At long last, here it is.

I'm so sorry for the wait, thank you everyone who has reviewed! It really means a lot to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuuki, and am making no profit from this fanfiction.

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Broken Bonds

By: Von of Chaos

Sugarfire@cutey.com

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Goku blinked awake. Once again, he was greeted with something looming over him.

A grey blob studied him calmly for second, before reaching down and grabbing a mouthful of hair.

"Owww!!! Let go!"

Akyla ran in, gasped, and ran out again.

Goku grabbed the Goat's head and tried to pry it off him. The goat refused to cooperate. Grinding it's teeth together, the four-legged mammal stuck each individual hoof into the ground and pulled.

"YEEEEOOOWW!!!!"

Goku was half-dragged off the bed, both hands now gripping his hair and trying to prevent it leaving his head.

In rushed Akyla, this time holding a large vase full of water. "Hang on Goku!" The girl cried, aiming the sizeable weapon.

"No! Aky-lraaghhh!!" Goku was cut off, as the Youkai hurled the 20+ litres of ceramic-encased water directly at the goat.

Who still had Goku's short hair in a death grip.

In an explosion of water and stone, Goat and Youkai were thrown apart, the former still gripping tightly onto Goku's brown hair.

Goku staggered to his feet, a shaking hand reaching up to finger his patch of missing hair. Golden eyes, molten with anger, glared at the goat.

Said animal delicately resumed chewing, as if having deadly projectiles thrown at him were a daily occurrence. Then, even more delicately, it spat the hair out onto the ground.

In a smug, self-satisfied way, the mammal strolled out.

Akyla coughed embarrassedly.

"Sorry about that..." She murmured, eyeing Goku's wet and bruised body. "...I'm so used to doing that when they latch onto grandpa..."

Goku shook his head wildly, scattering droplets of water. "It's ok." He said finally, dropping back onto the bed. "Sanzo hits me with his Harisen all the time..."

Akyla studied the still boy, frowning at what she saw in his eyes. After a moment of self-conflict, she sighed.

"Come and have some breakfast....then..." She sighed again, real regret in her face.

"Then we'll help you get back to those humans."

Goku looked up in surprise, but Akyla just smiled sadly at him and left the room.

Alone, the golden-eyed Youkai stared mournfully at his hands. "But what if they don't want me back?" He whispered.

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The room was hazy. Cigarette smoke hung thickly in the air, wreathing the two sleeping persons in greyness. The red-haired man grunted in his sleep and kicked at an imaginary opponent. The kick managed to dislodge a brown-haired man sitting across from him. With a startled cry, Hakkai found himself waking up en route to the floor. Barely catching himself in time, the dark-haired man threw a disgruntled look at him companion. Seeing that Gojyo was still happily snoozing, he sighed and stood.

Behind him, the door burst open, Sanzo striding out in his black top and jeans. "Let's go." He ordered crisply. Hakkai nodded and started to shake Gojyo awake.

"Huh? Waszat?" Gojyo peered blearily up at the two. "Are we goin' ta get that monkey now?" Hakkai turned to face Sanzo, his own silent question on his face.

Sanzo smiled.

Hakkai's face froze and Gojyo fell off his seat backwards.

"Hakkai! Get away from him! He's a demon!" He yelled, leaping to his feet, groping for his weapon. "Oh god, I've died and gone to Hell!"

Sanzo scowled menacingly at him, gun hand twitching. "Shut the fuck up and get off your arse." Gojyo paused in the act of whirling his shaku jou and looked at him critically. "Hmmm... maybe you're not a demon after all..."

Behind Sanzo, Hakkai's face suddenly changed to a soft smile, then he moved forwards to pluck the staff from Gojyo's hands.

"Go on out, Sanzo-sama. Gojyo and I will follow after we've tidied here."

Sanzo nodded and stalked from the room.

Gojyo turned to Hakkai. Hakkai smiled pleasantly at him.

"Looks like we're going to get Goku back, hmm?"

Humming happily to himself, he quickly swept their trash into a bag and picked up the remainders of their personal effects, including Sanzo's discarded robe in the next room.

Gojyo stood stock still, just watching, the one sentence playing over in his mind. As Hakkai exited past him, the half-breed blinked and grinned savagely.

"About fucking time."

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"Akyla, how come you don't have a limiter? Why didn't you and Grandpa turn crazy like all the other Youkai?"

Akyla looked up from stuffing her face, chewing the sweet-melon slowly as she considered her answer. After a moment, she swallowed the food and, with a glance at the highly-interested Grandpa, answered.

