Reload the Bullet by Ashtari
Summary: 500 years after the fall of Gyumaoh and the deaths of the Sanzo party, their reincarnations have been called to find the two surviving members of Genjo Sanzo's guardians and maybe save the world while they're at it.
Rating: PG-13
Categories: Saiyuki
Characters: Sanzou-ikkou
Genres: Action, Alternative Universe, Drama
Warnings: Violence, Chara Death
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 06/26/04
Updated: 06/26/04
Index
Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter 2: Chapter One
Chapter 1: Prologue
Just a quick Author’s note before I get started. This story is a collaboration with a friend by the name of Jade Niccals.
~~~Prologue~~~
“Go! Get out of here you stupid monk!” The red hair man kicked the blond away. Quickly he grunted trying to keep the other from being squashed. “Get out of here now!” His voice was urgent and strained.
“But…” a golden eyed boy started.
“NOW!”
“Lets go…” a brunette took hold of his two friend’s shoulders and pulled them away. “He can take care of himself.” Everyone said silent good-byes as the three parted from their friend.
They had gotten several yards down the tunnel when they heard a cry come from where they left their friend. It was soon followed by the sound of the room collapsing upon itself.
The golden eyed boy stopped and tried to go back. “NO!!”
“No don’t!” The brunette cried out, grabbing the boy.
“But… He…” the boy looked to the older man. “We can’t just leave him!”
“All we can do now is live the life he gave his own for…” The monk said softly almost in disbelief as they suffered their first loss.
The brunette's smile faltered for a moment as it sunk in that his oldest and dearest friend was dead, crushed to death so they could escape from the castle. He grabbed the younger boy's arm, "He would be angry if we didn't live."
The green-eyed demon proceeded down the hallway, heretic in tow, and the monk following behind. They ran desperately, the brunette kept a hand on the boy, hauling him along as the golden-eyed boy's shorter legs began disadvantaging him. Suddenly a figure separated it self from the shadows, a figure wielding a sawed-off shotgun and what looked like a stuffed child's toy. He aimed at the monk. The tallest member of the now trio, shoved the smaller out of the way as he raced against the finger pulling the trigger. He never even felt the shot rip through his chest, the force threw him back into the blond man's arms. The golden-eyed boy summoned a staff and killed the attacker easily. The brunette looked up into the monk's purple eyes and gave him a smile. The brunette attempted to apologize but only blood exited his lips.
"Don't talk." The monk said quietly, he wanted to beg the demon not to die but he couldn't get the words out. He held the suffering man until the light left the once brilliant green eyes, ignoring the falling pieces of masonry. The monk brought his hand up and closed the eyes of his dear friend. He looked up and met the eyes of the heretic child. They were all they had left. The blond rose to his feet, the front of his robes soaked in the blood of his friend. He began walking, the young one silently followed. He looked down at the killer and the stuff animal he held. Something sticking out of the animal caught his eye. He picked up the animal and began walking. The two ran down the hallway, Monk in the lead, hoping to find an exit soon. The whole place shook violently. The golden eyed boy cried out in surprise as the floor gave way beneath him. Quickly the monk drew his gun and turned expecting to find something following them. Only he didn’t find anything behind him, not even the stupid monkey.
“Help!”
He hit the floor and peered over the edge of the hole that formed several feet behind him. Two frightened golden eyes looked up at him, clinging to a piece of support that was built into the floor. The monk reached down to his last friend. Desperately the boy tried to reach for the blonde’s hand.
“Damn it reach!” Thrusting his other arm down to reach, he watched as his gun plummeted into the darkness below. Stretching and straining he reached for the monkey, and the monkey reached for him. Finally they managed to get a hold of each other. All was well until the unthinkable happened, a bit of the floor gave way below the monk. The change was enough to jar the companions apart. The monk brought his arms up to keep himself from falling in. Tears formed in his eyes as he saw the golden ones fade into the darkness below.
~~~
"No!" A young woman with short blond hair and deep amethyst eyes sat up screaming. The dream was still fresh in her mind yet again, her heart racing. She took several deep breaths before finally dropping her head back down onto the pillow which was soaked in sweat. This wasn't the first time she had the dream, and felt it would not be the last either.
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Chapter 2: Chapter One
A monk knocked on the door, "High Priest Sanzo? Is everything okay??"
