Disclaimer
I do not own Gensomaden Saiyuki (or any Saiyuki for that matter) or any of the characters. I give credit to Kazuya Minekura. I am only using their idea for my writing pleasure!
Author's Note
I wrote this for my friend. She graduated last year, and we had the nick names Baka Saru and Sanzo-sama… I was the Baka Saru. I continued and finished it finally. So. Enjoy and review.
Things have been changing like the seasons. They are slow and stretch out over a period of time. Even still, you can feel it. Gojyo has been more cranky and abusive. When we stop in villages and towns, he stays out until we depart. Hakkai… he's the only one that seems to tolerate me now. At times, he'll just join me in whotever I'm doing. And we'll be there in an eerie silence… like he knows something major will occur…
I have never seen Sanzo-sama so distant. In the Jeep, he doesn't even tell Gojyo and me to shut up. He won't even say a word to me. And sometimes, when I'm trying to sleep, the three of them have heated arguments. Whether we're lodged in an inn, or camping in the dense forests, I can't make out exactly whot they are saying. I am too afraid to get involved. I always lose at shouting matches, anyhow.
'Dammit Goku! Get your hairy monkey legs offa me!' The red haired, red eyed man yelled, shoving Goku's legs forward. Goku flailed, his foot nearly hitting the back of he blond priest's head.
'Baka! They weren't hurting you, and I need to stretch. Move your ass, you kappa!' Goku replied, forcing his legs out from under Gojyo's feet.
'Hey! I'm taller than you, so I need to stretch out more. Take off my shoes too, would ya?' Gojyo said, laying his legs over Goku's lap.
Hakkai looked on ahead, trying to block out the bickering of his fellow half-demons. Road trips had never been so loud and annoying. At times he nearly took Sanzo's gun just to scare them into silence, since Sanzo seemed like a piece of luggage, he was so useless. The only thing Hakkai really worried about was the two of them killing each other.
Later than expected, the jeep for of Hakuryu pulled into the next desolate village. Night had fallen hours ago, and it was guaranteed the only place open was the bar.
The main streets were even darker and more eerie than normal. The shadows were elongated down the dirt roads and along the sides of buildings. They brushed Goku's body, sending chills down his back. A small, flickering light could be seen at the end of the road, and it seemed Hakkai sped up.
As Hakuryuu came to a halt, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku jumped out of the jeep. Gojyo and Goku rushed into the inn, shaking and holding each other in fright. Hakkai slowly approached the door, then peered back at Sanzo. His sigh appeared as a silver, misty could in front of him.
'Ne, Sanzo-kun. Will you be gracing us with your presence tonight?' He asked, careful not to break any nerves.
Sanzo muttered, 'I'll be a minute,' before lighting a new cigarette with a small flame from his lighter.
'You'll have to let him down sometime. You can't hold it off forever.' Hakkai replied, with the door closing behind him.
Smoke, music, and the faint taste of liquor lingered in the air. While Gojyo sat in a heated argument over a game of poker, Goku pulled Hakkai aside to a quiet corner. Hakkai silently sipped his beverage while Goku drooled over his dozen meat buns. Ever since things between the Sanzo party began to change, Sanzo didn't give a limit on his credit card. Well, no one bothered to follow it, anyways.
'I have to tell you something important…. I think I'm gaining weight…' Goku said, poking at his stomach. Hakkai looked at him with serious eyes. Goku bowed his head, this was no time for games and he knew that.
'Hakkai…..' Goku said in a low tone. With his head still lowered, he looked up at his companion.
'Goku, you know you can tell me. I won't hit you with a fan or call you 'Baka Saru' for it. You shouldn't feel the need to bottle everything in.' Hakkai replied, stealing a meat bun.
'I… I think Sanzo-sama hates me. He's gonna leave us. I can feel it. I know it's my fault… he's always hitting me with his fan or pointing his gun at me….' He said quickly. He had waited for days to say that, and a tiny piece of him wished he hadn't said it at all. His glance was quickly averted by the door opening and the man of the hour stepping in, cigarette in hand.
