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“Unbelievable.” Gojyo sat in the back of the jeep with Goku and Sanzo, Sharak sitting in the front with Hakkai. As usual, the blond haired monk sat further away from the lanky male and was so close to his charge that Goku was practically pressed against the side of jeep. The four young men were still taking in what the Three Aspects just told them, none too pleased with their ruling. “We spent all this time driving in a small jeep through deserts and mountains and snow, fighting hordes of crazed youkai and monsters, just to be told ‘Hey, great job, but you can turn around.’ when we’re so close?” Gojyo tapped his foot in irritation against the metal floor of the jeep, arms crossed. “This is bullshit.”
“It is rather surprising.” Hakkai replied, his voice not caring the usual cheerful tone. He wasn’t as vocal as his red haired companion, but it was clear he wasn’t too thrilled with the decision either. None of them were. Sanzo had remained silent in the jeep, but his expression was enough. He wasn’t going to go back, not yet. The monk had gotten this far and there was no way he would go back to the temple without his master’s sutra, the one stolen from him in his youth.
Sharak wasn’t sure what to tell the group, she had not traveled with them so she was unsure how they would have felt about the judgment from the three aspects. A normal person would think that it would be comforting to be relieved of such a monumental task, but the other part of her knew what it meant to work hard towards something, sacrifice blood and body to achieve completion. She had also planned to stage an attack on Houtou castle, being so close to the location after all, but was halted by the Three Aspects. On top of that, Sanzo had confided with her about his master’s scrolls. Those were important to a Sanzo Priest and she respected his wish to reclaim them.
Hakkai continued to drive as they got closer to Sharak’s base, looking in his rearview mirror at Sanzo and Goku. The boy had been fairly quiet, his expression distant, as if he was thinking about something. Hakkai wasn’t the only one who noticed, Sanzo observed the boy’s far off look, and the fact that he didn’t complain about being pressed into the side of the jeep, but the blond said nothing at the moment. When the Three Aspects spoke of the boy, Nataku they called him, the younger monk had noticed his charge’s demeanor. Something stirred within Goku when he heard that name. For now Sanzo remained quiet, thinking about his ward for a moment.
When the priest had found Goku, the boy had been imprisoned for 500 years on a mountain as punishment from the heavens. And yet, from what the group had been told, 500 years ago the War God aided in heaven’s army. It seemed suspicious and a little coincidental to the man as his thoughts wandered to the first time he had encountered Goku’s other form. Sanzo heard him speak, not Goku, but Seiten Taisei. The monk never mentioned this to the others, not even to Goku considering the boy forgot everything that had happened that night. But Sanzo remembered. Before placing the youkai limiter upon his head, the young demon had sobbed, said he was worried about being alone again.
Did Seiten Taisei remember the events that happened 500 years ago?
Not long later the jeep pulled into Sharak’s base and the group got out, Gojyo still muttering under his breath about what a waste it had been to spend all that time in a jeep with an abusive monk and a bottomless pit of a monkey. Goku didn’t respond, his mind still wandering, until he shook his head and looked around the temple. The youngest member of the group had spent the last few days helping with restoration after a youkai attack. While he was happy to help under normal circumstances, Goku was even more grateful now to be able to keep busy so he wouldn’t have to think about what the Three Aspects said, and why he was so fixated on this Nataku person. Before he has a chance to walk 3 steps, Sanzo called out to him.
“Goku, I need help changing my bandages.”
Goku turned to face the man feeling a little confused considering Sanzo rarely asked for help, being so stubborn after all. He looked ready to say something when Hakkai spoke up.
“I can help you change those, Sanzo. I need to look over your burns anyway.”
The monk made a ‘tch’ sound, before turning to look at the healer. “It doesn’t matter if you check my injuries now or in an hour. The burn is going to stay there.” Sanzo narrowed his eyes slightly, hoping Hakkai would understand by his expression that he didn’t want him to bother them. Usually the man was perceptive and knew when the monk wanted to be left alone. “Aren’t there others who need to be looked over anyway? Something like this won’t kill me.”
A frown appeared on the brunette’s face as Sanzo denied his medical attention. The attack was only three days ago and it was obvious that the priest was hurting. The medicine that Sharak offered wasn’t a miracle cure for pain. But Hakkai understood what Sanzo really wanted, able to read the man’s expression.
“I suppose that is true.” Hakkai turned to the shortest member of the group, giving him his usual smile. “Well then, Goku, I leave Sanzo in your care.”
Now it was Goku’s turn to frown, unsure why Sanzo didn’t want Hakkai to look him over. The healer was the best at wrapping bandages and was quite careful to make sure they weren’t too loose or too tight. “Um, okay sure.” The teen nodded as Hakkai and Gojyo went their separate ways into the base. Sharak had already gone ahead, knowing there was much to do to restore her base. The two walked towards Sanzo’s chambers, the man limping a little along the way. Inwardly, Goku was upset to see him so hurt, that he hadn’t been able to help him when Kougaiji showed up. But he also knew that the monk wouldn’t die so easily. Goku would make sure Sanzo didn’t overdo it.
The temple was bustling with movement, even at sunset. The men scurried about with wood and tools, working to rebuild the walls and keep out any lingering demons. Several were posted along the perimeter to keep watch for anything suspicious and alert the others if there was another attack.
Sanzo led his charge past these men, past his room, and began walking to the other end of the compound. Goku continued to follow, but was confused as to why the priest was walking so far. He had thought maybe the blond was hungry and wanted to get something to eat first, but they walked past the kitchen area as well.
