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: I finally finished a short humor fic about Goku having chickenpox in 'Chickenpox Blues'. My first attempt to write humor fic actually occurs to me after recalling the event of my father chasing me all around the house to get me to take the medicine for my fever….Well, that actually happened when I was sooo little…don't know how the respond on the fic would be….
Sanzo: Oi oi! Don't boast about other fic when you're doing this fic… it's a waste of time..you got a another chapter to finish.
Ayie: Honto ni? Sanzo: slapped forehead with annoyance first she's crazy…and now she's having amnesia.. pulled Ayie's hand and dragged her toward the laptop now…start typing!!!made Ayie sat down in front of the laptop and switched it on for her
Ayie: stared at the laptop blankly Sanzo: vein popping on forehead Hayaku baka onna!! Start the chap… Ayie: grumbled grumbled grumbled
Goku: Ayie-nee-chan, start writing onegai….looked at ayie with a puppy look and gave her a peck on the cheek Ayie: Hai!!! start typing like crazy
Hakkai: chuckled Yare…yare…looks like no one can win over Goku… Gojyo: shook head in disbelief
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Chapter 15 – The Hidden Truth
Hakkai glanced at Kazo, who's walking to the door with a trembling gait. "Kazo…" Hakkai's voice popped out at a sudden when Kazo pushed the door opened. Kazo turned around to him and smiled. "Where are you going?" asked Hakkai asked as he returned the smile with a very thin curl on his lips.
"I just want to get the firewood" Kazo answered with a feeble voice. He smiled to Hakkai and glanced toward Aiko, who was lying unconscious on the bed. He looked back to Hakkai. Hakkai had been sitting by Aiko's bedside since several hours ago. Kazo turned his head away and stepped outside the hut and closed the door softly.
Hakkai watched with a wretched look as the boy left the hut. He glanced to the fireplace. There was still a high stack of firewood, enough to keep the fire burning for the whole night. Hakkai sighed. 'The boy is faking out a reason to hide his true feeling'. Hakkai turned to look at Goku. The young companion of theirs didn't look any better than Kazo. He sat by Aiko's bedside since the first time they found the forsaken hut and rested Aiko on the bed in it.
"Goku" Hakkai called out. Goku looked up to Hakkai and waited for the brunette to say something. "Can you go after Kazo?" Hakkai asked. He knew well that it took a kid to understand how a kid felt, and he was sure that Goku would understand how Kazo would have felt at this time.
Goku rose up and headed toward the door. But then, he stopped and turned around. "Hakkai" he walked back to Aiko's bed and stood by Hakkai's side. Hakkai looked down to Goku and raised his eyebrows. "She would be fine right?" he asked. Hakkai smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. He nodded unwillingly.
Goku gripped Hakkai's arm. "Why don't you try kissing her?" he asked as he stared upon Aiko's still face. That statement left Hakkai astonished. Flushes of red appeared on his face at sudden. He gazed down to the boy next to him.
"Wh…why..you..ssa..said…that?" Hakkai stuttered. He was terribly embarrassed. Does Goku know how he really felt? But he was sure he never showed how he truly felt toward Aiko.
"Sorewa.." Goku hung his head low. "Aiko told me about the legend of the kiss that could cure any sickness, even the deadliest one" He explained, as naïve as a kid would be. "You just kiss her and may be she'll be fine" Goku urged Hakkai as he pushed the emerald eyed man to bent down toward Aiko.
Gojyo, who was sitting at the corner of the hut, glanced at Hakkai and Goku. He smirked as he realized that Hakkai's face was blushing severely and there's a sense of guilt flickered in the brunette's eyes. Gojyo pushed himself to his feet and flinched at the stabbing pain in his chest. Hakkai healed the wound a moment ago and what was left of it was the pain he's having right now. He walked in a feeble gait toward Goku and Hakkai.
"Goku" Gojyo put a hand on Goku's shoulder, making the boy stopped pushing Hakkai. Goku looked up to him. "Let's go after Kazo" He said as he dragged Goku with him. He looked back to Hakkai from the very end of his ruby eyes. 'Now you owe me one Hakkai'. Gojyo turned his gaze toward the door, into the silence of the night. Goku on the other hand didn't even protest as he was dragged out of the hut by the red haired hanyou.
