RECOVERY


Hakkai wakes with a start, as if roused from some horrible nightmare. His mind is a haze at first and his head pounds liberally. Did he go out drinking with Gojyo and finally find the right combination to get himself drunk? He would almost think that had to be the case if not for the slowly growing dread in him that what really happened was far mirthless.

Banri. Gojyo bleeding and broken. Seiten Taisei. Sanzo's gun. The pain. So much pain. Oh, gods, forgive me!

Hakkai's hand flies up to his left ear as the memories rush back. Limiters. All three, perfect and cool to the touch. Had it been a dream after all? He can only pray it was.

Returning to himself little by little, Hakkai takes in his surroundings. A bedroom. An inn, like many they have stayed in. Does he remember this one? He isn't so sure. But what is immediately familiar when he looks down at himself in bed is the tan limbs beside him.

"Gojyo!" Hakkai cries, deliriously happy to find the hanyou well, peacefully asleep with healthy, even breaths. Hakkai glances at the little bit of light peaking in through the curtains of the window. It is only just morning. The horrors Hakkai remembers so clearly, they must have been a dream after all. They must have been.

"Hakkai…?"

Alerted by Gojyo's groggy voice, Hakkai looks down again at his dearest friend, curled up next to him under the covers as if everything is fine and always has been. As if there had been no disruption of cruel power and misconceptions. Oh, let it be a dream, Hakkai thinks, but as Gojyo looks at him, adoringly and full of amused love, Hakkai cannot bring himself to ask.

"What?" Gojyo says, his usual crooked smile dangling from his lips, "Geez, Hakkai, you gonna eat me or fuck me? Coz that look of yours could go either way."

It was. It was a dream. How could Gojyo look at him like this if it was real? "I'm sorry, Gojyo, I just…didn't have the kindest slumber last night."

A shadow crosses Gojyo's face briefly then disappears into another grin. "Well you know what the good part about that is?"

Hakkai merely stares, curious about Gojyo's answer.

The redhead's grin widens. "Bad night or not, I can promise you a very good morning." And insistent on that promise, Gojyo leans towards Hakkai with his grin leading him all the way into a kiss. He steals Hakkai's lips hungrily, because to be honest, they have belonged to him for a very long time.

Hakkai kisses back with equal passion. More than equal. He grabs the back of Gojyo's neck and deepens the kiss as much as he has ever dared before.

Gojyo. All Hakkai's mind can think of now is Gojyo, his Gojyo, here beside him, well, radiant, and in love with him. A love, Hakkai can finally admit, he would never trade for Kanan's. There are separate places in his heart for both of them, but if Hakkai could go back and change it all, he knows now that he would not. He will always be sorry for letting Kanan down, but he will never regret what those events led to. Because they led him to Gojyo, and Gojyo is his very breath, the heart that manages to beat despite its small size, and the soul that keeps it all in check. Gojyo is everything. And Hakkai will never hurt him. Never. He swears his life on it and all the years he may have left. He will never hurt Gojyo as the monster in his dreams did.

"Geez, man, let a guy breathe," Gojyo laughs, having to push Hakkai away to get out of the kiss, "You're acting like you haven't seen me in weeks or something. I haven't gone anywhere."

"I know. I just…want to make use of our time together, that's all," Hakkai say, "Every second I can. I love you so much, Gojyo. I never want to imagine…life without you."

The same shadow crosses Gojyo's face, and Hakkai feels his heart clench. No, it was a dream. It was all a dream. Gojyo is right here. Gojyo is fine. The limiters are safely in place and all is well. He's worrying Gojyo, that's all. And he doesn't want that.

"Forgive me, Gojyo, I'm fine, I am. I just…" Hakkai caresses Gojyo's cheek with the back of his fingers, loving the roughness of Gojyo's stubble that says the hanyou needs to shave today. "You know how much I love you, don't you?"

Again, the shadow. Gojyo is truly worried, and unable to hide it. "I know. I love you too, you freaky bastard. So knock it off already. There's nothing you need to say or prove to me," he says, and he reaches up and takes the hand trailing over his face, kissing its fingers, "A simple I love you tells me all I need. One look from you tells me. What? You need more proof from my end?"

