Chapter Text
Upon exiting the building where his rooms were situated, Sanzo could hear the ongoing commotion of barnyard fowls screeching and crowing in confusion as a barrage of human voices shouted over the top of them.
‘Idiots.’ Turning his back on the horrendous noise, Sanzo continued walking in the opposite direction, calmly sidestepping a rather flustered looking stray hen that was ruffling her feathers. ‘Shouting at them won’t help.’
Continuing on until he reached a quieter section of the grounds hidden away behind the fruit orchard, Sanzo paused to listen. Sure enough, from a short distance away came the sound of Goku’s distinctive voice.
‘I wonder if Sanzo knows how you do that. He’s really clever and he really knows lots an’ lots of stuff. I bet he’s the smartest person ever! Every time I ask him a question he knows the answer, although sometimes he’s not happy that I interrupted him. I don’t like it when he gets really angry, it makes me feel sad, but when he smiles he’s just like the sun, all warm and shiny. I wish he’d smile all the time.’
Unbeknownst to Goku, his unguarded words were starting to douse the current ire in his guardian who was quietly following the sound of his voice.
‘Do you have someone like Sanzo? If you don’t, I hope you’ll get one. He freed me, you know. I was stuck in that cold, dark place and I waited an’ waited for so long and then he came like a beautiful shiny light reachin’ out to me. No one had ever come before, even though I called an’ called. That’s why I never want to leave him.’
Stepping out from behind the large ginkgo tree that lay between himself and the place Goku was hiding, Sanzo located his errant charge lying on the ground and gazing into a small shrub with rapt attention.
For one moment Sanzo permitted a small smile to cross his lips before he firmly suppressed it and sternly spoke his ward’s name.
‘Goku.’
Instead of the contrite expression the golden-haired priest was expecting, when Goku turned his head, he found himself staring down at a beaming grin. ‘Sanzo! Did you come for a walk too?’ Then, not waiting for an answer, Goku pointed excitedly into the shrub and said, ‘look what I found.’
‘Goku, I didn’t come here to commune with nature,’ Sanzo informed him severely. ‘What I want to know is why you let all the chickens out of their enclosure.’
‘Oh.’ The glow of excitement in Goku’s face faded slightly as he slowly sat up. ‘I didn’t mean to let them out, Sanzo. Honest. I just wanted to pet them but when I went in I forgot to close the gate and then when I tried to go near them they all started running away and then when I went after them to try and put them back inside the monks showed up and started yelling at me and so I ran here ‘cause it’s quiet and that’s when I found –’
‘That’s enough.’ Holding up a hand to halt the endless flow of words, Sanzo sighed. ‘I might have known the reason would be something asinine like that.’
‘Huh?’
‘Never mind, monkey.’ Rubbing his aching right temple, Sanzo muttered, ‘honestly, anyone would think you’re a toddler. I’m surprised you haven’t tried stuffing things up your nose yet.’
‘Hey!’ His boyish sensibilities offended, Goku leapt to his feet and glared indignantly at his guardian. ‘I’m not a baby!’
‘Then stop behaving like one, moron,’ Sanzo retorted. ‘Learn to think before you act. How many times do I have to listen to those dimwits come complaining to me because you acted without thinking?’
His golden eyes widening as comprehension dawned, Goku’s expression transformed to one of regret. ‘I didn’t mean to cause trouble, Sanzo,’ he said dejectedly, ‘and I’m really sorry I did somethin’ that made the monks mad and disturb you.’
Looking down at the slumped shoulders and sorrowful eyes, Sanzo discovered that he did not have the inclination to continue rebuking his charge, nor did he have any interest in determining a suitable punishment for something that really was just a childish mistake.
‘I know you never mean to cause trouble, you little chimp,’ he said resignedly. ‘But in future at least try to use what small amount of brains you have and think before you act.’
His normal energetic voice still rather subdued, Goku responded with a quiet, ‘OK.’