"We didn't become...affected...because the wave wasn't strong enough. Elemental Youkai... are different from normal Youkai. We're stronger, faster, smarter and a lot more powerful. Also, our lives and power are interlinked with our element. It takes a lot to overcome that." She hesitated, glancing at Goku's limiter. "We don't wear limiters because we've learnt control. It comes with age, training and experience. It's also a different matter for different Youkai. For Grandpa here," She gestured to him, "Control came easily. As he comes from all water, and most water is placid, it was simple. A storm may disturb him, anger him, but he never looses control the way you or I- or Grandma did." She sighed. "Grandma, of the air, was as changeable as a breeze. One moment soothing and soft, the next a raging whirlwind bent on destruction. She too could control herself, but sometimes she gave in, if something truly angered her.." She stopped and bit her lip, glancing back at Grandpa. For a moment she was silent, measuring Goku with her eyes. "In truth.. the last time she was angered.. was when she realised you had been chained as a youth. She... she flew to heaven in all her fury and they...in fear... killed her."

Goku gasped, appetite deserting him. She had died...because of him?

Anticipating his thoughts, Akyla hurried to reassure him.

"It wasn't your fault. It your situation that angered her, and her carelessness and Heaven's arrogance that killed her."

Goku looked down, thinking. Akyla gave him time to absorb it all, reaching to scoop a handful of blackberries onto her plate.

"You...have you ever lost control?" She looked over at him. The Earth Youkai spoke with his head still down.

"Yes." She said softly. "It took me a very long time before I learnt control. Fire is all-consuming, destructive, angry. It never changes. If Grandpa hadn't been a very capable Water Youkai, I don't think I would ever have learnt control. At least, not before I'd either destroyed the world or Heaven had destroyed me." Goku looked up. "Do you think... I could learn control..?" He hurried on, inner thoughts and worries pouring out. "I mean, sometimes I need to be stronger than I am, to protect Sanzo and my friends... but when I remove my limiter.... I nearly kill them..."

As he trailed off, Akyla laid her hand over his.

"Absolutely." She said firmly. "Earth is not naturally a destructive force. It's healing, sustaining and very strong. It's just that when it reacts to grievances, it does do strongly and without discrimination. When you loose control, you're truly out of control. Like an earthquake." She smiled. "But by itself... Earth is generally quite calm. Eternally youthful, Eternally old. You can, and should, learn control quite easily. In fact, it's best if you do so as soon as possible. That Limiter, though very strong, will not be enough to contain you as you get older. I know it's broken already, when your emotions peaked past its endurance. It will break again." She removed her hand and turned back to the blackberries. Grandpa abandoned his own meager breakfast to continue the lecture. "You see, every harm - physical or psychological - done to you is repressed by the Limiter. It..stores it all up inside you. So when you remove your Limiter, anger, hurt and hatred all come crashing out at once. If you experience life without your Limiter, these emotions can be controlled and dispelled, not stored up for future use."

Goku was staring at him with an open mouth. Akyla frowned at him in worry. "I think you've shocked him Grandpa." She said. "Quick, say something lewd!"

Goku shook his head, smiling slightly. "I'm fine...I just.."

He glanced at both Youkai, watching him calmly, openly and honestly.

He turned his gaze to the sky, blue with cottony clouds stretching over it.

The two other Youkai turned their own attention back to their meals, each feeling acutely the loneliness of an Elemental Youkai. After a time, Akyla pushed back from the table and offered a hand to Goku.

"Come on Goku." She said quietly. "We'll take you back to your humans."

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The green jeep gleamed dully in the mid-morning light. It's occupants sat silently, but this time is was in anticipation, not anger.

None of them were sure where they were going, Hakkai just drove and Sanzo..who knew what Sanzo was thinking. Occasionally, a slight smile would tug at the corners of his mouth. It was scaring Gojyo something chronic.

Far overhead, Grandpa and Akyla hovered silently, each with a hand gripped tightly on one of Goku's arms.

"Grandpa, hang on to him for a second will you? I just want to go down and explain things..." So saying, Akyla let go of Goku's left arm and started to cautiously descend.

Goku turned to Grandpa, hanging precariously from one arm. "How are you doing this?" He asked excitedly. Grandpa threw him a grin. "Would you like to learn?" "Yeah!"

The grin widened. "Lesson One." He said, laughing as he let go of Goku's remaining arm. Goku's eyes widened. "Wha?! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

On the ground, Hakkai had stopped the Jeep at the arrival of the Youkai. Every member of the group leapt from their seats, brandishing various weapons. Akyla blinked as a Smith & Wesson's cold barrel pressed against her forehead. Sighing in irritation, she reached up faster then blinking and tore it away.

"Calm down, human." She snapped. To her right, a brown-haired man started charging his hands with energy, to her left a red-headed man hefted his weapon threateningly...