"No, Gojyo, don't be silly," Hakkai says quickly, squeezing the hand that has hold of his, "You don't need to prove anything either. I know you love me. I know. I just…I just want to feel you close to me, Gojyo. Please…" Hakkai feels weak just to say it that way, though it is at least a little manlier than "Hold me."

Gojyo smiles, all shadows and darkness gone from him, and complies immediately, pulling Hakkai in against him until they can feel the curves of each others bodies.

Hakkai realizes then that he is not entirely naked. He still wears his shorts, which is odd, because he would usually wear pants and nightshirt or nothing at all. It's as if someone, probably Gojyo, simply stripped him of his day clothes but left him his modesty. Gojyo is dressed the same, Hakkai can feel it, the fabric against his fabric and lightly brushing his thighs.

Wanting to coil together every part of them, Hakkai reaches out with his legs and relishes at the feel of skin there, Gojyo's skin, covered in soft red hair and—

Hakkai's heart stops. And. And. And something rough like plaster. Like…a cast.

"No…"

It was a dream. It had to have been a dream. It was a dream!

"No, no…" Hakkai chants, chilled and stiff now as he pulls from Gojyo's tender hold.

Gojyo tenses too. He knows what is wrong, knows what Hakkai has discovered but had been fooling himself into believing wasn't real. Hakkai pulls away, eyes wide with horror, and Gojyo moves in towards him to close the gap even as it is being formed. "Hakkai, it's okay. It's—"

"No!" Hakkai cries, face sheet white and body trembling. "Oh, Gojyo, what did I do?"

"Nothing! You did nothing."

Hakkai grips the sheets and throws them aside, revealing the cast on Gojyo's leg. Green. The cast is green, chosen no doubt by Gojyo's strange sense of sentiment, but it only makes Hakkai feel more ashamed to so see that color. "I…I broke your leg. I tried to…kill you. I took Banri and would have killed him too. I…I…" Hakkai is shaking so hard his words stutter together, incoherent.

"Hakkai!" Grabbing Hakkai tightly by the shoulders, Gojyo shakes his friend hard and forces the emerald eyes he loves so much to look at him and not the damage, not the scar now visible on his stomach that matches Hakkai's so eerily. "Yeah, it happened. You did this, but it wasn't really you, and you know it. I am not going to have this talk with you again, you hear me? Not again. You lost it and you did some terrible things, but you found your way back just like always. It's okay now. Everything's okay and it's going to stay that way. You didn't do anything wrong. Not you. You beat it. You really beat it this time. It's okay. It's okay."

Any other time, many others actually, Hakkai would have dissented for some time, shaking his head and crying on about how sorry he is and what a terrible monster he is. But not this time. He has to believe Gojyo or go mad, because if it were to ever happen again, he knew he wouldn't be this lucky.

Gojyo is alive. It will be okay. It will be okay. But Hakkai still has to ask.

"What happens, Gojyo…if I lose myself again?"

Any number of reactions could have been possible, but Hakkai did not expect the cryptic smile his lover gives him. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know how you did it, but…looks like you added some extra precautions," Gojyo says, and gestures up at Hakkai's right ear.

Hakkai reaches up, hesitant, and when he closes his fingers over the ear he finds three small cuffs. Confused at first Hakkai reaches to his left, where the limiters should be, but the cuffs are there as well, just as he felt when he first woke up. Three on each ear.

Extra precautions indeed.

"I…formed them myself?"

"Yeah. Saw you do it too. You passed out and boom, almost right away your ears started glowing. When the glow went away there were six limiters and you were you again. Sanzo said he doesn't even want to think what it means, just figures it can't be bad if it helps keep you you."

"And…and Banri-san?"

"He's fine. Scared shitless, but barely even bruised. Bad bump on the head though. He didn't stick around."

"Then…I've been out for several days."