Sanzo looked around her room and rested her eyes on the door. "Yes, it was just a dream..."
"Shall I bring you anything? Tea? Water?" The monk asked.
"Tea will be nice, thank you," She put her feet over the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment. Tears swelled up in her eyes as she thought of the men in her dream. It seemed so real, as if she was there.
"It will be just a moment." The monk called, then footsteps were heard hurrying down the hall.
The female monk was notorious for having nightmares, when she was a child her screams would wake half the compound. All too soon the monk returned with a tray, knocking politely before entering. He set the tray down on the table before exiting the room.
"Thank you..." she said to the monk before he hurried on his way. She reached out and took the cup of tea in her hand. She sat there for what felt like hours, just breathing in the relaxing scent of the local blend. The memories of the dream began to fade into the background of her mind. Quietly she finished her tea and got dressed for the day.
Gojyo walked out the front door of a young woman's house, she called to him and the red head paused.
She slipped a wad of bills into the front pocket of his shirt, "I had a wonderful time, thank you, Gojyo."
The ruby-eyed young man gave his escort from last night a dashing smile, "No, thank you. I was just doing my job. It's my duty to make lovely young women like you happy." He gave her one last wave before heading down to the street, squinting his eyes from the rising son.
He could feel from the weight in his pocket that he may have just made enough to pay his rent for the month. The half-breed hurried down the sidewalk, he wanted to get home before the supposedly 'decent' citizens began flooding the streets. He never even realized someone else was on the path until they collided.
"HEY! Watch where you're going!" Gojyo instinctually snapped.
"Aaaah, I'm sorry. It was my fault entirely. I shouldn't have been reading while walking." The young man said in a light, friendly voice, a copy of Gensomaden Saiyuki was clutched in his long thin fingers.
Crimson eyes met emerald and the world paused for a moment as two souls NEARLY recognized each other.
"Nah, it's okay. No harm done." Gojyo said in a strange voice, one devoid of his usual condescending tone or the one used to pick up women.
A light chuckle reached the redhead's ears, "Well then, that's good. I must hurry, I don't want to keep my students waiting. Good bye, and have a nice day." The brunette said with an easy smile.
"Bye." Gojyo said and both men turned and headed in opposite directions.
Cho Hakkai continued heading to the school he taught at, but every time he lost focus, a pair of crimson red eyes filled his mind.
Sha Gojyo headed back home, slipped into bed and dreamt of a pair of bright emerald eyes, nearly concealed by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.
The day passed by like always. After her lessons, Sanzo went into the small orchard at the rear of the temple and sat beneath one of the trees. Quietly she removed a long pipe from somewhere and lit it. It was a keepsake from her mentor, the previous Sanzo who passed away a few years ago. Her thoughts drifted back to the dream, as she watched the smoke rise off the end of the pipe. The handsome red hair man gave his life for his friends. The one with emerald eyes sacrificed his to save the ones he cared so much for. The heretic child, not yet a man but defiantly not a boy, falling into the abyss. She had seen this dream several times before in her life. None of it made any sense. Something kept causing her to think of her favorite story as a child, Priest Sanzo’s journey west.
An older monk, escorting a young man, approached the smoking Sanzo, "High Priest Sanzo?" He said softly, fearing to disturb the normally cranky young woman.
Her eyes fell closed as the monk approached. "Yes, what is it..."
"This is the young man who has so graciously agreed to teach the children in the temple." He said, making a small gesture to the brunette beside him.
"Ah, I had heard there was a young woman who was a monk, but I had no idea she was a High Priest Sanzo." He said with a light voice, his green eyes twinkling. "I'm Hakkai, Cho Hakkai."
Quietly the lady rose to her feet, putting out the pipe and returning it from where it came. She turned to face the new teacher for the temple. "I am Priest Xia Sanzo. Thank you for your time." She bowed slightly to the man and extended her hand.
He took her hand gently, "I'm pleased to meet you. I must admit, I've heard lovely things about Buddhist temples but it doesn't do the reality justice." He said, smiling sweetly.
"That’s very kind of you sir," Sanzo dropped her arm to her side. Something about him seemed familiar. Only once Hakkai turned his head so the sun wasn't reflecting off his glasses did she figure it out. "Please, may I speak with you alone..." her face had a small look of shock to it.
