Knockout Drops: Fireflies

Original short scene written by Minekura-sensei. A short conversation between Goku & Hakkai. Available on Saiyuki Vocal Album. 2. The scene was written in place of Akira Ishida's (Hakkai's Seiyuu) song, because Akira-san does not sing.

Plot
Hakkai is wandering around late at night in the brush. Goku wakes up and see that he's missing. The two of them have an interesting conversation and follow a firefly into the night.

Scene
(The sound of bugs is heard. In a quiet night forest, a slowly walking Hakkai stops and absent-mindedly whispers)

[Hakkai]: Huh. . . . . . . . . I’ve lost sight of it. ..

(Footsteps approach from behind)

[Goku]:. . . . . . Hakkai?

[Hakkai]: (Oh, he realizes) Goku. What’s the matter? You were sleeping quite soundly in Jeep.

[Goku]: Yeah, but I had to pee, and when I woke up I saw you wandering into the woods. I thought we’d pee together.

[Hakkai]: (pained smile) Unfortunately, I’m not here because I needed to urinate. [Goku]: Really? Then, you’re on a walk?

[Hakkai]: No. .. . . . There was a firefly, just now.

[Goku]: Firefly. . . . . . Fireflies’re those bugs that light up?

[Hakkai]: Yes. It flew in this direction, and I came chasing after it. I’ve lost sight of it now.

[Goku]: A firefly huh. . . Hmm, that’s rare, isn’t it.

[Hakkai]: Yes. You hardly ever see them.

[Goku]: Not that.

[Hakkai]: No?

[Goku]: It’s rare for you, I meant. So Hakkai does stuff like chase after fireflies too.

[Hakkai]: Is it really?

[Goku]: Yeah, doesn’t seem like you would.

[Hakkai]:. . . . . . . . . Jizo firefly. ..

[Goku]: Huh?

[Hakkai]: It was a Jizo firefly. Just now.

[Goku]: Jizo. . . firefly?

[Hakkai]:. . . . . . Its light, it’s redder than that of a normal firefly. So. . . . . . It’s said that those fireflies are the incarnation of the god Jizo, come to guide the souls of the dead to heaven.

[Goku]: Heaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Got it.

[Hakkai]: Goku?

[Goku]: Let’s go look for it, Hakkai.

[Hakkai]: What?

[Goku]: I wanna see it too. That firefly.

[Hakkai]:. . . . . . You’re right. Shall we look, since we’ve come this far?

[Goku]: Yeah!

(The two set out walking)

[Hakkai]: Fireflies gather around water. I wonder if there isn’t a stream or the like around here. . . . ..

[Goku]: A stream? I can kinda hear water coming from this way.

[Hakkai]:. . . . . . That’s amazing, Goku. I can’t hear it at all.

[Goku]: Hehe.

(Time. Only the pair’s footsteps can be heard)

[Goku]:. . . . . . Hey.

[Hakkai]: What is it?

[Goku]: Is there really a Heaven?

[Hakkai]: That is. . . . . . quite a heavy question.

[Goku]: Uh, it’s not that big a deal. I was just thinking.

[Hakkai]: Let me see. . . . . . There are many different interpretations depending on the religion. One says that you can go to the Pure Land if you do good things before death, so you should live life correctly without fear of death. Perhaps. . . . ..

[Goku]: Perhaps?

[Hakkai]:. . . It’s a way of comforting the humans left behind. By thinking that the person who died went to Heaven, the survivors can ease their sadness a bit. . . . The bottom line is, Heaven exists for living people.

[Goku]: Huh. . . . . . . . . Okay. I think I kinda get it.

[Hakkai]: What about you?

[Goku]: Huh?

[Hakkai]: What do you think, Goku? For example. . . . . . What do you think will happen when you die?

[Goku]:. . . . . . . . . Ummmmm. . . . . . . I don’t think anything’ll happen. I’ll just disappear.

[Hakkai]:. . . Sometimes I think, you’re surprisingly severe, Goku.

[Goku]: But after you die that’s the end. . . . . . . But still. . . . . . . . Ah!

[Hakkai]: Hm?

[Goku]: Hakkai, there! Over there!!

[Hakkai]:. . . ! . . . The fireflies. . . . ..

(Suddenly the visible world opens, and the pair stand still. With a soft sound, innumerable fireflies sparkle as they dance)

[Hakkai]: (dazedly) There are so many. . . . ..

[Goku]: ---. Amazing. . . . . . They’re so pretty. . . . ..

(For a while the two stand, in awe)

[Goku]:. . . . . Y’know. After you die, that’s the end, but. Me, even if I were to die. . . . . I’d be here.

[Hakkai]: Here?

[Goku]:. . . . . Where everyone is.

[Hakkai]: ---Sometime I think, you’re surpisingly. . . . . . ..

[Goku]: Surprisingly?

[Hakkai]: Seductive, I think.

[Goku]:. . . Whaaat!? What’s up with that!!?

[Hakkai]: (laughing) Yes, yes, we should be heading back soon. We’ll get scolded if we do too much on our own.

[Goku]: Yeah, that’s right.

[Hakkai]: By the way Goku, didn’t you have to urinate?

[Goku]:. . . . . . . . . . . Gah

END.

Reference

 * Originally available on Nitro in Japanese
 * Translations courtesy of KonnyakuHonyaku on their Livejournal page.