Author's notes: Blue Crimson is one of the Ten Commandments owned by Haru from the anime Rave. The name is nice and it triggers the idea for this fic. Also, this is a LONG, ONE-SHOT fic cuz I do not think it will be nice if this fic is divided into chapters. So pls be ready to sacrifice a bit more of your time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki and I borrowed the name Blue Crimson from the anime Rave. But only the name. The character is mine…hahaha! And so are the other weird characters and names that you guys have not heard before.

Title: Blue Crimson

Author: IvyRa

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A pair of sparkling blue eyes was watching intensely. And even as the group drove off, the eyes were still focused on them. They were on the move again. She had to be at the next destination before them, just like always. Smiling to herself, she knew that it was almost time for one of the members of the group to meet her up-close and personal. And in a blink of an eye, she was gone.

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"Haraheta…" Goku moaned. But no one paid him any attention.

"Haraheta…." This time the moan was louder. Still he extracted no response whatsoever from the two people he knew would have shushed him by then.

Goku's eyes wandered to the crimson haired man beside him. The man was looking in the distance, his face contorted in an unusual expression. He looked like he was immersed deep in thoughts.

Through the side mirror, Goku saw that the blond monk had his eyes closed and arms crossed, with a thin line of scowl stretched on his lips. So it could mean that Sanzo was sleeping or was in the 'don't-disturb-me-or-you'll-die' mode.

Goku frowned as he turned his attention to Hakkai next. Usually even when there was no smile plastered on the beautiful face of his, Hakkai would still look friendly and approachable. But the man now wore a rigid face. What was wrong with the three of them? Why were they acting strange?

"Ne, Hakkai…." Goku called out quietly. Even though the three older men were all looking serious, Goku was willing to bet that Hakkai would be the only one who would answer him.

Just as he predicted, Hakkai immediately snapped out from his trance. A smile began to appear but it looked kind of taut to Goku. "Hai…what is it, Goku?" Hakkai asked as he looked through the rearview mirror.

Goku leaned closer and rested his head on Hakkai's shoulder. "Why are you guys acting so strange?"

The emerald-eyed man gazed at the golden eyes through the mirror; eyes that were filled with youthful innocence. "You are so innocent, Goku…" Hakkai sighed.

The golden eyes widened, not understanding. "Nani?"

Hakkai chuckled. "You see, Goku…once we get through the forest up ahead, we are going to be one step closer to the end of our mission. Beyond this forest is India, the holy land where Buddhism was born. And India is also home to Gyuumaoh and Kougaiji and the others. India is where our final battle will take place. So you see, every one of us here are somewhat worried about what might happen."

"Whoever said I was worried?" a deep voice intoned.

Goku turned to face his sun while Hakkai chuckled again. "Hai…hai….so you are not worried. My apologies."

"Chh…."Sanzo muttered as he cast a sidelong glance towards Goku and Hakkai.

"Ah, our Sanzo-sama is just too egoistic to admit the truth…" drawled the crimson haired man but stopped as he felt the cold end of a silver pistol pressed against his throat.

"Do you have a death wish, redhead?" Sanzo's voice was murderously low.

"I want to die with a woman in my arms," Gojyo cracked but as he felt the pistol pressed even harder, he held up his hands. "Ok, ok…enough already. Point that thing somewhere else!"

"Watch what you are saying next time," Sanzo warned as he withdrew the pistol into his robes.

"Minna-san....we are entering the forest soon. This is the last leg of our mission. And there is no turning back now."

Sanzo, Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo looked dead on to the spread of forest in front of them. Flashes of previous heated battles came flooding through their minds. They also recalled the ups and downs they all had shared. And now, everything that they had went through boiled down to the final battle. If they survived, their memories would serve as bittersweet reminders. But if they lost…..

"Hang on, minna-san. Here we go…."

