A Rude Awakening.
The sky was dark with heavy clouds and thunder. Rain soaked the stained ground, leaving puddles about. Blood rush through the small streams of water making its way towards the river on the outskirts out town. The town was dead, bodies spread about the place as if brutally attacked by some thing… more like some one. Goku stood there alone, a full youkai and a smile on his face. He looked at the bloody hand upon him and licked one finger. His eyes darted about for any movement.
A small child's cry could be heard under the thundering storm's crashing noises. A wider smile, twisted in its own way appeared, 'there was still some one to 'play' with' the youkai thought and followed the crying.
He found himself in an alleyway, a small girl curled into a ball frightened and drenched. "Why are you crying?" asked Goku. The girl's eyes widened. She knew that voice, that figure standing. He killed them all in one night. She had seen it with her own eyes. The girl tried to speak but lightning struck overhead and she curled up tighter. The youkai smiled reaching down to make the girl look at him. She trembled as Goku picked her up by the neck, placing her against the wall, strangling her with little emotion.
The girl choked looking into the cold golden eyes, her own filling with tears. Goku's twisted smile appeared again, larger this time. He tightened his grip, more and more. A snapping sound was heard, and the girl dangled limp in Goku's hand.
"That's enough Goku!" cried a familiar voice of Hakkai.
"What the hell?" Gojyo's voice choked, his eyes widened, as he looked at all the town's people dead on the ground.
"Goku…"Sanzo muttered, an extremely disappointed yet slightly frightened expression in his eyes shined, but only to him. To any other person it would have looked like he hadn't even flinched at the blood.
Next came that chanting that would always ring in Goku's ears a few hours to when he'd wake. And that light… that bright light, like the sun… it burned.
'Sanzo!' Goku's thoughts screamed as he woke with shock, he would have jolted forward if he had the strength, and if his head would just stop throbbing. "Goku?" Sanzo's voice asked. Goku's heart skipped another beat as he looked up; he was in Sanzo's lap. "Sanz…" Goku looked up at him. His forehead felt a little warm and he was covered in sweat. He looked at the man confused, 'What… why are you…' his thoughts muffled.
"Tsh…" Sanzo grunted, "You wouldn't shut up…" he replied as if hearing his thoughts. "What?" Goku asked, he didn't understand… 'Was I talking in my sleep?'
"You kept mumbling…" Sanzo replied, "It was annoying…"
Sanzo flinched a little; Goku hearing these words had tensed. He felt some thing running down his hand.
He finally saw the pain that held in Sanzo's eyes that whole time. Goku's grip loosened. He looked to his side and saw he had been digging his nails into Sanzo's arm. His eyes widened and he quickly released his grip. His eyes held terror as he tried to scramble out of the bed he was in.
He must have had a really bad headache because when he tried to stand his vision dazed and he rushed to the floor. "Idiot…" Sanzo's voice replied as he caught him just before he hit. Sanzo placed the tired boy on the other bed across the room; his bed had been stained with blood.
"Where's Hakkai?" Goku whispered as Sanzo carried him across to the other bed. "Hakkai?" Sanzo paused, "He's with Gojyo… why?" he asked in slight confusion. Goku didn't answer and tried to look asleep. Goku finally spoke up as Sanzo placed him on the bed softly, "Sorry…"
He couldn't understand it. 'Why was Sanzo being so nice… he was only nice when I'm sick, or when he felt guilty for something. Why would Sanzo feel guilty? He had no real reason… maybe I am sick. Maybe it was my head that throbbed and felt warm, did that make him worry…?' Goku's head throbbed more. It felt like a hammer tapping harder and harder.
"You hungry?" Sanzo asked, his arm still bleeding. "N-n..." Goku started but remembered what Hakkai said. "Yea…" Goku muttered. 'Why not… my head throbbed enough to block out those thoughts… heck I couldn't even remember my dream at the moment…' The only thing that stuck in his head was Sanzo. He didn't even look at his arm, just at him… 'But why?' he thought.