Gojyo shakes his head. "Not even one. It's still the same night. We took care of my leg, Banri split, brought you back here, and…that's about it. Monk and Monkey went off to talk. That is, if Mister Stick-up-his-ass can keep up. Looked like fang-boy wanted to romp."

"Fang…" Hakkai doesn't quite understand, his mind still hazy about the night's events. But then he remembers all too clearly. Seiten Taisei with Goku's voice. "They're…one now, aren't they?"

"Seems so," Gojyo admits. His eyebrows knit and the grin that had been hanging faithfully on his lips falls. "Freaks me out, to tell ya the truth. He just…doesn't seem like Goku anymore. I don't know what it is."

"It could just be the transition," Hakkai says hopefully, glad to have something else to focus on besides his own troubles and regrets, but honestly worried for Goku as well, "Has Sanzo said anything?"

Gojyo scowls. "Barely two words, the prick. Wants to fix it all himself, like he's Goku's—"

"Keeper?" Hakkai finishes with a smile. They have often called Sanzo as much.

Gojyo's scowl deepens. "Yeah. But he's not the only person who cares for Goku. What's his problem, thinking he can fix Goku all on his own?"

The replies on Hakkai's tongue fall away as he chuckles, looking at the sorry pair they make with Gojyo's cast and his six limiters.

"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm being a hypocrite," Gojyo grumbles in reply to that damn teasing chuckle, "And proudly too. Doesn't mean I'm not pissed at blondie. You I'm not worried about. I know you're going to be fine. And a leg can heal. But Goku…this is uncharted territory."

"Indeed," Hakkai agrees, "When they return, then we can pester to be of more help. Until then, I think we have some of our own things to attend to."

Gojyo takes Hakkai's words to mean something very agreeable. He grins, shifting his body closer to the healer. "Do we now, coz you know this leg of mine—"

"Will only get in the way," Hakkai interrupts, "Sit up."

As Hakkai kneels on the bed and rubs his hands together to warm them, Gojyo realizes he is going to be healed, not ravaged as he had hoped. What better way to get over a rough time than even rougher sex? But apparently Hakkai doesn't understand that point.

Gojyo sits up as told, but shifts uneasily when Hakkai leans down to begin his work.

"Hakkai, it'll heal fine on its own. You don't have to."

"Yes, I do. Besides, it'll take a couple weeks to heal on its own at least, even with your youkai blood. Now, hold still." Holding a small spark of chi at the tip of his pointer finger, Hakkai slices down the cast, cutting it as if with a saw.

Gojyo watches, always fascinated with the many ways Hakkai discovers to use his powers. The vines Gojyo can do without, he thinks, but the chi is quite a wonder. There has to be some way to make use of it in a more pleasurable sense, Gojyo is almost sure of it. Getting Hakkai to use his abilities that way, however, will surely prove difficult.

"I feel so foolish about it all, " Hakkai says, parting the cast carefully so as not to aggravate Gojyo's tender leg while removing it, "I broke down the barrier myself. Removing my limiters so often, and for so long like that…it gave Gonou new life. We never should have practiced. But don't think I blame you for that, Gojyo. Part of me…almost thinks this needed to happen for me to finally overcome him."

Gojyo doesn't reply, allowing Hakkai to speak. He hisses a little when Hakkai lifts his leg to better pull the cast away, but Hakkai sets it down again so gently that Gojyo almost thinks it is already healed. He knows better when he tries to shift it a little himself. A scolding look from Hakkai and his own yelp tell him not to do that again.

Hakkai returns to work, filling both hands this time with healing chi instead of offensive power. "This isn't Gonou's life anymore," Hakkai continues, "It's mine. And I am Cho Hakkai. You will never have to remind me of that again, my friend. I promise."

Hakkai pauses to look at Gojyo and again Gojyo knows there is nothing he needs to say.

"Gonou is angry, but I'm not anymore. What he cannot accept, I can. He didn't exactly lie to you," Hakkai says this with some hesitation, but continues quickly, "Yes, a part of me has hated Kanan for what she did. And...yes, a very small part thought I hated you for a time as well. Cho Gonou was capable of horrible things. I mourn them. I regret them. But I do not have to be haunted by them anymore. Kanan will always hold a part of Gonou's heart, but Hakkai's is yours."

