Chapter 4: Anguish
Pure silence. Goku's mind was completely blank. Still holding his arm up, his fist clenched, he shook convulsively as tears just seemed to trickle down his cheeks uncontrollably.
Everyone stopped with their drinks, they found the act much more entertaining. "Is this guy for real?," asked a man in a brown shirt. "Nah, no way... this guy must be just crazy or sum'n...," his companion answered. Goku heard the mumbling, but he didn't care. The noise of his thoughts alone were confusing enough.
Finally, the bartender had finally mustered up enough courage to talk to this, seemingly under-age, customer.
"Uh... sir... can I help you?, " he started cautiously. Goku slowly moved his head towards him, slightly shaking as he did. His eyes were still wide and tear-stained.
"Didn't..." He said under his breath.
"I-I'm sorry, I can't hear..." The bartender calmly said.
"Didn't you ...see a man with red hair? You saw him, didn't you?!" Goku's voice started to gain strength.
"Red Hair?" the bartender asked nervously. With Goku's expression, anybody who saw him would feel a little uneasy.
"He was right beside me... right here!" Goku pointed to the red bar stool beside him.
"I-I'm sorry sir... but..."
"No way... no no no NO!!!" Goku held his head with his hands, and then looked up once again at the bartender. "Don't tell me... no one was seated here?"
The bartender nodded slowly. And Goku decided that it was no use staying any longer.
He stood up, passed by the dazed, sober eyes of the customers and walked right out of the bar.
~~::Meanwhile::~~
Sanzo took a sip of his coffee as he flipped a page of the morning paper. With his legs rested upon the sofa, and with his glasses on the bridge of his nose, he didn't care about anything else but what he was reading right now.
Hakkai carefully sliced the fruits they just bought, ironically, the way he cut them made it even more appetizing. Carefully adding the milk and sugar, it was about time that the salad was done. He paused a while, and smiled to himself, imagining how Goku would be licking his lips if he would be watching him right now.
Gojyo sat impatiently, his legs one atop the other. He looked out the window, savoring the cigarette he had in his mouth. He wondered how long it would be till Hakkai was done with his cooking. He was getting bored... he even hoped that Goku was around to pick on. He couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't around yet.
"Hey Sanzo," Gojyo said, "Where's Goku? It's been almost half the day and I haven't even seen him yet."
"Why do you mind about the stupid monkey anyway? You two never seem to keep quiet and stop fighting." Sanzo remarked, not even looking up from his paper.
"Tch..." Gojyo lightly bit on his cigarette "What? Hm.. That's exactly why I'm asking where he is. I need to practice my insensitivity skills, hehe."
"Why don't you find out where he is yourself? can't you see I'm busy?"
"But if you know where he is... why can't you just tell me where-"
"I SAID I'M BUSY!!!" Sanzo growled.
"Okay okay!!!" Gojyo stood from his chair, and decided to head for a place with a 'lighter' atmosphere. He walked to the kitchen.
"Hey Hakkai," Gojyo said as he peeked in from the counter window. "Have you seen Goku? I haven't seen him the whole day."
"Haha~! I bet he's just somewhere here..." Hakkai smiled, continuing to mix the temptingly- appetizing dessert.
"Wait... you mean you don't know where he is either???" Gojyo asked, his cigarette barely hanging from his lower lip.
"Hahahaaaa! Yup... I went out early this morning, and upon returning, I just stayed in the kitchen." Hakkai smiled, his eyes closed.
"Hmmmm... I wonder where the stupid monkey is; I'm getting really bored... Fine fine, thanks anyways. I'll go look for him."
As Gojyo started walking around again, Hakkai left him a final message
"Hey Gojyo, if you do find him, please tell him that we're having fruit salad for dessert today. At least you won't take a long time in coming back. Hahahahaaa!"
Gojyo simply smirked. He headed straight upstairs, towards the rooms. He thought it would be the best place to start. As he looked into Goku's room, he saw him, completely asleep...
"Just like a baby... monkey..." Gojyo smiled to himself.
