(Author's note: believe or not, Mandarin was NOT the first dialect of China. It was Cantonese that was the first. Mandarin only became the official language thanks to Mao Tze Dong. So try and bear with me and imagine that the Saiyuki gang actually knows Chinese instead of Japanese…
Also, the stuff about the Kitsune Tsuki, is also all true.)
Memories of a Life Gone By pt. 16 The Pain
Her shoulder was burning. She winced. After wiping away the mist on the foggy bathroom mirror, she turned away twisting and pulling her wet hair up and away from her head. She stared behind her and let out a quiet gasp. Clear puss slowly oozed out from the long swelling gash in her shoulder. Throbbing veins surrounded the wound. Is it infected? She wondered. Sighing, she wrapped her towel around herself and walked out into the room.
Goku rushed into the bathroom blowing a cool breeze as he went.
"Ha-ha!" he cried laughing maniacally. "FINALLY! IT'S MY TURN!"
She chuckled.
"That stupid monkey," Gojyo mumbled as he sat on the bed with a towel around his waist. "It's too fucking early to be that fucking loud."
His long read locks clung to his back in water sodden curls. Streams of excess water ran down into the bed sheets and the towel. A cigarette hung loosely in his fingers. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She winced at the small spark pain. Billowing out a small cloud of smoke, he turned to her giving her his serious gaze.
"Why are you wincing, Miyuki-chan?" he asked turning up to her. "It's not like you."
She sighed and sat down on the bed beside his feet.
"I don't know," she replied. "I think my shoulder wound is getting infected…"
He blew out another cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared revealing his worriedly frowning face. It still hasn't healed? He thought turning slightly to see her wound.
"Well here's one reason," he began, standing and walking to their bags. "We've been camping and traveling for so many days now that we couldn't even get you some clean dressings."
Tossing away the old, bloody bandages, he sifted through the luggage and pulled out the few herbs and medicines they carried.
"Reason number two," he added dangling his cigarette between his lips. "That idiot Hakkai must have gotten the really cheap stuff a few towns back. This stuff's expired."
He snuffed out his cigarette in a nearby empty beer can and began to change into his clothes.
"Get dressed," he began. "We'll go out and get medicines that actually work…"
She smiled and stood walking to her bag.
'"Thank you, Gojyo," she smiled, kneeling down and turning her gold eyes away sadly.
Her shoulder throbbed sending the searing pain down her arm. Involuntary, her arm shuddered sending her hand flying and crashing into the table. She yelped. The beer can rattled and rolled on the fake wood surface.
"Miyuki!" Gojyo cried as he examined her arm. "Watch it, ok?! What on earth were you trying to do?"
"I… Don't know…" she replied, wincing. "My shoulder… And my arm…"
Gojyo sighed as she pulled out her cheongsam with her left hand. Her right arm hung weakly at her side as Gojyo helped her dress. He stared at her with his worried red eyes.
"Oi! Goku!" he called out just outside the bathroom door. "Me and Miyuki will be back. We'll be out in the market!"
"Okay!" Goku called out. "Can you bring back some meat buns?!"
Gojyo rolled his eyes and pretended not to hear. She smiled. Carefully, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her out the door, headed for the market.
The various scents of spices and herbs and cooking foods mingled in the air. Vendors called out to passing patrons as they held up large racks of beef and large succulent fish.
"Ng heung fun (Five spice powder)! Gai mut (Hot mustard)! Geung (Ginger)! Fa tziu (Sichuan peppercorns)! Bark gog (Star anise)!" cried a vendor in Cantonese, motioning to large heavy standing sacks with an array of spices.
Large jars of bay leaves, saffron, and garlic lined the shelves of his stand. Miyuki and Gojyo stared around the booth, looking up at the dangling dried peppers to the fresh and fragrant ginger and mustard. She turned to the vendor.
"Do you have anything medicinal?" she questioned as she looked over the large fragrant sacks. "For a wound, perhaps?"
The stall keeper looked around, thinking. He snapped his fingers as an idea came to mind. Quickly, he pulled out his jars of garlic and cloves and presented it to them.
