Never Eternal

by yumeneko

Disclaimer: As usual... Saiyuki is Kazuya Minekura-sensei's... I'm just using it for angsty stuff...

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Huge rewrite here!

Warnings: Huge amounts of angst and sap. Sanzo + Hakkai semi-fluff in later episodes. Sanzo shall become OOC. Might drive you sick. Lots of blood and Squaresoft hinting. Oooooo... What has happened here?

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"Is it real?"

"Hakkai..." Sanzo looked at the black clad man behind him.

"I see that you're shocked, Genjo Sanzo..." The man looked at him. He definitely looked like Hakkai, although something was wrong...

"Oi! Gojyo! That's the guy with the weird blood!" Goku pointed behind the bushes.

"Shut up! You wouldn't want us caught!" Gojyo scolded the younger.

"Onii-san! Why did you take over Hakkai's body?" Azrael demanded.

"Couldn't you remember? If I took the soul, this mind of mine would disappear..." The man laughed.

"You have no heart! But you did have a soul." Azrael said.

"Hold on! Why the hell is it like this?" Goku jumped out and broke the conversation.

"I'll explain..." Macabre said, "Azrael's family were all Grim Reapers. But they have never given birth to twins. Since Azrael and her brother Quietus were special, they had certain powers that ordinary reapers didn't possess. Azrael was born with the ability to take on the bodies of the souls she keeps without using the corpse. Quietus could use the corpse and control the mind. But the true defect came when Quietus was appointed the reaper. I was an apprentice Necromancer in those days. Quietus felt pity for the pool of souls, so he released them, sacrificing his body and emotions. He became merciless and led the liberated souls, calling himself the leader of the Terra. On the other hand, Azrael became the reaper and in order to seal the pool of souls, she sacrificed her body and soul. Immediately, she had to find a replacement for them, so she killed her best friend after her friend said that she'd offer Azrael anything. After her friend's death, she took on her body and soul. Luckily, her heart and mind was still Azrael."

"Confusing..." Goku blinked.

"Quietus… Why?" Azrael asked her brother.

Quietus levitated and summoned forth a crystal sphere that showed Pandemonium, "Let me explain this… Macabre… Do you remember when we were still friends?"

"Yes, I do…" Macabre replied, "I can remember that you hated how Pandemonium kept the souls in the pools. You pitied them. So you released them."

"Oh… Yes I did… We became the Terra," Quietus smiled as the crystal changed its image into the picture of the souls escaping Pandemonium, "When I released the souls, I became one of them. A soul. And they appointed me as their liberator and leader. So they told me all about their sufferings. So I promised them that they would get their revenge on Hades and the people who have sent them to their grave. We started off by possessing black panthers in this part of the forest. Soon, after we killed a few people, we were able to take their empty corpses and capture their souls. When we captured their souls, we asked them whether they would serve us or be destroyed. Most of them took our side and helped us. Some idiotic ones had a taste of this when they refused." The crystal sphere now showed an image of Quietus blasting a soul with a dark blast, "Soon, I had possessed a great number of bodies. All of them couldn't take my power. Not even some monks who I've killed as a panther hardly could stand my power. Then one day, one of my faithful Terra brought to me the body of an intelligent man. His intellect was wide and wonderful. But his body was ten times weaker than those who I had used in the past. For a while I could not blast those souls who refused to join forces. So I reaped them. Then, one of my spies, an old lady who sold food at the entrance of the town told me that she sensed a strong aura within you, Genjo Sanzo…"

"Oi! Oi! Sanzo!! That was the lady who sold us food when we came in!!" Goku cheerfully tugged Sanzo's sleeve. Sanzo, annoyed, smacked Goku with his harisen once again.

