Categories > Anime/Manga > Saiyuki > Watching from Above
Watching from Above
0 reviewsA collection of Saiyuki short stories. Mostly humor and fluff. Includes Saiyuki, Reload and Gaiden stories.
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Watching from Above: Journey I
Destination 01: Happy Father's Day
All was quiet at the inn as Sanzo read the newspaper and drank his tea. Earlier, Gojyo had said something about him acting like an old geezer, which earned the redhead a dance with the lovely harisen. Now Goku was returning earlier than expected, while his other two traveling companions were still out.
Sanzo looked at the boy, raising his line of view just a little over the newspaper he held. It became apparent that Goku was alone. "Did you forget something? Go help Gojyo and Hakkai with the supplies."
Goku did not leave, instead he stood there with a wide smile as he held something behind his back. "You like crowns, right? I've seen you wear one."
Sanzo wanted to disregard the comment and return to his peaceful reading but something told him that Goku's observation was not just a random observation.
"Who doesn't like flowers, right?" Goku continued. "They smell really good. Not as good as food but they still smell nice."
By then Sanzo wondered where Goku was going with his ramblings and how was whatever point he was attempting to prove, related to whatever mysterious item he hid behind his back. Sanzo had a bad feeling about it.
"Happy father's day Sanzo!" Goku happily exclaimed as he placed a flowery crown upon Sanzo's golden haired head. "Cool isn't it? The violets stand out on the gold. It's really shiny, like the sun."
Sanzo froze; time stood still and the newspaper slipped out of his hands, cascading to the floor in puddle of black, gray and white.
Goku extended his arms as if expecting Sanzo to give him a hug.
Then when time started to move again for Sanzo, he stood up and guided the harisen to collide firmly with the top of Goku's head. "I'm not your father you stupid monkey!" Sanzo yelled with a look of indignation.
Goku's golden eyes became shiny and watery. He pouted and frowned. "But I don't have anyone else to wish a happy father's day to. Who will I congratulate? I used to say it to a rock before but that was no fun. Besides, you always took care of me!"
Just as Sanzo was about to reach for the violets atop his head and throw the crown away, he paused. Was Goku in that much of a need for a parent that he would talk to a rock in the past? It was then that Sanzo knew he had suffered a great defeat; he never even stood a chance against the shiny chibi eyes of gold. Defeated, he left the crown of violets where it was on his head and hugged the boy.
Destination 02: Excuses
As Konzen walked down the hall with his golden eyed pet following him, they head a voice complaining. The voice was obviously female and sounded like she was in terrible pain.
Seconds later as they turned a corner they spotted the Merciful Goddess walking in their direction. She was using the wall for support with one hand, while she held the other over her stomach. "Ow! Oh!" She looked back to make sure she wasn't followed. Then when she was certain no one but her nephew and his pet were around, she stood straight and energetically walked by, as a smiled graced her face.
Footsteps were suddenly heard making her pause in front of her nephew. An attendant arrived and she resumed her act. "Oh, the pain! Konzen it feels like I'm dying! My dear nephew you must carry out my will after my death. Ow!" Of course there was no such a thing as death in that realm.
"Oh no! What happened? You were in pain, but then you were okay and now you're in pain again? Are you hurt?" Goku fell for her acting.
"I'm not injured, I'm just in pain!" Kanzeon bent over in pain, holding her stomach. The attendant slipped away quietly when he though he had seen enough. "Is he gone?" She whispered.
"Yeah," Konzen replied.
"Good," once again the Merciful Goddess regained her composure and continued her confident stroll. She paused and looked back at them. "What? I need a day off." Then she left, knowing that her nephew did not fall for her excuses, but would not say anything about it either way.
Konzen resumed his walking with Goku following close behind. "Hey Konzen, shouldn't we make sure she makes it to her room safely? She's your aunt right? What if she gets pains again?"
"She's fine," Konzen sounded annoyed.
"But she was in pain!" Goku insisted.
"She was only putting up an act to get out of a meeting. She does that all the time," Konzen tried to explain it in a simple way so that the chibi monkey would quit asking questions.
"Oh! So she wasn't hurt?" Goku asked.
"No, she wasn't hurt," Konzen savored the moment of silence that followed, but sadly it didn't last for too long.
"So what does she need a day off for? Is there going to be a party? Did she have to leave work to go make the preparations? Is there going to be food? Did she leave so she could start cooking?" Goku asked.
Konzen stopped walking suddenly, causing Goku to bump into him. "Don't ask, just don't ask."
Goku blinked, his golden eyes were shining with curiosity. "There is going to be food, right? Where will the party be? Is it always in the same place? Can we go? Are Ken nii-chan and Ten-chan going to be there too?"
"Shut up!" At times like this, Konzen wished he had something to hit the chibi saru on the head with.
Destination 03: Catching a Cold
Though Gojyo had joked before that the monkey was too stupid to catch a cold, Goku had proved him wrong.
"It seems you have a fever," Hakkai informed him after feeling the heat on his forehead, which proved a bit tricky with the golden power limiter that covered it.
Goku sniffled and pulled the clovers close around himself. "I'm sick?" He was in disbelief.
"It looks like you are," Hakkai confirmed.
"I hope it doesn't spread, otherwise one of us will always have a cold to give the other and we'll never be rid of it," Gojyo voiced.
That was how it was with a close group of friends. If one caught a cold and another was destined to receive it and pass it along. By the time the first was cured, someone else would be ready to cause a re-infection.
"Sanzo recently recovered from a cold, so I don't think he'll catch another so soon after." Hakkai looked towards the golden haired traveler, who was occupied reading the newspaper.
"Right, so we'll leave it all to Sanzo," Gojyo agreed.
Sanzo looked up from his newspaper. "Just what do you mean?"
"Taking care of Goku, of course. Gojyo and I will take care of the preparation of supplies so we may leave early tomorrow," Hakkai informed.
"Yeah and we can get to know the town while we're at it," Gojyo grinned. Sanzo and Hakkai knew exactly what he meant.
While Sanzo debated if it was worth the effort to get up and walk to Gojyo to hit him with the harisen, Hakkai expressed his disagreement. "We shouldn't get too distracted or else we'll never make it to the west."
"Yeah, yeah, just a little fun won't hurt," Gojyo stood by his point. After a few more remarks, the two were gone, leaving the sickly Goku in the care of Sanzo.
"Sanzo, I'm cold and bored," Goku complained.
"That's because you're sick. Go to sleep" Sanzo did not take his eyes off the article he was currently reading.
"Can you read me a story?" The sudden request took Sanzo by surprise. Goku sometimes said unusual things, but that had to be the strangest thing he had said so far. "Please? There are books over there."
Sanzo followed his gaze towards the opposite wall of the room, occupied by a book shelf. A few books were placed there for the entertainment of the inn's guests. "Did that fever fry your brain? Just go to sleep chibi saru," Sanzo insisted.
Goku then gave him the saddest look, one that no one could resist. "My name is Goku!"
Without a word, Sanzo got up and walked towards the book shelf. The sense of deja vu he felt became stronger as he picked up a children's book and looked at the cover. The characters were little cartoon buns of different flavors. Surely Goku would like a story like that.
xoxox xox xoxox
"Then the Pork Bun flew up to the sky with the Curry Bun in his arms after rescuing her. They flew into the sunset and lived happily ever after, the end." Sanzo's tone while reading was very monotonous, but Goku loved the story, not only because it had buns as the main characters, but because Sanzo was actually reading to him. "Why are you still awake? You're supposed to fall asleep."
"I wanted to hear the ending of the story," Goku replied.
Destination 04: Party Time
"Yay, I knew there was going to be food!" Goku squealed with happiness. He noticed that the buns were specially made to look like the buns from that story book he liked so much.
While Kenren drank his sake and Tenpou smiled sheepishly, resembling his future incarnation, Konzen looked slightly more annoyed than usual. "What's this all about?"
"Do remember that mix-up you told us about with Kanzeon?" Tenpou asked.
"Yes, what about that?" Konzen inquired in return.
"You said you were getting annoyed and didn't know how to explain to Goku about Kanzeon faking her stomachache to get out of a meeting. He was convinced that the purpose of her act was to gain more time to prepare some kind of festivity which included food," Tenpou elaborated.
"Then you and Kenren said you guys would explain everything," Konzen reminded. "Something tells me that you two didn't explain anything."
"Don't start complaining about us, it's not like you explained it to him either. You hardly even tried," Kenren retorted.
"I didn't volunteer to explain it!" Konzen argued.
Tenpou stepped in. "We did try! It's just that when there is food involved, it's hard to change Goku's mind."
"Here comes the super bun!" Goku moved the bun around as if it were flying, then made it land in his mouth.
Konzen watched as the chibi continued to play with his food and eat it. "Maybe it's best this way."
Destination 05: Shumi Interrupted
"Follow me," the young man said in hushed whisper, as he took the young lady's hand.
"Kenyu, where are we going?" She asked in a voice as quiet as his had been.
"You'll see. Just wait until we get there," he replied.
Slightly unsure she followed him.
"No, don't go, he'll only break your heart," the Merciful Goddess looked into the pond in front of her. Reflected on the crystalline water between the lily pads, there was an image of something that was not taking place bellow but would in the future. A crystal ball floated in the center of the pond as if suspended in mid air by magic. She had borrowed the artifact to look into the future, though since it was not hers, she couldn't use its full power.