Hakkai sighed as he watched Goku left with Gojyo. He turned and looked around the hut. Sanzo was leaning against the wall. That monk hadn't turned his gaze upon Aiko since they last entered the hut. Aiko had being lying unconscious and motionless since they left the battlefield. She struggled to fight for her life since then and the result of her battle hadn't yet being decided. She was still struggling, fiercely. Xiang's last blow broke several of her ribs and dislocated the join in her shoulder. That didn't count her inner wounds, which were fatal.
"Naa Sanzo" Hakkai broke the silence that's hovering the air in the hut. "You really think she's your long lost friend?" asked Hakkai, curiously. Sanzo had mentioned about him having a thought that Aiko could be his long lost childhood friend named Reika. But he was not sure of it until he heard the answer from Aiko's own mouth, which was impossible right now since Aiko was really in a bad shape.
Sanzo grunted. "Actually not only a friend, but a sister by oath" He answered. "We swore to be brother and sister forever and be bound by the bond until we died" Sanzo explained.
Hakkai smiled. "Sou ka…." He stared upon Aiko's face. The girl's face is forming beads of sweat as her body trembled with cold. Hakkai fastened the blanket around Aiko's body and swept the sweat away. He took a piece of cloth and soaked it with water from the bucket by Aiko's bedside. Hakkai squeezed the water away and dabbed the damp cloth on Aiko's burning face. Hakkai had used almost three quarter of his energy to heal Aiko's wound and what remained was a high fever that was still going up and up.
Hakkai folded the damp cloth and put it on Aiko's forehead. He caressed Aiko's face soothingly as the latter moaned softly. Hakkai sighed. 'Aiko was human and as a human, she will never recovered from her wound instantly'
Sanzo looked at Hakkai from the corner of his eyes. One glimpse and he had already known what was going on in Hakkai's mind and probably in his heart too. Sometime he just wished he didn't have the ability to hear other people's inner voice. It's too private at times and Sanzo didn't want to listen without the owner's permission. Sanzo rose up to his feet and went toward the door.
"Sanzo, where are you going?" asked Hakkai as he glanced toward Sanzo. The monk halted at his last pace and grunted. He didn't even turned around to look at the brunette.
"I'm going for a night walk" he answered as he pushed the door opened and stepped outside. But then, he stopped and muttered "You might want to try kissing her like Goku had suggested…the legend was actually a real one" with that he stepped further and disappeared in the dark.
Hakkai stammered at the monk's last utterance. He never expected that to come out from the blonde guy's mouth. In fact it never came across his mind that Sanzo would actually agreed with Goku. Hakkai stared at Aiko's face and sighed sadly. The girl reminded of Kannan. Her hair, her smiles, her words, her tenderness… Hakkai let out a deep breath. But he actually found her attractive in her own ways, not because she resembled his long gone wife. There's something in Aiko that made him felt uneasy. If he were to love her, it would be for her being herself not for her being another Kannan. And that was what Hakkai felt about Aiko right now. He's falling for her.
Hakkai reached out a hand and touched Aiko's cheek, so soft but yet so cold. His hand wandered around the girl's face and at the same time sweeping the sweats off. Aiko moaned softly and stirred restlessly as Hakkai's hand moved around her face. Hakkai stopped his hand gesture. 'May be she doesn't want me by her side'. But then, he was proved wrong when Aiko suddenly grasped at his shirt tightly as he wanted to stand up and go away. Hakkai sunk back to the bed, by Aiko's side and looked at the latter's face. She's having a convulsion and the pain seemed to kill her. Aiko gasped desperately for air. Her chest heaved painfully as she breathed.
"Hakkai, please don't go" Aiko whispered in between her painful breath. Aiko didn't even open her eyes, yet she knew it was Hakkai by her side. She cried softly and gritted her teeth, trying to hold the pain with her strong will to survive.
