Writer's block sucks.

Messiah

by Doc(Sakura Blackwolf)

[Jade-green tide; Emerald Sea]

I had seven faces
Thought I knew which one to wear
- "NYC", Interpol

Gojyo had been thrown aside in that long battle with Gyuumao. His shaku-jou bent and basically not of any use. Sanzo was left alone since Goku was in the way of the redhead's flight and Hakkai was looking over the two, for a possibility of broken bones.

The maten kyomen..is right there! If he could just get around the gigantic youkai then maybe..just maybe. The familar grip of the Smith&Wesson curled into his hand. He was amidexterous after all, but his left hand was currently broken so he was forced to use his right. Hakkai wasn't able to get around to him to heal it yet. Gyuumao looked down on him like he was a pestering fly and decided to make the first move, confident he could annihilate the human in this one shot. Sanzo pushed himself away in time before the blade slammed into the piece of earth on his left. Gun poised at the youkai, his trigger finger pulled back and sent a bullet speeding. Gyuumao grunted in pain but waved a careless hand at it for the nth time that day. It was nice to know his bullets had -some- effect though. Sanzo was just about to fire again when a glow of light caught his violet gaze. Gyuumao's left palm rose to the ash-colored sky and shot an orb of his own contained energy. And he was so surprised Gyuumao had this techninque that he himself forgot to get out, that damn reaction of his...

Reality came to when the blow didn't come and devour his flesh. Opening his eyes to the fading light, he squinted to see what prevented the attack from consuming him. Sanzo spotted someone in front of him surrounded by tiny glows of light that were slowly dying away, like tiny fireflies in the air. Brown hair, green clothes, a bloody mess..Hakkai.

Blood lifted from the brunette's chest as the arms that outstretched to shield the priest started loosening shakily. His knees dropped weak as he fell in what seemed like slow-motion, trapped almost forever in the pain of it all. A bloody hand that lifted to the sky..but never quite reached it to touch the disappearing sun. Sanzo's eyes dilated as Hakkai fell on his stomach, blood soaking into the dry dirt underneath.

Mmhm, a sun...

Such a pretty sun.

Let me hold its light in my arms

Yet it is but an illusion, as looking toward heaven is answered with the greyest clouds.

I can almost see the sun.

It painted the sky, red.

Sanzo scoffed as Gojyo's awareness slowly settled in, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep himself warm. It was terribly freezing inside this weird, blue dome.

"Hey, where is this place?"

"You tell me." Actually, he knew. The Water Garden in the north. All these flowers, protected by that blue shield that reflected the violent wind patterns back. But he wasn't in a good enough mood to explain everything. Plus, his robe was soaked. That already, in itself, made him unhappy.

He watched the taller man get to his knees and shakily lift himself up. Months of constantly sitting down must've made his joints sore. In fact, the redhead actually stumbled back into the wall, grasping wildly at the wall that once bound him.

"Aren't you clumsy today?" Sanzo absently said, waiting impatiently for Gojyo to finally balance himself.

"Shut the fuck up, bouzu. You'd be like this too if you were on your ass for...uh." The blonde rolled his eyes, realizing the half-youkai could not finish that retort on his lack of a calendar.

"A year?"

"..It's been a year?"

"Yes, it has," Sanzo sighed heavily. Being sealed had its disadvantages he guessed.

"Oh, no wonder you look more wrinkly than the last time I saw you," Gojyo muttered.

Whack!

"My fucking god- you still have that stupid fan?!" The priest scoffed disdainfully as the half-youkai nursed the throbbing bump on his head.

"Look, if you want to stay- fine. I don't care." Sanzo muttered as he turned around to come back out the way he came. The redhead blinked once, then twice, before pulling himself after the priest.

"Why are you here anyway? I didn't know you cared." Violet eyes narrowed at the sarcasm of that last sentence and a heavy sigh escaped the monk. The North Winds exhausted him during his travels and had made him particularly irritable.

