Author: babyg @ babygxpress

Disclaimer: Saiyuki and its respective characters do not belong to me.

Chapter 15: Recall of The Past

Sanzo held his head in his hands, after reciting the teaching his Master had taught him. He shook himself roughly, furiously angry with himself for losing his temper so openly. He retrieved his gun, got up and walked away. I better go back before the rest come finding me like flies to rubbish.

He had barely taken a few steps before he was stopped by a few hundred red eyes in the shadows before him. He clenched his teeth angrily.

"Get lost."

A demon with an arrogant air about him appeared in front of the crowd. " Not until you pass us the Sutra, Sanzo. Then we'll let you leave in one piece." He laughed crazily. (Demons never learn * sigh *)

"How irritating. I can't stand it." He took out his gun and angrily shot endless shots at the crowd before him. Shouts emerged and chaos began as the demons began charging at him, in spite of the gun.

Five minutes later, Sanzo was still shooting, cursing under his breath. Suddenly... * click*. Kusooo! * click * * click*

"Hahaha! Out of bullets, Sanzo? Hand us the Sutra and you won't get hurt so badly!" The demons sneered.

"Shut up!" Sanzo's eyes narrowed. The demons started advancing closer to him. One brave demon suddenly jumped towards him snarling, with his claws outstretched. Just as he was about to tear Sanzo into pieces, Sanzo shifted at the last minute and the claws missed him by an inch.

"Shit. I can't hold on like this." Sanzo thought as he avoided the now furious demons who were all jumping at him. Suddenly, a demon's claws caught him by the sleeve of his robe, and he was thrown off balance. Another demon plunged his fist into Sanzo's stomach, and he, taken aback, flew backwards and hit the wall with a sickening thud. The demons started laughing crazily as they advanced closer still. Sanzo tried to get up, cursing under his breath and stood unsteadily, blood dripping from his forehead.

"You can still get up? We'll finish you then!"

The demons all threw themselves at him. But suddenly they all seem to hit an invisible wall around Sanzo. The demons stepped back, angrily surprised, then threw themselves again, and hit the same wall again. Sanzo looked up dizzily. He groaned.

Sparks appeared and shape-shifting itself, changed into a lady.

"Gomen kudasai ne, minna-san. I'd advice you to retreat now for I'm taking Konzen-san with me." the girl said, with her arms folded and a very bored expression on her face.

"Stupid! We won't be beaten that easily !" The demons formed a semicircle around the girl. The girl smiled.

"Please do not blame me, if you lose your whole crew."

"Fuzukeru na! (Don't joke!)"

The girl shook her head, sighing. She floated upwards in the air and used her sword with lightning-fast slashes. The demons all fell to the ground under a minute. She landed on the ground again, in a fighting-stance. Hearing dead silence she looked around her, finally realizing she had demolished the whole crew.

"Who the hell are you?"

The girl started. She turned towards Sanzo.

"I'm very sorry about what you had to see just now, Konzen-san. Watakushi wa.... Miramei desu." She moved closer to him and was about to wipe the blood off his face when he slapped her hand away. She looked at him, with the unchanging bored expression.

"Okay I know. You are going to tell me you are a goddess and you've come to find me for something. Oh and since you happen to know 'Konzen', you'll be telling me that you're my enemy. Oh Ie. My so called 'friend' then."

The girl smiled slightly.

"You sound more like Konzen now than the Sanzo I made you to be. Don't you think so yourself? That Sanzo doesn't talk much. But, after not seeing you for over 600 years in person..... it's refreshing. Shall we go to somewhere more private?"

Before Sanzo could retort, a burst of light appeared and they both..erm... disappeared.

babyg: Note that Destiny speaks the very 'polite' speech pattern, which is just like Shien's but more drawling. She acts very cool :-)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Where am I? Why can't I move? Natsumi, curled up in a ball thought to herself. This place... sounds funny. I hear gurgling and bubbles popping everywhere, but I can still breathe? No, its not that I'm breathing. What am I doing? I don't know. But... I miss you. Kougaiji. A tear emerged from her closed eyes and floated away. Kougaiji. Where am I? What do I do? I'm scared. But I don't feel scared. What's this? Help me. Somebody.

"Yaaah!" Kougaiji shot up, with his eyes wide open in shock. He was sweating and trembling all over.