The stubborn glass sphere refused to show her the future of her nephew, the small animal he was taking care of, or her own future. Maybe it was still too uncertain to be predicted. She didn't know if she should take it as a bad sign or just ignore it. Either way, she had to put the crystal ball to good use before it was time to return it to its rightful owner. She connected it to her pond by magic and was able to watch things that were yet to happen. That man named Kenyu was yet to be born.
"I told you not to go with him." The Merciful Goddess liked to watch what the mortals did. Some claimed she had no respect for privacy, but what could she do? It was her shumi and she wouldn't give it up! This was like watching a novel unfold before her eyes, a very realistic novel. No wonder her shumi was considered inappropriate for her to tell others about it. She was about to say it without a second thought, but now she was glad she didn't get he chance reveal what her shumi was. Konzen would have been very upset under the mask of indifference.
"Kenyu..."
"You changed your mind? I told you to leave but now you want to stay with him? Well of course, you can't hear me." Kanzeon felt odd talking to herself while addressing the images. Her behavior could be compared to that of a human speaking to that machine called 'television' that would be such an important part of the world below in a later future and even her world eventually. Still, she couldn't help it but to say the words and voice her thoughts as they came, even if no one heard.
"You're so beautiful Ming Ling."
"You don't have to compliment her, she's already fallen for your act. This guy is a tricky one, and he doesn't even exist yet. Why do I have the feeling he'll be troublesome when he comes into he world below?" Kanzeon took a handful of popcorn and put it in her mouth, savoring the sweet and salty taste. Butter covered popcorn was good but caramel covered popcorn was even better, Konzen liked it best.
"I knew I smelled popcorn!" Goku pointed at the bowl of popcorn that sat on the Merciful Goddess' lap. "Can I have some, please?"
Kanzeon was quick to make the images disappear from the pond before Goku could see them. The boy was too young to watch such events of the world below. "Sure, you can have it all." She handed him the bowl in hopes that he would take it and leave her alone to her shumi. The crystal ball had to be returned soon and it would be a few years before those events actually took place. She didn't want to wait that long to know what would become of the relationship between Kenyu and Ming Ling. They wouldn't stay together, that much she could easily guess, but she was still curious.
Instead of leaving, Goku sat down next to Kanzeon at the edge of the lillypad filled pool, eating the popcorn while splashing the crystalline water with his feet.
"Chibi saru! I told you not to run off!" Konzen arrived.
"Look Konzen! Auntie gave me caramel covered popcorn. I'll even share it with you!" Goku happily offered.
Surprisingly, Konzen sat down next to the boy and took a handful of popcorn. "Stop splashing water on me chibi saru!" He got up and sat down at the other side, leaving his aunt in the middle. It was the only way to avoid getting wet because of the energetic splashing of the chibi.
"Using your own aunt as a shield? That's not very nice, is it Konzen?" The Merciful Goddess teased. Her shumi was interrupted, but sometimes those two could be even more amusing than all the creatures from the world below put together.
"It's your fault he's here," Konzen grumbled, though deep down he had gotten used to taking care of the chibi and was glad the his aunt had given him that 'pet'.
Goku finished his popcorn and handed the empty bowl back to Kanzeon, "thank you!"
"How polite, you're welcome. I'm guessing it wasn't Konzen who taught you that?" Kanzeon glanced at her nephew from the corner of her eyes.
"Ten-chan told me," Goku smiled.
"Just as I thought," Konzen shot an annoyed glare at his aunt, before deciding that it was best to ignore her. She was starting to think that the golden eyed chibi and the chibi taiyou's combined amusing cuteness were so much better than her shumi. Maybe it was time for a new shumi, watching those two play would be her shumi.
"Auntie, can I go for a swim? Hey Konzen let's swim in auntie's pool! Can we, please? Pretty please with sugar and strawberries and popcorn and cherries and meat buns?" Goku requested in that hyper energetic voice of his.
Konzen looked horrified and the merciful goddess smiled, while Goku continued to endlessly list the foods he liked to top the please. "Sure, have fun," Kanzeon agreed.
Destination 06: Sleeping Like a Baby
That morning Sanzo was the last to wake up because his traveling companions dared not disturb his slumber.
Hakkai woke up early, as he usually did. In their current room arrangements, he was Sanzo's roommate while Goku was with Gojyo. With a bright smile, ready to face a new day, the green eyed youkai quickly got up and got ready to continue with the usual morning tasks. Then he paused.
He wasn't surprised to find Sanzo still sleeping on the other bed next to his. Many times the blond had been the last to wake up, though he was usually the first to fall asleep. What caught Hakkai's attention was what Sanzo was doing in his sleep. His smile widened and he decided that this was too good not to share it with Goku and Gojyo, even if it was a death wish if they got caught.
Hakkai tiptoed out of the room and glanced back at the sleeping Sanzo one last time from the doorway. He wouldn't want to get Goku and Gojyo's hopes up for nothing. Suppressing a laugh, Hakkai quietly made his way to the next room.
Gojyo had recently woken up and was yet to gather the necessary energy to actually get up. Instead he stayed in bed with his arms crossed behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at Hakkai as he heard the door open. His expression was more cheerful than usually and that look in his eyes, without the need for words, told Gojyo that Hakkai had seen something quite interesting and amusing.
Goku was still in slumber land, hugging a pillow as he muttered something about a giant marshmallow. "My zzz... giant zzz... marshmallow zzz..."
"Goku, wake up Goku," Hakkai shook the boy gently until he half opened his golden eyes. "Wake up..."
"Hakkai?" Goku yawned. "Is breakfast ready?"
"You can eat breakfast soon, but first there is something you both must see," Hakkai's amused smile was ever present.
By then Gojyo had gotten out of bed and was filled with curiosity. "What is it?"
"Come this way and make sure to be very, very quiet, unless you want to be hunted down by Sanzo," Hakkai warned.
Goku and Gojyo looked at each other slightly confused, then at the amused Hakkai. They quietly followed him out of that room and into the one, where Sanzo was sleeping.
"Whatever you do, don't laugh," Hakkai warned.
As the three approached Sanzo they noticed Hakuryu was perched on the wooden header of the bed, staring down at Sanzo. When Goku and Gojyo caught sight of the sleeping man, they immediately covered their mouth with their hands and knew exactly why Hakkai had warned them not to laugh, it would be dangerous for Sanzo to wake up and find out about what they saw.
They exchanged 'aw how cute' looks. before deciding that it was best to leave the room and go downstairs for breakfast before Sanzo woke up and caught them staring at him. This was his secret and they would respect his decision to keep it a secret. If they didn't, they knew they would be dancing with bullets or at least the harisen.
xoxox xox xoxox
In a world high above, the Merciful Goddess, as always, was watching the events unfold. She too shared that same look that said 'aw how cute' accompanied by a sweet caring smile. "Stay like this forever chibi taiyou."
Reflected on the mirror-like waters of the pond before her, was the image of Genjo Sanzo, peacefully sleeping while sucking his thumb.
Destination 07: Birds and Bees
When Goku cheerfully ran into his office announcing at the top of his lungs that he had a question, Konzen did not worry. "Konzen! Konzen! I need to ask you something!"
It was probably a question related to food or something simple. It was going to be just an innocent childish question with an easy answer. "I'm busy right now so make it quick," Konzen examined the paper he just stamped. The seal was perfectly aligned with the corners of the sheet. When he was satisfied with his inspection, he placed the document in the pile of papers that were already stamped and waited for Goku ask his question before stamping another.
"I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I couldn't figure it out, so I thought you could tell me, because you're so smart and know lots of things!" Goku had a cute bright smile.
If not because smiling didn't suite him, Konzen would have smiled, but he refrained from doing so and simply looked at the chibi standing before him, his violet eyes said it all. "What is your question?"
"I wanted to ask about the birds and the bees. Could you explain it to me?" Goku's happy smile never once left his face and the golden glow of innocence in his eyes continued to be ever present.
That was when Konzen started to worry. His face became ghostly pale and his violet eyes opened wide in surprise. He retained his position as if frozen in time from the shock of the boy's words. "What did you say?" He asked, slowly pausing after every word, hoping and wishing with all his heart that he had misheard.
"About the birds and the bees, you know how that works, right Konzen?" Goku had abundant curiosity shining in his big golden eyes.
Konzen began to panic, sure he knew the answer, but he wasn't about to explain it. In his terror he didn't notice the Merciful Goddess standing at the door. "No, I don't know. I have no idea," Konzen blurted out desperately. "It's not something you need to know either."
"Really? I thought you would know," Goku was slightly disappointment.
Kanzeon suppressed a laugh and left the office unnoticed. Walking down the hall she couldn't suppress her laughter any longer and burst out in a fit of laughter and giggles as she passed Tenpou and Kenren who gave her puzzled looks.
"Share the joke!" Kenren requested.
"Chibi taiyou," Kanzeon paused between laughs, "Konzen..." With a few more giggles she managed to calm down enough to speak coherently. "Goku asked Konzen about the birds and the bees and Konzen said he didn't know."
