Disclaimer: Am I Minekura Kazuya? No. Do I own Saiyuki? No.

NOTE: Welcome to the final chapter of the story. I apologize for the atrocious delay. School work has been swallowing my time but I am determined to complete this before Christmas.

I finally finish the very first story I posted on this site more than five years ago. I have left it alone for too long and I was determined to complete it before I start any new ones. It's a whimsical tale at best and I hope you enjoyed it. As much as I love Saiyuki, I don't really have other ideas for stories to write. I will continue to read the manga and wait for the final chapters of their journey.

I'm sorry to say there will be no sequel to this little story. I don't have the time or creativity and I don't think that it would be necessary. After this chapter, you can all pretty much guess what happens next.

Thank you for the support and for the reviews and I hope you like the ending.

Chapter Five: What Lies Ahead

Reluctantly, Goku and Lirin pulled away from each other, taking deep breaths and gazing at each other intently. They were both smiling and blushing but no longer shy about what had transpired between them.

"Wow," Goku said in awe, breaking their silence. Lirin grinned back at him.

They were both at a loss for words to describe what had just happened. But they didn't mind it at all. This new and exciting journey was one they wanted to take together, and neither of them wanted to think of the consequences just yet. They would revel in their sublime moment, both unaware that their bliss had lasted for quite some time already. Time was irrelevant to them, as were their surroundings. Nothing else mattered but the person before them.

If anyone had told them the day before that they would be acting so sentimentally, they would not have believed it. But they were lost to it now, that trap that so easily ensnares even the strongest of beings.

"You're amazing, you know," Goku said breathlessly, not quite sure what else to say but feeling the need to blurt something out. Lirin simply laughed at him.

"You're not so bad yourself," she teased, causing the golden-eyed youkai to grin wider at her.

A more elaborate and eloquent declaration of their feelings was not needed. Their eyes and their expressions said everything they needed to say to each other more effectively than they could express themselves verbally.

After a few moments, they broke apart to check the rest of the world. As happy as they were, they were not sure how their companions would react to their sudden coming together. They decided to just wait for the right opportunity to let the others know, and they were relieved that they remained alone in the weird ruins.

But as they took a few steps forward, they both felt an alien resistance to their movement. Raising their hands in front of them, they felt a powerful barrier, and they immediately drew their hands back from the shock of contact. There was an instant of pain and a sudden spark as they touched the invisible wall.

"Ow!" they cried simultaneously after suddenly being stung by the remaining force of the barrier.

They looked at their palms and found one long red scratch on each hand, drops of blood shining on their skin. The cuts they had were identical. But other than these linear wounds, there was no other damage.

"Are you all right?" Goku immediately asked in concern. He grabbed Lirin's hands quickly but gently and surveyed the damage.

"I'm fine," Lirin replied with a reassuring grin, "it's nothing. What about you?"

"I've had worse, don't worry about it," the other answered nonchalantly.

The pain faded instantly and the cuts quickly became scars. Somehow, Goku and Lirin felt that these reddish scars were the strings of fate that had brought them together and that would forever link them. They could not explain how they came up with such a wild idea. It had burst upon them as suddenly as everything else had that day.

The barrier dissolved before them, and to their astonishment, the two young youkai saw that their companions were standing just a few feet from them, bearing a range of facial expressions that was more than enough to put them on their guard.

The most extreme of the reactions came from Kougaiji who, upon seeing the two disentangle themselves from each other at last, could not help but let his overprotective brother instincts take charge.

"YOU!" he yelled, his eyes smoldering and his nostrils flaring (almost as if smoke was coming out from them), "GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF MY SISTER!"

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"Now, that was certainly an unexpected turn of events," Ni Jenyi chuckled to himself as he leaned back against his chair and looked away from the computer monitor which was now projecting nothing but static.

Apparently, his tracking device had been no match for the immense waves of power generated from Goku and Lirin's kiss. The tiny machine had melted soon after the two had made contact.

But the doctor was not dismayed by these results. In fact, he would have been disappointed if his tracking device had withstood the force of the union. No, he had seen more than enough to pique his interest and with his analytical and cunning mind; he would be able to figure out how the others would react to this amusing development.

As pathetic as the "prophets of the power" had been, they had revealed an angle of the overall situation which even he had not anticipated. Gyokumen Koushu would not be pleased to learn of this and Kougaiji was certainly not going to tell her about it. Ni Jenyi decided that he too would keep the secret, for as long as it was necessary. He was still curious to see how all this power was to be used.

He would not commit the same mistakes as those weak mystics. For the time being, he would let everything just play out naturally, as it was certain that the succeeding events would be immensely entertaining. And there was nothing he enjoyed more than being a satisfied spectator.

