Chapter 6: The Blow
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own saiyuki, duncha think that's really sad??? I think so too.. Pity.
Notes: this chapter took really long to write. Not because I had no ideas, but I was because I was just plain busy! This chapter is dedicated to the best friend in the world, another insane saiyuki fan, Yue Yiao.
Review! Thankies.
Now, on to the chapter.
A few days had passed, but to Sanzo, it felt as if he had been in heaven for weeks, months, even years. He hated the endless boringness of perusing petitions, and the long and utterly meaningless (or so he thought) talks with Kanzeon. She wished to say nothing about them being in heaven and would not offer a single word of praise for his work. It was not as if he needed to hear a word of praise, but, it still would have been nice. Sanzo did not want to admit that he was scared. Scared of that woman? Perhaps. But he sure did not want to offend her. He knew that it was she that directed their mission, and knew that unless she wished to show her powers, they were pretty awesome powers. He did not want to witness a demonstration.
Goku, on the other hand, seemed at home and loving it. The gods and goddesses adored the saru and would not hesitate to feed him with countless tidbits the minute they knew of Goku's love of food. He was in food heaven, literally. He spent all his time eating if not sleeping. Most of the time, he was near Sanzo, irritating the hell out of his guardian. The paper fan descended less often, as there were less cries of "Sanzo, I'm hungry." There was no youkai to disturb him, so he took to fighting with hand to hand combat with Gojyo. "I need to stay in shape", was the excuse commonly given when Sanzo screamed at the both of them to shut up as he was working.
Hakkai found it interesting, making notes of the things he witnessed. Filing away the things he heard and witnessed, he quickly gained what seemed to be quite an admirable amount of support for one that just became a marshal a few days ago. The army gained respect for Hakkai, not just Tenpo. He found himself enjoying the work and wishing not to return to the journey. At times like that, he mentally gave himself a slap for even thinking about it, people were counting on the four of them to make a difference and stop the youkai.
Gojyo liked heaven too, if not for the goddesses, his work. Never thought to be more than a slacker of the group, he, like Hakkai, quickly proved himself to be a cut above the rest. The army never questioned his decisions, giving him a sense of accomplishment that he never knew he had. He, liked Hakkai, also wished not to return. Here, he was, in a high military post, held in high respect by all, would he rather return to where he was despised?
Sanzo sat in his usual spot, in between perusing his boring petitions and whacking Goku. He was bored stiff and realized that it was high time he had some excitement in his life. After all, who would enjoy this stuff. He spotted Homura, just then, walking along the corridor.
Heck! Anything for a bit of excitement. He hailed Homura, before he could regret it.
Homura looked shocked that his dreaded enemy would look at him and call him near. But, he came.
Goku looked at Homura wearily and disappeared. He wandered over to the lotus pond where a stiff figure was standing. He did not seem to have seen the man before, the face shrouded in shadows. In his ever cheerful and trusting tone of voice, he asked who the man was. The man only looked at him, his eyes downcast. Goku looked behind the man, at the face of someone strangely familiar, yet unknown. The figure was a boy, eyes lifeless and sad.
"Who is that?"
"That is my son."
"What happened to him?"
"Something bad. He was so young, too young to understand the true nature of his duty."
"I don't understand. Who is he?"
"He was Toushin Nataku Taishi. He was just a boy, he didn't deserve the weight of Tenkai on his shoulders."
Goku looked with interest at Nataku.
"How long has he been like that?"
"500 years."
It was indeed a long time and Goku's heart went out to the man who obviously loved his son very much. He brushed away a tear that was tickling down his cheek.
"Heaven blamed me. They thought I had forced my son into being the Toushin Taishi. They thought I wanted glory and honour and to take over Tenkai. I didn't! Why would I force my son into a duty he wished not to take in order to gain Tenkai? They'll tell you, if you ask them, that I was an evil man, that I loved no one but myself."
Goku took all that the man said in, wishing he could do something to ease the pain of the father.
"What do you wish to do?"
