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Dwellers by OptiMoose
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Disclaimer: "Gensomaden Saiyuki, Saiyuki: Reload, Saiyuki: Gaiden" and all of its characters were created by Kazuya Minekura. They belong to her and were used without prior permission. No profit is made through this story.

Author's note: English isn't my first language, and this story isn't betaed. I apologize for any inconveniences caused by this.

This is an Alternate Universe for Saiyuki. Outside of Minekura-sama's Saiyuki, I was inspired by the manga 'Devil & Devil' and the original 'Journey to the West' novels.

Some explanations:

- Empyrean: This is not some tweaked version of 'empire', but the highest reaches of heaven, believed by the ancients to be a realm of pure fire or light.

- Abaddon: another word for 'the bottomless pit', destruction, or hell

- Terra Firma: Latin for 'Solid Land', but in this story used for the human realm, Earth.

More information can be found at this page.

Constructive criticism, feedback and flames (directed at the story) are welcome. However, if you flame me as a person, I'll send Gyoukumen after you. You have been warned.

Warning: This story is not shonen-ai, Boy's Love, Yaoi or slash. It's also not a story that will lead to any of them becoming lovers. Thanks for accepting this.

Additional Warning: This story contains bad language and violence. Proceed at your own risk


Dwellers

By Lee

August 2005


A black and a white wing are neatly folded behind a back. This unusual pair belongs to an angel named ‘Goku of the Son’. Because strong magic of a spell circle has burned the feathered appendages more than once, he never stretches them to their full span. Goku has been sitting in his magical prison somewhere in the outskirts of The Empyrean as long as he can remember — which is an awful long time to begin with.

Of course, you might argue, even an angel needs nourishment every now and then, and unprotected skin does suffer from sunburn after a while. Fortunately for Goku, the spell takes care of such minor problems. Hunger doesn’t exist for this angel; one could even say time has come to a halt if not for the fact that it still creeps away in itching slowness. Goku sees how dawn changes to day, is sad when dusk claims the sounds of birds chirping, and he’d love to see the stars when night falls. Because, you see, in the center of the spell circle, it’s like in a cave.

Why Goku is locked away, he doesn’t know. Matter of fact, he doesn’t remember anything outside of waking up in this forsaken place, but he feels that he must have done something horrible to end him up in the diabolic hole he’s stuck in.

So Goku's soul calls out to someone - anyone - because it pains him, this not knowing, maybe even more than the empty, endless days and nights spend in solitary.

x

Angel wings spread wide. Their dirty looking mix of black and white feathers contrasts sharply to the divine beauty of the Empyrean Dweller they belong to. The angel’s name is 'Genjo of the Toa', and The Powers That Be have bestowed him with the power to Purify Evil and the title of Sanzo. Unfortunately, that power only works against others; he can't erasehis own darkness with it. You must understand that Sanzo’s wings were not always checkered; there was a time when they shone bright like the sun, a reflection of his innocent soul. Now, he’s tainted with blood and death, a scarred survivor of many gruesome battles.

By all means — or so is the general consent amongst the lower ranks — this Sanzo should just quit his position and join the Legions of Abaddon. They’ll tell you that everyone knows that a Sanzo is the purest of angels, one whose inner strength and mannerism sets an example for others. ‘And,’ they will point out, ‘It’s perfectly obvious that this outrageous person is neither pure, nor well mannered, and definitely not fit to serve as a role model.’

Genjo Sanzo will not object to such accusations. As far as he is concerned, he’s the wrong angel for the mission. When you ask him why he doesn’t just quit, he’ll lit himself a cigarette and drags in the smoke before he bothers to answer. “Someone has to clean up the mess that others leave behind.”

If you bring up the courage to look closely, you can see the emptiness that lurks behind the angry fire of his amethyst eyes.

x

No ordinary angel would have dared to enter Abaddon alone, but Gonou of the Cho’s path is one of revenge. Crimson drips from the Flaming Sword in his hands, and his face is stained with the blood of the ones he has slain. Nine hundred ninety-nine. Angel, devil or human - Gonou counts every soul he has punished for taking Kanan of the Cho away from him. He kills them all in this lair of theirs without mercy, until there’s no one left alive with the exception of one devil. Delirious with the smell of blood that fills the air, Gonou chases his prey down to the dungeon.

When he pushes the heavy metal door open, it screeches mournfully. Somewhere in the dim lit maze of cells, he hears sobbing. A satisfied smirk curls his lips, twitching his face into an ugly mockery of his angelic features. Gonou grabs the Flaming Sword harder, ready to slaughter the last surviving devil of this lair like an animal. Soon now, behind that corner and then-

"Kanan!" He stares at her tear streaked face, sees the ash grey of her broken wings and understands. His hate for the devils flares tenfold. "I'll get you out of here. Everything will be okay now..."

He sheathes the sword and comes closer, stretching his arms out to her between the bars to invite her into an embrace. Everything will be okay now. Gonou repeats it over and over again, even manages a genuine smile when Kanan makes a step towards him.