“Sanzo, where are we goin’?”
“Keep walking, you’ll see when we get there.” Sanzo didn’t want to explain his intentions to his young charge. Not when he knew it would probably cause the boy alarm, and the fact that he didn’t want to risk any of the others knowing any more about them than needed.
The base was fairly large and it took a while to get across it, but with the older male limping it took even longer. The silence was getting to Goku, but he kept quiet for now. He wasn’t the smartest of the group, but he knew that Sanzo was probably not going out this far to have him wrap bandages. All he could do for now is wait.
Finally, the two get to the other end of the compound and head towards two doors that lead down to the storage area. The doors were fairly heavy and Sanzo turned to his ward, tilting his head towards them. Goku understood and opened the heavy doors with ease. Sharak made sure to keep supplies like food and other necessities underground in the event that an attack happened that their goods would be safe. They had trouble in the past with youkai and thieves attempting to steal from them, so the underground storage was made. Goku had been down there a few times as tools were also stored down there. It was a fairly large storage area.
“Make sure to close them, Goku.”
The teen frowned, watching as Sanzo went down a few steps into the storage. The doors were hard to open, but even harder to push open while on the inside. Goku knew he could do it, but there were strict rules to never close the doors while people were inside so they wouldn’t be locked in.
“You sure?”
“Yes. Close the doors.” The older man searched for a lantern, knowing it would get dark once the doors were closed. Once he found one he lit it with one of the matches he kept for his cigarettes. Sanzo double checked to make sure the storage was truly empty, then turned to his ward and waited for him to close the doors.
Goku looked around, noticing no one was nearby to see that they had gone into the storage area, so if something did happen no one would know where they were. But he trusted the man and did as he was told, closing the door behind him as Sanzo made sure to light another lamp.
The boy was feeling fairly hungry, so he located some bread that was tightly wrapped to keep it from going bad quickly. He broke off a section of the bread and offered some to the blond, who, as expected, waved his hand and denied the snack. The young man started to wrap the bread to ensure it stayed fresh, before chewing on his piece.
“We need to talk.” Sanzo gestured himself and pointed his finger up at Goku.
Chewing on the bread, Goku tilted his head slightly. “Alright. What did you wanna talk about?”
“I don’t mean you. I mean…” The monk lifted his left arm, the right one still hurt too badly to move. Sanzo raised his hand and pointed at Goku’s diadem, tapping it once. “I need to talk to the other you.”
Immediately there was a choking sound as the teen swallowed the bread the wrong way. The monk couldn’t be serious. He wanted Goku to take off his limiter and release Seiten Taisei? Once he got his breath back, Goku made a weak laugh and put the bread to the side. “You pick weird times to joke, Sanzo.”
“I’m not joking, monkey. Would I joke about something like that?”
The laughter stopped at that point as Goku looked up at those piercing violet eyes. The priest stared down at him with a serious expression and Goku could feel panic rise within him. Sanzo was dead serious about this. “Why would you even ask for somethin’ like that? Have you gone crazy? I’ll go berserk!”
Sanzo shook his head, letting his charge have his moment. He already knew the brunette wouldn’t like the idea, would protest it, so it was best to let the kid retort all he wanted. But no matter how much he refused, Sanzo was going to have his chat. “Maybe I have gone crazy.” He muttered. “This trip has driven me crazy. But I’m not stopping here, monkey. My master’s scrolls are so close.”
“But, why do I gotta take off my limiter?”
“There are things you don’t know, but I have a feeling the other you knows.”
The brunette recoiled a little at the statement having a feeling Sanzo was right. Whenever Goku was conscious and his diadem was removed or shattered, he saw images. He saw people that looked familiar and there was a heaviness on his heart. The imagery got more vivid every time the crown was removed, and in the desert he had a distinct vision of a man with a long golden pony tail, along with two other males and a younger person who looked eerily like the boy he had come across after the attack several nights before. Any time the seal on his youkai powers were broken, Goku gained more bits and pieces of his memories.
“I don’t know how that would help you, Sanzo. We don’t even know if that’s true.”
“Nataku.” Sanzo watched and saw the boy’s eyes widen slightly at the name. “You react every time you hear the war god’s name. So like it or not, the other you probably knows something. I want to talk to him.”
“This is crazy!” The young man looked up at the monk, his eyes showing disbelief. Why was Sanzo planning something so reckless? “What if I get out and hurt everyone! And… and on top of that, Gojyo’s told me that all I do is scream and make animal like noises. And laugh…” Goku seemed to flinch at that.
“I’m like a wild animal when I’m like that! I don’t remember everything clearly...” The young man paused for a moment, thinking about the times he transformed into Seiten Taisei. “But I remember just feelin’ so much rage, and then gettin’ real excited. I enjoyed beatin’ the hell of Gojyo. I felt excited when I was fighting Hakkai. I mean, I like fightin’ an all. Strong people who like fightin’ too, I mean. And bad guys! But why do I hurt my friends?”
Goku clenched his fists after letting out his remorse. It was no secret that the young man did not like going into that form and had fallen into a depressed state for a while after finding out the Sage had almost killed Hakkai the last time he was released.
The priest was starting to wish he had a smoke before locking himself in a storage room underground with this monkey. The nicotine’s calming effect would have been nice to have before dealing with Goku’s panicking and a possibly talking to a murderous demon. Sanzo wasn’t going to try having one in the storage area, the whole place would smell like tobacco, but he’d remember to have a smoke next time if he planned to do something like this again.
