Saiyuki: Reborn

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Chapter 20


Goku watched a moment, making sure they were piling into the jeep
before facing Ahn-Shi again. \"You want me to kill you, right?\" he
asked softly, not caring if the demon heard him or not. \"That\'s what
this really is about--you want to die.\" He took a slow, deep
breath. \"All right then. We can go together.\"

Reaching up, Goku took a firm hold of his cornet. The energy from the
metal prickled his hand, but he didn\'t let it go. //Huyen...I\'m
sorry. If I do this…you won\'t be able to remember. I hope you can be
happy with Lan and Jin.// He concentrated hard on his lover\'s face--
he wanted it to be the last thought he had, the last image behind his
closed eyelids. With a final deep breath, Goku removed his headband,
slowly letting it drop to the pavement where it crumbled into dust.

Lan glanced back, feeling a strange chill on the wind, and his eyes
widened as the gold circlet fell. \"Goku...Goku, no....\" He grabbed
Jin\'s arm. \"Jin, he\'s--\"

Ahn-Shi stared in wonder as the energy surrounding his foe increased
drastically. \"Yes,\" he whispered, almost madly. \"Yes, this...is what
I have waited so long for...\" He smashed his tail against the street
anxiously. \"Let us both die in anger and madness, as we have lived
all these years….\"

Goku raised his head, regarding the demon in front of him with
hungry, flashing eyes. He tossed back his long hair, taking an odd
pleasure in feeling it so free about his face. A low growl slipped
from his lips, and he attacked.

Hakkuryuu pulled them away, though only far enough to escape the
worst of the battle. He turned, allowing them all to witness the
scene before them; Goku was a blur of hair and leather, and Lan found
he couldn\'t breathe as he watched the tiny demon steadily tearing
chunks from the giant turtle with his hands. \"Goku....\" //He\'s lost
himself. Without that cornet, we can\'t...//. He shuddered. \"Goku, why
did you....\"

\"Holy shit….\" Jin shuddered despite himself, his eyes wide and
disbelieving. \"Goku...\" //This is bad. He\'ll kill the demon easily,
now, but…Goku….//

Still held close to Jin, Huyen was slow in returning to
consciousness. He could feel blood seeping over his scalp, and his
ribs burned when he breathed, but there was something at the edge of
his senses drawing him back. //Goku...Goku…?// He groaned softly.

Ahn-Shi\'s eyes rolled back. His strength had failed him, threatening
to send him back to his human form. He held on with whatever he had
left even as Goku\'s claws bit into his underbelly. //I\'m…dying....//
The pain didn\'t reach him; he sagged, his demon flesh already melting
away, as his sight went dark. //Finally…. Finally….//

Lan looked on helplessly, terrified by the damage being done to the
immense demon in so short a time. //Goku....//

\"He\'s really done it this time, hasn\'t he?\"

Startled by the new voice, Lan turned to find a woman in a thin,
loose, low-cut white dress standing beside the jeep. He blinked at
her easy smile as she watched the pair of monsters battle. \"You....\"

\"What the--\" Jin jerked away, blinking at the stranger in
surprise. \"Hey...Miss, this isn\'t the best place to be right now.
That kid\'s gonna--\" He glanced back, and paled a little when he saw
the rest of Ahn-Shi\'s body disintegrate into dust and smoke. \"Damnit.\"

Huyen\'s eyes flickered open, though his sight was still
blurred. \"Goku….\" He tried to pull himself up to see what was
happening. \"You...damn fool….\"

\"You\'ve got that right,\" the woman said easily, leaning against the
car so she could better see the boy; her smile softened. \"But at
least he got rid of the demon.\"

Lan shivered, watching the woman and the dying demon with wide
eyes. //It\'s not possible, is it? Can it really be...her?// He lost
sight of Goku suddenly, and he sat up higher on his seat to try and
spot him. \"We need to stop him,\" he murmured fearfully. \"We have to,
but....\"

Huyen growled quietly as he pushed away from Jin--but the elder boy
had learned his lesson, and he didn\'t get far. \"Let me go,\" he
demanded, tugging weakly at him. \"I have to go--I have to make sure
he\'s all right!\"

Goku stalked out of the smoke and dust, eyes wide and bright as he
spotted the group in the car; he started towards them, sensing the
vague traces of power and dragon.