Gojyo stares, his leg feeling as if it is floating as Hakkai pour in chi. Hakkai is trying not to look at him, eyes heavy with tears he doesn't want to let fall. So Gojyo reaches out, grabs Hakkai's chin, and makes those beautiful eyes look at him. Those words are all he wanted to hear, but he wants Hakkai to look at him as he says it.

"Hakkai is yours," Hakkai says again, as if he heard Gojyo's request aloud and answered it. "Gojyo, if I were to lose you as I lost her I would not seek such awful vengeance as I did then. Not again."

Gojyo almost laughs, but doesn't want to spoil the tender moment. "Can you really promise that?" he says instead, allowing the smallest of grins.

Hakkai returns the grin with the same mischievousness. "No," he says, "But it's a nice thought."

Both smiles widen, and without having to think or gauge each other, they lean in for a kiss. It is open and sweet as they nibble at each others lips. It doesn't need to be deeper, but it lasts a long time. When they pull apart, the tears that had threatened to fall now stain Hakkai's cheeks.

"Back to work now," Hakkai says, as if this is just a normal morning after a meager fight where Gojyo received a few scratches. Hakkai doesn't really think about how much easier the chi healing comes to him. This is extensive healing, repairing a freshly broken bone, and usually it would take him several treatments, but this morning, after all of his trials, it comes easily to heal Gojyo completely. Soon, Hakkai is deeply massaging the leg with chi in his fingertips and Gojyo is in a half-lull of bliss.

Hakkai dares not think that things are easier now, especially with what has happened to Goku. But it is nice to hope.

-----

Every sense in Sanzo tingles, as if he can feel the electricity of a coming storm in the hairs on his arms and in his veins. He has been walking for hours now, after getting Gojyo to a doctor and Hakkai back to the inn. Goku led him, asked Sanzo to follow him, and Sanzo did, if only to learn more of the beast made whole.

Goku allowed Sanzo to sleep, which Sanzo found very difficult, but then roused Sanzo abruptly at the crack of dawn to continue on.

Sanzo hates this. It isn't even as if they are walking together. Goku always remains ahead of him, dashing forward and up into the trees. Sanzo tried to enjoy it at first, the grace with which Goku can move, the speed, the sheer magnificence of it, but it only makes the whole thing more surreal. As if Goku isn't real at all anymore. As if he isn't Goku.

Sanzo clenches his fists as his sides. He won't stand for it. He can't. The monkey told him he would be the same, and damn the fool if he was lying or wrong! Sanzo won't lose someone again, and NOT Goku, even if he has to kill the damn beast. Sanzo of course realizes the flaws in his logic, but chooses not to think about it too much.

Finally, Goku starts to slow ahead of Sanzo, stops, turns to look back with a wicked grin, and leaps through the brush. Sanzo hurries ahead to catch him, afraid he has been left or is about to be tricked, but when he reaches the brush and parts his way through it, he steps into a clearing. Goku stands in the middle of it by the edge of a stream. Trees line the sides of the clearing, keeping it completely enclosed and there is a waterfall at one end. Many birds chirp and flutter about in the morning air, making the scene picturesque and rather reminiscent of a painting.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Goku says, not looking at Sanzo but with his head tilted back, arms wide and eyes closed to better feel the clearing in a way Sanzo is certain he could never understand.

"It's…very beautiful," Sanzo says, ever watchful of the beast. Of Goku. Of this strange combination. Everything about the look of him is Seiten Taisei, but somewhere in his eyes is Goku's light, and his voice is Goku entirely, without the strange articulation Sanzo had feared he would have once this happened. Speaking like that just wouldn't be Goku at all.

Of course, Sanzo isn't sure this is really Goku anyway.

"How did you know this place was here?" Sanzo asks, walking up next to Goku with deliberate steps.

