Not the Same [Saiyuki, Nataku and Goku, G]
Title: Not the Same
Author: lazzchan
Rating: G
Warnings: Spoilers for Saiyuki Gaiden?
Word count: 1,573
Summary: Nataku awakens and goes to find his old friend.
A/N: June 02 -Saiyuki, Goku and Nataku: Friendship and memories - Nataku wakes up. (fic)
Well, I had actually been dying to write this type of fic for awhile now and never quite finished it before. *laughs* I hope this is okay. ^_^
It was inevitable that it would happen someday, although five hundred and some years passing was a bit much for some. Perhaps part of Nataku didn't want to wake up, because Goku wasn't there. Even though he was never awake, he was never fully sleeping, either. Some part of him watched and waited and now…
"He…he is awake!" Shouts assailed Nataku from all sides and he wanted to cover his ears, but everything felt fuzzy far away still, as if his body wasn't quite his own at the moment. "I…" his throat rasped and a helpful, unseen hand pushed a glass of some liquid into his hands, helping him drink and moisten a throat that hadn't had words pass through it in so long."Where's Goku?" The last thing he truly remembered was Goku.
Silence met his question and his head and eyesight cleared a little more to look at all the people gathered around him-not his father, thank goodness, he wasn't ever going to be there again-but there was none of the faces that he really recognized. Heaven wasn't supposed to change, but it was obvious during his comatose state, something had changed.
"Kid, you’re really out and of the loop, aren't you?" Ah-there was a familiar sight-cut through the crowd, people parting and murmuring as the goddess strode down the middle of the aisle, waving off people and a sardonic smile on her face. "Of course, you have been napping for the last half millennium, so I guess it would be understandable. Kids these days are so lazy."
Nataku could only stare and she leaned close to him, patting his hand. "Come on, Nataku. Let's talk."
~
The Merciful Goddess hadn't changed at all, that much was obvious and it was somewhat of a relief to hear her blunt way of speaking, to see the way she dressed (or didn't dress, Nataku had long ago gotten used to it) and he could gather his scattered thoughts and memories as he listened to her explain just what happened to Goku and his guardians since the time that Nataku aimed his sword at his self.
"I'll tell you-kid's a feisty little thing. He's a pain in the ass when he loses control, but he's good for a laugh. He doesn't remember me, of course-but that's just to be expected. Ungrateful kid." The last was said with a smirk.
"You said he could not remember," Nataku frowned, arms crossed over his chest as he stared her down. He was angry that Goku wasn't here. Upset that he had been locked away in a prison for five hundred years and the generals-and Kannon's nephew exiled to earth to live life as mortals. Whose so-called planning was this? What moron thought it was a bright idea?
"That I did, but you'd think…" She smirked and shook her head. "Anyways, gotta keep a close eye on you, so don't think about trotting off to see your mischief making playbuddy from years ago." She was giving him a direct stare while her aide gave a pompous nod next to her, a relieved look on his face.
She timed it so that only he saw the wink and he barely kept himself from gaping. "Don't know what sort of things'll go through the brat's mind if he sees you again. Plus, two of the general's-youkai, you know? Or one's half of it and people will make noises to have you kill them and that's just not the way to restart a friendship."
So, go quietly, don't make a fuss and try and hope Goku will still be my friend even if he doesn't quite remember. That might be for the best, anyways. We didn't part on the best of terms. They had had a good friendship before then, though-for as little time as it lasted.
"Alright, kiddo. You're on your own for the time being. No one knows quite what to make of you." She waited until her aide was out of earshot. "So go shake things up a bit."
~
Nataku wasn't stupid and he knew that if he wasn't to cause outright commotion on earth, he had to dress a little more like the people around him. Gods did not make regular visits to earth, at least not with a lot of trouble to cause. He wanted to keep more of a low profile until he saw Goku again.