"These…" he began with a large smile. "Are very well known to treat infections, the garlic to chew on and the cloves fight the infection! These cloves prevent the appearance of colibaccilli, streptococci, staphylococci, and pneumococci. Very good too! You can combine them to make a healing salve with ginseng to restore the chi and the ying and yang of your body."
Curiously, she turned to Gojyo.
"Well?" she asked quietly.
Nervously scratching his head, Gojyo looked around as though he were, trying to understand what the seller just said.
"Well," he began as he gnawed on his cigarette filter as he lit the long tobacco filled stick. "This stuff sure as hell isn't my forte, but let's just take the salve. We'll come back when it's done."
The stall keeper nodded and pulled out a pestle and mortar and began grinding and mixing the herbs into a thick dark paste. Gojyo guided her down the street stopping at the fabric shop and picking out strands of gauze. Awkward, she stared down at the floor watching her black heels. She dug a heel into the soft dirt street. If only I could sink down into the sand… She thought as her mind ran over the previous night's events.
Her mind raced envisioning the sand engulfing her feet as though it were a slow moving brook. She slowly sunk with the watery sands. A hand reached out to her.
"Miyuki? Oi! …Miyuki?" Gojyo called, snapping her out of her reverie.
Gasping quietly, she looked up to him her wide silver eyes locking with a very confused crimson pair.
"Are you all right?" he asked, arching up his eyebrow as his cigarette hung lazily at the edge of his mouth. "You're certainly not yourself today… You… Wanna talk about it?"
He took a drag. She sighed. Yes! Her mind cried, begged, and pleaded. Ask me! Ask me anything, please! Her heart panged and boomed loudly with guilt.
"No…" she whispered, quietly turning away her eyes turning their guilty, golden color. "I guess I'm just tired."
He nodded, hesitating to acknowledge her turn away. You know you can't deny what's going on between you two; an ancient voice whispered smirking to him within the folds of his memories. If I may suggest, just pull out that good ol' "good and proper flirting" of yours, and you'll have her smiling all over again… He took a long drag, smirking behind his hand at the thought. But,his inner monologue reasoned. Why does it seem like she's hiding something? He studied her as she continued staring at the ground her eyes constantly shifting back and forth from silver to gold and gold to silver in thought. Gojyo reached for her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned.
"Ne… Miyuki-chan," he began comfortingly as he wrapped his arms around her. "You know you can always tell me what you want to say…"
She smiled and nodded as Gojyo guided her back to the fabric shop with the lady waving a bag of gauze in their direction. He dropped a few coins on the counter and walked away with her. She rested her head on his shoulder not turning to the man running the spice stand. Her shoulder throbbed making her wince.
Returning to their hotel room, Gojyo gently opened her dress exposing her shoulder. He grimaced. Thick worm-like veins crawled across her skin.
"Ew…" he blurted bluntly.
She chuckled.
"Well you're certainly nice ha-ha," she grinned.
The sun shone hot down into the jeep as they flew through the desert on seemingly invisible dragon wings. Gritty dust trails flew behind them. Miyuki wound her hair in a sloppy bun as she squinted her eyes to avoid the dust that whizzed by. The others were just as quiet. Then, a large dust cloud exploded in front of them. Hakkai slammed the breaks sending the contents of the jeep flying towards the edge of their seats.
In the shadows of the sand, four familiar shapes emerged. Miyuki furrowed her eyebrows in dismay. Shimatta, she thought. This must be the Kougaiji bunch… It had been so quiet without them too…
"You know what we want, Sanzo," Kougaiji said, pointing to the jeep. "Just hand it over quietly."
Sanzo snorted and began to load his gun. As Miyuki continued to watch, the others pulled out their own weapons. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku, and Sanzo positioned themselves in front of the jeep. Cautiously, Miyuki hopped out and stood just behind the others.
"Kougaiji-sama…" a young woman with long purple pigtails began. "Who is she? I've never seen her before with the Sanzo party…"
A child with orange hair blinked.
"And Nii-sama!" she blurted. "She's a demon too!! I don't get it! I thought all of the demons were working for us!"
"She's apparently Gojyo's new girlfriend," Dokugakuji murmured to the others.
Yaone furrowed her eyebrows with worry.
"Then how is it that she's retaining her sense of self?" she pondered aloud.
