By yumeneko
Disclaimer: As usual... Saiyuki is Kazuya Minekura-sensei's... I'm just torturing some characters here.
+_____
Note: Whew… After a long confusing ride of memories… We're near the end of it all… This time it's a mix of soft music and Gackt-inspiration…
+_____
Chapter 12: Dawn Breaks
"Where are we?" Sanzo looked around. It was his hotel room, and the man watching over him wasn't Hakkai. It was Hiro. He didn't wear his dark cloak. What he wore was just a simple gray shirt and khaki pants.
"I promised Hakkai that I would never let you die…" Hiro smiled as he got up and headed for the door, "He's still in bed. If you don't mind, I'll have to look over him…"
"Hiro… Will you please tell him that I… don't want him to die neither…" Sanzo hesitated.
"I know what you really want me to tell him… You love him, don't you?" Hiro smiled, "If you'd like, I'll send him kisses! Ha ha ha…"
Sanzo sunk into his bed sheets and hid.
"So shy…"
"Aniki…" Hiro entered Hakkai's room, "Sanzo really does love you…"
"I know…" Hakkai said looking at some photos in his hands.
"Where did you get that?"
"While I was traveling through your memory, I found these in your hand." Hakkai smiled, "These are pictures of your life, isn't it?"
"Yeah…" Hiro said as he looked at the photos as well, "Hora…" He spotted a picture of him, Hakkai, Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku in a future life during the sakura season, "I can remember this photo clearly… Emiko was the one taking that. Kouryuu got so drunk that he embarrassed you during the festivities!"
"What did you say…?" Hakkai said confused.
"Nan demo nai, aniki… That's just a future you'll have to find out yourself…" Hiro said taking the photos out of Hakkai's hands.
"Hey, Hiro…" Hakkai started.
"Un?" His brother replied.
"How did you heal so fast?"
"It's the Chameleon Heart. Actually, it healed us both, but soon after, it disappeared… Looks like no one will be able to use it for a long time…" Hiro smiled, "I healed everyone else with white magic. But you stayed unconscious. My work could have been easier if you were conscious… Well then, once everyone's awake, I'll treat you all out."
"But where will you go after this?"
"I don't know… Maybe I might go back to the underworld… Or I'll have to live like I did as Quietus… I'll travel this world alone. And someday… Maybe someday… I'll see you all again. I won't be able to replay this life these photos hold. But someday, I'll definitely find you all again… even if it takes centuries. I'll travel though time and find you…" Hiro pondered, "Maybe I won't belong to the underworld anymore… I don't know where I should belong… It'll be so hard to find a place for an immortal to live… But I'll persevere… Don't worry about me, aniki. I'll be okay…"
Later that day, after Hiro treated them all out for a meal, it was time to say goodbyes.
"Well, this means goodbye…" Hiro smiled. Suddenly, his brother hugged him closely, "I'll miss you, too, aniki… Don't worry… I'll live forever. I'll see you again… somehow… someday…" Slowly, Hiro's body started to dissolve.
"Where are you going?" Sanzo asked.
"Far away… I promise I'll find you again…" Hiro's voice echoed as he finally disappeared.
"Sayonara, Hiro-san!!" Goku called out to the dusk skies.
"So… Hakkai… are you okay?" Sanzo placed his hand on Hakkai's shoulder later that night in the hotel room. Gojyo was enjoying the nightlife of the now alive town. Goku was enjoying the food festival they started to celebrate the freedom of the town. Hakkai nodded in response, looking through his window to watch the brilliant lights shine.
"Sanzo…" Hakkai began, "Love me…" he placed his hand upon Sanzo's own. Sanzo came close and wrapped his arms around his lover.
"I'll love you… As long as you want me to…" Sanzo whispered.
Meanwhile, as Hakkai and Sanzo loved each other, Hiro stood upon the hotel roof his black cloak exchanged for a deep purple one. A long black mark ran from his eye to his cheek. The mark of an immortal.
"I knew it would always turn out like this…" Hiro laughed to himself, "Kouryuu's so lucky to have a guy like my bro… Saa… Time to run off… I may always be Hiro inside, but nonetheless… I'm still the immortal Quietus…"
~Owari~