Sanzo placed the covers over the boy. 'Damn it Goku…' he thought. It was funny… he didn't know if he was cursing Goku for getting so sick or because of his own injury. 'Both…' he guessed. He's face lightened a bit when hearing Goku wanted food. 'Any longer and he wouldn't be any thing other then a nuis-' Sanzo stopped. He was going to eat… that's all that really mattered at the moment, wasn't it? Sanzo walked across the room, past the bloody side of the bed he had sat on a moment ago.
'I should get Hakkai to look at this…' Sanzo thought placing his arm out for the doorknob, opening the door. He looked back at Goku a moment and stood there. He gave a small sigh and walked out with his usual face on. 'Ill get Gojyo to fetch some food for the monkey…' his thoughts rambled on as he shut the door.
"…Four nights in a row don't help, you know." Gojyo was complaining to a small argument he and Hakkai where in. "Yes but I'm sure he's still…" Hakkai paused looking over to the recently opened door. "Sanzo?" Hakkai paused looking at his arm. "What happened?" Hakkai walked over to Sanzo's bloody arm. "Tsh… that little monkey did it…" Sanzo grunted.
"Oh really?" Gojyo smiled at him, "And how did this happen?" he smiled wondering what Sanzo was doing to him. "H-n…" Sanzo smiled with an evil twist, "Why don't you find out… you'll be the one feeding him."
"Does this mean Goku's hungry?" Hakkai asked slightly confused.
"Hey!" Gojyo complained, "That's not fair!" he protested.
"Sounds fair to me…" Sanzo mumbled as he took a seat so Hakkai could fix his wound.
…
"Fair my ass…" Gojyo muttered walking down the hall to fetch Goku something to eat. 'Goku is Sanzo's responsibility… Why do I have to feed him…' Gojyo cursed in his head as he came to the nearest restaurant from the store; he had picked up some smokes for later. 'The little monkey better appreciate this…' he thought turning to head back to the hotel.
Goku sat up in the bed. He wondered where Sanzo had gone, 'he did say he was going to get something for me to eat didn't he? Maybe he stopped to see Hakkai first…' Goku shrunk into his pillow. 'That's right… he was still bleeding…' Goku's eyes started to tear. He didn't mean to hurt him, just like he didn't mean to hurt those towns' people… that little girl. Her face was still in his head as the girl screamed for help and then went limp.
"Alright runt!" Gojyo had burst into the room Goku was in. "Uhh… Goku?" Gojyo paused looking at the blood on the one bed, both of them empty. "Goku?" Gojyo asked again as he set down the box of take out food. He walked to the edge of the bed that was across the room. "Hey now… what are you doing down there?" Gojyo asked placing his hands on his hips; looking at the boy on the floor.
Goku lay on his side. He heard Gojyo's voice and didn't bother to look up. "I don't know…" Goku muttered and rolled over onto his other side to face the wall. "What do you mean you don't know?" Gojyo's voice turned to his usual 'pick a fight' tone. "I don't know…" Goku muttered again and curled up into more of a ball.
'Stupid monkey…' Gojyo sighed, scratching the back of his head in wondering what to do. He walked about the bed Goku hid behind. "I got you some food…" Gojyo muttered sitting in a wooden chair in the corner across from Goku. Goku shrugged not moving from his position.
"Damn you Goku!" Gojyo stood up. Goku's eyes opened and darted over to look at Gojyo. "Your nothing but a stubborn little monkey!" Gojyo crossed his arms and turned to the take out box. "Sanzo isn't going to put up with this for much longer you know that, don't you?" Gojyo sighed slightly regretting what he said.
Goku flinched. There was his proof. He was nothing but a constant annoyance to them. 'Maybe I should just go…' he thought his eyes letting warm tears drip from his face. "Sanzo… is… he ok?" Goku asked trying to make his voice steady. "What?" Gojyo answered confused. "You mean his arm?" Gojyo asked unsure. Goku nodded and hid his face further into his pillow, which also lay with him.
