Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ With Eyes That Cannot See ❯ Prologue: Collecting Strays ( Chapter 2 )

TITLE: With Eyes That Cannot See

CHAPTER: Prologue

BY: Simply Kim

GENRE: Yaoi (Angst/Humor/AU/Romance/Supernatural)

CAST: Almost everyone from the series of Gensomaden Saiyuki

DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to do not belong to me… ^_^ only the weird story does.

NOTES: The characters' ages in this fic isn't that much the same as the series.

Genjo Sanzo - 24

Cho Hakkai - 22

Sha Gojyo - 22

Sha Jien - 27

Yaone - 20

Son Goku - 18

Lilin - 17

Kougaiji - 21

Shien - 24

Homura - 27

Zeon - 26

* * * * * * * *

Prologue: Collecting Strays

* * * * * * * *

There was much noise outside... and yet the alleys were deserted. The heavy pitter-patter of the heavy downpour seemed to take its toll on everyone who had business outside. Flashes of lightning answered by roaring thunder produced a song that was so frightening, it virtually gave every person under the rebellious heaven the impression that it was the end of the world.

Then, footsteps rang on the hard pavement, rivaling the noise of the sky's quarrel... and a darkly clad figure broke through the deluge's mist. Gloved hands held a black umbrella of the finest quality familiarly, fingers gripping the handle so tightly that anyone who could have seen it would testify that it would probably break under the pressure.

The darkness of the city streets was a safety haven; a way to prevent others from seeing the forbidding features the figure seemed to be projecting...

"Damn... why did it have to rain?" The figure muttered with much vehemence a deep male voice could muster. Running his other hand on the surface of his leather trench coat. "I should've just done what that idiotic monkey said I should do... get the plastic raincoat off the hook and put the damned thing on... Hn, maybe he isn't such an idiot we took him for."

The man shook his head and chuckled almost imperceptively at a random memory of what had probably happened weeks ago. He looked up into the heavens and smiled lightly, confident that no one would see him do so.

His eyes glassed over as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. "The sky seems so dark... so sad... like it's crying over a lover far away..." Then another chuckle issued out from his lips as he focused once more on the uneven ground that made up the narrow ally facing him. He sighed. "Heh, I'm being sentimental again... Kami-sama, I hate it when it rains..."

And, with purposeful steps, he went on his way, swallowed again by the looming darkness of the night.

* * *

"Kyu?"

A trembling hand patted the small head raised almost pitifully in front of him.

"Ah... it's raining again... Na, Hakuryu?"

The small dragonet blinked its wistful eyes at his current master. "Kyu!" It intoned, lips parted as if in a rueful smile. It nuzzled its master's neck, seemingly saying yes to the question asked of it.

The dragonet's master sighed, a deep shuddering breath that reminded one of stress and fatigue... and utter hopelessness.

Hakuryu buried his head deeper into the piece of living flesh he was leaning on, trying to somehow cheer up his human.

Slight laughter.

"Ah, Hakuryu... stop doing that... you know your touch tickles, ne?"

Even with that momentary burst of happiness, the animal knew that its master was not feeling well. The pale column it was nuzzling into was almost as scorching as the flame it breathed. His voice was shaking with what it believed as tiredness... or... probably hunger because it had been three days since their last meal - which was not anywhere near decent, just a few table scraps from the restaurant near the mouth of the prosperous city.

His oversized and somewhat dirty clothes were drenched with the steady stream of water leaking from the hole of the rusty metal roof... that's probably why the dragonet's master knew it was raining - apart from the thundering noise outside their makeshift walls.

Hakuryu was almost afraid that it would lose its master who found him buried underneath the mound of heavy wooden crates in the local dumpster. It was calling out in fright then, and miraculously, his master acted upon his saving instinct. It was somehow surprising that the man found him even if he was... optically impaired.

Yes, the dragonet knew that its master was blind from the way he seemed to find his way through touching anything within reach. How he did it, the animal had no idea, and it was very much amazed at the way its human seemed to know his way home.

For two years, they both endured so much... and now... now, it seems as if its master was ready to give up on living...

He couldn't! He just couldn't!

Hakuryu's head drooped in sadness.

Suddenly, its master gave a sharp gasp, as he seemed to have forgotten something. Without warning, he stood up and bounded for where he knew the door was. Pushing the makeshift wooden cover aside, he stepped out into the night. Surprised, Hakuryu followed, even if it knew that if someone spotted its form, it would be its demise...