"She might have been assigned to work undercover by Gyoukumen," Kougaiji proposed.
"You know that would never work with them… They see right through that stuff, Kougaiji-sama," Yaone replied, warily.
"Oi!" Gojyo called. "Are we gonna get started with this or what!"
"We were about to ask you the same thing!" Kougaiji shouted, sending a large ball of energy flying their way.
Hakkai's shield crackled as the flaming ball deluded itself through the shield. Miyuki's ears pounded as the gunshots and clanging of metal rang out into the afternoon air. She sprinted ahead, claws extended, as she began to glow. Yaone shifted to a defensive stance as Miyuki's silver eyes ran over Yaone's battle worn clothing. She seems to be a peasant woman of some sorts by the way she looks… She thought as she seemed to change into a fine white mist. If I'm lucky, this will be easy, she thought. Yaone's eyes went wide. The kitsune tsuki! She thought as she blocked her chest. The white mist began to surround her flying toward her hands. Quickly, Miyuki's mist began to slip under her fingernails. Yaone looked warily at her hands.
"Yaone, what's wrong?!" Kougaiji snapped making the battle stop.
Yaone stood frozen in her stance. A blank expression began to dominate her face.
"That was weird," Gojyo blurted as he turned. "What's Miyuki doing?"
"Dumbass," Sanzo snorted aiming his gun at Yaone cautiously. "It's the Kitsune Tsuki."
"What's that? It sounds yummy!" Goku piped as Sanzo rolled his eyes.
Slowly, Yaone's face grew longer and her cheekbones higher. Her eyes grew closer as her eyebrows thinned out.
"It's a term coined for the kitsune technique where one becomes possessed by the fox spirit," Hakkai began as he gathered chi in his hands. "Usually those who are peasant women are susceptible to it. The victim's face may change to resemble those of a fox with high cheekbones, thin eyebrows, and close set eyes, and other symptoms will include a strange moving lump under the skin or a fox-like shadow…"
Yaone's shadow on the ground slowly began to morph. Pointed; fox-like ears began to sprout from her shadow's head. A shadow tail grew from behind her shadow. Sanzo quietly observed. In a fast movement, Yaone's body threw out a series of bombs headed towards Kougaiji and the others. Lirin screamed.
"AAHH!!" she cried as she dodged. "Yaone! Snap out of it! You know you can kick that wannabe fox's ass!"
The bombs continued to fly through the air. Suddenly, she stopped.
"Who are you working for?!" Yaone screamed as she glared locking hands with Miyuki. "You're not really one of us are you!"
Miyuki smirked.
"Am I working for your team you mean? No, technically not!" Miyuki quipped, pushing Yaone back into the recesses of her mind. "But that doesn't mean that I can't kill you!"
"Then who are you working for?!" Yaone yelled as the two women pushed each other apart.
They flew backwards landing on the opposite sides of Yaone's shadowy mind. Yaone pulled out a small bomb from within her satchel. Miyuki grinned.
"Be careful now!" She quipped again. "You don't want to cause too much damage to your being now do you? And even if you do hit me, the collateral damage will leave a rather large impact will it not?"
Yaone put the bomb away and smirked.
"I suppose," she began. "But I guess there's nothing too wrong with a fair fight. You're not really that strong are you?"
Miyuki nodded in agreement as the two women launched themselves at each other once more.
"I'm quite surprised I could take you over so easily," Miyuki said.
"Simple mistake," she replied, her lips twisting upward. "Nothing more. I'll be sure to wear gloves next time."
"Heh," Gojyo smirked as he sent his blade flying. "It looks like the two of them will be fighting in their own little world for now… Why don't we get back to what we're supposed to do?"
"I couldn't agree more," Dokugakuji grinned, catching the blade with his sword.
Miyuki crashed against the wall as Yaone's hand kept a firm and threatening grip on her throat. She gasped and wheezed.
"Are you ready to leave yet?" Yaone asked with a smile.
Miyuki nodded and turned into the white mist. The white mist flew out from Yaone's finger nails, headed for Gojyo's side.
