Chapter 4: Don't You Know the Past?

Goku sat in his original seat now. He was quite and thoughtful which freaked everyone out. Hakkai was nervous, Sanzo sat there waiting for a complaint and Gojyo who had tried numerous times to start a conversation and received silence was deeply disturbed, depressed, and desperate. Goku was oblivious to it all. Even when his stomach growled he remained quiet and lost in thought. They ran into an oasis along the way and stopped to fill up there canteens. "Goku can you fill these up please," Hakkai asked hoping for a response. Goku had none. He didn't ask why nor did he complain. He simply grabbed them and walked over to the water hole. Goku looked down at his reflection then refilled the empty canteens and then looked at his reflection on the rippled surface. "You promised I'd see her. Will I?" Goku picked up the water containers and walked back to the group. While they drove away he glanced back at the oasis and gave a small smile. "The wind and water have answered me. I'll see you soon, sister," Goku whispered softly.

"Sanzo, I'm hungry," Goku said plainly. He didn't whine it he simply stated it as a fact but this was an improvement. "We'll stop to eat in a little bit, Goku," Hakkai said. Gojyo seeing the small change took the chance to see if he could get Goku to talk. "So what has the little saru been thinking about?" Gojyo teased. "An ero kappa such as you wouldn't comprehend it so why should I waste my breath," Goku said slyly smirking as he caught onto the game Gojyo wished to play. "Since when has the bakasaru used such big words," Gojyo asked. Goku's response was not what he expected. Goku looked flustered like he had made a serious mistake. His hand slipped over his mouth as if to restrain any new intelligent words, which wished to emerge from his mouth.

Goku removed his hand and looked down and became silent once more. "Sheesh your entitled to say something smart once in a while Goku," Gojyo said. "But you need an equal opponent to fight with your low brain capacity," Goku remarked wanting to start the game up again but having trouble acting stupid. "I think that was an insult Gojyo," Hakkai taunted. "Think I'm dumb do you," Gojyo said getting riled up. "No, I merely think your physiologically (mentally) challenged," Goku said sarcastically. Gojyo didn't think of this as a game anymore. Goku remarks were cocky, quick, and playful but downright insulting. Even if Goku was joking he didn't like it. Goku saw that Gojyo was seriously hurt and angered by the remarks and decided to back down. He lowered his comments so they were short, sweet, and obviously meaning no harm. "Does Gojyo wanna cry to his mommy or is his gonna cry to Hakkai instead?" "Why you little twerp!" Goku giggled in the mist of the pushes and shoves and Hakkai didn't say a thing, neither did Sanzo object to the noisy quarrel. 'Things have changed a little bit since then, but they're still the same old guys. Konzen, Kenren, Tenpou, Nataku I'm sorry.'

The game died down after a while and left Goku grinning. A memory came to mind as he stared into the distance. Weight. Bindings. Would he have those placed back on him? He felt danger even though he knew it was almost impossible for those things to be placed back on him. He felt as if something ominous was about to come. As if to answer his suspicions a dark figure appeared before them. It was a figure Goku knew very well. He had seen it many times in his head while he was trapped in the cave. "The keeper of chains! Why are you here?" Goku hissed. The jeep had stopped and everyone was startled by the sudden appearance. "I have come to deliver your bindings. Your power is getting out of hand again and we must make sure that it doesn't cause any problems." Goku's eyes narrowed with rage. He knew very well what she was going to do and he did not like it. "My power is fine leave me alone," Goku said as he backed off slowly, clearly showing he had no intention to fight.

Gojyo approached, summoning his weapon to his hand. "Who the heck is this chick?" Gojyo asked ready to fight. Sanzo held his gun up ready to attack and Hakkai held ready an energy orb. "Put your guard down. It won't do you any good guys," Goku said. Gojyo's weapon disappeared and so did Hakkai's energy ball but Sanzo's gun stayed up. The girl lifted up her hand and Goku's weights that he feared so much appeared. Sanzo pulled the trigger and the bullet would have hit her heart dead on if it weren't for the fact that it went right through her. "What?" they all gasped. She disappeared and they all looked at him. "Why does it look like I've seen you in that outfit before?" Gojyo asked remembering trying to pick Goku up and failing. His surroundings were strange in the memory and he felt like he was somewhere that he should be familiar with, but he wasn't. Goku looked up giving an obviously fake strained sad smile "Don't you know the past?"