"Iya…I'm not going anywhere" Hakkai reassured as he held Aiko's hand tightly in his own. With his other hand, he caressed the girl's head. "I'm here with you" Hakkai continued as he drew Aiko's hand near to his face and kissed it tenderly. He just wished he could do something to shoo the pain away but he just couldn't. He could not use his healing power to heal the injury that was caused by the chemical reaction of the body. The heat was paralyzing Aiko's body system but the girl's defense system refused to surrender. Hakkai knew very well that there's a fierce battle going on inside Aiko's body and if she could not handle it, the battle might cost her life.
Hakkai fell downcast at his disability to help Aiko reduced the pain. He was not able to do anything to at least help her fell calm. Hakkai sunk his face into Aiko's palm, which he was holding tight in his own.
"Why don't you try kissing her?"
"Aiko told me about the legend of the kiss that could cure any sickness, even the deadliest one"
"You might want to try kissing her like Goku had suggested…the legend was actually a real one"
Goku and Sanzo's voice popped out in Hakkai's mind at sudden, making the emerald- eyed man stammered. He lifted his face and stared at Aiko. "A kiss?" Hakkai uttered beneath his breath. He shook the thought away. Hakkai was too obsessed with modern medical practice that it's impossible for him to think twice about carrying out a superstitious practice. But then, may be it was worth to try since he had no other choice left.
Hakkai bent down and drew his face closer to Aiko's. Being unsure, he hesitated and almost cancelled his attempt. But Aiko's convulsed for the second time, making Hakkai quickly landed a peck on the girl's forehead. His kiss stayed on the girl's temple for quite some time before he drew his lips to the lower part of Aiko's face. Hakkai stared at the girl's sweating face before he sunk his lips to hers and amazingly, the convulsion ceased and Aiko stopped moaning. The pain seemed to go away.
Hakkai lifted his face from hers. He smiled gratefully. The legend was proven right. A kiss could cure even the deadliest pain. Aiko had once again fell into her deepest sleep and rested peacefully. Hakkai sighed with relief. He might get a little carried away, but he did help the girl to ease down. 'Never mind, I'll apologize later'.
Hakkai pulled the blanket on Aiko's body and covered the latter's body to her neck. He smiled as he brushed away a lock of raven black hair on Aiko's forehead. "Just rest… We'll talk about this later, when you wake up"
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Kazo dropped the dried sticks that he had collected from around the area near the hut on the ground. Goku and Gojyo looked at him as he returned their gaze with a wide smile. Gojyo forced himself to smile. "There goes, we'll never freeze for tonight" Kazo exclaimed as he gazed down to the sticks. He hugged himself as he felt a sudden breeze blew on him. "It's quite chilly tonight"
Goku and Gojyo exchanged glances and turned back to Kazo. Now Kazo was heading toward the river. "Kazo?" Goku called out.
"I'm going to do fishing…" Kazo waved his hand without turning his face to them. He ran to the river as he wiped the streaming tears on his cheeks with a swift movement of his arms. He didn't want to cry, it would only makes him weak. But he couldn't help it because the tears were uncontrollable.
"K'so" Gojyo grumbled as he ran over the slope for Kazo. He didn't like it when the genki boy turned his back on him in order to hide the tears. Goku tailed him from behind. Gojyo hastened his pace as Kazo was speeding into the river. He reached just in time before Kazo could lurch himself into the icy cold water. Gojyo grabbed Kazo's arm and yanked him away from the river.
"Are you crazy?!!" Gojyo yelled to Kazo's face. "What are you thinking? You want to commit suicide?" he scolded Kazo as he tightened his grip on Kazo's arm. Kazo flinched. He tried to strip himself off from Gojyo's grip but his tremendous effort was a waste. The red haired was too strong for him. "You'll freeze to death in there!"
"Let me go!!!" Kazo screamed heartily. "LET ME GO!!!" the voice was drawn out from the top of his lungs. He struggled in order to free himself but Gojyo just held him even tighter.
Gojyo didn't let go off his grip. He looked down to Kazo with sympathy. Goku joined them a little later. He was still astounded by Kazo's last attempt to get himself drown. Goku looked at Kazo with disbelief.