"I want to show Tenkai that they are wrong, that I truly loved my son. You know, my son and you were good friends, but though a misunderstanding, you quarreled. Maybe, you could help me achieve my goal?"
"How can I?"
"Take the place of Nataku. Not by being the Toushin Taishi, of course not, as Homura's still doing a great job, but show Tenkai that you will fight for them through your own free will, on my orders."
"I." Wasn't that wrong? How could you show that you loved your son in that way? By getting me to fight in his place without an actual rank? What would Sanzo think? Hakkai? Gojyo? Would they want me to help?
The man was observing Goku's every facial expression and he knew that there was a struggle within the saru. Of course, it seemed obvious that Goku was having problems with his loyalties, to go with his friends or to help someone in pain. Tough choice. It wasn't planned, it was carried out in less than a matter of seconds. In that few seconds, the man held his breath, wondering if he had done it.
What he had done was pretty painful, if you were Goku that is. He had simply hit Goku on the head with a wooden bat. Painful? Beyond doubt.
Goku lay dazed out on the floor. He was acutely aware of the large bump on his head. Funny. How could he have ended up on the floor? He slowly sat up, a hand unconsciously going up to his head and rubbing the bump.
"Are you ok?"
Goku looked in surprise at the man.
"Who are you?"
"You mean you have no idea?"
Goku shook his head, but stopped the movement quickly as it made his head throb more.
"I'm Li Tou Ten. Your father."
Goku nodded slowly, it made sense. He could only remember a few blurred words from a conversation recently. Toushin Taishi. Father. Fight for heaven.
His mind flashed back to a picture of him with three other men. A man with golden blonde hair and a smile that rarely showed, a man with startlingly green eyes and a cheerful smile, and an annoying redhead. Friends? They were fighting with a strange man, powerful in every aspect. Eyes. one gold and blue.
Li Tou Ten looked at Goku's confused expression and it took all of his will power to not shout with joy. Who said everything that went well had to be planned? It was all falling in place. It was only a matter of time before he accomplished what he set out to do, to bring about the fall of Tenkai. He would not fail this time.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own saiyuki, duncha think that's really sad??? I think so too.. Pity.
Notes: this chapter took really long to write. Not because I had no ideas, but I was because I was just plain busy! This chapter is dedicated to the best friend in the world, another insane saiyuki fan, Yue Yiao.
Review! Thankies.
Now, on to the chapter.
A few days had passed, but to Sanzo, it felt as if he had been in heaven for weeks, months, even years. He hated the endless boringness of perusing petitions, and the long and utterly meaningless (or so he thought) talks with Kanzeon. She wished to say nothing about them being in heaven and would not offer a single word of praise for his work. It was not as if he needed to hear a word of praise, but, it still would have been nice. Sanzo did not want to admit that he was scared. Scared of that woman? Perhaps. But he sure did not want to offend her. He knew that it was she that directed their mission, and knew that unless she wished to show her powers, they were pretty awesome powers. He did not want to witness a demonstration.
Goku, on the other hand, seemed at home and loving it. The gods and goddesses adored the saru and would not hesitate to feed him with countless tidbits the minute they knew of Goku's love of food. He was in food heaven, literally. He spent all his time eating if not sleeping. Most of the time, he was near Sanzo, irritating the hell out of his guardian. The paper fan descended less often, as there were less cries of "Sanzo, I'm hungry." There was no youkai to disturb him, so he took to fighting with hand to hand combat with Gojyo. "I need to stay in shape", was the excuse commonly given when Sanzo screamed at the both of them to shut up as he was working.
Hakkai found it interesting, making notes of the things he witnessed. Filing away the things he heard and witnessed, he quickly gained what seemed to be quite an admirable amount of support for one that just became a marshal a few days ago. The army gained respect for Hakkai, not just Tenpo. He found himself enjoying the work and wishing not to return to the journey. At times like that, he mentally gave himself a slap for even thinking about it, people were counting on the four of them to make a difference and stop the youkai.
