Tottering friendship.
By vermillian.
Summary: There was some mystery letter, order for Sanzo, was sent to each of Sanzo-ikkou. The appointment was in the day of two years after Goku's leaving. Who did it? And what is the assignment in this time?
Notes: Thanks for all reviews. And… I'm extremely sorry for the grammatical error and wrong spelling. I'll try to do something about it. I have nothing to say but to tell you of some changing pattern as I described below. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: I do not own saiyuki. I own only its DVD.
This is some of the main pattern;
This is thought = 'I am thinking.'
This is normal talk = "saying, talking, arguing, whatever."
This is note =*(A/N: I can't wait to tell you. I want to do it by now!)
This is action = *action, action, action!*
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Chapter Two: - Finally… we met each other again.
On the next morning after Goku left the farm, he finally found his dragon, Koryu, in the nearby forest.
"Koryu, how are you?" asked Goku.
The dragon just raised his big eyes, which filled with joyful and hopeful, to his master. The golden-eyed youkai laughed when he saw those in the dragon's eyes. "I have a place to go. Will you take me there?"
Koryu didn't need another stimulation. He got up and was ready to go at any time.
"If you're alright, we will go by now," said Goku.
"Kyu!" Koryu nodded agreely.
*(A/N: I just suppose that all dragons will make a sound in the same way with Hakuryu. *sweat dropped*)
Goku smiled. He climbed to Koryu's back and signaled his dragon to start flying.
After three hours of traveling, Goku and his dragon decided to take a rest and have a lunch. They shared a food. When they finished it, Koryu wanted to have some sleep, which he did it as a habit. So Goku just let the dragon to sleep for an hour, while he walked around the place and kept thinking of something. He glanced at his dragon and smiled. Actually, it was just an empty smile that would never reach his eyes. 'Koryu.'
Two years ago, when Kougaiji gave him this dragon and he was looking through the couple of purple eyes, the only name that was popped up in his mind was Koryu. He knew this was the only name that would suit this dragon. As a result, he couldn't help but thinking of someone whenever he saw the dragon. The one, who ever used the same name, was Sanzo. The guy whom Goku deadly wanted to forget and, more than that, he didn't want to face Sanzo ever again. To face the monk and remember what Goku overheard two years ago was bad enough. But it was not the scariest thing of him. He didn't want to think of what he did five hundred years ago, and he absolutely didn't want 'them' to recall 'those' memories. Moreover, it would be going worse if that situation would have happened again. He scared that he would unable to control his power and do something unforgivable. Once was really bad, but twice would absolutely destroy him.
No doubt, that was the reason why he wouldn't come to visit his long lost friends.
In fact, after four months were passed, Goku decided to visit his friends. But due to some evident, which was changing his mind, it caused him to recall his past in Tenkai before he was caged. He took a month to rearrange his memory and thought that it would be the best way if he wouldn't come to see them again.
He traveled to many places and got various kinds of knowledge. He learnt to eat in less amount of food. Actually, he didn't eat much after he left his friends. It might be because eating would recall his memory about them. Moreover, he learnt to do many things for surviving both from human and youkai.
After the battle at Houto Castle, all youkais in Togenkyo was not being berserk in any longer. However, the relationship between human and youkai couldn't be recovered so easily. The problem was not on youkai side, but it was on human side. A long time of evading and frightening caused human to beware and distrust. But there still had another group of human that still wanted to trust those youkais again. Luckily, Farm Keeper and his family, who Goku worked with, was counted as a second group. However, to reduce the possibility of problem that might occur, Goku and Kougaiji-ikkou preferred to use their controlled device. For the golden-eyed youkai, with the help of Kanzeon Bosatsu, his controlled device was changed form into earrings* to beware the problem if someone could notice him as a youkai.
* (A/N: Well, his earring was not similar to Hakkai's. It's just in a playboy style. ^o^)
Almost a year was passed, and no one knew his true form. He lived peacefully in the farm until the day he received the order from Kanzeon Bosatsu.
'Why didn't she just forget about me?' He asked himself. It was more than one year that he never saw her, or received any contact from her. So he just thought, hopefully, that she might forget about him and wouldn't pay any interest at him again. But it seemed he was wrong.
Goku sighed. 'It doesn't matter to think about it now. At least she ever helped you a year ago. This would be a chance for you to do her flavor.' He tried to soothe himself. 'And the next time, she would have no reason to make me to dance in her step anymore.' He thought. 'I hope so.'
Actually, he admitted that he couldn't refuse the request when he finished reading the letter. But he still needed to soothe himself every time he thought about it.
He shook his head to erase his thought about the task and was heading to where Koryu were.
