Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Marionette ❯ Chapter Twenty-Two ( Chapter 22 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: roryheadmav 
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Hentai / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.20.2005 | Updated On: 07.20.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 831 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Hentai / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.20.2005 | Updated On: 07.20.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 831 | Status: Completed
MARIONETTE
© July 21, 2005 By Rory V. Pascual
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Gojyo was kneeling on the couch, gazing at the setting sun. He scratched gingerly on the bandages wrapped around his injured arm.
With a sigh, the clone glanced at Hakuryu, who was lying in a pet bed, his wounded wing also swathed in bandages. "Sanzo's not home yet. He's probably hungry by now. He didn't even come home for lunch." Gojyo eyed the lunch he had earlier prepared that was now covered on the dining table. "I'll just heat the food up again when he arrives."
Hakuryu remarked, :Sanzo? Jien's brother? Scaaaaaaary!:
"I know what you mean," Gojyo agreed with the dragon. "Sanzo is so different from Jien. He is soooo serious. At his age, he already has a few wrinkles. But…I don't think he's really that bad. I mean, as Jien said, Goku was in love with him. Jien himself loves him dearly. Besides, he saved us both from Gyumao's men, so I think he's a good guy. I just wish I could see him smile. Life must have been so hard for him that he had forgotten how to smile. I'd like to make him smile, Hakuryu. With that golden blond hair and that handsome face, a smile would make him drop dead gorgeous!"
Hakuryu shook his head, still very drowsy from the sedative that Sanzo had given him earlier. :Impossible. Sanzo…no smile. Still scaaaaary!:
"I know what can make Sanzo smile." Gojyo grinned. "When we're fixed, we'll go and find Jien."
The little dragon nodded I approval. As he let out an eager "Kyuu!", he spoke through their cyberconnection, :Hakuryu burn Gyumao to ashes!:
"Don't be so bloodthirsty, Hakuryu," Gojyo scolded him. "We are not going to lower ourselves to his level."
Gojyo's attention was drawn to the opening electronic gates, and Sanzo's car entering the driveway. With a happy whoop, he carefully picked up Hakuryu and went out the front door to meet him.
"Good afternoon, Sanzo!" the marionette greeted cheerfully, as the moody actor got down from his car. "I thought you would be…" He did not finish what he was going to say when a silver gray van wheeled up behind Sanzo's sports car. Gojyo was frozen in indecision, wondering if the actor had revealed his whereabouts to the evil multimillionaire.
But then, the man who came down from the van immediately smiled upon seeing him. Except for the color of his hair and his squinting eyes, he looked almost like Sanzo.
"Well?" the man exclaimed good-naturedly, as he slid the back door open. "Don't just gawk there, boy! Are you well enough to give us a hand?"
"Uh…yes, sir," Gojyo stuttered in reply as he hurried towards them.
With a pout, Sanzo mumbled, "I thought you were going to drop by later this evening. I never thought you'd tag along with me." He carefully unloaded silver cases and crates of equipment from the back of the van.
"I certainly can't rely on maintenance to transport this stuff safely. So many things can happen in transit," the man answered as he brought down more boxes, ignoring Gojyo's silent offer of assistance. "Besides, this is a perfect excuse for me to get out of the lab. I need a change of scenery. You certainly can't appreciate an intellectual beauty like Dr. Huang who's as cold as canned tuna." He ruffled Gojyo's hair playfully. "I like the scenery here much better, thank you very much." Finally noticing the marionette, he exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry. Looks like Sanzo and I can handle this just fine on our own. Just take care of your little dragon, okay? Hmm…I really should do something about your hair. Do these two locks always stand up like these? They're like cockroach antennae."
"Actually, they are," Sanzo commented dryly. "I was giving him a partial systems check and those locks can actually pick up radio signals."
Gojyo's face darkened as he glared up at those two wayward locks at the top of his head. "I don't look like a cockroach! And I'm not a radio either!"
"No, of course not! You look exactly like that delightful protégé of mine…Jien."
"If you don't mind my asking, sir," the clone began curiously. "But…who are you?"
It was Sanzo who made the introduction. "Gojyo, I would like you to meet Dr. Koumyo. He was our mentor when we still worked for Xyberdyne Tech." He gave the older man a fond smile. "I'm glad that he hasn't changed one bit since we were together last."