Tenpou and Kenren looked at the Merciful Goddess then at each other and finally burst out laughing. Weather Konzen was telling the truth or not was irrelevant. To them it was funny if he didn't know and it was also funny if he knew but didn't have the guts to explain it.
xoxox xox xoxox
The next time Konzen and Goku were at Tenpou's house helping him tidy up his many books, Konzen noticed that the marshal and the general kept whispering and laughing quietly. Konzen had a feeling he was involved in that. Inevitably, Goku decided to seek the information he wanted once again, this time from Tenpou. "Ten-chan, you read a lot of books right?"
Tenpou nodded. "Yes, that's right. I like to read a little of everything, especially history."
"Have you read about the birds and the bees?" Goku asked.
"Why yes I have," Tenpou replied.
"And you took way too long to share. When you find written gold like this, you need to let me know," Kenren was immersed in reading a little orange book. On the cover of the book there was the silhouette of a man with a thinking bubble with a broken heart inside. On the back cover there was a circle with a diagonal line across it.
Konzen directed a deadly glare towards Tenpou and an ever deadlier glare towards Kenren.
"Can you tell me about the birds and the bees then?" Goku asked.
"Well, I think Konzen should be the one to tell you," Tenpou wisely replied.
"But Konzen said he didn't know," Goku pointed out and Konzen looked both upset and embarrassed as Kenren and Tenpou tried to hold their laughter. Konzen wasn't in the military, but they had feeling that if he got angry, he would be as dangerous as the Seiten Taisen, if not more.
"Maybe you should wait until you're a little older. I'm certain that by then Konzen would have figured it out," Tenpou suggested.
"But I don't want to wait! If you know the answer why won't you tell me?" Goku made an adorable pouty face.
"I'm sorry but I can't," Tenpou sighed.
"What about you Ken-niisan? You said you read the book too, so you must know," Goku asked.
"Well of course I know. Out of all of us, I know better than anyone else." Kenren paused as he felt Konzen's glare burning into him. "Tenpou is right; you should wait until Konzen is ready to explain it to you, if he actually ever figures it out."
"Shut up!" Konzen growled at him.
"But Konzen said he didn't know. Can I borrow the book about the birds and the bees then? That way I can learn about them and explain it to Konzen. He taught me a lot of things, so I want to teach him something too!" Goku begged.
"How about this book?" Tenpou asked as he handed a book to Goku. It was a children's picture book about animals from the world below.
"Thank you Ten-chan! I'll study hard and explain about the birds and the bees to Konzen as soon as I learn about them!" With that goal in mind, Goku sat down to read.
xoxox xox xoxox
The afternoon passed by quietly as Kenren kept reading that little orange book and Tenpou and Konzen continued putting books away. An hour later, Goku was done studying the book which was mostly pictures anyway. "Konzen, I leaned about the birds and the bees. Now I know the answer to my question. It was the bees!"
Konzen blinked, as did Tenpou and Kenren, their full attention focused on the golden eyed boy.
"I've been wondering which one makes the honey if the birds or the bees. This book says it's the bees," Goku explained.
"Is that what you wanted to know all along?" Konzen asked.
"Yes, now we both know bees make honey!" Goku felt very proud of himself because for all the things Konzen taught him, he was able to teach him something in return.
Destination 08: Plushie
As Sanzo woke up he felt that something was a little off. He turned on his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. It was just one of those days when he didn't feel like getting out of bed, but the need for hot coffee called him.
While he debated if he should get up or stay in bed for another five minutes, he realized that there was a bump on his pillow. It was still soft but uneven, he didn't notice that the previous night. He curiously lifted the pillow and under it he found a plushie.
The little white teddy bear was soft and fluffy. It had big brown eyes and a red nose to match the red heart it held in its tiny paws. The little bear had a happy smile plastered on its face, which gave Sanzo a foreboding feeling. He didn't know why, but he was about to find out.
"Hey old geezer, are you gonna stay in bed all day?" Without even bothering to knock, a certain red haired half youkai entered the room. He paused and stared at the item Sanzo held in his hands. The half smoked cigarette dangled from Gojyo's mouth, until it was sent flying into the air with the force of his laughter.
The kappa had entered without knocking and he had laughed at him, obviously jumping to conclusions about the bear. That was bad enough and it certainly didn't help that the cigarette had flown a mere inch away from Sanzo before exiting the room via the window and making a crash landing in the grocery basket of a woman who was passing by outside, blissfully unaware of the happenings of the inn.
Sanzo's first reaction was to throw the teddy bear at Gojyo, which hit him dead on. Of course since the plushie was soft, it didn't make any damage. His second reaction however was far more deadly, to reach for his revolver and start shooting at the water sprite.
Within seconds Gojyo, still choking on his laughter, was sent on a full retreat. Sanzo wasn't in the mood to chase after him so he simply closed the door and glared at the plushie that had bounced off Gojyo's head and currently sat on the floor. He picked up the item and examined it. Surely the kappa had placed it under his pillow as a joke. Or at least that's what he thought.
Knock, knock, knock. "Excuse me?" The voice was female, possibly a maid. Sanzo opened the door. She probably wanted to ask about the noises and the holes, and he certainly wasn't in the mood to explain it. "Sir, I heard some loud noises, is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine, here take this thing." Sanzo handed her the plush bear. She was the maid, so it was her job to clean whatever trash was left in the rooms.
Of course she got the wrong idea. "Thank you! Do you need anything?"
Sanzo assumed that she thought the plushie was a tip. Either way he wasn't in the mood to analyze the situation further. "Today's newspaper and coffee," Sanzo just didn't feel like getting it himself and with those gunshots, Hakkai surely heard, he would must likely assume that Sanzo wasn't in a social mood, not that he ever was, and try to give him some space. Besides, this was the maid's job, right?
"Yes, right away!" The maid certainly sounded cheerful, but Sanzo paid no mind to it.
As the maid headed back to his room moments later with hot coffee and the newspaper, she saw one of her coworkers. "Guess what? The handsome blond from room seven gave me this bear!" She held the toy in one hand and the tray in the other, balancing it with ease.
"Really? But he didn't look too friendly. I thought he wouldn't be interested in girls."
"Who cares, he's hot!" The maid happily walked away, humming a cheerful tune. She would regret jumping to conclusions.
This time she entered without knocking and handed Sanzo his newspaper. He took the paper and started reading without saying a word. Instead of leaving, she started serving the coffee. There was nothing strange about that, it was part of her job, right? She poured two cups instead of one, placing them on the table and took a seat across from him.
That's when Sanzo realized that something was amiss. "What are you doing?"
"I thought we could have some coffee together and get to know each other," the maid answered as if it was the most obvious and natural thing.
Sanzo glared. "What makes you think such a thing is alright?"
"You gave me this gift. That means you like me, right?" He stared at her as if she grew a second head.
Slowly and calmly Sanzo folded the newspaper and gently placed it on the table next to his steaming cup of coffee. He then pointed his revolver straight at the maid's face and addressed her with an icy glare. "You have ten seconds to get out of my sight or I will kill you."
Screaming at the top of her lungs, the maid dropped the plushie and ran for dear life. Out in the hall she bumped into her coworker from before. "That man... he... gun!"
"Wow, he works fast! Why did you run away though? I certainly wouldn't mind."
"No, you gutter head! I mean he pointed a gun at me the kind that has bullets inside and goes bang!"
Her coworker blinked, paused looking thoughtful and finally spoke with a smile. "He's dressed like a foreign priest; I told you he's not interested in girls. You must have annoyed him." At least she wouldn't be the only single maid in the establishment.
xoxox xox xoxox
Back in his room, Sanzo was determined to get rid of the toy bear that started it all. He took the little bear and stood facing the open window. He took a deep breath, made a pitcher-like pose and threw the toy with all his might.
xoxox xox xoxox
Meanwhile, Hakkai was walking down the street on his way back to the inn with bag full of groceries and supplies, when he saw something falling from the skies. The plushie landed inside the grocery bag and Hakkai curiously took it out. "Where did you come from little one?"
He looked around searching for a child that could be the owner of the toy, but didn't see any children near by. Little did he know that Sanzo had a pretty good arm and had thrown the bear that far. "I guess I'll take you with me until I find your owner." The rest of the way Hakkai carried the bear, making sure it was easily visible in case someone claimed it, but no one did.
xoxox xox xoxox
When Hakkai arrived at the inn, Goku was turning Sanzo's room upside down searching for something, but refused to say what. Gojyo had mustered up the courage to return and sat in a corner quietly smoking his cigarette, while receiving an occasional icy glare from Sanzo when ever he paused his newspaper reading to turn a page.
"Look what I found, it fell from the sky," Hakkai cheerfully held up the bear.
"That thing!" Sanzo screamed, earning strange looks from the others.
"You fond it!" Goku exclaimed and the strange looks shifted towards him. "Um... well," his face turned slightly red and he stared at the floor. "I bought it for Lirin. I wanted to give it to her the next time we saw her. It's just that I thought it looked cute and she might like it."
"Little Goku is growing up and taking an interest in girls?" Gojyo put Goku in a head lock and messed up his hair.
"What are you saying? It's just a gift, nothing special. This is why I didn't want to say anything," Goku, red like a tomato, tried to break free to no avail.
"But why did you throw it out?" Hakkai asked.
"I didn't throw it, I hid it under Sanzo's pillow," Goku replied.
The next day Goku gave Lirin the gift with a bump on his head, courtesy of harisen.