After a few moments of silence, Goku spoke up again, his voice softer now. “I don’t wanna do this. What if I go all berserk on you, Sanzo?”
The priest watched his charge seem to deflate a little after the rant. Sanzo had been patient enough to wait him out, remaining silent as Goku vented his concerns and frustrations. Sometimes the kid needed to get his feelings off his chest before he could chill out and think clearly. The monk finally spoke up when his ward told him he didn’t want to proceed with Sanzo’s plan.
“You probably will go berserk. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. That’s why I had us go into this storage room. You won’t have room to leap around like an ape. And the door is heavy enough that even Seiten Taisei would have some difficulty pushing it open which would give me plenty of time to put a limiter on your dumb ass. You think I haven’t thought this through?”
Sanzo paused for a moment, thinking back to what Goku said about his other form, how he only screamed and laugh in his insanity. The priest knew for a fact that wasn’t true.
“I never told you this, because I never thought it was really important but,” Sanzo leaned against a support beam in the storage area, his body was protesting for not resting for so long. “That first week that I brought you to the temple you went nuts. Your diadem broke and you made a nice hole in my temple’s wall.”
Goku flinched at that, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh, yeah. I remember the hole…sorry ‘bout that.”
Sanzo shrugged. He wasn’t the one who had to patch up the wall so it didn’t matter to him. “Obviously I stopped you back then. You couldn’t lay a finger on me, Goku. But just before I put that crown on your head, Seiten Taisei spoke. He was crying about being abandoned again. He looked at me as if he was surprised to see me or something.” The monk snorted a little at the last statement, remembering those cat like golden eyes gazing up at him with a stupid expression.
“What…?” Goku stared at his master, eyes widened by this revelation. Sanzo had never told him about what happened that night. The monk had asked the young boy if he remembered anything at all from his past, but Goku had said he didn’t. “He’s-I mean I have never spoken since then, at least I don’t think I have. Hakkai or Gojyo woulda told me I did. Right?” Goku found himself stumbling over describing himself as Seiten Taisei. The young man didn’t like to think of that monster as a part of himself. He still wondered, since his talk with the girl from the youkai village, who he truly was.
“He probably didn’t have a reason to.” The priest replied as he shifted slightly against the support beam. “Think about it, Goku, every time your diadem has come off there’s been some kind of danger.”
Sanzo recalled the last time the boy’s diadem was removed. He was not there to witness it after thinking his charge was killed in the fatal attack. The monk had run off, rage fuelling him, as he tried to hunt down who had attacked Goku so viciously. But Sanzo had felt Seiten Taisei’s massive amount of Youkai energy and realized that Goku’s sagely form was released, that he was actually alive.
“That doesn’t make any sense though. Hakkai an’ Gojyo said they try talkin’ to me when I’m like that.”
“I don’t know why he won’t talk to them but he’s spoken to me. And that’s all I’m concerned about right now.”
Goku could feel sweat run down his cheek, still not liking what the blond was planning. Maybe it was true. Maybe he wouldn’t go crazy if Seiten Taisei didn’t feel he was in danger. But there wasn’t any proof of that and the young man didn’t want to take the risk.
“This doesn’t feel like a good idea, Sanzo…”
“It’s probably a really stupid idea, but it’s the only one I have.” The priest straightened himself a little, thinking for a moment, before looking back up at Goku. “Obviously you’re nervous right now and that’s going to tip off your other side.”
“Um, probably.” Goku replied a bit sheepishly. “I dunno if that’s enough to make him go nuts though.”
“I’m not taking the chance. Sit down, monkey.”
The monk moved forward, just about a foot away from his charge, before slowly trying to seat himself. The man winced, having some difficulty trying to lower his aching body, then felt Goku’s hands on his shoulders to offer support. Sanzo made a scoff, but was inwardly grateful for Goku’s assistance. His body was still very sore despite Hakkai’s meticulous and constant healing.
“What are ya doin’?” The boy was confused but ultimately did as the man requested, seating himself across the monk after helping him sit down.
“You remember those meditation techniques we used to do back in Chang ‘An?” Sanzo remarked as he began to position himself, crossing his legs and seated in a pose he usually sat in to concentrate. Goku was quiet for a moment, but it seemed that he was already understanding what Sanzo was thinking, getting into a pose similar to the priest’s. “If you are fully calm, clear headed, maybe the other you won't be such a pain in the ass and go nuts.”
Goku began to cross his legs, taking a deep breath, before looking at his guardian with a skeptical look. He decided to try convincing the man to back down, that this was a terrible idea, but deep down Goku knew Sanzo would get the limiter off one way or another and it would be easier to be calm than freaked out when it happened.
“You know, if you really wanted to do this, I’m bettin’ Hakkai and Gojyo could help out…”
Sanzo immediately looked up with a scowl, causing the teen to flinch. “I don’t need help dealing with a monkey.” In the back of his mind the monk knew that having the two of them there would just cause alarm in the sage and would raise the likelihood of an assault.
“I just really don’t think this is a good idea.”
“If you keep yapping I’m going to just snatch the damn crown off your head, Goku.” Sanzo snapped in irritation.
‘Looks like I was right…’ Goku thought to himself. “Sorry, sorry…” He knew there was no going back now, better to be calm and hope that Seiten Taisei would be too. Taking another deep breath, the young man tried to compose himself as he closed his eyes.