"Koryu here told me that you and your little dragon friend had a misadventure last night, and you needed to be repaired," Koumyo explained. "I thought I'd give this dour-faced ward of mine a helping hand."
"What did you just say about my face?" Sanzo growled menacingly.
Koumyo ignored the scowl his protégé was giving him, and he bent down to pat Hakuryu's head with his finger. The dragon 'kyuu'-ed in delight.
"Hello there, little fella," he greeted the dragon with a smile. "I'll fix you up as good as new. Plus, I'm thinking of making some modifications on you, so you can better protect Gojyo here. Would you like that?"
Hakuryu strained his neck to the kind scientist, who readily took him from the marionette's arms. He gave Koumyo a lick on the cheek.
Gojyo fumbled inside his trousers pocket and pulled out the two master circuits. "Dr. Koumyo…my friends Jiroushin and Kwannon…these are all that's left of them. Could you bring them back? Jiroushin's a Golden Retriever and Kwannon's a Persian."
"Where are their bodies?"
"Dead…They got shot."
Koumyo looked at Sanzo, who replied, "I'm afraid I don't know. Even we were fired at with machine guns last night."
The scientist chose not to lie to the marionette. "Without their bodies, I'm afraid I can't bring them back." Seeing the sorrow on Gojyo's handsome face, he quickly added, "But I have an idea. That is, if your friend here would be willing…"
"His name is Hakuryu."
"I'll explain everything to you later, Hakuryu." Koumyo even gave the dragon a wink.
Hakuryu had a feeling on what Koumyo had in mind. He nodded emphatically.
"Good!" Koumyo exclaimed. "Now let's get cracking!" Saying this, he carried Hakuryu inside the house.
"I like him, Sanzo," Gojyo told the actor beside him. "He is so nice and warm!"
At that moment, however, praising the good doctor was not on Sanzo's mind. To the marionette's surprise, the actor stormed after his mentor.
"Oi, sensei!" Sanzo yelled after the older man. "I thought you tagged along because you wanted to help me with this equipment. Come back here, you!"
© July 21, 2005 By Rory V. Pascual
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Gojyo was kneeling on the couch, gazing at the setting sun. He scratched gingerly on the bandages wrapped around his injured arm.
With a sigh, the clone glanced at Hakuryu, who was lying in a pet bed, his wounded wing also swathed in bandages. "Sanzo's not home yet. He's probably hungry by now. He didn't even come home for lunch." Gojyo eyed the lunch he had earlier prepared that was now covered on the dining table. "I'll just heat the food up again when he arrives."
Hakuryu remarked, :Sanzo? Jien's brother? Scaaaaaaary!:
"I know what you mean," Gojyo agreed with the dragon. "Sanzo is so different from Jien. He is soooo serious. At his age, he already has a few wrinkles. But…I don't think he's really that bad. I mean, as Jien said, Goku was in love with him. Jien himself loves him dearly. Besides, he saved us both from Gyumao's men, so I think he's a good guy. I just wish I could see him smile. Life must have been so hard for him that he had forgotten how to smile. I'd like to make him smile, Hakuryu. With that golden blond hair and that handsome face, a smile would make him drop dead gorgeous!"
Hakuryu shook his head, still very drowsy from the sedative that Sanzo had given him earlier. :Impossible. Sanzo…no smile. Still scaaaaary!:
"I know what can make Sanzo smile." Gojyo grinned. "When we're fixed, we'll go and find Jien."
The little dragon nodded I approval. As he let out an eager "Kyuu!", he spoke through their cyberconnection, :Hakuryu burn Gyumao to ashes!:
"Don't be so bloodthirsty, Hakuryu," Gojyo scolded him. "We are not going to lower ourselves to his level."
Gojyo's attention was drawn to the opening electronic gates, and Sanzo's car entering the driveway. With a happy whoop, he carefully picked up Hakuryu and went out the front door to meet him.
"Good afternoon, Sanzo!" the marionette greeted cheerfully, as the moody actor got down from his car. "I thought you would be…" He did not finish what he was going to say when a silver gray van wheeled up behind Sanzo's sports car. Gojyo was frozen in indecision, wondering if the actor had revealed his whereabouts to the evil multimillionaire.
But then, the man who came down from the van immediately smiled upon seeing him. Except for the color of his hair and his squinting eyes, he looked almost like Sanzo.
"Well?" the man exclaimed good-naturedly, as he slid the back door open. "Don't just gawk there, boy! Are you well enough to give us a hand?"
