?

He shook himself; there was no use worrying about at this moment. Although, the voice had appeared at the moment he'd called Goku "his." Perhaps...perhaps, I am not to forsake my feelings? Perhaps, it would not be such a bad thing, liking him in secret. He would never know, and I would not be so conflicted. Yes, perhaps that would work. He smiled, a real smile, as he reached this decision, and turned to take the fruit that Goku was handing to him.

"That was sooo good, Kougaiji. The cubs really needed that. But, I'm feeling kinda tired right now. Would you guys mind if I went to sleep now?" He asked, already yawning as he patted his now soothed stomach.

"That's fine, Goku. You may sleep for as long as you like, whenever you like. In fact, it's better that way. One of us will always be either in this room or the parlor, so if you ever need something, just call out." Hakkai smiled gently as Goku as he brushed the youkai's long hair back, feeling estatic at receiving a cute smile from Goku in return.

The man-child's eyes slowly drifted closed, and before long he was sleeping soundly, that hand still on his stomach. Hakkai sighed and turned to the others.

"I'll stay here for today and tonight. If you wouldn't mind, Kougaiji, could you have someone bring us dinner?"

"You don't have to do that; I'll stay with the saru. You should be the one making him dinner; he likes yours the best." Gojyo protested, flicking the cigarette stub out the window.

But the Chi master shook his head. "No; it's alright. I'm feeling a little tired, so I'll stay, and rest by his side. I'll wake up if he needs anything; you guys go do whatever you want. Really; I don't mind." He smiled when he saw Gojyo was about to protest again.

"Let him do what he wants, Gojyo. We'll go check out the palace; make a map for the saru." Sanzo commanded, folding the newspaper back up and setting it on the chair he'd just vacated. "Here; I'll leave this in case you guys get bored later."

He and Gojyo left, accompanied by Yaone and Dokugakuji. Only Kougaiji and Hakkai remained in the room with Goku. Kougaiji spoke before the monk had a chance to.

"If you're going to ignore your feelings, I hope you'll be doing it for his sake, and not your own. I won't forgive you if you hurt him." It came out as a growl.

Hakkai didn't speak for long moments. He merely sat there, deciding what he would speak to this enemy-turned-friend. Finally, he decided to speak the truth.

"I have decided that I will not forsake my feelings; however, I will never speak of them to him. He would never accept them; not from me. To tell him would only hurt his heart, in the end."

Kougaiji turned with a whirl of his coat, but paused at the door. "You need not be so worried, Chi master. If you think that, then you really don't know how the saru thinks, after all." And then he was gone.

Hakkai couldn't move after those parting comments. He didn't understand; he couldn't understand. There was no way Goku would accept him; would accept how he felt. He'd be disgusted, he'd hate him forever! What Kougaiji told him couldn't be true!

Oh, don't be such a bore. You know that isn't true. And if you think it is true, then the prince was right.

Hakkai shook his head to clear the voice, but it didn't go away. It kept repeating those same sentences, over and over, until the only thing he could do was close his eyes, lay his head on his arms next to Goku's sleeping body, and allow his mind to completely drift away from him into the world of dreams.

Okay, and there's the update for this story! Woohoo! Wow, I went through a whole story without one break. Yay for me! Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, Amarante means Flower That Never Fades. I thought it was appropriate, for reasons you'll find out later. Well, I can't think if I got off-topic or not; I was watching the movie 300 while typing this. Just so you know, not a good thing to do. Anyway, please review for me, cause I'm going to recharge my system with RAMEN!!

Ayame