Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Saiyuki. This fanfiction will include a character that I made up. Takes place right after he discovered Goku.

Can't go on

Toa Genjyo Sanzo the thirty-first. He is a cold-hearted man, but only because he has to be to survive. From when he was very young, he was left all alone to fend for himself. Since then, he had closed off his heart, slowly killing it over time. Even after the discovery of the young boy, nothing changed. Said boy, at that time, was sitting in the corner playing with a kendama. He was obsessed with it, trying to figure out its lost secrets by simply waving it around above his head. The boy was off in his own world, leaving the young priest to drown in his thoughts as the rain poured just out the window, and pounded at his consciousness. Sanzo hadn't realized he had been staring at the boy, until a crack of thunder brought his attention back out the window.

'I can't take this. It's driving me insane… I have to escape it… that's right… If I run… if I run fast enough, maybe I can get away from this…'

Goku looked up from his toy as Sanzo rose from his seat next to the window and left without saying a word.

"Sanzo? Sanzo!"

Goku went out of the temple and saw Sanzo running out into the rain. He yelled out to him, but the other was already beyond reaching. His heart was closed, and he wouldn't let anyone get to him. He ran so far and so fast that soon, he didn't know where he was. He thought deep in his heart that if he ran fast and far enough, the drumming of rain in his ears would cease, and the throb in his heart would fade, but the pain remained, and the rain continued to pound down on and around him. His anger flared and he roughly hit his fist on a tree. Small trickles of blood started to flow, but he was more concerned with the rain and catching his bearings. Then, he stopped. A low groaning from the bushes set him on guard. Three large demons bearing long, yellow fangs stepped out in front of him.

"It looks as if a careless human has wandered into our territory! Too bad for you, but it's good for us. We haven't eaten as well as having a human in so long!"

Sanzo threw them a confident glare and reached into his robes for his gun and pointed it at the demons. They immediately froze, instantly knowing what the boy held was a banishing gun. Sanzo muttered, "losers" under his breath before pulling the trigger. (click) Nothing. The demons had been frozen still for a moment, and then exchanged glances. Only smiling as the frightened boy continued to pull the trigger with no result. (click) (click)

"Well, it looks like there aren't any bullets, are there?"

They exchanged glances again, and Sanzo took a step back in fear. Goku. Where was the stupid monkey when he needed him most? Shoot. He needed someone? He was getting so weak. Sanzo hadn't the time to react as a group of claws slashed at his chest, cutting his robes and slicing his flesh. The other demons each took a swipe or two at him before his body fell to the mud with a dull thud. How many wounds he had received, he wasn't sure. Sanzo was so numb all over, he couldn't tell, anymore. But he could not allow himself to give up so easily and managed to push himself up and looked around. The three demons had stopped, and were staring off to the left at something his own eyes could not see. He tried to look at what it was that happened next, but his vision was blurry. Some sort of faded figure had charged at one of the demons and knocked him to the ground. Then, it went to the others and blood sprayed all over the place. Sanzo's eyes drifted shut for a while, and when he opened them, he felt an unfamiliar warmth surrounding him. He opened his eyes just halfway and saw large, golden-red eyes staring down at him. He was being held in gentle arms and something was wrapped around his drenched and shaking body.

"Don't die…"