Part 4:
A warm touch to drive away the rain

During that same time, it had begun to rain harder and thunder cracked outside of the window where Sanzo slept, already uneasily. He tossed and turned as the events of his worst memory came flooding into his feverish mind. The pounding rain, the flashes outside; young Sanzo opened his eyes and looked out a small crack in the window of the small part of the building where he and his master were at.

"It just doesn't look as if it will stop raining this time, master…"

Then, Sanzo turned his head and saw his master's face staring at him, smiling at him. Lightning shone just outside, and for an instant, the face changed from his master's to a young demon girl's. But, seeing his master was enough for him.

"Do you believe it will ever stop raining, master?"

That night… that night, everything ended for him and his master. Blood. There was so much blood everywhere, and the rain continued to drum down. Sanzo shifted uncomfortably in the sheets of the unfamiliar bed, until he felt gentle hands moving through his hair in a soothing fashion. His hand immediately shot out and took hold of a thin wrist, opening his eyes only halfway. Then, they went wide as he saw none other than his master, standing before him, smiling at him.

"M-master…you came back…"

Sanzo pulled the figure towards him, but in the realm of the conscious, it was not his master he was embracing- it was a frightened young demon girl. He pulled her to him, and held her tightly for a long time. She was about to pull away, until she felt small, wet droplets fall onto her shirt. The cold-hearted monk was crying… She wrapped her arms around him and they slid down into the warm comforters, and she held him the whole night.