"Koryu," he woke the dragon, "it's time to go."
Koryu yawned and got up to let his master to place the belonging on his back.
Goku was also already on the dragon's back.
"Iku Zo!"
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-Somewhere in the east-
At the evening, Sanzo was about to reach the half way to the appointment place. That was the good news for him to know it, but it was not all he knew. The bad news was there was no any village in sight. He had to take a rest at the forest that he reached. At least, he could find a good place for sleeping.
He lighted up his cigarette and smoked it.
If there accidentally had some monks to pass by, they might not remember him as Sanzo hoshi-sama. It was because Sanzo didn't wear his uniform due to the reason that Sanbutsushins asked him to. They wanted him not to use his cloth to evade some problems that might occur and it would cause him to unable to reach the target at the appointment time. Even Sanzo felt that the gods were hiding something from him, but he thought it was not his business to ask. Moreover, he was able to guess that who was behind this task.
'It must be that kuso baba, who ordered me to do something stupid in this rural country,' he thought. It was no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, but the truth was he couldn't refuse this request. So, instead of asking for the real purpose of this task, he just ignored it and hoped that this task would be finished within a short period and his aunt would leave him alone in finally.
The dark was covering all over the sky, and the light from the moon and the stars replaced the strong light from sun.
'Ch'. Why did that baba have to choose this time for the task? Is it…' He shook his head to blow the thought out of his head. 'It can't be.'
The monk thought that his illusion might due to the ghost from the past. It would be two years in the day after tomorrow.
He sighed when he thought about the past. He knew how he felt for Goku's decision, but he would never admit his feeling to anyone, would not even when the month after Goku separated from the group. The day that another quarrel occurred between them, and Gojyo told that he would not want to be with two heartless men in any longer. The red-haired youkai left with his own way on that night, and never returned.
It was not that Sanzo had no feeling about it. He admitted, only to himself, that it was also his fault to let the quarrel to be occurred and helped Gojyo flaming the misunderstanding about him and Hakkai. At that night, Hakkai tried to calm both himself and Sanzo and hold his partner's temper. But it couldn't help the situation to be better. Any of them was too angry, and had too many egos. So the result was Gojyo was the next one who left 'Sanzo-ikkou'. The only appearance feeling of Sanzo was just careless. Hakkai stared at the monk and said nothing. However, it might be the cause for the truth that Hakkai was the next one who went away in eleven months later.
The thought of the past of Sanzo was interrupted. His cigarette was left. He tried to have another one only to find that his oil in the lighter was out. He swore and cursed something in his throat, before kept his lighter in the pocket.
"Ch'. It seemed that I have to stop smoking for two days," murmured Sanzo.
Because he was unable to smoke, so he just tried to get some sleep for the long travel in the next day.
Somewhere behind the tree, far away from where Sanzo was, there was someone looking at him. The smirk was slowly appeared on the face of that mystic. "It would be good to stop smoking. Have a good night, my dear."
"Do you think it would be good for doing that?" asked the man.
"Why did you think so?"
The man sighed. "I just think how much angry he would have if he could find out that you are the one who take the oil from his lighter, Kanzeon Bosatsu."
"You are so nervous, Jiroshin," complained the goddess. She didn't let her follower to say anything. "Just get back to Tenkai. I have a lot of thing to do." She interrupted herself with a small laugh. "It would be a lot of fun in the day after tomorrow."
"Ka… Kanzeon Bosatsu," cried Jiroshin.
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-Some inn in the north-
The night was passed. Hakkai and his dragon, Hakuryu, were about to leave the inn after he had paid. Someone was calling him.
"Mister!"
Hakkai was turning around and found that it was the innkeeper who called him. "Yes?"
"Why are you so hurry? You just arrived this town last night," said the innkeeper.
The green-eyed youkai just smiled. "Tomorrow I have an appointment. I need to be hurried."
"I see," replied the innkeeper. He hesitated for a while before continued asking. "And what is your answer about what I asked last night?" His eyes were pointed at the small white dragon at the younger guy's shoulder.
While Hakuryu cried in protest, the smile on his owner's face just widened. "Gomennasai. But he is my friend. I cannot do your flavor."
Last night, when Hakkai reached the inn and the innkeeper saw the small creature on his shoulder, he suddenly asked whether Hakkai wanted to sell it or not.
The younger was blinking for a while before refused. But that answer couldn't turn down the innkeeper's hope by sudden. He asked the green-eyed youkai to think about it for a night before was to give him the answer.
When the innkeeper realized that there would be no way to change the younger guy's mind, he sighed. "I just hoped that you might change your mind."
Hakkai didn't know what to say, so he just asked for leaving. "If you don't mind, I will go by now."
