Memories of a Life Gone By pt. 9 A Drink to Days Long Passed
The large flock of blackbirds flew from the forest as the demon cried exploding into dust from Goku's staff. The demons cowered. The monkeys in the trees chattered.
"This is not right!" a demon blubbered as he backed away. "These guys are strong!"
"Then, who the heck said they were sitting ducks!" another demon cried as a gun shot blasted him away.
"Well," Gojyo laughed. "We may not look like ducks, but at least we're not monkeys."
"Who are you calling a monkey, you perverted kappa?" Goku yelled glaring. "At least it's better a pervy kappa!"
"Be nice, boys!" Miyuki smiled as another demon fell to her feet and blew away with the breeze. "After all we don't need two fights going on, now!"
"Forgive me, I'm not usually this violent," Hakkai added with a small frown. "But you've caught all of us on a rather bad day."
The demon turned suddenly staring down Sanzo's silver pistol barrel.
"A banishing gun!" he whimpered. "You're not an ordinary monk! We were totally tricked!"
A shot rang out. The blackbirds flew up in a flurry of black feathers.
"Now when things are that easy, that's when I start to worry," Gojyo commented as he rested his shakujo across his shoulders.
"I'm quite sure they weren't assassins," Hakkai said growing a small smile.
Tricked? Sanzo asked himself.
"Ch," Sanzo snorted. "They were probably just some bandits who got a little more than they could handle."
A strong fruit smell began wafting through the forest. They sniffed. Miyuki looked around her nose wrinkling as she inhaled the poignant, sweet scent. Gojyo's face lit with an eager smile.
"Hey, you guys smell something?" Goku sniffed walking around as he looked for the source.
He peered into a tree hollow growing a curious smile. In the the hollow, fruits sat drowning in a dark red liquid.
"Hey guys!" he called out. "I found it! This is it!"
Quickly, Gojyo rushed over shoving Goku to the ground. His jaw dropped as he stared into the tree. On her toes, Miyuki peered over his shoulders her gold eyes widening to an eager silver.
"What did you do that for you perverted kappa!" Goku yelled as Gojyo ignored his cry.
"Why this is.. Grade A.. Homemade.. WINE!" he screamed sending the blackbirds off in another frenzied flight.
Sighing happily as he pulled Miyuki close, Gojyo nuzzled his canteen.
"Ooo!" he beamed making her giggle. "We'll have so much fun tonight, Miyuki-chan! I've found something great!"
"No you didn't!" Goku argued. "I found it! Besides, what was wine doing in a tree anyway? Who made it?"
He stared out into the thick forest watching as monkeys swung and leapt from tree to tree.
"Monkeys," Hakkai replied smiling as he drove.
"Hakkai!" Goku pouted. "Not you too! What I do!"
"Baka," Gojyo smirked. "You only acknowledged you're a monkey. What he meant was that the real monkeys made this wine! This proves it. Real monkeys are so much smarter than you."
Pouting, Goku glared. Hakkai laughed.
"Sometimes, Goku," Hakkai began as he watched Goku's questioning look. "Monkeys store fruits in the tree hollows and let them ferment to make wine. They call it 'Monkey Wine' I believe."
"Wow I never knew!" Goku replied as he leaned on Hakkai's driver's seat.
"Yep," Gojyo laughed. "The real monkeys are definitely smarter!"
"Yea right!" Goku contested. "You've never made wine either! You just stole it from the monkeys!"
"So we're stealing from monkeys now?" Sanzo sneered. "I didn't think we could get any lower."
"Oh," Gojyo began haughtily. "I'm not stealing. My talents just come later in the process. I am a drinking specialist! And Miyuki-chan is my assistant. She serves and helps me when I lose all my 'inhibitions.'"
Miyuki laughed. Sanzo frowned struggling to keep his twitching hand away from his fan and pistol. Gojyo held up his canteen waving in the air temptingly to the monk.
