Author's Note: Hey everyone! Hope you're still reading my fic, it's been a long time since I last updated this. I barely have time to write anymore, and if I do I write mostly one-shots.

Read and review, minna-san! Arigato gozaimasu!

CHAPTER FOUR: FALLEN

Hakkai stepped hard on the accelerator, speeding by the majestic trees towering over the road as the pale moon, amidst the racing clouds, cast its shadow on the entire village. The wind gently swept his dark brown hair away from the eyes still glistening with tears.

Hakkai took no heed as the first drops of rain started to fall. It seemed to him as if the sky was sharing his grief that he had so deeply buried inside. He tilted his head slightly upwards as he stared at the raindrops now falling harder, soaking his already-wet garments.

He did not know where to go. Hakkai quickly hit the brakes and sat in silence. He felt like a complete fool. What was the point of sneaking out when he didn't have a purpose anyway? And to add to his already dampened feeling of misery, he had left his wallet along with his other things inside his room.

Great, he thought. Just another thing to add to my suffering.

He decided to continue driving in hopes of finding something to restore his soul to peace. The shattered fragments of his being had been carried up by the wind and blown mercilessly in all directions. The night rain continued whipping about him, obscuring his imperfect vision as he continued to plow on despite unfavorable conditions.

At last he reached a small park, lined with beautiful flowers at the side. There were long wooden benches surrounding a lovely and majestic tree at the center. All around it were cherry blossoms not in bloom from which small lamps can be seen hanging, serving to illuminate the wooden benches carved with ornate symbols. The place was deserted.

Hakkai climbed off Hakuryu and strolled down the sideways, glancing at the bloodred color of some of the flowers. Angrily he turned away from them, only to notice a flower entwined near the bloodred flower, a beautiful violet one. Beside it was a clump of small flowers, wilted and dry, its petals slowly falling into death.

Hakkai's eyes began welling up with tears again as he understood the silent messages these flowers were sending him. He walked briskly away and settled down on one of the benches, closing his eyes, feeling the soft pounding of the raindrops pelting his skin—

"I knew you'd come for me."

Hakkai's eyes snapped open. In the darkness of the rain he squinted around to see who had spoken. His eyes traveled all around the small park, and when he had seen nothing, he stood up ever so quietly and slowly walked to the source of the voice.

There it was. Behind a large clump of flowers were two figures, shrouded in the dim light. Hakkai moved in closer, careful not to make a sound.

The figures were becoming clearer now. One had long hair neatly divided into two strands; another had long hair carelessly tucked back into a small ponytail. The figure had hair with a shade as dark as the night surrounding them, as far as Hakkai could tell. He couldn't see distinct color in this situation.

"I know you wouldn't leave me, Yaone."

Hakkai froze, watching as the man who spoke placed his arm around the other's shoulders. He couldn't believe it. Yaone?

He stood there rooted to the spot. Yaone hadn't reacted at all, but she flinched as the man continued talking.

"Leaving the cathedral wasn't too hard, now, was it?" the man said, sneering. He flicked a stray strand of hair aside, and, as it caught light, Hakkai saw what was unmistakably a strand of hair the color of blood.

Hakkai felt his insides starting to burn again. No…this couldn't be happening…He struggled against himself, trying to prevent from unleashing a deadly shadow of his past that had been dormant for years. It seemed awake now, this Cho Gono, waiting to be released from the depths of his soul…

Hakkai dropped to his knees. The soft grass cushioned his fall, and as he lay there, trying not to writhe in pain, he heard the distinct voice of the man he had trusted all his life, sitting there with his bride-to-be…

"Leave him, Yaone."

Hakkai's eyes widened. He was shaking from head to foot, nervously anticipating her answer. Beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead despite the cold, howling wind. Leaves were blown up into the air as the rain continued to pour down.

"I…" Yaone said, hesitation clouding her quivering voice.

Hakkai waited with bated breath. He was hardly breathing at all.

"I...I guess I will."

Hakkai ceased tobreathe. It was the final blow, the last straw, that drove out any remaining sanity left in him. He shifted his position to face the black sky, willing himself to drown in its tears. The world spun crazily around him; harsh and bitter memories echoing within the halls of his troubled mind. He closed his eyes, wanting to shut out everything, erase anything he had heard.

