[Saiyuki] [Hakkai and Goku]
Title: Cycles
Fandom: Saiyuki
Characters: Hakkai, Goku, and some Gojyo
Word Count: 1084
Rating: PG
Summary: Goku and Hakkai get philosophical
Author's Notes: Supposed to be posted on the 13th, but I erroneously put this down on my calendar as the 18th. So, I’m late (and I already notified the admin). My apologies!
Goku crouched at the edge of the clearing, his weight rocking back and forth on his feet. He studied the small animal, possibly dead for many days, sheltered beneath a leafy bush. “Hey, Hakkai?”
Watching from the shade of a tree to help stave off the sweltering summer heat, Hakkai remained silent for Goku’s inspection. A summer storm had forced them to seek shelter, and in the process, they’d been separated. High overhead, Hakuryuu skimmed above the tree tops in search of the other half of their party. They had come up on the squirrel in their efforts to reunite with Sanzo and Gojyo and Goku’s attention got diverted from hunger to contemplation. “Yes, Goku?”
“What do you think happened?”
“Well.” Hakkai pushed from the tree and walked over to where Goku sat. He sunk to his heels and rested his elbows on his thighs. “He doesn’t appear to be injured, there’s no blood. He looks like he fell asleep and never woke up. Perhaps he was old.”
“Old,” Goku repeated slowly. “It’s sad that he died and left his family and friends behind. They are probably looking for him. You think?” Goku looked up at him, his eyes wide and so full of innocence. “You think that maybe they miss him now that he’s gone?”
He pursed his lips while considering Goku’s reply. “Sometimes, it’s not the manner of our death but the quality of our life that leaves the most significant impressions in our passing. And it’s how we live on with the memories of our departed loved ones that can lend meaning to their death in our own lives.”
Goku rocked back and landed on his butt to sit on the ground. “Still makes me sad.”
He let his hand smooth down Goku’s head to rest at the back of his neck and he squeezed gently in reassurance. Hakkai wondered what brought on this bout of melancholy in Goku since he wasn’t prone to these episodes often, mostly when he worried about Sanzo.
Goku was not an ordinary youkai. He may have lived many years but he still managed to maintain his childlike innocence. It was endearing.
It was also an invitation to disaster since the vagaries and subtleties of the ‘adult world’ were lost on Goku. “I know. There are several constants in life, Goku. If there is life, these constants are always ongoing, a cycle that turns back on itself. Life. Change. Death.
“To get from one stage to the other, everything moves through one. Eventually, all three. It can’t be avoided.”
The conversation was apropos of everything in his own life; Kanan, his slaughter of one thousand demons, his death and rebirth, Chin Isou, his current friendships now. It rushed in on him in one whirling maelstrom of emotion that made him dizzy. He put a hand down in the damp grass to steady himself.
“So, if he was happy when he was alive, it’s not such a sad thing, right?”
Pulled back to the present by Goku’s voice, Hakkai nodded his head in agreement. “Yes. I believe so.”
Silent after that, Hakkai watched Goku stare at the animal, his expression moving through many emotions. Emotions the innocent should never have to deal with.
“I will be sad if Sanzo dies,” Goku said at long last. “Can we bury him?”
There was the sound of a flint wheel and the click of a lighter closing behind them. “That would just make the monk crankier, Goku.”
Looking over his shoulder, Hakkai caught a brief glimpse of Gojyo. Before he could chide Gojyo for making fun of Goku, the young youkai was in motion.
Goku whirled around, his leg flashing out to sweep Gojyo’s out from under him. “I wasn’t talking about him, stupid!”
Gojyo was faster and leapt out of the way, a smile spreading across his lips. But Gojyo caught Hakkai’s expression with a small nod. He waved a hand. “We’ve been looking for you all morning and now Sanzo’s in a bad mood.”
“And this is different from any other mood?” Hakkai said lightly.
“Point.” Gojyo rejoined them at the clearing edge. “So you want to bury him?” he asked, peering over Goku’s shoulder to look at the dead squirrel.