Goku recalled the days he was younger and Sanzo tried to get him to relax by forcing him to meditate. At first the brunette was terrible at it. He couldn’t sit still for longer than 2 minutes. The minute he heard a sound, like a bird chirping, the child would lose focus and want to investigate the noise. Sanzo would always reprimand the boy, slapping his head with that dreaded fan for losing his concentration.
Sanzo watched as Goku got into position and waited patiently. The monk had no reason to meditate knowing he was calm enough. Part of him needed to be alert anyway so being completely relaxed was a bad idea when there was the possibility of a blood lusting demon being released. Goku had come a long way from his days in the temple. Before it was like pulling teeth trying to get the kid to meditate. During their journey Sanzo often caught Goku meditating on his own, usually early in the morning before the others woke up.
The monk waited a good 9 minutes as he listened to Goku’s breathing and watched his movements. Getting into a completely calm state through meditation was not a quick process and Sanzo was patient. He watched the young man’s chest rising and falling with each breath and monitored his neck to see if Goku swallowed in apprehension. Sanzo’s violet eyes roamed over the tanned youth’s body, looking for signs of anxiety such as sweat or slight twitches.
Finally, after waiting a few more minutes, Sanzo slowly began to shift. Goku had sensitive hearing and would react to the sound of the monk’s robes moving. He lifted his good arm, carefully placing it near the smooth diadem. Sanzo continued to wait not wanting to give any hint to when he would remove the limiter. A spike in anxiety might be enough to set off the youkai, so it was better to wait it out. Finally after waiting over 15 minutes the blond swiftly lifted the crown and held it firmly in his hand, pulling back but staying on his guard as he watched.
Sanzo had never actually seen Goku transform into Seiten Taisei before. He had either been unconscious or just caught the boy already in sage mode. Whatever was happening during the change seemed to cause Goku pain as he doubled over, then began to pant as his fingers dug into the ground. Sanzo watched almost in fascination at the metamorphosis, his young charge going from human to demon. Goku’s ears elongated, his nails lengthened into claws and his hair began to flow over his shoulder.
After taking a few deep breaths, shivering slightly as he got used to the change in energy, Seiten Taisei quickly looked up at Sanzo with those familiar golden, feline like eyes. The monk didn’t stir, trying to control his breathing. He had dealt with the sage before and knew if he made a move that he would be attacked. The two stared at each other for a few moments, Seiten’s panting slowing down after the change was complete.
The monk’s face was emotionless. He wasn’t frightened of this youkai which the blond considered to be just a more cat like version of Goku. Seiten liked to play with his prey but Sanzo knew the demon got frustrated when he wasn’t having his way like a spoiled child.
Seiten Taisei seemed almost curious, eyebrows raised at the foolish human that dared to sit so closely to him and not tremble in horror as all the other mortals did. He waited for the blond to make a move but Sanzo just sat there with the diadem still in his hand. It was almost frustrating that the sage couldn’t sense any fear.
Impatient, not wanting to waste time in a staring contest, Seiten lunged forward at the man who was barely a foot away from him. Sanzo anticipated the strike and made an attempt to lift his arms to grasp the youkai’s wrists, dropping the diadem, but his body protested the move and he found himself freezing up. Cursing loudly, the priest had no choice but to be knocked down onto his back, letting out a cry as his wounds were disrupted.
There it was, that cocky smirk on that proud demon’s face, thinking he was so strong for knocking over an injured man. Sanzo glowered as the demon held down the monk’s hands by pressing his knees to them. The glare turned into a wince as pain flared up his arm.
Seiten Taisei chuckled, lifting his clawed hand up towards Sanzo’s neck and thinking the man would show fear at seeing his deadly nails so close to his throat. Surely the thought of dying would register even to a stupid human. And yet there wasn’t a reaction from the monk. Growling, the sage started to get frustrated and he pulled back as if to prepare himself to attack. At that moment, realization flashed across Seiten’s face.
The sage’s eyes fell on the burn scar on Sanzo’s right cheek, suddenly reminded of a wound he gave someone in the past in that very same spot. Despite Seiten lashing out, that man with long hair like the sun had not retaliated against the Sage. He had the same violet, droopy eyes as this monk who also refused to strike back. Lowering his arm slowly, the demon shifted almost uncomfortably which made the taller male hiss in pain and instinctively cause Seiten to pull himself off and crouch a few feet back from the monk.
Sanzo could see the scowl on the brunette turning into an expression of confusion and once the weight was lifted off him the older man began to pull himself up, exhaling in relief after the burden was removed off his chest.
“You going to calm down now, stupid monkey?” The priest huffed out as he managed to pull himself into a seated position.
As expected Seiten Taisei remained quiet as he continued to look over him. Sighing, Sanzo waited a moment for the pain to ebb as he stared at the long haired youkai. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke again.
“You know me don’t you?”
Seiten Taisei flinched before looking at the ground and avoiding eye contact with the man, almost like a child not wanting to talk after getting scolded.
“I know you can speak. Cut this bull shit silence crap. You never want to shut up any other time.”
The demon shot a glare, but it was weak compared to the last one. Finally he spoke, his voice holding a bit of a growl to it. “You are… familiar.” He replied simply.
The monk rolled his eyes at the vague response but it proved that Seiten Taisei could do more than just shriek like a banshee and grunt like an animal. The priest straightened his posture causing the youkai to go back on edge, shifting his position as if ready to attack.
