Disclaimer: like I said, you're nuts if you think I own Saiyuki...
Losing track of time... Losing my sanity...
...Who am I?
...Where am I?
...Why am I alone?
...Why is there no one?
I see a faint light, a light out of this darkness...
I must make it to that light... no matter what....
Or I will never know what it means to live.
Chapter One: Niccolo
The loud snoring made Gojyo's eyebrow twitch, but there was nothing he could do to even make the young brown haired demon budge from slumber. Although he was quite unsure if he wanted the boy awake... he was going to complain about food non-stop if he wakes... A bump on the road made contact with the little green jeep's tire, jostling its passengers and throwing the boy out with a soft thud on the desert sand. Gojyo leaned over to see if the boy had awakened. Surprisingly, the boy was still asleep, face flat on the sand.
"Oi saru! Wake up!" He called out, but the boy still did not move.
"Let him be, Gojyo... he'll get up soon enough. Gojyo looked over his shoulder, to the blond monk who lighted a cigarette stick with that eternal frown on his lips. A cough diverted Gojyo's attention, making him look back at the boy who was now up and gasping for air. He chuckled.
"Had a nice swim, saru?" he asked and received a scowl from the boy.
"Daijobu desuka Goku?" Hakkai asked, looking at the boy from the rear-view mirror from his seat. As he looked, a small movement not far from them caught his attention. "Oro?" He squinted his eyes, as if to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He glanced at Sanzo who was studying the look on his face. The monk signaled him to check it out. Hakkai nodded and hopped off the driver's seat then shielded his eyes from the late afternoon heat as he walked towards a tall rock formation. Goku, on the other hand, was too busy arguing with Gojyo to notice what was happening. The figure by the rocks lay quite still. It wasn't until Hakkai was near enough that he noticed it was a young boy. He rushed to the small figure and turned him over. The boy was still alive, but he seemed very exhausted, physically, and, emotionally. He had no injuries, so Hakkai carried the boy to the rest of his companions. Gojyo and Goku immediately ceased fighting, and Sanzo looked at the boy with a piercing stare. They all knew what he was thinking: They weren't going to take a stray with them. Even so, they had no other option.
"Is he gonna come with us?" Goku asked eagerly, peering at the boy who was now placed at the back seat, between him and Gojyo. Hakkai only smiled, but Sanzo answered the boy's query.
"Only until the next town," the monk said flatly as Hakkai took his post and started the engine once more. "He will only be a hindrance if he comes with us." Hakkai let Hakuryu move on, and that ride to a town was the most quiet of all.
Everything is dark... did I not make it to the light?
Where am I still?
Am I dead?
Or am I still alive?
But to live like this... in eternal darkness... I would rather die.
Niccolo jolted out of sleep and winced at the bright light coming from the window. Where was he now? A sharp pain on his head made him remember what he had gone through, and let his tears run freely down his cheeks.
"Ch! You're still crying?" Startled, the boy looked at the one who spoke, and was even more startled to see deep purple eyes staring at him. "Captain Arjan..." he soon realized his mistake when he noticed that the man had blond hair. The said man flicked open a small metal object, and a small flame came from it. He neared it to a white stick whose end ebbed, and soon, smoke was coming from it. The man exhaled, puffing out smoke. Niccolo was fascinated. He had never seen anything like that before. The man may have noticed his stare and scowled at him, making him cower slightly.
"I'm not your captain..." the man said and puffed out more smoke. The scent of the smoke finally reached him and he immediately covered his nose and mouth. What an undesirable smell! How could he stand it? He decided to leave the room. Finding his shoes, he put them on and headed for the door. "Where the f are you going? You shouldn't even be standing up..." Niccolo opened the door and turned to the blond man. "I can not stand the smell..." he answered plainly and closed the door behind him. Sanzo glared at the door, as if to burn a hole through it. "Brat..."