"Care to try it?" he offered temptingly as he opened the silver canteen.
From the front seat, Goku watched pouting as Gojyo filled the silver canteen's cover with the dark red liquid. Sanzo drank.
"So?" Gojyo questioned smiling. "Wasn't it worth sinking lower than an animal to get what those monkeys made and drink it?"
Sanzo snorted.
"I'm just drinking what the bartender gave me," he replied coldly. "It's not like I took it."
Sighing, Gojyo shook his head. Miyuki smiled.
"Ah you monks and your B.S. logic," he smirked. "You're not really holier than the rest of us. You just rationalize better."
"I'll say it was worth it," she purred as she leaned over Gojyo's lap inhaling the strong scent deeply. "It smells wonderful..."
Goku's pout grew as he watched Gojyo pull out a pair of small simple sake cups filling them to the brim with the monkey wine. Gojyo and Miyuki's cups clinked as they toasted and drank.
"Oishii desu! (It's delicious!)" she simpered licking the last remnants of the wine off her lips.
Gojyo purred nodding in agreement.
"Sanzo!" he whined. "Let me drink some too!"
Sanzo turned to him with a scolding look.
"No," he chided. "You're nothing but a kid."
Goku fumed.
"But you drank as a kid too!" he cried throwing a tantrum.
"Ch," Sanzo snorted as he continued drinking. "The temples didn't keep wine. They only keep spirits."
Hakkai, Gojyo, and Miyuki burst out laughing. Goku turned to each of them with a confused look.
"Hahaha!" Gojyo howled quietly as he wiped his tears away. "'Spirits!' That's a good one."
"What?" Goku asked wide eyed and confused. "What are spirits?"
"Basically," Gojyo guffawed still wiping his eyes. "It's just liquor."
Goku shot a glare in Sanzo's direction.
"Then you were drinking, Sanzo!" he cried throwing another tantrum. "You lied!"
"Be quiet you stupid monkey," he muttered. "Call it whatever you want but, I had no interest in it when I was a kid."
"I smell a lie, don't you?" Gojyo whispered to Miyuki snickering.
Miyuki giggled.
"I smell it too," she replied quietly.
A barrel of a gun aimed itself their way.
"You two wanna die!" Sanzo sneered dangerously as he cocked his gun.
They let out a nervous laugh as they shook their heads.
"No!" they replied obediently and simultaneously.
Sanzo let out another snort as he turned to Goku.
"Besides, monkey," he began. "Nothing good comes if children force themselves to drink."
His violet eyes drowned in the dark red depths. Hesitantly, he tore them away and turned them toward the bright blue sky watching as a cloud drifted by. Spirts huh? He asked himself quietly. An old familiar scenario flashed in his mind.
In the glare of the setting sun, he slammed open the doors to a dark temple room. He glared at the contents inside. The monks gasped.
"Kouryuu!" they cried panicking.
"You're skipping out on training just so you can drink?" he asked sternly. "I'm telling Master Sanzo."
"But, Kouryuu!" a monk cried. "This isn't wine! This is spirits!"
"Calling it something else doesn't change what it is," he replied.
He turned and began walking. A monk grabbed his hand stopping him.
"Drink with us!" he cried.
"Yea!" another monk added smiling. "Don't you want to be like Master Sanzo?"
"Yes!" the first monk said. "You'll never be worthy of his company unless you drink."
"So I'm only worthy if I drink," a smiling man with light brown hair replied as the shocked monks turned.
"Master Sanzo!" the blubbered as they went scattering. "Sumimasen! (Excuse us/Forgive us!)"
Kouryuu smiled.
"Master Sanzo," he smiled staring up to him adoringly.
They walked down the wooden temple walkway. Master Sanzo's long white robes rustled as he walked. His long braid swung lightly in the twilight breeze. He turned to him.
"Kouryuu," he smiled. "I'll teach you something my young apprentice. Don't be in a hurry to drink wine. For if the body is young, the wine will eat away at the body. As if the soul is young, the wine will eat away at that too. And all they shall taste is the bitterness in it."
