Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ CHAPTER NINE: Departure ( Chapter 9 )
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama / Fantasy / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.08.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 926 | Status: Work In Progress
© February 9, 2003 By Rory V. Pascual
The darkness of midnight shrouded the castle of Tofuugai with a pall of foreboding. So thick was the aura of danger, but the three figures walking determinedly through the hallways were oblivious to it. Although this was their first time to explore the bowels of the castle, their hearts knew where to take them.
Soon enough, they arrived at the chamber in the basement. As they stared at the stone doors before them, a voice spoke from within.
"Have you made your decision?"
"Hai, we have," Hakkai stated firmly. "That's why we're here. You told us to come to you when we have made our choice."
"For Sanzo," Goku began just as strongly, "we'll do anything."
"Only for Sanzo? Are you not doing this for yourselves as well?"
"Sanzo is a good enough reason for all of us to push through with this madness," Gojyo answered with infuriating casualness. "We just want to get this over and done with so we could each go our own way at last."
"Do you find each other's company so detestable?"
"That's too strong a word to describe how we feel about each other now," said Hakkai, his handsome features hardening. "'Unbearable' is the more appropriate term. As Gojyo said, we're much better off apart."
"Are you so sure about that? Tell me, Son Goku. You have known devastating loneliness in your life. Could you live without the warmth that the friendship such as what you and your friends possess had given you?"
Goku couldn't answer at first, knowing full well how miserable his life was during those long centuries of imprisonment on Mt. Gogyo. But the pain of a sundered friendship overwhelmed the memories of lonesome misery.
"I could find other friends," the saru declared. "Friends who could be much better than the ones I just lost."
For a moment, there was deafening silence. Then, Kaoru spoke once more. "If that is your wish, then so be it. Enter my dear brave, but foolish souls. The path that leads to Kanzeon Bosatsu awaits you."
The doors slid open, revealing a white glow within. Keeping their eyes focused on that light, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku entered the chamber.
Hakuryu woke up with a start, shocked to see that night had already fallen. Worse, as he stared at the clock, that it was midnight. The witching hour. The time when gods and demons came out to play.
Swiftly unfurling his wings, the little dragon flew towards the door. But the minute his body touched it, he was jolted by electricity that sent him hurtling backwards, crashing to the floor beside the mirror.
Picking himself up from the floor, Hakuryu shook himself hard to get rid of the numbing effects of that power jolt, only to find himself staring at the mirror, and at the reflection he had not seen in centuries.
Stunned, the dragon lifted a clawed hand to caress his face, watching as his more human mirror image do the same before him. Tears filled his eyes, realizing how much he desired to return to that pleasingly handsome and proud shape. Before his fingers could touch his cheek, however, the words of the youkai Elder of Tofuugai returned to him.
"Have you received the expiation you have long sought for?" Kaoru had asked him earlier.
Hakuryu abruptly turned his back to the image in the mirror. His pride, his personal desires were not important, certainly not when he was in danger of losing his precious wards all over again.
Spying the open vent at the corner of the wall near the ceiling, the little dragon grinned slyly. He was Seikai Ryuu Ou. No one has ever dared to imprison the Dragon King of the Western Sea and gotten away with it.
"You summoned us, my lord."
Gyumao smiled with a predator's anticipation as he gazed down at the two young men kneeling at his feet. He was especially pleased to see that this subservient position has become second nature to the proud priest. With what he had planned for the evening, he knew he was going to chip away another bit from that stubborn pride.
"I want you two to entertain me this time around," Gyumao told them, waiting to see what the monk's reaction would be.
A golden eyebrow lifted as Sanzo glared suspiciously at the youkai ruler. "And what kind of entertainment do you have in mind?"
Grinning broadly, the Demon King replied, "It is my wish to see my beautiful boys rut before me."
That answer shocked Kougaiji and Sanzo. They had been expecting that Gyumao would choose a bedmate between them, but certainly not this.
"But Touchan, we can't..." An unexpected hand above his own stopped Kougaiji's argument. Turning, he found Sanzo gazing warmly at him.
"It's all right, Kougaiji," said Sanzo, a shadow of a tender smile on his lips. "Just as long as you don't...I think you know what I mean."
Gyumao grimaced, knowing full well what the monk was implying. Still, he was surprised that Sanzo agreed to obey him so easily this time.
"Sanzo," the youkai prince answered in uncertainty, "I won't force you to do something you don't want to."
"The idea is not entirely displeasing to me," the monk shyly admitted. "At least, I'm assured that you'll be very gentle with me."
Kougaiji was warmed by the uncharacteristic trust that Sanzo was showing towards him. Smiling as well, he nodded. "Thank you for your trust, Sanzo. And I, too, trust you that you won't hurt me."
With these calm reassurances, the two men needed no further prompting. As the Demon King watched in lustful glee, they moved closer together, their arms lifting to embrace the other, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
Inside the mysterious chamber, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku were marveling at the huge mirror floating in the middle of the room.