The innkeeper nodded. "Sorry for delaying you." He said and added. "Oh, and another thing, your targeting place is in the south, right?" He said the town that the younger would go.
Hakkai surprised, but he was interrupted before he could ask anything.
"You don't have to surprise. That is the nearest town, by not counting the town that you came from. However, you won't capable to reach it in one day if you don't know the shorter way."
"Has there any shorter way?" Hakkai wondered.
The elder nodded. He explained the way to the town to Hakkai. When he finished, he added, "this will help you saving your time."
"Arigatou," replied Hakkai.
The innkeeper just laughed. "Your welcome. But if you really want to thank me, you might change it to think about what I asked." He didn't let the younger saying anything when he continued. "Don't be serious! If you really don't want to, it would be all right. Have a good trip!"
"Arigatou, master," replied Hakkai and leaving.
Hakkai stopped traveling for resting and having lunch. "Are you hungry, Hakuryu?"
"Kyu!" replied the small white dragon agreeably.
They finished the lunch, but Hakkai still didn't want to continue the journey.
Tomorrow would be two years after Goku left 'Sanzo-ikkou', one year and almost eleven months after Gojyo was the next one, and one year after he himself also left.
He didn't know the reason underlying Goku's leaving, but for Gojyo, it was also his fault. Their relationship was going to be worse after Goku was left. Sanzo normally didn't talk much. But after they lacked Goku, it seemed the monk was less talking, more cigarette was left, and he was quiet like a hell. Gojyo also could notice that, even he was also quieter than usual. At that night, the half-breed seemed to be unable to hold anymore tense. He asked to stop doing 'something stupid', as he called, and started to go and whack their saru on the head to regain the conscious. It was no use. His friend had no reaction for it. Sanzo just glanced at the red-haired youkai before was back to his cigarette. Hakkai said nothing and Hakuryu just cried in his small voice.
Gojyo did absolutely not like it. He started shouting. Only to make it going worse, Sanzo also joined the shouting contest. On the other hand, Hakkai told Gojyo to stop and admit the truth that Goku wouldn't change his mind. When the half-breed realized that his friends would not listen to him, he became angrier and stated that if the other wouldn't do it, he himself would do it. Without waiting or listening to Hakkai's words, he was the next one, who left 'Sanzo-ikkou' in that night.
Hakkai tried, but not enough, to cool down his friends's temper, including his. The result was nothing, Gojyo still left the group. At that time, he admitted that he also angered at Sanzo for not helping the situation to be better and seemed to be careless with it. But inside, he knew that it was not true. Sanzo was the one who got the most damage both from Goku's and Gojyo's leaving. He couldn't help but felt guilty, until the day he sent Sanzo at Chou An Temple and never went back to see his friend again.
"Kyu!"
Hakkai was awakened from his thought. He turned to the small white dragon and said, "arigatou, Hakuryu. I guest that I have no time for dreaming." 'or seeing a ghost from the past.' "We have to reach the town in time. Are you ready to go?"
"Kyu!" replied Hakuryu agreeably.
Hakkai smiled with his trademark for it. "So let's go."
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-The inn which was nearby the appointment area-
After Gojyo reached the town an hour ago, he decided to take a rest and find something to drink. He had fifteen hours to take before the appointment time.
'I thought I have to find some chick to make this night to be over,' thought the half-breed. But his demand couldn't be completed. When he saw the green-eyed or dark-haired woman, his mind was back to Hakkai. As well as when he saw the golden-eyed or brown-haired woman, and violet-eyed or blonde-haired woman, his mind would be back to Goku and Sanzo, respectively. So this was the reason why his plan for the night was gone.
He finally ended at his room, alone.
"Baka," complained Gojyo. He laid his body on the only bed in the room, and kept thinking. 'Two years. It would be two years by tomorrow.'
It was not only the evidence of 'two years', but it was also one year and about eleven months. 'What would they be?'
A month after Goku left 'Sanzo-ikkou', Gojyo had a quarrel with his left friends. Even he could feel that both Hakkai and Sanzo also got the effect from the leaving Goku, but he did still not sure. He didn't understand why they were still able to stay cool and calm after they lost their young friend. He was very angry at that night, and he admitted to himself later that he also had over reaction at that time.
After he left his friends, he traveled to the possible place that he thought Goku might be. But he failed. He never found 'the boy'. Six months later, he had to admit that it was nearly impossible to find Goku. Especially, when his brother came to visit him, Jien, or Dokugakuji, told nothing to him about his friend. Every time he tried to find the truth about Goku, his brother would laugh and change the topic. He was quite sure that Dokugakuji knew something about Goku, even he never mentioned about it. He knew the answer that might be a decline or something like that. So he just stopped asking after three times of no answer.