Destination 09: Little Bird
"Sanzo I'm cold," Goku moved closer to Sanzo. Hakkai Gojyo and Hakuryu were already fast asleep.
The journey to the west sometimes took them to face harsh roads, snowy mountains and storms. This time they were unable to reach the next town before night fell and a snow storm began. Their only choice was to take refuge in a cave and wait for a calm morning.
(Can you be that boy's sun?)
"Go to sleep" Sanzo spoke softly as to not wake up the others.
"This makes me sad," Sanzo gave him a puzzled look. "The storm," Goku explained in a whisper. "When I was trapped, one winter a little bird came. It didn't come too close to me but I was happy just seeing it because it was the first living thing I saw in a long time. But a there was suddenly a snow storm and the little bird couldn't fly home. The wind threw it to the ground really hard and it must have gotten hurt, it struggled to get to safety but couldn't. I wanted to pick it up and make sure it was alright. I though that if I held it gently and kept it warm it would be okay but I was trapped. I was trapped and I couldn't help the little bird, I couldn't reach no matter how hard I tried. All I could do was watch it lay in the cold with no one to help."
(Can you be his source of light and warmth in a cold world?)
"You're not trapped anymore," Sanzo spoke in a much softer tone than usual.
"I know, because you saved me. Thanks for taking care of me; I'm really lucky to have someone that takes care of me." Goku leaned against Sanzo who placed his arm around the chibi in a gentle hug. He couldn't help it but to care about the golden eyed boy. He would make sure he was always safe and never imprisoned ever again.
(Chibi Taiyou, you are his sun...)
Destination 10: Quote
Goku stared at the writing before him. Something felt odd, as if he was missing a joke and the joke was on him.
They had taken a break from the road to the west to eat some lunch, because they knew that by the time they reached the next town they would either starve or be driven to insanity by Goku's complaints of hunger.
As usual, the boy with golden eyes and the big appetite exhausted the food supplies and wasn't quite satisfied. He wanted to reach the next town soon and have a bigger meal but certain writing caught his eye.
In the middle of the grassy field, adored by wild flowers, there was a rock. The sky was a soft blue with a few fluffy white clouds, a gentle breeze caressed them and the sun shone delicately, making the light and temperature just right. In that rock in the middle of the spring paradise, there was something carved.
Not too far from that rock, Gojyo was resting under a tree. It looked like he had drifted off to sleep in the peaceful shade or perhaps he was just resting his eyes. Hakuryu was flying around playing with the butterflies and Hakkai lay on the soft grass watching the clouds. Even Sanzo was taking a break, sitting on the rock that intrigued Goku so much. It was a day to relax.
"Sanzo did you see this?" Goku pointed at the carvings on the rock.
"Have you forgotten how to read?" Surprisingly Sanzo didn't sound quite as irritated as he usually did. The peaceful atmosphere was even making him relax, if only just a little while.
"Of course I can read it. It says 'I am your father' but why would someone carve that into a rock?" Goku's expression turned from curious to worried. "Is this the tomb of someone's father? Sanzo you should get off!"
"It's not a tomb, it's just a quote from a movie," Sanzo replied.
"A movie? What movie?" Goku asked with curiosity.
Hakkai over heard the conversation and joined in. "The original Star Wars trilogy, you watched it long ago. They are old movies but good ones."
"Don't you remember you kept asking for more popcorn and wanted donuts too?" Sanzo asked.
A soft laugh came from Gojyo's direction. It seemed he wasn't sleeping after all. "You said princess Leah's hair looked like two donuts so it made you want to eat donuts along with the popcorn."
With those reminders, the movie returned to Goku's memories. "Oh yeah, I remember now! This quote is from Darth Vader, but to carve it on a rock, it doesn't feel quite right."
Destination 11: Apology
It had been a long day filled with battle after battle against an endless avalanche of youkai that kept popping out of nowhere. It came to the point where Goku had even asked Sanzo to look under his bed at the inn before going to sleep, in case there were youkai hiding there waiting to ambush him, and there were.
xoxox xox xoxox
"For the youkai under the influence of the minus wave, every day is a 'kill the Sanzo party' day, but today seems to be their world wide celebration." Even the Merciful Goddess was surprised by the merciless attacks of the day, which started even before the sun woke up. Now the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and for once in a long time, the four travelers were truly exhausted. "They really need to sleep well tonight. May the Merciful Goddess grant them mercy, wait, I am the Merciful Goddess." She laughed, the day had been quite interesting like a real action movie, not one of those cheap ones with a few under-practiced no-name actors. "Sleep well, you've earned it."
xoxox xox xoxox
After the battle against the last few youkai had ended, Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo were just about ready to collapse. Goku would have complained about hunger, but he just didn't have the energy to do so. The room was spacious with four beds, two on each side. They thought it was best to stick together just in case.
Sanzo, without even taking the time to remove his robes or the sultra from his shoulders, collapsed into one of the beds, revolver still in hand. He had used more bullets in a single day than in the past month and it didn't help that Goku and Gojyo made him constantly put the Harisen to good use as well. He felt like his right arm was about to fall off. With his head buried in the pillow face first, he fell into a deep sleep instantly.
Goku fainted into the bed next to Sanzo's, in a mix of exhaustion and hunger. Gojyo and Hakkai occupied the two remaining beds, Hakkai facing Sanzo and Gojyo facing Goku. Hakuryu had already fallen asleep earlier, perched on Hakkai's head, and continued to sleep there. The battles had been so intense, even the little dragon had to do his fair share of scratching and biting in dragon form and ramming into youkai in jeep form, to help the others get through the day.
Gojyo was in fact so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to flirt with the inn owner's attractive young daughter. She went back to her room alone and with broken pride because that red haired man wouldn't even spare her a glace no matter how hard she tried. They were exhausted, truly exhausted.
xoxox xox xoxox
Sometime during the night, Sanzo rolled on his side facing left. The light of the lamp that sat on the nightstand between his and Goku's bed glared at his eyes and woke him up. It seemed no one had the energy to turn it off the previous night. Half asleep he reached over and felt around for the switch. Finally he found it at the base of the lamp and turned it off with a quiet click.
Another click was heard and the light glared at him. Sanzo reached over to the lamp again and turned it off. A few minutes passed and that same soft click was heard again, the light had returned. Sanzo glared daggers at Goku from his sleep deprived eyes. Was the monkey afraid of the dark or something? Click, the lamp was off and it better stay off. Click, it was on again.
Sanzo considered hiding under the covers to avoid the light but the temperature wasn't appropriate for that. It was one of those nights when you simply don't want to be anywhere near a blanket. He had even managed to roll down his robe in his sleep and somehow remove the long gloves that covered his arms. Click, if that lamp didn't stay off this time, frustration would become grater than exhaustion and a certain fan would get more exercise than it did in the entire day.
Click, that was it! In absolute fury, Sanzo jumped out of bed and hit Goku on the head with his paper fan as hard as he could.
"Ow! Sanzo, why did you do that!" Goku yelped at the unpleasant awakening.
"Leave the lamp alone, I can't sleep with the light in my face!" Sanzo yelled. Of course rolling over to face the opposite direction wasn't a possibility, because he was used to sleeping on that side. That's how he felt comfortable and the monkey wasn't going to ruin it for him.
"I didn't touch it, I was sleeping!" Goku rubbed his head, that fan could really sting sometimes.
"Keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!" Gojyo covered his head with the pillow.
"Don't lie to me!" Click, the room was left in darkness. Click, once again there was light. Sanzo turned his head slowly towards the lamp and there he saw a mouse.
Hakkai stumbled out of bed with a zombie-like expression and Hakuryu still curled up on his head. "It's a mouse," he yawned, picked up the mouse and gently placed it on the floor outside their room, then he closed the door again. "Let's all go back to sleep, please?" Before receiving a reply, Hakkai had fallen back in his bed and gone to sleep.
"I told you it wasn't me," Goku pouted.
"Just go to sleep," Sanzo sighed.
"Aren't young going to say you're sorry for hitting me with your fan for no reason?" Goku asked.
"I didn't hit you that hard," Sanzo ruffled the boy's hair gently, "your tick skull can take it."
"Apology accepted!"
"Shut up."
End of Journey I
Disclaimer, I do not own Saiyuki. Chibi means small, saru means monkey and taiyou means sun. Destination 01 takes place during Saiyuki Reload, but it's based on Chapters 1 and 3 of Saiyuki Gaiden. Destination 02 is based on Chapter 5 of Saiyuki Gaiden. Destination 03 is based on Saiyuki Gaiden Chapters 6 and 8 and it takes place during Saiyuki Reload. Destination 04 is a sequel to Destination 02. Destination 05 takes place during Gaiden, Kanzeon's mysterious shumi was left as a secret in the manga. A shumi is like a pastime or hobby. Kenyu is young Nii and Ming Ling is a character from the novel he had during his training at a temple. Destination 06 is for Arysin, who wanted to see Sanzo sleeping. Destination 07, Icha Icha Paradise is from Naruto, which I don't own. Seiten Taisen is the legendary warrior, said to be the strongest. Destination 09 is based on the scene from Goku's flashback when Suika, the singing youkai, is trying to steal and seal away his memories; the quotes in (parenthesis) are spoken by Kanzeon. Disclaimer, I do not own Star Wars. If you've read the Gaiden manga think about Goku's origins and you will understand the joke in Destination 10, which takes place during Saiyuki Reload, but is based on Chapter 1 of Saiyuki Gaiden.
