Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Yare…yare… this is the last chap of "Surviving Life". If there's any chap after this it would be a notice for my dear reviewers, readers and friends [All FFNEt writers are my friends]… I'm going to write a sequel but not for the time being because I'm going away and it may take some time before I could upload the sequel… but it'll come for sure… matte kudasai…^___^

Sanzo: Ch! You would never let me rest with that silly fics of yours.

Ayie: Hey! I just keeping the FFNet merry… don't blame me!

Hakkai: Hai! We would like to thank everyone who had being so loyal to this fic and reviewed. We knew that some of the readers liked this story even though they never reviewed… don't worry we're not mad…it's you own choice. Anyway thanks a lot… you really helped us out O__^.

Aiko: Million thanks for those who never failed to review and even encouraged us when we're feeling down… we've made a lot of new friends and we appreciated it… arigatou! flew kisses to all readers and reviewers

Gojyo: Yeah! Thanks to those who helped us with the fic… sankyu very much and we loved ya!                        Goku and Kazo: Sankyu na!!!

All: WE LOVE YOU MINNA-SAN!!!

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Final chapter – The Promise

Goku tugged at Aiko's sleeve and looked up to the latter with dreary eyes. "Do you really have to go?" he asked solely.

Aiko looked down to Goku with a solemn look fell upon her delicate face. She kneeled down before Goku and ruffled the boy's hair. Unwillingly, she nodded. "I have to… but I promise we'll meet again some day" she said, brushing the boy's sweaty forehead. She was not fond of having to part away with Dai and now she hated the idea of leaving Goku.

Gojyo grunted at hearing Aiko's promise. He pulled himself from the jeep and walked toward Kazo. He grabbed the boy's neck and locked the latter's head in his arm. He brushed the boy's hair with his knuckle. "Why don't you come with us?" Gojyo asked Aiko, without even looking at her. "After all we're going the same way" he added.

Aiko rose to her feet. She sighed heavily. The girl glanced at the horizon, where the sun was settling down. "Yes! We're heading to the west… to Tenjikou" she said softly. "But first I need to check on my uncle… and I just don't want to slow your pace" Aiko explained. It's hard for her to make the decision but she has to since she already made a promise with her uncle.

Gojyo smirked, pretending that the latter's reply didn't affected him much.

"Don't worry kappa… we'll meet again, after all we're heading the same direction so it's impossible that we'll never meet again" Kazo assured as he stabbed Gojyo's side with his fist.

"Hai hai!" Gojyo laughed as he ruffled Kazo's hair. The boy returned that by tugging at his fringes. Gojyo hissed in pain. He smacked the boy's head and Kazo didn't hesitate much to kick him by his leg. "Eow!!" Gojyo hopped around on one foot.

"Kono baka!" Gojyo cursed as he rubbed his aching leg. Then again, a faint smile flickered silently on his face. It was really hard to let go when he finally met a person who would understand his feeling of being a child of taboo and then they have to part away. He's going to be 'alone' once again.

Aiko smiled. It tore her heart apart to think about Kazo having a brother and suddenly losing him again. She knew both of the hanyous were sad to let each other go. The sapphire-eyed girl glanced down to the itan stood before her. Even she had a hard time accepting the fact that she has to leave the boy. She has being through a lot with Goku since they first met and deep inside her, a deep love grew for that young itan. In fact, the love for that boy emerged at the very time they first touch. She felt like she has ever loved that boy before and that love never dies.

Aiko kneeled down and held Goku's thin shoulders. She pulled the boy and cuddled him tight in her embrace. Aiko kissed Goku on his cheek and later on his forehead. Tear trickled down her cheek when she hugged Goku close to her. "I love you Goku… you will always be my little honey" she whispered to his ear.

"I love you too Aiko-nee-chan" Goku said softly. He cried on the girl's shoulder.

Aiko smiled when she heard the word nee-chan. She let go off her embrace and rose up to her feet. "Now be strong and take a good care of yourself…" Aiko ruffled Goku's hair hastily and the latter broke up into short laughter. She bent down on her knees and looked at Goku. "Goku…please do me a favor" she said.

Goku nodded. "Hai!"

"I know you're the strongest in this group… can you please look after Gojyo, Hakkai and Sanzo for me? Especially Hakkai and Sanzo" Aiko pulled Goku's nose playfully.

"Oki!!" Goku chirped merrily.

"Sankyu!!" Aiko wished. She turned her head and glanced at Hakkai and Sanzo, who were leaning against jippu. Goku went to get Kazo, to wish him goodbye. Aiko walked gracefully toward Sanzo and Hakkai, the men she loved so much.

Aiko halted right in front of Sanzo and looked down to her feet. "You better stay alive until the day we meet again mister worldly monk" she said as she lifted her face and looked straight into the amethyst eyes of her 'brother'.

A vein popped out on Sanzo's forehead. He was going to reach for his harisen when Aiko rewarded him a kiss on his cheek. Sanzo was flabbergasted. He looked to the girl and said nothing. Suddenly the girl wrapped him in her arms and sunk her face to his torso.

"I don't want to lose you again… make sure we meet again o-nii-chan" Aiko whispered and then released the monk at instant. But then Sanzo pulled her back into his arms and hugged her tight. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it filled to the fullest. "Arigatou…" she smiled and set herself free from Sanzo's arms.

