Disclaimer: Saiyuki ain't mine.
Author's Notes: A weird brainstorm after hearing the word 'regret'. This is really, really weird because this fic doesn't have to do with that word anyway. This is only a chapter long. Reviews definitely appreciated.
Rain
(Sanzo)
I stared at the foggy, line of mountains through the window of an inn we were staying.
Big, fat droplets of water was falling, which made the scene blurry and unclear.
It was raining.
I can't believe I'm so stupid.
Stupid enough to fall in love.
The past I tried to seal within me two years ago.
That even Hakkai and Goku don't know about it.
I took out another cigarette.
"Mei Lou..." I whispered softly.
*-[ Flashback ]-*
The sound of thunder was deafening.
The rain was falling hard, filling the forest with a fresh scent of the earth.
"Well, well...what have we got here." a youkai sneered.
"How lucky we are for such a young prey to come and visit us."
"Yeah, nice blue eyes there, sweetie. They look great with your pale skin."
The woman looked at them, trying hard not to look scared.
A youkai grabbed her hand.
"Let me go!" The woman snapped.
"Ooh, playing hard to get, eh? Let get her guys!"
The woman picked up her weapon: a blade shaped like a big boomerang.
"I won't let you!" she shouted.
Her skills are good. But it's not enough to fight the remaining fifty demons that were coming to her.
"Damn." she cursed. "I'm in big trouble."
Then, several shots were heard.
She turned around to see a blond-haired man.
A sutra rested on his shoulders.
It was Genjo Sanzo
"That's not the right way to fight." he said, shooting youkais out of the way.
"Teme!!" the youkai screamed, throwing a knife at Sanzo's direction. "Die!!!"
Sanzo was able to elude the attack.
But the knife still sliced through his neck.
"You're gonna pay for this." He said.
He began to chant.
His sutra glowed.
"Divine Purification From Evil!!"
The woman can hear the youkai's screams before they all perished.
"A-arigato...Sanzo..." the woman said.
"Look, I didn't save because I wanted too, get it?"
"Even so, you still saved me.I really thank you for that."
"Hmph! Whatever. What's your name anyway?"
"Mei...Lou..."
Sanzo suddenly staggered.
"Sanzo! Daijobou ka?" Mei Lou said, placing her hands at his shoulders.
"Let go!!" Sanzo snapped. "My neck..."
"The knife! It was poisoned!!"
*-*-*-*
Sanzo woke up lying on a bed inside a house.
Mei Lou was seated in a chair just next to his bed, sound asleep. Her jet black hair tied in a bun.
Sanzo gazed at her for a moment. Damn! Why am I looking at her anyway?
"Stupid girl." he muttered before sneaking out of the house.
*-*-*-*
"Hey, isn't it a little too early for someone to sneak out?" a voice suddenly asked.
"I hate people following me." he replied coldly.
Mei Lou grinned. "I don't care. I just want you to know that we're on the deep part of the woods. I live here and I know this forest by heart."
"So?"
"I was just going to say that if you want to sneak out next time, make sure you know the way around here. This forest is like a maze. You might get lost. Besides, you're going the wrong way."
"Show me the right way, then."
Mei Lou shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't. Your wound it still needs to be treated."
"Urusai!!" Sanzo said angrily, "I—..."
"Sanzo!! Sanzo!!" Mei Lou's worried voice echoed through his head.
"Shuddup..."
"Sanzo!! Sanzo!!"
*-*-*-*
Sanzo woke up two weeks later.
His hand automatically touched his neck.
He winced in pain. "Kuso!"
A sweet aroma of food filled the room.
"Oh, good. You're awake." Mei Lou said. "Here's your breakfast. And, oh drink this first." she added, giving him a flask.
"Don't me puke. I'm not going to drink this junk. It might poison me."
"You have to! That's the antidote! Don't you know how lucky you are to survive? This thing's so hard to find!"
Damn! She reminds me of Goku! "I hate persistent women!" Sanzo said, before drinking the antidote.
"Arigato." Mei Lou said.
*-*-*-*
Sanzo lit up a cigarette.
He was standing in the cliffs, staring at the black group of clouds swirling and threatening to pour down anytime now.
It was one of those nights when he can't sleep.
Something—no, someone is bothering him.
It was not his past this time.
It's Mei Lou.
Stupid girl. I'm already stuck with her for two months and now I can't stop thinking about her. She's such a trouble.
"Did you come here to look at the stars? Too bad you can't see anything. It looks like it's gonna rain."
Sanzo turned around. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Mei Lou chuckled. "This is my favorite place. But I don't get to up here that often nowadays, though."
She paused to stare at the vast, swirling dark clouds.
"You know, I used to have a big brother named Gien. We used to go here together. But then, right here in this place, he died. He died protecting me from the youkais that were clearly after me. He died instead of me."
Sanzo noticed the hint of loneliness in her voice.
"Why are you telling me all this, anyway?" he asked, with a rather annoyed look on his face.
"I don't know. I just feel that I can tell anything to you, Sanzo. You reminded me of my brother, Gien. Stubborn. Bossy. And stupid. Besides, I felt like you have a past similar to mine."
Sanzo eyes widened. He looked at her.
Mei Lou sighed. "Komyo Sanzo. He's a Sanzo just like you. He came to our aid. He came in just before the youkais could kill my brother. But because of his injuries, Gien died."
Sanzo gazed up the stars. "So, you know my master."
"Yeah, maybe. But he left as quickly as he came. So really never got to know him that much."
Sanzo stood up. "I'm going."
Mei Lou looked at him. "Going where?"
"Back. It's gonna rain."
"You hate rain?"
"So what if I do?"
"You shouldn't hate rain. Rain cleanses the world."
