"Sanzo... if it were you, what would you think?"
"About Goku's current form..."
xxx
"It's hot..."
"It's so hot! Sanzo!"
That voice... kept calling for him again. When will it stop?
"Where are you? Don't leave me!"
How ridiculous can the monkey be? He hadn't been going anywhere far and the monkey still couldn't find him. What the heck has the kid been doing?
"What're you talking about, idiot monkey?" he wanted to shout out. "Aren't you the one who's running about recklessly? I've always been here right beside you!"
Well, that's what he wished he could tell the other side. But somehow, it always felt to him that this particular method of communication... had never been nothing but one-sided for him...
"Don't leave me... —zen!"
"Huh?"
"Are you still going to lie about doing nothing as your precious things slipped away from your fingers?"
"Who's this?"
"—will you be able to continue being that chibi's sun? —zen?"
"Don't regret it!"
"What the—!"
The next thing he knew, he was greeted by a blinding white light and blistering hot sand all around him. He was back in the desert, in the land of the living.
Oh, fancy that. Just now... he was inside a dream.
xxx
GAHH! AARGH!
He woke up to various cries of people in pain. What the hell was going on around him while he had been unconscious? Sanzo tried to move his body but found out that his body felt heavy like lead.
Well, it's either that or he had no strength at all in his body that he couldn't even lift a finger! What happened to everyone?
He tried to move his head at least and—Sanzo blinked. Was he seeing things? Is that... Goku... fighting over there? And this heavy pressure... did the idiot's limiter break off again? And was that a hint of red that he was seeing?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw a glimpse of Dokugakuji trying to fight the Seiten Taisei without much success. The demon barely even started before Goku finished him off.
"Just... in one fucking shot! This is no effing joke!"
Oh. He was wondering where the other two had been.
"No," Hakkai spoke out. "The real 'joke' is starting right now!"
"You're telling us to stop this all by ourselves?" exclaimed Gojyo. "You're being very unreasonable here. Goku!"
As if aware that someone has been calling his name, the Seiten Taisei turned around. Sanzo immediately felt a prick in his heart as he noticed the different look Goku had in his eyes. It's the same experession as the one he once saw a few years ago at Keiun temple.
"—Come at me, monkey!" Even as he spoke, Gojyo summoned his shakujo at hand, preparing for battle.
So despite all of the complaints that the kappa had been making, Gojyo had elected himself to try stopping the Seiten Taisei by himself. Well, probably because the kid had been pummeling his older brother with such ease earlier.
But just because one had the resolve to confront the Seiten Taisei, it doesn't mean that they would find it easier to fight the monkey with his enhanced abilities.
To which Gojyo had immediately learned as his shakujo was immediately bent out of shape by the Seiten Taisei. The red-haired kappa immediately retaliated by shoving his shakujo into Goku's mouth, the moment he noticed the kid's approach...
"You bastard! Don't fucking create biting habits!"
Gojyo made a move to stop the monkey from using his mouth before punching the monkey with his other fist. If he had been dealing with other 'easier' opponents, that should have been the dealbreaker but we're dealing with the Seiten Taisei now.
It didn't take long before the monkey overturn the battle and punched the kappa in the ribs.
"...don't... make such a happy face... while you do it!"
.
Heh. So useless... but he could say the same thing for himself. Sanzo let out a disgruntled groan to himself. He heard a distant boom as he saw Hakkai trying to fight Goku now.
"That's enough, Goku!" he could hear Hakkai shout. "It's already 30 minutes since Sanzo was poisoned. If you continue on rampaging like this... the one who'll get hurt, will be—!"
It's useless... Hakkai, he wanted to say. But it's not as if there's anything he could do to stop those idiots.
Sanzo glanced up, as he barely managed to push himself to a sitting position. He couldn't really see clearly, but it looked like Hakkai was holding onto Goku's diadem in one hand. So that's his plan... huh? Well, at least they tried to make an effort...
xxx
Sanzo willed his legs to remain still, as he took out his gun and sent a shot to the sky. From the distance, he could see that the Seiten Taisei had stopped in his movement. Good, he got the kid's attention now.
The Seiten Taisei turned around to face him, again with that unfamiliar menacing look. The old him would've started to feel intimidated by the Seiten Taisei's power, but not him now. He knew far too well what kind of a person Goku really was, so there was no way that he could ever fear the boy. Not to mention how he could still hear the boy's voice calling for him. Crying... for him.
