-EPILOGUE-

It was the sound of thunder that drove him awake.

For a long time, he regarded the ceiling. There were voices drifting in from the next room – Hakkai's and Gojyo's.

Great. I'm always the last one to recover.

Sanzo turned his head slowly. Goku was watching him. At least, Goku was supposed to be watching him, but some time during the night, the ape had fallen asleep.

He climbed out of bed quietly, dressed, and left the room.

He paused for a moment, noticing a light from dining room, and the sound of laughter, then shook his head and stepped out onto the porch.

Not a star in the sky, just clouds as far the eye could see. He sat on the steps, staring out into the darkness.

You don't care about them. At least, that's what you'd like to portray. The half-breed's words came back to him.

"Bastard," Sanzo whispered. I never asked for their friendship. I never asked them to come after me. I never ordered them to follow me. If not for this mission, if not for the three aspects' orders…

Beholden to nothing and no one.

***

Gojyo fiddled with his cigarette. "He was a youkai-human cross?"

"Yes," Hakkai said.

"Poor bastard." Gojyo leaned back.

"He must have hated it, hiding behind that aura like that."

"I … can almost understand. The times I wished that there was something to hide the redness of my hair and my eyes…" he shook his head. "He chose a different path. He chose to hide it, to become so powerful that no one would ever scorn him again."

"Not like you, then."

Gojyo gave him a wry look. "I didn't have the means. How did he generate that aura, anyway?"

"If I guess correctly, a combination of ki and talismans. He may even have laid hands on one of the sutras before. But without that aura, he was … just another person, like you and me."

"But why did he get youkai to follow him around? Why not humans?"

Hakkai shrugged. "Power, maybe. Youkai tend to be stronger and faster than humans. Once you gain their respect, they'd make better soldiers. Maybe he hated the human side of his heritage. Who knows? The guy is a riddle wrapped in an enigma. All his secrets died with him."

"Not that I would want to know them," Gojyo replied. "I really don't want to know."

***

It was starting to rain.

Sanzo ducked his head and continued to wander in his own thoughts.

There was a quiet footstep.

"There's enough space for you inside, if you'd like to come in." Hakkai's voice.

If only I didn't have to depend on them…

Never become attached to something you might lose. Never treasure something that you can't protect.

Hakkai spoke after a pause. "You can't choose your friends, you know. They choose you. Friendship is something that happens, whether you want it to or not. The best you can do, is not brush it away."

Just go away.

He was feeling sleepy again. The rain wasn't bothering him. Despite it, he was getting warmer and more comfortable. He didn't want to move. Rain trickled down, soaking through his robe, but he hardly felt it any more.

His eyes closed.

When Sanzo didn't answer, Hakkai placed a hand on his shoulder. The priest didn't even move. He had drifted off.

Alarmed, Hakkai placed a hand on his forehead. Sanzo was burning up with fever.

Great… Hakkai tried to lift him, when the wound in his side protested loudly. He collapsed with a gasp of pain. "Gojyo!"

"Nani?" Gojyo appeared in the doorway.

"I need to get Sanzo inside…"

Various sarcastic remarks drifted through Gojyo's mind, but died before they reached his lips. Unbidden, images flashed across his memories.

Sanzo diving into the path of that ki-blast, Sanzo crumpling to the floor…

"You spoilt it," the enemy said, and brought his foot down.

"Damn," he grumbled to himself, and hefted the unconscious priest onto his shoulder.

***

A few days later…

"Saaanzzzzzzzzooooooooooooooooooo…" Goku wailed from the backseat. "I'm hungry!"

"Shut up, bakazaru!" Sanzo snapped.

"But I'm starving! We haven't eaten for the past three hours!"

"Crazy ape. The only thing you think about is your stomach," Gojyo laughed.

"Yeah, and the only thing you think about is your bed, you ero-kappa!"

"Dumbass!"

"Idiot!"

"Idiot? Yeah, that's you!"

They were so busy quarreling that they missed a hasty conference between the two seated in front.

Abruptly, the jeep screeched to a halt. Goku looked up in the middle of attempting to land a punch on Gojyo. "Nani?"

The paper fan came crashing down on both their heads.

"ITAI!!" Goku yelled. Then: "HAKKAI?!"

Hakkai grinned and held up the fan. "Courtesy of Sanzo. I'm standing in for him, on account of his broken fingers."

"HAKKAI????!!!!!"

Sanzo hid a smile as Hakkai returned his paper fan and restarted the jeep.

Behind them, the sun was rising on a new day.

-END-

Pilgrim on your journey, you may travel far,

For pilgrim it's a long way to find out who you are.

-- Pilgrim, by Enya.