Behind them, a screaming body hit the Jeep with a thump and slid off.

The three spun around, staring in shock as Goku rolled and got to his feet with a groan. Akyla's eyes narrowed and she glared skywards.

"GRANDPA!" She roared, incensed. The old Youkai's laughter echoed down to her.

"Goku?!" Gojyo raced around the hood of the Jeep and hauled the boy to him, thumping his back then holding him back from him, looking him dead in the eye.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for yelling, I'm sorry for screwing up, I'm sorry for attacking you.. I.. I'm sorry." Goku looked back at him, golden eyes studying the hybrid's red ones. He grinned, pearly white teeth flashing in his browned, child-like face.

"I forgive you, ero kappa." Gojyo mock-scowled at the teen, moving away and awkwardly picking up his shaku jou. Hakkai took his place, hugging Goku quickly and smiling. "I'm glad you're ok, Goku. We were all worried." Goku smiled hesitantly, eyes drifting to the blond monk standing alone. "All of us." Hakkai repeated, also glancing to the stone-face man.

Goku took a slow step towards him. "Sanzo?"

The monk just looked at him, violet eyes hard. His gaze shifted from Goku to the red-skinned Youkai holding his gun.

"You've been with them?"

Goku nodded. "They helped me." He said softly. Sanzo nodded.

Not even Akyla could move as fast as he did then.

"BAKA SARU!" He yelled, bringing his Harisen slamming across Goku's head. "Don't ever fucking run off and make me worry again! Now get in the Jeep, we're leaving!" Goku rubbed his head, hair hiding his eyes. Abruptly, he lunged forwards, wrapping his arms around Sanzo in a vice-like hug. "You do like me!" He yelled happily. Akyla smiled lazily at the embarrassed monk, who merely shot her an icy glare and patted Goku on the head.

"Yes, yes, that's enough. Get in the Jeep."

Goku stepped back and bit his lip.

"Actually... I'm not going back with you guys."

Sanzo's eyes widened, Hakkai's jaw dropped and Gojyo swore violently.

Behind Akyla, Grandpa hit the ground with a thud, having lost his altitude in shock.

Goku twisted his hands together, looking earnestly at Sanzo.

"Y'see... I want to become stronger, so I can protect you and not be such a burden. 'N to do that, I need to learn to live without my Limiter.."

Akyla opened her mouth in surprise, but Sanzo beat her to it.

"You're not a burden."

Goku blinked. Sanzo's voice had been low, and rough.

"You never were a burden."

Slowly, a brilliant smile lit Goku's face. It startled all who saw it with it's warmth and sheer happiness. At Goku's feet, tiny flowers burst into bloom. The young Youkai swallowed and hugged the monk again.

"Thanks Sanzo." He whispered.

He stepped back again, moving to Akyla and Grandpa.

"I'll be back soon! There's no way you could beat Gymano without me!" He grinned and turned to the two other Youkai.

"Will you guys help me?"

Akyla smiled softly, eyes shimmering. "Of course." She agreed, ruffling his hair. "We're family."

Grandpa leant in to add his two cents. "Who wouldn't want such a hot body hanging around the house? Maybe you'll finally bring Akyla to her senses and she'll realize just how sexy men are..."

He turned his gaze to Sanzo and winked. "Don't worry sonny, I'll watch over him." He cackled gleefully and leapt into the air.

"See you kids at home. I won't wait up. eeheheeeheeehee..."

Goku smiled one last farewell to his friends. "I'll be back soon. Bye.."

As Akyla gripped his arms and rose into the air with him, Gojyo recovered from his shock just enough to yell after him. "Sure thing Baka saru! I could use the break to pick up some women!"

Hakkai waved as well. "We'll miss you Goku!" He shouted. "Good luck!"

Sanzo said nothing, but he didn't need to. As the two Youkai rose further and further away, a small silver object dropped into his open hand.

The monk holstered his gun and turned back to the Jeep.

Their journey to the west was far from finished.

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THE END! Yep, the end.

I'm sorry to leave you with a minor cliffhanger, but I honestly cannot see Goku just joining up and everything being all hunky-dory. Also, he'd have issues fighting Lirin and all that, after remembering their help.

So he'll go and improve himself alone for awhile, mature a little, learn things an elemental Youkai should know. It might not be the most happy ending, but I feel it's the wisest one.

I hope you enjoyed, and I'm sorry for the long wait. At least it's all over now! Thanks to everyone who reviewed or emailed and gave support. It's only because of you guys that I finished this fic.

(I even had to go back to prior chapters to remember the name of Gojyo's weapon! Can you believe it? That's how out-of-touch I am.)

-Von