Hello!

Here it is, the final chapter in this story... right now, I am checking whether I have enough material for a full-fledged sequel or will leave it at loose companion pieces... give me some time to decide.

Update 05.04.2005: For some reason, I read this thing again, and now that I am re-revising it, I'm starting to have ideas again, so I just might... but don't hold your collective breath, since I have a full-time job now and it might take a while before I can actually sit down and think something up.

Answers to reviews removed - see chapter 3 for reasons.

DISCLAIMER: Saiyuki belongs to Minekura Kazuya, and I have never claimed to own it. I do not, never will and never did make profits out of using her characters.

CHAPTER 18

The group stayed at the inn for about two days; afterwards, they concluded that they had rested enough, and as this area did not seem to be interesting enough to warrant a longer stay, they decided to move on in the afternoon, back towards the east.

Soon, the jeep moved over rock and sand in a desert-like environment, and the heat of the burning sun managed what nobody else was able to do: It shut up Goku and Gojyo for more than an hour.

Grateful for the silence, driver and passenger up front were lost in their own thoughts.

Especially Kouryuu, true feelings hidden behind the regular scowl and the customary cigarette in the corner of his mouth, let his mind wander... rarely had he been as relaxed as in the last couple of days.

'Maybe I was wrong about this whole non-attachment thing after all... '

The former monk felt... whole in a strange way, a feeling he had not harbored since Koumyou Sanzo's death, and even then, it had been different. Koumyou Sanzo had been his superior, the father-figure in his world. Hakkai was...

His mind jerked back from this particular part of his vocabulary – he was nowhere near to admitting to this emotion yet.

However, what he was willing to admit was how much he enjoyed one particular part of their redefined relationship.

'Just like the Gods to prohibit this along with smoking, drinking and fighting – if it was for them, nobody here on earth would have any fun at all – ever! Maybe getting rid of the robes and the chakra was not such a bad thing, after all; at least, now nobody gives a damn about my behavior anymore...'

He stole a glance at Hakkai, and barely kept from grinning; in the uncommon quiet and calm of the morning, the brunette youkai looked straight ahead, humming a little melody to himself. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. What was extraordinary, however, that the regular "I do it because I have nothing better to do"-smile had been replaced by a genuine one, one that involved the eyes, as well.

'He is so beautiful...'

The thought came unbidden, yet Kouryuu had to admit that it was true. The green eyes, the slightly ruffled-looking brown shock of hair, strands of it fluttering in the wind...

His pleasant line of thought was harshly interrupted by Goku's voice; obviously, the time of blissful silence was over.

"Hakkai, there's someone standing in our way!"

The blond felt sorely tried to turn around and deliver Goku's regular lesson (with a rolled newspaper, as he did not have his harisen anymore) when he saw the lonely figure standing directly in their path. They got a little closer, and now they could finally tell that they even know the person... It was Kanzeon Bosatsu.

The jeep came to a halt some meters in front of her, and the Goddess winked at them.

"Hello! Surprised to see me?"

Kouryuu's good mood was gone; he glared at Kanzeon and wondered what the old hag could possibly want from them now.

Hakkai, however, was the one to answer the Goddess' question.

"I suppose we are... may I ask what brings you to this barren place?"

'May I ask'... far too nice a welcome for her, Kouryuu thought. He had no time to make amends with a customary growl, however, because now the Goddess of Mercy (how pretentious a title for this bitch!) spoke again.

"I am happy to bring good news for once... there has been a gathering of the Gods, and Tentei himself decided that you should have this back."

She tossed a small parcel to Kouryuu, wo caught it out of reflex. After he had opened the paper wrapping, his expression darkened; it was the Maten Sutra, along with the credit card and the shoureijuu, his gun.

After several moments of staring at the contents of the package, he threw it back. His aim was short, and the scroll and the other things landed in the sand.

"I don't want it anymore. Take it back."

Kanzeon's brows met on her forehead in a startled and slightly annoyed frown as she stepped forward to pick gun, sutra and card up. Her astonishment was mirrored in the speechlessness of his companions.

"And may I ask what the reason is?"

The blond man felt a sudden temptation to laugh into her face.

"You have to ask! First you take it, and with it my identity and my pride, to leave me with nothing to go on with, and then you suddenly come back with the damn thing and want to push me into taking it back? What the hell do you expect? Most likely you're here because you didn't find anybody else stupid enough to take on your little journey to death... am I right or not?"

The Goddess stepped closer and took a deep breath before she answered.

"Your assumptions are partly right. It is right that we did not manage to find a replacement for you. However, you should know more about the situation before you judge us..."