Memories of a Life Gone By Side Story: Romancing the Memories pt. 15 Three Unclean Beings
Konzen stared wide eyed at Tenpou's theory. The gears in Tenpou's head turned as he pulled a cigarette from his pack. Here in Heaven, Megumi is considered a heretic too… He thought, lighting his cigarette. Why would Li Touten need two heretics?Is she just a spare should things go awry if Nataku can't defeat Goku? It's impossible isn't it? She's not that strong…
"Certainly, Li Touten has a grudge against the rulers of Heaven, but I don't know what his final purpose is," Tenpou began. "But since Goku might become a Toushin, his existence threatens Li Touten's present position."
He blew out a long trail of smoke from his lips.
"And so he'll really try to kill him, even if he has Nataku do it," Tenpou finished.
Goku's eyes grew wide as the books he carried in his hands fell to the floor.
"What… was that?" he asked in disbelief.
"Goku!" Tenpou cried worriedly, keeping his mouth open to speak.
"What did you say? Kill me? That's not true!" Goku rambled. "Nataku said I was—"
Suddenly, the small boy turned his on his heel and broke into a sprint. Konzen and Tenpou rushed out after him, crying out for his name.
"Goku, wait!" Tenpou cried.
Goku's mind raced with thoughts. It's not true! Nataku said we were friends! He said let's play together! I know! I'll tell him my name again! Then, he'll remember! I just know he'll remember! Konzen leaned against the wall.
"Goku," He panted.
Kanzeon's words rang in his head and resounded in his ears. Can you be that little guy's sun? … I can do something for Goku!Konzen thought; determined. Even if I can't catch up to him!
"Shit!" Konzen cursed as he broke out into a run again.
Megumi placed her few pieces of clothing into Kenren's spare drawer. Comforted, he smiled and pulled her into his arms as she stood. She let out a quiet sigh.
"Come…" she said, turning for the door. "The meeting will start soon. I'll have to be by Nataku's side."
"Toushin Taishi Nataku, come forward!" the Jade Emperor cried out as Nataku, Megumi, and Li Touten stepped forward.
"Nataku's army is being sent out again. Thanks to Toushin Taishi-sama we get to live easy," snickered a soldier in the crowd.
Kenren's eyes scanned the crowed. Ugh… These guys are nothing but fence sitters, the whole lot of them… I can't stand them. He thought, grudgingly. The Jade Emperor continued rambling on with his orders. Megumi stared up at him and Nataku through her dark bangs.
"I'll leave the next subjugation to you, Li Touten," the emperor concluded.
"Understood," Li Touten blew the cold word from icy lips.
Then, the hall doors flew open, crashing against the walls. Bare feet stomped into the room.
"What's with this kid?!" the guard screamed as he grabbed Goku by the hair.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Goku kicked and screamed. "Nataku!"
Goku rushed up to the boy and grabbed him by his shoulders.
"You… It's not true, right?! You wouldn't kill me! It's not true right, Nataku?" He questioned, with fear shining in his golden eyes.
Goku weakly pulled off a smile. Megumi and Kenren's eyes grew wide as they stared at the two.
"Goku…" Kenren muttered; sweat nervously running down his face.
"What is with this child?!" the emperor yelled. "Take him away!"
"No! Wait…" Li Touten raised his hand and knelt at Nataku's ear. "I just think someone has been telling him strange things… Tenpou, perhaps? No matter… Kill him. Megumi too… Here and now. After all, does Heaven really need three unclean beings?"
With glaring golden eyes, Megumi's blood began to boil as goose-bumps littered her arms. Deep within in the crowds, her lips grew into a devious twist.
"So it's started? I won't stop it, and I won't save you… This battle belongs to all of you now…" Kanzeon whispered.
"Kill him…" Li Touten whispered and tempted into Nataku's ear.
Inwardly, Nataku's feelings wrestled with the issue. Megumi opened her mouth to speak. Then, Goku went flying for Li Touten.
"You bastard!" Goku screamed, landing a hard punch on Li Touten's face. "This is your fault! Telling Nataku weird stuff like that!"
As Li Touten went crashing to the ground, barely missing Megumi, Goku continued forward, raising his hand again. Then, a firm grip caught his wrist. Shocked, Megumi and Goku stared at Nataku gripped Goku's hand with whitened knuckles.
