Ai no subete ni deau made

And then you'll find all that is love

"Ai no subete ni deau made." Those words had never been so true. I hadn't given them much merit when my master told them to me. He told me that I'd take a long journey, and then, I'd find love. I laughed at him bitterly, asking why anyone could be bothered loving me.

"You'd be surprised Koryu. There will be someone who will love you, and that you can love in return." Again I laughed, then I left to attend my other lessons.

I had forgotten about that conversation, until now. Now as I watched the saru stuff his face at an 'all you can eat'. It was quite amusing to watch the waiter struggle to keep up with the young man. It was amusing, but it gave me too much time to think.

"What's up?" Goku asked between mouth fulls.

"Hn?" Why would he ask such a question?

"Well," he swallowed. "You never smile." This confused me. "But you're smiling now."

I wiped the smile off my face. I hadn't even realized I was smiling. "I was just remembering something I was once told." I told him, glad that Hakkai and Gojyo were out shopping.

"Oh? And what is it that can make you smile like that?"

"Ai no subete ni deau made." I don't know why I told him, but I did. "My master once told me that I'd take a long journey then fall in love." I said it matter of factly, as though it was the most well-known fact in the world.

"And did you?" He was always curious wasn't he. Always asking one question or another. But this one threw me.

I though for a moment, looking over my memories of our journey. In all my memories, a small golden-eyed adolescent was present. I tried to think of a moment that he wasn't there and came up with only bad memories.

Now, the very same young man was staring into my eyes, looking for an answer.

That got me thinking. "That depends Goku. What is love?"

The monkey thought it over. "When you're always there for them, when you would give up everything just to be with them, when you would protect them from everything. When they make you happy- just by being there, when you feel they could do no wrong." He grinned at me sheepishly. "'Least that's what Hakkai's book says."

I though over what he had just said. "Then yes Goku. I have." With that, I left the room, my mind filled with the image of a certain monkey.

Ai no subete ni deau made.

I had found love, in the most unexpected place.

(Ai no subete ni is a line in the song 'Open your mind' which is the background song in Saiyuki)