Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Return To Innocence, Again ❯ Deep Submerge ( Chapter 2 )

Return To Innocence, Again
The Continuation And The Previous Work
A Gensomaden Saiyuki Fanfiction By enervate

Return To Innocence, Again
Part 4 :: Deep Submerge

Goku paced around in the small and suffocating tunnel, already on the edge of breaking down and cry. He figured that he had been in the cave for about an hour or so, and yet he did not find any way out yet. He tried tracing back the way from where he came from, but with no avail. Groaning and lamenting on what that has befallen him, he sat down and stared around him. To the left and right, nothing surrounded him else than solid granite walls. To the front, the road leads to another fork; which simply means that he will have to choose his path again. He looked behind. Not a welcoming sight. Another fork, this one even worse than the first. It divided the road into four. Four different choices, four different fate... arrgh! Bewitching evil! How the hell is he going to return to the surface??

The place was dark itself... just like that cave...

But no bars, no chains, no sun....

No sun???

Goku winced as Reality hit him hard in the mind.

No... no... no... no... no... no... no... no... no... no...

The word ricocheted in the spaces of his mind, tormenting him, teasing him, that sinister laugh... that provoking voice...

That voice! Damn!

Goku gritted his teeth. He began to decipher something in his cerebrum. Damnable. The voice that trapped him, that led him here,... to something that he hated, something that admonished him of his fateful past...

Damn!

I don't know why I am so fascinated with the damn cave. Damn! All I remembered, I heard a voice calling me, calling me out... that distant calling,... I heard a voice calling me to come closer, come nearer...

But why am I following some stranger's voice, when all I truly wanted to hear is Sanzo's voice?

...

... but when I heard the other voice,... it drowned Sanzo's own voice... I could hear the faint ringing of his monotonous voice,... his deep alluring tone,... I sought after his voice, that familiar calling that comforted me... but why did I surrender to this demonic calling???

...

... desperation?

Desperation. I'm desperate to catch for my falling star, I'm desperate to know where we are... and I'm desperate to reach out for that glimmer of hope again.

I am desperate to feel the warmth of the morning sun again.

Goku's eyes welled up, and slowly tears began to caress his cheeks tenderly. Woefully Goku wiped them with his hands, but as he could not contain his own sufferings any longer, he burst into deep cries.

"Sanzo,... I'm sorry... I know that you'll never get to save me... and I'll never get to be with you again..."

* * *

In darkness, there is light,
Without light, there is no darkness,
The light supports the existence of the dark,
Where the candle shines, you will see shadows,
Where the silhouettes danced, there are music in the brilliance of a glow,
The morning gives way to the night,
The night moves on to the morning,
Look beyond the Sun,
For the stars will diminish, lost that evensong,
But soon, from dust rises a new flame,
As Light and Darkness are one.

Sanzo could feel the pressure of the water engulfing him altogether, but he gave up his struggle for survival. Somehow he felt weary. He gave up. He don't want everything anymore. Nothing matters no more. Black swirled in the corners of his mind, dots covering his vision almost immediately as he went into subconscious state. He felt his hands slipping from the touch of reality. He felt those hands whom once were there to catch him,...

... they are gone.

... gone?

... why,... I thought they will remain forever,... but since the tragic lost,... I know someday I will lose the other one too,...

... if I got too close with the final one...

* * *

"Sanzo-houshii-sama!!"

Footsteps. Heart thumping loudly. Blood accelerated in his veins. Turn around that corner. Yes, another turn. The familiar steps. Wooden panels. Sliding doors. Blood.... blood???

Koryu's pace came to a direct halt. Fear. Fear. Fear drowned his sanity. Fear drowned his emotions. Fear overruled. Blood... no. Komyo Sanzo never had blood as part of that place...

... but...

One hand gingerly opened that door. One eye peeked in. One soul torn apart at the sight.

And forever he will remember that day, the day that he lost his beloved master.

It was the day after the climax of their relationship. And when the rain solemnly cried and sang the song of the lover's lament...

... young Koryu, heart-broken, picked up the remnants of his angel and left the place with bloodstained wings forever.

* * *

Goku slowly got up, and decided that he should quit crying. Instead, he should move on, trying to find his way out. "I'll never get out of here if I never try, right?" Somehow, after reasoning to himself, he felt better. With renewed courage and determination, he picked up his footsteps and made his way in the labyrinth of tunnels.