"So I dispatched my best henchman to kill you." Quietus said as the crystal showed an image of the Terra who killed Hakkai, "He was unsuccessful in capturing you, Sanzo. But he killed Cho Hakkai. Judging by how his soul reacted when I tried to possess the body, I believe he cared a lot for you, Sanzo. And I believe that you care this Cho Hakkai, too. So I decided to leave the soul on the battlefield for Azra-chan here to throw into Pandemonium. I believed that with this body, I could claim your body and soul, Sanzo. A man strong enough to help me rule over Pandemonium and make the Terra rule over this world!" Quietus laughed as the crystal showed a horrible image of the Terra running rampant throughout the world, "Let's just stop with this nonsense!" Quietus said in Hakkai's body, "I'll take you now, Sanzo!" He took out a blood red sword and started to attack Sanzo.

"What should I do?" Sanzo thought, "If I destroy Hakkai's body, will I be able to save him?"

"He's doubting..." Azrael said, "Sanzo! It's okay if you kill him! You can always go back to the place of memories! Just as long as the soul is safe!"

"The soul!" Gojyo realized as he overheard the battle. He found the music box glinting inside Quietus' palace. He ran for the soul, but suddenly, he was surrounded by two Terra. He easily took care of them with his weapon and snatched the music box.

Meanwhile, Sanzo continued to battle Quietus. It was a hard battle considering that Quietus had a sword while Sanzo only was able to dodge the attacks.

"Dammit! How am I supposed to kill him!?" He wondered when suddenly, Gojyo's chain wrapped around Quietus' wrist.

"Hurry up, Sanzo! He's strong!" Gojyo yelled from a distance.

So Sanzo started to chant finally casting the sutra, "MAKAI TENJOU!!"

The sutra stopped Quietus' movements.

"Oh no... You wouldn't want to kill me, would you? Of course..." His gaze slowly turned to Hakkai's caring features, "I am Hakkai..."

"Go to hell... Hakkai would never betray us!" Sanzo pointed his gun at Quietus.

"Demo... Sanzo..." Quietus said in Hakkai's voice, "Don't you want me alive? Sanzo… I love you…"

Sanzo started to falter. This was Hakkai's voice. This was Hakkai's face. This was Hakkai's body. But what if he didn't kill him? What if?

"Whoa!!" Gojyo fell to the floor as Hakkai's soul came out of the box. The green aura changed to white and blasted Quietus in the back.

Suddenly, everything turned blank and Sanzo found himself in a blank surrounding where it was occupied by Quietus levitating. His black cloak covered his whole body and seemed to fill the empty space behind him while his eyes were closed looking towards the sky. Then Sanzo heard Hakkai's voice.
"Sanzo…" The voice repeated. Sanzo looked at Quietus to see the real Hakkai within him. He was in a fetal position, only his emerald eyes were the visible part of his face, "Sanzo… Listen to me…"

"Hakkai!" Sanzo said in elation.

"Sanzo… Listen…" Hakkai said, "I don't want my memory to be a burden to you… Please… I want you to defeat Quietus…"

"But Hakkai! Your body!" Sanzo pleaded.

"Don't worry about me, Sanzo… Just close your eyes… Point the gun at him and shoot…"

As soon as the soul's voice broke the illusion and disappeared, Sanzo shot Quietus.

"San... zo..." Quietus' eyes expressed shock as black blood trickled from his forehead, "Azra... won't you save your brother?"

"You betrayed Hades, brother!" Azrael stared at him with cold eyes, "I shall never forgive you!"

"Macabre, weren't we good friends back then?" Quietus pleaded.

Macabre simply turned away.

"It's blood…" Quietus laughed as he touched the dark liquid trickling down his forehead, "I shall return..." Quietus laughed as he turned into powder, leaving dry bones behind.

"Now... I'll send you back into the place of memory, Sanzo. Nothing will hinder this trip now." Azrael looked at Sanzo.

The portal opened once more, and Sanzo found himself back where he started.   

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A/N: Wheee!! Sap, sap, sap!! Sowie to those who think this is too much sap… I just can't help it!!