Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Marionette ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

CHAPTER TWO

A delightful sound outside his bedroom window woke up the marionette from blissful slumber. Blinking at the rays of sunlight seeping through the window, Gojyo smiled. A little chickadee was perched on the windowsill, chirping and peeking at him through the parted curtains.

"Good night!" the marionette murmured to the tiny creature.

Yawning, Gojyo stretched his arms out, smacking his lips, eager to get up and take a closer look at the peeping chickadee.

Before he could do so, however, two large bodies leaped onto the bed. Swiftly, the marionette hid under the covers. Sure enough, he felt feet pad on the bed, going towards him. Just as suddenly, they stopped, two heavy bulks on either side of him. Cautiously, Gojyo lowered the blanket from his eyes, and found himself staring at two pairs of eyes -- one pair chestnut brown while the other was emerald green, its pupils nothing more than vertical slits. Gojyo's crimson orbs flew wide at the sight of those hairy faces.

Then, a large paw reached out and yanked the blanket even lower, revealing his startled face. This was followed by a slobbering lick from chin to brow, and the marionette just found himself being overwhelmed by the alien feelings that rose up inside him.

~~~~~

Hakkai had just emerged from the bathroom, drying his wet brown hair with a towel, when there was an ear-piercing shriek. Turning in the direction of that terrified cry, he saw the distraught marionette bounding towards him. Before he could step out of the way, Hakkai found himself wrapped tightly by arms and long legs. Caught by surprise, the geneticist keeled over backward, hitting the floor with a bang.

"Hakkai! Hakkai! Hakkai!" Gojyo cried over and over again, his voice muffled because his face was buried in Hakkai's shoulder. "Good night, Hakkai! Hakkai, good night! Night! Night! Night!"

Although his head was still ringing from the fall, Hakkai ran his fingers soothingly through the marionette's hair. Chuckling, he corrected, "I think you mean 'Good morning', Gojyo. After all, it is daytime now."

The marionette lifted his head and looked at Hakkai in bewilderment. "Good...morning?"

"Yes," Hakkai nodded. "Good morning, Gojyo!"

There was a snappy bark behind them. To the scientist's trepidation, the marionette pushed him to sitting position. Like a swinging koala, Gojyo nimbly twisted his body, that he now was perched on Hakkai's back, trying desperately to hide from the two fierce creatures sitting in the hallway.

Seeing the causes of the marionette's distress, Hakkai burst into laughter. "Oh, Gojyo! You have nothing to be afraid of!"

" 'fraid?" Gojyo asked quizzically, his brow furrowed by his frown.

The good doctor smoothened those creases with his palm. "I think I'll have to fix the computer so that I could program more data into you. Anyway, let me introduce you to my house mates." He waved a hand to the Golden Retriever. "Gojyo, this is my dog, Jiroushin." Gesturing to the Persian cat, he said, "And this is my cat, Kwannon."

Jiroushin barked in welcome, his tongue lolling from his mouth. On the other hand, Kwannon gave the marionette a disdainful glare and proceeded to lick her paw daintily.

"Dog? Cat?" Gojyo queried, pointing to the two animals. "Jiroushin? Kwannon?"

"Yes, that's right. Jiroushin is a Golden Retriever. Kwannon is a breed of cat known as a Persian." Hakkai deliberately did not mention that Jiroushin and Kwannon were his first successful attempts at cloning. Even if Gojyo did not know that term, he would've been curious, especially if he saw the dollar-sized openings at the back of their heads, hidden under their fur and sealed with a sliding flap.

Peering at the dog and cat behind Hakkai's head, Gojyo shyly greeted, "Hello."

For a moment, the two animals looked at each other, before focusing their attention on the marionette. Hakkai observed the dog and cat closely. Because of Gyumao's rushing of the cloning project, he was never able to complete his tests on Jiroushin and Kwannon, especially those examinations for intelligence. Both had the same master circuit that the marionette possessed inside his brain, although Gojyo's was more sophisticated. Hakkai sincerely regretted that he was never able to do those tests. Watching them now, he was disconcerted by the stares they were giving the marionette, the duration of eye contact much longer compared to the attention span of their more "normal" kin.

"Idiot?" Gojyo asked softly, surprising Hakkai. "Gojyo idiot? Ding dong?" Bursting into giggles, he clapped his hands and chimed, "Ding dong Gojyo! Ding dong Gojyo!"

Hakkai cupped the happy marionette's cheeks. "Gojyo, where did you hear those words? I didn't call you an 'idiot' or a 'ding dong'."

Uncomprehending, Gojyo tilted his head from side to side.