It wasn't very far that he went, when suddenly that tight lane that he had descended for quite a moment came into a vast chamber. It was a large chamber indeed. The walls were shimmering softly in iridescence. Goku walked slowly to the walls, and placed his hands upon it. It felt cool to his touch. He turned around, marveling at the beauty of Nature. The ceilings of this chamber had silhouettes of waters upon it. It was only then Goku realized that there was a lake nearby there. His heart beat in joy.

"Well, at least I know I won't die of thirst." remarked Goku as he got closer to the lake. He dipped his hands into the invigorating waters, and took a sip. Instantly he felt his soul was revived, and his hope renewed.

He walked around the chamber, surveying the area. The chamber was large, all right, and there's a lake on one side, which flows from a stream hidden in another tunnel. And on the other edge there is another tunnel that leads to somewhere unknown yet. Goku took a peek into the tunnel. It seems to be a long and straight road. Goku sighed in relieve. At least if he met a dead end or something unpleasant, he knew that he could return to this chamber.

The chamber was not empty with only Goku and the lake there. There was boulders scattered about here and there, broken and dried wood, and also a piece of what that seems like a remnant from a torn tent. "Did someone come here before?" Goku pondered as he picked up the piece of a former tent.

Goku turned around and walked back to the lake. He trailed his fingers on the surface of the calm waters as he pondered on his next move. So now, his survival problems is quite solved. There is abundant source of water beside him, and by chance, he might get to fish inside this lake too. He peered into the lake, trying to scan for any traces of living creatures in it. He could not exactly make out any form of life in it, after all, the lake seems deep. Goku grinned as he rubbed his hands in glee. "I guess I will have to dive in it and find out for myself.... and I could get a nice bath too... heh."

Suddenly, from afar, a flash of green and white almost send Goku out of his mind.

".... Ma-Tenkyo? [Evil Sutra]?"

Indeed was the holy piece of parchment floating upon the crystal surface of the lake, but its owner was missing.

"Sanzo? Sanzo!" Goku called out. No response. He jumped into the water, [yes, still fully clothed] and swam towards the floating Sutra. Goku retrieved it and waded offshore. He sat on the cold granite floors of the chamber, his expression drawn into despair, his heart went tumbling down.

"Sanzo,..." Goku held the Sutra close to his heart. Then he lifted it, and analyzed the wet piece of scriptures in his hands. No blood nor tearing on the Sutra, which means most probably there is no bloodshed...

"... so Sanzo somehow got drowned or something,..... oh no...." Goku's eyes widened in horror. Quickly he turned around and looked wildly for any more traces of Sanzo. He looked at the tunnel from where all the water in the lake came from.

"Don't tell me,... please,... Sanzo,... something evil has befallen him?" Goku wondered on worriedly, still clutching to the Evil Sutra tightly. His heart pounded loudly in his ears, and he felt his blood rushing, accelerating,...

Something must have happened. Sanzo is not someone who is that careless to lose something, especially something as important as the Sutra itself.

And now,...

Sanzo,... where are you?????????

Goku's mind screamed in the silence of the world.

* * *

Gojyo strolled in silence as his footsteps echoed those of Hakkai's. In the snowy ground, their footsteps made a perfect pattern on the white land. Gojyo knew why Hakkai volunteered on getting the water. He knew why Hakkai volunteered to get food. He knew why Hakkai asked him to follow along....

That devious Hakkai!

Hakkai did not show any signs of his intentions, but instead, he walked, smiling as usual, humming a little tune [A/N: Does Hakkai hum tunes? Only God knows.... hahahaha!] as he moved on. Gojyo grinned silently. Slowly, he slipped one arm around Hakkai's shoulder, intending to pull the other a little closer...

"Ah, Gojyo, what is it?" Hakkai asked cheerfully as he looked up, his eyes twinkling. Gojyo frowned sideways. "You,... mischievous little brat..." Gojyo commented lightly as he grinned widely. "Me?" Hakkai asked in fake innocence, his eyes wide but still having that glow inside.

"Hakkai, don't fake it,... even the baka saru could tell that you are lying..." Gojyo sighed as he wrapped his arms around Hakkai's neck. Slowly he pressed his face lightly onto Hakkai's neck, tender enough to send shivers down the latter's spine. Hakkai gave a blissful sigh. He bit his lips.