But it couldn't bear to leave its beloved master alone in the dark! What if something happened to his gentle human?

The animal peered through the darkness, it's young eyes searching for a tall form... at last, and it found what it was looking for.

It's human was fast approaching, carrying a small banana. "Ah, sorry for that Hakuryu... I remembered that I hid this out back yesterday... I forgot about it!" Its human gave a shaky smile. "Something to eat, ne? I heard your stomach growling, and then I remembered... it had been three days after all... gomen nasai, Hakuryu... Really..."

"Kyu?" Hakuryu, if it knew how to shed tears, would have right then.

Suddenly, its eyes widened to the point of popping as the banana slipped out of a pale hand, seemingly numb. Its master dropped down on his knees, and then slumped lifeless on the huge puddle of rainwater.

"KYU!" Hakuryu screeched, batting its wings and settling in licking the face of its master, desperate to revive him...

Seconds became minutes...

Minutes became hours...

And still...

The figure remained prone on the slowly flooding alley.

* * *

"There's gonna be an addition to our family, I think, ne, aniki?" Came an almost playful voice.

"HONTO?" Came a childish squeal of an eighteen-year-old boy. "YEAH! I'M GONNA HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND!"

"Hai... you're right, little brother." Came the deep-voiced reply. "I do hope he'll settle in fine with us though..."

"I'm sure he will, Jien-niichan."

"I do hope so, Yaone-chan." Jien grinned, playfully ruffling the painstakingly done hairdo of his surrogate sister. "My, my, you're so positive today... could it be that you finally saw yourself falling in love with the horrible brat always meddling with you in the university..."

Yaone stuck out her tongue at her surrogate brother's, crossing her slender arms across her chest. Her blue hair was now rumpled beyond repair, her beautiful gem-like eyes glaring at him under the fall of her bangs.

"Jien-niichan... mou... hidoi!" She glowered. "I'm NEVER falling IN LOVE with that EVIL GUY!" She announced, then, at a sudden minute sound she heard on her right, she shifted her glare at the young brown-haired boy unsuccessfully trying to stifle his giggle with a tanned hand. "Oi, oi, Goku... what are you laughing about?"

Another bout of laughter erupted as the boy finally had enough stifling and guffawed out loud, joined by a hysterically amused Gojyo, Jien's younger half-brother. "Oi... why are you two laughing? What did I say?" She her glare lightened a bit... her expression becoming more confused than angry.

"Ah... Yaone-chan..." Gojyo snorted. "You don't need to lie... we saw you yesterday..."

Dread shivered up her spine. "You... you saw... what...?"

"Goku sniggered. We saw you doodling all over your Chemistry notebook... you're writing HIS name together with lotsa stars and... HEARTS! Bwahahahaha!"

Yaone paled. Stammering, she tried to defend herself... but... no one believed her. She tried yammering it out with them just to sidetrack their attention... however, with Gojyo and Goku teaming up with Jien... it was impossible.

"What's all the laughter about?" Came a wondering male voice.

All turned towards the door separating the living room from the hall.

"Ah! Otouchan!" Goku yelped, running across the expensive Persian carpet and hugging the newcomer. Goku leapt and smothered the guy with a huge bear hug.

"Oi... Goku... I can't... breathe..."

With a sheepish grin, the boy let go, his eyes glittering happily. "Ne, ne, what happened? Is he going to make it?"

The corners of a shapely mouth lifted, and the newcomer nodded.

"YOKATTA!" Yaone squealed happily, clapping her hands in delight.

Goku and Gojyo were doing the boogie, looking almost dazed with happiness.

Jien lifted his eyes and met with the compassionate orbs of the one who gave their lives direction. He smiled, his usually serious features softening as the newcomer's younger features mirrored his own.

/Even if he's not too showy, we can see his emotions from the way he looks at things... from his wise eyes.../ Jien thought with pride and honor. /I'm glad that we've all met him... he's a good man... and we owe him our lives... /

* * *

He woke up to the sound of a piano solo.

Panicked, he sat up, wincing as damaged muscles protested his sudden action.

The music stopped, and a sudden disappointment entered his senses. He somehow wished the music did not stop... it was so beautiful...