“Just seems like he needs to be buried.” Goku crossed his arms, his posture now defensive.
Gojyo placed a gentle hand on Goku’s head. “Monkey, I don’t think he would care. What meaning would it have for him?”
Batting at Gojyo’s hand, “It would have meaning for me. I’m still alive.”
Somewhere in that one statement there was significant, and deeper, meaning for Goku. Hakkai, not truly knowing what was going on in Goku’s thoughts, still had some idea. After all, he knew where his own thoughts skated during their conversation. He shook his head at Gojyo to warn him off again when he stood. “Okay, Goku. Let’s find some rocks.”
“Sanzo is going to be pissed,” Gojyo said. “But if it’ll make Goku happy….”
“Great!” Goku leapt up from the ground, smiling, and took off into the woods.
Strolling next to Hakkai, Gojyo slung his arm around his shoulders. “What was that about?”
“I’m not sure.” Hakkai stared off into the brush where Goku had disappeared. “He needs this closure, though.”
”What about you?”
“You know me too well, my friend.” Hakkai looked up at the clear blue sky. “The summer is coming to an end. Fall will be here soon. The cycle continues.” He gave Gojyo a smile, feeling the wryness pulling tight at his face. “All we can do is hope to find meaning in a cycle that is never ending.”
Gojyo gave a low sound from deep in his throat. “All this philosophy before breakfast. You shouldn’t think so much so early in the morning. You’ll have all day to do it. Why waste a perfectly good morning?”
“Of course, you’re right.” Hakkai bumped at Gojyo playfully and pulled away. “Let’s help Goku and then find Sanzo.”
Taking a drag off his cigarette, Gojyo released a long breath out and watched the smoke cloud dissipate slowly into the air. “You can make it up to me by keeping Sanzo off our asses for being late.”
“Done.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” Gojyo said. He waved over his shoulder and then disappeared into the wood line.
The bushes rustled and the sounds of Gojyo and Goku bickering over who found one of the rocks drifted back across the clearing.
Yes. Some cycles never ended.
Fandom: Saiyuki
Characters: Hakkai, Goku, and some Gojyo
Word Count: 1084
Rating: PG
Summary: Goku and Hakkai get philosophical
Author's Notes: Supposed to be posted on the 13th, but I erroneously put this down on my calendar as the 18th. So, I’m late (and I already notified the admin). My apologies!
Goku crouched at the edge of the clearing, his weight rocking back and forth on his feet. He studied the small animal, possibly dead for many days, sheltered beneath a leafy bush. “Hey, Hakkai?”
Watching from the shade of a tree to help stave off the sweltering summer heat, Hakkai remained silent for Goku’s inspection. A summer storm had forced them to seek shelter, and in the process, they’d been separated. High overhead, Hakuryuu skimmed above the tree tops in search of the other half of their party. They had come up on the squirrel in their efforts to reunite with Sanzo and Gojyo and Goku’s attention got diverted from hunger to contemplation. “Yes, Goku?”
“What do you think happened?”
“Well.” Hakkai pushed from the tree and walked over to where Goku sat. He sunk to his heels and rested his elbows on his thighs. “He doesn’t appear to be injured, there’s no blood. He looks like he fell asleep and never woke up. Perhaps he was old.”
“Old,” Goku repeated slowly. “It’s sad that he died and left his family and friends behind. They are probably looking for him. You think?” Goku looked up at him, his eyes wide and so full of innocence. “You think that maybe they miss him now that he’s gone?”
He pursed his lips while considering Goku’s reply. “Sometimes, it’s not the manner of our death but the quality of our life that leaves the most significant impressions in our passing. And it’s how we live on with the memories of our departed loved ones that can lend meaning to their death in our own lives.”
Goku rocked back and landed on his butt to sit on the ground. “Still makes me sad.”
He let his hand smooth down Goku’s head to rest at the back of his neck and he squeezed gently in reassurance. Hakkai wondered what brought on this bout of melancholy in Goku since he wasn’t prone to these episodes often, mostly when he worried about Sanzo.