And Hakuuryu leapt into the forest……

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The journey through the forest had been surprisingly easy. There were no youkais attacking them and there was also no sign of Kougaiji and his gang. Everyone was quiet throughout the ride; not once had they spoke to each other. Even Goku was not up to his usual complains. Hakkai glanced at Sanzo who had his eyes closed again. He then looked at Gojyo and Goku through the rearview mirror. Both had their heads turned against each other and were staring blankly at the passing scenery.

When he turned his attention back to the trail, his green eyes widened in shock. Standing up ahead in the middle of the trail was a black, hooded figure. Immediately, Hakkai pressed on the brakes and the jeep came to a screeching halt. Sanzo had jerked forward while Gojyo and Goku were in a tangle of limbs.

"You could have at least shouted a warning," Sanzo grumbled indignantly.

"Sumimasen…"

"Oi, Hakkai…you better brush up on your driving skills," Gojyo grunted as he tried to push Goku off him. "Get off me, baka saru!"

"You get off me, perverted erokappa!"

"Urusai!" Sanzo bellowed as he smacked his harisen squarely on both Gojyo's and Goku's heads.

"Maa…maa…do be quiet, minna-san. We have a visitor," Hakkai cautioned.

The other three fixed their eyes on the hooded figure that was approaching them. "Who is that?" Goku inquired.

Strange but I do not feel any demonic presence "Get out of the jeep now." Sanzo instructed.

A few moments later, the four were standing side by side with weapons readied. The hooded figure neared and when it was inches from them, it stopped. The hooded figure then flicked off its black cloak, revealing a white, flowing robe underneath and a face with fiery, red hair and closed eyes.

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"It's a girl…" Goku gasped.

Red hair…just like mine. Is she a tabooed child too? Gojyo could not help but stared.

The young woman whose fiery red hair was tied back in a high ponytail, interlaced with white and gold ribbons, and puffy bangs cupping her heart-shaped face was strikingly beautiful. Her white robe was long and high necked and the sides had slits up till her thighs, revealing matching, white silk tights. The robes had elaborate, gold embroideries and a pair of gold silk slippers adorned her feet. She was indeed a sight to behold.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sanzo asked brusquely as he pointed his pistol to the mysterious stranger. It seemed like the woman's beauty had no effect on him whatsoever. Gojyo was almost close to drooling while Goku was gaping with admiration. Even Hakkai had not moved an inch.

The young woman smiled yet her eyes remained closed. "I've been waiting for you, Genjo Sanzo." Her voice was pure yet sultry.

Sanzo frowned. He did not sense any demonic aura but instead, a strong, almost godly presence radiating from her. Not another one of those annoying gods?

"I'm asking you for the last time…who are you and what do you want?"

The smile appeared again. "Patience is never your virtue. Well, I shall indulge you then." She straightened herself and held her head up high. And in a flash, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of clear, blue sapphires. "I am known as…Blue Crimson. And I am here for you, Genjo Sanzo."

"Blue Crimson?" the four exclaimed.

Masaka…it couldn't be her. She is the Blue Crimson? Hakkai was startled. A story from his childhood days came to his mind. A story that the nuns at the orphanage he grew up in loved to tell; the story of Blue Crimson. But it was supposed to be just a legend.

"Er, excuse me Blue Crimson-san but are you really the Blue Crimson?" Hakkai asked.

Sanzo, Goku and Gojyo turned to Hakkai. "You know her, Hakkai?" Sanzo questioned suspiciously.

The emerald-eyed man gazed at the woman who claimed to be Blue Crimson. She did fit the description, though. She was smiling at him, as if encouraging him to tell what he knew. "I recalled a childhood story about the Blue Crimson. Hundreds of years ago, youkais were wild and stirring up terror and hate. They could not co-exist with humans. To make matters worse, the gods and angels were at a disagreement as to how to achieve peace."

Hakkai paused a while. "The gods wanted to use all the five sutras and eliminate the entire youkai race while the angels wanted to use peaceful means. The gods then gave their word that if the angels succeed, they will not harm the youkai race and will set aside a sanctuary for the angels which will allow the latter to be independent of the gods."

