By Clorinda

Rated: PG

Category: General

Summary: They four have their peculiarities, all the time, and it never shows. Ficlet. Character study, mingled with personal and biased interpretations. (I have only seen "Reload and "Gunlock;" my canon may be off.)

They four have their peculiarities, all the time, and it never shows.

How Sanzo deep down inside is in awe of Hakkai at times, to the extent that it is not respect as much as fear that keeps him from snapping at the man. Only anger breaks that spell; Sanzo is seldom livid.

How Hakkai never smiles to hide his pain, because the sadness breaks through when he speaks of, thinks of, remembers Kanan. He smiles when he thinks the sun is bright, when Gojyo shows his branded colours, when he laughs behind backs.

How Gojyo is still grateful to the brother who saved his life, even if he teaches himself not to feel for the enemy. He and Dokugakuji holler compliments the way only brothers do, but never has he, or will he, touch a hair of Jien's head.

How Goku believes in warmth, loyalty, goodness in friends and enemies alike; how he refuses to be sullied in a place where corruption, greed and hatred peep through the crevices. And despite the tears that fall, Goku has never stopped killing.

When the sun is high in the sky, and man and beast look them in the eye, the inscrutable four are like the gods, immortal legends that walk the earth.

But when the sun goes down ... the gods morph into mortal men.

—- End -—