Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ May It Be ❯ If Only I Could Turn Back Time ( Chapter 3 )

This is a strange chapter. I'll admit that. And the ending is a bit rushed. But I was having a bad case of writer's block. But anyoo, here it is, part 3 of "May It Be". And yeh, Litouten's an ass. Please do keep in mind... this *is* AU!

~Part 3~

~=If Only I Could Turn Back Time=~

(past)

The halls of the palace in the heavens were normally not quite this quiet, and truthfully, days like this disturbed the hell out of Konzen. It always meant something bad was about to happen, and he hated it when bad things happened.

The kids were with Tenpou, probably getting into more mischief. Kenren was off being... well... being Kenren. Which usually encompassed getting drunk and beating someone up. And he himself had nothing to do. He wanted to hit something, or maybe just do some paperwork. Either way, it would release some tension.

He blinked as a sound down the hall caught his attention. Someone yelling, a child's voice crying. Frowning deeply, he recognized the first voice. Litouten was at it again. But the other voice... a girl's voice?

His frown grew into an angry grimace and he ran to the scene of the incident.

**

Litouten was in a rage. He had caught the kids playing tag outside, and the thought of his son and the young Kirin being around that murderous little ape had made his blood boil. He had ahold of Kai Lin's small arms, yelling at her, a distinct order to stay away from Goku...

The girl was in tears, sobbing a little louder each time he shook her in the emphasis of his speech. Konzen saw this, fury blazing in deep amethyst eyes, his fists clenching and unclenching. As he moved foreward, however, he heard a cry from Litouten. The child had twisted to one side in his grip and bitten his arm.

Unfortunately for Kai Lin, Litouten wasn't about to let a small child push him around like this. Angry and shocked by the girl's actions, he flung her to the side. The tiny cry from her as she struck the side wall caused Konzen's anger to flare up beyond belief and the young god stormed foreward, letting his fists do the talking as he landed a right hook on Litouten's left cheek.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Litouten?! I should have you thrown in the dungeon for this!" He was standing over the man now, glaring down at him, his fists shaking with pent up hate for the man before him. "Do you have any idea what you might have DONE?! Kai Lin is just a child! Same as Nataku, *and* Goku! If I *ever* see you touch one of them again, you god-damned fucking bastard... I swear I'll hand you over to Kanzeon-sama *myself*, *after* I've beaten the living *shit* out of you!"

He glared as Litouten ran off, only stared as Tenpou ran in, surprised by the noise. He watched quietly as the man gently picked up the child, comforting her whimpering, nursing the rather large bump on the back of her head.

He didn't speak at all. He just turned and walked back to his office.

*****

(present)

The room was dark. Sanzo's eyes had snapped open, and he was glaring at the wall. What had that dream been about? Who was that man? He rubbed the bridge of his nose lightly, trying to piece together the puzzle. He had most of the pieces, but that key piece, the one that made the whole picture come together, was missing. Why couldn't he place it...?

*****

(past)

It was almost impossible to break through that shell sometimes. Kenren always loved it when he did, though. He was beneath Tenpou in many aspects, after all. Tenpou was his superior, his commander, his general. But if there was one place Kenren would not accept being on the bottom, it was in bed. Besides... Tenpou seemed to enjoy being dominated every once in a while.

But today, Tenpou was in an even worse mood than normal. The man was rushing about a bed, tending to a wounded child, a wounded child Kenren knew well as the young Kirin. Nataku and Goku were peering in the door where Kenren stood to keep them out.

He couldn't help but feel bad for the kids. It was times like this he wished *he* was the one that outranked Litouten. He would've given him far worse treatment than Konzen. That man acted too damn pure to even look in Kenren's direction sometimes.

Quietly, he glanced back at Tenpou, who was just finishing tending to the girl in the bed. "She'll be fine... she just needs to sleep. She was more frightened than anything..."

Kenren nodded, letting Nataku and Goku past him. The two instantly rushed to Kai Lin's side, one on each side of the bed, peering at her nervously. It didn't take long for the little monkey and the dragon prince to be sound asleep as well, resting against the bed. Tenpou sighed a little and, with Kenren's help, lifted the two into the bed. Once the three were peacefully settled, Kenren practically dragged Tenpou out of the room.

"I feel bad leaving them alone..." murmured Tenpou, glancing over his shoulder as they made their way into the next room over.

Kenren shrugged, tilting Tenpou's face to look at him. "We're in the next room over. They can't get into too much trouble. Now tell me, Tenpou... what happened to her? She couldn't have just tripped and fell. Tripping and falling doesn't hurt a little kid that bad."

After a drawn out moment, Tenpou sighed, resting his head against Kenren's shoulder. "Litouten was yelling at her. She bit him."

This made Kenren snicker. "Good kid."

"No, not really." Tenpou was frowning, his voice dark. "He threw her into the wall. Good thing Konzen got there."

Kenren made a face, burying his nose in Tenpou's hair. "Much as I can't stand that pansy ass bastard, I appreciate what he does sometimes. Is anything gonna happen to Litouten for this?"

Tenpou shook his head. "Not a thing. Konzen's the only one who saw it, and he gave Litouten a warning."

Kenren growled, dipping his head to kiss Tenpou, his hands moving as he tried to push the foul thoughts out of his mind. One of these days...

*****

(present)

Gojyo sat up in bed abruptly, ruby eyes wide. The oddity of that dream was far behind him, but he felt so much from it. The feel of the man in his arms felt almost real, much warmer than Sanzo, with a voice much kinder. Almost like Hakkai.

He frowned. Hakkai was too cold, too distant, to ever be like the man in that dream. But a better question still remained...

Who was the man known as Kenren, and what was his significance...?

*****

(past)

Some people said that he fussed like a mother hen sometimes. He, Gensui Tenpou, a strong and straight-foreward general...

