Chapter 1
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Shunrei
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They had taken him to the healing chambers. That's what the girl told me at least. It was lucky for him that he was a holy man; the old hags at the temple gates would not have allowed them in otherwise, not even if he were close to death.
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Anxious golden eyes, bright with tears met mine as I entered the room. "You're the healer?" The brown haired boy clutched my hand. "Please help Sanzo… Hakkai can't do anything for the poison… "
Sanzo? Not only was the man a monk, but a high ranking one as well. The priestesses looked at the boy with disapproval for having addressed me with such familiarity. They looked to me to rebuke him, but I ignored them, sick of their blatant hypocrisy and insistence for the rules. I stared down at the boy.
The boy is not afraid to touch me... usually everyone keeps out of my way...
"All of you out." My voice was sharp as I snatched away my hand from the boy. "I don't need any of you. Aiya is enough." They all shuffled out, grumbling, but none of them willing to say anything to my face. My eyes turned towards my patient. I bit my lip in surprise. He was not like any monk I had ever seen. Golden hair like mine covered his head, and he was still young, much too young to be a Sanzo…
"What happened?" I turned to his companions, two other young men, one with brown hair and emerald green eyes, and another with red hair and eyes. The boy had gone to sit at the edge of the bed where the monk was resting, unconscious and barely breathing.
Four men….A monk, a heretic, a half breed, and a man who was probably a demon. The group travelling west probably. The news of their mission had even penetrated the doors of my temple…
"We were attacked by demons… their claws were probably poisoned…"answered the green eyed man. I moved quickly towards the monk and eased down his robes, exposing his chest. There were claw marks all over, and a dark viscous liquid was oozing out of the wounds, intermingled with blood. I recognized the evil smell of a toxin used by a group of powerful youkai… I had seen its effect only once, and the man had died slowly and painfully. "We need to act fast." I turned to Aiya and sent her to bring all the ingredients I needed for the healing potion.
"Will he make it?" Three pairs of eyes were fixed on me, expecting words of comfort, of reassurance.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. If he is strong enough he just might." My voice was cold and indifferent. It was not my sorrow. I was there to heal, not to give them false hope.
I heard a low moan. The boy's cheeks had lost their colour. "Sanzo's not going to die!" His voice faltered. "He'll make it, won't you Sanzo? Please open your eyes, please…" he buried his head in his hands and started to sob uncontrollably. The two men looked at me reproachfully, and the one with the monocle, put his arms round the child trying to comfort him, trying to ease the painful truth of my words. I turned away, almost feeling a twinge of pity for the boy. I hardened my heart. I couldn't get involved. It hurts too much to care.
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I returned after preparing the medicine. When I looked at the monk, it seemed as though he were dead.
I turned to the boy. "You. Get out."
"I'm not leaving Sanzo alone." The boy was defiant, almost in tears.
"Goku, I think it would be better if you left." The red head nodded to the other young man who was sitting by the monk's side and practically dragged the boy out.
I watched them leave and turned to the brown haired man.
"Make him drink this." I handed the brown haired man a wooden bowl with the herbal medicine I had prepared to lessen the effect of the poison. "Don't let him throw up. He must drink it all."
He nodded silently. I could tell that the monk was important to him. I hesitated, almost wishing that I could offer words of comfort. But what would be the use? And yet…
"He is strong." I was startled. He looked at me with quiet determination. "He'll make it."
His belief in the monk was pathetic. No one is infallible.
Fool! It's useless hoping. What you care about will always be taken away from you… always.
I shrugged and left.
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Hakkai
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I felt angry at her. She was cold, unfeeling. Goku was still a child, and Sanzo was everything to him. How could she have told him that there was practically no hope? I looked towards Sanzo, and I placed him in a sitting position. He looked weak and defenceless.
This attack had completely taken us by surprise. They came during the night…. We three had been in the inn's dining room, eating. Sanzo had gone to his room early, and there… I shivered, cursing myself for not having gone with him. He had been completely alone, surrounded by a band of bloodthirsty youkai, all ready to tear him to pieces. We heard the gunshots from his room, but we hadn't been quick enough. Sanzo had tried to defend himself but he could not avoid all their attacks and had been clawed several times. These youkai were much stronger that the others we had faced before, but we managed to eliminate them.
Sanzo had collapsed, exhausted by the loss of blood. I tried to heal his wounds, but they wouldn't close.
It was then that I realised that he had been poisoned.
The villagers sent us to the temple… the high priestess was a healer and she could help Sanzo. They called her the ice maiden… I smiled, grimly. The name suited her down to the ground…
And yet, I could feel an incredible aura of sadness around her. She seemed bitter and angry at the world… what could have made her so? It was strange, but I had the nagging feeling that I had already met her… she was very familiar, but where…
I heard a soft knock at the door and Gojyo came in. "I left Goku outside," he said. "I though it would be better if he.." his eyes widened as he looked at Sanzo "Shit! He's really bad!" He looked at me anxiously. "About what she said… Is he… is he really going to d … "
"No," my voice was firm, though I too shivered when I looked at Sanzo. His face had a deathlike pallor. "Help me make him drink this."
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Sanzo
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Someone was forcing a burning liquid down my throat. I gagged and tried to turn my face away but I was too weak. I moaned, wishing that the pain would leave.
My head throbbed and I could hear voices, voices everywhere. Stupid voices…memories from my past… Koryou the river foundling…. Go back were you come from…you should have drowned...
I could hear a woman crying… Why did you die? Why, Why?.... Angrily, I tried to make her shut up. Who was she? Why didn't she leave me alone? Other voices joined the rest… Gojyo, Hakkai, Goku...The saru's voice was the loudest one of all. I longed to scream, make them stop, but I could not, I could not. I groaned, and wished they'd leave me in peace. Goku's voice grew louder and louder, overshadowing the others, pestering me, begging me not to leave him alone....
Shut up saru…. I'm not going to go anywhere without you…
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Just to warn you…. Something tells me this fanfic is going to be long!!!! I hope you liked it so far… any comments?? Please? Pretty please?? Otherwise no update!! (^_^)
Sanzo: WHAT?! You're going to leave me like that?!
Konzen: Well… I ….
Sanzo: (all teary-eyed) That's cruel of you!!
Goku: (sniffing) Yeah! I've even lost my appetite cause I'm so worried about him!
Konzen: (hangs her head in shame) Ok, ok…I get the point... :p
By the way… for those of you who are Goku–mad or like Romantic/Tragic stories, read Kenren Taishou's strory, "A Love Prohibited" which is a really great fanfic about how Goku was born It's really good!!