Disclaimer:

I do not own Saiyuki. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfics about it.

Enjoy.

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"…ku…" A gray mist surrounded me.

"…Goku…" A voice whispered to me from somewhere across the mist.

"…G… Go…"

The world spun and spun around me, gray mist swirling into shapes and colors.

All I heard was that voice.

Sanzo…

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Gone with

the Rain

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"S-S-S-San…zo…" Freshly fallen rain rolled off the leaves in the surrounding forest. A misty breath rose off of the forest floor. Through the mist, the color red shone like the sun that no longer shone. Bloodstained leaves carpeted the forest floor, where a bloodstained child sat sobbing brokenly into a bloodstained hand.

"No… Sa… Sanzo…" The boy squeezed the bloody hand again as he choked back more sobs; unsuccessfully. His tears ran off his cheek and onto the bloody fingers held within his hands. Goku kept one hand relentlessly intertwined with those cold wet fingers, while letting the other wander. His fingers traveled across the back of the hand, and down a gloved forearm. He let the touch linger when the black satin-like glove came to its end at a now cracked silver armband. Goku's eyes clamped shut for the thousandth time, forcing fresh tears to abandon their homes like all the others before them.

rustle rustle

Goku jumped slightly, an unknown sound intruding on his senses. Golden eyes darted over the scene before them. Three bodies and plenty of blood. Goku felt his heart picking up its pace. Closing his eyes, he began to mentally count down from ten in an attempt to calm himself.

Inhale, exhale…

"…eight…"

rustle

His eyes darted right, fixing a good stare at a nearby bush for a good five seconds.

"…"

"…five…"

inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

Another rustle. Another good five seconds.

…exhale…

"…three…" Inhale, exhale…rustle rustle…

Goku finished counting, but the rustling kept coming closer. Suddenly…

"Kyuu!" Goku yelped in surprise, reflexively jumping backwards several inches.

Rustle rustle rustle

"Oh…Hakuryu…" Goku allowed a sigh to escape his lips.

The little dragon poked its head out of a nearby bush, and then took flight, cautiously approaching the distraught child.

"Kyuu…" Goku sniffed.

"You… You're not… You don't hate me..?" he asked, unable to keep the tears out of his voice. If the small dragon could come anywhere close to a frown, he did it with sympathy. Still, Hakuryu nuzzled his snout into Goku's shaking arms as the child continued sniffling and trembling. Goku sniffled again and rubbed his teary eyes with the back of his hand.

"Hakuryu…. What've I done?…."