"The angels succeeded in curbing the youkais and granted them humanity. One of the elite angels even went as far as marrying the youkai king, Gyuuren. Their union created the first angel-youkai child, destined to maintain peace on Togenkyo. The child had the characteristic blue eyes of an angel but just like a child from the union of human and youkai, the hair was red, instead of the characteristic white. The child serves as a reminder that peace could be achieved without harsh means. And because of her coloring, she was nicknamed Blue Crimson."

Sanzo observed the stranger. "Gyuuren? Is he…"

Hakkai nodded his head. "Gyuuren is related to Gyuumaoh. Gyuuren is the father, which makes Blue Crimson and Gyuumaoh siblings."

"I'm afraid that piece of information is wrong, Cho Hakkai." Blue Crimson smiled as the rest looked at her questionably. "I may be Blue Crimson, but I'm the third generation. The first Blue Crimson is my grandmother."

Blue Crimson stepped closer to the group until she was standing face to face with Sanzo. "I have been waiting for this moment to come, Genjo Sanzo." And she leaned towards the blond monk and pressed her lips to his.

Amethyst eyes widened in surprise while three other pairs of eyes watched with amazement. Sanzo was about to push her away but the young woman had retreated.

"Why you…." Sanzo snarled.

Blue Crimson wagged a finger, a slow smile on her face. "Is that the way to treat your guardian angel?"

"Guardian angel?" Hakkai exclaimed.

"How can a corrupt monk like him have such a beautiful guardian angel?" Gojyo shrieked. A throbbing vein appeared and Sanzo was quick to fire his pistol towards Gojyo's direction. "Oi, oi…watch where you are pointing!"

"Hakkai….what is a garden angel?"

The emerald eyed man stifled a laugh while Gojyo and Sanzo rolled their eyes. "It's not garden angel, Goku….it's guardian angel. Guardian angels protect people that need looking after."

Another throbbing vein appeared. "What are you trying to say, Hakkai?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Sanzo saw that Blue Crimson was laughing merrily. His heart skipped a beat. But he quickly regained composure and frowned at Blue Crimson. "I do not believe in guardian angels and neither do I believe that I need looking after."

Blue Crimson nodded her head. "Yes, I know you do not need looking after. You are strong and when the Three Aspects sought my help in guiding you and your comrades throughout your journey, I was honored. But do not get me wrong. I do not interfere in your lives but I'm only to see that you, Genjo Sanzo, do not die. In case you do not know, the fate of Togenkyo lies in your hands. You are very important, which is why I'm assigned to make sure you stay alive."

"The Three Aspects send you?" Gojyo inquired.

"Yes. You see, 500 years after the angels succeeded in gaining peace, Gyuumaoh succeeded his father, Gyuuren. However, he was arrogant and evil and refused to co-exist with humans. As of tradition, each Blue Crimson will foresee peace for 500 years. During Gyuumaoh's reign, my mother, the second Blue Crimson, was in charge of peacekeeping. It was hard for my mother since Gyuumaoh is her uncle. The gods and she met and it was decided that the fighting god, Nataku, would subdue Gyuumaoh."

At the mention of the name Nataku, Goku's eyes widened. Nataku? Why does the name sounds so familiar? A sudden flashback of a young boy with hair tied back in a bun and in traditional blue robes occurred and Goku closed his eyes tightly. He felt his heart racing wildly. Nataku…

"My mother was not to interfere, only to watch over Nataku. The gods were quite upset with us, the angels, as we failed to maintain total peace but they were wise enough not to target the entire youkai race. Well, Nataku succeeded in subduing Gyuumaoh though he was seriously injured. And now, the peace is once again threatened. The gods now leave it to the Three Aspects since Tenkai is not directly affected. So since it's been 500 years, my mother passed on the responsibility to me, the third Blue Crimson."

Hakkai had a thoughtful look on his face. "Blue Crimson-san…Correct me if I'm wrong, but does it mean that the fact Sanzo survived through numerous death threatening injuries is due to you?"