"I just don't want to be alone" Kazo whined sadly. He had fallen down to his knees and kneeled in front of Gojyo. His arm was still in Gojyo's firm grip. Tears ran down on his cheeks. He knew he'd promised to Aiko that he'll never cry, but he couldn't keep the promise anymore.
Gojyo sighed. He released his deadly grip on Kazo's arm. The arm fell down limply to its owner's side. Gojyo looked down to Kazo, the boy's head hung so low and locks of crimson red hair covered half of his dreary face. The boy sobbed and whined softly. Gojyo kneeled down in front of Kazo, so did Goku.
Gojyo patted Kazo's shoulder and Goku rubbed his back, trying to make him feel better.
"You want to tell us what you have in mind?" Asked Gojyo with concern tone. For the first time since they met, Gojyo had talk to the child with a soothing voice. "We might not be a good advisor like Hakkai, but we are a good listener" exclaimed Gojyo as he sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Hai!" Goku nodded eagerly.
Kazo didn't lift his face as he opened his mouth to say something. "Aiko was the only family I had, if she were to die, I'll have no one else" Kazo sobbed as he uttered the words. His shoulder trembled vigorously as he tried to hold the tears from keep streaming down on his face. "I don't want to lose her…like I lost the others" Kazo shook his head and looked up to Gojyo and Goku.
"I don't want to lose her!!!!" Kazo burst out crying and clung to Gojyo's waist at sudden. Gojyo jerked slightly to the back as the boy fell onto his body but then he regained his balance. Kazo had sunk his face to Gojyo's chest as he threw his arms around Gojyo's waist. Gojyo could feel that the boy's arms hugged him tightly as he cried his heart out and soaked Gojyo's vest with his tears. "I don't want to lose her!!!" Kazo kept crying out loud.
Gojyo felt his heart sunk when the wails had turned into long moans due to the mixed feeling of fear and sorrow in Kazo's mind and came down to his heart. Kazo's body shook tremendously as the he tried to hold the tears and the cries. Gojyo closed his eyes, trying to avoid his own tears from falling down. The way that kid wailed made him felt sad. Goku on the other hand, patted Kazo's back to shoo the fear away when all the while he himself was crying. Gojyo enveloped Kazo in his embrace and made a hushing sound.
"You are never alone and never will be" Gojyo said soothingly. He brushed Kazo's hair affectionately. "Your sister will be fine, Hakkai was treating her" Gojyo tried to remind the wailing boy.
"Hakkai will never let her die and you know that" Gojyo looked down to Kazo's head. The boy was still sobbing. "You must trust in him just as the way you trusted in Aiko" Gojyo continued. He knew he was not good in sweet talks but he wanted to try. "She never let you down before, how come she'll let you down now?" Gojyo's last statement made the tremble in the kid's body slowed and finally ceased.
Kazo looked up to Gojyo. There were still thin lines of tears trickling down his face. "Honto ni?" he asked as he brushed the tears away with the back of his palm. Gojyo nodded. There was a smile forming on Kazo's lips as he sunk his face back to Gojyo's chest. Suddenly he jerked backward and stabbed Gojyo's waist with his fist, softly. "I don't want to cry on any kappa's body" he said with a sneer.
"NANI?!" Gojyo's eyes flared with rage as he heard the latter's exclamation. "Teme…!!!" he yelled out loud as he bobbed the gaki's head with his fist. If he knew what the consequences of cheering the boy up from the first place, he would never waste his time consoling the boy.
"Ittai…." Kazo clutched his head in agony.
Gojyo looked at Goku. "And why were you crying? Are you hungry baka saru?" he teased his saru.
Goku pouted. "Don't call me saru kono ero gokiburi!!!!" Goku's temper went short by Gojyo calling him saru. He leaped to the front and tugged at Gojyo's hair. Gojyo cried in pain. Kazo joined the fight as he jumped and landed on the red haired head. He beat the kappa's head as if it's a drum. But then, he drew his mouth closer to Gojyo's left ear as the latter tried really hard to shove Goku away.
"Arigatou na Gojyo?" A voice from behind his ears penetrated into his earlobe. Gojyo smiled quietly but then he was back to his task, shoving the kids away from causing more damage to his body.