Kouryuu stared up at him as he hung onto every word.
"Wine, body, and soul should all be mature for one to enjoy it," he contnued.
His gentle smile grew.
"Concentrate on your studies, and hurry to grow up, Kouryu," he beamed excitedly and regally. "That way when the time comes, you and I will share a drink together..."
Sanzo sighed. But before I could grow up.. My master... He thought to himself. He continued staring into the blue sky drowning in his sorrows with the sweetly sour wine. Goku stared. Slowly, his hand reached for the silver canteen cover in his hand. Instantaneously, Goku fell to the floor of the jeep twitching as Sanzo sat down on the seat tossing his fan aside.
"I told you not to drink, you stupid monkey!" he yelled.
"Ow!" Goku cried painfully. "That's not fair! I wanna try some!"
"You'll try some over my dead body," Sanzo sneered as he snatched the cateen from Gojyo's hands.
Quickly, Sanzo began chugging the canteen's contents. Miyuki's jaw dropped.
"Hey!" Gojyo and Miyuki cried.
"Sanzo," Hakkai smiled politely as he continued driving. "Please save some for me will you?"
Sanzo continued chugging.
Hakkai frowned as he turned the empty canteen over in his hand hoping to find a small red drop leak onto his palm.
"Not a drop left," he continued frowning. "And I was dying to try some. It smelled so nice too."
"Hey don't worry about it, Hakkai!" Goku grinned as he ran ahead to the city gates waving for the others to follow. "We're in a town now! We can get some food!"
Miyuki laughed.
"I think that sounds like a good idea," Hakkai strainedly smiled as he turned to Sanzo. "And I think I would like some wine with dinner. And you should pay for it, Sanzo."
Sanzo snorted. Gojyo turned away pouting and grumbling. Miyuki shot him a pouting glare.
"Do whatever you want," he muttered crossing his arms stubbornly and turning away in his own direction.
"I doubt they'll have a stock of monkey wine though," Hakkai continued as they started walking.
"Well, we'd have some if it weren't for that stupid monk," Gojyo replied.
Sanzo glared. Miyuki sighed.
"Our night's drinking will be ruined," she sighed again.
"Don't blame it on me," Sanzo rationalized. "Our teachings compelled me to do it."
Gojyo rolled his eyes laughing.
"Just give it up already," he grinned.
"Shut up, kappa," the monk glared.
"Hurry up you guys!" Goky called out. "I'm hungry!"
The city buzzed with the crowd's chatter. People flooded the street shuffling towards the center. A large banner hung as a small elderly man stood on the stage announcing. Tables and benches stood scattered around him. Smoky fireworks shot off into the air. The small old man clapped.
"Now! Are there any contestants out there!" He howled into the crowd. "In honour of our opening day, we'll be holding a great drinking contest! And the Yamatoya group will be prepared to go into the red to do it!"
Goku laughed as he ran over pointing curiously.
"Hey, Sanzo!" he cried. "There's something interesting going on here!"
"Anyone can join if they think they can do it!" the old man continued to holler.
She walked towards the crowd standing on her toes trying to see above the heads. Hakkai turned to a man beside him.
"Excuse me," he began politely speaking over the old man's howling. "But what's happening here?"
"A newly built tavern is having a drinking contest," the man replied laughing heartily. "I hear the first prize is a free years worth of wine for the winning team."
"Hm..." Gojyo purred excitedly at the thought as a glint flashed in his eye. "A year's worth of wine..."
"Don't bother," Sanzo muttered pushing past him. "The drinking and prize wines are bound to be cheap in a contest like this."
Gojyo held his chin in thought. Gojyo, Miyuki, Hakkai, and Sanzo continued watching. Another set of three young men walked up.
"You're better staying out of it anyway," one of the men spoke up. "Us Fei brothers will win this contest hands down anyway."