The woman looked up and spotted the boy. \"Better look fast then,\" she
said calmly, straightening. \"It\'ll be your last chance, after all.\"

\"Goku….\" Huyen bit his lip, but he didn\'t hesitate. He tried again to
leave the jeep, only to find Jin still holding him. \"Damnit, Jin--\"

\"You can\'t go!\" Jin told him firmly, trying to draw Huyen back. \"He
won\'t recognize you--he\'s a demon now. You\'ll be killed!\"

\"I don\'t care!\" Huyen slipped free at last, landing hard outside the
jeep as he pushed to his feet to face Goku. //Goku…after all that,
there\'s no way you\'ve forgotten me, now.// He stood as tall as he
could, unfaltering. //I\'m not afraid. I won\'t back down, Goku.//

Goku paused a moment as the other faced him, but a brief scent of the
air told him there was nothing to worry about--just a human. Eyes
narrowing, he started forward at a stalking pace, claws flexing.

Lan watched helplessly, finally turning to the woman--he knew her,
somehow. He knew.... \"Do something, please,\" he asked
desperately. \"That\'s why you\'re here, right? Goku will kill him--\"

Bosatsu crossed her arms. \"I\'m not here to seal him, if that\'s what
you\'re asking for.\" She smiled, but her expression was humorless. She
raised her voice to reach the blond. \"If you\'re going to do
something, better do it soon, kid. I\'ve got other plans for today.\"

\"Shut up, old bag,\" he retorted, his eyes never leaving Goku. \"I\'ll
deal with you later.\"

Huyen raised his hand, letting his eyes slip closed. He wasn\'t sure
what he was doing. There was only...a pull at the back of his mind,
something warm and familiar. \"Stupid ape,\" he muttered. \"After all
your talk...losing yourself like this.\" A shudder passed through him;
he was barely aware of the chant slipping suddenly from his lips, the
hum of energy around him. It was like...instinct, these words through
his voice, and they only strengthened as he continued.

Lan shifted in his seat, slowly rising as he prepared his own
spell. //I won\'t let him hurt Huyen. Damnit, why this? Why did it
have to end like this?//

Goku suddenly sprang into the air, claws aimed at the blond boy
standing alone in the street. Lan was startled by his speed, and
already he knew he wouldn\'t be fast enough. But as he watched, Goku
faltered in mid leap, something flashing around his forehead in a
surge of power that made the doctor shudder. The small figure crashed
to the ground at Huyen\'s feet. //Goku--// Lan hauled himself out of
the car and ran towards the pair.

Bosatsu smiled to herself, watching the group with the barest hint of
relief.

\"Stupid...ape....\" Huyen smiled bitterly down at the fallen figure,
and abruptly his skull flared bright and hot. With a tiny moan his
legs gave out.

\"Huyen!\" Jin leapt forward as well; thankfully Huyen seemed to sway a
moment before falling, and he and Lan were just able make in time to
support him. \"Damnit...what happened?\"

\"Isn\'t it obvious?\" Bosatsu paced forward, grinning. \"He sealed the
kid. Good thing, too.\"

Lan carefully pulled Huyen\'s arm over his shoulder so he could better
hold him. \"Jin?\" he asked softly, ignoring the woman for the
moment. \"Could you check on Goku? I think...his shoulder is still
bleeding.\"

\"Yeah, I\'ve got him.\" Jin hauled Goku into his arms, relieved that he
was back to normal. But the sound of sirens was coming closer, and he
quickly started back toward the jeep. \"Now let\'s get out of here
before anything else shows up--you, too, lady.\"

Lan hoisted Huyen into the backseat, making sure he was settled
before turning towards the woman. She smirked and offered her hand,
and he had no choice but to assist her into the seat beside Huyen.
Once he was sure Jin and Goku were ready, he climbed into the
driver\'s seat. \"Come on, Hakkuryuu,\" he urged quietly.

Bosatsu leaned close, cupping the blond boy\'s chin in her palm. \"You
really are still beautiful, aren\'t you,\" she teased. \"You just
couldn\'t stand to look common, could you.\"

Jin cocked an eye, but he didn\'t say anything as they sped back to
Goku and Huyen\'s apartment. He felt...stunned. It was hard to imagine
what had actually happened, and it wasn\'t until he\'d fished the keys
out of Huyen\'s pocket and let them all inside that he could even
think back on it. \"Damn...\" He brought Goku to the kitchen, just to
keep his blood from falling on floors that would stain until he could
find something to bandage him with. \"So, Lady, I think it\'s about
time you started explaining.\"

