Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.
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Ayie: Hu..hu…hu…wailing sadly
Hakkai: What's wrong Ayie-san? You look so sad today?
Ayie: I'm crying for Haru's father…why did he have to die…continues to wail
Gojyo: Yada…yada…Ayie, you still have another chap to finish you know?
Ayie: wiped away the tears, but still sobbing Hai! You're right…here goes..
Sanzo: Ch! Fine…. Just don't go on writing angst chap.
Gojyo: Oi bouzu…have some mercy will you…?
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Chapter 10 – The Kiss that Cures
The huge red orbs was settling down at the West, sending rays of purple, red and orange lights to cover the wide sky. Sanzo grunted as he threw away a cigarette butt to the ground and stepped on it.
Sanzo looked up, to find Aiko and Goku walking abreast up in the front. It's being about half an hour since they left the battlefield and Sanzo had already walked by himself. The wound somehow was almost completely healed. Sanzo kept his eyes on alert, scanning the area, preparing for another ambush.
"Oi! How much farther to the cave?" Sanzo was getting impatient. She stared at Aiko, but the girl pretended not to listen and kept on walking. "Ch!" Sanzo's vein popped out. He glanced at Aiko, observing her without she noticing it. 'How can an ordinary human like her possessed such an extraordinary power? Is she a youkai like Hakkai? But then, I don't sense any yuki from her'. Sanzo stared at the girl in front of him from head to toe, searching for any yoryuku limiter. But the girl didn't wear any jewelries, gems or even accessories that have the potential as a limiter. Aiko was all plain and simple.
"You know Sanzo? It's rude to stare when one's was not looking" suddenly Aiko turned to him and grinned. Sanzo cursed slightly. "Well, answering your question, we're here already" Aiko chirped as she pointed a forefinger to a cave which seemed to appear all of a sudden. A large energy barrier shielded the cave. Aiko entered the cave before anyone else and by a swift movement of her hand, which she swung in the air several times, the energy barrier slowly faded away. Goku and Sanzo entered the cave as soon as the barrier's gone.
"Dai!" Goku yelped in joy at seeing the sleeping baby, cradled by blocks of stone. The baby was sleeping, just the way Aiko left before. Aiko checked on the baby before retreating to the other side of the cave, dragging Goku with her.
Aiko made Goku sits on a stone and she herself kneeled in front of him. "Now, let me look at your wound again" she said. "Take off your shirt" Aiko ordered as she retrieved her backpack, taking out a bottle of iodine and a role of cotton bandage. She left the backpack behind, together with Dai, before she ran off to the direction from which she heard a gunshot.
"Oki!" Goku sounded happy. He was about to strip off the shirt from his body when he remembered something. "Nope! I don't want to take off my shirt" he refused, looking away from Aiko.
Aiko smiled. "And may I know why?" she asked, politely.
Goku was astounded. "You're not going to get mad at me and threat to kiss me?" he asked with eyes as round as a ping-pong ball. Aiko giggled and shook her head for the answer. Now she understood why the kid suddenly became stubborn. Goku pouted. "Not fair" he grumbled.
"WHACK!!" straight on the face the harisen went, sending Goku to fall off the stone and landed on his butt.
"Ittai!!!" Goku flinched as he rubbed his face, now having a slash-like bruise across it. "Nande sun dai yo Sanzo?" he asked.
"That's for being such a perverted saru!" Sanzo scolded him. 'The saru hung up too much with that perverted kappa, he had turned into one!'
"I am not!" Goku argued, a little bit embarrassed at that remark. He just wanted some affection from a girl, a sister, just like Aiko. All this time, he always hung around with a bunch of older guys and now, he wanted something different. He just wanted to feel how was it to have a sister around instead of a big bully brother like Gojyo, always smiling brother like Hakkai or the short tempered one, Sanzo. Not that he didn't like them, he loved them so much. But they always bully him anytime they have the chance. 'That excludes Hakkai of course'.
Aiko giggled, covering her mouth with one palm and looked at Goku. The boy blushed. She held out a hand and grabbed the boy's arm, helping him to settle back on the rock.
Goku stuck out his tongue to Sanzo while wiping dust from his shirt. He hid himself behind Aiko when Sanzo gave him a deadly glare.
Aiko laughed politely. "Ma…ma…Sanzo, calm down" she said, shielding Goku from Sanzo's I'm-going-to-kill-you glare. "If you moved around too much, you are risking of opening your wound again and that wouldn't be good" She mentioned in a gentle voice.