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Watching from Above: Journey I
Destination 01: Happy Father's Day
All was quiet at the inn as Sanzo read the newspaper and drank his tea. Earlier, Gojyo had said something about him acting like an old geezer, which earned the redhead a dance with the lovely harisen. Now Goku was returning earlier than expected, while his other two traveling companions were still out.
Sanzo looked at the boy, raising his line of view just a little over the newspaper he held. It became apparent that Goku was alone. "Did you forget something? Go help Gojyo and Hakkai with the supplies."
Goku did not leave, instead he stood there with a wide smile as he held something behind his back. "You like crowns, right? I've seen you wear one."
Sanzo wanted to disregard the comment and return to his peaceful reading but something told him that Goku's observation was not just a random observation.
"Who doesn't like flowers, right?" Goku continued. "They smell really good. Not as good as food but they still smell nice."
By then Sanzo wondered where Goku was going with his ramblings and how was whatever point he was attempting to prove, related to whatever mysterious item he hid behind his back. Sanzo had a bad feeling about it.
"Happy father's day Sanzo!" Goku happily exclaimed as he placed a flowery crown upon Sanzo's golden haired head. "Cool isn't it? The violets stand out on the gold. It's really shiny, like the sun."
Sanzo froze; time stood still and the newspaper slipped out of his hands, cascading to the floor in puddle of black, gray and white.
Goku extended his arms as if expecting Sanzo to give him a hug.
Then when time started to move again for Sanzo, he stood up and guided the harisen to collide firmly with the top of Goku's head. "I'm not your father you stupid monkey!" Sanzo yelled with a look of indignation.
Goku's golden eyes became shiny and watery. He pouted and frowned. "But I don't have anyone else to wish a happy father's day to. Who will I congratulate? I used to say it to a rock before but that was no fun. Besides, you always took care of me!"
Just as Sanzo was about to reach for the violets atop his head and throw the crown away, he paused. Was Goku in that much of a need for a parent that he would talk to a rock in the past? It was then that Sanzo knew he had suffered a great defeat; he never even stood a chance against the shiny chibi eyes of gold. Defeated, he left the crown of violets where it was on his head and hugged the boy.
Destination 02: Excuses
As Konzen walked down the hall with his golden eyed pet following him, they head a voice complaining. The voice was obviously female and sounded like she was in terrible pain.
Seconds later as they turned a corner they spotted the Merciful Goddess walking in their direction. She was using the wall for support with one hand, while she held the other over her stomach. "Ow! Oh!" She looked back to make sure she wasn't followed. Then when she was certain no one but her nephew and his pet were around, she stood straight and energetically walked by, as a smiled graced her face.
Footsteps were suddenly heard making her pause in front of her nephew. An attendant arrived and she resumed her act. "Oh, the pain! Konzen it feels like I'm dying! My dear nephew you must carry out my will after my death. Ow!" Of course there was no such a thing as death in that realm.
"Oh no! What happened? You were in pain, but then you were okay and now you're in pain again? Are you hurt?" Goku fell for her acting.
"I'm not injured, I'm just in pain!" Kanzeon bent over in pain, holding her stomach. The attendant slipped away quietly when he though he had seen enough. "Is he gone?" She whispered.
"Yeah," Konzen replied.
"Good," once again the Merciful Goddess regained her composure and continued her confident stroll. She paused and looked back at them. "What? I need a day off." Then she left, knowing that her nephew did not fall for her excuses, but would not say anything about it either way.
Konzen resumed his walking with Goku following close behind. "Hey Konzen, shouldn't we make sure she makes it to her room safely? She's your aunt right? What if she gets pains again?"
"She's fine," Konzen sounded annoyed.
"But she was in pain!" Goku insisted.
"She was only putting up an act to get out of a meeting. She does that all the time," Konzen tried to explain it in a simple way so that the chibi monkey would quit asking questions.
"Oh! So she wasn't hurt?" Goku asked.
"No, she wasn't hurt," Konzen savored the moment of silence that followed, but sadly it didn't last for too long.
"So what does she need a day off for? Is there going to be a party? Did she have to leave work to go make the preparations? Is there going to be food? Did she leave so she could start cooking?" Goku asked.
Konzen stopped walking suddenly, causing Goku to bump into him. "Don't ask, just don't ask."
Goku blinked, his golden eyes were shining with curiosity. "There is going to be food, right? Where will the party be? Is it always in the same place? Can we go? Are Ken nii-chan and Ten-chan going to be there too?"
"Shut up!" At times like this, Konzen wished he had something to hit the chibi saru on the head with.
Destination 03: Catching a Cold
Though Gojyo had joked before that the monkey was too stupid to catch a cold, Goku had proved him wrong.
"It seems you have a fever," Hakkai informed him after feeling the heat on his forehead, which proved a bit tricky with the golden power limiter that covered it.
Goku sniffled and pulled the clovers close around himself. "I'm sick?" He was in disbelief.
"It looks like you are," Hakkai confirmed.
"I hope it doesn't spread, otherwise one of us will always have a cold to give the other and we'll never be rid of it," Gojyo voiced.
That was how it was with a close group of friends. If one caught a cold and another was destined to receive it and pass it along. By the time the first was cured, someone else would be ready to cause a re-infection.
"Sanzo recently recovered from a cold, so I don't think he'll catch another so soon after." Hakkai looked towards the golden haired traveler, who was occupied reading the newspaper.
"Right, so we'll leave it all to Sanzo," Gojyo agreed.
Sanzo looked up from his newspaper. "Just what do you mean?"
"Taking care of Goku, of course. Gojyo and I will take care of the preparation of supplies so we may leave early tomorrow," Hakkai informed.
"Yeah and we can get to know the town while we're at it," Gojyo grinned. Sanzo and Hakkai knew exactly what he meant.
While Sanzo debated if it was worth the effort to get up and walk to Gojyo to hit him with the harisen, Hakkai expressed his disagreement. "We shouldn't get too distracted or else we'll never make it to the west."
"Yeah, yeah, just a little fun won't hurt," Gojyo stood by his point. After a few more remarks, the two were gone, leaving the sickly Goku in the care of Sanzo.
"Sanzo, I'm cold and bored," Goku complained.
"That's because you're sick. Go to sleep" Sanzo did not take his eyes off the article he was currently reading.
"Can you read me a story?" The sudden request took Sanzo by surprise. Goku sometimes said unusual things, but that had to be the strangest thing he had said so far. "Please? There are books over there."
Sanzo followed his gaze towards the opposite wall of the room, occupied by a book shelf. A few books were placed there for the entertainment of the inn's guests. "Did that fever fry your brain? Just go to sleep chibi saru," Sanzo insisted.
Goku then gave him the saddest look, one that no one could resist. "My name is Goku!"
Without a word, Sanzo got up and walked towards the book shelf. The sense of deja vu he felt became stronger as he picked up a children's book and looked at the cover. The characters were little cartoon buns of different flavors. Surely Goku would like a story like that.
xoxox xox xoxox
"Then the Pork Bun flew up to the sky with the Curry Bun in his arms after rescuing her. They flew into the sunset and lived happily ever after, the end." Sanzo's tone while reading was very monotonous, but Goku loved the story, not only because it had buns as the main characters, but because Sanzo was actually reading to him. "Why are you still awake? You're supposed to fall asleep."
"I wanted to hear the ending of the story," Goku replied.
Destination 04: Party Time
"Yay, I knew there was going to be food!" Goku squealed with happiness. He noticed that the buns were specially made to look like the buns from that story book he liked so much.
While Kenren drank his sake and Tenpou smiled sheepishly, resembling his future incarnation, Konzen looked slightly more annoyed than usual. "What's this all about?"
"Do remember that mix-up you told us about with Kanzeon?" Tenpou asked.
"Yes, what about that?" Konzen inquired in return.
"You said you were getting annoyed and didn't know how to explain to Goku about Kanzeon faking her stomachache to get out of a meeting. He was convinced that the purpose of her act was to gain more time to prepare some kind of festivity which included food," Tenpou elaborated.
"Then you and Kenren said you guys would explain everything," Konzen reminded. "Something tells me that you two didn't explain anything."
"Don't start complaining about us, it's not like you explained it to him either. You hardly even tried," Kenren retorted.
"I didn't volunteer to explain it!" Konzen argued.
Tenpou stepped in. "We did try! It's just that when there is food involved, it's hard to change Goku's mind."
"Here comes the super bun!" Goku moved the bun around as if it were flying, then made it land in his mouth.
Konzen watched as the chibi continued to play with his food and eat it. "Maybe it's best this way."
Destination 05: Shumi Interrupted
"Follow me," the young man said in hushed whisper, as he took the young lady's hand.
"Kenyu, where are we going?" She asked in a voice as quiet as his had been.
"You'll see. Just wait until we get there," he replied.
Slightly unsure she followed him.
"No, don't go, he'll only break your heart," the Merciful Goddess looked into the pond in front of her. Reflected on the crystalline water between the lily pads, there was an image of something that was not taking place bellow but would in the future. A crystal ball floated in the center of the pond as if suspended in mid air by magic. She had borrowed the artifact to look into the future, though since it was not hers, she couldn't use its full power.