"N-Nataku?" He questioned.
"Get away from my father… My father is my lord. Whatever my father tells me to do; whatever he does to me, my father is my reason for living," Nataku glared through his clear golden gaze. "Whoever harms my father, no matter who it is, I'll kill him…"
A large sword materialized in Nataku's hand. Megumi's jaw dropped, and Kenren pulled out his katana. The sword flew for Goku's head. Megumi rushed over and pulled Goku into her arms, covering him. Kenren rushed forward, clashing his katana with Nataku's sword. Goku gasped.
"Ken-ni—"
"Run, Goku!" Kenren yelled.
"You mean to interfere, General Kenren?" Li Touten maniacally laughed. "How convenient! Kill him too, Nataku!"
A strong swing from Nataku's sword sent Kenren flying into the crowd.
"Kenren!" Megumi cried as she turned to him and looked behind her to Nataku's suddenly threatening form.
"Ken-niichan! Stop it, Nataku! Nataku!" Goku cried. "What are you doing, Nataku?! Stop! I don't want this!"
I can't let him fight Goku! I can't! Kenren thought as he struggled to get up. The small boy began to cry in Megumi's arms. Warily, she watched Nataku stalk toward them. He raised his sword. Pushing Goku away, Megumi tackled Nataku to the ground.
"Nataku, stop!" she cried. "You can't seriously want this!"
Nataku growled in response and sent her flying into the crowd with a simple rag doll toss of her body. She coughed and wheezed for air. Kenren charged at Nataku again as Tenpou pushed his way into the room. How'd this happen? Tenpou thought.
"Wow! Look at the Toushin and the General go! This is worth seeing!" cried the soldier as he watched.
"Nataku!" Li Touten called out, proudly. "That's my boy!"
Li Touten… Tenpou thought as he suddenly pulled out a sword from another soldier's hilt.
"Excuse me!" Tenpou said, oddly polite.
"Hey that's my sword!" the man replied.
Li Touten continued to look on at the skirmish. Megumi scampered over to Goku's side, trying to calm the hysterical child. Tenpou raced to attack Li Touten's turned back. He raised the sword. Clanging metal resounded through the hall as a sword suddenly appeared and blocked Tenpou's. From over his father's shoulder, Nataku glared. Tenpou crashed into a wall in the blink of an eye. Megumi gasped.
"Ten-chan!" Goku screamed, slipping from Megumi's arms and rushing over.
"Daring as ever, huh?" Kenren smirked.
"Ouch… I figured I'd strike at the root," the other man calmly explained.
A grin grew on Kenren's face.
"Well we can turn back now," he began.
"I never had any intention of doing so," Tenpou smiled.
A spell's chant began to drift through the room. Nataku's sword crashed to the floor. The floors began to shudder and splinter. Megumi shielded her face as sharp rocks scratched at her arms and clawed at her dress. Tenpou and Kenren winced in pain as the debris cut their skin. The soldiers fell in pain.
"Ken-niichan! Ten-chan!" Goku whined.
"We can't beat this. This is the power of the Taishi," Kenren grunted, as he clutched a deep wound on his arm.
The soldiers flew through the halls. Their boots clacked on the marble floors. Konzen rushed just past them. The group suddenly stopped.
"Come on! Hurry! We have to tell the Dragon of the Western Seas as well!" a solider commanded.
"But what could've caused something like that?!" the second soldier questioned, frantically.
Konzen suddenly stopped also. He walked towards the group.
"Oi," he suddenly interjected, as a soldier turned and gasped at his recognition. "What's happened?"
"Well it's something we heard… In the middle of a military conference, Prince Nataku was carrying out an order to eliminate General Kenren, Marshal Tenpou, some woman named Megumi, and a child called Goku…"
Konzen's eyes grew wide.
The room rumbled and quaked as the soldiers went flying through the debris. Megumi, Kenren, Tenpou, and Goku went flying into a wall.
"Help!" screamed a desperate soldier in pain.
"Li Touten, stop! You're in the Emperor's presence!" yelled an attendant.
"So what," Li Touten retorted.
"W-What?!" the attendant stuttered.
"I. Said. 'So what,'" he retorted again.