"He's stronger then that…" Gojyo smiled not quite grasping what Goku had meant. "That's not what I mean", Goku muttered. "Then spit it out already…" Gojyo sighed. He hadn't noticed Goku shaking a bit. "Listen Goku", Gojyo muttered, walking to the door, "Just don't worry about it… and eat your meat buns…"
The door closed.
Goku paused, still lying on the floor. "I will…" Goku mumbled as he sat up. The room was a bit chilly. Goku looked out the window beside him. 'The sun is shining…' Goku thought with a smile. He suddenly thought of Sanzo and stood up. His legs where a bit wobbly, but that wasn't a surprise. When he had been locked up in that mountain he was starved. Back then his legs where wobbly to.
"I think… Ill eat this outside…" Goku picked up the take out box and went for the door. His head still throbbed but not so much. At least this time he could walk in a nearly straight line. He opened the door and stuck his head out. No one's there… he smiled.
'Sanzo might have hit me if he saw me sneaking out like this…' Goku paused remembering that stinging pain he'd feel when Sanzo would hit him over the head with that paper fan. Did he ever hate it some ways… but then again at least it came from Sanzo. If it had been anyone else other then his three friends… well he didn't want to know what would happen.
Goku crept down the hall, wearing his usual night clothing he'd wear under his battle outfit. 'Home free…' Goku thought reaching the hotel's entrance. Goku opened the door and slowly crept out, closing the door behind him. 'A day for himself…' he thought, 'No Gojyo picking fights, No Hakkai's cheerful smile, and no Sanzo's paper fan…'
Julin was a small town. The hotel was surrounded by forest and led out into the main streets filled with brick buildings. 'The forest…' Goku smiled and started to walk aimlessly into the shadows of the tall trees. 'Sanzo wouldn't find me in here….' he thought. 'A picnic…' he nodded, climbing over a fallen tree's trunk.
…
"Hey, Goku!" Gojyo's voice cried out as he stormed the halls of the hotel. "Where the hell is that monkey?" Gojyo grunted knowing he'd get hell from Sanzo for losing the twerp. "Gojyo?" Hakkai's voice asked as he came walking around the corner. "Is some thing the matter?" Hakkai asked. "No… nothing…" Gojyo nearly held his breath trying to throw Hakkai from his trail. "I see… well when you find Goku come tell me…" Hakkai smiled and walked past. Gojyo grunted, as he knew Hakkai wouldn't just shrug it off his shoulders, he always knew what he was thinking… 'Kind of creepy actually' Gojyo thought with a pause.
Hakkai walked into his and Gojyo's room where Sanzo was having a smoke. "You do know Goku isn't in your room right?" Hakkai smiled as if nothing was wrong. Sanzo looked at him a bit annoyed. 'Great…' Sanzo thought. He had already guessed that Goku was up to something because Gojyo had stormed in complaining. Hakkai having sent Gojyo to pick up their dinner, after checking on Goku.
"Is that why he's being so loud?" Sanzo grunted, letting out a puff of smoke. "Who… Gojyo?" Hakkai asked trying to keep the conversation going. Sanzo gave a glare, which would have sent a chill up anyone's spine… anyone's but Hakkai's. "I see… I wont bother you any further then…" Hakkai replied and turned to fetch Gojyo to get dinner. Sanzo didn't seem to be worried about Goku at the moment and Hakkai figured he'd look for him later… he always did.
"Gojyo, wait up!" Hakkai called walking quickly down the hallway to catch up to the hanyou. "What?" Gojyo turned about as Hakkai slowed to his side. "Lets let Sanzo worry about Goku…" Hakkai smiled. "What about-" Gojyo was slightly confused. "Never mind that…" Hakkai placed his hand on his shoulder. Gojyo gave a sigh, giving in, like he usually would. "Alright then… where should we eat?" Gojyo asked walking with his friend down the hall, about the corner and into the streets.
(( He he, I nearly forgot I had placed this up here, and so I had went on to Chapter 3 instead of posting Chapter 2... Sorry about that! ))