Bosatsu had stationed herself near the doorway to the kitchen so
she\'d be able to watch both groups--Lan was carefully stretching
Huyen out on the couch. \"Well, it would seem that the monkey decided
to play martyr, and my nephew remembered enough of himself to be able
to cast a complicated spell to seal him back up.\"

Lan frowned as he drew an extra blanket from the closet over the
sleeping boy, watching the woman warily. //But that doesn\'t explain
why you\'re here....//

\"Well, we could *see* that,\" Jin retorted, moving briefly into the
hall to dig out a first aid kit. Luckily the bullet seemed to have
passed straight through; he quickly set into removing Goku\'s clothing
so he could clean the wounds. \"But what happened--who the hell are
*you*?\"

\"She\'s Kannon Bosatsu,\" Lan replied, making sure Huyen was settled
before moving to help Jin. \"The Merciful Goddess of Heaven.\" The
cocky grin on the woman\'s face was enough to tell him he was right.
He knelt on the floor to help with Goku\'s clothing. \"I believe...she
sealed Goku, once. Early on in our journey.\"

\"Oh yeah….\" Jin frowned as he was finally able to get at the wound;
it had more or less stopped bleeding by now, amazingly
enough. //Well, he *is* a demon.// \"Is…Huyen going to be all right?\"
He glanced at the boy in the next room.

\"That\'ll de on on how much he\'s remembered,\" Bosatsu chose to
answer, looking to the boy in question. \"If he remembers his life as
my nephew, he could be in a coma--his mortal body wouldn\'t be able to
handle it. If it\'s just a bit about Sanzo, then he should be fine.\"
Her eyes turned to Goku, darkening a bit. //The real question is you,
isn\'t it? After all, we did have a deal, Monkey King.//

\"A coma….\" Jin shuddered a little, licking his lips. //No, that can\'t
happen. Not after everything....// \"But...the demon\'s dead now,\" he
said softly. \"Doesn\'t that mean Huyen\'s memory is sealed forever?
If...the spell is still on him….\"

Bosatsu shrugged. \"He may have been a strong demon, but not stronger
than a god. If it was Sanzo that just sealed Goku, he may still be
trapped. But if it was Konzen....\" She turned, watching Huyen
intently a moment to see if he was already stirring.

\"Konzen....\" It was a strange name, one that seemed to float in and
out of his mind, like a memory just out of reach. \"Our first lives.\"
He shook his head, focusing on helping Lan bandage Goku\'s
shoulder. \"So what you\'re really saying is there\'s no way of knowing
until he wakes up.\"

She smiled carelessly. \"Pretty much, though I really don\'t want to
wait around that long.\" Bosatsu turned her gaze back to Goku,
regarding their work critically. \"We really need to be going, after
all.\"

Jin straightened, his gaze snapping sharply to the woman. \"\'We\'?\" he
echoed, his hand closing protectively around Goku\'s arm. \"What do you
mean?\"

Raising an elegant eyebrow, Bosatsu nodded at the unconscious
boy. \"The stupid monkey and I,\" she replied, unconcerned of the twin
looks she was receiving. \"We had a deal, after all.\"

\"You can\'t just take him,\" Lan protested, chest aching faintly. \"I
mean...they haven\'t even seen that the other is okay, and....\" He
looked to Jin helplessly.

\"What will happen to Huyen, if you take Goku?\" Jin demanded, rising
to his feet so he could face her properly. \"What if he really is in a
coma? Goku\'s the only one that could help him--you *know* that! After
everything…\" He shuddered with anger. \"You abandoned Huyen for
centuries, and you show up now to tear them apart when they finally
found each other!?\"

Bosatsu only continued to smile, though.... \"I didn\'t abandon him--I
left him to make his own choices, just like the rest of you.\" She
leaned back against the doorframe, regarding the pair calmly. \"And
that boy and I had a deal--he takes off his limiter, he comes with
me. He knows that.\"

\"But that\'s….\" Jin shook his head fiercely. \"No! If he hadn\'t, we
would have all been killed! And what the fuck do you mean \'own
choices\'? He was cursed by a goddamned *demon*.\" His fists
trembled. \"Even if Sanzo was wrong, Huyen never asked for this. All
the children that bastard killed never asked for anything!\"

Bosatsu shrugged. \"Are you saying you would rather I meddle in all
your affairs? Every time you make a mistake, I should come down in
all my great wisdom and correct you?\" She snorted, running a hand
through her hair. \"I\'m getting tired just thinking about it.\"