Goku opens his eyes and looks at Sanzo, grinning toothily. "I've been here tons of times. There wasn't a town out here then. Just the nature. Things sure have changed in the world since then, but you can always count on some things to stay the same."

"I hope so." Sanzo says quietly, more to himself than as a response, but of course Goku hears it. He can hear the worms in the earth and an eagle crying miles away.

Sanzo is staring at the waterfall, thinking, when Goku comes up close to him and takes his hand. It startles Sanzo and a part of him almost wants to flinch away. He looks down at Goku, and those eyes, those eyes are the eyes he loves even if they are slit. He knows it. And there is concern there, concern for Sanzo and the troubled expression he wears.

For a moment Sanzo forgets all of his doubts completely. How can those eyes, looking at him with nothing but love, belong to anyone other than Goku? His Goku, who he has known for over seven years, and who has known him for hundreds.

"I've done this all wrong, huh?" Goku says, squeezing Sanzo's hand, but careful not to catch any skin with his claws. "That's why I wanted to bring you here. So you could see how beautiful the world is to me. For me, everywhere's like this. There isn't a place on earth I couldn't make home. As long as you're there, Sanzo. I guess I just got carried away. I didn't mean to scare you."

As Goku says this, his image quivers, and in barely a moment's time, he is Goku, truly Goku, without the long ears, or fangs, or hair down his back. The only difference from the Goku Sanzo has known for so long is that he doesn't have the limiter.

Sanzo just stares, awed, and he feels Goku grip his hand tighter now that there are no longer claws to get in the way.

"How…how did you do that?" Sanzo says.

Goku smiles and gives a shrug. "I'm just as human as I am youkai, right? It's easy. I don't have to look like that if you don't like it."

"It's that I—"

"I know. But you like this better."

Sanzo can't argue. For him Goku will always be the boy he found with wide eyes, short messy hair, and little hands that wield more power than anyone could ever guess. As much as he prefers Goku the man these days, most of those things haven't changed. "So, you brought me here to make me feel better?" Sanzo asks, feeling a little indignant about anyone thinking he needs to be coddled.

"That, and I figured Gojyo and Hakkai needed some time. And…well…" Goku's grin widens again and he backs up, releasing Sanzo's hand. "I did promise to show you my powers, right?" he says.

Almost immediately, clouds begin to form overhead, dark and menacing. Sanzo feels a new grip of panic and wonders for the briefest moment if this was all some kind of elaborate trap. But then he feels very foolish, because if he just remains calm and listens very carefully, he can still hear Goku's voice as clearly as ever. And there is only love and excitement in the boy. There is more to Goku now, but Goku remains, and that is all Sanzo would ask for.

As the clouds gather, too quickly to be a natural formation, Goku steps further back from Sanzo and transforms again into his youkai appearance. He raises his hands to the sky and the storm flickers with lightening and calls out to him with thunder. The storm roars with wind and fills every corner of the sky. It is far too remarkable to be the work of any ordinary being, but Sanzo has never claimed Goku is any such thing.

Suddenly, Goku summons a bolt of lightening to hit the ground between them, and Sanzo jumps back. He bests his shock quickly and gives Goku a warning look, crossing his arms authoritatively. Powerful as Goku may be, such an expression from Sanzo still cows him immediately. The clouds dissipate, the wind stills, the thunder rolls away, and in no time the sun is shining again.

Goku smiles sheepishly, "Sorry," he says, "Just a little more?"

Sanzo isn't too sure he can handle any more displays of power, but his curiosity wins out. Goku is surely more powerful than he ever imagined.

And Goku proves it. Kneeling down in the dirt, Goku slams his hand into the ground and closes his eyes. As if drawing the very essence of earth from the dirt at his fingertips, a translucent light begins to fill Goku, like chi but thicker and clearly more powerful. After a moment, Goku opens his eyes and they seem to glow. Goku stands, turns towards one of the larger trees and hurls a ball of energy at its trunk. The tree quite nearly explodes, leaving behind splinters and shambles of its former remains.