The stubborn glass sphere refused to show her the future of her nephew, the small animal he was taking care of, or her own future. Maybe it was still too uncertain to be predicted. She didn't know if she should take it as a bad sign or just ignore it. Either way, she had to put the crystal ball to good use before it was time to return it to its rightful owner. She connected it to her pond by magic and was able to watch things that were yet to happen. That man named Kenyu was yet to be born.
"I told you not to go with him." The Merciful Goddess liked to watch what the mortals did. Some claimed she had no respect for privacy, but what could she do? It was her shumi and she wouldn't give it up! This was like watching a novel unfold before her eyes, a very realistic novel. No wonder her shumi was considered inappropriate for her to tell others about it. She was about to say it without a second thought, but now she was glad she didn't get he chance reveal what her shumi was. Konzen would have been very upset under the mask of indifference.
"Kenyu..."
"You changed your mind? I told you to leave but now you want to stay with him? Well of course, you can't hear me." Kanzeon felt odd talking to herself while addressing the images. Her behavior could be compared to that of a human speaking to that machine called 'television' that would be such an important part of the world below in a later future and even her world eventually. Still, she couldn't help it but to say the words and voice her thoughts as they came, even if no one heard.
"You're so beautiful Ming Ling."
"You don't have to compliment her, she's already fallen for your act. This guy is a tricky one, and he doesn't even exist yet. Why do I have the feeling he'll be troublesome when he comes into he world below?" Kanzeon took a handful of popcorn and put it in her mouth, savoring the sweet and salty taste. Butter covered popcorn was good but caramel covered popcorn was even better, Konzen liked it best.
"I knew I smelled popcorn!" Goku pointed at the bowl of popcorn that sat on the Merciful Goddess' lap. "Can I have some, please?"
Kanzeon was quick to make the images disappear from the pond before Goku could see them. The boy was too young to watch such events of the world below. "Sure, you can have it all." She handed him the bowl in hopes that he would take it and leave her alone to her shumi. The crystal ball had to be returned soon and it would be a few years before those events actually took place. She didn't want to wait that long to know what would become of the relationship between Kenyu and Ming Ling. They wouldn't stay together, that much she could easily guess, but she was still curious.
Instead of leaving, Goku sat down next to Kanzeon at the edge of the lillypad filled pool, eating the popcorn while splashing the crystalline water with his feet.
"Chibi saru! I told you not to run off!" Konzen arrived.
"Look Konzen! Auntie gave me caramel covered popcorn. I'll even share it with you!" Goku happily offered.
Surprisingly, Konzen sat down next to the boy and took a handful of popcorn. "Stop splashing water on me chibi saru!" He got up and sat down at the other side, leaving his aunt in the middle. It was the only way to avoid getting wet because of the energetic splashing of the chibi.
"Using your own aunt as a shield? That's not very nice, is it Konzen?" The Merciful Goddess teased. Her shumi was interrupted, but sometimes those two could be even more amusing than all the creatures from the world below put together.
"It's your fault he's here," Konzen grumbled, though deep down he had gotten used to taking care of the chibi and was glad the his aunt had given him that 'pet'.
Goku finished his popcorn and handed the empty bowl back to Kanzeon, "thank you!"
"How polite, you're welcome. I'm guessing it wasn't Konzen who taught you that?" Kanzeon glanced at her nephew from the corner of her eyes.
"Ten-chan told me," Goku smiled.
"Just as I thought," Konzen shot an annoyed glare at his aunt, before deciding that it was best to ignore her. She was starting to think that the golden eyed chibi and the chibi taiyou's combined amusing cuteness were so much better than her shumi. Maybe it was time for a new shumi, watching those two play would be her shumi.
"Auntie, can I go for a swim? Hey Konzen let's swim in auntie's pool! Can we, please? Pretty please with sugar and strawberries and popcorn and cherries and meat buns?" Goku requested in that hyper energetic voice of his.
Konzen looked horrified and the merciful goddess smiled, while Goku continued to endlessly list the foods he liked to top the please. "Sure, have fun," Kanzeon agreed.
Destination 06: Sleeping Like a Baby
That morning Sanzo was the last to wake up because his traveling companions dared not disturb his slumber.
Hakkai woke up early, as he usually did. In their current room arrangements, he was Sanzo's roommate while Goku was with Gojyo. With a bright smile, ready to face a new day, the green eyed youkai quickly got up and got ready to continue with the usual morning tasks. Then he paused.
He wasn't surprised to find Sanzo still sleeping on the other bed next to his. Many times the blond had been the last to wake up, though he was usually the first to fall asleep. What caught Hakkai's attention was what Sanzo was doing in his sleep. His smile widened and he decided that this was too good not to share it with Goku and Gojyo, even if it was a death wish if they got caught.
Hakkai tiptoed out of the room and glanced back at the sleeping Sanzo one last time from the doorway. He wouldn't want to get Goku and Gojyo's hopes up for nothing. Suppressing a laugh, Hakkai quietly made his way to the next room.
Gojyo had recently woken up and was yet to gather the necessary energy to actually get up. Instead he stayed in bed with his arms crossed behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at Hakkai as he heard the door open. His expression was more cheerful than usually and that look in his eyes, without the need for words, told Gojyo that Hakkai had seen something quite interesting and amusing.
Goku was still in slumber land, hugging a pillow as he muttered something about a giant marshmallow. "My zzz... giant zzz... marshmallow zzz..."
"Goku, wake up Goku," Hakkai shook the boy gently until he half opened his golden eyes. "Wake up..."
"Hakkai?" Goku yawned. "Is breakfast ready?"
"You can eat breakfast soon, but first there is something you both must see," Hakkai's amused smile was ever present.
By then Gojyo had gotten out of bed and was filled with curiosity. "What is it?"
"Come this way and make sure to be very, very quiet, unless you want to be hunted down by Sanzo," Hakkai warned.
Goku and Gojyo looked at each other slightly confused, then at the amused Hakkai. They quietly followed him out of that room and into the one, where Sanzo was sleeping.
"Whatever you do, don't laugh," Hakkai warned.
As the three approached Sanzo they noticed Hakuryu was perched on the wooden header of the bed, staring down at Sanzo. When Goku and Gojyo caught sight of the sleeping man, they immediately covered their mouth with their hands and knew exactly why Hakkai had warned them not to laugh, it would be dangerous for Sanzo to wake up and find out about what they saw.
They exchanged 'aw how cute' looks. before deciding that it was best to leave the room and go downstairs for breakfast before Sanzo woke up and caught them staring at him. This was his secret and they would respect his decision to keep it a secret. If they didn't, they knew they would be dancing with bullets or at least the harisen.
xoxox xox xoxox
In a world high above, the Merciful Goddess, as always, was watching the events unfold. She too shared that same look that said 'aw how cute' accompanied by a sweet caring smile. "Stay like this forever chibi taiyou."
Reflected on the mirror-like waters of the pond before her, was the image of Genjo Sanzo, peacefully sleeping while sucking his thumb.
Destination 07: Birds and Bees
When Goku cheerfully ran into his office announcing at the top of his lungs that he had a question, Konzen did not worry. "Konzen! Konzen! I need to ask you something!"
It was probably a question related to food or something simple. It was going to be just an innocent childish question with an easy answer. "I'm busy right now so make it quick," Konzen examined the paper he just stamped. The seal was perfectly aligned with the corners of the sheet. When he was satisfied with his inspection, he placed the document in the pile of papers that were already stamped and waited for Goku ask his question before stamping another.
"I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I couldn't figure it out, so I thought you could tell me, because you're so smart and know lots of things!" Goku had a cute bright smile.
If not because smiling didn't suite him, Konzen would have smiled, but he refrained from doing so and simply looked at the chibi standing before him, his violet eyes said it all. "What is your question?"
"I wanted to ask about the birds and the bees. Could you explain it to me?" Goku's happy smile never once left his face and the golden glow of innocence in his eyes continued to be ever present.
That was when Konzen started to worry. His face became ghostly pale and his violet eyes opened wide in surprise. He retained his position as if frozen in time from the shock of the boy's words. "What did you say?" He asked, slowly pausing after every word, hoping and wishing with all his heart that he had misheard.
"About the birds and the bees, you know how that works, right Konzen?" Goku had abundant curiosity shining in his big golden eyes.
Konzen began to panic, sure he knew the answer, but he wasn't about to explain it. In his terror he didn't notice the Merciful Goddess standing at the door. "No, I don't know. I have no idea," Konzen blurted out desperately. "It's not something you need to know either."
"Really? I thought you would know," Goku was slightly disappointment.
Kanzeon suppressed a laugh and left the office unnoticed. Walking down the hall she couldn't suppress her laughter any longer and burst out in a fit of laughter and giggles as she passed Tenpou and Kenren who gave her puzzled looks.
"Share the joke!" Kenren requested.
"Chibi taiyou," Kanzeon paused between laughs, "Konzen..." With a few more giggles she managed to calm down enough to speak coherently. "Goku asked Konzen about the birds and the bees and Konzen said he didn't know."
Tenpou and Kenren looked at the Merciful Goddess then at each other and finally burst out laughing. Weather Konzen was telling the truth or not was irrelevant. To them it was funny if he didn't know and it was also funny if he knew but didn't have the guts to explain it.
xoxox xox xoxox
The next time Konzen and Goku were at Tenpou's house helping him tidy up his many books, Konzen noticed that the marshal and the general kept whispering and laughing quietly. Konzen had a feeling he was involved in that. Inevitably, Goku decided to seek the information he wanted once again, this time from Tenpou. "Ten-chan, you read a lot of books right?"