The seat next to Goku was now occupied by the only person he would take off his power limiter for. His world, for a brief moment, was lit up by the hypocritical priest.
'Goku. Leave.' He uttered between puffs on his cigarette. The brown haired boy looked up at him, eyes wide. He went to open his mouth, but Hakkai interrupted him with a smile.
'I think you should listen to him, Goku-kun.' He said. Defeated, Goku rose and took his meat buns. He turned to walk away, but after a few steps, he returned to snatch up Sanzo's credit card.
'FINE. FINE! I DON'T CARE IF YOU HATE ME! I'M TAKIN' THIS! Maybe FOOD would want to keep me company!' He screamed before running away, the smoke in the air swirling behind him.
'…Baka Saru.' Snazo muttered, before downing the shots that the waitress brought for him.
The rooms were split up between the four of them, Sanzo and Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo. It was long past midnight, and Goku stirred under his covers.
'I can't sleep… ugn…. My stomach is killing me… maybe I ate too much… Maybe it's because…'
'..of me?' A golden light appeared from the crack in the door, reflecting off Goku's power limiter.
'Sanzo!' Goku replied, tossing the bed sheets off himself. He rose to glomp him, forgetting the fact that Sanzo hadn't spoken to him in weeks. He stopped himself, and ended up jolting forward and falling to the ground.
'Dammit Goku! Stop fuckin' around! I need you to be serious right now. I'm not joking anymore.' Sanzo said in a calm, firm voice. Goku had never heard something that fierce come out of his mouth. He lowered his head and stood.
'San…' Goku began, his voice shaky.
'Let me speak. Gojyo and Hakkai… they already know…'Sanzo interrupted. He paused to put out his cigarette in the ashtray on the end table. Goku sank to the floor and hugged his knees.
'…you're leaving.' He said. It was quite muffled. Sanzo sighed.
'Speak up, I can't understand you.'
'I know you're leaving! Why else would I be the last to know? You and Hakkai and that kappa are always fighting! You don't even hit me with your fan anymore! You don't even talk to me anymore, Sanzo!' Goku replied in a raised voice. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes and a lump grew bigger and bigger in his throat.
'Well, you sure are smarter than you look. Goku… I'm leaving tomorrow morning before dawn. I don't want you to come after me. Dammit! Don't look at me like that!' He replied.
'Why? Why are you leaving? I don't understand…' Goku stammered before a small tear slid down his tanned cheek.
'I have my reasons. Goku, it is for the best. You'd better get to sleep, it's late.' Sanzo answered, removing his holy robe. He turned off the light before Goku could even move back to his bed. He stood there, silently, for whot seemed like an eternity.
The only sound that could be heard was that of the crickets outside. Surprisingly, Gojyo was silently sleeping across the hall. Goku finally headed towards the priest's bed instead of his own.
As he put a knee on the edge of the bed, Sanzo's arm flailed his way and landed with a thud. Goku softly pushed it to Sanzo's side before climbing in the rest of the way.
'Sanzo-sama….' He whispered as tears fell to his pillow, 'who's gonna protect me? Who's gonna save me this time? Who's gonna pull me out of the shadows? Who's… gonna buy me food!?'
The night pressed in hard around Goku. It pressed in around him like it did for those long, lonely 500 years. Doing the only thing he could, he embraced the sleeping Sanzo. He couldn't stop the burning tears anymore. He sobbed silently into Sanzo's black undershirt.
'…baka… saru…' Sanzo muttered, suddenly clutching Goku tightly to him. Tears fell from even the priest's eyes before they both slept restlessly.
'Take care of the Baka Saru for me. He… Damn. I don't know… if this is whot I should be doing.' Sanzo said. Hakkai, Gojyo and he had met in the inn's restaurant only a few hours after he closed his eyes.