"That mirror is the doorway that leads to the domain of the Goddess of Mercy," Kaoru explained. "But before you could enter it, you will have to go trials that the mirror itself will select for each of you. It is up to you to find the solution to the trial that you will be facing. If you fail, the mirror will not let you through. But if you pass the test, Kanzeon Bosatsu will be waiting for you on the other side." Hesitating for a moment, she added, "Sanzo-sama has a very good reason why he does not want you to go through with this mission. The trials ahead of you will be unlike any that you have ever faced during your long travels. It could break your hearts and tear at your souls. Is there no way that I could dissuade you from this path?"
"We have come this far, Kaoru-sama," Hakkai answered strongly.
Gojyo nodded in agreement. "We're not backing out now."
"Sanzo knows that we are doing this for him," Goku put in just as firmly. "There is nothing that he, or you, could do to stop us from going through with this."
Kaoru sighed, seeing the fierce determination on their faces. "If that is your decision, then I won't stop you. Approach the altars."
Doing as she commanded, they walked towards the stone slabs. Just as their backs touched the hard surface, the manacles closed around their wrists and ankles. Thus secured, the three men began to glow with distinctive auras -- with Hakkai's warm green, Gojyo's as red as a blazing fire, and Goku's as white as a star burst. Fueled by the power emanating from them, the glass slowly began to spin on its axis, moving faster and faster, rising higher into the air.
Hakuryu reached the basement chamber at last, only to be horrified by the powerful scent of magic reeking through the cracks of the closed stone doors.
Determined to get to his friends, the little dragon blasted the doors with his breath of fire. Again and again, he tried, but the doors held firm, with not even a scorch mark marring its surface. Frustrated, Hakuryu banged his tiny body again and again on the doors. Still, they would not budge.
Miserably defeated, the little dragon slowly slumped down to the floor, his tiny hands scratching futilely on the doors. If anyone with the inner vision that Gyumao possessed would walk in at that moment, they would've seen, instead of a dragon, a weeping young man kneeling before the doors, a silver braid draped over his bare shoulder. His clawed hands banged helplessly on the stone face, the scales peeling off with each blow that luminescent green blood was drawn.
"No! Don't do it!" he sobbed in anguish, calling out desperately to his friends inside. "I don't want to lose you again!"
"Look into the spinning mirror," Kaoru's monotone voice commanded. "Let it peer into the depths of your soul."
As Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo lifted their heads to gaze into the spinning glass, sure enough, they could feel something probing their minds, as if searching for a vital piece of memory. As if having found what it was looking for, the mirror flared brightly, emitting a raging inferno of wild colors before their eyes.
But then, even the image before them started to change. No longer could they see the spinning mirror. What Hakkai was seeing instead was a very familiar cottage in the heart of a small village. For Gojyo, it was a steep cliff overlooking a field blooming with blood red flowers. Goku's vision was that of a dense forest, at the edge of which was a quaint little hovel situated beside a clear blue pond.
"Your trials await you there," Kaoru told them. "But before you proceed, the mirror is demanding a sacrifice from each of you."
At these words, they lay back against the altars, giving themselves up completely to the whims of the mirror.
"Take what you will," they spoke in unison, closing their eyes in total submission.
Suddenly, six sharp golden rays projected out of the edge of the glass. In the blink of an eye, the rays shot out, heading straight for the three friends.
Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku cried out as those sharp rays slashed their arms, severing blood vessels in their wake.
Even after he had climaxed into Kougaiji's willing body, Sanzo could still see colors flashing before his eyes. So beautiful were these colors that he had completely forgotten about the lecherous Demon King who was watching their frenzied coupling. He wondered if this was the nirvana that only lovers attained in the aftermath of passionate sex. But it was so strange that the colors continued to pulse before him, increasing in brightness and intensity.
Sanzo shuddered all over, feeling Kougaiji's lips seize a tender nipple, suckling upon him as though he were his mother. When the youkai prince's fingers closed around his stirring erection, he mumbled huskily, "Do you see the beautiful colors, Kou? By the gods, I think I'm dying!"
Just as he voiced out that last, a scream was torn from Sanzo's throat as sharp pain slashed across his arms.
Hearing that scream, Kougaiji released the monk at once. He and Gyumao stared in horror as six deep wounds materialized on Sanzo's arms, immediately pouring out blood. For once, father and son acted as one, each tearing makeshift bandages from Sanzo's discarded robe and tying them around the wounds to staunch the flow of blood.
"Sanzo!" Kougaiji cried, already in a state of panic. "SANZO!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, you damned monk!" Gyumao yelled just as helplessly. "Hang on! I have no intention of losing you so soon!"
But Sanzo was deaf to their cries. As tears started to pour from his lavender eyes, he whispered in shock, "Hakkai...Gojyo...Goku! What have you done? Don't go! Oh, please don't leave me!"
Streams of blood poured from the gashes on the arms of Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo, flowing down the minute runnels on the altar, leading to the circular design etched on the floor. The minute their blood touched the edge of the circle, the blazing sun in the circle burst into flames, blinding them for a moment.