Tenpou nodded. "Yes, that's right. I like to read a little of everything, especially history."
"Have you read about the birds and the bees?" Goku asked.
"Why yes I have," Tenpou replied.
"And you took way too long to share. When you find written gold like this, you need to let me know," Kenren was immersed in reading a little orange book. On the cover of the book there was the silhouette of a man with a thinking bubble with a broken heart inside. On the back cover there was a circle with a diagonal line across it.
Konzen directed a deadly glare towards Tenpou and an ever deadlier glare towards Kenren.
"Can you tell me about the birds and the bees then?" Goku asked.
"Well, I think Konzen should be the one to tell you," Tenpou wisely replied.
"But Konzen said he didn't know," Goku pointed out and Konzen looked both upset and embarrassed as Kenren and Tenpou tried to hold their laughter. Konzen wasn't in the military, but they had feeling that if he got angry, he would be as dangerous as the Seiten Taisen, if not more.
"Maybe you should wait until you're a little older. I'm certain that by then Konzen would have figured it out," Tenpou suggested.
"But I don't want to wait! If you know the answer why won't you tell me?" Goku made an adorable pouty face.
"I'm sorry but I can't," Tenpou sighed.
"What about you Ken-niisan? You said you read the book too, so you must know," Goku asked.
"Well of course I know. Out of all of us, I know better than anyone else." Kenren paused as he felt Konzen's glare burning into him. "Tenpou is right; you should wait until Konzen is ready to explain it to you, if he actually ever figures it out."
"Shut up!" Konzen growled at him.
"But Konzen said he didn't know. Can I borrow the book about the birds and the bees then? That way I can learn about them and explain it to Konzen. He taught me a lot of things, so I want to teach him something too!" Goku begged.
"How about this book?" Tenpou asked as he handed a book to Goku. It was a children's picture book about animals from the world below.
"Thank you Ten-chan! I'll study hard and explain about the birds and the bees to Konzen as soon as I learn about them!" With that goal in mind, Goku sat down to read.
xoxox xox xoxox
The afternoon passed by quietly as Kenren kept reading that little orange book and Tenpou and Konzen continued putting books away. An hour later, Goku was done studying the book which was mostly pictures anyway. "Konzen, I leaned about the birds and the bees. Now I know the answer to my question. It was the bees!"
Konzen blinked, as did Tenpou and Kenren, their full attention focused on the golden eyed boy.
"I've been wondering which one makes the honey if the birds or the bees. This book says it's the bees," Goku explained.
"Is that what you wanted to know all along?" Konzen asked.
"Yes, now we both know bees make honey!" Goku felt very proud of himself because for all the things Konzen taught him, he was able to teach him something in return.
Destination 08: Plushie
As Sanzo woke up he felt that something was a little off. He turned on his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. It was just one of those days when he didn't feel like getting out of bed, but the need for hot coffee called him.
While he debated if he should get up or stay in bed for another five minutes, he realized that there was a bump on his pillow. It was still soft but uneven, he didn't notice that the previous night. He curiously lifted the pillow and under it he found a plushie.
The little white teddy bear was soft and fluffy. It had big brown eyes and a red nose to match the red heart it held in its tiny paws. The little bear had a happy smile plastered on its face, which gave Sanzo a foreboding feeling. He didn't know why, but he was about to find out.
"Hey old geezer, are you gonna stay in bed all day?" Without even bothering to knock, a certain red haired half youkai entered the room. He paused and stared at the item Sanzo held in his hands. The half smoked cigarette dangled from Gojyo's mouth, until it was sent flying into the air with the force of his laughter.
The kappa had entered without knocking and he had laughed at him, obviously jumping to conclusions about the bear. That was bad enough and it certainly didn't help that the cigarette had flown a mere inch away from Sanzo before exiting the room via the window and making a crash landing in the grocery basket of a woman who was passing by outside, blissfully unaware of the happenings of the inn.
Sanzo's first reaction was to throw the teddy bear at Gojyo, which hit him dead on. Of course since the plushie was soft, it didn't make any damage. His second reaction however was far more deadly, to reach for his revolver and start shooting at the water sprite.
Within seconds Gojyo, still choking on his laughter, was sent on a full retreat. Sanzo wasn't in the mood to chase after him so he simply closed the door and glared at the plushie that had bounced off Gojyo's head and currently sat on the floor. He picked up the item and examined it. Surely the kappa had placed it under his pillow as a joke. Or at least that's what he thought.
Knock, knock, knock. "Excuse me?" The voice was female, possibly a maid. Sanzo opened the door. She probably wanted to ask about the noises and the holes, and he certainly wasn't in the mood to explain it. "Sir, I heard some loud noises, is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine, here take this thing." Sanzo handed her the plush bear. She was the maid, so it was her job to clean whatever trash was left in the rooms.
Of course she got the wrong idea. "Thank you! Do you need anything?"
Sanzo assumed that she thought the plushie was a tip. Either way he wasn't in the mood to analyze the situation further. "Today's newspaper and coffee," Sanzo just didn't feel like getting it himself and with those gunshots, Hakkai surely heard, he would must likely assume that Sanzo wasn't in a social mood, not that he ever was, and try to give him some space. Besides, this was the maid's job, right?
"Yes, right away!" The maid certainly sounded cheerful, but Sanzo paid no mind to it.
As the maid headed back to his room moments later with hot coffee and the newspaper, she saw one of her coworkers. "Guess what? The handsome blond from room seven gave me this bear!" She held the toy in one hand and the tray in the other, balancing it with ease.
"Really? But he didn't look too friendly. I thought he wouldn't be interested in girls."
"Who cares, he's hot!" The maid happily walked away, humming a cheerful tune. She would regret jumping to conclusions.
This time she entered without knocking and handed Sanzo his newspaper. He took the paper and started reading without saying a word. Instead of leaving, she started serving the coffee. There was nothing strange about that, it was part of her job, right? She poured two cups instead of one, placing them on the table and took a seat across from him.
That's when Sanzo realized that something was amiss. "What are you doing?"
"I thought we could have some coffee together and get to know each other," the maid answered as if it was the most obvious and natural thing.
Sanzo glared. "What makes you think such a thing is alright?"
"You gave me this gift. That means you like me, right?" He stared at her as if she grew a second head.
Slowly and calmly Sanzo folded the newspaper and gently placed it on the table next to his steaming cup of coffee. He then pointed his revolver straight at the maid's face and addressed her with an icy glare. "You have ten seconds to get out of my sight or I will kill you."
Screaming at the top of her lungs, the maid dropped the plushie and ran for dear life. Out in the hall she bumped into her coworker from before. "That man... he... gun!"
"Wow, he works fast! Why did you run away though? I certainly wouldn't mind."
"No, you gutter head! I mean he pointed a gun at me the kind that has bullets inside and goes bang!"
Her coworker blinked, paused looking thoughtful and finally spoke with a smile. "He's dressed like a foreign priest; I told you he's not interested in girls. You must have annoyed him." At least she wouldn't be the only single maid in the establishment.
xoxox xox xoxox
Back in his room, Sanzo was determined to get rid of the toy bear that started it all. He took the little bear and stood facing the open window. He took a deep breath, made a pitcher-like pose and threw the toy with all his might.
xoxox xox xoxox
Meanwhile, Hakkai was walking down the street on his way back to the inn with bag full of groceries and supplies, when he saw something falling from the skies. The plushie landed inside the grocery bag and Hakkai curiously took it out. "Where did you come from little one?"
He looked around searching for a child that could be the owner of the toy, but didn't see any children near by. Little did he know that Sanzo had a pretty good arm and had thrown the bear that far. "I guess I'll take you with me until I find your owner." The rest of the way Hakkai carried the bear, making sure it was easily visible in case someone claimed it, but no one did.
xoxox xox xoxox
When Hakkai arrived at the inn, Goku was turning Sanzo's room upside down searching for something, but refused to say what. Gojyo had mustered up the courage to return and sat in a corner quietly smoking his cigarette, while receiving an occasional icy glare from Sanzo when ever he paused his newspaper reading to turn a page.
"Look what I found, it fell from the sky," Hakkai cheerfully held up the bear.
"That thing!" Sanzo screamed, earning strange looks from the others.
"You fond it!" Goku exclaimed and the strange looks shifted towards him. "Um... well," his face turned slightly red and he stared at the floor. "I bought it for Lirin. I wanted to give it to her the next time we saw her. It's just that I thought it looked cute and she might like it."
"Little Goku is growing up and taking an interest in girls?" Gojyo put Goku in a head lock and messed up his hair.
"What are you saying? It's just a gift, nothing special. This is why I didn't want to say anything," Goku, red like a tomato, tried to break free to no avail.
"But why did you throw it out?" Hakkai asked.
"I didn't throw it, I hid it under Sanzo's pillow," Goku replied.
The next day Goku gave Lirin the gift with a bump on his head, courtesy of harisen.
Destination 09: Little Bird
"Sanzo I'm cold," Goku moved closer to Sanzo. Hakkai Gojyo and Hakuryu were already fast asleep.