Gojyo and the others turned. Sanzo glared.
"I believe all I said was that I didn't want cheap wine," Sanzo replied coldly.
"The ones who don't ever want to do it are the ones who have excuses from the start," another brother with dark hair smirked.
"It's not like they could have a chance anyway," the final brother with a yellow and black polka-dotted cap added.
Gojyo grinned.
"So you trying to pick a fight with the likes of us?" he challenged his lips turning upward.
The brothers laughed.
"Of course!" the first brother replied. "You keep mocking the cheap wine!"
He clenched his hand into an excited fist.
"You're making fun of us tavern men!" he laughed haughtily. "We live for the drinks after work that we buy with our hard earned money!"
The three brothers cast them mocking analytical looks.
"Give us one good reason," he continued smiling. "Why we should take the crap from a guy who dyes his hair pink like a woman. A dork who uses a monacle! And Goldy-locks the effiminate monk!"
A twitching anger vein throbbed on Sanzo's forehead. Whispering to the others, a brother motioned to Miyuki as she watched the squabble silently as her ears and tail twitched irately. The brothers burst out laughing. Gojyo glared.
"Haha! That poor woman!" the first brother began. "With you pansies around she must desperate for a real man in bed!"
She growled and stepped up to them and swung her hand at his face. A hard fist gripped her wrist in a vice. A hand slipped around her waist and pulled her in.
"Haha!" the brother laughed derisively as she struggled. "Hey boys, why don't we introduce her to Onigumo!"
"Now that's no way to treat a lady," Gojyo smirked as he pulled her out of their arms landing a punch right on his jaw. "Besides its now how big it is. It's how you use it. Though, I am well equipped and have been programmed to do both."
"I will admit," Hakkai began to add. "That is quite uncouth."
Sanzo snorted. The brothers laughed. The brother in the cap put two fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. A loud barking came toward them. Miyuki paled.
"Sick 'em, Onigumo," the brother laughed as a large black dog came running.
Screaming shocked, Miyuki leapt out of his arms and suddenly puffed into a cloud of smoke.
"Miyuki-san!" Hakkai cried worriedly.
"Oi!" Gojyo glared. "What did you do!"
The brothers continued laughing.
"Well boys!" one of them hollered. "Looks like the old demon urban legend is true!"
As the smoke disappeared, a small black fox with bright green eyes sat amongst Miyuki's red cheong sam and black shoes. Gojyo and Hakkai stared worriedly. The fox whimpered. Gently, Gojyo picked it up.
"Miyuki-chan?" he asked shocked.
The fox let out another whimper in reply. Annoyed and angrily, Sanzo walked off headed for the sign-in line and pulled out the gold credit card.
"Are you signing up?" the old man asked as he filled out a pile of papers.
"Yes," he replied sternly as the gold card glimmered in the sun. "But you will prepare your best wine for the contest and the prize."
(Author's note: it's said that in legends about foxes that if a Kitsune, the fox demon/spirit, were exposed to a dog, the spirit would turn from the human form it took to its fox form. I just thought it would be interesting...)
Memories of a Life Gone By Side Story: Romancing the Memories pt. 8 Premonition
She slept as he pulled her closer to him in their spooning shape. Smoke wafted from the cigarette clinging to the corner of his mouth. She stirred. Beaming, he speckled kisses on her sleeping shoulders as he held his half burned cigarette in his fingers. A gold eye cracked open.
"Are you awake yet?" he purred into her ear as he nuzzled her neck.
Smiling, she closed her eyes and kept quiet managing to stop her smile. Kenren arched an eyebrow and pulled himself over her watching her closely. She stiffled a snicker. He leaned in close.
"You can't fool me," he whispered in her ear with a purr. "I know you're awake."
A silk covered pillow playfully landed on the side of his head. She giggled.
"O.k., O.k." she conceded. "I'm up. Now what?"
He smiled placing his lips on hers.
