Wooooooooo! Character death! ::warning siren goes off::

Angst filled sappy whatsamuhoosit.

::grin grin::

Sanzo stood with his head lowered, staring down at an unmarked grave. In his hand, he held a gold coronet. In the other, a rose.

Motivate your anger to make them all realize.

They had won the battle against Gyumoa, but it cost them their youngest comrade. Yes...they all knew at least one of them was to die, but to think, it had to be him.

Climbing the mountain...

It couldn't have been Gojyo, who had done nothing with his life up until now. Or Hakkai, who had committed so many sins. Or even Sanzo. Yes, Genjo Sanzo. The ill mannered priest who cared for nothing or no one...until now.

Never coming down.

As the saying goes, you never know what you have until it's gone. And that's exactly what Sanzo was feeling, though he'd never tell Gojyo or Hakkai. It took the monk this long to realize he had someone who cared about him and would do anything for him, which is what the boy had proven during his last moments alive.

Break into the contents...

Sanzo would never forget those last few hours.

Never falling down.

Flash back

Gyumoa had risen, and the battle wasn't going as smoothly as the group had planned. Gojyo's arm had been severely damaged, Hakkai was too weak to move and Sanzo was running out of ideas. Goku was still fighting when he realized it was useless to try and defeat the ox king himself. The boy ran to Sanzo, who was busy loading the last bullet he had left.

My knee is still shaking, like I was twelve.

"Sanzo?" The boy questioned. He was only a few feet away from the monk.

Sneaking out of the classroom, by the back door.

Sanzo looked up. A cigarette hanging from his lips. "What?"

A man railed at me twice though...

Before Goku could say anything, the Ox King's sword darted right towards Sanzo, who was frozen in place.

But I didn't care.

Goku shouted Sanzo's name and leapt forth.

Waiting is wasting...

It all happened so fast. Sanzo had his eyes closed, anticipating impact from the sword. But he felt nothing...except warm liquid staining his face and robes.

For people like me...

Sanzo shot his eyes open and saw both blood...and opportunity. The monk aimed his gun at the demon's heart and fired.

Don't try to live so wise.

Direct hit. The Ox king fell to the ground, roaring in defeat.

Don't cry cause you're so right.

Sanzo wiped the liquid from his face and looked down at his hands.

Don't dry with fakes or fears,

Red. His hands were covered in red.

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end.

Sanzo's eyes widened as he stared at the dying child clutching a sword that was lodged in his stomach. The priest fell to his knees beside him.

Don't try to live so wise.

Sanzo then realized why the Ox kings sword hadn't hit him. It was because Goku had used his own body as a shield so Sanzo could take the shot at Gyumoa.

Don't cry cause you're so right.

How noble...yet so stupid.

Don't dry with fakes or fears,

"You idiot." Sanzo whispered helplessly to Goku. The young demon only smiled as blood dribbled from his mouth. "I-I know..."

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end.

End flash back

Goku had served his purpose. He was to do whatever necessary to protect the one who really mattered.

You say "Dreams are dreams"

Sanzo mentally slapped himself for thinking like that. Yes, he admitted that he held himself higher in importance than his other three comrades, but if anyone was to die...

"I ain't gonna play the fool anymore."

It should have been Sanzo.

You say "'Cause I still got my soul"

The monk held the rose for a moment and then threw it on the grave.

Take your time baby, your blood needs slowing down.

Roses...mean 'remember'.

Breach your soul to reach yourself before you gloom.

And there was no damn way Sanzo could ever forget something that had such an impact on his life. From the time he'd brought that skinny, ragged little monkey to the temple, to the time he had to bury this strong, faithful young man.

Reflection of fear makes shadows of nothing...

He wanted so badly to forget. To move on. He'd told himself to never let anything get close to him. To never bind him by emotion. But that hungry little animal bit down on his soul and never let go until the moment of his tragic death.

Shadows of nothing...

And even now. The jaws were gone, but the teeth marks still remained. And they'd be there for a very long time.

You still are blind, if you see a winding road,

Sanzo clutched the coronet. Then his grip loosened and he threw it down next to the rose.

Cause there's always a straight way to the point you see.

The priest turned and walked through the wild field of flowers back to the temple where Hakkai and Gojyo were waiting for him.

Don't try to live so wise.

After a few hours of talking and drinking, Hakkai and Gojyo headed out on their way home. Hakkai warned Sanzo not to let Goku's death create a hole in his heart. The man knew from experience what it was like to loose someone dear to you.

Don't cry cause you're so right.

Hakkai's advice had no effect on Sanzo. There was already a hole in the monk's heart. Goku's death had made it a crater.

Don't dry with fakes or fears...

Sanzo started to remember Goku's final hours.

Cause you will hate yourself in the end.

flash back

They all sat in a circle around a small fire...and Goku, who lay half conscious nearest the fire. The boy had lost a lot of blood and was losing more due to the shortage of medical supplies.

Don't try to live so wise.

Hakkai was too weak to heal any of their wounds, and was devastated by the fact he could do nothing to help Goku.

Don't cry cause you're so right.

Sanzo closed his eyes and grabbed Goku, setting the boy on his lap. He leaned back against the cave wall and let Goku's head lay on his chest. The other two watched in awe as Sanzo buried his hand in the boy's hair and wrapped his arm around Goku's waist.

Don't dry with fakes or fears...

As the hours past, Goku slipped in and out of consciousness. He began to mutter inaudible words and names. Then, he finally slipped into a coma. Hakkai tried to lighten the situation by telling Sanzo and Gojyo that Goku probably couldn't feel the pain anymore. Soon after, Goku died in Sanzo's arms. The boy's suffering was over, and Sanzo's was just beginning.

Cause you will hate yourself in the end.

They buried Goku in the field of flowers near the temple. Gojyo smiled, saying he had a feeling this is where Goku would have wanted to be buried when he died. In a field of endless wild flowers of all colors, shapes and sizes.

Don't try to live so wise.

Hakkai had agreed to let Sanzo bury Goku. It was Gojyo who had taken the power limiter and given it to the monk as a 'remembrance piece'.

Don't cry cause you're so right.

End flash back

The next morning, Sanzo awoke to the bright sun shining in his eyes.

Don't dry with fakes or fears...

His hand hit something cold and metal. He looked on the other side of the pillow to find the gold coronet sitting beside him. But who placed it there?

Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

He could have sworn he left it at the grave. Who would have taken it and put it here? Sanzo looked out the window at the lush green grass and the flowing wild flowers that had just appeared over night.

Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

The sun seemed so much brighter for some reason. Sanzo got out of bed and dressed into his robes. He left the temple and went to the burial site holding the coronet. When he got there, He could have sworn he heard a childish giggle coming from the tree branches above. Feeling another presence, Sanzo looked around, but found no one.

Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

Realization hit him. Goku was an earth demon. When he died, he'd become a part of the earth and would be reborn the same way. Goku was the flowers that bloomed here, the grass that gently rolled in the meadow, and the wind that seemed to whisper high in the trees. Sanzo would just have to wait for him, just like Goku had waited for 500 years for Sanzo to come and free him from the mountain prison. Sanzo smiled, knowing he'd never escape the annoying voice. And once the child was reborn, he'd hear his calling again.

Cause you will hate yourself...

But this time...they'd have a happy ending.

In the end.

What'd 'jya think?

I'm taking a little break from 'the sun will rise again' (Don't worry! I'll finish it! I promise!) Its just for a little while. So no panicking!

R&R, please no flames! I was really tired when I wrote this!

Love,

Lirin-chan

PS: The song was 'wind' from Naruto. Never seen it, but I LOOOOOOVE this song!