The smile faded for a moment, "Of course, is something wrong?" He asked concerned as the monk who escorted him bowed and took his leave.
"No, nothing is wrong. You... just remind me of someone. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting before have we?" She took her seat once again at the base of the tree, removing the pipe once again.
Hakkai thought for a long moment, the young woman seemed familiar...like the red-haired man he had bumped into earlier, "I don't think so. If you pardon my saying so, but I would have remembered meeting a young lady as lovely as you." He said honestly without a single ounce of a flirty tone.
She blushed slightly at the comment. It wasn't often she heard such things in the temple. "Your eyes, I recognize those eyes from my dream... I wouldn't mistake them anywhere. Maybe this is our first meeting in this life, but what about the last?"
Hakkai chuckled, "I'm afraid I'm no Buddhist. I don't believe in reincarnation." His eyes narrowed, "Though I must admit, this is the second strange encounter I've had today."
"Really? Do tell. Have a seat." Hakkai gracefully slid down to sit on the ground, "There's not much to tell, I bumped into a man today, normally I would apologize then it would slip out of my mind. But the man's eyes...I haven't been able to stop thinking about them."
Sanzo leaned forward and rested her arms around her knees. "In my dream, the things I remember most vividly are the eyes, the rubies, the emeralds, the amethyst, and the gold. Everyone’s eyes are like precious gems and jewelry." She took a small puff off her pipe, she felt completely at ease telling these things to a complete stranger.
"Red...he had eyes the color of blood." Hakkai said softly. "His hair was the same...hair and eyes...both the color of blood." He shook his head as a childhood memory tried to surface. He had been born human like the young woman sitting next to him but demons had stolen him from his home and bathed him in the blood of a thousand demons, turning him into one.
"Blood huh? Reminded me more of strawberries..."
Hakkai chuckled, "I seem to recall someone saying something about there are other things colored red besides blood. But for the life of me, I can't remember who it was, or when it was said."
"Who ever said that must have been a wise man." Sanzo leaned back against the tree, her gaze turned up at the clouds.
"Yes, I get the feeling that he was." Hakkai said softly. The smile returned, "Aaaah, I've lost track of time. I really should begin to do the work I came to do." His smile grew brighter, "The children won't teach themselves."
"Yes you are right. Do keep a close eye on the children, they tend to sense fear and have 'fun' with new teachers." Sanzo stood and helped Hakkai to his feet. "I do hope we will have time to talk again."
Hakkai chuckled, a lone hand drifting up to touch the three limiters on his ear in an almost unconscious manner, "I don't think I'll be having any problems with them. This isn't my first teaching job." He nodded, "I would be honored to speak with you again, though."
The day continued on with no more unusual events. After class the children came out to play, Sanzo watched them for a while and even joined in a bit. As the sun set to the west, Sanzo decided on a walk around the village would be nice. It had been a while since she had done such a thing. The villagers liked when she went to them. The sun had finally fallen behind the mountain when she left the temple.
Hakkai had no problems with playing with the children or with teaching them. Though another ancient soul didn't have such a good day, Gojyo kept waking from strange dreams. He was being haunted by a pair of sorrowful green eyes, set in a smiling face. His remedy for dreams...vodka and lots of it. He was still sleeping as the sun set, an oddity for the half-breed. It was a fitful sleep, one easily woken out of.
Her feet took her to the place Hakkai spoke of, where he bumped into the man with red hair and eyes. She thought her self crazy for a moment. It was just a dream, and just a coincidence that Hakkai had the same eyes as in her dream. Something deep in her though made think that this was just more than coincidence, as if the gods themselves planned this long ago. She just had to find out if the man was the same as in her dream.
A young woman in a scanty dress exited one of the apartment buildings. She noted Xia and eyed the monk, "Well, we usually don't see priests in this area. Here to pray for our sins or are you just lost?" She sneered. The raven-haired woman was under the impression that Xia Sanzo was a man.
“You too look lost to me, but I’m sure you know where you are going. I will offer no assistance to you unless you ask.” Xia turned to the woman. “Perhaps you can help me. I may not be lost but I am looking for something and I don’t know where to find it. I’m looking for a man with red eyes and hair…”
The woman's eyebrows hit her hairline, "There's only one man in THIS part of town with that description and I don't know what you heard, but he has NO interest in monks OR men. So it won't matter how good your money is, cause you won't end up in his bed. So you better look for your 'something' with another person."