This town was the last that they had been spotted -they were constantly on the move- and Nataku thought himself lucky that he had been able to track them without alerting the gods at home. They apparently had a minute interest in the four as well. He wasn't expecting to practically run into them, eyes wide and staring up at Konzen… no, no-Kannon said that he went by Sanzo more often than not here. He didn't even know the name Konzen. But there was no mistaking that acidic, violet-eyed glare.
"Get the hell out of the way, kid," Sanzo growled and Nataku almost gaped. Kozen was impolite and he rather had liked that about the man, but outright…well. He was about to reply (and secretly planned to do something in revenge, for old time's sake) when another person appeared behind from him and smiled. "Don't listen to Sanzo, he hasn't had anything to smoke yet today and he's touchy as … anything…" Goku stared at him with the same wide-eyed expression that Nataku himself wore, his voice trailing off.
"Stupid monkey, move and stop staring," Sanzo snarled. "Weirdo's just walked into me, don't apologize for him. Idiot. I thought you were whining about being hungry."
"I am hungry, Sanzo…" Goku rolled his eyes and huffed a bit, but his expression still stayed to Nataku. "I just…I want to," he bit his lip. "I'll meet up with you in a moment, 'kay?"
"Brainless monkey," Sanzo just grunted and waved him off. "Get your ass to the inn by dark. Don't want you stumbling around and being a moron in public. Might have to pay for your damages."
"Cheapskate. You better not have eaten everything by the time I get there." Still-all the snarling remarks and glares couldn't disguise the same type of hero-worship Goku held for Sanzo-the same as he had for Konzen.
Nataku waited until Sanzo was out of the way before he ran a hand through his hair, unaccountably nervous. Goku didn't remember, but it was almost as if he did. He…
"You…"
Nataku stopped him before he said too much, giving a faint smile. "Your hair's shorter," he said slowly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking off.
"I haven't had long hair in a few years," Goku continued to watch him with that measure of curiosity and…now suspicion. It wasn't an expression that he was used to seeing on Goku's face. "Who are you?" he demanded, arms crossed over his chest. "You seem…"
"Familiar?" Nataku offered. "I…it's been a long time, Goku. We were friends before," he wasn't sure how to say it, "before you were in that cave."
That got a definite reaction, Goku taking a step back and something like fear and hope mixing in his eyes. "There…there really was something before that cave?" In that voice, Nataku heard the boy he had been before and again cursed the gods that locked him away.
"There was," Nataku huffed. "And it's really terrible that you forgot such a trouble maker like me. I can't believe all my pranks went to waste." He was trying….trying so very hard to get Goku to relax, to smile - to remember above all…
"Pranks?" Goku started to smile, slowly as he stared at Nataku, still trying to place him. And there was that pain that Nataku couldn't ignore and he debated about giving Kannon a few choice words when he saw her again. He was tempted to drag Goku back home and just show him what he forgot, but he knew it wouldn't be the best of ideas.
"Yeah-you've heard of the Jade Emperor?" Nataku asked slowly, smirking a bit as he started to gain back a little of his confidence. "He snores so badly when he sleeps and he never noticed me drawing stuff on his face."
Goku gave an appreciative laugh. "That…that's kinda awesome," he grinned. "But…the Jade…you…you're a…." He gave Nataku another startled look and another step back. "A god playing pranks?"
Nataku shrugged and smiled. "We have a sense of humor, too. And Heaven gets really boring at times."
Goku's blinding grin was all the response he needed to that.
~
It wasn't the same as before-Goku wasn't the same and Nataku wasn't the same, not really. Now that his father wasn't pulling his strings, he could be…he wasn't sure yet. But he could be someone different.
He couldn't stay with this group-not with the painful tugs of that person and this person and how they weren't the same either. And he wanted Goku to remember. Some memories, though…they weren't meant to be remembered or they'd be too painful but he couldn't help but be selfish.
But … perhaps they could be friends again. Memories weren't that important … and Nataku was determined that he'd much such an impression this time that Goku would never forget.