From within that inferno, there was a cluck of a tongue and a familiar sultry voice commented, "You boys certainly are a lot of trouble! Very well then, are you ready for your test?"
"Hai," they answered in strong determination.
Amused chuckles. "You've got guts, I can tell you that. Come in to the circle then. Let us see if you are indeed worthy of an audience with the great Goddess of Mercy."
At that declaration, their souls flew out of their bodies, heading for the heart of the burning sun.
Before they plunged into the fire and into the unknown trials awaiting them, they heard an earnest voice beg, "Hakkai...Gojyo...Goku! Don't go! Oh, please don't leave me!"
"Don't worry, Sanzo," Gojyo smiled in reassurance. "We'll be fine."
"We promise you we'll pass the tests that the Goddess has planned for us," Hakkai solemnly swore to the priest.
"Just hang on and be strong, Sanzo," Goku piped in cheerfully, the hope burning strong inside his heart. "We swear we'll come back to you."
Saying this, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku leaped right into the heart of the inferno.
Sanzo's eyes snapped open. Hakkai...Gojyo...Goku...? Where are you? But all he could feel was the devastating emptiness inside his heart where the warmth of his friends once lodged. Shaking his head in disbelief, he gasped, "No! Dear lord, no! Please tell me you didn't!"
Fear and despair gripping his entire being, Sanzo flung himself at a startled Gyumao's feet.
With bloody hands clutching frantically at the Demon King's raiments, the monk pleaded, "My lord, I have a desperate boon to ask of you. I beg you to allow me to leave the castle for a few days. My friends! My poor friends are in danger! Please, my lord! Let me go to them before it's too late!"
Although Gyumao's incensed answer was expected, it still dismayed the priest to hear it, especially since he was hoping against all hope that he could move the youkai ruler to listen to his earnest pleas.
"Do you think me a fool that I would let you go?" Gyumao declared, his eyes ablaze, appalled that the monk would have the audacity to ask this of him.
"My lord, onegai!" Sanzo lifted tear-filled eyes to the Demon King. "I have never asked you before for anything! I swear on my life, that once I have saved my friends, I shall return to you posthaste!"
"Why should I trust your word," Gyumao asked the priest in derision, "when all you have done is try my patience and disobey me at every opportunity? In case you've forgotten, I have yet to claim your accursed innocence. Until I have taken you completely, your place is here in this castle with me. I will never let you go!"
"The gift of my innocence to you... Is that all that's needed for you to grant me temporary freedom?" Sanzo's hand carefully reached into the Demon King's robe, taking the dagger that he knew lay hidden within its folds, his hand glowing as his fingers tightened around the hilt. "Maybe there is a way for me to break down these damned defenses."
Kougaiji frowned as he stared at the monk, suddenly alerted by the oh so subtle change in Sanzo's position. The way the monk's hand dipped into his father's robe, the way he leaned forward and spread his thighs wide. The glint of something sharp in his now glowing hand, which he quickly tucked between his legs.
Seeing the dagger's sharp tip aimed at that virgin opening, Kougaiji realized in an instant what Sanzo's intent was.
"Sanzo, don't!" The youkai prince swiftly lunged for the dagger, his hands closing around the sharp edge, before the monk could plunge it deep into his ass.
"Damn you, Kou!" Sanzo struggled to wrench the dagger free. "Let go! This is the only way for me to destroy these fucking defenses!"
"No! Never!" Kougaiji roared back, feeling the blade slice through his palms. "I won't allow you to hurt yourself!"
Their struggle for the dagger was brought to an abrupt end by Gyumao's fierce clip to the left side of the monk's face. In an instant, the dagger clattered to the floor.
The despair overwhelming him, Sanzo threw himself into Kougaiji's embrace, weeping anguished tears.
"Sanzo, I don't know what's happened that you're acting this way, but whatever it was that you sensed, it's probably nothing," Kougaiji tried to soothe the distraught priest, although his own heart was pounding in his chest. "I'm sure they're all right."
"You don't understand, Kougaiji! I felt them earlier. I felt their pain. But now, I could feel nothing, no trace of either Gojyo, Hakkai or Goku," Sanzo cried bitterly. "They don't know what they've done! My dear friends! Before they vanished, they told they'll return to me! But they won't be coming back...EVER! There is only one path to Kanzeon Bosatsu, and that path is death!"
In the cavernous bowels of the now forgotten laboratory of Gyokumen Koushu, shredded pieces of silk were strewn across the floor, covered with thick dust.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a strong breeze blew the dust away, uncovering the silk underneath. Those silk pieces started to glow with an unearthly light. One by one, the pieces started to move close to each other, the threads knitting together to form one long scroll of white silk with green borders. Then, flowing script magically appeared on the scroll's face, as though being written by an invisible brush from end to end.
Thus reconstructed, the Maten Kyoumou rolled itself up neatly on its wooden cylinder, golden cords with tassels securing it tightly. With a twinkle, the sutra rose into the air and vanished from the lab, to reappear on top of Sanzo's bed.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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