The journey to the west sometimes took them to face harsh roads, snowy mountains and storms. This time they were unable to reach the next town before night fell and a snow storm began. Their only choice was to take refuge in a cave and wait for a calm morning.
(Can you be that boy's sun?)
"Go to sleep" Sanzo spoke softly as to not wake up the others.
"This makes me sad," Sanzo gave him a puzzled look. "The storm," Goku explained in a whisper. "When I was trapped, one winter a little bird came. It didn't come too close to me but I was happy just seeing it because it was the first living thing I saw in a long time. But a there was suddenly a snow storm and the little bird couldn't fly home. The wind threw it to the ground really hard and it must have gotten hurt, it struggled to get to safety but couldn't. I wanted to pick it up and make sure it was alright. I though that if I held it gently and kept it warm it would be okay but I was trapped. I was trapped and I couldn't help the little bird, I couldn't reach no matter how hard I tried. All I could do was watch it lay in the cold with no one to help."
(Can you be his source of light and warmth in a cold world?)
"You're not trapped anymore," Sanzo spoke in a much softer tone than usual.
"I know, because you saved me. Thanks for taking care of me; I'm really lucky to have someone that takes care of me." Goku leaned against Sanzo who placed his arm around the chibi in a gentle hug. He couldn't help it but to care about the golden eyed boy. He would make sure he was always safe and never imprisoned ever again.
(Chibi Taiyou, you are his sun...)
Destination 10: Quote
Goku stared at the writing before him. Something felt odd, as if he was missing a joke and the joke was on him.
They had taken a break from the road to the west to eat some lunch, because they knew that by the time they reached the next town they would either starve or be driven to insanity by Goku's complaints of hunger.
As usual, the boy with golden eyes and the big appetite exhausted the food supplies and wasn't quite satisfied. He wanted to reach the next town soon and have a bigger meal but certain writing caught his eye.
In the middle of the grassy field, adored by wild flowers, there was a rock. The sky was a soft blue with a few fluffy white clouds, a gentle breeze caressed them and the sun shone delicately, making the light and temperature just right. In that rock in the middle of the spring paradise, there was something carved.
Not too far from that rock, Gojyo was resting under a tree. It looked like he had drifted off to sleep in the peaceful shade or perhaps he was just resting his eyes. Hakuryu was flying around playing with the butterflies and Hakkai lay on the soft grass watching the clouds. Even Sanzo was taking a break, sitting on the rock that intrigued Goku so much. It was a day to relax.
"Sanzo did you see this?" Goku pointed at the carvings on the rock.
"Have you forgotten how to read?" Surprisingly Sanzo didn't sound quite as irritated as he usually did. The peaceful atmosphere was even making him relax, if only just a little while.
"Of course I can read it. It says 'I am your father' but why would someone carve that into a rock?" Goku's expression turned from curious to worried. "Is this the tomb of someone's father? Sanzo you should get off!"
"It's not a tomb, it's just a quote from a movie," Sanzo replied.
"A movie? What movie?" Goku asked with curiosity.
Hakkai over heard the conversation and joined in. "The original Star Wars trilogy, you watched it long ago. They are old movies but good ones."
"Don't you remember you kept asking for more popcorn and wanted donuts too?" Sanzo asked.
A soft laugh came from Gojyo's direction. It seemed he wasn't sleeping after all. "You said princess Leah's hair looked like two donuts so it made you want to eat donuts along with the popcorn."
With those reminders, the movie returned to Goku's memories. "Oh yeah, I remember now! This quote is from Darth Vader, but to carve it on a rock, it doesn't feel quite right."
Destination 11: Apology
It had been a long day filled with battle after battle against an endless avalanche of youkai that kept popping out of nowhere. It came to the point where Goku had even asked Sanzo to look under his bed at the inn before going to sleep, in case there were youkai hiding there waiting to ambush him, and there were.
xoxox xox xoxox
"For the youkai under the influence of the minus wave, every day is a 'kill the Sanzo party' day, but today seems to be their world wide celebration." Even the Merciful Goddess was surprised by the merciless attacks of the day, which started even before the sun woke up. Now the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and for once in a long time, the four travelers were truly exhausted. "They really need to sleep well tonight. May the Merciful Goddess grant them mercy, wait, I am the Merciful Goddess." She laughed, the day had been quite interesting like a real action movie, not one of those cheap ones with a few under-practiced no-name actors. "Sleep well, you've earned it."
xoxox xox xoxox
After the battle against the last few youkai had ended, Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo were just about ready to collapse. Goku would have complained about hunger, but he just didn't have the energy to do so. The room was spacious with four beds, two on each side. They thought it was best to stick together just in case.
Sanzo, without even taking the time to remove his robes or the sultra from his shoulders, collapsed into one of the beds, revolver still in hand. He had used more bullets in a single day than in the past month and it didn't help that Goku and Gojyo made him constantly put the Harisen to good use as well. He felt like his right arm was about to fall off. With his head buried in the pillow face first, he fell into a deep sleep instantly.
Goku fainted into the bed next to Sanzo's, in a mix of exhaustion and hunger. Gojyo and Hakkai occupied the two remaining beds, Hakkai facing Sanzo and Gojyo facing Goku. Hakuryu had already fallen asleep earlier, perched on Hakkai's head, and continued to sleep there. The battles had been so intense, even the little dragon had to do his fair share of scratching and biting in dragon form and ramming into youkai in jeep form, to help the others get through the day.
Gojyo was in fact so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to flirt with the inn owner's attractive young daughter. She went back to her room alone and with broken pride because that red haired man wouldn't even spare her a glace no matter how hard she tried. They were exhausted, truly exhausted.
xoxox xox xoxox
Sometime during the night, Sanzo rolled on his side facing left. The light of the lamp that sat on the nightstand between his and Goku's bed glared at his eyes and woke him up. It seemed no one had the energy to turn it off the previous night. Half asleep he reached over and felt around for the switch. Finally he found it at the base of the lamp and turned it off with a quiet click.
Another click was heard and the light glared at him. Sanzo reached over to the lamp again and turned it off. A few minutes passed and that same soft click was heard again, the light had returned. Sanzo glared daggers at Goku from his sleep deprived eyes. Was the monkey afraid of the dark or something? Click, the lamp was off and it better stay off. Click, it was on again.
Sanzo considered hiding under the covers to avoid the light but the temperature wasn't appropriate for that. It was one of those nights when you simply don't want to be anywhere near a blanket. He had even managed to roll down his robe in his sleep and somehow remove the long gloves that covered his arms. Click, if that lamp didn't stay off this time, frustration would become grater than exhaustion and a certain fan would get more exercise than it did in the entire day.
Click, that was it! In absolute fury, Sanzo jumped out of bed and hit Goku on the head with his paper fan as hard as he could.
"Ow! Sanzo, why did you do that!" Goku yelped at the unpleasant awakening.
"Leave the lamp alone, I can't sleep with the light in my face!" Sanzo yelled. Of course rolling over to face the opposite direction wasn't a possibility, because he was used to sleeping on that side. That's how he felt comfortable and the monkey wasn't going to ruin it for him.
"I didn't touch it, I was sleeping!" Goku rubbed his head, that fan could really sting sometimes.
"Keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!" Gojyo covered his head with the pillow.
"Don't lie to me!" Click, the room was left in darkness. Click, once again there was light. Sanzo turned his head slowly towards the lamp and there he saw a mouse.
Hakkai stumbled out of bed with a zombie-like expression and Hakuryu still curled up on his head. "It's a mouse," he yawned, picked up the mouse and gently placed it on the floor outside their room, then he closed the door again. "Let's all go back to sleep, please?" Before receiving a reply, Hakkai had fallen back in his bed and gone to sleep.
"I told you it wasn't me," Goku pouted.
"Just go to sleep," Sanzo sighed.
"Aren't young going to say you're sorry for hitting me with your fan for no reason?" Goku asked.
"I didn't hit you that hard," Sanzo ruffled the boy's hair gently, "your tick skull can take it."
"Apology accepted!"
"Shut up."
End of Journey I
Disclaimer, I do not own Saiyuki. Chibi means small, saru means monkey and taiyou means sun. Destination 01 takes place during Saiyuki Reload, but it's based on Chapters 1 and 3 of Saiyuki Gaiden. Destination 02 is based on Chapter 5 of Saiyuki Gaiden. Destination 03 is based on Saiyuki Gaiden Chapters 6 and 8 and it takes place during Saiyuki Reload. Destination 04 is a sequel to Destination 02. Destination 05 takes place during Gaiden, Kanzeon's mysterious shumi was left as a secret in the manga. A shumi is like a pastime or hobby. Kenyu is young Nii and Ming Ling is a character from the novel he had during his training at a temple. Destination 06 is for Arysin, who wanted to see Sanzo sleeping. Destination 07, Icha Icha Paradise is from Naruto, which I don't own. Seiten Taisen is the legendary warrior, said to be the strongest. Destination 09 is based on the scene from Goku's flashback when Suika, the singing youkai, is trying to steal and seal away his memories; the quotes in (parenthesis) are spoken by Kanzeon. Disclaimer, I do not own Star Wars. If you've read the Gaiden manga think about Goku's origins and you will understand the joke in Destination 10, which takes place during Saiyuki Reload, but is based on Chapter 1 of Saiyuki Gaiden.
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