Disclaimer: I don't own anybody in Saiyuki. They all belong to Kazuya Minekura.

Author's note: Hey! Thanks for everybody who reviewed! Please keep supporting my story! Thanks! Read and review!

Chapter 6: Heart to Heart

And so, they traveled once more. Earlier that day, Hakkai had told Shiey that they should stay in town first because she needed time to rest. But Shiey protested, saying that she was fine and that it would be okay if they traveled on. A quarrel between Hakkai and Shiey took place, but of course, Shiey won. Hakkai ended up losing and being taunted by Gojyo that he was really such a worry wart and that what had happened between him and Shiey was called a 'lovers' quarrel'. Hakkai and Shiey, of course didn't end up not talking to each other. After their so-called 'lovers' quarrel' Hakkai went to Shiey and apologized for being so impolite. And of course, Shiey apologized as well. And now, they were on the road again. Sanzo and Gojyo were sleeping, Goku was staring blankly into space and Shiey kept on thinking. "Homura? Where have I heard that name before? I'm pretty sure I've known him before. But… where?" Shiey thought.

They stopped at a town to eat lunch and decided to rest there until the next morning since Hakuryu was in pretty bad shape. After eating their lunch, they went to an inn and rented 3 rooms. Shiey decided to go out with Goku while Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo were talking in a bar. (Which was also in the inn). "Sanzo," Hakkai said, breaking the silence. "I think Shiey knows Homura." Hakkai said. Sanzo and Gojyo looked at him. "She said she knows him from before. But, she can't remember clearly." Hakkai explained. Sanzo furrowed his eyebrows. And Gojyo took a sip of his beer. "Where did those two run off to?" Gojyo asked. "Two?" Sanzo asked. "Shiey and Goku!" Gojyo replied. "I think they went out to buy some meat buns. They said that they would be back right after that." Hakkai said. "Right." Sanzo said, as he took a gulp of his beer.

"Shiey! Shiey! Over there!" Goku said as he pointed to a stall of meat buns. Shiey smiled and walked towards Goku. "One dozen meat buns, please!" Goku exclaimed at the man who was selling them. The man handed him his meat buns as Shiey payed for it. "Thanks, Shiey!" Goku yelled as he stuffed his mouth with meat buns. Shiey smiled at him, "Sure, no problem."

Houtou Castle, India…

"What the?" Kougaiji yelled. "You weren't supposed to send out assassins!" Kougaiji yelled. "Calm down, at least they lived for a reason. And besides, I didn't send out assassins, I sent Tsu-rai, you know, the master of tricks. He can make someone remember his or her past. Or something they aren't sure of." Gyoukumen Koushu replied. "And who did you send him after?" Kougaiji demanded. "Oh, you know, the girl with the Sanzo party. She's needed for the revival of Gyumao, you know." Gyoukumen Koushu said. "Damn!" Kougaiji said as he punched the wall hard. "Oh yes, and if you have somewhere to go to, see to it that Lirin stays inside the castle. I wouldn't want her getting hurt." Gyoukumen Koushu instructed. Kougaiji left the room, angrily.

Back in the bar…

The three boys were quietly discussing something. And Gojyo, obviously getting bored, decided to go out and date some girl. He stood up from his seat and walked towards the door. "Since everything's taken care of, I'll just go do the one thing I do best." He said, "See ya later, guys." Just then, the bar's doors came flying open, to reveal a panting Goku. "Stupid monkey! You could at least walk in just like any other person. Why do you have to run over the whole place!" Gojyo yelled. "Shiey…" Goku muttered. Hakkai stood from his seat and said, "What is it, Goku? Did something happen to Shiey?" "I…Just one second… need to catch my breath." Goku said. "One. Now, tell us." Sanzo demanded. "Okay! All right already! I was standing by the meat buns' stall and when I looked beside me, Shiey wasn't there anymore. I searched all over town, I can't find her anywhere." Goku narrated. "Are you sure?" Hakkai asked. "Yeah." Goku said. "Shoot, just what I need…" Sanzo thought. "Go and look for her. I think she's in trouble." Sanzo said as he made his way to the door. "Fine." Gojyo said, also going out. "Okay. I just hope we find her before she gets in trouble." Hakkai said. "Goku, stay here, just in case Shiey comes back, okay?" Hakkai said. Goku nodded. Hakkai ran out and started looking for Shiey.