"Gojyo,... we~" Suddenly Hakkai could feel Gojyo's lips upon his. Immediately his defenses weakened, and he found himself responding to the kiss. He embraced Gojyo softly, and pulled him closer as their lips plunged from what was a slow kiss into a breathless and passionate one. Hakkai found nothing but euphoria enveloping him. Their lips were still locked, and as Hakkai drowned from the lack of oxygen, Gojyo did not pull away. Instead, he pressed Hakkai tightly against him, and forced the other into another fiery kiss.

Hakkai could not take it anymore. He clutched tightly onto Gojyo's robes [A/N : All of them were robed, remember? It was snowing...], his hands tightening onto his grasp as he was overwhelmed by the kiss. And when Gojyo pulled back, Hakkai took in his breath immediately, his face all scarlet from the lack of air. Grinning at the sight of Hakkai, Gojyo planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "What are you doing, Hakkai? So red all of a sudden,..."

"...." Hakkai did not respond, but inhaled softly. He felt better, all right. A little better, maybe.

"Gojyo, we are supposed to get water and food, not here to kiss." Hakkai commented as he flashed the pail before Gojyo. Gojyo snatched the pail from Hakkai's hand.

"Kissing is my food, Hakkai. So, feed me, will you?" Gojyo retorted, grinning. Hakkai shook his head. "You better think of getting Goku and Sanzo their share of their food too."

"They can wait..." Gojyo responded, dropping the pail and pulled Hakkai closer to him. He placed Hakkai's head on his shoulders and hugged him tightly. Hakkai opened his mouth to debate with Gojyo, but Gojyo sealed it with a tender kiss.

Hakkai closed his eyes as he felt Gojyo kissing him softly. His lips curved up into a smile. He did not know why he surrendered to everything Gojyo does. All he knew is that he felt like a certain kind of bliss when he was with him. As a friend, confidant or even as a lover,... he always had that feeling around when he was with Gojyo.

The sense of security and the sense of belonging.

Maybe that is why he never pull back when Gojyo placed his lips upon his, or when Gojyo pulled him closer in that hug,...

... because he lost that feeling before, and he never wanted to lose it again.

Hakkai ran his fingers through Gojyo's long silky hair as he pulled Gojyo nearer in that kiss. He could feel Gojyo silently ravishing upon his own lips, and he could feel his pulse racing in the speed of the light. He tugged gently at Gojyo's hair. Gojyo pulled away from the kiss slowly, and he looked up questioningly with his crimson eyes. Hakkai shook his head, smiling. Slowly, Hakkai placed his lips upon Gojyo's neck, sending butterfly kisses upon his smooth skin. He could feel Gojyo responded with a gentle nib on the ear as he bit softly on his earlobe.

Suddenly Hakkai laughed.

"What is sooooooooo funny?" Gojyo asked sarcastically as he glared at Hakkai. Hakkai always had a penchant for making cliffhangers. They would be engage in an intimate gesture,... and suddenly something so anticlimactic will hang up their brief exchange of love.

And because of these cliffhangers, Gojyo always find himself wanting more of that sly and cunning brunette.

"Gojyo, c'mon, let's get the others their food... it will be not very kind of us to starve Sanzo and Goku." Hakkai commented as he picked up the fallen pail and walked on.

"You,..." Gojyo could only shook his head as he followed Hakkai. Adjusting the hood of his robe, he swore that he will get on Hakkai later.

"You better feed me until I'm full later." Gojyo remarked sarcastically as he caught up with Hakkai's pace. Hakkai smiled, winked and nodded.

* * *

Sanzo,...

SANZO!

And out in the darkness, two hands reached out for him. He looked up, and grasped at those hands. He felt peace dawned upon him.

Surrealism.

And the theories of surrealistic world... that chimerical and ephemeral circle that linked Reality and Fantasy...

In darkness, came that light, and those hands, and he clung upon them...

And escaped from those dungeons of darkness.

And hand-in-hand, they send light to destroy that world of darkness.

* * *

Goku turned around, and saw strands of blond floating upon the water at the source point where the waters of the lake came from.

"SANZO!"

Goku jumped into the water and swam against the currents. He struggled as the water, despite not being very rapid, washed him against his destination.

"Sanzo,... hold on..." Goku gritted his teeth as he raised one hand above water. Sanzo showed no signs of consciousness...

"Nyoi-bou!!!" Goku summoned his legendary staff. With the help of his staff, he waded all the way to Sanzo.