The blond monk had narrowed his eyes. Blue Crimson smiled softly. "You are a great healer, Cho Hakkai, and never doubt that. Most of the time, your healing powers were effective on Genjo Sanzo. But I admit there are a few times where I had to step in. Do you recall the desert incident, where Genjo Sanzo had a lethal dose of the youkai's scorpion poison?"

The incident came instantly to the four's minds. Goku hung his head. He would rather not think back about that. That was the time he nearly killed all his friends. And till this day he had not been able to forgive himself.

"Cho Hakkai, didn't you wonder how Genjo Sanzo could still stand up and managed to subdue Seiten Taisen Son Goku, even with a fatal injury? And how you all managed to end up in the village?" The woman paused, looking at each of the four. "By right, the poison should have spread to Genjo Sanzo's entire body and killed him within twenty minutes but I had slowed down the spread and even gave him enough strength to come up to his feet and subdue Seiten Taisen Son Goku. I also guided the boy to the spot where all of you had collapsed in exhaustion. And remember the slash Homura Taishi gave you, Genjo Sanzo? Injuries caused by a god on a human can kill and even Hakkai's healing powers could do little. I had helped healed you."

"I have enough of this," Sanzo suddenly roared. "I'm not going to stay here any longer. Ikuzo…"

"But Sanzo…" Hakkai started to say.

It's alright, Cho Hakkai. His ego is slightly pricked, that is all.

Startled, Hakkai turned to Blue Crimson. He swore he could hear her voice clearly but she was looking at Sanzo and her lips were not moving.

Leave now, Cho Hakkai. Continue taking care of the group for me, alright?

"She's gone!" Gojyo exclaimed.

Sanzo closed his eyes. "Annoying woman," he muttered.

"Are…where did the onechan go?"

"Oi, Sanzo…" Gojyo called out. "You were so rude to such a beautiful woman like her. You don't deserve a guardian angel, you know!" he grumbled.

A harisen came flying through the air and crashed into his face. "Ittai! You stupid, corrupt monk!" Gojyo yelped.

"If you are going to stand here and sulk, be my guest. The rest of you, move it."

"Hai…hai," Hakkai obliged. Goku hurried unto the jeep while Gojyo walked slowly, holding his head.

"Stupid monk," he grumbled as he boarded the jeep.

Sanzo crossed his arms and closed his eyes, ignoring the rest. The image of a young woman with bright blue eyes and fiery crimson hair came instantly to his mind. And the memory of the brief, chaste kiss tugged at his heart.

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Sanzo watched the smoke rose and began to dissipate. He inhaled again and blew out a little more leisurely. It was probably past midnight but he could not sleep. He glanced to the ashtray. This was his twelfth smoke.

He was feeling warm.

Stubbing out his cigarette, Sanzo then went to the window and let the gentle night breeze swept through him. A faraway look was in his amethyst eyes. With great difficulty, they had finally managed to find this inn. And tomorrow, they had to search for Gyuumaoh's castle. He needed to have a good night's sleep but darn these eyes.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Sanzo was startled. Twisting around, he saw Blue Crimson sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bed, observing him carefully. I didn't sense her presence at all! "What are you doing here?"

The young woman smiled. It was a sad smile. "I wanted to see you for the last time."

"What are you talking about?"

The blue eyes flickered in the darkness. "I wanted to tell you earlier today but you simply left. Tonight's my only chance. You see, once you are here, in India, I am no longer your guardian angel. I can no longer step in to make sure you stay alive. India is where your destiny is, as to whether you live or not."

Sanzo could feel his heart clenching slightly. Was it clenching to the fact that he might die or the fact that Blue Crimson will no longer watch over him? "Chh…like I care. If I die, it's none of your business."

Blue Crimson gazed the blond monk, who was in his jeans and tight, black bodysuit. He was indeed a fine specimen of a man. But his personality was what attracted her to him. She had never seen such level of confidence in a mere mortal. And as she watched over him, day by day, she became more and more impressed….to the point that she was falling in love with him.

"Yes, it's none of my business," Blue Crimson agreed forlornly.