"Excuse me, have you seen a girl with long, blonde hair and blue and brown eyes?" Hakkai asked. The man shook his head. Hakkai was getting worried. What if she was badly hurt? What if somebody took her and did who-knows-what? Hakkai became more worried. "I have to find her before she gets hurt." Hakkai said. Just then, he felt demonic aura coming from the outskirts of town. He went to where the aura was coming from, guessing that it might lead him to Shiey.

Meanwhile, Gojyo had already returned to the inn. "Did you find her?" Goku asked. "What do you think, bonehead? Is Shiey with me?" Gojyo said. "What about Sanzo and Hakkai? Did they find her?" Goku asked. "Don't ask me. We all went our separate ways." Gojyo said. "I'm going." Goku said as he was about to go out and look for Shiey. But, Gojyo grabbed his collar. "No way, monkey. We stay here just in case Shiey comes back." Gojyo protested. "But this was all my fault! What if Shiey gets hurt? This is my entire fault! I was supposed to be watching her." Goku said. "Don't worry, I'm sure either Sanzo or Hakkai found her." Gojyo reassured. Goku looked outside the window. "I sure hope so." Goku said.

Shiey felt herself being drowned, and she couldn't do anything about it. Someone was holding her from the surface of the lake. Just then, she felt her memories flooding back and she completely passed out.

Flashback

She was sitting in the woods, by the clearing. It was nighttime already and she hadn't had a bite to eat. She was 19 years old and had her back leaned against a tree. She had spent 16 years in that forest. She had lost all hope of ever finding Kouryuu. She lost all hope of ever being loved again. She looked up at the stars. She had thought that if she died, everything would be better. That if she died, she didn't have to suffer anymore… She closed her eyes. She didn't have anything to eat for that whole day. And besides, what use were her celestial powers if she didn't know how to use them? She stood up from the tree that had given her shelter and she walked to the cliff. She wanted to end her life now. No one would save her anyway. She would just keep falling. No one was there to break her fall anyway. No one was there to care for her anyway. Life wasn't worth living. It was all one, huge hellhole. She closed her eyes once more as she remembered the face of Kouryuu and her mother. Tears flowed out from her eyes. She missed Kouryuu and her mother so much. She raised both her arms to her sides and leaned forward. Just when she let go of the ground she was stepping on, let go of all her fears, her sadness, her anxiety and her life, she felt someone catch her. She felt two strong arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes and looked behind her, to see who had stopped her from ending her worthless life. She saw a man with black hair and a pair of blue and gold eyes. "Let go of me!" she demanded. "Why?" the man asked. She looked at him, startled at the question. "So that you can end your life?" he said once again. She furrowed her eyebrows and tears escaped from her eyes once again, "Yes! There's nothing in my life worth living for. I lost everything! No one cares! They all just care about themselves! They're so selfish! Now let go of me!" Shiey shouted in desperation as she fell on her knees. "Nothing is worth living for! What use is it to be alive if you're not happy? I don't feel alive anyway." She said as tears escaped her eyes. The man kneeled down beside her. "I lost someone important to me, too." He said. Shiey looked up, her eyes welled with tears. Then the man stood up once again, "But I'm still living, and you know why? Because I know someday things will be better if you do something about it." Shiey looked at her, with her two swollen eyes. "Come with me," the man said as he reached his hand out to Shiey, "Come with me. I'll teach you everything you need to know. We can live our life together, so that we won't be lonely." The man said. Shiey looked at him, was she making the right choice? Should she go with this man? She extended her hand to touch the man's and the man took it and helped her up. "My name's Homura." The man declared. "I'm Shiey." She answered.

And so, a friendship began. Homura and Shiey found shelter in an old log cabin, and everyday, Homura would teach Shiey how to use her powers. (Since Shiey had already told him). And he also taught her how to fight in close combat. They lived happy together. But one day… that all changed.

