A/N: Several times now I've tried writing what went on with Gonou, Sanzo and the Sanbutsushin, but the boys flatly refuse to cooperate. (Which is one of the reasons the last chapter of Monsters Inside has stalled so badly) However, I did manage to get down what might have been Hakkai's first morning and his meeting with Dr. Yang. Still not entirely happy with this bit, but sometimes things just don't flow right.
Part III: Wood
"Of the five elements, Wood is the only one that is truly alive. It grows, requires nourishment and air, reproduces itself, it can get ill, and it dies." Aged fingers creased the two-toned paper. 'It's versatility is amazing, Wood can be put to more uses than any other of the elements, but it is the most frail of the five."
He awoke in the darkness before dawn on an unfamiliar mattress. He lay there for a minute, letting his eyes adjust, his fingers questing for the edge of the bed. The sheets under his hand were clean, and of a finer weave than he had ever been able to afford. The temple, he recalled. He was at Sanzo's temple in Chang-an. They had arrived at the holy city yesterday; yesterday he had been brought forth before the Sanbutsushin. Yesterday, Cho Gonou had died.
A slow, careful roll brought his feet to the floor; his toes met cool wood, finely sanded and waxed. The raw scar across his belly complained at the motion, but the discomfort could be ignored. Clean clothes sat on the dresser, none of it his, but all of it fit. He could smell the incense that permeated the air, hear the soft sounds of Gojyo, asleep in a room down the short hall.
Dim light filtered up from the staircase, and he drifted down, ghosting along the ground floor, past a well-appointed infirmary, a small office and ended up in a small courtyard where an old man was cooking.
"Ah, I see you're an early riser. Tea?" Broad sleeves were turned back as the man rapidly put together a small plate of breads and fruits then poured heated water into a kettle.
"I… yes, thank you." He blankly took the offered tray and hesitated, not sure where he should sit. Seeing the indecision on his face, the older man gently pushed the younger towards the low table.
"Still a bit adrift, are you? I've been told an audience with the gods can be draining, and you weren't in the best of shape to start with."
"Adrift…" he stared at the plate until the old man placed a fruit in his hand. Yes, adrift was the word. Kanan was avenged, Gojyo was out of danger, and he had been judged for his crimes… what was he supposed to do now?
"Hmm… yes. Adrift and off center." Tea appeared on the table, and the old man sat down next to him. "Well, let's have a look at you then." A firm hand gripped his chin, and his gaze was lifted to meet the dark regard of the old man. An ethereal touch shivered across his skin, oddly familiar with a metallic tang to it.
"Chi," he breathed. "You're using chi."
"Indeed I am. It's very useful for determining what's going on inside a person." The old man let out a thoughtful click. "You aren't grounded at all, which is the first thing you need to do..." The old man trailed off with a questioning tone.
"Hakkai... they said my name was Cho Hakkai." It was the first time he had said it, and the name rolled off easily.
"And I am called Yang. Welcome to my home, Cho Hakkai."
The blue and green paper fluttered in the afternoon breeze as Dr. Yang pinned it down with the other two. "One of the greatest achievements of Wood, is that it enabled man to work with the most unstable of elements, and master it to our wills." A bright red sheet of paper slipped free from the folder.
Part III: Wood
"Of the five elements, Wood is the only one that is truly alive. It grows, requires nourishment and air, reproduces itself, it can get ill, and it dies." Aged fingers creased the two-toned paper. 'It's versatility is amazing, Wood can be put to more uses than any other of the elements, but it is the most frail of the five."
He awoke in the darkness before dawn on an unfamiliar mattress. He lay there for a minute, letting his eyes adjust, his fingers questing for the edge of the bed. The sheets under his hand were clean, and of a finer weave than he had ever been able to afford. The temple, he recalled. He was at Sanzo's temple in Chang-an. They had arrived at the holy city yesterday; yesterday he had been brought forth before the Sanbutsushin. Yesterday, Cho Gonou had died.
A slow, careful roll brought his feet to the floor; his toes met cool wood, finely sanded and waxed. The raw scar across his belly complained at the motion, but the discomfort could be ignored. Clean clothes sat on the dresser, none of it his, but all of it fit. He could smell the incense that permeated the air, hear the soft sounds of Gojyo, asleep in a room down the short hall.
Dim light filtered up from the staircase, and he drifted down, ghosting along the ground floor, past a well-appointed infirmary, a small office and ended up in a small courtyard where an old man was cooking.
"Ah, I see you're an early riser. Tea?" Broad sleeves were turned back as the man rapidly put together a small plate of breads and fruits then poured heated water into a kettle.
"I… yes, thank you." He blankly took the offered tray and hesitated, not sure where he should sit. Seeing the indecision on his face, the older man gently pushed the younger towards the low table.
"Still a bit adrift, are you? I've been told an audience with the gods can be draining, and you weren't in the best of shape to start with."
"Adrift…" he stared at the plate until the old man placed a fruit in his hand. Yes, adrift was the word. Kanan was avenged, Gojyo was out of danger, and he had been judged for his crimes… what was he supposed to do now?
"Hmm… yes. Adrift and off center." Tea appeared on the table, and the old man sat down next to him. "Well, let's have a look at you then." A firm hand gripped his chin, and his gaze was lifted to meet the dark regard of the old man. An ethereal touch shivered across his skin, oddly familiar with a metallic tang to it.
"Chi," he breathed. "You're using chi."
"Indeed I am. It's very useful for determining what's going on inside a person." The old man let out a thoughtful click. "You aren't grounded at all, which is the first thing you need to do..." The old man trailed off with a questioning tone.
"Hakkai... they said my name was Cho Hakkai." It was the first time he had said it, and the name rolled off easily.
"And I am called Yang. Welcome to my home, Cho Hakkai."
The blue and green paper fluttered in the afternoon breeze as Dr. Yang pinned it down with the other two. "One of the greatest achievements of Wood, is that it enabled man to work with the most unstable of elements, and master it to our wills." A bright red sheet of paper slipped free from the folder.