Niccolo walked the corridor, figuring his way out. What was this place? And why is everything so bright? Is this the work of the white crystals? Finding a door, he opened it and stared at the scene before him. Many things were unfamiliar to him... what were those giant roots with green things on top? And a blue ceiling... Everything was strange... and it was not as cold as his home. He took in a deep breath... the air was so fresh... and it was not damp. A scent like the blond man's smoke reached his nose... although this one was much worse. He searched for the source, and found a tall man with red hair and eyes. He immediately recognized what he was – a hybrid. The man puffed out smoke, making Niccolo frown and back away. He sat on the ledge farthest away from the man. The man was looking him over with scrutiny he only saw in men the Khalsa hated. The wind blew from the man's direction, sending the smoke his way. He frowned and covered his nose again. "Why do you like something that smells so awful?" he asked the man plainly. To his surprise, the man chuckled.
"Never met someone who smokes before?" the man said, bemused. He flicked the white stick to the ground and stepped on it. He walked over to him and offered a hand. "I'm Sha Gojyo..." Niccolo stared at the hand and did the same. Gojyo laughed. "No... you're supposed to shake my hand... like this..." he took his hand and shook it. Niccolo nodded in understanding. "Geez... what planet did you come from?" Niccolo clenched Gojyo's fist so tight that the older man yelped in pain. He shook his hand away. "Itte! What the hell?" The two glared at each other, until a calm hand rested on both their shoulders. Niccolo looked up and saw calm emerald green eyes. He forgot his anger, and wondered what this man was happy about.
"Glad to see you awake! I'm Cho Hakkai by the way..." he said. 'You can call me Hakkai... Are you feeling better?" he asked so politely that Niccolo felt obliged to answer.
"I was until I met this hybrid..." Niccolo answered, avoiding the glare that was directed at him.
How did he – Hakkai didn't let his surprise show and was saved when Goku appeared, bombarding the boy with questions.
"Hi! I'm Son Goku! What's your name?"
Niccolo was taken aback. What energy this young man had! "Um, I am Niccolo...nice to meet you, Son Goku.." Goku's eyes seemed so wide with curiosity that he feared he would drown in answering questions.
Goku beamed. "Niccolo? That's an unusual name! What were you doing in the desert?" Niccolo frowned. "Uh, what's a desert?" Gojyo slapped his forehead. "I can't believe this... we're now stuck with two idiots!"
"Ahahahaha..." Hakkai laughed and smiled at Sanzo who stepped out the porch. "Sanzo... I talked to the nuns at the church... they said they would be more than glad to take him."
Niccolo turned to Hakkai. "What's a church?" Hakkai only smiled at him.
"He's coming with us," Sanzo said, making Goku and Gojyo turn their heads so fast that their necks cricked. "WHAAAAAT? But why?? Our hands are already full with taking care of the monkey!" Gojyo burst pointing at Goku who pouted and glared at Gojyo. "Two monkeys are too much!"
"Hey! I'm not a monkey!" Niccolo exploded, even though he had no idea what a monkey was. But one thing was for sure: it was meant as an insult, and this hybrid was not getting away with it. "Do you want to die?"
"Haha! I'm not scared of a little boy!" Gojyo taunted, leaning towards the boy and pointing at his chin. "C'mon... give it your best shot kid!" Niccolo glared at him, and in a split of a second, a dagger hit the porch pole, and some of Gojyo's red hair fell to the floor. A light red mark was visible on Gojyo's left cheek. Orange eyes seemed to pierce through him as the boy continued to glare.
"Hell!"
An uneasy silence fell over them, and Sanzo dropped his cigarette. He casually stepped on it to hide his shock. Goku suddenly jumped up and down and started praising the boy. "That was awesome! Where's you learn that?" he pulled the boy by the hand. "Come on! Let's go eat something! I'm starving!"
Hakkai watched the two go, the older boy dragging the younger one and laughed. He turned to Sanzo. "Well, we'd better follow them before they get in trouble..."
Niccolo marveled at the sights and sounds in the market place, awed at everything he saw. This place was fascinating! Almost everything he saw was new, and every bit of food he tasted was a new flavor. He forgot his problems as of the time being, and enjoyed the moment. He was so excited that he failed to see where he was going and bumped into a cloaked person.
"I am deeply sorry sir... I was not quite paying attention to where I was going..." he bowed slightly, and let the cloaked person pass.
"No need for apologies... I was in a hurry myself..." the person said in passing, then whispered to himself. "In a hurry to find who I have to kill, and who I have to save."
TBC
Well, I don't feel like typing long chapters.... Please drop a comment if you have any...