One rainy day, Homura and Shiey were inside the cabin. Just then, Homura stood up. "Homura?" Shiey asked, but no reply came from Homura. He just kept clutching on his chest and breathing heavily. "Homura, are you okay?" Shiey asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, Homura slapped her hand away. "Homura?" she said. Homura yelled, "Get away from me!" and he brought out his sword and started hitting Shiey with it. "Homura! What's wrong with you!" Shiey exclaimed. But Homura just kept sending blows to her. So, she fought back with a power blast, which sent Homura falling to the ground. She ran to him and said, "Homura, are you okay?" her body was bruised badly, and she was bleeding all over. Just then, Homura grabbed her hand and pinned her down to the floor. Then, he started kissing her. Shiey struggled to break free, but he was too strong. He eventually placed his hand inside her shirt and traveled upwards and met her bra. Then, he proceeded to unbuttoning her shirt. Shiey realized this and closed her eyes tightly and she suddenly turned into a celestial maiden. She broke free from Homura's grasp and sent a power blast to him, crying in the process. Then, when he was about to stand again, she ran. Ran out the door, as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, but she kept on running. Eventually, she stopped and fell to the ground, tears in her eyes. She thought she had finally found love. Finally found someone who would care for her. Finally found someone and something worth living for… but that's where she went wrong. She was soaked in the rain, and she didn't care. If a bolt of lightning should strike at her, then let it be. She lay there, on the cold, wet ground for a couple of minutes. Then, she passed out.

Suddenly, she ran out of breath and the demon, Tsu-rai took her and carried her and was about to bring her to Houtou Castle when suddenly, Hakkai attacked from behind him and he disintegrated. Hakkai caught Shiey and brought her to a cave nearby, since it started raining anyway. He was patting her back, hoping that she would spit out all the water she swallowed. When it didn't work, Hakkai was about to use CPR, when suddenly, Shiey coughed up all the water she swallowed. Then, she looked up at Hakkai, "Hakkai?" she said slowly. Hakkai smiled and replied, "Yes. Now rest for a while." Shiey passed out and Hakkai knelt beside her. "We might be here a while." He said as he began gathering firewood.

Sanzo arrived at the inn all wet. "Sanzo?" Goku asked worriedly. "No." Sanzo replied, "Didn't find her." "She might be hurt already, and we're just sitting here!" Goku said. "Calm down, monkey boy. I'm willing to bet that Hakkai found her." Gojyo announced. "What do you think, Sanzo?" Gojyo added. "Probably… maybe they're just waiting out the rain." He replied.

Shiey opened her eyes and saw Hakkai beside her. "Oh, you're awake. How're you feeling?" he asked. "I'm fine." She replied as she sat up. She looked outside the cave and noticed that it was raining. She also noticed the bright, warm fire that was in front of her. "What were you doing in the woods?" Hakkai asked, breaking the silence. "Oh, I went for a walk. Didn't Goku tell you?" she asked. "I guess he missed that detail." Hakkai said, scratching his head. Shiey sat by the fire and began warming herself. Suddenly, she started sneezing. "Are you sure you're alright?" Hakkai asked. "Yeah." Replied Shiey. "You got us worried, you know." Hakkai said. "Sorry. I did it again." Shiey replied. "No matter." He answered. "Thanks for saving me from whatever that was that had me." Shiey said. "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say he was a demon sent by Kougaiji's side." Hakkai explained. "I remember now…" Shiey said. "Huh?" Hakkai asked, clearly confused. "I remember about Homura." She said. "Would you mind telling me?" Hakkai said. "Sure…" Shiey replied. "I met him when I was alone in the forest. I almost took my own life away. But he stopped me and told me that he would help me. So, we lived together for a while. But then, one day, he just went mad and started hitting me. He even tried to rape me. So, I ran away and I never saw him since." Shiey narrated. "I see." Hakkai replied. And then, silence came over. For a while, all you could hear were the raindrops. "But, he did leave me with one useful lesson." Shiey said. "And what is that?" Hakkai asked. "It's not worth it to end your life. Because things will be better if you do something about it." Shiey said. Hakkai smiled. "Sanzo said something like that." Hakkai said. "You can choose to die, you can choose to run, but dying alone won' change a thing. Trust me on that one. If you really want things to change, you're going to have to live."