Sanzo is preparing another nasty scowl when Goku holds up his hands, already reading Sanzo perfectly. "Wait," he says, and kneels down again. As before, he draws out energy from the earth.

This time, when he stands and sends a burst of energy at the tree, it does not destroy. No. To Sanzo's complete awe, it heals as if the tree had never been damaged. The tree is made whole again by the power of the earth, directed by Goku's own hands.

"I'm a child of the earth. I am wild magic. I can use it to do…anything." Goku says, walking calmly back to Sanzo and changing more into his human form with each step. "With a little help from Hakkai, I could probably heal people even better than he does," he says with a proud smile. But then the smile falters a little and Goku looks at the ground. "I mean…I'm not really a god, Sanzo. I just have a little god in me. I couldn't…bring someone back from the dead or anything."

Sanzo doesn't have to ask why Goku feels the need to add that.

"But…I can make things better just as much as I can make them worse. I can be destructive but helpful too. I have more direction and purpose now than I ever did before the limiter. And that's because of you. No regrets for me, Sanzo. Not anymore. I'm me. Finally, really me again. But when I need to do something, I can. I'll age. I'll…die. Because I want to. I'm free, but that doesn't mean anything without you. I could keep living and then wait after you die for you to get reincarnated or something. But what if you're not? I'd rather go with you, even if we both end up having to come back down here again. Coz if that happened, I'd find you. Well, you'd probably find me, but…we'd be together. I know that. We have to be. You can't get rid of me, Sanzo."

There is desperation in Goku, and as much as Sanzo wants to soothe it, he is also pleased to find it. It banishes whatever remaining doubts Sanzo may have had. I'll age. I'll die. Goku could live forever if he wanted, a perfect, amazing being, but he can choose to live as a human, and he will to be with Sanzo.

The small, more rational part of Sanzo tells him not to be so selfish, to rebuke Goku and tell the boy to live on and help as many people as he can. But since when did Sanzo care about other people and being benevolent? Let people live there lives and let him live his. And his life means nothing without Goku.

"Can't get rid of you, huh?" Sanzo says, holding back a small smile, "Do you promise?"

Goku beams, and the radiance of it is stronger than ever. "Yeah. I promise, Sanzo."

"Good. Now get the hell over here and kiss me, you idiot, before I have to strangle you."

Goku just laughs and walks forward to give Sanzo what he asked for. Easy. The kiss, they both agree, is the easiest thing they have done all week.

-----

"Dealer takes one."

"Two for me."

"Alright. Call. What do you have?"

"Flush," Dokugakuji says with a grin, laying down his spades, "King high."

Kougaiji's look is serious and completely unreadable, as it has been all game, until of course he lays down his cards. Hearts, and in a nice line too, just like Doku's. "Ace high," Kougaiji says with smirk. "I do believe that beats you, friend."

"Damn!" Dokugakuji pushes his worthless cards towards the middle of the table. "Whose been teaching you, anyway? Coz it sure hasn't been my brother."

"Let's just say, "Kougaiji says, gathering the cards to shuffle for another round, "Yaone and Hakkai have more in common than you might think."

Dokugakuji gapes. Never in the many years he has known Yaone has she ever mentioned or implied she even knows how to play poker, let alone that she's a shark. He wonders what other interesting things about the apothecary Kougaiji has found out since the two became intimate. He opens his mouth to ask.

"If it isn't decent, you're not going to hear about it," Kougaiji replies, before he has even been asked the question. Friends often have a tendency to know each other better than anyone else.

Dokugakuji keeps his questions to himself. "I wasn't going to say anything," he says, "Really."

Dealing out the cards again, Kougaiji glances sharply into his friend's eyes. "I'm sure."

For a few minutes the pair sits in silence other than their poker calls and requests for cards. As the round nears its end, Kougaiji looks up and allows a bit of his poker mask to fall. "Doku?"

"Mm?"

"You really think there's nothing going on with those guys we need to worry about?"

Dokugakuji smiles and shakes his head, thinking about how tense things had gotten on occasion while he was visiting his brother and their now mutual friends. "Nah. They tend to figure things out on their own pretty well."