“Calm the fuck down. I’m not going to try and attack you, idiot.”
The small demon let out a small scoff, shaking his head. “Everyone attacks me.” He replied in an almost bitter tone.
“Maybe because you immediately start rampaging. Have you perhaps given thought about that?”
Seiten is quiet for a moment, his expression turning dark. “When I wake up there is always pain.”
The last time the sage had awoken he was in agony. Someone had tried to kill him and they nearly succeeded. Seiten remembered that his organs were completely devastated and he had lost so much blood that his vision had become blurry. The pain was the worst part. It felt like he had been tortured, his skin slashed, his body impaled. It was excruciating.
Sanzo knew the Sage would be livid about that and he clutched his robes for a moment. The monk couldn’t remember a time he himself had been angrier than when he saw the boy so badly incapacitated. It reminded him that, despite his inhuman powers, Goku was NOT unbreakable.
“That…” The monk let out a sigh, feeling almost guilty for what he had done on that night. “I should have been there.”
The Sage looked up into the man’s violet eyes, sensing an aura of regret surrounding the blond. He raised an eyebrow before slowly getting a bit more comfortable and now sitting on his rear. The monk wasn’t giving off any feelings of anger, at least not towards him, so Seiten did not see him as a threat.
“You did not attack me.”
“No, I didn’t. But I left you behind.” Sanzo stared at the demon, almost feeling like he was in a confessional. Emotions he had been bottling up since the traumatic accident were trying to rise within him. The monk knew Goku wouldn’t be the type to hold his actions against him, but Sanzo realized later it had been a mistake to run off.
“I sought after your attacker thinking you were dead. It was reckless. But…” His eyebrows furrowed and the monk wondered if he should continue on. Finally he decided that he was talking to Seiten Taisei, not Goku, and the human side of the young man probably would not recall this conversation.
“It was too familiar to what happened to my late master. You were attacked the same way. Back then I was just a kid. I was scared and I couldn’t do anything or avenge him. This time, though, I wanted to kill the person who inflicted this pain on me again.” Sanzo finally released his clutch on the robes, shoulders slumping slightly.
“Did you find my attacker?”
“Yeah, but I got my ass handed to me. You and the other idiots showed up to stop him…”
Sanzo didn’t want to think about that, about how Ukoku tried to pull him into darkness. Goku reached for him and saved him, protected him from that void and possibly losing his existence. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about though. So let’s change the subject.” The blond muttered, hoping Seiten would drop it.
The demon wanted to pry further and wanted information on the person who inflicted his injuries. It wasn’t the man with the vines that was for sure. Nor the man with the hair that looked like fire. Seiten looked ready to ask for more but Sanzo already dismissed the conversation. The Sage would get his revenge somehow.
Suddenly, the demon’s stomach rumbles and he blinks in confusion. Seiten Taisei couldn’t recall the last time he felt hunger, not since his infancy when he was born on earth and he was able to get food from humans. Since then he was never awake long enough to desire a meal. It didn’t take the smaller male long to realize they were surrounded by food. Standing up and stretching his legs, the sage begins to sift through the shelves hoping to find some meat.
The monk twitched at Seiten’s attention span. He was similar to Goku in that sense, easily distracted. “We’re not done, you know.”
Stuffing some bread in his face, the demon glared at the monk. “I can eat and listen.”
‘I doubt that.’ The blond twitched but said nothing, keeping his comments to himself.
“Alright then. I have a question for you.” Sanzo watched as the demon continued to look through the shelves but continued to converse despite the Sage seeming to not be paying attention. “I need to know about a war god…” There wasn’t a reaction from the small demon. “... named Nataku.”
Seiten dropped a tin can that was in his grasp and Sanzo knew that the demon wouldn’t be able to deny that he knew something now. Gold eyes stared into violet ones, the demon’s face a mixture of anger and shock as if unsure how to feel about hearing that name again.
“How do you know of that name?”
“He showed up a couple days ago and almost vaporized me with one of his heavenly killing beams or whatever his power was. He was droning on about exterminating youkai and targeted Kougaiji.”
Seiten remained quiet, not sure what to take in from this revelation. His weaker self had witnessed the war god killing himself which ultimately ended up waking up the sage. “That is not true. He is dead.”
“Clearly not completely dead.”
“No, he died.”
“You think I’m making shit up, dumb ass?” Sanzo snapped back sounded annoyed, especially since the demon wasn’t listening to him. “I’ve never even heard that name before until today.” The monk winced, his body staring to ache more and more as the minutes dragged on. He was pushing it and hadn’t taken much time to rest all day. The monk’s body was still sore from two rough drives through bumpy terrain in a cramped jeep.
The Sage, now looking more serious, moved back over to Sanzo and sat back down in front of the man who had the same aura as the one who had shown him kindness in the past. Seiten Taisei had suspicions as to who this man really was but he was much rougher seeming than the one who promised to never let him go.
The longer he stayed within the monk’s presence the more he could see that kind man under that harsh expression. Recalling his first interaction with the man in the white robes, and his second one in the desert, there was no doubt of this man’s identity. More and more the demon could feel his chest constrict in pain as he began to remember something.
“What do you want to know?”
Finally some progress was being made. Sanzo had his attention.
“We were sent on a mission to deal with the Minus Wave caused by the resurrection of the demon king, Gyu Maoh. Everything was going just peachy until that kid showed up and started blasting the place up.” The monk waved his hand up, showing he was talking about their current location. “Then we’re told by the Three Aspects, the same gods who made us go on this bothersome mission, that Nataku would be the one taking care of things. They want us to turn back.”