"Uh…yes, sir," Gojyo stuttered in reply as he hurried towards them.
With a pout, Sanzo mumbled, "I thought you were going to drop by later this evening. I never thought you'd tag along with me." He carefully unloaded silver cases and crates of equipment from the back of the van.
"I certainly can't rely on maintenance to transport this stuff safely. So many things can happen in transit," the man answered as he brought down more boxes, ignoring Gojyo's silent offer of assistance. "Besides, this is a perfect excuse for me to get out of the lab. I need a change of scenery. You certainly can't appreciate an intellectual beauty like Dr. Huang who's as cold as canned tuna." He ruffled Gojyo's hair playfully. "I like the scenery here much better, thank you very much." Finally noticing the marionette, he exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry. Looks like Sanzo and I can handle this just fine on our own. Just take care of your little dragon, okay? Hmm…I really should do something about your hair. Do these two locks always stand up like these? They're like cockroach antennae."
"Actually, they are," Sanzo commented dryly. "I was giving him a partial systems check and those locks can actually pick up radio signals."
Gojyo's face darkened as he glared up at those two wayward locks at the top of his head. "I don't look like a cockroach! And I'm not a radio either!"
"No, of course not! You look exactly like that delightful protégé of mine…Jien."
"If you don't mind my asking, sir," the clone began curiously. "But…who are you?"
It was Sanzo who made the introduction. "Gojyo, I would like you to meet Dr. Koumyo. He was our mentor when we still worked for Xyberdyne Tech." He gave the older man a fond smile. "I'm glad that he hasn't changed one bit since we were together last."
"Koryu here told me that you and your little dragon friend had a misadventure last night, and you needed to be repaired," Koumyo explained. "I thought I'd give this dour-faced ward of mine a helping hand."
"What did you just say about my face?" Sanzo growled menacingly.
Koumyo ignored the scowl his protégé was giving him, and he bent down to pat Hakuryu's head with his finger. The dragon 'kyuu'-ed in delight.
"Hello there, little fella," he greeted the dragon with a smile. "I'll fix you up as good as new. Plus, I'm thinking of making some modifications on you, so you can better protect Gojyo here. Would you like that?"
Hakuryu strained his neck to the kind scientist, who readily took him from the marionette's arms. He gave Koumyo a lick on the cheek.
Gojyo fumbled inside his trousers pocket and pulled out the two master circuits. "Dr. Koumyo…my friends Jiroushin and Kwannon…these are all that's left of them. Could you bring them back? Jiroushin's a Golden Retriever and Kwannon's a Persian."
"Where are their bodies?"
"Dead…They got shot."
Koumyo looked at Sanzo, who replied, "I'm afraid I don't know. Even we were fired at with machine guns last night."
The scientist chose not to lie to the marionette. "Without their bodies, I'm afraid I can't bring them back." Seeing the sorrow on Gojyo's handsome face, he quickly added, "But I have an idea. That is, if your friend here would be willing…"
"His name is Hakuryu."
"I'll explain everything to you later, Hakuryu." Koumyo even gave the dragon a wink.
Hakuryu had a feeling on what Koumyo had in mind. He nodded emphatically.
"Good!" Koumyo exclaimed. "Now let's get cracking!" Saying this, he carried Hakuryu inside the house.
"I like him, Sanzo," Gojyo told the actor beside him. "He is so nice and warm!"
At that moment, however, praising the good doctor was not on Sanzo's mind. To the marionette's surprise, the actor stormed after his mentor.
"Oi, sensei!" Sanzo yelled after the older man. "I thought you tagged along because you wanted to help me with this equipment. Come back here, you!"
~~~~~
Sanzo felt Gojyo trembling as he carefully connected the intricate wires and cables in the marionette's arm. He peered on top of the frame of his eyeglasses, and sure enough, he could see that the clone was trying to suppress his tears of pain. That gesture caused his glasses to slip down his fine nose a bit. As he expected, Gojyo pushed the glasses back up with the tip of his finger, a small distraction from the pain. When he bent down at his task once more, the glasses slipped once more. This time, Gojyo kept them in place by holding an ear support.
"Gojyo…" Sanzo began with a hint of mild exasperation. "If it hurts, all you have to do is tell me and I'll give you another shot of anesthetic."
"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all," Gojyo reassured him. "Actually, it just tickles."