He walked towards the sleeping Goku, and slightly nudged him with the help of his foot. "Hey, baka saru! *stupid monkey* You've been asleep half the day! Get up!!!"
Gojyo squatted, to get a closer look, and hoping to shout into his ear. "Hah... let's see if you can sleep much longer..." But Gojyo froze as he saw the tear-stained cheeks, and the seemingly sad expression of his companion. Gojyo could not help but feel similarly melancholy at the sight of it. "He must have had a bad dream or something..." Just then, Gojyo started to trail off into his childhood memories again. "Mother..."
He shook his head. He looked at Goku with a stern face. "Geez, it's just a bad dream, he'll forget about it right after lunch!" Gojyo told himself.
Gojyo shook Goku. "Hey Baka SARU!!! Wake up, I said!!! You don't want to miss lunch, do you?!"
But still, nothing.
Gojyo had a horrified look on his face. It was as if... "No... no way. If this is some sort of trick..." But despite him knowing that placing his ear to Goku's mouth would make him a vulnerable fool to the trick, Gojyo decided to make sure. "I could always bang him on the head if he-"
No sign of breathing.
Gojyo was alarmed. He looked at the hyper companion they had each and everyday, who was now helpless and weak.
"SAAAANZOOOO!!! HAAAKKKAAAAIIII!!!!" Gojyo screamed, his thoughts racing. He didn't know what to do. He always thought that everyone would have their day. But he always thought that he'd either he'd leave ahead of Goku or that Goku would leave the world because of an incredible, infallible foe.
Hakkai and Sanzo's hurried steps were soon audible, and it didn't take any longer that Sanzo and Hakkai came through the door.
They looked at Goku and Gojyo, their face in sure surprise. Hakkai immediately knelt down beside Goku, and placed his index and middle fingers on a definite site of Goku's neck. He moved his fingers a couple of times, searching for that tiny pulse- a sign of life from his companion and a sign that they were wrong.
Sanzo looked, for once, with great concern, and asked Gojyo, "What happened here? Who- what-" Gojyo simply looked up, back at Sanzo, and gave him a blank stare, his head slightly motioning left to right.
"I... I can't find a pulse," Hakkai said, his voice shaking.
"No... how... this... this can't be happening... " Gojyo said, maintaining the blank stare on his face, his head shaking left to right.
Sanzo knelt down beside Goku, and saw the sad expression of his face, the dried path of tears on his cheeks. "Why..." He muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes and stood up. "Someone... someone did this..."
And in the middle of all the anguish, they suddenly felt a presence watching them. They all looked at the window, and saw a momentary figure, which suddenly turned to a black blur and disappeared.
"Follow it!" Sanzo burst out. Hakkai nodded, and looked at Gojyo. Gojyo understood.
Hakkai and Sanzo raced out towards the window, and onto the rooftop, going after the blur that was racing away from them.
Meanwhile, Gojyo stayed behind and continued to watch his comrade. His face was a mix of sadness, anger and confusion. He even forgot about the died-out cigarette, which was still in his mouth. "Why did it have to be you... why now?" Gojyo asked, as if expecting Goku to answer back, "Goku... Why did it have to be you???" Gojyo slammed his fist against the wall... tears flowing from his tightly-closed eyes as he bit hard on his cigarette.
Author's note: Hey hey! Sorry for the really delay for the continuing chapter!!! So many activities in school, so little time. But anyways, I'm trying to study more about writing so at least these chapters (And hopefully, the chapters to come) would be more worthwhile for the readers. ^___^
AAAH! I killed Goku in this chapter!!! Goku fans, please don't kill meee! There must be an answer for this! (As soon as I can figure it out) Er, and I'm not really sure when the next chapter is coming out... hmmm, hopefully... SOOON!!!! Till then, please don't plan anything against me!!! *begs on her knees*
Oh yeah, oh yeah, this is a revised version! ^___^ Hehehe! And thank you so very much to those who reviewed my fics!
"YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION!!!" :D