"Ch!" Sanzo put a cigarette in between his lips. He was going to light it when Aiko stared at him with a threatening ayes. Sanzo grunted, he looked at the baby who was now sleeping soundly.
Sanzo looked back at Aiko, the girl was shaking her index finger, as a sign of no. Sanzo sighed. 'This girl is a duplicate of Hakkai'. Sanzo never won over Hakkai, now he can add in Aiko into his list of 'I never won over…' with Hakkai on top of the list. He kept his cigarette back in the cigarette pack.
Aiko smiled. She turned to Goku, who was tugging at the back of her vest. She kneeled in front of Goku and ruffled his hair.
"Is that it? You didn't want to take off your shirt because you think I would get mad at you and kiss you for a punishment?" Aiko asked for confirmation. Goku nodded solemnly, he felt a little bit ashamed of himself. She swept away a lock of brown hair on the boy's forehead. Aiko smiled.
Goku hung his head low. "Well, I thought I would get a kiss if I disobeyed you" explained Goku. "You said to Sanzo, you would kiss him if he doesn't listen to you"…ah…Goku, too innocent to understand the situation.
"Baka" Sanzo shook his head in annoyance. Actually, he didn't buy it when Aiko said she would kiss him if he disobeyed her order. Aiko would never do it even though she has the dare. But the voice, Reika's voice kept ringing in his head, making him giving up to Aiko.
Aiko chuckled. "You know what? You don't have to disobey me to get a kiss, just ask for it" Aiko chirped. "For you, I give a special treat" A loving curled appeared on her lips.
"Nani?" Goku couldn't catch it up.
"If you take off your shirt and behave, I'll kiss you" promised Aiko. Her hand brushed the boy's face, and without Goku noticing it, her hand gleamed in pink light and healed the bruise, courtesy of Sanzo's legendary harisen. Aiko swept away the beads of sweat on Goku's forehead.
"Honto ni?" Goku asked with delightful tone.
Aiko nodded her head eagerly.
Goku quickly took off his shirt, revealing spots of bruises on his skinny body and the scar made by the last injury. Goku flinched when Aiko touched his battered body.
Aiko smiled, more of sympathy. She stared at Goku silently, seemed like she's thinking of something. Aiko then pulled out the cork from the iodine bottle and poured a drop of the iodine onto a cotton cloth.
"Hihihi…" Goku chuckled. Aiko looked at him with wonder.
"What's so funny about me treating your wound?" Aiko asked with a smile. She might as well wants to share the fun.
"Hi..hi..you are as same as Hakkai" Goku mentioned. "Hakkai always brought first aid kit with him, wherever he goes, all the time" he continued. He smiled in glee. In the meantime, he just let her do her work, fixing him up.
Aiko dabbed the iodine on Goku's bruises, making the latter moaned. "Well, you have to be prepared for the unexpected, especially when you got injury prone mates on board" Aiko was sneering at that remark.
Goku was able to understand that remark and he smiled embarrassingly. Even Sanzo was cursing slightly at Aiko's back.
"Okay, finished already!" Aiko chirped. She ruffled Goku's hair and gave the boy a peck on the cheek. At instance, Goku blushed. "I've kept my promise" said Aiko, smiling at Goku with a sincere smile.
Aiko brushed locks of hair on Goku's temple, revealing a scar that still trickling blood. "Oh! I missed one here" Aiko mentioned. She took a hanky out of her pocket and heated it by using a ki-beam. Aiko dabbed the hanky on Goku's scar, making the boy hissed painfully.
Aiko held Goku's chin in her hand and lifted his face so Goku would look at her eyes to eyes. "Does it hurt too much?" Aiko asked tenderly. 'Goku was indeed a strong boy, but he is still a boy physically, even his body sometime suffered due to too much injuries.
Goku put one hand behind his head and chuckled merrily. "Iya!!" he denied it with a melodious tone.
The older girl shook her head and smiled. 'The boy is still trying to act tough'. "You know Goku, my father once told me about a legend of a kiss that cured all pain and sorrow" Aiko sat down on a rock, facing Goku. "Do you want me to tell you the legend?"
"Hai! Hai!" Goku hopped up and down eagerly. He put on his shirt and sat steadily in front of Aiko.