"So you, and the other two idiots, would stop calling me." 'And because this damned mission isn't over.'

"Pff. I wasn't calling you, bouzu," Gojyo commented. Those words struck chords in the half-youkai's heart.

-yes i did call you because i wanted to be free and i knew you were still awake so now that you're here i'm a little relieved but i still don't like you-

He shook his head, earning a questioning look from the blonde. Sanzo scoffed, letting his gaze wander all around. His violet eyes took in all the blues that painted the flowers and the whites that seemed to make it glow. It was ethereal to say the least. Part of him just wanted to stay forever. The other part questioned on how anything can be this lovely without any faults. Something had to be out of place. Suddenly, his eyes were pinned to the side. Gojyo set his arms akimbo as Sanzo suddenly twisted to the right.

"What now, bouzu?"

Sanzo simply ignored him as his gloved hand pushed aside some blue and white leaves. He expected to see some stupid youkai waiting to eat him or something, but was instead given something different. Indeed a youkai was underneath, but dead and decaying. The bushes's roots were stemming off the youkai's flesh. At least half of the body was already gone, but the mouth was still open in a silent scream, veins falling out of it. Eyes wide open, if not for the roots that sprouted from its eyeballs. Hands already sinking into the dirt and chest carrying a heart that long since expired. Flowers were blooming out of the youkai's lips. Sanzo wanted to gag.

"What is it?" he heard Gojyo ask, but he did not respond. Now he understood why no one came here. So many people, whether it be human or youkai, to be unforunate enough to stumble in. To be trapped inside, to become one with the garden. A garden made of flesh. A garden full of blood.

He knew its beauty was deceiving.

Then did that mean there was no way out? People would eventually die and become the plants itself. And there was no way he was going to settle for being a plant.

Tightening his mouth, he lifted his revolver and fired at the blue barrier, fingers twitching when the bullet bounced back into a nearby stalk of flowers.

"What are you doing? Can't you just go through like any 'normal' person?" Gojyo rolled his eyes and pressed a hand to the shield. He pressed until his knuckles paled white. The shield would not collapse. Sanzo shook his head as he watched the redhead futily attempt to escape. Finally, the taller one slumped down to the grass.

"Okay, the next step is resorting to violence offered by the ever-so-elegant Genjo Sanzo." The blonde scoffed at that sarcasm and fired again. He must've fired at least three times, and those three times never worked. Was it really hopeless? There was no way his journey ended here. The first step to becoming part of the Water Garden was giving up, no matter how cliché it sounded to Sanzo. Everyone who came in here must've let themselves go. Those people were the plants that decorated the Garden. But surely there must be something that can open the shield. Something.

A glint of steel caught his eye. And fired the last of his bullets to the left.

Gojyo blinked as something heavy fell to the floor in front of him. Tangled within icy blue vines and concealed by dainty white petals was something made of steel. Moving a hand to brush away at the growth, his eyes widened at what lay waiting for him.

Sanzo watched the redhead lift the shaku-jou as empty bullet shells littered the ground beneath his feet.

A scar was created within the barrier, sliced by a crescent-shaped blade. Another tore into the first, and another and another. Gojyo withdrew the blade on his weapon as he looked at the sky, "It's so...grey."

"Aa. It is."

"I was hoping to emerge to some bright, shiny atmosphere."

"You're cocky, aren't you?" Gojyo smirked at the blonde.

"Must be."

"The only time it changes is when its twilight, and then it turns red. But nothing else really happens."

"Boring."

"No. Just a mess."

They stepped out of the folds of blue, but when Sanzo's foot touched the other side he heard something.

-he's coming i'm scared because i can't do anything while i'm trapped like this
i'm here
i'm waiting
so much darkness where is the sun?-

For some reason, the monk's head turned to the west.