Rather disturbed by this lacklustre response, Sanzo glanced towards the shrub. Recalling his ward’s earlier excitement, he found himself wanting to restore that feeling of childish delight.
‘So, what was this amazing discovery you wanted to show me?’ he asked, his tone calm and free of any harshness.
His head tilting up quickly, Goku’s solemn mood evaporated instantly upon seeing the faint glimmer of a smile on Sanzo’s face.
‘You really want to see it?’ he demanded happily, impulsively grabbing onto one of the long sleeves on Sanzo’s robes. ‘Come on, it’s over here.’
The next second Sanzo found himself dragged down to the ground to stare into the depths of a common garden shrub.
‘Isn’t it amazing, Sanzo?’
Eyeing the intricate pattern created by the silver-white threads inside the foliage, Sanzo conceded drily that it was indeed a splendid sight. Then, upon catching a glimpse of the small spider warily withdrawing into the darkest recesses of the bush, he observed, ‘although I’m astounded you didn’t try to pick up the spider with your own bare hands like you’ve done with everything else you’ve found.’
An odd silence greeted his remark and tilting his head to look in Goku’s direction, Sanzo saw the young face crease into a puzzled frown.
‘I really wanted to pick him up,’ Goku confessed with youthful candour. ‘But when I started to reach for him I got a bad feelin’ right here,’ lifting his hand, Goku pointed directly to his heart, ‘an’ somethin’ kept tellin’ me not to do it – that it was wrong and I’d make someone sad. Why do you think that happened, Sanzo?’
His piercing violet eyes lingered momentarily in silent contemplation on Goku’s face before the golden-haired priest looked away. ‘Who can say,’ he replied with studied casualness. ‘However, I’m pleased to discover that you actually do have some sense in that head of yours.’
Blissfully ignorant of the implied insult to his intelligence, Goku smiled happily. ‘You mean I did the right thing?’
‘I wouldn’t be saying I was pleased if you hadn’t,’ Sanzo pointed out.
‘Oh good.’ Looking very satisfied with himself, Goku, in the manner of all young children, instantly lost interest in the spider and the beautiful web and asked excitedly, ‘does that mean I can have some meatbuns?’
Startled, Sanzo stared down at him, his expression completely nonplussed. ‘How did we go from spiders to talking about your stomach?’
‘You told me that if I was good I’d get to have meatbuns,’ Goku declared, his memory seemingly having no trouble recalling the details of the particular conversation in question. ‘And since I did the right thing that must mean I was good.’
Snorting inelegantly, Sanzo got to his feet and brushed the flecks of dirt off his robes. ‘I think that’s up for debate.’
His crestfallen eyes gazing woefully up at his guardian, Goku asked plaintively, ‘does that mean I can’t have them?’
Deliberately letting the silence drag out for a moment longer than necessary, Sanzo finally relented. ‘I suppose given that you actually did use some common sense a small reward is in order.’
‘So I can have some?’ Goku said uncertainly.
‘Isn’t that what I just said, monkey?’
‘YIPPEE!’ Rushing in the direction of the gate that would lead them to the village, Goku shouted over his shoulder, ‘come on, Sanzo! If we don’t hurry they’ll all be gone.’
Leisurely following in his ward’s footsteps, Sanzo cast one last pensive glance to where the spider lay hidden inside the shrub before looking up at the clear blue sky. ‘You would know wouldn’t you,’ he muttered quietly to any deity that happened to be listening, ‘you know who the person is that he was talking about. It could only have been someone he knew in the heavens before he was imprisoned. Well, pass on my thanks to whoever was responsible for instilling some sense into the little brat. I certainly have no desire to find out if he’d be susceptible to a spider bite.’
O * O
Straightening up from her contemplation of the Lower World in her lotus pool in the heavens, the Merciful Goddess, Kanzeon Bosatsu, chuckled in amusement. ‘You always did like to be thanked, my dear Konzen, but thanking yourself is a bit too egotistical; even for you.’