Xia didn't like being referred to as a man. Growing up in the temple she had so many difficulties, they thought she couldn't do much because she was a girl. She proved the monks wrong time and time again. Anything they did, she did too. Sometimes even better than them. She was a woman and a Sanzo at that, and damn proud of it. She went up to the woman and stared her in the face. "Tell me," her voice cold and hard. "Where can I find this man. My business with him is none of your concern."
She shrugged, "Fine, it's your funeral. He lives on the outside edge of town in a small shack. He comes in to gamble and whore himself out nearly every night." She informed the Sanzo.
"One more thing. You said he had no interest in monks or men, how about female monks? Or does the whole monk thing just ruin it?" She wasn't sure what to do when she finally met the man. No matter what she thought of saying it made her sound like she was crazy.
"There's no such thing as a female monk but I suppose the monk thing would ruin it. He's a half-breed. A good fuck but still a child of taboo." The woman said haughtily.
Sanzo walked up to the woman and looked into her eyes. "Thank you for your time. I will be on my way now."
She shrugged again, "Whatever." Then she headed down to the bar to find a 'friend' for the night.
Sanzo stood there for a moment, thinking if this was such a good idea. The more she thought about it, the more she sounded crazy to herself. Honestly, if someone came up to her out of no where and said they saw her in a dream, she wouldn't know what to think. Quickly, something else crossed her mind... "Do I really sound like a guy?" she asked herself quietly.
Gojyo drug himself out of bed. He had a pounding headache and felt like he hadn't slept in days. He headed to the kitchen with the intention of getting coffee and something to eat, "Fuck! Figures I have nothing here." He grumbled as he swiftly learned that the cupboard was bare. Gojyo grabbed the pack of cigarettes on the table to find IT was bare as well. He crushed the pack and proceeded to get dressed. The sun had nearly set completely but some stores were still open. He threw a leather coat over a shoulder before heading out, the money he earned from last night was carefully stashed in a pocket.
Gojyo paused at hearing a feminine voice coming from a monk, "You're stacked, for a monk. Or have you lost a costume party, then again a bachelor party might be missing a stripper." He commented eyeing the lithe figure, mentally stripping the female monk.
Sanzo looked up at the source of the voice. It was a nice voice to listen to, though what it said shocked her a bit. Never before had she hear such talk at the temple. "It is good to know not everyone in this part of town is blind." She shifted uneasily under his gaze. Her eyes met his for a moment. They were as Hakkai had said, eyes the color of blood. It was him, the one who kept the others from being crushed. She was sure of it. "I have never met a half-breed before..."
Gojyo twitched slightly at the half-breed comment, "Yeah, take a good long look, sweetie. Wanna see if the carpet matches the drapes while you're at it?"
She let out a small laugh at his comment. Her eyes closed and a small smirk of a smile took its place on her face. "I have seen all I needed to for tonight. I just wanted to see those eyes. He said they were the color of blood. Now I know Hakkai was telling the truth."
"Who the hell is that!? And why is he telling monks about me?!" Gojyo demanded. Pretty woman or not, the half-breed was too canny to get caught with his pants down if someone was going around telling people there was a child of taboo around. There were too many people out there who preferred to keep the races pure.
"He has green eyes."
Gojyo's eyes widen, "Dark green...with glasses and a smile that could break your heart??" He asked, his skin pale.
"He is a wonderful conversationalist, and very sweet as well." She looked at the half-breed and noticed he didn't look well. "Something wrong?"
"Things are just getting a little weird, I'm still a little drunk and haven't exactly eaten in over twelve hours, so yeah something's wrong." Gojyo said as his body began protesting the abuse.
Sanzo looked to the sky, it was getting late in the evening. The stars began to awake in the crystal clear darkness. "I would like to talk some more if it is all right with you. Perhaps we could get something to eat. It might not be your part of town, but I know a nice little tavern not far from the temple. My treat."
Gojyo nodded, "If it's your treat then I don't care where we eat. Just let me pick up a pack of cigarettes first." He said, pausing at a convince store. Like with the food he hadn't had one in several hours and the nicotine craving was starting to get to him.