Aiko coughed once and proceeded. "Once upon a time, there's a town in the east" Aiko started narrating a fairy tale. "The townsfolk lived happily and peacefully, youkai and human lived together hands in hands until one day, a deadly disease spread upon the town, causing a lot of people, man, woman, children, fell sick" Aiko narrated the story with her eyes closed, as if she's trying to recall the plot of her story.
Sanzo looked away. "Ch! Baka!" Sanzo murmured softly, only to be heard by his own ears.
"So, the townsfolk got bedridden, and they lived in suffering and agony because there was no cure for the disease" Aiko took a deep breath. She said her latter statement with a scorn face, trying to put a mix of emotion it her story. She opened one eye and peeped at Goku, the boy was listening attentively. "Until one day, a goddess came down to the village and flew her kisses all around the town" she's almost finished.
"Then, what happened?" Goku stepped down from the rock he's sitting on and sat down on the ground near Aiko's feet. He crossed his arms on Aiko's knees and rested his chin on it.
"Then, the kisses flew around and landed on every sick person's cheek and it miraculously cured their sickness" Aiko ensued as she caressed Goku's head.
"Honto?" Goku was amazed. He stared at Aiko with bewildered look.
Aiko nodded, followed by a 'humph'.
"Hai! Since then, the townsfolk believed that a kiss can cure any sickness, from the one eyes can see to the deepest scar that was far beyond human sight" Aiko finished the tale. "Owari!" she ended it formally.
"Sugee!!" Goku cheered. Well, don't blame it on the boy, none of his fellow comrades ever read him a bedtime stories before.
"Goku!" Aiko called out, reaching both hands and took Goku's in it. She held the hands firmly. Goku looked puzzled and by the time Aiko surprisingly planted a kiss on his scar, Goku startled. He never expected that. "Do you feel better now?" she asked afterwards.
"I…I…" Goku stuttered. His eyes started to water. Any moment now he could shed tears. But deep inside, he did felt a lot better. Aiko smiled as she held Goku closer and pulled him in her embrace. She threw her arms around Goku and cuddled him tightly. Secretly, she planted a ghostly kiss on Goku's hair.
Sanzo looked away. Too much emotion involved. He glanced through the opening of the cave, the light slowly fading away, giving way to nightfall. Darkness slowly hovered the land.
Aiko released Goku from her embrace. "Now, would you help me get the firewood? It's getting a bit chilly in here"
"Hai!" Goku ran out of the cave happily. What could he asked for more? He already got what he wanted.
"Don't go too far" Aiko reminded the young heretic, just as protective as an elder sister should be. She retreated to her own task, cleaning the place up, as soon as she's sure Goku had heard her.
"This town you were talking about…where was it?" asked Sanzo, looking at Aiko curiously. It may sounds weird, but the legend does exist from where he came from.
"Well…well…Sanzo, I never thought you would listen" the girl sneered. Sanzo grumbled. "Hi…hi…it's just a legend I've heard from my father when he wanted to put me to bed" Aiko explained. "Dunno if it's true, but it sure worked everytime I practiced it…kiki.." She giggled in glee. She knew well that who ever could understand her silly remark; it would be Sanzo, not counting Hakkai and Gojyo if they were here.
"Gee…" Aiko looked away, out of the cave. "I hope Hakkai, Gojyo and Kazo were all right" a deep sigh escaped her mouth.
"They'll be fine" Sanzo reassured, an act that was so rare to Sanzo, this Genjo Sanzo. But he couldn't help it, the girl helped them much and that's the only thing he could do to return her favor.
Aiko smiled, but the flicker of concern didn't fade away from her face.
"Daijoubou ka, Aiko?" Goku asked. He had returned with a bundle of firewood, only to find Aiko with a distress look on her face.
Aiko's tone and mood immediately changed when she turned her face to meet Goku's. She presented a cheerful smile for the boy. "Hai!" she answered happily.
Goku changed back to his genki self. He arranged the firewood and Aiko put it on fire. They huddled close to the fire, to get themselves warmed up. Aiko glanced over to Goku who was shivering slightly. She reached out a hand and pulled Goku closer to her. She let the boy leaned his head on her shoulder.
'Phew! Lucky me…Dai haven't woke up from his sleep or else I'm in trouble' Aiko thought gratefully. In a moment, she heard a soft low moans from under arm. Goku had already fallen asleep, may be because of the fatigue from today's fight.