As Goku nearly reached to the top of the stream, where Sanzo laid, a big wave splashed upon them, causing Goku to almost lose his foothold. Sanzo, meanwhile, got moved by the current, and he sank to somewhere nearby Goku.

"SANZO!" Without further hesitation, Goku plunged into the water. In the cold icy underwater, he finally saw Sanzo. He wrapped his arms around Sanzo, and tried to get the latter out of the water. He tugged. He pulled. No avail.

Goku felt suffocated. He released his grip and resurfaced. Taking in more oxygen, he plunged into the water again. There. He saw what that prevented him from moving Sanzo away from the area.

Sanzo's robes got caught in several branches. Goku tried to pull his robes out from the clutches of the branches, but couldn't. Annoyed, and feeling suffocated once more, Goku focused all his power and unleashed a powerful blow with his Nyoibou upon those branches. Immediately he caught hold of Sanzo and swam up.

Tired, almost drowned and suffocated, Goku laid there on the floors of the chamber, terribly glad that he is no more underwater. After several minutes of returning himself to full health, he got up. "Sanzo?"

He cradled Sanzo's head in his arms as he laid Sanzo down. Sanzo showed no sign of reviving. Goku gently placed his finger underneath Sanzo's nose to check for a living sign.

...

...

Negative.

Goku's eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat...

... oh no...

He checked for a pulse.

... he detected a faint one...

Goku sighed in relieve.

So what am I supposed to do? CPR? [1]

Oh my god...

...

...

... honestly I don't know how to perform it.

I've only seen Hakkai did it once when Gojyo drowned. But now, come to think about it,... how do you do that?

Goku's mind went blank. Blank to the infinite blank, blank as vacuum, blank to the utter blank that it could be blank.

Or plainly, blank.

Now, Goku does wish that he did pay more attention to what Hakkai did.

Slowly, he pressed upon Sanzo's chest. Water poured out from the latter's mouth. Goku cringed. "Did he drown that badly?"

After water stopped flowing from Sanzo's mouth, Goku felt better. He searched for the pulse.

Still weak. Very faint. Almost none.

And what did Hakkai do then? Oh yeah, he put his mouth on Gojyo's, and breathed in or something like that...

He looked at Sanzo.

Must I really do that?

Another look at Sanzo.

... I guess... I won't want him to die...

Goku gently placed Sanzo onto the floor. He bit his lips. He felt kind of awkward, but if it was only to save someone's life... he guess it does not matter....

Slowly, he bent down and placed his lips upon Sanzo's.

What is next?

Oh hell,... I don't know....

WHOA!

And the next thing he knew?

He was pulled down into a passionate kiss.

A/N : [1] = Sorry, I am clueless about the correct way of CPR. I'm not any Red Cross Society girl,... I don't enter St. John Ambulance in my school either. All I know is that you are supposed to put your mouth onto someone's else and then breath in or something,... hahahahahaha! Poor me and Goku,... I guess we need First-Aid lessons from Hakkai. Ooi, Hakkai! Come here and teach me now!

* * *

Actually, what that truly happened was...

Goku placed his lips upon Sanzo's. Sanzo was only half-conscious then. Nonetheless, he could feel the pressure of Goku's lips against his, and somehow that drove him upon his own emotional roller-coaster.

And he anticipated the next move.

None came. He opened his eyes slowly, still painful after his drowning. And to his annoyance, he saw Goku down there, lips still upon his, but paused in motion.

[A/N : Goku was in deep thought then,... pondering about CPR. =P]

Sanzo felt Goku's gesture a little, intriguing, as well as tempting. And Sanzo could not take it anymore.

Since that delusional morning, I knew nothing more than to give myself up. But somehow, something held me back so long,... so long that deep inside I'm suffering from a wound invisible to the eye, and yet it bleeds of blood as red as blood itself, and yet it was deeper than oceans as oceans are deep itself. I'm suffering from my own desire, from my own self...

... from my own self that I wished to hide behind those facade of ice I wore every single moment.

I knew the sinful indulgences I had that day, and that satanic calling had more than once drove me insane.

I knew that I had no choice but to respond to my own calling before I drowned once again.... in Reality and in my own volume of mind.

... and to feel his heart beating so close against mine,...