"Fine by me." She stood outside the door waiting for him to return. She spent the short time speaking with an elderly woman sitting outside in front of her home.
He walked back out, cigarette already hanging from his lips, he lit it expertly and walked over to the monk. The elderly woman blanched and nearly ran back into her home after spotting the telltale eyes and hair. "Ch, ready to go?" He asked, ignoring the frightened woman.
"Been waiting for you." Xia straightened herself out and began to walk. "What's your name?"
"Sha Gojyo, and you?" He said placidly, taking deep drags off of his Hi-lite.
"Xia Sanzo. Which name you call me by is up to you." She walked alongside Gojyo, ignoring the strange looks people were giving them as they made their way to a small tavern near the temple. "Here we are." She said looking up at the small place. Quietly Sanzo reached out and pushed open the door.
It wasn't crowded at all, a few people were having a quiet dinner. Someone off in the corner looked to be planning something by the looks of all the papers all over the table. A waitress approached the man in the corner and asked him something. Hakkai looked up from his lesson plans and smiled. He nodded and spoke softly before looking back down at his books and papers, pushing up his glasses from time to time.
Gojyo stopped suddenly and grabbed Xia's arm, "That's him, Sanzo. That's the guy I bumped into this morning."
Xia looked to where Gojyo was pointing. "Hakkai..." She said quietly. The Sanzo priest smiled and walked over to the young man. "Such a big table to be wasted on one man, may we join you?"
Hakkai looked up and quickly stood, "Of course, High Priest. Please join me. I just came in for some coffee." He gestured to the chairs.
Gojyo stared at the slightly shorter man, "It's you..."
Hakkai smiled as he recognized the redhead, "So it would seem. I'm Cho Hakkai. I hope you had a pleasant day, Mr...." He said kindly.
"Sha Gojyo, and it was okay." Gojyo said, once more losing the arrogance that normally tainted his voice.
The two men shook hands, "That's good. I'm glad High Priest Sanzo was able to find you. I did want to talk to you again." Hakkai said with a friendly smile.
Gojyo nodded, "Yeah, I had the same feeling, Hakkai."
Sanzo took a seat next to Hakkai, and Gojyo across from her. "Please Hakkai, call me Sanzo. High Priest Sanzo for some reason sounds strange coming from you." After brushing her hair behind her ear, her eyes fell upon the empty seat to her right. If the ruby and emerald eyes were real, what about the golden ones?
Hakkai blushed slightly, "Okay...Sanzo." It felt strange being so informal with the two people, yet then again it was very right.
"So what the hell's going on?" Gojyo asked with his usual tact.
Hakkai smiled, "Well, Sanzo seems to have a theory about reincarnation."
The redhead scoffed, "That Buddhist bullshit?"
Sanzo gave the red head a swift kick on the leg and a quick cold stare. "Tell me, do either of you feel like someone is missing?"
Gojyo snarled at the monk, "HEY! What happened to all that non-violence crap you monks spout!!!" He glared, "You fake monk!"
Hakkai laughed nervously, "Now now, calm down, Gojyo. I'm sure Sanzo didn't do it on purpose." He looked serious for a moment, "Now that you mention it, the table feels a little empty."
"Wanna bet..." she quietly muttered under her breath after Hakkai suggested it was an accident. "I think there is someone else that is supposed to be here. The one with the golden eyes..." her voice seemed to be longing for the last member to just walk in and sit down. Maybe then things would be answered. Hopefully then the nightmare would end.
"Golden eyes?" Gojyo asked. "I've been around this town a lot and I haven't heard of ANYONE with eyes like that."
Hakkai nodded, "That is true. But I do remember reading something about golden eyes being a sign of a heretic. Something that isn't a god, human, or youkai; yet having the strength of all three. Perhaps the fourth one you speak of could be a heretic??"
"Well, we do have quite an unusual set right here. Why not just round it off with a heretic?" Her eyes went back and forth between the men as she spoke.
"Yeah why the hell not, we already got a corrupt female priest. All we need now is a monkey." Gojyo sneered, continuing to dig his grave.