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Sanzo leaned himself against the decaying wall of the hut. The noise that came from inside the hut had finally ceased. The moans of the injured one had turned into a sigh of relief from the caretaker. Sanzo sighed. 'Hakkai had ceased her pain somehow'.
"Reika…?" Sanzo puffed out smoke from his lungs. He threw the cigarette butt onto the ground. That was his third. He looked up and gazed upon the shining stars up away on the night sky.
"Honto ni?" Reika asked him bewilderedly. Her mouth gaped at him with amazement. Then she turned back her gaze upon the sky, adoring the bright shining stars that were twinkling far above their heads. "The stars were the soul of our dead loved ones?" she asked as her eyes drooled, searching for the brightest star ever.
"Hai!" He answered as he joined the little girl watching over the stars. "Oshio-sama told me that when I was three" he explained. He pointed out to the sky; to a star that shone so bright that it emerged magnificently among the rest.
"Sugee!!" Reika cheered merrily. Suddenly she turned quiet and looked at him solemnly. "Do you think our parents were stars too?" she asked with a saddened tone.
"Perhaps" he answered, not knowing the answers. He felt his heart had tore into pieces when the little girl sitting beside him looked down to her feet and sighed. "You know what…? Those stars over there is your parents and mine were over there" he pointed up to two pairs of stars that shone brightly, close to each other.
Reika looked up and that sweet smile returned to her lips. She turned to him and punched him on the face. The punch was so soft that he didn't feel any pain. "Koryuu-nii-chan, I don't need to look at the stars to know that someone I loved is looking over me" she said as she stared at him with her sapphire blue eyes twinkling just like the stars above.
"Nani?" he stood dumbfounded, not able to figure out the meaning behind the words.
"I knew my loved one is looking over me as long as you are here with me" she said in glee. "You are my o-nii-chan" Reika threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Lastly, she presented him the real reward, a peck on the cheek.
He smiled as he returned the hug and patted the little girl's head.
"I loved you o-nii-chan" she whispered to his ears. "If I die, I prayed hard that I'll be your real sister in my next life"
"We'll be brother and sister forever" he said as he released her from his embrace.
"Promise?" the little girl asked. He nodded. "Let's swear with our pinkies" she said as she held out her right pinkie. He smiled and gripped her pinkie with his own. They locked their pinkies together and shook it once. They looked at each other's face and laughed gaily.
Sanzo grunted. He stared once again to the stars. At sudden the image of him as little Koryuu pointing a finger to a star with Reika beside him emerged in his mind. "Ch!"
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Aiko snapped her eyes opened and glanced around. She was in a strange place, which she had never remembered settling in it before. She tried to figure out what had happened before and when she remembered it all out, Aiko let out a deep breath. Looked like she had escaped from a close call of death.
Aiko tried to move her hands but then her right hand was locked in a tight grip of someone else's. She moved her head to the right and found someone sleeping by her side. His head was laid on her arm and the man held her hand so tight that she could not move a finger. The dark haired man looked all weary and worn out. Aiko smiled.
'Hakkai…'. She reached out her left hand and put it on her caretaker's head. She ran her fingers through the soft dark hair of that man beside her. 'Guess I owed him my life'. She smiled as her fingers moved on Hakkai's face, brushing the dark locks that were covering his right eye, which he had a monocle on.
Aiko strived to sit upright. Her movement caused Hakkai to jerk awake and stared at Aiko with eyes wide opened. At instant, he lent Aiko a helping hand while he's still holding her right hand in his own. Aiko looked at her with a feeble smile that still looked so sweet. She leaned herself against the wall and stared at Hakkai. The smile didn't fade a bit.
"Gomen nasai" Hakkai apologized as he realized that he still held the girl's hand in his grip. Immediately, he released the hand and chuckled edgily. Aiko giggled slightly.
"It's okay" Aiko reassured the man. "You look tired Hakkai, do you spent all of your energy on me?" she asked worriedly.
"Iya..!" Hakkai denied with a melodious tone alongside a nervous smile. But then, he stood silent and hung his head low. There's something in his heart that is so eager to come out yet he didn't have the courage to voice it out loud. Hakkai might have been a great fighter in every battles of their journey to the west but he wasn't so good at showing his feelings. "Aiko… I need to tell you something" he started to evoke a conversation. He thought this is his only chance to tell her how he really felt.