Slowly, he kissed Goku's lips in return. He pulled the younger one down onto him, and hungrily lavished his own desire upon that astonished child. His hands cupped Goku's face tightly, his kisses passionate and filled with the silent craving of his own turbulent heart. Desire, desire, desire... they drove him insane. And to feel those soft and unmarred lips pressed upon his gave him more than mere shivers; they gave him a whole new surge of emotions within.

And admittedly, Sanzo knew that he could not withstand his own feelings. Somehow, the monster within that was once caged,...

It felt as though as someone had unlocked that cage and unleashed the beast, leaving it to prowl freely.

Sanzo knew that Goku, too, had kept inside him something that kept on wanting to be released. The kiss was one-sided at first. Sanzo was the one who dominated it thoroughly, for Goku was at shock then. But it wasn't for long when Sanzo sensed the change of rhythm in their kiss. Goku slowly responded. He placed his arms around Sanzo's neck, and pushed himself closer to Sanzo. Gently he shifted himself onto Sanzo and slowly devoured those lips in return. The aching in his heart grew when he felt that his memories of anguish for the whole week got tainted in that delicate kiss.

He remembered that painful feeling, that feeling that he had for a whole week...

... of waiting.

... of wanting.

... of lust.

Suddenly he tasted salt in that kiss. Little did he realize that he was crying. And he could feel Sanzo's lips adverted from his own, and slowly those lips that he keenly wanted to possess moved along on his cheeks, licking up those tears of sadness, of bitterness.

And then, when Sanzo pulled Goku down, laying Goku's head upon his shoulders and wrapping him closely in his own arms, Goku embraced him in return and cried. He did not restrain his tears. He did not pull back. All he did was to cry there, in those comforting arms.

Sanzo bit his lips. Maybe he shouldn't push things too far. He realized the true mistake he did. He knew that the pretense between them for the whole week will drive both of them to the edge of sanity. He knew that.

Suddenly he felt so cold.

And only then, he realized that he was wet, wet from his water experience the previous few minutes.

Slowly, he pushed Goku away, and commented silently. "Aren't you cold?"

Goku sat upright, stopped his crying and took at glance at himself. "Well,... I am." He admitted, smiling. Sanzo remarked with a "Tch." and stood up. He felt around his body.

"Goku, where is the Ma-Tenkyo?" Sanzo's amethyst eyes flashed suddenly. Goku took out the holy scripture from his clothes, and handed it to Sanzo. Sanzo nodded. He placed it upon the granite floors of the chamber, and started collecting those stray pieces of branches on the floor. Motioning to Goku, he said. "Ooi, get on moving and collect those branches."

Goku nodded, and dashed off looking for those branches.

After a while, Sanzo and Goku piled up a small stack of those branches, and with a damp lighter Sanzo lit those wood, setting a small flame within the chamber. Satisfied, he took out his items, which include his pack of cigarettes, his spirit-ascending gun, his white paper fan, his spectacles, his Sutra, his lighter and his gold credit card, and set them down on the floor. Then he took off his clothes to dry them before the merry fire, leaving himself topless and only in his boxer shorts.

[A/N : Hahahahaha! Sorry, hentai thoughts flashing in my mind,... gomenasai....]

Noticing that Goku was looking another way and sat there doing nothing, Sanzo folded his arms and remarked wryly. "Do you want to remain as a wet monkey there, or would you rather get yourself dried up, saru?"

"Ah,... urm,... all right." Goku took off his clothes and laid them neatly by the fire. There he sat, and he stretched out his hands towards the fire, smiling. He felt better by the heat. It was a nice exchange for their cold adventures for the day.

Sanzo raised one eyebrow cynically at Goku's behavior. He sat down and picked up the box of cigarettes. He took one out, quite thankful that he did not open the box previously. So, the cigarettes remained dry and intact within the plastic wrappings.

He lit one with his lighter and sat there, silently smoking. From the corner of his eye, he saw Goku's innocent smile, warming himself up by the fire.

I wonder, honestly, I do wonder.

Wonder whether is he now marred by those symbols of affection that I gave him,... or will he remain that same old stupid monkey that I loved so much?

As much as I love his childish attitude, as much as I love being concerned about him, as much as I love to see his eyes shining so brightly in innocence,...

... I do love to hold him close. I do love to plant a tender kiss upon his virgin lips. I do love to watch him blush underneath the light of what was called 'Love'.

And Sanzo knew that those thoughts had driven him crazy. Too crazy.