"Oh is that so?" Sanzo touched a wire, and Gojyo let out a pained yelp. With a sigh, he injected the clone with a local anesthetic. "You didn't have to endure the pain, Gojyo."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you."
"I'm the one who should apologize for these…primitive…conditions. I would've preferred to take you to Xyberdyne Tech, but there are just too many spies in that place." With a grimace, Sanzo mused, With Nii Jen Yi first and foremost among them.
"It's okay. This is just fine." Gojyo watched as Sanzo fused two wires together with a solder. "Besides, I tend to be a pest sometimes. I didn't want to annoy you."
At that moment, Koumyo entered the dining room, having come from the garage where he had been repairing Hakuryu. "Well, I understand how you feel. Koryu is never known for his patience and he is quite intimidating. Up to now, I still can't believe he entered showbiz. I always thought he'd scare the living shit out of his fans." With a grin, he inched conspiratorially close to the now curious marionette. "Did you know that Koryu, Jien and the rest of the TV show's cast performed at a special benefit concert at Budokan Hall? I know Jien is quite a talented singer and dancer, but Koryu here…" Koumyu gave his startled ward a choking embrace. "Even if he was scowling throughout the number, he was a fantastic singer. As for the way he danced, let's put it this way. He would put all the strip joint pole dancers in the country out of work."
Irritated, Sanzo tapped his mentor on the forehead with his reflex hammer. "That's because Jien wouldn't stop harassing me on stage. He kept on hissing, 'Wiggle that butt, you stiff-bodied idiot!' I couldn't risk letting anyone hear what he was saying over the microphone. What else could I do?"
Gojyo's mind, however, was focused on what Koumyo had said earlier. "Strip joint…that's bad. Very, very bad!"
"Hey! I don't want you getting the wrong idea!" Sanzo exclaimed defensively. "I didn't take off my clothes all right?!"
"True, but you and Jien danced so obscenely," argued Koumyo. "So many women, young and old, and gays fainted that night. The casualty count was very high."
Sanzo was close to blowing his stack. There was a noticeable tic at his temple as he growled. "Is there a good reason why you're here and not taking care of Hakuryu?"
"Oooh…Hakuryu! I knew I had something to announce!"
Gojyo squealed in happiness as Hakuryu flew into the kitchen as good as new, sitting down on the table.
:Dr. Koumyo fixed me, Gojyo!: Hakuryu told the clone. :We're all fixed!:
" 'All?'" Gojyo asked curiously. He looked at the older scientist. "What does he mean by that?"
Koumyo produced a laptop and placed it on the table beside the dragon. Giving Hakuryu a conniving smile, he yanked out the coaxial cables from his long neck and connected them to his laptop's terminals. Punching in a few keys, the screen flared to life to reveal three smiling animal faces.
"Jiroushin…Kwannon…" Gojyo burst into tears. "You're alive! I thought I'd lost you forever!"
"Now, how could we leave our precious marionette?" Jiroushin declared. "We've always been with you. We just lost our bodies, that's all."
"But…there's something I don't understand." The clone glanced at Hakuryu's slender body, before looking back at the grinning faces on the screen. "Three minds in one body? Isn't it a bit crowded in there?"
"Gojyo…" Kwannon began. "We asked Dr. Koumyo for one last opportunity to see you."
"What do you mean?"
"Like you said, three minds cannot occupy one body. We agreed that all the knowledge contained in our master circuits would be transferred to Hakuryu. With the three of us acting as one, we will be better equipped to protect and guide you."
Through the dragon's eyes, Jiroushin saw Gojyo's face scrunch up. "Please don't cry, Gojyo. This is the best choice for Kwannon and me. We may have lost our original bodies, but we will continue to exist right here with Hakuryu."
Koumyo laid his hand on the marionette's shoulder. "You're not going to lose them, Gojyo. After the transfer is completed, you will see that Kwannon and Jiroushin's personalities will now become a part of Hakuryu. When once you had three friends, you will just have one friend with three hearts that beat as one for you and for those whom you choose to love."
Gojyo looked to Sanzo for guidance. The actor simply nodded in approval. Turning to Koumyo once more, he asked, "Could I be the one to…"
"All you have to do is press 'Enter'."
The clone's hand trembled as he placed his index finger over the ENTER key. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he gazed at the Golden Retriever and the Persian cat one last time.