"No denying that," Kougaiji agrees, "One," he adds, taking a card from the deck and discarding one from his hand, "Best if we check up on things from time to time, though."

"Definitely," Dokugakuji agrees, "Call," he says, putting down his cards, "Four of a kind. Tens." This time Dokugakuji is certain he has the best of the redhead.

Kougaiji's expression remains placid. Until he puts down his cards, that is. "Jacks," he says, smirking even more prominently than before.

"Damn it!"

-----

A few corridors down from the card playing youkai, the three women of the house—at least the three females who seem to run things and have the most power in the castle—are finishing up the last few stitches on an impressive quilt.

It is finished save the gold edging Rasetsunyo decided upon. A patch for each member of the "family". A few adjustments to Lirin's initial requests had been made over time to make the quilt more suited together, but in the end there were nine patches surrounded by patches of ivory and teal.

The center was for Rasetsunyo, a dark purple, above her was a burgundy square for Kougaiji, a dark blue one to Rasetsunyo's right for Dokugakuji, pink for Yaone on Rasetsunyo's left, and a soft green for Lirin below. Between Kougaiji and Dokugakuji was an orange one for Goku, by Lirin and Dokugakuji was a red one for Gojyo, violet for Sanzo between Lirin and Yaone, and dark green for Hakkai between Yaone and Kougaiji. Lirin decided the ivory border patches could also represent the ikkou's dragon, since she didn't want him to be left out. The teal, she said, was simply pretty.

Rasetsunyo hadn't argued.

Some things had been adjusted though, like a few of the placements for the colors to go better next to each other, and a few suggestions for symbolism. Rasetsunyo just couldn't bring herself to embroider meatbuns, so instead Goku's patch sports his staff and the symbol for power. Hakkai's is bordered by green tendrils like his chi with a monocle and gentle healing hand in the center. And finally, Gojyo—although Lirin had suggested something rather unseemly that Rasetsunyo refuses to repeat—displays a youkai and human hand clasped together with hearts in each corner. Rasetsunyo said such a union had to have been built on love to bring about such a passionate young man, and the hands matched Dokugakuji's somewhat with his older hand holding that of someone younger and in need.

All in all, the quilt is perfect, all three women agreed. Yaone is pleased to have been asked to help with the final stitching.

"Looks like that does it," Rasetsunyo says with a grand smile, slipping her needle into its pin cushion and waiting for Yaone to do the same. Once the quilt was free of loose threads, the older youkai woman shook the quilt out and laid it on the floor to be perused more carefully.

Not a stitch out of place.

"Awesome!" Lirin cries happily, running her hands over the many patches, "We made a whole blanket."

In actuality, Lirin had only done a few stitches herself, still learning, but her ideas made way for much of the quilt, and the older women were happy to give Lirin the satisfaction she so desired.

"Yes, my dear, you did wonderful," Rasetsunyo says, "I'm sure all of the boys will be most impressed."

Lirin beams. She can't wait to show Sanzo and the others what they made.

"I believe Kougaiji and Doku-san are still playing poker," Yaone says, standing upright again, "But I'm sure some snacks will rouse them for a few minutes so we can show them our work. Shall I make something, Lirin?"

There is never much need to ask Lirin so silly a question, same as Goku, but seeing the girl jump up in delight always gives Yaone a sense of accomplishment. "Can we have meatbuns!?" Lirin pleads, "Ya know, since they didn't make it onto the quilt?"

Yaone giggles behind her hand. "I'll make plenty. I've been so hungry myself lately. Can't imagine why," she adds with a shrug, and then smiles warmly at the other women before leaving the room to whip up the snack.

After Yaone has gone, Lirin notices that Rasetsunyo is chuckling to herself. Not one to be left out of a joke, or anything for that matter, Lirin puts on a pout and bounces over to her step-mother. "What's so funny, Ra-mama?" she says.