Suddenly he saw Goku got up, and walked in front of him, and then sat down facing him. Goku looked troubled, or for some matter, he looked as though as he had a nasty stomachache.

"Sanzo,..."

"Hmm?" Sanzo noted as he raised one eyebrow questioningly, sitting down cross-legged, one hand holding that cigarette leisurely. Goku bit his lips, and picked up the courage to talk what was bugging him on his mind.

"Sanzo, tell me, are you serious about loving me?"

That question blew Sanzo's mind away. He was much taken aback by Goku's boldness, of how daring Goku is, in asking such a straightforward question. He stared at Goku.

"Sanzo,... please. Tell me if those kisses were nothing but a mere moment that you played just because you were driven to do so. Tell me if those were nothing but because you wanted someone to release all your feelings upon. Tell me if it was nothing but a game. Tell me if you never mean it. Please."

"I won't be hurt if it is all nothing... Sanzo. Honestly all I want to know now is the truth. I don't want to be kept up in confusion. I want to know the truth,... the truth,..."

Goku's lips quivered, and a solitary tear stroked his cheek.

"... I want to know the truth if you never truly love me."

Sanzo did not know how he should answer all those questions. Maybe it was true indeed. Maybe the reason why he held Goku close was because of to satisfy his own emotions, to satisfy his own wanting...

... but maybe he does care.

And now, to watch Goku sitting there, silent, looking down, eyes twinkling underneath the reflections of his crystal tears,... it broke his heart somehow.

"Who said that I never love you?" Sanzo spoke up finally after a pregnant moment of silence. He embraced Goku slowly, pulling Goku into his arms. Goku huddled himself within Sanzo's arms, crying. "Sanzo,... if it is so, then why all the silence for the week? I felt so tortured... so hurt..." Goku's words were drowned in tears. Sanzo bit his lips, and slowly planted a comforting kiss on Goku's forehead. Within the surreal calmness of the kiss, he whispered "I'm sorry."

He was not the only one who was hurt and tortured. I knew that was how I felt when I sat on my bed, every night, alone,... wishing that I could sleep with someone to hold in my arms, just a comforting sensation that someone will be there...

I wish I could tell him so. I wish I could. But I knew what truly held me back all these time...

"Goku,..." Sanzo slowly whispered as he ran his fingers through Goku's hair, his hands tightly locking Goku in his embrace. He could feel Goku's bare skin caressing against his as Goku shifted his position. He could hear Goku's muffled sobs as he buried his face onto Sanzo's shoulder. "... I'm truly sorry."

".... Sanzo,..." Goku bit his lips, still crying. "... I wish I could own your heart. I wish you don't have to keep those moments of silence between us."

"... I,..." Sanzo did not know what to say. To confess of what that has bugged him on his mind for those eternity of his sleepless nights?

"... Goku, it wasn't because of that I loved you less, no,... all those silence and distance..." Sanzo began, as he slowly whispered into Goku's ear his confessional words. "... it was because I lost someone before when I said 'I Love You'. I don't want to lose you,... that is why I am much too afraid to say anything."

There. He said it. Sanzo felt better.

Goku was silent. He did not expect Sanzo to tell him of his own personal business.

"But, I do wish, if I tell you that I love you now, I will not have to lose you tomorrow." Sanzo finished, sighing. Goku closed his eyes, quite ashamed. He felt that he was selfish, somehow, forcing Sanzo to things that he avoided just because he simply don't want to repeat a mistake he made once. "I'm sorry, Sanzo... I shouldn't have..."

"Ssh." Sanzo hushed Goku, silencing him up with a soft kiss. Goku bit his lips. "This time, I wish, if I told you those words, you'll never leave me tomorrow."

"Sanzo, you know I won't leave you." Goku exclaimed, teary-eyed. Sanzo traced his face with one finger, his eyes gazing into Goku's golden orbs in pure tenderness and sincerity. And in deep hope too.

I wish tomorrow will come, and you will remain by my side this time.

"I love you, Son Goku, with all my heart."

With that declaration, Sanzo kissed Goku, slow enough to seal those words tightly as his hands caught Goku's, fingers interlaced. Goku kissed Sanzo in return, savoring that moment,...

I know that I will never leave Sanzo,... no matter what...

Didn't I live for the sake of him?

"I love you too, Sanzo,... forever."

End of Part 4 : Deep Submerge