Prologue: From Ashes to Dust

Goku rose from the pile of wreck and ashes that surrounded him. The air stung his throat as he breathed in and he coughed bringing his hand to his mouth. He moved to get away from the wreckage and his bare feet sunk painfully into the charred remains as pieces of wood stabbed at them. Finally he made it to an outcropping of a cliff that looked over the ruined shack that he had been in just moments before. Behind him lay a dark forest the seemed to whisper to him as the wind rushed through the trees. He backed up as the shadows seemed to jump at him, but it was only the moving branches of the forest and his frantic mind playing tricks on him.

He didn't know where he was or why he was here and the presence of his companions was nowhere to be found. Slowly he moved to the edge of the cliff and his eyes took in the rest of his surroundings hoping to see Sanzo or anyone one else he knew, but there wasn't even a demon below that proclaimed it wanted to kill him. With his memories providing no answer and his eyes unable to spot any form of comfort he did the only thing he could think of and cried out.

"Sanzo!" he yelled both verbally and mentally. "Sanzo where are you?"he yelled again his voice coming out as a pitiful whine near the end and he let his head fall down in defeat. He was alone and afraid with no way to tell where he was supposed to go. If he moved he may never find Sanzo and the others but if not the same fate may await him. His only hope was to head West and pray that he met with his group again. He stood up and looked back down at the wreckage one last time before asking "Why? Why am I here?" He didn't expect an answer and so predictably he jumped when one came. "You are here because I called you here". The voice echoed in his head and no matter where he looked he couldn't find its source. "I willed you here to dance amongst the flames, and to become them. Spirit of the flames, do not fear the fire nor the ashes it creates. Earth spirit be one with the soil one with the dust and dance with the flames from dawn until dusk." A tremendous pain shot threw his stomach and he looked down to see a knife in his abdomen that he knew had no reason being there given that there was no one around to put it there. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." At this point Goku felt his own body disintegrate and knew no more as it became dust falling down to mingle with the ashes.