"You know what," he bantered latching his mouth on her shoulders.
She blushed feeling his kisses slowly make their way lower.
"This early?" she questioned surprised. "Wasn't last night enough?"
"Yes this early, " he replied beaming. "And I can never get enough."
She laughed.
"Li Touten is gonna kill me," she giggled.
"He'll have to go through me first," he purred as he pulled the blanket over them tossing his cigarette away in the ashtray.
In the library, Goku ran around a bandaged Kenren's chair as a roll of gauze unwound itself in his hands.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! That hurts!" Kenren cried as Goku pulled the gauze tight tying him to the chair. "Careful!"
"Please don't mind him, Goku. Just keep it nice and tight," Tenpou said as he read.
"Bastard!" Kenren cried. "You got a grudge against me or something?"
"You know did a very bad thing by making Li Touten your enemy," Tenpou said casually not looking up from his pile of books. "Not to mention, you questioned the emperor publically, laughed during your punishment, and you, no doubt, slept with Megumi again last night.. You should be thanking me and Goku for that opportunity. The persuasion power of children is simply amazing..."
He patted Goku's head. Goku smiled.
"And this morning," he corrected with a maniacal smile. "But what's to worry! She got back on time! Li Touten doesn't know anything!... Yet..."
Tenpou sighed.
"Li Touten's put in the order to have you dismissed from your position of general," he added striking a dramatic pose. "I pity those troops who have to follow the orders from a dumb general."
"Yea, yea," Kenren replied flatly as he sunk down in his chair. "I can't help the way I am."
With another sigh, Tenpou stood and started heading for his library's door.
"Goku," he turned as Goku looked up. "Make sure Kenren doesn't get away. The injured one should stay here. I've got to take care of a few things.."
"Oi!" Kenren cried flailing his legs. "You can't keep me like this! What if I've gotta take a leak?"
"Then I'll mop up after you," he replied with a stern look. "Or if you get cystitis then... Megumi or I will treat you."
Tenpou walked out the door closing audibly behind him. Kenren sighed. Goku sat patiently on Tenpou's desk watching him.
"Goku," Kenren began as he watched the door. "Go and get Tenpou back here."
"I can't!" Goku cried smiling. "I'm on guard duty!"
Kenren sighed. That fool... He wouldn't... He thought worriedly.
"Go get him, Goku," he commanded gently and sternly. "He may not look like it, but Tenpou's a lot more impulsive than I am. And get Megumi here... And tell her to get all of her bandages..."
"What's impulsive?" Goku asked curiously.
"It means... You just don't wanna see Tenpou when he's angry..." Kenren replied gravely.
"Tenpou Gensui!" a set of soldiers called out as they ran up to him. "Is it true Kenren Taisho is getting dismissed from the army?"
So the rumor's spread already, huh? He asked himself. The soldiers chatted amongst themselves.
"How could Li Touten do this?" one cried angrily. "Just because he's rising in the social ladder, he thinks he can control us!"
"Yea!" another cried. "Kenren was punished for protecting Nataku! How could he do that!"
"Please stop," Tenpou smiled as he turned to walk. "We don't know who is listening. So you don't need to get involved. That's my job."
Slowly, he walked off his slippered feet tapping lightly through the hall.
"Marshall..." a soldier murmured worriedly.
Tenpou walked into Li Touten's office. From his papers, Li Touten looked up and smiled.
"Ah Tenpou Gensui," he invited motioning to a chair. "Have a seat. What can I do for you?"
"And may I ask," Tenpou replied coldly as he glared. "Since when have you been in a position to offer me a seat?"
Li Touten grinned.
"I'll get to the point," Tenpou continued. "I want the dismissal order on Kenren withdrawn. You've never had anything to do with our army before. So what gives you the right to order us around?"
Li Touten's snake-like smile grew.
"The emperor has entrusted all army matters to me," he replied. "His orders are my orders."
Tenpou glared.