Seiten Taisei raised an eyebrow. “And that's a problem?”
“I’m fine with the brat taking care of the demon king. He can do what he wants. Takes care of one problem.” The monk shrugged before lifting his good arm to rub out some kinks in his shoulders.
“Is he the one who injured you?” Seiten Taisei’s eyes roamed over Sanzo’s body, noting the man’s posture and seeing bandages peeking through the leather ensemble near his neck to cover the burn. “Are you seeking revenge against Nataku?”
“No, it was Kougaiji who nearly deep-fried me.” For a brief moment it looked as if the sage was relieved. Sanzo didn’t miss the change and continued on. “Is that brat strong?”
“Nataku is a war god. He is almost unbeatable.”
“Almost, you say.” The monk crossed his arms and thinking over that for a moment. “So if he messes with us, we’d be able to deal with him.”
The Sage’s eyes narrow at Sanzo’s haughty attitude. He was taking Nataku’s power lightly. “Why would you fight him?”
“We-” Sanzo pointed between himself and the youkai, “And those other idiots are still going to the castle. I had something stolen from me and I plan to get it back. I wanted to know if that kid would get in our way, especially since most of the team is made up of demons. He doesn’t seem to like them too much.”
The smaller male shifted almost looking uncomfortable at what Sanzo was asking him. Despite the war god’s terrifying power the monk was planning to take him on if Nataku were to intervene with his goal. “Don’t.”
The blond raised his eyebrow. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t fight Nataku.”
“Is he stronger than you?”
The Sage hesitated, thinking over the answer. It was true that Nataku was a war god but his strength was created by using the power of heretic blood. He was not actually fully heretic as the Sage was, having violet eyes and not gold.
“He is not.”
“Then I’ll be fine. If I can handle your stupid ass then that shrimp won’t be a problem.” Sanzo replied indifferently.
Seiten Taisei could feel the hair on his neck stand on end, enraged that the man was so dismissive of his warnings. Here he was being thoughtful and trying to tell Sanzo that he and his team were weaklings so they wouldn’t get themselves killed. And yet the monk wasn’t listening to the Sage’s advice.
The next thing that happens takes Sanzo by surprise as the brunette moved forward grabbing the monk’s robes in what seemed like desperation. “You will be killed! He is too strong for you. Do not be so prideful!”
The monk scowled and moved his arms up to grip the demon’s wrist, ignoring his body’s pain from doing so. “You idiot! Do you think I’m weak or something?!” Sanzo can’t help but let out a hiss in pain as the Sage shook him by the fabric of his robes.
“Look at yourself! You are already hurt!” Seiten’s voice was getting higher pitched and almost sounding frantic. “What you wish to do is suicide! Whatever you want is not worth it!”
“Shut the fuck up, idiot!” Sanzo snapped, lifting his fist up to slam it into the demon’s head. How dare the Sage dismiss his intentions like that? The youkai didn’t even know how important that scroll was. Seiten anticipated the fist and moved an arm up, gripping the man’s wrist before shoving him roughly to the ground and causing the blond to cry out and squeeze his eyes shut as his pain flared through his body like fire.
“Let me go, you fucking monkey!”
After a few moments of struggling the man went limp and knew Seiten Taisei would try to attack him because he’d surely pissed him off at this point. Sanzo wouldn’t give him that option and was already beginning to chant. Before he can mutter the first 5 words something wet hits his cheek and the taller male opens his eyes surprised to see the small demon crying as he had the first time he had met him at the temple.
The monk stops his chant and the two stare at each other for a while in silence. Finally, the sage spoke.
“You promised…”
Sanzo narrowed his eyes. ‘Promised?’
“You said you wouldn’t leave me. You said you wouldn’t abandon me again!” Seiten yells out, rubbing at his eyes in frustration for showing emotional weakness. “You all can’t leave me alone again!”
Sanzo continued to stare at the distraught youkai, taking in what he was saying. More and more it looked as though Seiten had known him before in what seemed like a previous life. Sanzo was a follower of Buddhism and therefore believed in the possibility of reincarnation. The priest made a ‘tch’ sound before trying to shove the demon off, finding it easy with how emotional the kid was being.
“Shit. I should have known. I met you before I released you from the cave, didn’t I? As someone else though.”
Moving off the wounded man Seiten crouched to the side once again, looking away from the monk. Being in his presence so long brought back painful memories of the man with long hair that looked like golden threads, the man he thought was like the sun. This man was similar, his hair shining the same way but shorter.
“I don’t want to see you die. Not again.”
Sanzo’s frown deepened but he had a feeling it wasn’t a good idea to pry too much information from the distraught Sage. Goku’s memories were sealed for a reason, so if Seiten Taisei spoke too much he worried it would affect his charge. The fact that this great and powerful Sage had been reduced to tears and trembling like a child was enough to convince Sanzo that he didn’t want Goku to experience those memories, at least not now. The boy needed to have a clear head before they traveled into Houtou Castle.
Sanzo moved a hand forward to gently tug on one of the long strands of hair along his face to get the Sage’s attention.
“Look, I don’t know how I died in the past and I don’t want to know because I’m alive now.” Seiten looked up at the man, his eyes looking a bit more like Goku’s as they widened slightly. “I’m planning on out living all you idiots so don’t think I’m just going to run in there and get myself killed.”