"I love you, Jiroushin, Kwannon," Gojyo whispered tenderly.
"And we love you too, Gojyo," the two animal clones answered in unison.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Gojyo pressed the key. With a sob, he flung his arms around Sanzo's neck, not wanting to see the loss of his two friends. The data transfer took five minutes to complete. When it was done, the dragon straightened up from the table, round red peering up at the weeping clone.
"Gojyo?" Sanzo eased the marionette away, urging him to look at the dragon.
As Gojyo slowly turned, Hakuryu leaped into his embrace with the boundless energy of Jiroushin. The tears from his face were licked daintily away, just like Kwannon used to do.
:We're all here, Gojyo,: Hakuryu spoke inside his mind.
The marionette bussed the dragon on the top of his tiny head. "Yes, I can see that."
Suddenly, Hakuryu fluttered up, crying, :Surprise! Surprise!:
"A surprise? For me?" Gojyo's eyes twinkled with excitement. "Let me see! Let me see!"
Koumyo raised a halting hand to Hakuryu, a gesture that did not escape Sanzo's suspicious notice. "Uh…Hakuryu…I wouldn't do that here if I were you."
Too late. Hakuryu's tiny body began to emit a bright white light that grew in intensity until it was blinding. For a brief second, Sanzo thought he was something silvery green extruding from the dragon's body. Then, he felt the dining table being pushed back by something large and growing, pinning him against the kitchen counter. There was the loud clash of surgical instruments falling to the floor. The light then faded away, and Sanzo's lavender eyes widened in shock at the sight he beheld.
Standing right smack in the middle of his dining room was a jeep. Its headlights flashed in time with the happy "kyu" sounds coming from it.
Gojyo was absolutely delighted. Jumping into the driver's seat, he cried, "Hakuryu? Is this really you?"
:Yep!: the dragon replied with a hint of pride in his mind's voice as he felt the clone give playful turns on his steering wheel. :Like it?:
"I like! I like! A LOT! Let's go for a drive!"
"Gojyo…uh…" Koumyo started to warn the excited marionette. "You would need to get a driver's license first."
Happy crimson eyes gazed at the elder scientist. "Can he turn into a plane?"
Koumyo scratched his head. "Sorry, no. I don't have enough organic metal for something that size. Come on, Gojyo! If Koryu's finished with you, I'll complete your repairs and do a systems check on you."
"Can you turn me into a plane, Dr. Koumyo?"
As they started talking excitedly, they did not notice that Sanzo was already shaking in anger, right hand clenched in a tight fist.
With the fury of an exploding volcano, Sanzo bellowed, "SOMEONE GET THIS JEEP OUT OF MY KITCHEN!"
"Gojyo…" Sanzo began with a hint of mild exasperation. "If it hurts, all you have to do is tell me and I'll give you another shot of anesthetic."
"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all," Gojyo reassured him. "Actually, it just tickles."
"Oh is that so?" Sanzo touched a wire, and Gojyo let out a pained yelp. With a sigh, he injected the clone with a local anesthetic. "You didn't have to endure the pain, Gojyo."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you."
"I'm the one who should apologize for these…primitive…conditions. I would've preferred to take you to Xyberdyne Tech, but there are just too many spies in that place." With a grimace, Sanzo mused, With Nii Jen Yi first and foremost among them.
"It's okay. This is just fine." Gojyo watched as Sanzo fused two wires together with a solder. "Besides, I tend to be a pest sometimes. I didn't want to annoy you."
At that moment, Koumyo entered the dining room, having come from the garage where he had been repairing Hakuryu. "Well, I understand how you feel. Koryu is never known for his patience and he is quite intimidating. Up to now, I still can't believe he entered showbiz. I always thought he'd scare the living shit out of his fans." With a grin, he inched conspiratorially close to the now curious marionette. "Did you know that Koryu, Jien and the rest of the TV show's cast performed at a special benefit concert at Budokan Hall? I know Jien is quite a talented singer and dancer, but Koryu here…" Koumyu gave his startled ward a choking embrace. "Even if he was scowling throughout the number, he was a fantastic singer. As for the way he danced, let's put it this way. He would put all the strip joint pole dancers in the country out of work."
Irritated, Sanzo tapped his mentor on the forehead with his reflex hammer. "That's because Jien wouldn't stop harassing me on stage. He kept on hissing, 'Wiggle that butt, you stiff-bodied idiot!' I couldn't risk letting anyone hear what he was saying over the microphone. What else could I do?"