'God damn, Sanzo. You really are a saggy eyed priest now! Did Mr-I-Have-A-Gun-And-I'm-So-Tough break down last night?' Gojyo joked, stuffing the last of his scrambled eggs into his mouth. Sanzo hit him so hard that they flew right back out and landed in Hakkai's lap.
'Sanzo, Goku will be protected by us… whether or not some of us like it or are mature enough to. To be honest, it's gonna be a lot different and difficult without you… and… do you know for sure you want to go on this route alone? We did save you a few times…' Hakkai said in a low voice. Hakuryuu rested comfortably on his shoulders. Remembering the partially masticated food on his lap, he picked it up with a napkin and put it in with the rest of the garbage.
'That's the thing. I'm not doing this on my own. The Merciful Godess… ah… I'm just… not going to be 'Sanzo' anymore… I didn't want to tell you because, I didn't want Goku to find out.' Sanzo replied. He rose then to make the new journey for himself.
'So this is it? After everything, you're going back to the Heavens? You'll kill him, Sanzo! You'll kill him…' Gojyo shouted, standing so quickly his chair fell to the floor with a crash. He didn't even bother to pick it up. He sprinted towards Sanzo, grabbing him by the arm with a tight grip. The tip of Sanzo's banishing gun met Gojyo square between the eyes.
'A war general like you, Kenren, wouldn't understand…Just take care of him for me.' He wrenched his arm from Gojyo's grip. 'Stop making this so hard.'
His breath appeared on the cold window. He pressed his nose against it as he saw his Sanzo-sama walk out the door.
'Sanzo!' He cried, tears still stinging his eyes from the night. Sanzo turned to look at the window- his face showing no emotion.
Sanzo turned his back towards the window. He moved slowly, as if something was holding him back.
Confused, Goku watched Sanzo kneel and begin to chant on the cold ground. His Maten Scripture flowed around him as an eerie light from the heavens parted the clouds and surrounded Sanzo. It was faint at first, and then it was as if a wind came from beneath him. The Scriptures flew around him violently as the light became stronger.
Goku tried to cry out to him, but the sound of Sanzo's chanting voice was so loud.
'Sanzo!' Goku screamed for a final time. He wouldn't lose his Sanzo-sama forever. Sanzo had saved him from the darkness. He had been protected by Sanzo. Without him, how could he go on?
He backed away from the glass window. With a running start, he took a leap out of the second story window, landing feet first on the ground. Asd soon as his feet touched the ground, he bolted towards the man.
'Sanzo! I'm not letting you send me back into darkness!' He cried as he slammed into Sanzo, and clutching him tightly to his chest. Sanzo's deep chanting ceased, as the ground below began to shatter.
'Baka Saru! Go! You can't follow me, not this time. I can't stay with you. I'm needed in the heavens now.' He started. His eyes were sad as he looked at Goku.
'Don't leave me alone!' He cried, hanging on to Sanzo more tightly than ever. 'I'm going with you, if you can't stay!'
The light around them began to fade as the earth broke beneath them. Sanzo too, began to fade.
'Goku… I would stay with you… but this issue is out of my hands now. Be strong. Hakkai and Gojyo willprotect you…'Sanzo stated, finally wrapping his arms around the tiny boy's body. He was nearly gone.
'I need you to protect me Sanzo!' He said as Sanzo was barely visible. He could feel the priest's warmth vanishing.
'I'll be watching over you. And we'll meet again, someday… Sayonara… Son Goku…' Sanzo's voice trailed off as the light faded completely.
Gojyo and Hakkai ran over to Goku. He was surrounded by dirt and stone.
'Come on, Goku. We… we gotta go.' Gojyo said, trying to pull Goku to his feet. He shrugged him away, wiping the tears from his eyes.
'Gojyo… we should let him mourn but… something doesn't feel right here…' Hakkai replied, kneeling beside Goku.
'I don't care anymore… nothing matters without him… S… Sanzo!' He screamed, falling to the ground. He couldn't stop the tears. His pain and anger took him over. He couldn't stop his inner demon taking over. His power limiter fell to the ground with a sickening thud.