"Gonou..." She takes a deep breath, but her tears won't stop. Suddenly, the Flaming Sword is in her hand, she jumps out of reach and all that Gonou can do is watch how she points the sharp end of the weapon against her stomach. Kanan rambles on about what happened to her, incoherent and still with an awfully clear logic behind it. She shivers, and fresh tears spill from her green eyes. "I'm impure... I can't come back home with you..."

Gonou wants to object, tell her that he doesn't care, that they can go someplace where this all will be just a bad dream... but his mind comes up blank. Kanan's farewell burns itself into Gonou's memory, along with the sight of her as she rams the sword down her belly. She falls in slow motion, but he knows that she's dead by the time she hits the ground.

Steps from the depth of the dungeon announce the last surviving devil of this lair. Gonou ignores him, unable to take his eyes off Kanan. Her blood beckons him to follow her; with her own life, she took away his will to live as well. What's left of his heart wrenches and bleeds with every quivering beat. The devil's weapon slashes across Gonou's stomach, and the angel thinks it's irony that he now bears a similar mark as his beloved sister.

Still, when the devil attacks a second time, Gonou defends himself. He can't die just yet, not until he has brought Kanan's body home to The Empyrean. He wants her to rest in sacred ground. After that... he doesn't care any more what happens after that.

Gonou tears his thousandth victim apart with bare hands, crossing the line to from Fallen to devil in the blink of an eye. The pitching dark that consumes his soul is only matched by the intense blackness of his wings.

x

Blood red feathers rustle in the wind. The bright sunlight lets the color sparkle like a ruby. Angel or not, 'Gojyo of the Sha' knows his appearance draws unwanted attention from the other Empyrean Dwellers.

Crimson wings are rare amongst angels, considered a sign of impurity because such creature came to existence with both an angel’s and a devil’s soul. Of course, none of the angels with their shiny, white wings would ever admit to that — after all, angels are pure and good — but that doesn’t change their well meant, sympathetic attitude towards him.

Gojyo is neither, Empyrean nor Abaddonian, his mixed heritage making him a Persona non Grata in both places. He doesn’t care much about one side or the other, because to him it’s the same. He's known to accept no obligations or alliances, just bend enough to each side so that he can survive.

Even to the Sha, he’s the proverbial black sheep of the family, shunned by everyone except for Jien of the Sha. Jien’s a Fallen, an angel who abandoned the Codex of The Empyrean. The grapevine claims that Jien has joined the Legions of Abaddon, but Gojyo laughs at such rumors. Often, Gojyo wonders if Jien still has his pure, white wings after all those years, and then he promises to himself that one day he’ll go and find his lost Sha brother.

Nevertheless, Gojyo tries to make the best of his existence. He’s feared for his skills as a warrior and known to have cheated devils out of their winnings in illegal card gambling on Terra Firma. The human realm is his safe haven. Down there, amongst the mix of humans, devils and angels, Gojyo can hide his wings and pass as one of the crowd. So he smokes, drinks and gambles, because then he can forget the numb feeling of loneliness he harbours inside for a while.

x

Pristine white wings hang limp to the ground. This angel served under an Archangel, but what Goujun of the Ryuu is accused of is considered high treason amongst Dwellers. His face is pale when he hears the charges brought up against him. Manslaughter and destruction of public propertyare only the worst of his crimes. He's the one who burnt down the Palace of the Eastern Sea, and you know how many angels perished in that, yes?

Still, he's claiming innocence, and those who watch the court can see the Judge's face growing dark when Goujun explains that it was an accident.

This, the Prosecutor explains angrily, has nothing to do with accidents. Over the next few hours, we learn that Goujun thought his tasks were below him. Witnesses testify the angel's attitude, recall how he said that guarding the palace's weapon magazines should be a simple soldier's job, nothing worthy of someone who has made it up to the Archangel's Battalion. The audience whispers amongst each other, and they let Goujun feel their anger. You can almost touch the hostility in the hall.

"No!" the Prosecutor repeats. "This disregard of the Codex and recklessness has nothing to do with accidents."

His gloved index finger hacks sharply in Goujun's direction as he spells out the full scale of the angel's treason. Dangerous negligence for leaving his post. Cowardice when the fire broke lose. Item after item of evidence is piled up to dig Goujun's grave. And, the Prosecutor adds, if arrogance was outlawed, then this miserable excuse for an angel should be punished for it.

Goujun's shoulders sag when he listens to the accusations, realizes that no one in this court of law will forgive what happened. For the first time in his life, he gets a taste of what it's like to be abandoned. Goujun wonders if it's the truth, if all this time he has lied to himself because he wanted to believe he was innocent. Is he really a monster?

Dirt sullies the white of his feathers as the soldiers push him down into the dust. Pride is replaced by shame. Still, it's not the worst humiliation of his trial. The hammer falls as the spokesperson for the Ryuu proclaims that Goujun dishonoured them and can no longer considered to be part of their group.

How hollow can you feel as your life falls apart? When the Judge announces his verdict, the tips of Goujun's wings turn black.


The End?

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