"So, who do we "heroicly" save next?" Gojyo asked as he leaned against the railing of a balcony. The hotel they were staying was run by humans who had cleverly concealed the buliding by growing trees around it. Still, a youkai was bound to find it, but until then it housed a handful of humans who had lost their homes to the Minus Wave's effects.

"Hakkai. He'll probably have Hakuryuu with him too, so that'll be good transportation-wise. I doubt I could go on a journey with -only- you," Sanzo glared at Gojyo who just smirked.

"I see, I see. Where's Gyuumao anyway?"

"In the west. Apparently, he's quite taken with Houtou Castle."

"What about the concubine and Kougaiji?"

"Still there."

Gojyo sighed and raked a hand through his hair. Out of habit, a hand went to the pocket which kept his cigarettes. Much to his dismay, he found them all wet. Sanzo shook his head as the redhead went through shock. Crimson eyes turned towards him and Sanzo understood as he, this time, smirked.

"I thought you didn't like my brand."

"Well, I don't. But I'm desperate."

The monk handed over a fresh cigarette, which the other took gratefully. Lighting it, while also being thankful the flint didn't get wet either, Gojyo asked, "So, where is Hakkai anyway?"

"In the South. A lot of youkai live there, but not nearly as much as in theWest."

"And..."

"We leave tomorrow," The blonde turned and left to his separate bedroom. Gojyo smirked and shook his head.

"Whatever you say."

They left many dead bodies behind them that day and the next few days. Bullet after bullet, swipe after swipe. Blood trailed behind them wherever they went.

"You know what puzzles me? It's that you've killed a lot of youkai, yet you never fell to that thousand-youkai curse." Sanzo smirked.

"Why do you think I use a gun? So to not get close to the blood spray, and even if it did come at me I could avoid it."

"Heh. Whatever you say, bouzu. So, Hakkai's here?" Two pairs of eyes observed the large tree before them. Its bark was a dark, rusty brown. Its leaves were of a green and yellow mix. Ten lime-colored orbs hung from its branches, glowing a faint gold and held steady by thick vines.

"Aa. Sefirot, the tree of life." Gojyo looked at the monk.

"You really believe that shit?"

"Ch', are you kidding me? Of course not. People call it this, because they like to believe man was created by a great and high power. But there's no logic way of proving anything about anything anymore." Sanzo calmly approached the tall tree, grabbing hold of the twisted bark to pull himself up. Gojyo blinked,"Hey, wait up!"

They looked through very orb on the tree. They sliced them all open to reveal nothing but a yellow core. Of course, things weren't always that easy. Their search of the tree wasn't that easy. Sometimes, Gojyo had to go down to fight of any youkai coming after them. And that was only when Sanzo had to reload from their current perch. Sanzo tightened his grip and pulled himself up to the top orb on the tree. He was met with nothing but the yellow core Gojyo had revealed and he had expected it. But he wanted to make sure there was nothing he missed. He heard Gojyo sigh on one of the thick branches.

"He's not here."

"He's here."

"But, we can't find him." Sanzo sighed too. The half-youkai was right. Their search was so far, very hopeless and very bloody. Maybe Hakkai was calling him from somewhere else? But he was so sure it was here. He looked back at the top core, and suddenly discovered something quite interesting in the bark above it.

"Oi! Something's here!" The monk observed the wood as the redhead made his way back up the trunk.

"What?"

"Here, in the tree. It looks like some sort of carving." Driven into the tree was a faint trace of an animal. The blonde could make out a long, serpenty tail at the top, and maybe even parts of the body. But it was hard to see. The bark's color was too dark to completely tell. Gojyo peered at it.

"What is it?"

"If I knew, I would've told you already," The blonde scoffed as the redhead rolled his eyes.

"Well, that an improvment on this crazy search anyhow." Gojyo lazily ran his fingers over the picture, until they suddenly dipped in at the bottom.

"The hell?" Was all that was uttered as the picture's outline suddenly glowed.