Author: lazzchan
Rating: G
Warnings: Spoilers for Saiyuki Gaiden?
Word count: 1,573
Summary: Nataku awakens and goes to find his old friend.
A/N: June 02 -Saiyuki, Goku and Nataku: Friendship and memories - Nataku wakes up. (fic)
Well, I had actually been dying to write this type of fic for awhile now and never quite finished it before. *laughs* I hope this is okay. ^_^
It was inevitable that it would happen someday, although five hundred and some years passing was a bit much for some. Perhaps part of Nataku didn't want to wake up, because Goku wasn't there. Even though he was never awake, he was never fully sleeping, either. Some part of him watched and waited and now…
"He…he is awake!" Shouts assailed Nataku from all sides and he wanted to cover his ears, but everything felt fuzzy far away still, as if his body wasn't quite his own at the moment. "I…" his throat rasped and a helpful, unseen hand pushed a glass of some liquid into his hands, helping him drink and moisten a throat that hadn't had words pass through it in so long."Where's Goku?" The last thing he truly remembered was Goku.
Silence met his question and his head and eyesight cleared a little more to look at all the people gathered around him-not his father, thank goodness, he wasn't ever going to be there again-but there was none of the faces that he really recognized. Heaven wasn't supposed to change, but it was obvious during his comatose state, something had changed.
"Kid, you’re really out and of the loop, aren't you?" Ah-there was a familiar sight-cut through the crowd, people parting and murmuring as the goddess strode down the middle of the aisle, waving off people and a sardonic smile on her face. "Of course, you have been napping for the last half millennium, so I guess it would be understandable. Kids these days are so lazy."
Nataku could only stare and she leaned close to him, patting his hand. "Come on, Nataku. Let's talk."
~
The Merciful Goddess hadn't changed at all, that much was obvious and it was somewhat of a relief to hear her blunt way of speaking, to see the way she dressed (or didn't dress, Nataku had long ago gotten used to it) and he could gather his scattered thoughts and memories as he listened to her explain just what happened to Goku and his guardians since the time that Nataku aimed his sword at his self.
"I'll tell you-kid's a feisty little thing. He's a pain in the ass when he loses control, but he's good for a laugh. He doesn't remember me, of course-but that's just to be expected. Ungrateful kid." The last was said with a smirk.
"You said he could not remember," Nataku frowned, arms crossed over his chest as he stared her down. He was angry that Goku wasn't here. Upset that he had been locked away in a prison for five hundred years and the generals-and Kannon's nephew exiled to earth to live life as mortals. Whose so-called planning was this? What moron thought it was a bright idea?
"That I did, but you'd think…" She smirked and shook her head. "Anyways, gotta keep a close eye on you, so don't think about trotting off to see your mischief making playbuddy from years ago." She was giving him a direct stare while her aide gave a pompous nod next to her, a relieved look on his face.
She timed it so that only he saw the wink and he barely kept himself from gaping. "Don't know what sort of things'll go through the brat's mind if he sees you again. Plus, two of the general's-youkai, you know? Or one's half of it and people will make noises to have you kill them and that's just not the way to restart a friendship."
So, go quietly, don't make a fuss and try and hope Goku will still be my friend even if he doesn't quite remember. That might be for the best, anyways. We didn't part on the best of terms. They had had a good friendship before then, though-for as little time as it lasted.
"Alright, kiddo. You're on your own for the time being. No one knows quite what to make of you." She waited until her aide was out of earshot. "So go shake things up a bit."
~
Nataku wasn't stupid and he knew that if he wasn't to cause outright commotion on earth, he had to dress a little more like the people around him. Gods did not make regular visits to earth, at least not with a lot of trouble to cause. He wanted to keep more of a low profile until he saw Goku again.