How could he ever fear a crybaby like that?
This shouldn't be any different than the other time he had confronted the Seiten Taisei. This shouldn't be any different than any other wild animals that he'd encountered in the past.
He lowered his arm as Sanzo pointed his gun at the Seiten Taisei. "Quit burning up all over, you idiot monkey!"
A part of him wondered if Seiten Taisei's power had an adverse effect on Goku's body. To which, that may or may not be related to a cry for help he thought he heard earlier—provided he hadn't been imagining it.
Oh no, he shouldn't be distracted now. It's risky for him to drop his guard during these crucial moments. He lifted his arm towards the sky again. Right now, the best way for him to fight the Seiten Taisei and conserve his strength would be to make the monkey come to him. So...
"Come try and kill me..."
xxx
It worked like a charm. The Seiten Taisei wasted no time running after him. But Sanzo knew that he was fooling himself to think that he could really aim a shot at Goku. Regardless of the fact that he's confronting the Seiten Taisei now, it doesn't change the fact that it was still—!
Sanzo released his hold on the trigger of his gun before tossing it to the side...
"Unfortunately, I had no bullets to waste on an idiot like you."
Sanzo immediately thrust his knee to hit the boy. It was enough to stop him for a moment before the Seiten Taisei started to counter with his own attacks. It didn't take long for Sanzo to reach his limits and fall to the ground.
He could feel the Seiten Taisei drop down on top of him as Sanzo opened his eyes calmly. Just as he planned, he thought as his scripture started to react to his will. Sanzo pushed himself to get up as he reached out to grab Goku's forehead.
"Om Mani Hatsu Meiun!" he cried out as a bright golden light started to shine from his hand. And a moment later, a new diadem appeared on the Seiten Taisei's forehead, before reverting back to Goku's normal appearance.
Goku fell onto his lap right away as Sanzo noted the same idiotic look Goku had on his face. The idiot even had the gall to start snoring.
"—ch! What an idiotic face," Sanzo started to say as he blacked out again.
But that's fine, now that he got his monkey back...
xxx
"To hell with the rank of Sanzo! In the end, your lots are merely humans who read and recite sutras!"
She might as well be right...
"This kind of torture... it isn't like you—!"
What is like him..?
"Hit me with your paper fan and call me idiot monkey! THAT'S the Sanzo I know!"
As expected of Goku. Indeed, who else could try to snap some sense back into his head other than that boy? It was the only other reason he allowed the boy to be so close to him...
"...strong..."
"Be strong... Genjo Sanzo."
xxx
He woke up with a start.
That was such a shock. For a moment, he almost thought that he was back in Kinzan temple. But no, it's been years since the attack that has killed his master, and he was no longer that small boy who—!
Sanzo lifted his hand over his face before dropping his hand over his head.
"Be strong... Genjo Sanzo..."
That was the last sentence that his master had said to him before... before the man was killed. Why on earth... was he recalling that old memory now?
"I am not strong!" he cried out, wishing that his master could hear his voice right now.
"I know..."
Sanzo turned his head to his side to find Hakkai sitting right next to him. The man shrugged at him.
"But at least, you are not weak..."
Hakkai gave him a weak smile. "How's your awakening?" asked the man again as Sanzo looked away from him.
"It's the worse..."
Sanzo cast a sidelong glance towards the man, as Hakkai got up and walked towards the nearby windows. If not because the man had pulled the curtain aside, he wouldn't have known that it was already morning.
"You were unconscious and in a state of coma for three days. If you have that much energy to be in a bad mood when you have just woken up, that's good enough."
Oh?
"Three days passed..." he mumbled aloud. Three days... how could he afford being incapacitated for three days?
"It was more of a miracle that you healed and regained consciousness in three days—" Hakkai continued to speak, as if the man was aware of his inner thoughts. "—considering that you were poisoned."
The man turned around to face him to meet his gaze. "If we were a little bit late, you would have been a goner."
Hakkai sighed. "In reality, I don't know how we could have possibly reached here... if that kid haven't found us again, we all might have been dried meat in the desert—"
"What happened to Kougaiji?" Sanzo asked, not wanting to let Hakkai wallow in his own self-pity.
After all, he needed to know. The enemy had been present when most of his own party were out of commission. It's hard to believe that those people wouldn't take advantage of the situation.
Hakkai just shrugged at him as the man returned to his seat.