"Go to sleep" Sanzo suddenly gave out an order. Aiko looked up, Sanzo was not even looking at her. Aiko smiled slightly, forming a thin curl at the corner of her lips. "I'll take the first watch"
"Arigatou" Aiko bowed her head slightly. She lifted Goku onto her lap and leaned his back against her chest. She herself leaned against the cave wall and rested her chin on Goku's head. Aiko hugged Goku tightly in her arms and closed her eyes.
Sanzo's lips curled. A serene look fell upon his face as he glanced at the sleeping figures, two of the most fragile beings on Genkai and perhaps on Tenkai too. He folded his arms around his chest and leaned against the cave wall behind him.
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Far above in Tenkai
Kanzeon giggled merrily as she glanced over her lotus pond, to the image of the three people sheltered in a cave.
"Kanzeon Bosatsu? May I know why are you laughing?" Jiroushin couldn't help himself from asking, as the kannon-sama hadn't stop giggling since she last observed upon Sanzo-ikkou's journey.
"Hi…hi…the girl is narrating her own past to that saru. What a twist of fate?" Kanzeon smirked. "A girl growing up with people around her telling her the legend which supposed to be her own past" she sneered at she gazed upon sleeping Aiko.
"Kanzeon Bosatsu?" Jiroushin looked at Kanzeon.
"Pity her…The Goddess of Love…" Kanzeon rested her chin on her hand, which she anchored on her throne.
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Hakkai looked at Gojyo, who was snoring soundly with Kazo lying on his outstretched legs. Gojyo's hands were both on Kazo's hair and back. They remained in that position after being too tired due to too much bickering. Actually they were tugging at each other's hair before they fallen asleep a moment ago. To prove it, Kazo's hand still tugged at a lock of Gojyo's hair with the latter's head hung so low, it looked like Gojyo almost rested his face on Kazo's back.
Hakkai smiled in glee. That's a cute sight, only if he had a camera with him right now.
"Where could they be?" Hakkai whispered softly as he glanced at sleeping Harkuryu and Nimmiku. Wherever their other companions were, he hoped they were safe and sound and most importantly, he hoped that they were all together.
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"Hu…hu…" Reika was crying for her shattered kite. She wept sadly as Koryuu lifted the kite. He looked at her with pity. 'This kite was her favorite'. The girl's tears streamed down her chubby cheeks.
"Ma…ma…Reika, I'll fix it up" he looked at the weeping girl then turned to the kite, the damage was too huge. Any effort of fixing it up would be a waste. It would never fly again. "Much better, I'll make you a new one" he promised.
"Honto ni?" the girl lifted her face, the sweet smile returned to her lips. The tears stopped trickling down. "Honto honto ni?" she kept asking.
"Hai!" He nodded merrily.
"Koryuu-nii-chan, sankyu na?" the girl leaped forward and gave Koryuu a bear hug. Koryuu jerked back by the sudden weight on his skinny body but then stabilized himself. He smiled and returned that hug.
"Come on, I'll give you a piggyback ride home" offered Koryuu, and the girl hopped up and down happily, clapping her hands.
Koryuu bent down and helped the girl climbed onto his back. Her chubby arms hugged Koryuu's neck and her chin rested on his shoulder.
"Ready?" Koryuu asked, looking forward to the sight of Chang-an temple down at the foothill.
"Hai!" the little girl answered and Koryuu started running down the slopes. The girl at her back cheered happily.
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"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. He looked at Aiko and Goku. The latter two were sleeping tightly, so did the baby. "Why am I getting all this memories about her?" he asked himself.
Sanzo looked into the fire.
"Why can't I forget her?" Sanzo whispered down his throat. "Reika…."
To be continue……
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Ayie: For those who had reviewed my fic, Arigatou minna-san. Your reviews did encourage me to keep on writing the fic. Do remember the legend because I'll bring it up again, somewhere in the coming chapters and as you'd read, the legend was the OC's past that was back in Tenkai.
Aiko: Wou…really? I don't know that.
Gojyo: And who's this Reika anyway? Is she Sanzo's ex-girlfriend?
Sanzo: Kuruso!!!! Whacked Gojyo's head continuously and furiously
Ayie: Reika? Let's wait cos I'm not going to reveal it too soon. Bad bad me…Ai…do inform me if the fic is getting too slow at pace and if it's making you bored… do tell me..and if you have any idea on how to make the fic more interesting, do add it in your review. Oki..Sayonara… ops! Thanks Ultra-san for correcting the 'daijoubou'. ^_^