\"But this was….\" //Damnit! This wasn\'t just a mistake. This was a
demon running around for centuries, taking revenge for something none
of us could even remember!// He managed to still another outburst,
however, grinding his teeth. \"What will happen to Goku?\"

\"Well, that depends on him, really,\" Bosatsu replied, glancing down
on the boy with interest. \"According to our deal, depending on his
reasons for removing his limiter, he\'ll either be sealed away again
or killed.\" She cocked her head in consideration. \"Though since he
did it to kill a demon, he probably won\'t be found guilty enough to
be executed. But then, he may prefer it to being cooped up again.\"

Lan shuddered, laying a hand on Goku\'s head, almost hoping the boy
would stir, but.... \"That\'s....\" He closed his eyes. \"That\'s too
cruel....\"

Bosatsu glanced at him. \"Is it?\"

\"If you\'re so big on letting us decide our own fate,\" Jin
growled, \"what right do you have to pass judgment on him? He killed
the demon like we would have done anyway, and nothing else. We\'ve
done all this on our own.\" He grabbed the front of her robes
suddenly, though he found he wasn\'t able to jerk her forward as he\'d
intended. \"We played through just like you knew we would, so who
cares how? How can you say he was wrong when you never lifted a
finger to help him!\"

She regarded him with some amusement, glancing significantly at his
hands. \"I\'m not judging him,\" she easily replied. \"We made a deal,
back when that priest was dying of old age.\" Bosatsu nodded towards
Huyen. \"We couldn\'t afford him using his full power every time he was
in danger of losing a loved one, and he agreed. He took it off, he
knew the consequences--it\'s as simple as that.\"

\"But that\'s....\" Jin finally stepped back, releasing the woman as he
lowered his eyes. \"Can\'t you...just wait a while?\" he asked, unable
to think of anything else. \"At least until he\'s awake...?\" //So he
can say goodbye….//

Bosatsu snorted, and she promptly stalked over towards Goku. She
ignored Lan and his pleading expression, reaching out to grab the
boy\'s nose. \"Get up.\"

Goku\'s face twisted, and with a sudden jerk he pulled his head free
from the woman\'s grasp. His eyelids fluttered, his hand immediately
reaching up to touch the golden headband. //I\'m...still
here....// \"Hu...?\"

Jin scowled, but there didn\'t seem to be anything he could do. He
turned away, stalking into the next room to where Huyen was still
stretched on the sofa. //Huyen, you have to wake up. You can\'t…just
let it end like this!//

\"Time to wake up, monkey,\" Bosatsu said, her voice a bit lower than
normal as she stood. \"It\'s getting la"
"

Goku finally opened his eyes, staring up at the goddess with a
sinking feeling in his stomach. He felt Lan next to him, but he was
too afraid to look at his friend. //Huyen...what happened? Is he...?//

Jin stayed beside Huyen for a moment, shaking him gently--and not so
gently--but the boy gave no response. //Damnit, kid.// \"Hey, Lady,\"
he called over his shoulder. \"What\'ll happen to him, if he doesn\'t
wake up?\" At least that might get Goku\'s attention….

//Huyen?// He pushed himself upright, surprised to find himself in
his kitchen. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Goku stumbled to his
feet with Lan\'s silent help. He didn\'t get far, though, when Bosatsu
caught him by the ear.

\"We don\'t have all day,\" she stated plainly, her gaze stern.

Goku watched her a moment, half expecting her to suddenly lift them
away, but when she didn\'t he nodded, and she let him go. //I
just...want to check....// He pulled his shirt back on, slipped to
the next room, and moved up beside Jin. //Huyen....//

\"Goku….\" Jin stepped back to leave the boy some room, praying Huyen
would just…do something, anything. But he was still, breathing evenly
though he didn\'t stir. \"He sealed you,\" he explained quietly. \"And
then passed out. He hasn\'t woken up since then….\"

Goku nodded absently, slowly crouching beside the couch--he didn\'t
dare sit beside him, didn\'t touch him. His shoulders hunched as he
watched the still face of his lover, the gentle rise and fall of his
chest. //Are you gone?// he asked silently. //Are you not there
anymore? Did you go mad...just like Ahn-Shi said?// He
shivered. //Did you go without me?//

Jin sighed, looking away with his bottom lip held between his
teeth. //This isn\'t fair. Damnit!// He was drawn back suddenly,
however, by a sudden hiss of breath. \"Huyen?\"

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