Aiko glanced at Hakkai and walked toward the emerald-eyed man. She halted right in front of her loved one and smiled nervously. "Hakkai…" she said. There's a slight tremble in her voice when she mentioned the name.

"Don't say goodbye!" Hakkai said as he suddenly pulled the girl into his arms. He sunk his face to Aiko's neck and whispered. "We'll meet again… I promised" he said. Aiko smiled quietly.  The man's arms around her waist tightened as if he doesn't want to let her go.

"I'll be waiting…" Aiko said as she caressed the man's hair. "I love you Hakkai…" she returned the words back to him. Secretly, she planted a kiss on that man's cheek.

Hakkai released her from his arms and stared at the girl's face. He wanted to look at the girl to make sure he won't miss that face so much when they parted away. Aiko smiled and he smiled back. Aiko looked at Nimmiku.

"Nimmi… time to go" she said.

Nimmiku looked at jippu and the jeep suddenly turned into its biological form. Harkuryuu flew and landed before Nimmiku. They snuggled each other's necks and cooed lovingly. There's a sad tone on their coos. May be they are reluctant to part away, but they know they have to. Nimmiku and Harkuryuu nuzzled each other's nose and released a long soft coo before Nimmiku transformed into a Harley Davidson and Harkuryuu back into jippu.

"Kyu!" they both cooed for one last time, probably saying goodbye.

Aiko looked back to Kazo, who was saying goodbye to Gojyo and Goku.

"We'll meet again kappa and don't' you dare finished up my lunch like last time" Kazo warned.

"Hai hai!" Gojyo nodded with a sneer. Suddenly, he flung an arm around Kazo's shoulder and hugged the boy, then released him at instant. "Take care!" he said as he walked away to jippu.

"Ch!" Kazo grunted before a smile appeared on his lips. He looked to Goku. "Goku… you are the best friend I ever had… promised me by the time we meet again we'll play and fight together again" he held out a pinkie and the mentioned boy locked it with his own.

"I promise" Goku chirped. They laughed together for once and hugged each other. Then, they ran toward Aiko and the elder men.

Kazo stood before Sanzo. "Well… Sanzo-sama, take care" Kazo wished and he had to dodge Sanzo's harisen soon after that. He laughed merrily as he dash toward Hakkai. "Hakkai… promise me that you'll propose to my sister when we meet again"

Hakkai chuckled edgily and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Yare…yare desune" he chirped nervously. Hakkai pulled the boy into his arms and hugged him. "You take care of your sister and my future wife" he whispered.

"Oki… take care of yourself too" Kazo said before darting toward Aiko and Nimmiku. Aiko helped him with fastening the safety belt on her helmet and the boy hopped up to the bike. Aiko looked back to the ikkou and sat on the biker's seat.

"Aiko!" Hakkai called out at sudden. The girl turned and glanced over her shoulder. Hakkai was running toward her. He halted next to her. "Your safety helmet was not fastened" he said as his hands went up to Aiko's helmet, fastening the belt under the girl's chin.

"Uh…Gomen!" Aiko chuckled nervously. Suddenly, the man's hand crept up to her cheek and it lifted her face, facing up to him. Out of the blue, the man sunk his lips on hers and they kissed passionately for several minutes.

"Yada yada!" Gojyo smirked.

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as he turned his gaze away with a tiny flush on red on his face.

"Yoshi!!" Goku and Kazo yelped with joy. Now, they know that they will surely meet again.

Hakkai and Aiko remained in their position for quite some before disengaging. Before they let go off each other, Hakkai whispered something to Aiko's ear, making the latter blushed furiously. Hakkai smiled and Aiko wasted no more time to switch on the ignition. The bike gave a loud broom when she squeezed on the handle.

"Jaa…" Kazo waved goodbye when her sister still lost of words by Hakkai's whisper. Aiko didn't look back no more since she's still blushing at Hakkai's words. The bike slowly sleds away from the place and disappeared into the horizon.

The ikkou, now back to four hopped in the jeep. They have a journey to continue and a mission to embark. They have no time to waste.

"Hakkai… what have you said to Aiko to cause her blushing like that?" Gojyo asked, being his hentai self.

Hakkai switched on the ignition and stirred the gear before stepping on the pedal. The engine roared before the jeep sled swiftly to the road. "It's a promise" Hakkai smiled. It's a secret and only he and Aiko knew what it is.

"Ch!" Gojyo grunted.

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Aiko smiled quietly when she remembered Hakkai's last words, which are a promise.

"Aiko… what did Hakkai told you before we left?" Kazo asked from the back.

"It's a promise" she replied with a smile, much to Kazo's dissaproval. 'A promise we made and will be kept until the day we meet again'

The Harley Davidson moved smoothly on the road heading to the west as the red orb slowly submerged beyond the horizon. The day slowly gave way to the night.

~Owari~

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Ayie: Wanna know what promise Hakkai made to Aiko? Wait for the sequel ne Smiled devilishly and in the sequel… I won't be good anymore.

Hakkai and Aiko: Yare…yare…

All: That's all for now! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Till we meet again… good luck to all writers of FFNet!! Ganbatte!