Slowly the smaller male lifted his hand pressing Sanzo’s leathered one to his cheek. It was different than before but familiar too. There was a warmth that radiated off this man the same way it had from his past incarnation. Seiten Taisei shuddered slightly from the memories, his chest tightened from the pain of them all.
“Is there nothing I can say to stop you?”
The monk watched the Sage as he seemed almost affectionate with the way he pressed his face to his gloved hand, finding it interesting that this murderous creature had such a docile side. Sanzo looked thoughtful for a moment, before he lifted the diadem in Seiten’s view.
“The next time I take this off-”
“Why do I have to wear that?” The young man interrupted.
“Because you’re an idiot when you first come out and it takes too long for you to calm the hell down.” The monk uttered bluntly. “The next time your crown is removed remember this conversation. Remember what you just said, that you don’t want to see me die.”
The Sage was quiet, his eyes not leaving Sanzo’s violet gaze. There really was no talking the man out of this. He was just as stubborn as the one with the long hair who refused to let his weaker form give himself up so that he and the other men could be saved from punishment. This time, though, the Sage was older, stronger. Seiten wouldn’t let it happen again. He wouldn’t let the monk die, or Nataku. The war god had been kind to him too and was his friend. Seiten would make sure no one important to him died this time.
After a few moments of silence, the teen finally nodded to Sanzo’s request but there’s still concern in his eyes.
“What’s with that look?” Sanzo questioned the sage’s expression.
“If you awaken me, how will I calm down?”
“That’s a good question, kid.”
‘Especially considering you’re not going have the luxury of meditation and friendly chatter when we’re probably going to be dealing with youkai.’ The monk thought to himself.
“Whenever you see me you seem to relax. At least enough for me to get your limiter on. What is it that stops you from being homicidal?”
“Your eyes. Your hair.” The sage replied with almost no hesitation, looking at both as he spoke. “You’re like the sun. You protected me. You made me feel warm.”
“Hmph.” Sanzo wasn’t sure how to reply to the comment, feeling uncomfortable and a bit nostalgic as Goku had also likened him to the sun. He was never sure why this kid thought so highly of him. “Alright then, I’ll be sure to give you plenty of glares until you’re sane. And don’t attack that perverted moron with the red hair or that creepy guy with the monocle. They are harmless. Most of the time.”
“I will try not to. I remember them too from long ago. But they are always scared to see me.”
‘Remember them too? Dammit, did I have to deal with those idiots in a past life too?’ Sanzo was starting to get tense at all these revelations. It was time for the kid to take a nap.
“Like I said, kid, whenever you wake up you’re rampaging. So of course they are going to be nervous. I’ll make sure you calm down.” Sanzo lifted his arm away from the Sage’s cheek, placing it on top of his head and running his fingers through soft brown hair. Despite looking so spikey, it didn’t feel that way. Sanzo hoped the gesture would keep the Sage relaxed as he slowly raised his other arm, the sore one, to place the crown back on the demon’s head.
The young man closed his eyes enjoying the gentle touch. It reminded him so much of when he was younger. His sun would gently pet his head when he told his other self a story before bed. It was soothing and Seiten wished it could stay like this. He hadn’t felt such peace in so long.
“What do I call you?”
Sanzo paused before looking down and seeing those golden eyes were open, no longer feral, and staring at him with curiosity. The man almost stated his full title on reflex, but smirked slightly. If Goku was simple, Seiten Taisei would be even more so. “Sanzo.”
“Sanzo.” The teen straightened and looked thoughtful. “Sanzo.” He repeated the name, tapping his chin before nodding. “It’s an alright name.”
“You little shit.” Sanzo scoffed but shook his head looking mildly amused. “Alright, kid. I need you to rest up for the battle.”
“Sanzo? Um, can I ask you a favor?”
The monk raised his eyebrow, not sure if he should be offering the Sage the option of indulgence. But given that the youkai HAD given him some decent information and was courteous enough to not tear out his throat he supposed he could humor the demon. “As long as it’s not something incredibly idiotic.”
The brunette shifted a little as if worried he was about to ask for too much. “I know what everyone calls me. I know I am Seiten Taisei. But I have another name, a name you gave me. Can you call me Goku? Please?”
Sanzo lifted the crown over Seiten’s head, the Sage not moving or trying to stop him but continuing to stare with that stupid face of his. Sanzo smirked and nodded. “Sure, Goku. See you when you wake up.” He swore he saw Seiten smile and not that cocky grin he had earlier. He almost looked peaceful. It was a better outcome than Sanzo could have anticipated. The crown was pressed down on the Sage’s head and as usual the dip in power caused the teen to collapse forward, falling into Sanzo’s lap.
Sanzo sighed heavily as his body was beginning to protest even more. Now that the conversation with the Sage was over the monk just wanted to rest. He was physically and mentally exhausted after the ordeal. Looking down at the young man in his lap Sanzo placed a hand back on his hair again.
The priest felt a sense of peace in that moment and was almost comforted that he gained the trust and alliance of Seiten Taisei. Sanzo had faith that the youkai would keep his word, in fact he was depending on it. The sage’s strength would be essential to the battle if they had to go up against the war god. If the ikkou could depend on the demon to recognize friend from foe it would make the fight much easier.
After staring at the ceiling for a while and replaying the exchange with the Sage in his head the monk decided they needed to get out of the storage cellar. “Alright, kid.” Sanzo huffed out in annoyance. “You need to wake up. I seriously need a smoke or I’m going to lose my damn mind.”