Gojyo's mind, however, was focused on what Koumyo had said earlier. "Strip joint…that's bad. Very, very bad!"
"Hey! I don't want you getting the wrong idea!" Sanzo exclaimed defensively. "I didn't take off my clothes all right?!"
"True, but you and Jien danced so obscenely," argued Koumyo. "So many women, young and old, and gays fainted that night. The casualty count was very high."
Sanzo was close to blowing his stack. There was a noticeable tic at his temple as he growled. "Is there a good reason why you're here and not taking care of Hakuryu?"
"Oooh…Hakuryu! I knew I had something to announce!"
Gojyo squealed in happiness as Hakuryu flew into the kitchen as good as new, sitting down on the table.
:Dr. Koumyo fixed me, Gojyo!: Hakuryu told the clone. :We're all fixed!:
" 'All?'" Gojyo asked curiously. He looked at the older scientist. "What does he mean by that?"
Koumyo produced a laptop and placed it on the table beside the dragon. Giving Hakuryu a conniving smile, he yanked out the coaxial cables from his long neck and connected them to his laptop's terminals. Punching in a few keys, the screen flared to life to reveal three smiling animal faces.
"Jiroushin…Kwannon…" Gojyo burst into tears. "You're alive! I thought I'd lost you forever!"
"Now, how could we leave our precious marionette?" Jiroushin declared. "We've always been with you. We just lost our bodies, that's all."
"But…there's something I don't understand." The clone glanced at Hakuryu's slender body, before looking back at the grinning faces on the screen. "Three minds in one body? Isn't it a bit crowded in there?"
"Gojyo…" Kwannon began. "We asked Dr. Koumyo for one last opportunity to see you."
"What do you mean?"
"Like you said, three minds cannot occupy one body. We agreed that all the knowledge contained in our master circuits would be transferred to Hakuryu. With the three of us acting as one, we will be better equipped to protect and guide you."
Through the dragon's eyes, Jiroushin saw Gojyo's face scrunch up. "Please don't cry, Gojyo. This is the best choice for Kwannon and me. We may have lost our original bodies, but we will continue to exist right here with Hakuryu."
Koumyo laid his hand on the marionette's shoulder. "You're not going to lose them, Gojyo. After the transfer is completed, you will see that Kwannon and Jiroushin's personalities will now become a part of Hakuryu. When once you had three friends, you will just have one friend with three hearts that beat as one for you and for those whom you choose to love."
Gojyo looked to Sanzo for guidance. The actor simply nodded in approval. Turning to Koumyo once more, he asked, "Could I be the one to…"
"All you have to do is press 'Enter'."
The clone's hand trembled as he placed his index finger over the ENTER key. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he gazed at the Golden Retriever and the Persian cat one last time.
"I love you, Jiroushin, Kwannon," Gojyo whispered tenderly.
"And we love you too, Gojyo," the two animal clones answered in unison.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Gojyo pressed the key. With a sob, he flung his arms around Sanzo's neck, not wanting to see the loss of his two friends. The data transfer took five minutes to complete. When it was done, the dragon straightened up from the table, round red peering up at the weeping clone.
"Gojyo?" Sanzo eased the marionette away, urging him to look at the dragon.
As Gojyo slowly turned, Hakuryu leaped into his embrace with the boundless energy of Jiroushin. The tears from his face were licked daintily away, just like Kwannon used to do.
:We're all here, Gojyo,: Hakuryu spoke inside his mind.
The marionette bussed the dragon on the top of his tiny head. "Yes, I can see that."
Suddenly, Hakuryu fluttered up, crying, :Surprise! Surprise!:
"A surprise? For me?" Gojyo's eyes twinkled with excitement. "Let me see! Let me see!"
Koumyo raised a halting hand to Hakuryu, a gesture that did not escape Sanzo's suspicious notice. "Uh…Hakuryu…I wouldn't do that here if I were you."
Too late. Hakuryu's tiny body began to emit a bright white light that grew in intensity until it was blinding. For a brief second, Sanzo thought he was something silvery green extruding from the dragon's body. Then, he felt the dining table being pushed back by something large and growing, pinning him against the kitchen counter. There was the loud clash of surgical instruments falling to the floor. The light then faded away, and Sanzo's lavender eyes widened in shock at the sight he beheld.