"It's Hakuryuu," Sanzo muttered. The half-youkai looked at him, before pulling his hand out to reveal the tiny dragon. That is, the tiny dragon desperately biting onto Gojyo's index finger. Sanzo sighed as the taller man cried out in pain. The white animal let go and flew back, wings shaking uneasily a little(in fact, he fell a little too).

"Kyuu!" The albino dragon chirped happily.

Gojyo was still wincing when he turned to the tiny animal, "You didn't have to bite, Hakuryuu! There are other ways of greeting someone!"

"Kyuu~," The dragon's head dropped a little. Sanzo smirked, until he too turned to Hakuryuu.

"Oi, do you know where Hakkai is?"

"Kyuu!" The dragon swooped beneath the orb they were on and hovered next to the space between that and next sphere. Gojyo looked at Hakuryuu questionally, until Sanzo dropped down to hang on a branch, closer to where the animal was.

"You know where Hakkai is, bouzu?" The blonde nodded.

"Of course. The hidden Sefirot, Da'ath. That must be it." Hakuryuu 'kyuu'ed in argreement as a pale hand reached out to touch that hidden path. The bark glowed beneath his touch, until he pulled away. The bark twisted and opened up to a hollow compartment. The interior was glowing with greens and yellow. In the middle of the back wall was him, pulled against it tight by the tree's thick vines. The two men outside were about to go in, when Hakuryuu suddenly dove in before them.

The tiny dragon twisted and tore at the vines, desperate to set its master free. Gojyo then dropped down inside the room and held out his shaku-jou. "Let me make it easier for you, Hakuryuu."

The crescent-blade ripped through the vines with ease. Hakkai fell forward from his place on the wall, falling limp into Gojyo's arms. Red eyes searched for that fatal wound that buried itself into his best friend's heart. But it wasn't there. In its place was a large rub gem, seeming to burn through enough to stick to the brunet's skin through his clothes. That was when Sanzo let himself inside.

"It's a seal. He won't wake up unless its broken." A hand clutched his Smith&Wesson tightly.

Hakuryuu seemed to protest this method as he flew like a bat out of hell in the blonde's face. Sanzo swiped the dragon away.

"I won't miss." Both Hakuryuu and Gojyo winced as the the sound of a bullet echoed off the walls. The next thing they heard was something shattering. Two pairs of crimson eyes looked down to see the seal broken and falling off the brunet's chest. Hakkai shifted slightly in Gojyo's hold, and forced his emerald eyes open.

"Oh my..."

"Hakkai! You're awake!" The redhead quickly sat up the other man and checked for wounds, while Hakuryuu cheerfully flew overhead. "You okay?"

It took a few moments for everything to settle and recall back into the brunet's head, and a few moments of becoming more aware before he faintly smiled once more. "Yes, Gojyo. I'm fine."

"Your wounds were gone too, when I found you." Sanzo noted. The redhead mentally smacked himself for not noticing sooner. Hakkai's smile only grew, and then he turned to the monk questionally.

"Sanzo?"

A violet gaze looked down on green, "The mission isn't over."

Like the perfect ending, it won't be too long
till everything I've ruined as seen me gone.
- "No Reply", Cowboy Bebop

TBC

This chapter just shows my lack of knowledge on cigarette lighters, guns, and the Tree of Life ^^;;. I'm sorry this chapter came out four months late*sweatdrop*. I've had a major block on Saiyuki writing. But as you can see(or can't see), I'm still quite the GojyoxHakkai fan ~_~. Though, Messiah is -not- supposed to have shounen ai.

But, you can think that it does, if you want to.

I never would have known about the ten Sefirot, if I never was interested in Sephiroth(villian from Final Fantasy VII). Actually, there should be eleven, but as it was said Da'ath is the hidden one ^^. And there are probably typos, because I just went on a total writing streak..which probably means I ranted instead. Okay! Now it's off, to the West!