Unable to stay seated the blonde found himself collapsing on the ground, groaning softly as this only aggravates his injuries further. It would be awhile before Goku woke up so he would be stuck in the cellar for the time being. Sanzo’s regret at not having a cigarette was even stronger now. He put his good hand over his eyes and began to curse softly to himself. The blond had no way to open that heavy door and even if he could Sanzo would have to drag Goku’s sleeping body back to their lodgings.
The next time the priest opened his eyes he realized the ground he was laying on was a lot softer. Blinking away the blurriness from his vision, he looked around to find that he was now in the room he had been using as lodging at Sharak’s temple. Sanzo must have passed out from exhaustion in the cellar when he laid down.
Something stirred next to him and the blond looked up to see Goku carrying a tray and a pitcher. The boy blinked for a second and quickly his face lit up.
“Sanzo! You’re awake. Did ya sleep okay?” The teen exclaimed, excited to see his master had finally awakened up from his slumber. When Goku had finally woken up it was almost midnight. He found Sanzo passed out underneath him and for a moment thought the monk to be dead. After a moment of panic the young man found that he was only passed out and took the priest back to his lodgings to allow him to rest.
“You’re too loud, monkey.” Sanzo grated out, rubbing his eyes with his good hand. It was too early to hear the kid’s overly enthusiastic voice and he was suffering from a headache, more than likely due to nicotine withdrawal.
The young man made a sheepish chuckle before placing the tray and pitcher on the night stand next to the monk’s bed. “Sorry, I got excited. I was glad to see you were okay after…” Goku quieted down, looking behind himself for a moment. Sanzo looked up too, following Goku’s gaze, to see that the room was empty and the door was closed. It was just them.
After making sure they truly were alone, the teen continued. “Are you alright? I didn’t do anything did I?” Goku looked down at Sanzo’s bandages which he had changed out and replaced with fresh ones after rubbing some healing herbs over the monk’s body. “I saw blood on your wrappings and I thought-”
“You didn’t do anything to me, kid.” Sanzo quickly interjected, not wanting Goku to get depressed on him or start overthinking. “It’s what I get for not resting and then talking to a monkey for a while.”
Goku nodded, still not feeling fully convinced but he trusted the man to not lie to him. “That’s good. I was worried when I woke up and you were passed out and sweating on the ground. It was really hot in that storage room.” The boy began pouring some water into a cup for the man before offering to help him up by extending his hand. Sanzo accepted the assistance and managed to pull himself into a seated position.
The monk drank some water and reluctantly took the pills that Goku insistently held towards him. He began to take small bites out of the BLT sandwich the teen had brought him. Sanzo wasn’t feeling incredibly hungry but he knew if he didn’t eat something that the teen would hassle him until he did. The brunette was like a mother hen sometimes with the way he needlessly fussed over the priest.
After Sanzo was done getting settled Goku finally spoke up again. “Um, how did it go? Did he- did I say anything? Was I helpful at all?”
The blond took a bite of his meal, giving him a minute to figure out how to respond. He didn’t want to say too much to Goku, worried he’d try and get as much information as he could. There were some parts of the conversation Sanzo wanted to keep to himself for now so he’d be as vague as possible. “It went better than expected. No gaping wounds, my organs are still here.” He pats down his stomach area, looking up at the teen and lifting an eyebrow.
“Ha ha, very funny.” Goku muttered, puffing his cheeks slightly at Sanzo’s jab.
He really had been concerned that the Sage was going to come out and immediately go into attack mode. While Goku never fully remembered all the events that occurred when he went into that form he could remember emotions. When he woke up his memory was a bit fuzzy but he felt a sense of tranquility.
“I was just makin’ sure you were okay.” The young man said quietly, rubbing the back of his head.
“Stop worrying so much, Goku.” The man shook his head but he smirked a little. “He’s just a monkey like you. But he talks a lot less. And likes to eat just as much as you. I can’t even tell the difference.” He looks somewhat amused as Goku’s eye twitches at the monk’s sarcastic remarks. “But to answer your question, he was helpful. He told me that Nataku…”
He paused, wondering how he should handle this part of the question. Technically the Sage had warned him to stay away from the war god, but he has also promised to work with Sanzo if it was necessary.
“Nataku shouldn’t be a problem. That war god has his thing to do and we have ours. The four of us can handle the rest of the journey to Houtou Castle.”
Goku looked surprised at what Sanzo was saying, not expecting his demon side to be so helpful. “I still don’t understand everything…” he admits softly “I get this tight feelin’ in my chest when I see that guy. Like I knew him or something’… But I trust you, Sanzo.”
His gold eyes gazed up at the priest’s violet ones, a determined look on his face. The teen had his own reasons for completing the journey and by going to the demon king’s castle he had the chance to meet with Nataku. So if Sanzo still planned on going the brunette would too.
“It’ll be fine, Goku. So make sure not to overwork yourself and get ready for when we head out to Houtou Castle.”
“When are we heading out?” The young man asked curiously, turning his head to look out the window and at the sky. The sun had started rising, indicating that Sanzo had slept through the night after talking to the sage.
Sunlight began to pour into the room as the monk also watched golden orb rise over the walls of the temple. In the back of his mind he could hear Seiten Taisei’s voice and how he compared him to the sun. It still creeped the man out with how similar he and Goku were in that sense. Sanzo would never understand how they could see so much in him.
“The sooner the better. Now help me up. I need a cigarette.”