"You're awake." Came a deep, and somehow comforting voice. The gentle tone was not lost in him, and he knew he wanted to listen to it every single day of his life... it was soothing...

Sighing, he turned to where he assumed the voice came from. He wasn't actually sure, since the voice echoed, as if they're inside a VERY spacious room...

Room?

Why was he here? What happened? Where was his beloved pet?

"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you..." Came that soothing voice again, doing its job in easing his fears. "Ah, don't get mad at me, okay... but you're facing the wrong direction."

Crimson stained his cheeks in extreme mortification. He wanted to kick himself. He wasn't as adept as he thought he was after all...

With care, he shifted his body and faced the other side of the bed. "Ah, I'm sorry..."

Then, as if the man could read his mind, assurance came.

"Your pet's playing with the youngest in this house. I've fed him and took care of him for a job well done. He saved you, you know."

He uttered a silent thanks to Hakuryu. Curiosity overtook him. "Uh... If you don't mind me asking... where am I? Why am I here? I -"

He stiffened as he heard a rustle from a sudden movement. Then, the person sat on the side of the bed. He quelched the sudden impulse to shy away and took a deep calming breath instead.

"You're in my home. As I've said before, your dragonet saved you... actually, he's technically MY dragonet, since he was the same one who got lost years ago... the one I looked for, for so long... the one I thought I wouldn't see again..."

"Hakuryu's yours?"

The owner of the house nodded.

"Ah, I cannot... see you if you... um..."

"Ah, sorry... I forgot..." Came the apologetic response. "Yes, he's mine... but now he's yours... just share him with his long-lost oneesan though... However... I doubt that he would choose you over us... he seems taken with you for a good reason that I think I could grasp easily..."

Crimson colored his cheeks again in embarrassment from the seeming complement. "Ah..." He uttered, not sure what to say.

Silence.

The man stood up and, by the sound of his footsteps, and the length of his walk before he settled on one position, he knew that he was by the piano again.

He wanted to hear the music...

"Ah, by the way..." The voice was very warm... and he suddenly wanted to know how this person looked like...

A wish...

Another wish.

He shook the lonely feeling away and gave the man a confused smile. "Ah... what is it... sir?"

A chuckle.

"I wanted to say that you're going to stay here from now on..."

"IIE!" he protested. "I cannot stay here... I'll be abusing your goodwill, sir... I... I wouldn't want to live here because this is not my..."

"From now on, this will be your home." Came the confident response... one that brooked no refusal. The strength of the declaration shut him up. There was no choice for him. It usually made him angry... when people take the choice away from him... however, this time... he did not know why the announcement left him unruffled, instead he felt...

Warm.

"You will stay here and learn the rules from the others..."

"The others?"

"Hai. There are others... four of them, excluding the house helps." The man continued. "You will meet them soon... I do hope you'd get along fine with all of them. They aren't necessarily bad... but they aren't that good either." He said with an amused chuckle.

The light tone made him smile a bit. The remark was a bit impersonal, but he could sense an underlying happiness for the fact that the man had them, whoever they are, around. He nodded once and bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thank you very much sir..."

"Don't call me sir." The man retorted wryly. "I'm not that old... I'm only twenty-four. I'm only two years older than you are, baka."

"Ah... sorry... I won't call you that again... yakusoku! Demo... I don't have anything to call you... I don't even know your name... si -" he suddenly stopped as a throw pillow caught him on the chest. He laughed softly, ignoring the tired protests of his innards.

"Ah... sorry again... it just slips out..." He smiled apologetically as his slight laughter subsided. "I'm Hakkai... Cho Hakkai... I know you know that already since you have definitely seen my records from somewhere... you know how old I am, that's why I knew..."

He could hear the low chuckle of the person he owed much to.

"Pleased to meet you then, Hakkai."

Hakkai leaned forward to catch the other's words.

"My name is Sanzo... Genjo Sanzo."

At that, Hakkai's green eyes widened.

It was Genjo Sanzo... the infamous Genjo Sanzo of Changan Corporation...

The person who virtually owns three-fourths of Japan and a quarter of the whole wide world...

What had he gotten himself into?

* * * * * * * *

TBC

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A/N: Hey minna! This is my first Saiyuki fic... I hope you liked it.... and more to come too! Please review everyone! Thanks for reading! ^____^