"Gojyo..." The geneticist pressed a hand to the clone's chest. "You are Gojyo." Pointing to himself, he said, "I am Hakkai."

"Hakkai, Hakkai!" the marionette poked Hakkai's breastbone hard with his fingertip. Thumping his own chest, he crowed, "Gojyo, idiot! Ding dong!"

Hakkai quickly shook his head. "No. You are not an idiot or a ding dong. Those words are bad!"

"Bad?"

Seeing that he would be going nowhere if he dared to explain the concept of good and bad to the marionette now, Hakkai decided to try a different approach. Pointing again to himself, he declared, "I am Hakkai. Cho Hakkai."

"Cho...Hakkai?"

"That is correct. You are..."

"Gojyo idiot! Gojyo ding dong!"

"No, no, no! You are Gojyo. Not idiot. Not ding dong. Only Gojyo. That is your name."

Gojyo looked at the scientist in confusion. Then, a bright smile slowly formed on his face as understanding dawned on him.

Placing both hands over his breast, the marionette intoned solemnly, "I am Gojyo. Only Gojyo."

"Yeah! Your name is Gojyo. Only Gojyo. But who called you an idiot and a ding dong?"

Raising his hand, the marionette pointed to the cat and dog.

There was disbelief on Hakkai's face. "They called you by those names."

"Uh huh!" Gojyo popped a thumb inside his mouth.

The geneticist gave the two animals a dubious glance. Standing, he started to push the marionette towards the bathroom. "I'll give you a bath in a few minutes, okay, Gojyo? I'll just go and get a towel and look for clothes for you to wear. Just wait for me inside."

Hakkai wasn't sure if the clone understood him, but Gojyo nodded nonetheless and marched inside the bathroom.

Closing the door, the scientist gazed suspiciously at the dog and cat. No, it can't be, he thought in skepticism. However, Jiroushin and Kwannon were giving him the same focused attention as they had the marionette earlier.

Breathing in deeply, Hakkai began, "I don't know exactly what just happened here. If the computer hadn't been damaged during the storm, I would be running tests on the two of you right this very minute. Still..." Hakkai groaned, realizing how stupid he looked, talking to animals. With great impatience, he demanded, "Who of you called Gojyo an idiot and a ding dong?"

The Golden Retriever glowered at the cat, who was still calmly grooming herself, ignoring the scientist. Judging from Jiroushin's reaction, it was obvious to Hakkai that it was the prissy feline who instigated the name-calling. Noting Jiroushin's stare, Kwannon gazed back at the dog, an expression of disgust on her face. Hakkai had the strange impression that the superior feline was the one who called the marionette an "idiot." On the other hand, Jiroushin, with his playful nature, was the one who branded Gojyo a "ding dong."

Shaking his head, he retorted angrily, "Forget I asked! I don't know why I'm talking to you two anyway. But if you are the cause of this, Kwannon, Jiroushin, I do not want you to call Gojyo by these bad names again. Gojyo's mind is that of a child, highly impressionable. Because of the destruction caused by the lightning storm, I wasn't able to complete his programming. Even the program disk that Gyumao gave me had been destroyed. Now, I have to start literally from scratch. However, this early on, I don't want you feeding these notions inside his head. Do I make myself clear?"

Jiroushin barked in agreement, wagging his tail. It seemed to Hakkai that the dog loved Gojyo. Kwannon, in the meantime, stared intently at the bathroom door. With great flourish, the Persian cat turned her back on her creator and the dog and sauntered away.

Hakkai sensed movement behind him. Turning, he saw Gojyo peeking at them at the doorway, thumb still pressed between his lips.

"Hakkai?" the marionette asked quietly.

"Gojyo, I'm sorry," the scientist exclaimed, going to his clone's side. "I was just scolding Kwannon and Jiroushin. They won't call you names again. Just give me a few minutes and I'll get some clothes for you and then it's bath time."

"Hakkai?" Gojyo asked again.

The good doctor looked curiously at the marionette. "What is it, Gojyo?"

"Kwannon..."

"What about Kwannon?"

"Cat call Gojyo name again."

"What did he call you?"

Hakkai's heart stopped at the marionette's answer.

"Kwannon called Gojyo 'whore'," the marionette replied, a quizzical expression on his face.

For a second, Hakkai glanced down at Jiroushin. There was a look of displeasure on the dog's features as well.

"Forget what that damned cat said," Hakkai told Gojyo firmly. "Only Gojyo. Remember that. You are not a whore."

"Not a whore," Gojyo echoed the scientist's words. "Only Gojyo."

Hakkai found himself embracing the marionette. "Yes, you're not a whore." Inwardly, he added, And damn Gyumao if he thinks I'm going to allow him to destroy my precious creation!

As he hugged the clone, Hakkai didn't see the dreamy smile on Gojyo's lips. With a happy sigh, the marionette gave himself completely to the warmth of that gentle embrace.