Hakkai didn't bother to calm anyone down this time as he rustled through his bag, pulling out the book he was reading as he bumped into Gojyo earlier, "AH! Yes, here it is, "...and so it was, as the most holy Genjo Sanzo fled the crumbling Houtou palace, his protectors fell. One to sacrifice, one in battle, and the third, the heretical Seiten Taisei, fell into darkness..." Hakkai read after flipping to the back of the book.
Sanzo shivered and bit her lip. She had never actually read the story of Genjo Sanzo, only heard it as told by her caretaker Sanzo. "Hakkai, may I see the book? I was always told the story, but never read it myself..."
Hakkai handed her the book, "Of course, I have another copy at home, so feel free to keep it if you like." He said amicably.
"Wait! So is this Seitie Tooku dead??" Gojyo asked.
Hakkai gave a very put upon sigh, "It's Seiten Taisei, Gojyo. It means 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven' and no one knows. The book only said he fell into darkness. The other two men clearly died, one crushed by a column, the other was shot. It was as if whoever told the story to the writer didn't even know what had happened. Yet the deaths of the other men were clearly described."
She took the book and held it close. "Thank you, I have always loved this story." Sanzo opened the book to the final pages and read over the text Hakkai had mentioned. The way it was written in the book was different from the way it was told, but it didn't surprise her. She had been dreaming of this ending for a long time now. "Why is it I always get whammed with all the strange shit at one time... It makes so much sense but I look like I’m crazy..."
"Perhaps you're just lucky??" Hakkai asked with a smile.
"Oh yeah hooray for me. The only thing I want to know is why you two are in my dream. What do we have to do with Genjo Sanzo and his companions."
Hakkai leaned back in his chair, thinking, "Well, one of his protectors was a demon...who was born a human." He absentmindedly reached up and brushed his limiters. "The other was a half-breed."
"That's it, you saw us in town, and your mind figured we fit the picture of your favorite story." Gojyo said quickly.
She glared at the half-breed. "The first time I had this dream was my first night in the temple. I was only 6 years old. It came and went as I grew up. I haven't had it till recently, several nights now."
"She's correct, I think this goes much deeper than some subconscious desire to reenact her favorite story." Hakkai's smile turned sad, "After all, like the demon in the story, I too was born a human."
Sanzo looked at Hakkai in shock. She sensed that he was a demon, but never would have guessed that he was once human. "I never would have guessed." Absent-mindedly she played with the ring that held her black gloves in place against her hand. "It is almost as if someone in heaven is bored, and decided to have some fun with us…"
A fake smile graced Hakkai's soft features, "You're quite the odd one, most never see me as anything but human." He nodded slowly, "If I believed in the gods, I would certainly lay this at their feet."
"You're a monk, can't you place a call or something and find out what the hell's going on?" Gojyo demanded, well into his 5th cigarette of the night.
"Not everyone will look at those earcuffs as just a fashion statement..." she said looking to Hakkai. "As for you..." she turned back to Gojyo. "I doubt anyone outside of heaven would know what is going on."
Hakkai chuckled, "I think what Gojyo means is that, if you have the ability to speak with the gods, then perhaps you should and try to find out what is their plan for us."
She sat back in her seat and thought for a moment. "Well there are the three heads in Chang'an..."
Hakkai looked puzzled then suddenly comprehension dawned, "Ah! You mean the Sansbutshin, the Three Aspects of Buddha." He said, clarifying for Gojyo. "Chang'an is quite a distance away though. At least a year's journey East."
"You sure do know a lot about the Buddhist religion for not being Buddhist," she said reaching down for a glass the waitress put there some time ago. "So, do you think it is worthwhile to take two years out of your life to find the answer? Or should we just check out Houtou castle..."
Hakkai chuckled, "I read a lot."
"I'll vouch for that!" Gojyo commented, grinning at the now blushing youkai.
The green-eyed demon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, the area once known as Houtou is now a 'no man's land'." He laughed, "Fortunately none of us are men so we should do fairly well there."
"Well then! Shall we set out in the morning? It is quite a walk from here, but not as far as Chang'an," Sanzo said half joking. "I just have a feeling if we don't, we will end up going sooner or later. Might as well get it out of the way. Who knows, this might just be all one huge coincidence and the trip will be for nothing."
Gojyo and Hakkai shared a glance that spoke volumes, they both had a strong feeling that this was just the beginning.
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