Standing right smack in the middle of his dining room was a jeep. Its headlights flashed in time with the happy "kyu" sounds coming from it.
Gojyo was absolutely delighted. Jumping into the driver's seat, he cried, "Hakuryu? Is this really you?"
:Yep!: the dragon replied with a hint of pride in his mind's voice as he felt the clone give playful turns on his steering wheel. :Like it?:
"I like! I like! A LOT! Let's go for a drive!"
"Gojyo…uh…" Koumyo started to warn the excited marionette. "You would need to get a driver's license first."
Happy crimson eyes gazed at the elder scientist. "Can he turn into a plane?"
Koumyo scratched his head. "Sorry, no. I don't have enough organic metal for something that size. Come on, Gojyo! If Koryu's finished with you, I'll complete your repairs and do a systems check on you."
"Can you turn me into a plane, Dr. Koumyo?"
As they started talking excitedly, they did not notice that Sanzo was already shaking in anger, right hand clenched in a tight fist.
With the fury of an exploding volcano, Sanzo bellowed, "SOMEONE GET THIS JEEP OUT OF MY KITCHEN!"
~~~~~
"Thank you so much, Sanzo," Gojyo murmured sleepily as he pulled Hakuryu close to him.
Sanzo tucked the blanket under the marionette's chin and whispered back, "You're welcome, Gojyo."
Abiding an urge he could not resist, he gave Gojyo a kiss on the forehead, something he used to with Jien when his younger brother was sleepy. Lighting up a cigarette, he went out onto the porch where Koumyo was already smoking on his pipe.
"Sensei…" he slowly began, but the words he was going to say died in his throat.
"I see you've noticed," Koumyo said thoughtfully. "To tell you the truth, I was surprised when I saw liquid organic metal inside Gojyo's system, same as in Hakuryu. There was only one other person whom I knew experimented with liquid metal, but…he's dead."
Sanzo leaned over the railing. "I know. But when I did an initial systems check on him, there were circuitry, processors that could only be made by him. This is so confusing. Sensei, what could this mean?"
"I don't know. I really don't know. I tried to get into Gojyo's memory but it's locked up tight. I think Jien did it. Only you could figure it out. But then…"
"You're thinking the same thing I am, right? That Goku might be alive…somehow…."
Koumyo nodded. "I think you should ask Gojyo when you get the chance. I don't think he'll keep any secrets from you. In fact, I believe he wants you to be happy. I've noticed the way he looked at you while you were repairing him."
"After everything that I've gone through," Sanzo began, "it's difficult to hope that I will receive even a little happiness."
"Well, you already have…in that sweet clone in there." The elder scientist yawned, stretching his arms up. "In the meantime, I'd better turn in. I have to be at the lab early tomorrow."
"Sensei…"
"Don't worry, Koryu. I'll do everything in my power to help you. I've grown quite fond of Gojyo and Hakuryu, so you don't have to worry about anything."
Sanzo smiled in relief. "Thank you so much, sensei!"
Koumyo patted Sanzo's shoulder. "You're smiling again. I'm glad that Gojyo came. It's been so long since I last saw you smile."
"Yes, I know. And it feels good to be smiling again."
Sanzo tucked the blanket under the marionette's chin and whispered back, "You're welcome, Gojyo."
Abiding an urge he could not resist, he gave Gojyo a kiss on the forehead, something he used to with Jien when his younger brother was sleepy. Lighting up a cigarette, he went out onto the porch where Koumyo was already smoking on his pipe.
"Sensei…" he slowly began, but the words he was going to say died in his throat.
"I see you've noticed," Koumyo said thoughtfully. "To tell you the truth, I was surprised when I saw liquid organic metal inside Gojyo's system, same as in Hakuryu. There was only one other person whom I knew experimented with liquid metal, but…he's dead."
Sanzo leaned over the railing. "I know. But when I did an initial systems check on him, there were circuitry, processors that could only be made by him. This is so confusing. Sensei, what could this mean?"
"I don't know. I really don't know. I tried to get into Gojyo's memory but it's locked up tight. I think Jien did it. Only you could figure it out. But then…"
"You're thinking the same thing I am, right? That Goku might be alive…somehow…."
Koumyo nodded. "I think you should ask Gojyo when you get the chance. I don't think he'll keep any secrets from you. In fact, I believe he wants you to be happy. I've noticed the way he looked at you while you were repairing him."