"Run, Goku," Kenren muttered, weakly.
"No!" the small boy cried as he turned.
Kill him. The command rang through Nataku's head. Goku stood, watching him.Kill him. Nataku rushed in, his blade forward. The sharp, glistening tip stopped barely brushing against Goku's throat. Goku smiled.
"Nataku…" Goku began. "… Do you remember me? I'm Goku…"
Someday I'll show you all the hiding places… and where there are lots of berries growing… Recognition flashed through Nataku's eyes as warm childish memories flooded his vision. Suddenly, tears began to stream down Nataku's face.
"Go… ku…" He whispered.
The sword at Goku's neck suddenly turned away and crashed into Nataku's shoulder. Nataku winced as he pushed the sword deeper into his flesh. Megumi, Tenpou, and Kenren watched with wide eyes as the blood went flying.Someday… rang through Nataku's mind. His limp form fell to the ground. Instantly, Goku's smile faded. Tears streamed down his face as he began to shake with sadness and rage. Small cracks began to appear in the diadem.
Sparkling gold pieces flew around the room as Goku's eyes took on the look of an untamed animal. Konzen and Gojun burst through the doors, stopping in his tracks. Suddenly piercing eyes burned through Konzen's frozen façade. Swift claws suddenly cut down the gods and soldiers around him. Blood curdled screams echoed through the room as frightened eyes helplessly watched.
"W-What an impurity… Seize him! Arrest the monster!" someone cried.
The remaining soldiers rushed in.
"Don't recklessly get too close!" Gojun warned.
The soldiers' heads and limbs went flying in one swoop. Chaotically, the soldiers and Emperor's attendants scattered. Goku rushed through the crowd with his claws extended. Blood, innards, and body parts flew.
"W-What the hell's going on here? Hey, Konzen!" Kenren called out to the shocked man in the back of the room.
"His golden diadem… That golden diadem on Goku's forehead was his power limiter…" Tenpou trailed off.
"… So what you're saying is that the instant Goku's power increased, that broke?!" Kenren cried. "That means… You're saying that's Goku's true form?!"
"I read about this in a book before… Not a human or youkai, let alone a god…" Tenpou continued. "He's a symbol of chaos from the legends and the ages, a being granted with the powers of Heaven… Seiten Taisei"
Tenpou stared out into the mass pile of bodies where Goku stood in the middle, bathed in blood. Slowly, Goku began to stalk toward Li Touten with a cold, murderous glare in his eyes. Li Touten's attendants dashed off. Screaming at his fleeing attendants, Li Touten looked around desperately as he cradled Nataku in his arms. Goku leapt forward, preparing his claws to strike.
"Stu—," Kenren interjected.
Nataku's limp body flew into the air, crashing into Goku. Nataku's body fell to the ground. Goku dodged and stabbed his claws into Li Touten's eye. Goku's bloody hand dropped his eye to the ground. Li Touten hollered in pain.
"Don't come any closer!" Li Touten cried, crawling away.
Shakily, Kenren began to stand.
"Kenren?" Megumi asked, worriedly.
"I can't watch this anymore," he spat. "No one… Not even you, Goku, wanted this… If you're gonna act more violently than this, then make me your opp—"
"You all can't take him…" Megumi finished as she stepped past them and in Goku's direction.
"Oi! Megumi-chan!" Kenren cried, grabbing her hand. "What are you doing!? You're gonna get killed!"
"And you won't?" she retorted, smirking. "With a bit of spirit energy and speed on my side, I might be able to restrain him… Then, we just we need a way to get that diadem back on…"
Picking up a blood rusted sword, she walked forward. Her foreign energy slowly filled the room. Her golden eyes shined with a similar untamed fury as her claws grew from her nails. Fangs grew from her mouth. Her chains shattered into pieces as she let her energy leak outward. Goku turned his wild gaze piercing through them. As though he were intrigued, Goku started to stalk towards her.
"I suggest you all make your way for the door… Just in case things go bad…" she grinned, as the wild fury in her silver eyes flared with blood lust.
Hesitant, Kenren and Tenpou rushed to the door. Megumi slid into a stance and extended her claws. Two blood lusting, demon gazes pierced through each other in untamed curiosity.