"Hey Hakkai," Shiey said. "Yes?" Hakkai asked. "Can I ask you something?" she continued. "Sure." Hakkai replied. "Do you miss Kanan?" she asked. It hit Hakkai like a bomb. His eyes widened in surprise. "If you don't want to answer then that's just fine. I understand." Shiey said. "Yes. Sometimes, I do miss her." Hakkai said. "Oh… okay." Shiey said. "Why do you ask?" Hakkai asked. "Um, nothing." She said.

A while later, it was getting dark and cold. The sun had set and it hasn't stopped raining yet. "Sanzo's gonna be in a bad mood again." Hakkai said. Shiey looked at him. "Sanzo's always in a bad mood when it rains. It has something to with his past" Hakkai said. "It's getting cold, isn't it?" Shiey said. "Yes, it's nearing winter, that's why." Hakkai said. Shiey started shivering. "Shiey, are you sure you're feeling just fine?" Hakkai inquired once more. "Y-ye-yeah." Shiey said, as she stuttered. Hakkai went beside her and placed a hand on her forehead. "You have a fever. We have to get you to the inn soon." Hakkai said. Shiey smiled at him faintly. Just then, they heard growls coming from deep inside the cave. Hakkai and Shiey stood up. Then prepared to fight. A whole group of demons came attacking at them. "If my hunch is correct, I'll guess that these men were with the demon I killed earlier." Hakkai said. "Yeah… I think you're right." Shiey said as they started taking out demons.

After killing every last one and making sure that they fully disintegrated, they rested once again. "That was a good form of exercise, wasn't it?" Hakkai said, turning to look at Shiey. "Shiey!" he yelled as he saw that Shiey had collapsed against the wall of the cave. He ran to her and quickly placed his hand on her forehead. "We have to get out of here the soonest time possible. You're fever's growing worse." He said. Suddenly, Shiey opened her eyes and sat up. "Hakkai," she said. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm fine." Hakkai said, looking at her worriedly. "Hakkai, I feel cold." She said in almost a whisper. "Shiey, just hold on a little while longer, the rain will stop soon." Hakkai said. "I… feel… so weak. Hakkai…" she said slowly. "What is it, Shiey?" Hakkai asked. "Are you there?" she asked. "Yes, I'm here, Shiey. Stay with me." He said. Shiey smiled and held his hand. "We'll make it, won't we?" she asked. "Yes, just a little more longer, Shiey. The rain will stop soon." Hakkai said. "It hurts, Hakkai." Shiey said. "What?" Hakkai said in a surprised tone. Shiey's breathing was heavy and ragged. Suddenly, Hakkai spotted a huge wound on the left side of her stomach. Just when he was about to heal it, he noticed that there was poison in it. "Shiey, we have to get you a doctor." He said. "I can't see anything, anymore." Shiey said, fighting to keep her eyes open. "Shiey… stay with me." Hakkai said. "I'm right here, Hakkai." She said in a whisper. "The world's turning black." Shiey said. "Hakkai…" she said. Hakkai was now holding her in his arms. "Stay conscious, Shiey." Hakkai pleaded. "I can't." Shiey said. "Thank you…" Shiey said as her eyes closed and she fell into darkness. "Shiey…" he said as he hugged her tight. It was such a sight to see. Shiey lay there, unconscious. While Hakkai was hugging her tightly. And the rain was still pouring. Sanzo, Goku and Gojyo were still in the inn worried sick about the other two.

"Shiey…" Hakkai said. "I…" he said as he hugged her tighter. "I won't let you down." And so, he held Shiey in his arms, keeping her warm as he waited for the rain to stop.

Author's note: Well? What do you think? I did what you guys told me! I put Hakkai instead of Gojyo? So? How as it? Espescially about the past thing with Homura in it? I just kinda conjured that up… anyway… hope all you readers out there REVIEW! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE REVIEW! THANKS A LOT!