"Dokugakuji carried him home. He held a grudge against us." Hakkai turned his face away. "I can't blame him."
At times he wondered what went wrong with the people he took along for this trip to the west. They were all acting way too kind to their enemies. He would've expected just Goku to be thinking that way but not Hakkai as well...
"I see..."
Without thinking, Sanzo felt drawn to turn his attention towards the door. Because he felt that it's about time for him to see 'someone' rushing over to that door for him. Since it wouldn't make sense for that person not to appear at his side by now.
Was he being foolish?
Hakkai turned to look at the direction he was staring at, before casting a knowing look at him.
"If it's Goku who you want to ask about, he was in the next room with Gojyo—"
Sanzo immediately turned his body around, away from Hakkai's scrutiny. Was he being THAT obvious?
A faint chuckle came from behind him. "Oh! Am I mistaken?"
Sanzo cursed inwardly. "How should I know? That idiot—"
Was he worrying about that monkey? Or was he just feeling insecure, not having that monkey around? Then again, it's been three days. Hadn't that idiot been worried about him? But if that kid had been worrying, why wouldn't the kid start coming for him now? Was he being ignored by that kid?
"Before, you were the one who told me this. That we didn't need any hindrance."
Heh. Ways for Hakkai to use his own words against him. Sad to admit that this time, the one who has been acting like the biggest idiot was himself.
"That idiot was me..." he said begrudgingly as Sanzo continued to avoid looking back at Hakkai.
"If you're aware of that, please be quiet. It causes trouble—"
That reaction immediately struck a cord in him as Sanzo turned around to face the man directly, "Isn't your personality getting worse?"
Hakkai let out a sigh of defeat.
"Ah, sorry," Hakkai lowered his head apologetically. "I guess I just wanted to whine at you."
The man bit his lips. "Back there, Gojyo and I couldn't do a single thing."
"Seeing Goku going out of control like that... You could even say that the two of us had begun to fear that enormous power—"
Sanzo stared at the man silently. Of course... after this second time witnessing Goku turning into the Seiten Taisei, it would have devastated the two to realise how helpless they have been acting again. The last time they have been helped by some goddess who came out from nowhere. And this time, they were less useful compared to someone who had been poisoned half to death.
"At that time, I was the one he entrusted to stop him. But, I wasn't able to—I was annoyed at myself for being like this. On top of that, this event had caused more harm to—"
xxx
"Ah... Guess those two were being loud again."
"I'll check on them. YOU stay put on your bed."
And then Hakkai went next door. Though as much as the man acted like he wanted those other two to start quieting down, he could still pretty much hear everything from where he was. Especially, Goku's voice. Not that it was hard for him to know how much Goku would've blamed himself for not being able to control his own power.
Though to be fair, was that ever Goku's fault to begin with?
Sanzo forced himself to be on his feet. But it frustrate him at the thought that it took him 15 minutes to reach the other side of the wall. His body had turned so ridiculously weak that it annoy him a lot!
.
"—Sanzo had woken up." He could hear Hakkai's voice clearly as he finally reached the door to his room.
"Oh? Guess we'll go observe his fish face."
Gosh that voice! Fish face? That damn kappa! How dare—
"Oh? Don't try to run away, monkey!"
Eh?
Sanzo paused in his movement as he tried to make sense of what he just heard. Goku... had been avoiding him? Even when that monkey had been worrying about him so much? Why?
"No, let go! Sanzo would be definitely seriously, extremely mad! How am I supposed to face him?"
That idiot—!
Sanzo reached his hand up to his chest as he slowly grasped his chest. How could that kid—how could that kid not know him that well already? Even if he did tend to hit the kid a lot, there's no way that he could ever be mad enough at boy to the point of disowning the boy. As it is, Goku... was the only one—!
"Geez, you were the one who had paced to and fro and worried about him the most!"
He snorted. Guess he's not the only one wearing their true emotions on their sleeves...
"—Sanzo isn't such a cold-hearted person. Probably..."
"But—!"
"Are you sure you'd be okay the way things are now, Goku?"
Gosh... wasn't Hakkai being too easy on that kid? After being so harsh on him earlier. How unfair...
Sanzo pushed himself hard enough so that he could finally reach the other side of the room next door. Once he was in, he could see how the trio were still locking eyes with each other. Gosh, Sanzo cried out in his mind before gathering all his strength in his left arm to slam his fist on the door loudly. The gesture made the trio jump before turning around to see him.