"After everything that I've gone through," Sanzo began, "it's difficult to hope that I will receive even a little happiness."
"Well, you already have…in that sweet clone in there." The elder scientist yawned, stretching his arms up. "In the meantime, I'd better turn in. I have to be at the lab early tomorrow."
"Sensei…"
"Don't worry, Koryu. I'll do everything in my power to help you. I've grown quite fond of Gojyo and Hakuryu, so you don't have to worry about anything."
Sanzo smiled in relief. "Thank you so much, sensei!"
Koumyo patted Sanzo's shoulder. "You're smiling again. I'm glad that Gojyo came. It's been so long since I last saw you smile."
"Yes, I know. And it feels good to be smiling again."
~~~~~
"DAMN IT!"
Goku pounded his fists on the computer terminal in frustration. He had somehow managed to bring Hakkai to the underground lab and transferred his consciousness into the body of his clone. However, he was met by two major setbacks. For some reason, the damage that was inflicted upon Hakkai's original body was also encrypted into the clone. The clone floating inside the glass chamber was now also without a right eye, and he would have to create an artificial one later on.
The worst setback was that the gunshot wound had created damage to the neural system inside Hakkai's brain. Electrical signals ended in torn nerve endings and had nowhere to go. Those nerves that were repaired could not conduct signals properly. As a result, even if Hakkai were to eventually awaken, Goku doubted if the clone would be able to function properly. His greatest concern was that the memory center was damaged, and…something…perhaps Hakkai himself, was thwarting the nerve cells within the center to regenerate. Maybe to forget the pain he had endured…to forget Gojyo….
"NO! I won't let you give up, Hakkai!" Goku said stubbornly, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He could feel his head throbbing in pain from stress that he reached up, only to have his fingers encounter the gold crown he had fashioned around his head to hide the satellite dish that was on his brow. In his haste to enter his clone's body, the data of the satellite dish from the original monkey clone was also transferred to this new body.
Goku looked up at Hakkai, floating silently inside the cloning chamber. With firm resolve, he muttered, "I'm not going to let you give up so easily, my friend. I'll give you a reason to live again. On my life, I swear I'll find Gojyo and bring him back to you."
Goku pounded his fists on the computer terminal in frustration. He had somehow managed to bring Hakkai to the underground lab and transferred his consciousness into the body of his clone. However, he was met by two major setbacks. For some reason, the damage that was inflicted upon Hakkai's original body was also encrypted into the clone. The clone floating inside the glass chamber was now also without a right eye, and he would have to create an artificial one later on.
The worst setback was that the gunshot wound had created damage to the neural system inside Hakkai's brain. Electrical signals ended in torn nerve endings and had nowhere to go. Those nerves that were repaired could not conduct signals properly. As a result, even if Hakkai were to eventually awaken, Goku doubted if the clone would be able to function properly. His greatest concern was that the memory center was damaged, and…something…perhaps Hakkai himself, was thwarting the nerve cells within the center to regenerate. Maybe to forget the pain he had endured…to forget Gojyo….
"NO! I won't let you give up, Hakkai!" Goku said stubbornly, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He could feel his head throbbing in pain from stress that he reached up, only to have his fingers encounter the gold crown he had fashioned around his head to hide the satellite dish that was on his brow. In his haste to enter his clone's body, the data of the satellite dish from the original monkey clone was also transferred to this new body.
Goku looked up at Hakkai, floating silently inside the cloning chamber. With firm resolve, he muttered, "I'm not going to let you give up so easily, my friend. I'll give you a reason to live again. On my life, I swear I'll find Gojyo and bring him back to you."
* * * * * * * * * *
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I somehow managed to do Chap. 22 of this story. Not a mean feat, given the fact that RL is still being a huge pain in the butt. Telephone is going to get disconnected tomorrow and perhaps water next month. I'm not being paid my rightful salary so I don't have any money, and I can't do anything about it. Just problems piling up all over the place. Anyway, this is just a small invite. I may not be able to write long, but I have been writing bits and pieces of chapters and new stories. Anyone interested in sneak previews of future chapters of stories here and new stories are invited to visit my LJ at http://www.livejournal.com/users/roryheadmav/ I'll be posting stuff there before they get posted on MediaMiner, So if you're the impatient type, feel free to visit. Thanks and please do pray that things get resolved soon!