Goku was not an ordinary youkai. He may have lived many years but he still managed to maintain his childlike innocence. It was endearing.
It was also an invitation to disaster since the vagaries and subtleties of the ‘adult world’ were lost on Goku. “I know. There are several constants in life, Goku. If there is life, these constants are always ongoing, a cycle that turns back on itself. Life. Change. Death.
“To get from one stage to the other, everything moves through one. Eventually, all three. It can’t be avoided.”
The conversation was apropos of everything in his own life; Kanan, his slaughter of one thousand demons, his death and rebirth, Chin Isou, his current friendships now. It rushed in on him in one whirling maelstrom of emotion that made him dizzy. He put a hand down in the damp grass to steady himself.
“So, if he was happy when he was alive, it’s not such a sad thing, right?”
Pulled back to the present by Goku’s voice, Hakkai nodded his head in agreement. “Yes. I believe so.”
Silent after that, Hakkai watched Goku stare at the animal, his expression moving through many emotions. Emotions the innocent should never have to deal with.
“I will be sad if Sanzo dies,” Goku said at long last. “Can we bury him?”
There was the sound of a flint wheel and the click of a lighter closing behind them. “That would just make the monk crankier, Goku.”
Looking over his shoulder, Hakkai caught a brief glimpse of Gojyo. Before he could chide Gojyo for making fun of Goku, the young youkai was in motion.
Goku whirled around, his leg flashing out to sweep Gojyo’s out from under him. “I wasn’t talking about him, stupid!”
Gojyo was faster and leapt out of the way, a smile spreading across his lips. But Gojyo caught Hakkai’s expression with a small nod. He waved a hand. “We’ve been looking for you all morning and now Sanzo’s in a bad mood.”
“And this is different from any other mood?” Hakkai said lightly.
“Point.” Gojyo rejoined them at the clearing edge. “So you want to bury him?” he asked, peering over Goku’s shoulder to look at the dead squirrel.
“Just seems like he needs to be buried.” Goku crossed his arms, his posture now defensive.
Gojyo placed a gentle hand on Goku’s head. “Monkey, I don’t think he would care. What meaning would it have for him?”
Batting at Gojyo’s hand, “It would have meaning for me. I’m still alive.”
Somewhere in that one statement there was significant, and deeper, meaning for Goku. Hakkai, not truly knowing what was going on in Goku’s thoughts, still had some idea. After all, he knew where his own thoughts skated during their conversation. He shook his head at Gojyo to warn him off again when he stood. “Okay, Goku. Let’s find some rocks.”
“Sanzo is going to be pissed,” Gojyo said. “But if it’ll make Goku happy….”
“Great!” Goku leapt up from the ground, smiling, and took off into the woods.
Strolling next to Hakkai, Gojyo slung his arm around his shoulders. “What was that about?”
“I’m not sure.” Hakkai stared off into the brush where Goku had disappeared. “He needs this closure, though.”
”What about you?”
“You know me too well, my friend.” Hakkai looked up at the clear blue sky. “The summer is coming to an end. Fall will be here soon. The cycle continues.” He gave Gojyo a smile, feeling the wryness pulling tight at his face. “All we can do is hope to find meaning in a cycle that is never ending.”
Gojyo gave a low sound from deep in his throat. “All this philosophy before breakfast. You shouldn’t think so much so early in the morning. You’ll have all day to do it. Why waste a perfectly good morning?”
“Of course, you’re right.” Hakkai bumped at Gojyo playfully and pulled away. “Let’s help Goku and then find Sanzo.”
Taking a drag off his cigarette, Gojyo released a long breath out and watched the smoke cloud dissipate slowly into the air. “You can make it up to me by keeping Sanzo off our asses for being late.”
“Done.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” Gojyo said. He waved over his shoulder and then disappeared into the wood line.
The bushes rustled and the sounds of Gojyo and Goku bickering over who found one of the rocks drifted back across the clearing.
Yes. Some cycles never ended.