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As expected, the task of maintaining some semblance of peace and composure between the two groups fell to Hakkai and Yaone. It took some time and a great deal of effort for them to pacify the enraged Kougaiji as well as to deal with the adamant protests of the new pair of lovers.

Irritated as Sanzo was about the situation, he thankfully was sensible enough not to exacerbate it. He saw that nothing would be gained by seriously injuring the others (although he was certainly not going to show any mercy on Goku later on when he could whip out his paper fan).

He knew, however, that trying to knock some sense in the crazy monkey was a futile effort at best so there would have to something else to be done about the new relationship. He sensed that this was no temporary upsurge of hormones that would weaken and eventually disappear as they days went by. If it was as serious as the two claimed it was then they would all have to contend with a great number of inconveniences.

Sanzo did not relish the idea of dealing with even more distractions and delays on their mission. But then again, he didn't have a choice in the matter.

As the labored discussions began, the two youkai spoke more earnestly than anyone had ever heard them talk before and professed their love for each other and the apparently serious nature of their new relationship. Lirin constantly reassured her brother that the kiss and embrace had been completely consensual and that she had no regrets or shame about her recent actions.

Goku was also trying to justify and explain his actions, though he was not quite sure how the others were taking it. Gojyo just burst into a fit of laughter, causing Goku and Lirin to blush, while Sanzo and Kougaiji merely glared at the two distastefully.

Hakkai and Yaone merely sighed deeply but could not conceal their smiles of amusement at all that had taken place. They exchanged a knowing look that showed how much they were restraining themselves from laughing at the whole affair.

The circumstances were convoluted beyond recognition, and neither team (except the two love-struck young youkai) knew how to resolve it to everyone's satisfaction. Either way, a shift in allegiance would be necessary. The other option would be a betrayal but this did not appeal to anyone at the moment.

"Whoa," Gojyo commented to his older brother as the red-haired half-breed scratched his head in both amusement and puzzlement, "just how are we going to sort this whole mess out?"

"I'm just glad that I'm not the leader of our group," Dokugakuji replied, "I don't want to be burdened with the decision on what to do in this case. I'll simply go with whatever Kougaiji chooses."

"And as much as I don't always agree with him," Gojyo answered with a grin, "I'm going to let Sanzo handle this one. It's his monkey involved, after all."

"Now, now, I think we can all discuss better once we've all calmed down," Hakkai repeated for the nth time as Yaone struggled to keep Kougaiji from attacking Goku.

"Well, what do you propose we do, huh?" Kougaiji snapped, "our situation is complicated enough as it is."

"Don't we all know that," Sanzo muttered sarcastically, "do you honestly believe that we wanted this to happen?"

"I don't regret anything I feel for your sister," Goku piped in earnestly, only earning a glare from the other youkai.

"Neither do I," Lirin added, quickly coming to his defense.

Sanzo frowned while Kougaiji shook his head in disgust. Hakkai and Yaone sighed while Gojyo and Dokugakuji were struggling to maintain their composure.

"Clearly, they're the only ones happy about this," Hakkai thought as he exchanged yet another knowing look with Yaone, who nodded at him.

But then again, Hakkai thought, there was more to be gained from an alliance than an ongoing feud. And though he had been trying to banish any selfish thoughts, he could not help but think that he would not mind spending more time with Yaone should the situation allow for it.

And little did he know that the shy young alchemist shared his feelings on the matter. But both were far too selfless and kind to voice their approval of an alliance and too unsure of each other's feelings to even admit these to themselves.

"This is such a nuisance," Sanzo muttered, lighting a cigarette irritably. He silently cursed the heavens (and especially the goddess who so enjoyed tormenting him) for making his mission even more annoying and complicated.

To the monk's further exasperation, the others (except Kougaiji, of course) didn't seem too bothered by the situation. In fact, they mostly seemed amused by it, more than anything.

Hakkai, Yaone, Dokugakuji, and Gojyo did the honors of recounting to the two what had happened with the prophets and the ritual that they had been in the middle of during the revelation of their feelings. Goku and Lirin listened to the story with astonishment and the others immediately knew that the two had been wholly unaware of what had been happening around them all that time.

After much violent argumentation, both groups decided that there was no point in trying to break up the newly formed couple. They were clearly determined to love each other with all the passion and recklessness of youth.

And though the other tried to convince themselves that this was just the hormones raging and that the whole affair would be short-lived, they knew better. The now-dead prophets' obsession with the union of the two powers and the whole hullabaloo that had just transpired was indication enough that this was not to be an ordinary, temporary relationship.