"Oh. A dream. But.... it didn't seem like a dream. Natsumi, where are you?" Kougaiji sat, with one hand to his forehead, groaning quietly. Days had passed, and all were spent in his mother's shrine. He didn't feel like doing anything. There was nothing he could do. Every day, Yaone brought his three meals to him, only to emerge out with the untouched trays.

"Natsumi! I know you can hear me! Shikkarishite! I believe in you! But I don't want to sit here doing nothing..." He thought deeply.

"That's right! You've got a sister! I'll go find your sister ! She's bound to know! Natsumi, don't worry, hold on there, I'm coming!" Without further hesitation, he jumped up and practically ran to his control room.

"Yaone!"

Yaone turned, and seeing Kougaiji gasped happily.

"Kougaiji-sama, you are well already! Are you...."

"Yes yes! Yaone, detect Megami Ai for me. I don't care how, just do it!" He stopped a moment. "Or Homura. He's bound to be with her."

"But Kougaiji-sama, don't you hate..."

"I've got no choice!"

"Hai, Kougaiji-sama." Yaone bowed and turned to the controls.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ai and Homura waited anxiously in Destiny's room for her return. Ai walked around while Homura sat by the side of the circle and examined it closely.

This is really interesting, he thought while fingering the intricately detailed circle.

"God, Homura, do you think she might be dangerous? Come to think of it, she wouldn't be sealed away here for so many years if she's not!"

"Maybe....not. Anyway she isn't a heretic. What is it about her that she has to be sealed....."

Suddenly, in the middle of the circle its color slowly vanished like ripples on water. Homura jumped back startled, while Ai stared in surprise.

"What the......?"

The ripples soon faded and in its place, they could see the inside of an inn. The image seemed to be moving, from the bottom restaurant upwards until it reached a room. Then the movement stopped. Suddenly, Destiny appeared in the 'mirror'.

"Ai-sama. Homura. Do not worry about me. I will not back away from my promise. But it seems I may not be able to return for two days, one day more than our agreement. And so, I will let you communicate with your sister before I am to come back."

"Really?!?!?" Ai shouted.

"Yes, Ai-sama. Your sister, although she doesn't seem to be conscious, can still think very well indeed and her thoughts can be channeled through this mirror. And you can talk to her too. Oh and, I'm sure someone else would like to talk to Natsumi-sama too. In fact, he's trying to locate you right now."

"You mean, Kougaiji? Well..... I know he's a demon, he can't come up here! And anyway, he's the reason...."

"Natsumi and he loves each other much more than you think. In fact, I do feel a little sorry for him too, and so, I shall allow you to take this circle with you when you go find Kougaiji. I'm sure Natsumi-sama would want to talk to him too. "

" Maybe.... but I won't bring it down, not now. I want to talk to Natsumi alone first."

"Anything you like. However you must remember never to let any demon possess this circle, for it will bring disastrous results."

" Kougaiji is a demon."

"That's why I'm warning you!"

"Oh...."

Then Homura interrupted. "Where are you now?"

"....... With some old friends that I've not seen."

"Is that so? What if we ran into trouble and are not able to find you?"

"Just tell the mirror that you wish to locate me, and it will show you. I have to go now. Take care."

"Cho-chott.....o!" Ai cried.

Destiny disappeared. The mirror in the circle seemed to have turned into an ordinary mirror. Ai leaned towards it and saw her reflection.

"Now how do I find Natsumi....." Ai groaned.

Just as she said that, the mirror slowly rippled again, and this time, showed darkness. At first. Slowly, they noticed a faint pink light from somewhere inside the darkness, and soon, Natsumi, curled up in a ball, appeared in sight.

"Natsumi!!!"

"..... O-nee-chan....?" Natsumi's voice, tinged with echoes, answered faintly.

"Oh I'm so glad!!! I've really missed you!!"

"O-nee-chan.... is that really you? I've missed all of you here too."

"Do you know where are you? I've honestly never seen this place before."

"No. I can't open my eyes. I can't move. But I can feel bubbles around when I breathe. That's funny, isn't it?"

"Don't worry! We'll get you out of there soon. Just hold on yeah?"

They spent the next hour talking... or rather Natsumi transmitting her thoughts and Ai talking about what had happened and how they found Destiny.

"O-nee-chan?"

"Hai?"

"Have you....any news about Kougaiji?"

"*sigh* I knew you'd ask me that."

