Disclaimer: Yes, yes, Saiyuki is not mine, as much as I wish otherwise.
Author's notes: While it is never addressed in Saiyuki, the whole idea of this fic revolves around youkai aging much slower than humans. So while reading, please keep that in mind, otherwise, this will probably get a little confusing. It would also be good to remember that this takes place many, many, many years in the future. For simplicity's sake, we'll say 70.
Have fun, children : )
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Goku was old – very, very old. It didn't really bother him though, he still looked like a young human. He still had young girls blushing and older women shaking their heads. He still had many, many years ahead of him. As the oldest, Goku felt it was his duty to reminisce, and often went to bars with Hakkai to do just that.
Of all the times in his long life, the one Goku could never stop talking about was moment when he, Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo returned to Chouan Temple after defeating the Demon Ox King and restoring the other youkai to their more approachable forms. All four of the travelers were tired, and as Gojyo had put it, they all deserved to live the rest of their lives surrounded and cared for by hundreds of beautiful women. Sanzo had hit him for that. But Goku remembered Sanzo looking much more tired and worn out than the other three. Hakkai always said it was because he was human. They just didn't take things like fighting the Demon Ox King as well as youkai did. Goku had never taken that excuse seriously though. He was Genjo Sanzo. Fighting the Demon Ox King wasn't a big deal to him – he fought against three Gods and won.
Son Goku remembered that day as being the last one when he really saw Sanzo being alive. Ever since then, Sanzo breathed and walked and ate, but he didn't do it with the sane vigor and pride as he once had. He stopped complaining about having to preach and provide sermons, he seriously cut back on his drinking and smoking, and after a while he stopped all together. In Goku's eyes, Sanzo had stopped living.
Goku did everything he could to muster up some kind of excitement in Sanzo. He mentioned becoming a monk. Nothing. He, even in his old and mature age, broke every temple rule he could think of. Nothing. The closest Goku ever got was when he suggested that he go and move in with Hakkai and Gojyo. Sanzo had just looked up at him, glared and said, "Stupid monkey, their house is too small for another person to be living there."
After a point, Goku just couldn't deal with Sanzo emotional baggage any more. He spent a lot of nights out of the temple partying and visiting friends. And every time he returned, Sanzo just acted like he'd never left.
Everyday since then, Sanzo and Goku had slowly drifted more and more apart. Gojyo's pre-mature death and stopped the drifting for a little, but it resumed again after a few months. And now, Goku was walking down the halls of Chouan Temple in the middle of the night to visit the 93 year old, highly esteemed and respected Genjo Sanzo. When the door was opened for him and Goku stepped in, the four other monks in the room looked up at him and all quietly left the room.
After their return from defeating the Demon Ox King, the other monks in the temple actually stopped complaining about the monkey youkai that ate their holy fruit and dirtied their clean temple. Even though he and Sanzo were not as close as they used to be, Goku had helped to stop the resurrection of the demon king, so he was given nearly as much respect as Sanzo was.
"Goku… is that.. you?"
Goku looked down at the futon and could barely see the old Genjo Sanzo under the covers. His hair has lost its golden shine and his eyes were glossy. Sanzo's skin was pale and the blue veins showed clearly through it. The once bright rid chakra, was now a darker color, similar to that of blood.
"It might be dark, but I know that you are there, stupid monkey. Sit down."
Goku sighed and did as the old man said. Even though he had had a stroke just four days prior and could barely get out of bed, Sanzo was barking out orders to any one who would listen to him long enough.
"What it is, Sanzo? It's very late, you should be resting."
Goku could see Sanzo glare in the dark, "And when did you become my doctor, eh, Goku? Just shut up and listen." Sanzo's voice took on a deeper tone as he continued, "I really didn't know how to tell you all this, Goku. I was thinking of just making one of the young monks do it, but I figured that if I did, you'd just get upset and do something stupid like you always do. The doctor came to talk to me today."
Sanzo paused.
Goku figured he was supposed to say something, but he wasn't sure what Sanzo wanted him to say. Should Goku inquire about what the doctor said? Or perhaps he was supposed to assure Sanzo of his perfect health? But when Goku looked more closely at Sanzo to ask him what the doctor had said, he noticed that Sanzo had fallen asleep. His chest rose slowly up and down and he snored lightly. Goku resisted the urge to laugh and quietly excused himself from Sanzo's room and returned to his own.
About four hours later, Goku was awoken by an apprentice monk who said that Sanzo demanded his presence immediately. It was just like Sanzo to wake people up from their naps. In Sanzo's room, he was greeted by the sight of the elderly Sanzo sitting up in bed sipping on some tea.
"Ya know, Sanzo, you woke me up,"
"Oh, boo-hoo. Shut up and sit down."
Goku grimaced at this. Is was the second time that day that Sanzo had said something like that and before this day, Sanzo hadn't said it since the return to Chouan Temple.
"I forgot to tell you what the doctor said. I couldn't stay awake."
"So? What did the doctor say, Sanzo?"
Sanzo sipped his tea and took a bite of a rice cake, "That it wasn't fatal. Just a thing that happens to most elderly people. He said I should be able to go back to work in a week."
"Sanzo! I'm so glad that you're going to be alright! I –"
"Shut up, monkey. I'm not going to be alright."
Goku wasn't really sure what Sanzo meant, "What are you talking about? You said the doctor said you would be alright!"
"He did, but an old man knows when his time is drawing near."