Sanzo did not say anything. The truth was, the woman's presence disturbed him. Not in an annoying way but….Ah, he himself did not really understand it. And it bothered him….a lot.

"I just wanted to see you for the last time. As of tomorrow, I promise you that you and your friends will completely forget about me."

Sanzo's face was stoic as usual but his racing heart betrayed him. Unexpectedly, that piece of information troubled him. "Baka ona…" he mumbled.

"Call me baka all you want…I do not mind. But I have a favor to ask of you."

"Nandatto?"

"I would like to watch you sleep."

The statement took Sanzo by surprise. "Are you crazy, woman?"

Blue Crimson tilted her head. "Call me by my name, Sanzo. My birth name," she implored.

The amethyst eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I know your name?"

"You know it, but you closed your heart to it." She paused for a while and hung her head. "Ah, no matter. But I hope you'll let me watch you sleep."

"Baka!"

And for a long while, neither talked. Sanzo had turned back, preferring to watch the outside scenery while Blue Crimson was content to just observe Sanzo.

Genjo Sanzo…you do not know how hard it is for me to let you go. In my heart, there is only you but yet, I can't be with you. A Blue Crimson can only be with a youkai or a half-breed, in order for her child to maintain the same coloring. A union with an angel, human or even a god is not allowed for a Blue Crimson, else that will be the end of the Blue Crimson generation. Such is my curse.

"Don't make any noise."

Blue Crimson was startled. She was so deep in thoughts that she did not realize that Sanzo was already lying on the bed, with his back facing her. She smiled. Her wish was fulfilled.

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A ticklish sensation at the nose stirred him. Cracking his eyes open, he saw wisps of red hair upon his face. Sanzo's first thought was that the red hair could only mean Gojyo. He lifted his hand to push the annoying erokappa before he caught himself. Why on earth would Gojyo be in his room anyway?

The figure stirred slightly. Sanzo's eyes widened. It was none other than Blue Crimson. She had fallen asleep beside him!

Though still groggy, Sanzo noticed that he did not feel Blue Crimson's weight upon him, even though her head was on his broad chest and her left arm was draped across his muscled tummy. Were angels weightless then? No wonder he could not feel anything, though he was a light sleeper.

And he noticed something else too. His left arm was circling the angel's slim waist. And though his mind told him to remove his arm from her, his body was not responding. It felt…right.

Baka! I knew I shouldn't have given in to her favor!

Sanzo then tired to pry himself away from her but instead, Blue Crimson had snuggled even more against him and he now could see her face fully. He was also vaguely aware of the soft contours of her body molding perfectly against his. And the womanly scent radiating from her… A wave of shivers ran down his spine.

K'so! The situation is getting worse!

Sanzo knew he could not do anything much. He could push her away, but decided against it. And he hated being touched.

"Chh…" he muttered. He tried to go back to sleep but with a woman hanging on to him, the task proved to be difficult. Against his better judgment, Sanzo looked down upon the angel's sleeping face. He hated to admit it but Blue Crimson was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.

Blue Crimson. No, that was not her birth name. And she was right. He did know her name.

"Kairin…." Sanzo found himself whispering her name. And for some strange reason, he lifted his free hand. When his fingers nearly grazed the beautiful face, he stopped.

I just wanted to see you for the last time. As of tomorrow, I promise you that you and your friends will completely forget about me.

Kairin's words rang in his mind. Sanzo's heart clenched. He found it annoying that he was affected by this woman, who had just appeared out of nowhere and claiming to be his guardian angel. But deep in his heart he knew that the woman was not lying. And she was closer to his heart than he realized.

Sanzo closed his eyes. It was good that he and the rest would not remember about Blue Crimson. His heart clenched again, betraying him. And with eyes still closed, he lifted his hand again and let his fingers caressed the soft cheek of his guardian angel. Just once. After which, he withdrew his hand and soon dozed off.

A tear slid down the same cheek that had been caressed…..

"A mighty pain to love it is, and 'tis a pain that pain to miss; but of all the pains, the greatest pain is to love, but love in vain."
-Abraham Crowley

~END~