"What? Has something bad happened to him??"

"No, its not that. I haven't seen him since you...left."

"Oh I see....."

"*double sigh* I know, I know. You want to see him right?"

"Oh, o-nee-chan!"

"I'll find him then. Just for you."

"Thank you, thank you o-nee-chan!"

"By the way, I'm sorry...."

"Sorry? What for, o-nee-chan?"

"For not taking care of you.... not noticing that you were......" Ai burst out crying holding on to Homura for support.

A smile formed on Natsumi's face. " Don't worry o-nee-chan. You are happy and that's what that matters. I found the one I love too. I know."

Ai wiped her tears. "I'll bring him to you as soon as I can, Natsumi."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kougaiji paced up and down the room agitatedly.

"Can't you find any of them a little faster, Yaone?"

"I'm sorry Kougaiji-sama. There doesn't seem to be any sign of them anywhere."

"Kuso." Kougaiji knocked his hand against his head.

"Matte! Kougaiji-sama, something seems to be coming, hitting down Earth at a tremendous speed! And it has some very powerful powers too. Very high!"

Kougaiji felt a happy feeling overcoming him. He didn't know why and how he knew, but he knew that that power had something to do with Natsumi.

"I'm going there!" He burst out of the room and disappeared in a flash.

"Kougaiji-sama!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

After Destiny (or Miramei, as she called herself) finished communicating with Ai, she tiptoed out of the room ( which happened to be an empty parlour) and went to Sanzo's room. Suddenly...

"Chotto....onna."

Miramei jumped and turned behind.

"Kenren! Tenpo!" she gasped.

"A-re? " Gojou's eyes widened. Hakkai stood behind him, looking curious.

"I-I mean, no, nothing. I mistaken you for someone else." Of all places I chose, its the inn where the rest are staying too.

"But I thought I heard you say, 'Kenren'?

"Ie, I think you have some hearing problems. Now if you'll excuse me..." She lifted her head high up in the air and walked haughtily away.

"Why... that brat!" Gojou started after her but was stopped by Hakkai, who shook no.

"But, you heard the same thing as me right? Hakkai?"

"Sorry to say, but yes I did. Now no one would call us that except...."

"Gods! Great, they are getting to be very irritating. Forget it. Where's the monkey and the monk, Hakkai?"

"Ah? They don't seem to have come back yet."

"Forget them. Lets go play poker."

"Hai. Loser treats unlimited drinks okay?"

"Hakkai! Huh, you're on!"

Hakkai smiled as he walked with Gojou. But I still feel something's not right about that girl. Goku, Sanzo, come back fast.

"I'm back, Konzen." Miramei entered the room and closed the door with a relieved sigh. Lucky they didn't sense Konzen's here. My senses are weak, in this human form.

Sanzo sat across the room on a chair, with folded arms and one leg crossed over the other, a very angry expression on his face.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want?"

"Calm down. You cannot be in a state of self-denial anymore, Konzen. Heaven needs your help now, for they will be facing a dark future."

"Heaven's business are not my business."

"Oh, but they are. Much more than you think. I will tell you everything and help you regain your past memory."

"I don't need it. Go find others."

"No. Let me tell you just one interesting fact to get the ball rolling. Your personality, as Sanzo, was created by me."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed but he didn't answer.

" I created Sanzo, and Hakkai, and Gojou dark pasts, so that somehow, they would meet each other. As you three are all tied by the thread of destiny, it was easy. You found Goku on your own too."

"You haven't answered my first question yet. Who are you? And how do you know all this?"

Miramei laughed softly, keeping her eyes on Sanzo.

"Of course. I shouldn't have been so hasty. As I told you before, my name known to you before, when you were Konzen, is Miramei. In Heaven, I am known as the Goddess of Destiny. It is I, who decides the fates of those who cannot decide their own. And apparently, am considered a dangerous one." She sniffed.

Destiny? Why does it sound familiar?

"I'm sure, somewhere deep down, you still remember me Konzen. I will do my best to revive you. Let me start, from 500 years ago."

babyg: Okay, now I regret putting this chapter as Recall of The Past because the next chapter is the true recalling. But its done, so never mind! Destiny will be revealing all the secrets and will be piecing together all the missing 'jigsaw pieces' of Sanzo-tachi's past life in the next chapter. So, stay tuned for Chapter 16: Happiness and Sorrow. See ya!