Normally, there was only Dokugakuji who took a visit on him. But there still had two or three times that Yaone or Ririn came along with his brother, and for surprising, there was a time that Kougaiji took a visit. Actually, the youkai prince just visited him about three months ago. He didn't know the reason behind that visiting. Kougaiji just stared at him and stayed quiet.
He stopped thinking as he stared at the street in front of the inn. 'If I can't find some chick to be with tonight, it would be better to drink or find someone to give me a money.' He meant for playing gamble. 'At least, it would be better than thinking about the past.'
"Beer, beer, beer," murmured Gojyo happily.
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-Next morning-
In the forest nearby the town, Goku was with his dragon.
"Waiting for me here. Okay?" asked the golden-eyed youkai.
Koryu nodded as an acceptance.
Goku smiled and started walking to the place that he was told to be at the appointment time. He looked around before walking to that place. He was always afraid every time he went to the strange town. He was afraid that he might find his friends that he never met for a long time. When he was quite sure that there was no familiar faces or familiar clothes in sight, he walked in. He thought that no one knew him in this town, but, surprisingly, someone called him from behind, with excited and nearly unbelievable familiar voice.
"Goku?"
In the same town, Hakkai just arrived. He asked Hakuryu to transform back to the small white dragon, and started walking, with Hakuryu on his shoulder, to the place that was told in the letter. He still kept wondering sometime why he did what the letter asked him to. He just felt that he had to go and it might be something important for him. However, he didn't expect or even hope that his feeling would become true. He didn't, until he walked pass the corner and found his long lost friend.
"Goku?"
The owner of the name slowly turned to whoever called him. His eyes were widened. Many feelings were showed in his eyes, before they went empty.
"It's you. Hakkai," replied Goku.
"And me too."
The night was passed. Gojyo ended his night with a lot of beers after there would have no one who dared enough to ask him playing card. He earned a lot of moneys last night, and was back to his room. He took some sleep. When he woke up, he went to find something to eat and walked to wherever he was told to go.
'If it was not because of that stupid letter, I might not be in this town,' he thought. Actually, it was not his real reason for him to be in this town. He thought that if he did what the letter asked him to, he might found his long lost friend. It might seem stupid, but he felt it. However, it was just the same as Hakkai, he didn't hope, at least he would never admit it, that he would accidentally found Goku in this town. He didn't, until he heard some familiar voice.
"Goku?"
"It's you. Hakkai," replied Goku.
The half-breed needed to rub his eyes before admitted that whatever he saw was the truth. "And me too," he added.
Both targets suddenly turned to the red-haired youkai. Hakuryu, who was really happy to see Goku, also turned to the half-breed and flew to greeting him.
At that time, Goku was not only widened his eyes, but also started to drop his jaw. He was really speechless.
But there was not before any of them could say anything, another familiar voice was getting into their ears.
"Ch'. The goddamn order. What the hell is it about? What the hell I have to do this stupid thing?"
Three-difference-color-head quickly turned to the source of that voice. This time, it was not only Goku who dropped his jaw, the other two also did the same.
The monk, who was not in his usual uniform, didn't suddenly see his friends. He didn't, until he heard some familiar voice.
"Sanzo. Is that you?"
Sanzo reached the town after the sun went down about two hours. He went to an inn and, due to the long travel, he didn't need any thing to eat but took some sleep. The night was quickly passed. He walked to the place that he was asked to go. But he was not as lucky as the other was. He lost. He had to ask a few people to know the actual place.
"Ch'. The goddamn order. What the hell is it about? What the hell I have to do this stupid thing?" complained Sanzo.
He didn't suddenly who was there. He just wanted to curse something about his aunt a bit more. But it seemed no one would agree with him.
"Sanzo. Is that you?" asked Hakkai. He was the first one who could regain conscious.
Sanzo never thought that he would find his old companion again. He widened his eyes and absolutely speechless. 'If this was not the illusion, so they are the truth? Hakkai, Gojyo, and… Goku?'
Goku was the worst one. He kept blinking, and seemed not to very please about what he saw. He couldn't think much, except how to get out of that place. Badly, only for him, his legs seemed not to want having any movement. It just liked he was half paralysis.
"Well, well, well. It seems you already met each other," said the new coming.
"Kanzeon Bosatsu!" said Hakkai/Gojyo/Goku together. In addition, Goku's voice was sounded like he was already cried, or, at least, about to do it.
"Kuso baba," muttered Sanzo, with a sound effect of his gritting teeth.
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Well. Finished! What about grammar and spelling in this chapter? I hope that it will be better than the last one. By the way, please review. Thanks.