"Sa-Sanzo?"
"Ah, here comes the appearance of the pet owner!"
Dammit, Gojyo and his loud mouth...
A chuckle burst out. Oh, that should be Hakkai. "I thought I told him to sit tight just now."
If he had any energy to be annoyed at the two, Sanzo would've rolled his eyes intensely at them now. But his current concern at the moment was not to care for what the adults were thinking of him...
"Goku..."
The boy let out a soft gasp. Was he being THAT intimidating to the boy now?
"I'm thirsty. Get me a can of beer."
"Oh, yeah—"
Goku had rushed off towards the small cooler inside the room to take out a single can of beer from it. And without fighting, the boy had returned to his side... holding the can at him. It hurt him to look at the boy behaving like this, acting as if he was about to receive a death sentence.
Sanzo reached his hand out towards the beer can—but was that it? After all the scolding the kid gave him before, who's the one behaving not like their usual selves now?
He brushed aside the hand that held the tin can—before pushing ahead to grab the head that's been hanging low in front of him! This bushy fluff of hair...
It took a bit of a while before the monkey realize what's happening. "Eh, San—!"
But really, even in this condition there's no way he'd act as if the room hadn't had two extra people who'd still be watching him being soft for his favourite monkey—!
"—YOU. IDIOT. MONKEY!"
Somehow he was glad that he was able to grab his paper fan before leaving his room earlier. Because he just had to smack this depressed monkey out of his Goku—How dare this imposter be taking hold of his monkey? The Goku he knew wasn't the kind to mope so long to the point of forgetting to check on him to see if he's okay! Where the fact was that stupid silly face who's always crying at him for food?
"STOP PUTTING ON THAT STUPID IDIOTIC FACE! DIDN'T I ALWAYS TELL YOU NOT TO DO ANYTHING RASHLY BEFORE THINKING ABOUT THE AFTERMATH! YOU IDIOT MONKEY!"
Goku jumped away as he ran off towards Hakkai for safety.
"Hakkai! You said he wouldn't be acting so cold-hearted!"
Hakkai just laughed it off like the weirdo he was. "That's why I added 'probably'... just in case."
Sanzo just rolled his eyes at the bunch of idiots before walking in towards the bed inside the room. There was a newspaper lying nearby, so he grabbed it and started reading. After a while Goku grabbed a chair next to him and sat on it.
Well, not that he cared much but...
.
He raised his head to look at the monkey to see the boy's shoulders shaking for no reason.
"Oi, what're you laughing about?"
"...nothing!" So scary...
xxx
Hakkai blinked before realization hit him. He snorted.
"Sanzo had broken the wall of ice—!"
Gojyo let out a soft cough. "Cheh... he's so not cute. Our Master Sanzo was so shy—!
Before the man could finish his words, a stray bullet barely streak past his face as Gojyo turned to face the culprit in question!
"THAT WAS DAMN DANGEROUS, YOU PRETENTIOUS PRIEST! YOU'VE BEEN INTENTIONALLY AIMING FOR MY HEAD, AREN'T YOU? "
Sanzo just rolled his eyes at the angered kappa.
"Those bullets won't hit you if you've been behaving nicely."
"I WON'T LET MYSELF GOT TOLD OFF BY A BRATTISH MONK LIKE YOU!" Gojyo screamed as he tried to push Goku aside. "Move, monkey!"
Sanzo raised his eyebrow at the tall thing. What? Was he trying to pick a fight? But it didn't look like he had anything to worry about as Goku stood up in front of him.
"Stop calling me monkey, you RED COCKROACH-KAPPA!"
He almost about to choke in laughter—Goku really had the good insult going in, that's a really good one!
Gojyo made an awful face in response to that name-calling, "Wha-RED COCKROACH? Since when have you had such an extensive vocabulary? Did Sanzo teach you that?"
"YOU'RE JUST LIKE A GIANT ROACH! YOU RED GIANT COCKROACH!"
"SHUT UP!"
"See there? You got a big antennae on your head like one!"
But really, as much as all this name-calling was fun—this was annoying. Sanzo grabbed his paper fan again as he smacked the two of them like a bunch of flies!
"Cut it out! YOU PAIR OF IDIOTS!"
.
Well, suppose that this was as good as a good ending one could ever wish for. A happy ending, where one survived a life-threatening danger... just to wake up to greet some annoying and loud blokes and to see again that tiny piece of adorable monkey he claimed as his own family.