He sensed the two figures standing up and walking away down the deserted lane. Every step Yaone took away from him was like hundreds of flaming arrows all directed at him, piercing him at every point. The fire ignited in him, eating at his raw flesh, opening up all the past wounds and letting them bleed anew. He clenched his teeth, not wanting to surrender and let loose his old self.

Finally he found the strength to get on his feet, and staggered towards Hakuryu. Getting on the jeep, he stepped on the accelerator and zoomed past the houses into a nearby place where he knew he could be freed.

Inhis room Goku was tossing and turning in his bed. Thunder clapped loudly as it followed a crack of lightning that illuminated the dark sky. Frowning, Goku grabbed a nearby pillow and tried to muffle the noise, only to realize that it was his stomach that was keeping him awake.

"So that was it," Goku concluded, cheerfully jumping out of bed and putting on his sandals. "I think I'll get a midnight snack!"

Slowly he trudged out of the room and turned on the lights in the hallway. It was dimly illuminated by ornate lamp posts hanging on the walls. Yawning, he quickened his pace, trying to keep the noise down as much as possible.

Goku groaned. My stomach's gonna wake everyone up. I can't let Sanzo catch me. He ran noiselessly down the remaining stretch of floor, turned the corner, and bumped right into someone.

"Ow!" Goku moaned, falling flat on the ground. He turned his face up to see who he had bumped into, only to see the deadly flash of amethyst eyes boring into his golden ones, and a second later, an equally—if not more—crack of the almighty harisen.

"San…zo?" Goku said, surprise in his wide-eyed stare. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Sanzo retorted, ignoring Goku's question and staring off into the opposite direction.

"Well," Goku muttered, "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get a snack or something."

"'Ch. More like eat your third dinner."

"Well…maybe something like that," Goku finished hopefully, beaming widely. "How about you, Sanzo? What were you doing out here?"

"None of your business." Sanzo lit a cigarette and leaned on the wall. He looked out the window, watching the trees swaying to the force of the wind. Raindrops pelted the smooth glass, the storm raging through the night.

"Hakkai hates rain."

Sanzo looked up. Goku had followed his gaze and was staring out the window thoughtfully as well. Sanzo decided to ignore this comment. He made to stand up and was starting to walk away when Goku spoke again.

"You know, Sanzo?"

Sanzo stopped in his tracks, not turning around. Thunder clapped overhead. The wind howled through the cracks in the windows. Goku hurried to close it; his eyes downcast. It took a few seconds' silence before Goku continued,

"This is turning into a really dramatic story, now, isn't it?"

Sanzo didn't reply. Instead, he gave out a short 'Ch' to indicate he was listening and stalked off down the hall, Goku's double-meaning words ringing in his ears…

What will happen now?

Goku looked up, watching the silent monk walking away to his room. He had hoped Sanzo understood his simple message.

To find them before it's too late.

Sighing, he trudged back to his own room, his purpose for coming out completely forgotten and ignored.

"It's too late."

Hakkai stood on the brink of a deep ravine, watching the dark clouds quickly moving through the night sky. The wind brushed at his dark brown hair, the rain bearing down on him. Hakuryu watched from a distance, staring at his master who had lost all hope for life.

Memories flashed before Hakkai's mind. Years spent together with the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou seemed to fall short of what he had hoped for all these years—to regain his lost love, to experience the joy of being able to have someone to protect, to fulfill a promise broken in a blink of an eye. Everything was wasted, every opportunity lost, and there was no hope for redemption in the chasm he had buried himself in.

He closed his eyes, tears still shimmering, and lifted his head towards the sky, his arms outstretched, begging the rain to wash down his pain. Teetering, he dared not open his eyes as the world began to spin around him, the sounds of the rain and the wind hurtling past him beginning a melody in his light-shunned life. He felt the cold rush of wind, the sudden jerking of his limbs, as the rest of the world and all the misery it gave him faded from sight.

Author's Notes: Did I write that? I can't believe I just did that to Hakkai! Anyway, the next chapter's going to be the final one, and I know this story is too short but this is the original plot I have. I'm eager to start a new humor fic to take a breather from all the drama ones.

I hope you won't be disappointed at what I did to Hakkai-kun. I like twists at the end, and the ironies of life will probably be present in the final installment.