"Sure…I'm listening" Aiko replied as she looked at him soothingly. Hakkai felt his heart beat so fast and so harsh that he could hear his own heartbeats from outside. His blood seemed to rush to his face, making his face flushed red. He was about to open his mouth when the door was jerked opened, revealing the three figures that stood before it.
Hakkai slapped his head. 'There goes his only chance'
"Aiko!!" Goku and Kazo yelped happily at the sight of smiling Aiko, safe and sound. Aiko smiled, seeing the most loveable kids she ever knew. She spread her arms wide as the kids sprinted toward her and lurched into her arms. The boys hugged her tightly as if they had seen her woke up from death.
"I thought you're gonna leave me alone" Kazo muttered, trying to hold back the tears.
"Don't you ever scared us like that again" Goku continued with a dreary look on his face.
Aiko hugged the boys and gave each of them a peck on the cheek. She ruffled the boys' hair as the latter giggled happily.
"We caught some fish at the river, we'll cook it for you" said Goku as he held out a string of fresh caught fish. "We'll cook it well until you dreamed of it in your sleep" Kazo looked up to Aiko.
"Okay" Aiko agreed. "I'm starving already" she chirped merrily. The boys jumped out from the bed and headed toward the fireplace. They began to cook with joy.
Gojyo walked nearer to the bed. "I'm glad you're okay Aiko" he said, looking down at Aiko. The girl still looked a little weak, but she seemed to be okay. Aiko smiled at that statement. "It took me about half an hour to make Kazo stopped worrying about you" he exclaimed.
"Arigatou Gojyo" Aiko bowed her head slightly. She looked at Kazo and Goku, and Gojyo took that chance to slow talked with Hakkai. He put his hand on Hakkai's shoulder and looked at his companion. Hakkai looked up to him as he raised his eyebrows. The emerald-eyed man turned his gaze away from him and stared at the ground. Hakkai shook his head, making him sighed disappointedly. "Daijoubu ka Gojyo? You got quite a blow from Xiang last time" Aiko looked back to the red haired man.
Gojyo startled. "Daijoubu da" he answered after a moment of total blankness. He looked at the pair stood by the fireplace. 'Those gakis were doing it all wrong'. "I guess I better help them with the cooking or they'll burn the fish to ashes" Gojyo walked toward Goku and Kazo.
Aiko and Hakkai smiled as they looked at the trio. Now, they were not cooking, instead they are fighting over the biggest fish they had caught. Aiko looked at the chuckling Hakkai and smiled. "Hakkai, I believed you got something to tell me?" she asked.
Hakkai stammered. He giggled and shook his head nervously. "Yare…yare…I forgot" he said. Aiko sweat dropped at that answer. "Where's Sanzo?" as soon as Hakkai said that Sanzo entered the hut.
Sanzo halted at the door and stared at Aiko. He looked at Hakkai. The latter just gave him a smile. Sanzo grunted. Seemed like Hakkai had failed in his attempt. Sanzo turned back to the girl, now smiling at him.
"You got a lot of explanation to do" Sanzo warned the girl as he walked toward the chair at the corner of the hut. He had a lot to ask the girl right now, but he had to wait until tomorrow. He had to wait for the girl to be fully recovered and healed. Aiko gulped. She could not run anymore.
"Don't worry, he's not going to eat you" Hakkai reassured the girl as he sensed the look of fear on Aiko's face. Aiko smiled faintly. She stared at Hakkai and then gazed at Sanzo.
Sanzo and Hakkai, two men with two personalities. The other wanted to tell her something and the other one wanted her to tell him something. Each one of them was now making her felt restless. Now she wished she could swim into the of the men's heart and revealed the secret beyond it.
Aiko sighed heavily.
To be continue….
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Ayie: Thanks for those who read my fic and reviewed it…and also for those who read without reviewing it…any of those really helped ^__^.
Sanzo-ikkou and OCs: Thank you….Arigatou minna-san