~~~~~

Inside the bathroom, there were delighted giggles and the sound of water splashing.

Jiroushin, who had been lying in the hallway, waiting, raised his head, hearing Hakkai's muffled curse.

Suddenly, the door of the bathroom burst open, and a laughing Gojyo ran outside, wearing only very tight briefs that obviously belonged to the scientist. As he dashed out the door, Hakkai's upper body landed on the wooden floor, having slipped on the slippery tiles in the bath.

"Gojyo, come back here!" Hakkai shouted, as he struggled to get to his feet.

It was Jiroushin who decided to give chase. The Golden Retriever dashed through the hallway and headed down the stairs in pursuit of the giggling bathroom escapee. Jiroushin found the marionette in the living room, sneaking up on Kwannon, who was sleeping soundly on the windowsill. The dog leaped for Gojyo, his teeth nipping the waistband of his briefs, just as the marionette reached for the cat.

Hakkai emerged at the top of the staircase just in time to see Gojyo falling flat on his bare ass, Jiroushin tugging furiously on his briefs, trying to get him back to the bathroom. In the marionette's arms, hissing and spitting, was Kwannon.

Before the scientist could run down the stairs, Gojyo quickly got up, his briefs tearing completely in Jiroushin's mouth. With a happy cry, he dashed up the staircase again, with a howling Persian cat in tow. So swift was the marionette that Hakkai's hands grabbed Kwannon's paw, who scratched his open palm.

"I'm getting too old for this," Hakkai grumbled to himself, as he held his aching hand.

Together, the beleaguered doctor and his dog hurried up the staircase, only to find the mischievous clone entering in the same place where the chase originated -- the bathroom. There was a loud splash and Kwannon's furious howling was suddenly silenced.

Running to the door, Hakkai was greeted by a very funny sight. Gojyo was seated once more in the bathtub, gleefully soaping a sodden Persian, whose dejected head hung over the edge of the tub. At the scientist's feet, Jiroushin barked several times, a broad smile on his face. Whatever it was the dog said caused Kwannon to hiss in fury.

Although exasperated, Hakkai couldn't help but grin. With arms akimbo, he asked, "Gojyo? What are you doing?"