What bound Goku and Lirin together was a force stronger than any physical or emotional attraction. And with the forging of this new bond, the couple also linked their respective groups almost inextricably.

In the end, all of them were so exhausted from all the fighting and debating that they settled on allowing the relationship to continue, but discreetly (meaning unknown to Lirin's mother.) For the sake of all outward appearances, at least for the time being until a more convenient and appropriate measure was discovered, Sanzo's party and Kougaiji's group would remain enemies. But whenever opportunity presents itself, the two young youkai would be (reluctantly) allowed to pursue their relationship.

It was all too maddeningly complicated and none had the strength or will to resolve everything in the span of one day. It had been eventful enough.

They would work out all the details some other time. For the time being, they would defer any attempts to kill each other. That would have to do.

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With a satisfied smirk, the Goddess of Mercy put down her binoculars and returned to her throne. Sitting comfortably and leaning back, she chuckled softly.

"Watching the goings on in the mortal world is always so diverting," she thought, "no matter how much you anticipate what they'll do, they always manage to give you a pleasant surprise."

Resting her gaze lazily on the lotus pond before her, the playfully pensive goddess mused further on the future of her favorite four wanderers and the not-so-new additions to their group.

"What a bunch of characters you are," she said sardonically, as if addressing them, "you haven't even fulfilled your mission yet and already you're taking side-trips."

She shook her head in mock disapproval but her grin only grew wider.

"But this is a more than welcome distraction, I think," she continued her reflections, "and even from the very beginning, it was more about the journey than the destination. One can always rely on these guys for some great entertainment. So far, they have not let me down."

She sighed as she leaned back and looked up to the brilliantly illuminated sky of the heavens and pondered on the stark contrast between the boring tranquility of the palace and the delightful chaos of the world below. But for all the differences and distance, everything was connected, woven together in an intricate and ineffable tapestry of destiny. Even the smallest change in the mortal world would reverberate across the distance. And the goddess agreed that a change was necessary, not only to banish the intense monotony of divine life, but to somehow bring more significance to it.

But she did not dwell on such lofty considerations as these were not going to happen overnight. For the moment, she concerned herself with the developments between Sanzo's Party and Kougaiji's strange little family. They had reached a turning point in their already peculiar relationship that was sure to test their allegiances in the days to come.

"The journey ahead of you is fraught with danger and dilemmas that you could not have imagined," the Goddess of Mercy pronounced, "and you're going to need all your strength and your wits about you when you face the coming trials. But you're a tough crew, and I'm pretty confident that you'll sort it out somehow. You always do."

After all, they weren't ordinary humans or youkai. Even after five hundred years, they retained their essence, their personalities, and their unique strengths. And as for the other group, they can no longer deny the connection that existed between them and their so-called enemies.

"Time always calls for change," the Goddess of Mercy remarked earnestly, "and the sooner they realize that they need to work together, the better. As soon as they get past the initial differences, they must settle into an inevitable alliance."

-FINIS-

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At long, long last.

Yay. A landmark achievement. This was my very first attempt at fan fiction and though I effectively abandoned it for five years, being engrossed in other things and having better ideas for stories, I decided to bring some closure to this. And I'm glad I did. This is one less incomplete story to my name!

I have been a fan of Saiyuki for so many years and yet this is my only attempt at writing fan fiction for this wonderfully kick ass series.

So this is my humble contribution to this awesome fandom. I suppose I'm one of the few people who enjoy Saiyuki het pairings.

I hope you liked my silly little take on the cute pairing of Goku/Lirin and my little hints of Hakkai/Yaone. I love Saiyuki with a passion but I cannot come up with really good ideas for fan fiction and I am too anxious waiting for the chapters of Saiyuki Reload Blast to come out. I will stick with them to the end, no matter how long it takes!

But I'm glad that this short and silly little story amused some of you and I honestly appreciate all the support that you've given me (especially considering I left this story on hiatus for more than five years.) I was pleasantly surprised to see that some people still found an interest in an almost abandoned piece. But I wanted to finish what I started and now I'm just glad and relieved that I did.

Thank you so much to those who left a review for this silly story of mine: Kitsune86, brave kid, and narutodragon.

Thank you very much as well to those who added this story to their list of favorites: brave kid, pantherjtg, and YaoiIsMyAddiction.

And as for those who put this on story alert, thank you, and I'm happy to say that you will wait no longer for any updates: brave kid, mistic fox, narutodragon, and YaoiIsMyAddiction.

Now, to all those who read, review, faved this story after I've posted this, let me say my thanks in advance. I always appreciate any feedback on my strange and imperfect writing style. Hope you enjoy the story.

A final thank you before all this comes to a close.