"Oh…nothing, dear." And Rasetsunyo's tone is filled with the usual presence of "You don't need to know" that Lirin has grown so accustomed to. On occasion, Lirin can coax the real truth from her brother, and more easily Yaone, but Rasetsunyo has proven to be an honest steal trap. It really gets on Lirin's nerves.

And really, what could possibly be funny about being hungry?

-----

Boring. All of the excitement of the journey lately had been poured into the night before, and now things are simply boring. Kanzeon would admit readily that she has a short attention span and needs constant excitement, which is why the Sanzo-ikkou is always such a joy to spy on. Now, though, things are going well again. Perfectly well. Little to no drama. They make up quicker than they used to and don't pout and sulk and brood nearly at all, even when things go horribly wrong. It's as if the boys are finally growing up.

500 years later.

Kanzeon laughs to herself, flipping through an earth magazine someone brought back from the world below. It doesn't have a single article about sex though. And it calls itself cutting edge. Really.

Sex. That's another thing Kanzeon misses. But she is certain the boys will get back to that soon enough. Oh, what Konzen would think if he knew how much she really was keeping her eyes on them. He'd turn over in his grave. If he wasn't currently setting up shop in a sharp-tongued monk. If she ever got the chance to speak to Konzen again, she'd have to tell him how much she preferred him as a monk. He did look so much better in black, after all.

Flipping through the magazine a bit more, Kanzeon nearly falls asleep, sensing that Kenren and Tenpou's reincarnations have opted for dozing in each others arms rather than a morning quickie, and Konzen and the little heretic made whole are walking blissfully back into town with nothing in their hearts or on their minds but bliss.

Entirely boring. Not that Kanzeon isn't…happy for them. But since she knows everything, she knows that this bliss is not destined to last for very long, at least not without some interruptions along the way. It is still quite a distance to the East and the dastardly group has several surprised ahead of them.

Including one that immediately prompts Kanzeon's nose out of her magazine.

"My lady?" Jiroshin begins, walking up beside his mistress's throne and bowing low.

"Not now, Jiroshin," Kanzeon says with a dismissive hand. She closes her eyes, and doesn't have to turn her head to know who is approaching her throne room. With a grin, she opens her eyes again and returns to the pages of her magazine.

Jiroshin, never finding himself in a position to actually understand his mistress, stares at her in confusion. Granted, he doesn't have anything really important to report, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be prudent about doing his—

Jiroshin's thoughts stop mid-rant as he lifts his eyes from Kanzeon's throne. He certainly didn't expect to look up and see him walking towards them. Not now. Not ever. He didn't think the day would ever come, but suddenly there he was. Moving. Walking. Awake.

"Sleep well, dear?" Kanzeon asks, without looking up from the pages of her magazine. She flips idly to another page as the approaching figure reaches her.

"Yes. It's enough now."

Kanzeon nods, still staring at superfluous words and images. "I thought last night might finally be enough to rouse you. He's even more whole than when you knew him now."

"I know. I have to see him."

"You have my permission to leave Heaven. But do be careful."

Jiroshin can only stare as the figure nods and Kanzeon just keeps sitting their reading. A moment later the figure is moving again, right past him and Kanzeon to leave the palace, leave Heaven, and enter the world below for the first time in centuries.

As always, he cannot even begin to guess what Kanzeon is thinking.

Flipping the page yet again, Kanzeon smiles to herself and calls nonchalantly after the figure as he leaves her quarters. "Have a good time," she says, "Nataku."

tbc...

A/N: This time there is really nothing I can say but that LIFE once again got in the way. What with planning a wedding, finding a job (which I love) and an apartment (which I also love), and just dealing with all the things happening during a summer that is not the summers of old where you don't have to think about being an adult, well...I honestly didn't have the time. When I did have time, I devoted it to my screenplay which now has an AGENT and may actually be ready for selling. Pray for me my friends that you may see my work on the big screen, with a big budget, and yaoi in the storyline. Brokeback Mountain paved the way for us and we must not let the fangirls down.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and that you are still out there. This story has quite a bit left and I plan to continue it until the end. Til then, my dears.

Crim