Picking up Kwannon, Gojyo hugged the disgusted cat lovingly and kissed her on the brow. "Wet kitty, Hakkai!" the marionette giggled. "Wet kitty!"

~~~~~

"All right, Gojyo! Say 'Aaah'!"

"Aaaaah!" the marionette opened his mouth wide, so that Hakkai could place a spoonful of cereal inside. Gojyo grinned broadly, relishing the crunchiness of the fruit loops between his teeth.

Hakkai wagged a scolding finger at his mischievous clone. "I told you to close your mouth when you're chewing your food."

At this admonition, Gojyo's mouth snapped shut, swallowing down his food.

Taking another spoonful, the scientist raised it to the marionette's full lips. "Okay! One more time! Aaaah..."

"Haaa..." Gojyo opened his mouth again. Before Hakkai could feed him, the marionette closed his mouth, saying at the same time, "...kai."

"Gojyo?" the scientist growled.

The clone playfully repeated, "Haaa...kai! Haaa...kai!"

Kwannon, who was drinking her milk from a bowl beside Jiroushin's, rolled her eyes heavenwards. Seeing that gesture, the Golden Retriever laid his paw on the cat's head, threatening to dunk her in her milk.

"Gojyo..." Hakkai began chidingly, although, inside him, he was tickled pink by the clone's delight in pronouncing his name over and over again. "...Saying my name is not a part of mealtime. Here! Why don't you have some more?"

The marionette shook his head, that angelic smile still on his lips.

"I guess you're full." Hakkai stood up from the dining table and gathered their bowls, taking them to the sink in the kitchen area. As he washed them, he remarked, "I'm going into town for a couple of hours, Gojyo."

Gojyo turned to Kwannon, whose green eyes stared accusingly at him. Whatever it was the cat told the marionette caused Jiroushin to promptly dunk the Persian's head in her milk. But the clone already heard what the cat said. At once, the smile faded from his lips.

"Hakkai going away," the marionette sniffled sadly.

"Yes, but I won't be long," Hakkai continued to speak, unmindful of the change in the clone's demeanor. "I'm just going to buy you some clothes. None of my clothes fit you, and you certainly can't walk around the house all day either with just that night shirt on or totally naked."

It was that last that bothered the geneticist the most. With the marionette's accidentally ripping a few of his good shirts while forcing them on, Hakkai had to throw the night shirt Gojyo was wearing into the washer and dryer for him to use again. Unfortunately, during that period that the garment was being cleaned, the poor scientist had to contend with a male siren running and playing around the house in his birthday suit. If he were made of weaker stuff, Hakkai would have succumbed to the allure of the marionette. It was only his bitter memories that kept his desires at bay. For once, the guilt served a positive purpose, instead of its continuous rankling on his conscience.

"Hakkai going away," Gojyo said dejectedly, " 'coz Gojyo is a bad boy."

"That's not true! Who gave you that idea?" Hakkai exclaimed, staring at the distraught clone in surprise. "As I said, I'm just going to buy you some real nice clothes."

To his shock, the marionette stood up from his seat and embraced him. "No going away! Hakkai, no go!"

The scientist pried himself loose from Gojyo's desperate grasp. "Gojyo, I swear I'll be back!"

"No, no!" the marionette shook his head in insistence. "Hakkai not coming back! No go!"

Seeing that it would be difficult for him to leave, Hakkai turned to the Golden Retriever, who was waiting patiently for his command. "Jiroushin, you and Kwannon take care of Gojyo while I'm gone." Before Gojyo could reach for him again, Hakkai made a quick dash for the living room.

Just as he reached the front door, the geneticist paused, hearing the marionette's forlorn wail of "Hakkai, no go! No!" Stealing a glance back, he saw Gojyo going towards him, arms raised in entreaty. The clone would have reached him sooner if it were not for the dog and cat's insistent tugging on the leash that was attached to the harness around Gojyo's waist. Hakkai, for a moment, stared in amazement at the great strength of the two animals. The marionette had to take one small labored step after another.

"Hakkai! HAKKAI!" Gojyo cried again, moisture glistening in his baby sunset orbs that tugged at Hakkai's heart.

Stifling the urge to stay, the geneticist opened the door wide and went straight to his jeep, getting inside. Just as he switched on the ignition, Gojyo emerged at the doorway, already dragging Jiroushin and Kwannon behind him.

Lowering the window halfway, Hakkai ordered to the hysterical clone, "Gojyo, stay here! I promise I'll be back!" Not wanting to hear anymore of those heart-rending cries, the scientists drove down the driveway, ignoring the poor marionette who was running after him. Hakkai drove through the automatic gates and into the street, not once looking back.

If only Hakkai had turned, he would have seen Gojyo crying out his name as the gates slammed shut in his face. For a moment, the marionette screamed for the scientist, rattling the gates. Already, the clone's eyes were shining with a red light. Out of desperation, Gojyo ran a few steps back, and with great ease, attempted to jump over the ten feet high gates.

Suddenly, however, a long cable shot out of the rose bushes, the plug on its end attaching to the socket at Gojyo's nape. Following that cue, Jiroushin and Kwannon also sent cables flying out of the openings at the back of their heads, attaching to the two other sockets. There was a shocked expression on Gojyo's face as he felt all his motor systems shutting down, his eyes assuming a dull rust color. When he hit the ground, he was nothing more than a lifeless mannequin. Strangely enough, however, his mental faculties still continued to function.

Then, one by one, three shapes loomed before Gojyo's eyes. He recognized the first two as Jiroushin and Kwannon. However, he couldn't make out the third form that was standing above him. This third figure had something white perched on its shoulder.

:Well, Gojyo,: a voice suddenly spoke inside his head. :You certainly made a fool of yourself by acting like a baby.:

:It's not his fault,: the marionette identified that cheerful voice immediately as Jiroushin's. :Blame it on the fur ball!:

:Hakkai doesn't have the patience for an idiot like him,: those hateful words could only come from Kwannon. :He'll grow tired of him before long and send him packing to Gyumao. After all, Gyumao does own him -- his stupid cyberwhore.:

:And do you want to see this poor innocent creature become that?: the third speaker queried. :No, our sweet little Angel here is meant to be something more than a mere sex toy.: Turning to the marionette, he said in reassurance, :Don't be afraid, Gojyo. We won't hurt you. But I think it would be better if we taught you the Basics first, don't you think? Then, it would be easier for Hakkai to teach you the more complicated stuff.:

:The…Basics?: Gojyo thought in confusion.

There was a bright flash as images and information started to scroll inside the master circuit in his head, filling him with knowledge.

The third speaker sensed the awe and happiness within the marionette. :You'll see, child. Things will greatly improve between you and Hakkai.:

~~~~~

It was late afternoon when Hakkai returned from his shopping expedition. Getting down from his jeep, the poor scientist, with his hair standing up in spikes, the monocle on his nose askew, and his clothes none the worse for wear, looked like he just came from a battle zone. He had five large shopping bags in each hand. The strap of one bag was even torn.