Goku couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"Last night, after I fell asleep, I had a very vivid dream. Tell me, Goku, do you remember early in our trip west when we were attacked by Shuu-, Rikudou? I dreamt of it last night. It was so vivid. The rain, his talismans, everything, Goku. It was like I was back there. I felt the staff pierce my stomach, I saw Hakkai healing me, I saw… I saw you turn into Seiten Taisei Son Goku. Your diadem shattered, your hair and nails grew. I hadn't seen it like that ever before, Goku. You really went crazy."
Goku had his head bent down with what was left of his bangs covering his eyes, "I… I was afraid you were going to die. I couldn't control myself."
"I know, I know. It's not like you killed anyone. I was the one that put Shuuei out of his misery. It's just strange, Goku. So much has changed since then. You've never had a reason to take off your limiter since the final fight with the Demon Ox King. And it's probably been years since you've had a real reason to summon your Noibyou. You've grown a lot since then."
Goku looked down at his hands. All the blisters from fighting had now since healed and he kept his fingernail neatly trimmed. Around his 25th birthday, he'd traded in his childish diadem for a gauntlet he wore on his right arm. He'd lost the silly cape and shoulder pads and trimmed his hair short. Goku had done all of this long ago, was Sanzo just noticing it?
Sanzo noticed Goku staring seriously at his hands, so he threw a rice cracker at the boy, "Don't look so serious. Monkeys are supposed to be happy creatures. Now go frolic in the woods or whatever you like to do on sunny days."
Goku couldn't believe what he had just heard come out of Sanzo's mouth, "Sanzo! I'm not a kid any more! I don't frolic in the woods or anything like that. Jeez..." Goku stood up, "you've been acting weird ever since you had that stroke. Maybe you should get some more rest."
Goku left Sanzo's room and walked around the temple for an hour. He didn't like the idea of Sanzo knowing that his own death would come soon, and doctor even said that Sanzo was fine. But then you had to remember that a lot of doctors in the region wouldn't tell a person that was about to die that they would. The doctors said it only depressed people more. Goku's feet were getting tired of walking around the same garden and kitchen of the temple, so he left and let his feet guide him. Goku spaced out while he walked. He tried to remember every little detail of each time he turned in Seiten Taisei Son Goku and inevitably, his feet took him to Cho Hakkai's residence.
Hakkai had taken Gojyo's death especially hard, the two of them had been like brothers and were rarely out of each others company. Hakkai had barricaded himself in the house he and Gojyo had lived in and even refused to see Goku and Sanzo. After a month of being a hermit, Hakkai left his home and spent a year and a half retracing the group's path to the west. He brought back little souvenirs for Goku and Sanzo and seemed much better after his return. Unlike Sanzo, Hakkai had returned as Hakkai. The only difference in him was superficial – along the way, his monocle had some how gotten broken and the only replacement he could find in the village was a pair of glasses. Every time some one mentioned the loss of the monocle he would say that the very next day he was going to go get a new monocle – he never did.
Goku knocked loudly on the door and instantly heard Hakuryuu squeak and a few seconds later, Hakkai opened the door.
"Ah! Goku! What a pleasant surprise! Please, please, come in! Sit down, I'll go get something for us to snack on!"
As Goku was sitting down, Hakuryuu flew over to him and perched itself on his shoulder and squeaked again. Hakkai came in with two beers and a few small cookies.
"So what bring you here?" Hakkai asked he handed Goku one of the beers.
Beer was still something Goku considered to be new to him. While Gojyo had planned on it, he had never actually taken Goku to a bar for his first drink. Goku had his first complete beer about 20 years before and Sanzo had shit a brick over it for some reason Goku had never figured out. At a few big parties Goku had sneaked in a few sips and it wasn't until 5 years ago that Sanzo stopped caring about Goku's desperate want to drink alcohol.
Goku popped the lid to the beer, took a long swig, and said calmly, "Sanzo's dying."
Hakkai nearly spit out the cookie he'd been chewing on, "Dying, you say?"
"Well, he does. The doctor apparently said he was fine, but Sanzo…. Said that he felt his time was coming. How else can you take something like that?"
"And you don't think he's like being," Hakkai paused, "…dramatic?"
"I don't think he is. He's been acting really odd lately though."
"How so?"
"Well… he's been yelling and telling people what to do, and …. And well… he's acting like he did when the four of us went to the west."
Hakkai sat back in his chair and scratched his chin, "I see… could anything have provoked this?"
"He had a stroke a few days ago. The temple hasn't told the public yet though."
"Understandable. I'm no doctor, Goku, but… it really could go either way. A lot of humans get sentimental if they get as old as Sanzo is. Him saying that he's going to die soon is like me saying I'm going to live for a long while long – it's obvious."
"But what about the personality thing? And earlier he told me he dreamed about the Rikudou incident."
Hakkai shrugged, "I'm not a doctor, Goku. Maybe he's dying, maybe he's not. It's hard to say with old humans."
Goku gripped the half empty can of beer tightly, "It's not fair."
"Hm?"
"…." Goku rocked back in the chair and balanced his weight on the back two legs of the chair, "Lot's of people look up to Sanzo. He's important. If he dies… well, the shit will really hit the fan. A lot of the people will be sad. I was just thinking…. It's not fair. I'm not an important person, but I will go on living, and will for a long time."
"Well, Goku… no one ever said life was fair."