Gojyo liked heaven too, if not for the goddesses, his work. Never thought to be more than a slacker of the group, he, like Hakkai, quickly proved himself to be a cut above the rest. The army never questioned his decisions, giving him a sense of accomplishment that he never knew he had. He, liked Hakkai, also wished not to return. Here, he was, in a high military post, held in high respect by all, would he rather return to where he was despised?
Sanzo sat in his usual spot, in between perusing his boring petitions and whacking Goku. He was bored stiff and realized that it was high time he had some excitement in his life. After all, who would enjoy this stuff. He spotted Homura, just then, walking along the corridor.
Heck! Anything for a bit of excitement. He hailed Homura, before he could regret it.
Homura looked shocked that his dreaded enemy would look at him and call him near. But, he came.
Goku looked at Homura wearily and disappeared. He wandered over to the lotus pond where a stiff figure was standing. He did not seem to have seen the man before, the face shrouded in shadows. In his ever cheerful and trusting tone of voice, he asked who the man was. The man only looked at him, his eyes downcast. Goku looked behind the man, at the face of someone strangely familiar, yet unknown. The figure was a boy, eyes lifeless and sad.
"Who is that?"
"That is my son."
"What happened to him?"
"Something bad. He was so young, too young to understand the true nature of his duty."
"I don't understand. Who is he?"
"He was Toushin Nataku Taishi. He was just a boy, he didn't deserve the weight of Tenkai on his shoulders."
Goku looked with interest at Nataku.
"How long has he been like that?"
"500 years."
It was indeed a long time and Goku's heart went out to the man who obviously loved his son very much. He brushed away a tear that was tickling down his cheek.
"Heaven blamed me. They thought I had forced my son into being the Toushin Taishi. They thought I wanted glory and honour and to take over Tenkai. I didn't! Why would I force my son into a duty he wished not to take in order to gain Tenkai? They'll tell you, if you ask them, that I was an evil man, that I loved no one but myself."
Goku took all that the man said in, wishing he could do something to ease the pain of the father.
"What do you wish to do?"
"I want to show Tenkai that they are wrong, that I truly loved my son. You know, my son and you were good friends, but though a misunderstanding, you quarreled. Maybe, you could help me achieve my goal?"
"How can I?"
"Take the place of Nataku. Not by being the Toushin Taishi, of course not, as Homura's still doing a great job, but show Tenkai that you will fight for them through your own free will, on my orders."
"I." Wasn't that wrong? How could you show that you loved your son in that way? By getting me to fight in his place without an actual rank? What would Sanzo think? Hakkai? Gojyo? Would they want me to help?
The man was observing Goku's every facial expression and he knew that there was a struggle within the saru. Of course, it seemed obvious that Goku was having problems with his loyalties, to go with his friends or to help someone in pain. Tough choice. It wasn't planned, it was carried out in less than a matter of seconds. In that few seconds, the man held his breath, wondering if he had done it.
What he had done was pretty painful, if you were Goku that is. He had simply hit Goku on the head with a wooden bat. Painful? Beyond doubt.
Goku lay dazed out on the floor. He was acutely aware of the large bump on his head. Funny. How could he have ended up on the floor? He slowly sat up, a hand unconsciously going up to his head and rubbing the bump.
"Are you ok?"
Goku looked in surprise at the man.
"Who are you?"
"You mean you have no idea?"
Goku shook his head, but stopped the movement quickly as it made his head throb more.
"I'm Li Tou Ten. Your father."
Goku nodded slowly, it made sense. He could only remember a few blurred words from a conversation recently. Toushin Taishi. Father. Fight for heaven.
His mind flashed back to a picture of him with three other men. A man with golden blonde hair and a smile that rarely showed, a man with startlingly green eyes and a cheerful smile, and an annoying redhead. Friends? They were fighting with a strange man, powerful in every aspect. Eyes. one gold and blue.
Li Tou Ten looked at Goku's confused expression and it took all of his will power to not shout with joy. Who said everything that went well had to be planned? It was all falling in place. It was only a matter of time before he accomplished what he set out to do, to bring about the fall of Tenkai. He would not fail this time.