"Whatever."
*-*-*-*
(Mei Lou)
Gien.
I sat up straight in my bed.
Crying.
I can't believe I'm so stupid.
People I have loved had died.
I decided to live here all alone.
Afraid to love again.
I can't believe I'm falling in love.
I'm falling for the wrong guy.
I knew it.
But—
Sanzo.
*-*-*-*
Mei Lou woke up early.
She picked up her blade.
I already found the group that killed my family.
Gien-onichan...I'll finally really be able to avenge your death.
She glanced at Sanzo, who was still sleeping.
Mei Lou smiled.
*-*-*-*
"Hey there, Mei Lou!! How nice of you to come here!" a youkai scoffed
"My, my...look how well you've grown!"
"How many years how it had been since our brothers had last seen you?"
"I'm quite surprised on how well you've cope up with hard life after our brothers had murdered your precious family!" one snickered.
"We could have killed you back then, you stupid girl! But that freakin' monk named Sanzo saved you!"
"Yeah, and now a quite pretty monk still bearing the name 'Sanzo' came to your rescue!! Are paying those pathetic monks to guard you, sweetie?"
"Urusai...urusai...URUSAI!!!" Mei Lou screamed.
Just then, a loud voice echoed through the clearing.
"Who're you calling 'pretty', stupid?!"
Mei Lou turned around.
Her lips broke into a beautiful smile.
Her face showed a mixture of relief and happiness.
"Sanzo!"
*-*-*-*
(Sanzo)
"Who're you calling 'pretty', stupid?!"
I aimed my gun at the arrogant youkai.
I looked at Mei Lou; glad to see that relieved expression on her face.
Glad to see that smile.
Glad to see her alive.
"Sanzo!" she exclaimed.
"What are you doing here all alone? Do you seriously think killing all ofthem can avenge your family's pointless deaths?" I asked, looking at her now downcast eyes.
"I..."
"Oooh...so you two are lovers now?" A youkai said, snickering.
That makes me mad, real mad.
"Teme!!!" I shouted, firing my gun and killing all three youkais at once.
Mei Lou looked at me and started killing youkais as well.
She threw her blade, killing five youkais all at once.
Not bad.
*-*-*-*
"Damn, this youkais are a bit stronger than usual." Sanzo said firing any youkai that even dared come near him.
"Stronger's right." Mei Lou replied slashing every youkai that gets in her way.
Suddenly, a youkai appeared out of nowhere. "You're gonna regret helping Mei Lou there, Genjo Sanzo!" he said, throwing knives at Sanzo.
Mei Lou watch in horror as the youkai threw the knives in Sanzo's direction. Horrible scenes about her brother's flashed into her mind.
The knives...the same knives that killed Gien.
It's happening all over again.
"I...I'm not...I'm not gonna let it happen again!!" she cried, shielding Sanzo.
With her own body.
Just like the way her brother protected her.
Mei Lou screamed in agony as one knife hit her chest—near her heart.
"Mei Lou!" Sanzo cried as he caught her.
"I just don't want it to happen again, Sanzo."
"I never knew you were too stupid to risk your life for me, baka!! We're not even related!" Sanzo snapped.
Mei Lou could only shake her head and smile.
Turning to the last youkai that threw the knives at him, Sanzo said: "Now you're gonna get it."
"Divine Purification From Evil!!"
His eyes widened as the youkai smiled.
Sanzo gritted his teeth. "Why are you smiling? You kinda reminded me of a guy I met a year ago."
The youkai smiled even wider as the sutra bound him tighter. "Thanks for killing me, Sanzo houshi-sama. Now I'm pretty sure Mei Lou will die too!!"
"Teme!!"
The youkai waved it's hand before it disappeared.
Mei Lou looked at Sanzo; who was still holding her. "The knife was poisoned. I'm pretty sure he used the Black Spider's venom...it's incurable. I only have few minutes to live"
"Nani?!"
Mei Lou closed her eyes, her lips parting into a smile. "Hold me close, Sanzo..."
Sanzo was shocked. "What the hell's happening to you?"
"Please don't let go...please don't let me go..."
"Mei Lou!..."
Mei Lou reached out and caressed his face softly. "I'm glad I met you...Sanzo..."
"Shuddup..."
"You reminded me of my brother...so stubborn. Too stupid to risk his life for me."
"You're just like him, then. Too stupid to risk his life for someone."
"I couldn't save Gien before. I lost someone I love. Now I found you. I just don't it to happen again...I just don't want people dying for me...dying because of me..."
"Still, that's not a good reason to die for me, baka—"
Mei Lou pressed her lips against his. "I love you."
Sanzo was shocked. His eyes widened.
But he can't pull her back.
He knew he felt the same way too.
"Arigato, Sanzo..." she whispered.
And then, she was gone.
Only her smile can prove her life's worth.
A lightning flashed.
Droplets of water began to fall.
It was raining.
Sanzo looked up the dark sky.
Tears were unconsciously flowing out of his eyes.
He did not even noticed it.
The rain fell harder.
*- [ End of Flashback ] -*
Hakkai entered the room.
"You seem to deep in your thoughts there, Sanzo. What are you thinking about?"
I looked at him and shrugged. "Iye, betsumi."
Hakkai smiled. "Oh, well...anyway, Goku's feasting at the restaurant downstairs. Just come down when you're hungry." With that, he left the room.
I continued to stare at the rain for a long time.
It seemed that it was the rain that had brought her to me.
And it was also the rain that took her away from me.
"You shouldn't hate rain. Rain cleanses the world."
Yeah, right.
I hate rain.
*- Owari -*
Author's Notes: So, what do you think? Please send in your reviews. A first timer Saiyuki writer here!!!!