"Like hell!" Kouryuu snarled. "Hakkai, let's go, I can't stand looking at her anymore!"

He had expected the healer's reaction to be prompt compliance and turned around to face him when the engine of the jeep did not immediately start up. Hakkai's gaze was one of steel.

"I don't think we should leave without listening to what she has to say – after all, she did save your life... If you still want to recline the sutra after she is done, then so be it, but I will not go on without knowing her intentions."

The blond man knew that arguing would have no effect on their driver, and thus he muttered a rather angry-sounding, "Very well. Say what you have to say, and then leave us alone."

Kanzeon have Hakkai a grateful smile and then turned her attention towards Kouryuu again.

"I am personally very sorry for what happened; taking the sutra away from you was not my decision, but one of Tentei himself. However, during the meeting we had a couple of days back, a change of policy has been decreed... From now on, all youkai are admissible to the monasteries, always speaking they agree to being limited while being in Tenkai's service. It is an attempt in further unification of the two peoples in Tougenkyou, aimed to further calm the situation once your mission has been completed and the youkai have returned back to normal. You have been chosen to be the example for the youkai out there, to show them that even the highest rank of monk can be occupied by one of them. It took quite a while to get Tentei to agree to this, so I would appreciate it if you thought about your answer again. My name and the remainder of my good reputation are on the line – I risked quite a bit in convincing Tentei to try to change the Heavenly Laws..."

Violet eyes met hers with such intensity that she had to suppress a shudder; even as a mere mortal, Konzen's stare had that much of his familiar attitude in it.

Finally, Kouryuu decided to reply.

"If I take it back, do I have the option to pass on the title after the mission has been completed?"

The Goddess clearly did not like the way this conversation was taking, but nevertheless, she answered without hesitation.

"If, after the mission, you should decide to give up being a Sanzo, you shall be allowed to pass on the title along with the sutra... "

Almost five minutes of utter silence passed until Kouryuu, after a look at his tension-filled comrades, answered.

"Very well. I shall take on the responsibility once more... as long as I can decide the path my life takes after the assignment on my own."

Kanzeon Bosatsu nodded solemnly and walked up to the jeep while she unrolled the scroll. She placed the sutra around Kouryuu's neck, dropped gun and card into his lap and leaned over to kiss his forehead. The blond youkai barely repressed the urge to pull back; he did not particularly enjoy the contact, as the Goddess' lips felt like a hot branding iron to his skin.

Finally, Kanzeon straightened out and took a step back; the only trace that was left of her kiss was the familiar red chakra that had been taken away from him mere weeks earlier.

"Tenkai is in your debt, Genjo Sanzo. Please turn around now – Tenjiku awaits."

She winked at him. "And by the way – congratulations!"

And with those words, she vanished, leaving Kouryuu wondering what exactly she had congratulated him about...

He shook his head; most likely, he would never exactly figure out that hag's implications. Ah well... He felt Hakkai's eyes on him and turned to see a smile on the brunette youkai's face.

"Permission to turn around, Sanzo-sama?"

The newly reinstated monk felt the corners of his mouth wander upwards slightly in response.

He had learned that being a nobody had its ramifications, and after the journey, he would have some serious thinking to do, to decide whether he wanted to stay what he was, or pursue a different way of life. To have learned from the Gods themselves that he would have this kind of freedom at his fingertips made him feel strangely elated. But for now...

"Permission granted. We have business in Tenjiku – and I still have a personal bone to pick with Kougaiji..."

And thus, the vehicle turned around, to drive towards the setting sun again, and, barely half and hour later, the regular routine could be heard again...

"Ne Kou... Sanzo? I am hungry..."

"We don't have anything!"

"But I'm starving!"

"Leave the monk alone, monkeyboy"

"Don't call me monkeyboy, ero-kappa!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

"QUIET!"

The sound of gun shots ripped apart the serenity of dusk as the jeep vanished behind the horizon.

THE END

Ah, this was so much fun... expect more in the future! Will use the next weeks to think of more plot and watch the episodes over again, to come back with more afterwards (which is not to say that I will not write anything – if the writing bug bites, there shall be more from me)... Please leave a review!

This Story has been re-revised on 04 March 2005. When I re-read it, I found a bunch of typos and awkward constructions left in here I wanted to kill, and since I had heard that fanfiction dot net now bans accounts if there are answers to reviews in the story chapters, I wanted to make sure that my whole account didn't get yanked. As said above, I am actually toying with the idea for a couple of one-shots, but it depends on whether I will have the time and the inspiration to write those.