This town was the last that they had been spotted -they were constantly on the move- and Nataku thought himself lucky that he had been able to track them without alerting the gods at home. They apparently had a minute interest in the four as well. He wasn't expecting to practically run into them, eyes wide and staring up at Konzen… no, no-Kannon said that he went by Sanzo more often than not here. He didn't even know the name Konzen. But there was no mistaking that acidic, violet-eyed glare.
"Get the hell out of the way, kid," Sanzo growled and Nataku almost gaped. Kozen was impolite and he rather had liked that about the man, but outright…well. He was about to reply (and secretly planned to do something in revenge, for old time's sake) when another person appeared behind from him and smiled. "Don't listen to Sanzo, he hasn't had anything to smoke yet today and he's touchy as … anything…" Goku stared at him with the same wide-eyed expression that Nataku himself wore, his voice trailing off.
"Stupid monkey, move and stop staring," Sanzo snarled. "Weirdo's just walked into me, don't apologize for him. Idiot. I thought you were whining about being hungry."
"I am hungry, Sanzo…" Goku rolled his eyes and huffed a bit, but his expression still stayed to Nataku. "I just…I want to," he bit his lip. "I'll meet up with you in a moment, 'kay?"
"Brainless monkey," Sanzo just grunted and waved him off. "Get your ass to the inn by dark. Don't want you stumbling around and being a moron in public. Might have to pay for your damages."
"Cheapskate. You better not have eaten everything by the time I get there." Still-all the snarling remarks and glares couldn't disguise the same type of hero-worship Goku held for Sanzo-the same as he had for Konzen.
Nataku waited until Sanzo was out of the way before he ran a hand through his hair, unaccountably nervous. Goku didn't remember, but it was almost as if he did. He…
"You…"
Nataku stopped him before he said too much, giving a faint smile. "Your hair's shorter," he said slowly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking off.
"I haven't had long hair in a few years," Goku continued to watch him with that measure of curiosity and…now suspicion. It wasn't an expression that he was used to seeing on Goku's face. "Who are you?" he demanded, arms crossed over his chest. "You seem…"
"Familiar?" Nataku offered. "I…it's been a long time, Goku. We were friends before," he wasn't sure how to say it, "before you were in that cave."
That got a definite reaction, Goku taking a step back and something like fear and hope mixing in his eyes. "There…there really was something before that cave?" In that voice, Nataku heard the boy he had been before and again cursed the gods that locked him away.
"There was," Nataku huffed. "And it's really terrible that you forgot such a trouble maker like me. I can't believe all my pranks went to waste." He was trying….trying so very hard to get Goku to relax, to smile - to remember above all…
"Pranks?" Goku started to smile, slowly as he stared at Nataku, still trying to place him. And there was that pain that Nataku couldn't ignore and he debated about giving Kannon a few choice words when he saw her again. He was tempted to drag Goku back home and just show him what he forgot, but he knew it wouldn't be the best of ideas.
"Yeah-you've heard of the Jade Emperor?" Nataku asked slowly, smirking a bit as he started to gain back a little of his confidence. "He snores so badly when he sleeps and he never noticed me drawing stuff on his face."
Goku gave an appreciative laugh. "That…that's kinda awesome," he grinned. "But…the Jade…you…you're a…." He gave Nataku another startled look and another step back. "A god playing pranks?"
Nataku shrugged and smiled. "We have a sense of humor, too. And Heaven gets really boring at times."
Goku's blinding grin was all the response he needed to that.
~
It wasn't the same as before-Goku wasn't the same and Nataku wasn't the same, not really. Now that his father wasn't pulling his strings, he could be…he wasn't sure yet. But he could be someone different.
He couldn't stay with this group-not with the painful tugs of that person and this person and how they weren't the same either. And he wanted Goku to remember. Some memories, though…they weren't meant to be remembered or they'd be too painful but he couldn't help but be selfish.
But … perhaps they could be friends again. Memories weren't that important … and Nataku was determined that he'd much such an impression this time that Goku would never forget.