TITLE: Stigma
SUMMARY: As a Sanzo of the modern world, you basically just need to attend functions, be polite, and stay in your place to have a smooth life. But the latest Sanzo finds that hard when he soon acquires 3 demon roommates in a world where demons are discriminated against. Things get complicated when he begrudgingly becomes attached to a golden eyed brat who has no business caring about him.

PLEASE NOTE: This story is rated M. According to the FF site, that means it has to be appropriate for ages 16+ WITHOUT explicit content, which includes adult language, themes, and suggestions. This story meets those requirements. Their will be LOTS of cussing because, well... It's Saiyuki.

CHAPTER 1
Intro

Well… That was… annoying.

Twenty year old Genjo Sanzo had just been officially given the title of Sanzo Priest. The ceremony was finally over and he was back in his room at the temple at last. Now, life would be easy. Sanzo Priests got paid a wage by the church, basically just for existing. Like when scientists get grants for being really smart, but they're not required to actually do anything with it.

Which was why he wanted to be a Sanzo Priest in the first place. It was easier than going to college and getting a job and now he didn't have to work the rest of his living days. He would have to go to the church events, bless babies, and some other bull shit. But… he was basically set for life…

He fell back on his bed for the last time. He had lived in this shitty little room at the temple since the church had adopted him as a child, and now that he was a Sanzo. He would be allowed to get his own place on the church's dime. So you can bet he was getting the nicest and biggest place he could.

He threw his scripture on the bedside table without caring much. Oh yeah, that was the other thing… He had to watch over that thing…

The scripture was a very very very old scroll passed down from ancient days. It was said to have some magical powers… buuuuut that was a load of shit. It was just an old piece of paper. His plan was to put it in a glass case and never touch it until he had to get dressed up for some church event. Regardless, he couldn't wait to get out of here…

Well… That was… arousing.

Gojyo had a girl hitting on him in a night club, and she had just done this thing with her hair, and it hit the light just so. He was seconds away from getting up and going over to talk to her when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"The hell do you think you're doing in here?"

"Excuse me?" Gojyo frowned looking up at him slightly confused.

"We don't let Demon in here…" the bouncer snapped.

"Do I look like I have pointed ears to you pal!" he snapped looking thoroughly insulted.

"You have that particular shade of red hair… You're half at the very least."

"I… I am not!" he snapped. "Don't lump me in with Demons, I dye this thank you very much…"

"Bullshit, what sort of dumb ass dyes their hair the same red as halfer hair?" the bouncer snapped. "Get out!"

"Like hell!"

"Get out, or I'm throwing your ass out!"

"…"

The music had stopped now, because by this point everyone had turned in their direction.

"Tsk," he scoffed purposely bumping into the bouncer as he walked by. "Whatever…"

He left the night club in the pouring rain. Demons were second hand citizens compared to humans. There had once been a time when everyone supposedly got along. Way in the past. But way back in ancient times their was a period where Demon's went crazy and became violent beyond reason. That period only lasted 10 or so years but it created enough of a lasting stigma that even to this day Demon's were distrusted and treated like shit.

It wouldn't be so bad if it was just people calling them names now and then. But their were laws in place preventing them from doing the things humans could.

For example, Demon's couldn't drive, they couldn't attend school past middle school, they could only do certain kinds of work. Laborious jobs, janitorial jobs. That is if the place was willing to hire Demon. A lot of times they weren't. A majority of the time their best bet for finding work was to be a live in servant and that job was shit because they were treated poorly as their were few laws regarding how you could treat your servants. Most places like that didn't pay anything either. You got room and board and that was it. A lot of the other Demon kids he grew up with had gone on to get homes to work for. And it was a bit of a status symbol among humans if you had Demons who worked for you, willingly or otherwise.

Not him. Most people didn't know how to react to him. He was half human and half demon. Sometimes people just treated him like a human, sometimes they treated him like a Demon. He had about a fifty fifty shot when he went anywhere. Today just hadn't been his night he guessed…

He took out a cigarette and lit it.

Well… That was… easy.

That was… too easy.

The knife had slid into him so easily. The blood was all over the floor, his bare feet felt wet standing on the carpet next to the body. So… easy.

If had know it would be that easy. He would have killed him long ago. Weeks ago. Months ago. Years ago…

His eyes drifted up. Kanan was still tied to the bed where the man had left her. She was dead. She was dead from the moment he walked into the room, he wasn't quite sure what happened after that. That initial realization that his sister was dead had hit him so suddenly upon coming home from his college class that afternoon.

Then… his adoptive Father was lying dead on the floor. He had been doing this to her for a long time. Maybe he should have stopped it before now. But… They had been black mailed since they were first adopted by the man. They had been given limiters (which were illegal to have). It hid their demonic looks and allowed them to be raised as humans. He promised not to tell anyone they were demons as long as he did what they asked when they asked.

For Hakkai that meant any money he earned went straight to him. For his sister, it meant something much worse.

When he didn't want them to leave he would lock away their limiters and that was enough to prevent them from leaving the house. It worked better than locking the door. After all, they couldn't let anyone see that they were demons. If the school found out, they would lose their scholarships, which both of them had studied very hard to get.

Hakkai felt oddly numb as he untied his sister's hands and hoisted her limp body into his arms. He didn't even realize he was crying until the cold wind from outside hit his face and cooled the path his tears had taken down his cheek. He would have to hide her body. They were twins. If he tried to bury her by normal means the coroner might take off her limiter and realize she was a demon, and that would expose him as well…

Well… That was… painful.

Goku could feel blood in his stomach from his injury and he could taste it in his mouth. Everything hurt, but the pain in his stomach concerned him most. He wondered if he would still be able to eat with it hurting this much. Not that he was fed much anyway.

His cage was deep underground, and it was cold and their was a single dangling light. The only time he left his cage was to fight. His owner would bring him up stairs to another mostly dark room and make him fight whatever Demon the opponent brought. Some of them were nothing, some of them were tough. That last one had been...

When an opponent was too much for Goku, his owner would simply take off his crown. Goku didn't know what would happen after that, but he would wake up in his cage some time later and usually be badly injured as he was now.

He closed his eyes, hoping he would fall asleep quickly, sleep was the only thing he could do to get out of pain.

A short intro. I hope you enjoyed. If you did review so I know to continue.