Hakkai took a whiff of that fresh mountain air. "How did Kanan survive all those mall sales? All those vicious, snarling women... It was like the Bakumatsu or the French Revolution or the invasion of Normandy! Damn it, Gojyo! You should appreciate the trouble I went through in buying all this stuff for you." The good doctor trudged wearily to the door, calling as well, "Gojyo, I'm home!"

Suddenly, Jiroushin's barking caught his attention before he could touch the front door. As he turned to where the dog was at, he just found himself dropping his purchases. At once, he broke into a run, heading for the still figure lying in the sandbox.

Falling to his knees before the marionette, Hakkai feared that the clone had a serious malfunction. But then, he saw Gojyo breathing steadily, deep in slumber. A relieved smile formed on his lips as he reached out his hand to wake up the clone.

Before he could touch the marionette, however, his eyes focused on the sand. Written in a child's scrawl in the sand were the twenty-six letters of the alphabet and the numbers one to zero. Spelled out in one corner was his name -- HAKKAI. Beneath it were four more names -- JIROUSHIN, KWANNON, GOKU and GOJYO.

Hakkai frowned at that third name, a name that was very familiar to him. The name of someone who had been very close to him. Stealing a glance at the sleeping figure, he knew he had never mentioned that name to Gojyo. So where had he heard it? Then again, from whom did the marionette learn the alphabet, numbers and simple spelling?

At that moment, Gojyo's eyelids fluttered open. With a happy cry, he sat up and flung his arms around Hakkai's neck.

"Hakkai! You came back!" Gojyo exclaimed, his English now surprisingly straight. "I thought you'd never come back!"

"I told you I just went out shopping, Gojyo," the geneticist replied, hugging the marionette as well and rubbing his back. "I wanted to buy you some nice clothes. You're going to love them, especially the silk pajamas. There are nice designs sewn on the shirt, like flowers, a dragon. One even has TarePanda. And they're so soft, you'll love to sleep in them."

Grinning, the marionette declared, "I have a surprise for you too. A nice little song!"

"All right! I want to hear it!"

To Hakkai's amazement, Gojyo started to sing the "Alphabet Song", his rich alto singing each letter at perfect pitch. Before he could reach the last two lines, however, he repeated the song once more. After two to three repetitions, the scientist raised his hand to halt him.

"You're forgetting the last two lines of the song." Hakkai then proceeded to sing, "'Now I know my ABC. Next time, won't you sing with me.'"

"Oh, but I didn't forget them!"

"Then why did you keep on singing the alphabet over and over again?"

Gojyo leaped to his feet, his arms behind his back, a playful smile on his lips. "It's the only way I could get you to sing with me. You have a wonderful voice, Hakkai!"

Hakkai stared aghast at the clone, realizing that he had been outsmarted.

"How did you get so clever all of a sudden, Gojyo?" the geneticist asked, truly in a quandary.

"I was taught the Basics by my great pals," Gojyo gushed in reply.

Before he could ask who his "good pals" were, the marionette was waving to Jiroushin. "Come on, Jiroushin! Let's see the wonderful clothes that Hakkai bought for me. Especially those soft, silk pajamas with TarePanda -- whoever he is." As he skipped toward the house, the clone picked up the dozing figure of Kwannon, saying, "Would you like me to give you another nice bath, Kitty?"

Not relishing the idea of being dropped into another tubful of water, Kwannon swiftly jumped from the marionette's arms and made a hasty escape toward the back of the manor. In the cat's place, it was the Golden Retriever who leaped into Gojyo's embrace, that his lower body dangled and swung to and fro like a pendulum.

Realizing that the scientist wasn't following, Gojyo queried, "Hakkai? Aren't you coming?"

Hakkai found himself caught breathless, awed by the sweet vision of innocence the marionette made -- with his shining crimson eyes, playful smile, his cheek pressed to Jiroushin's face. Now was not the time for questions, although Hakkai suspected that it was the dog, and perhaps also that smug cat, who were Gojyo's tutors. He would have his answers eventually. He had more important things to do, like showing a delighted marionette the presents he had bought for him.

Getting to his feet, Hakkai smiled and said, "I'm right behind you, Gojyo!"

* * * * * * * * * *



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