"Aren't you the least bit ashamed that your position has been obtained by using your son Nataku as a pawn?" he asked. "The same could be said of your son's doctor as well."
Li Touten stood and walked from behind his desk.
"No," he sneered with a cold smile. "I'm where I want to be, and Megumi's got Kenren practically wrapped around her finger.. Or at least her fingers are practically wrapped around his..."
He stopped. He clamped Tenpou's chin between a set of fingers. He studied him.
"You've got a pretty face, Tenpou," he smirked. "They say you're Kenren's right hand man, but the only reason you stick by him is because you're most comfortable under your master! Am I right? But then again, you can't even get into Kenren's bed with that little whore, my whore, in your way."
"If you'll excuse me..." Tenpou replied through gritted teeth.
Tenpou's fist went flying landing on Li Touten's jaw hard. Li Touten fell to the floor. His attendants rushed over.
"You insolent fool!" an attendant cried pouncing on Tenpou. "Help me seize him!"
The fast rustling of cloth resounded in the room mixing with the sounds of flesh landing hard strikes on the other. Grunting, Tenpou landed on the marble floor beaten and restrainted. Two sharp spears embedded themselves beside his head. He looked up glaring at Li Touten. Li Touten continued smiling.
"As always," he began. "You always hold your head up high. Isn't it a nice view from down there?"
Tenpou continued glaring.
"Don't you get it yet?" he sneered. "You've got no right to glare at me like that. Ever."
He sent a kick into Tenpou's jaw. Tenpou's glasses fell to the floor clacking loudly. Fingers entangled themselves in his hair as Li Touten pulled his head up by his locks roughly. Li Touten continued smiling.
"How about it?" he offered. "Why don't we put you through the same punishment as your master. A man like you is bound to agree to that."
"HI-YA!" a voice suddenly called out as Li Touten went flying and crashing onto the floor.
"Goku!" Tenpou cried shocked.
"Who's that kid?" an attendant cried. "Get him!"
"You leave Ten-chan alone!" Goku screamed as he pounced on the attendants pummeling them with his punches.
"Ow! Ow!" they yelled.
Tenpou smiled. Megumi laughed. Li Touten growled watching as she rushed to Tenpou's side.
"Are you hurt?" Megumi smiled as she knelt beside him her arms heavy and filled with rolls of gauze and bandages.
"Technically yes," he laughed in reply. "But we'll take care of this somewhere else. Goku.. Why are you and Megumi here?"
"Ken-niichan asked me. He said to bring back Ten-chan and to get Megumi," Goku beamed.
Megumi smiled.
"That man... Is truly soft hearted," Tenpou chuckled to himself with a slight nod.
Megumi nodded. He picked up his glasses and placed them on his face. Triumphantly, Goku cast a stern pointed finger at the beaten attendants.
"I won't ever forgive you for bullying Ten-chan!" he screamed. "You poop-heads! Lets go, Ten-chan. Lets go, Megumi."
She turned with them following as they walked out.
"Is it all right to let them go?" an attendant asked as he wiped his bloody lip clean.
"I don't care. He was pressed enough," Li Touten answered. "They're nothing but trash to be put out... And if anything, I'll do as I've done before.. I'll just make that woman pay for all their sins... After all, I've got Kenren to thank for that little pawn..."
"You know you all are playing a rather dangerous game, don't you?" she asked as she wrapped Tenpou's bandages.
Kenren chuckled taking a drag from his cigarette. Tenpou blew out a white cloud and smiled.
"Yes," Kenren smiled. "But you realize you're playing too?"
She smiled in reply as she nodded. Yes, I know. She thought. After all... I'm the one who pays for your deeds. She stretched as she tossed the bandages with the others. She winced quietly at the hidden wounds under her dress. But... She thought again. I wouldn't stop playing for the world... Unknown to her, Kenren watched as her facial expression turned into a pained look. The sick feeling settled itself in his stomach again.