Turning into a harried mother over the three children that stayed in the heavens.

He already didn't like Litouten. Anyone in the heavens that knew him knew as much. As a matter of fact, he was highly likely to hit Litouten whenever he saw him. He'd done so before, and he'd gladly do so again. He hated the man on many levels, and as much as he cared for those three children, one of which he was tending to now, that just added another level of hate.

He sighed and looked down at Kai Lin. Most of her early symptoms had passed. He had spent the time necessary watching the child. She had a bad nausea spell, and had seemed dazed and puzzled for a while, unable to walk due to the shakiness of the shock. The blow to the head she'd taken when she hit the wall had given her a concussion, though with the expert abilities of all those in Taigai, the child would be fine.

He frowned, glancing over at Kenren, who was watching him from the door. Kenren would never have admitted it, but he was worried.

Tenpou sighed and looked back at the child in the bed. She had fallen asleep peacefully, and Tenpou was certain now that she would make a full recovery. He motioned only then for Kenren to bring the kids in. She'll be fine... she just needs to sleep. She was more frightened than anything..."

Kenren nodded, letting Nataku and Goku past him. The two instantly rushed to Kai Lin's side, one on each side of the bed, peering at her nervously. It didn't take long for the little monkey and the dragon prince to be sound asleep as well, resting against the bed. Tenpou sighed a little and lifted the two into the bed, tucking them in soundly. With Kenren's help, of course. Once they were settled peacefully, he allowed Kenren to drag him away.

"I feel bad leaving them alone..." He glanced over his shoulder as they moved to the next room.

Kenren shrugged, tilting Tenpou's face to look at him. "We're in the next room over. They can't get into too much trouble. Now tell me, Tenpou... what happened to her? She couldn't have just tripped and fell. Tripping and falling doesn't hurt a little kid that bad."

"Litouten was yelling at her. She bit him," Tenpou responded after a few moments, his head resting on Kenren's strong shoulder.

This made Kenren snicker. "Good kid."

"No, not really." Tenpou was frowning, his voice dark. "He threw her into the wall. Good thing Konzen got there."

Kenren made a face, burying his nose in Tenpou's hair. "Much as I can't stand that pansy ass bastard, I appreciate what he does sometimes. Is anything gonna happen to Litouten for this?"

Tenpou shook his head. "Not a thing. Konzen's the only one who saw it, and he gave Litouten a warning."

He heard Kenren's grunt of disproval before those familiar lips captured his again, even more familiar hands moving over his body and practically turning him to putty. Vaguely, he recalled his thoughts to have a word with Litouten about this little incident...

But that could wait until later.

*****

(present)

Hakkai groaned as he turned over in bed, his mind reeling from the dream he had just suffered. Such a strangely angry man for someone who seemed so intelligent. He turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling. An odd mystery, this strange dream. What was he supposed to do with it?

*****

For the first night in ages, Goku sat at the window wide awake, a thought stirring in his mind. A strange thought that wasn't so much of a thought as it was a spark. A spark of a memory dancing through his mind, lighting up doors he had not seen and revealing things to him he had not previously recalled. He remembered the tree, he remembered Nataku and Kai Lin, he remembered...

Konzen. Now Sanzo. Konzen, Sanzo, one in the same, his keeper and the man he would give his life for.

So deep was he in his thoughts that the tiny figure slinking closer to the window did not catch his attention. Green eyes flashed at him, and he was almost taken out when a lithe form lept at him, claws going for his throat. Quickly he dodged, putting the chair between he and his assailant. "...Ririn?!"

The girl grinned at him from behind burnt orange tresses, settling into a fighting pose. "Where's the Kirin, monkey boy?"

Goku grinned in return at this. "You want 'er? You have to get through me first!"

*****

The sounds of a skirmish roused Sanzo from his slumber shortly after he had fallen back asleep. Who was fighting at this time of night?! They'd get a bullet through the head for sure.

Then, he heard Goku's voice, and a second voice, that sounded annoyingly like Kougaiji's obnoxious little sister. Just as he'd suspected. They'd come for the Kirin. Rousing himself completely, he pulled on his robes, ornamentation, and sutra. He'd probably need them.

*****

Goku frowned as he watched Ririn carefully. He had tried very hard not to do much damage, but when battling a wild card like the demon girl, that was difficult. She also had the added advantage of a full rest. He was tired, having been unable to sleep, and the girl was fast on her feet, where he was a little more sluggish than normal. And besides the fact, he was hungry!

He was frustrated, battered, and very annoyed with this little fight when the door was abruptly kicked open. There stood Sanzo, looking very pissed off at having been woken up, violet eyes shooting daggers, spears, and nuclear, satellite guided warheads.

Ririn did not look ready to back off, until the nearby sound of approaching shouts caught her attention. Cursing her bad luck, the girl fled out the window and off into the night.

"Goku... what the fuck was that all about?" Sanzo's voice was dark and angry.

Goku stood in place, watching the window, before his golden eyes shot back to Sanzo. "They're after Kai Lin!"

Before Sanzo could question the matter further, the boy was out the door, barreling past Gojyo and Hakkai, heading for the child's room.

The three followed, only to find Goku at Kai Lin's bedside, letting out a sigh of relief. He brushed back a few strands of her hair, then much to everyone's surprise, crawled up into the bed next to her. He stayed atop the covers, though, smiling fondly at the girl. "I remember you not wanting me to go away, Kai Lin... but now that you've found me, what do we do?"

Hakkai blinked, then smiled, watching as the boy curled up next to his friend, much as he had in that strange dream. Goku yawned and grabbed her hand, holding onto it as he fell asleep. "I won't let them take you away, Kai Lin. Ever."

~Tsuzukeru~