Temptations

By Sashi Mizumoto

A/N: Hmm, not much to say. This used to be part of a series of one-shots. However, I've decided to just separate them instead.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki or the Sanzo-ikkou. However, I do own the plots and any original characters I decide to make.

Sanzo could feel the anger welling up inside of him. Hakkai had been driving the jeep for four days, and Hakkai had said it would only take two days! For the past few hours, Sanzo had been wondering if there was some way to hurry that stupid Hakuryu up. Not that Gojyo's and Goku's incessant fighting helped at all. Feeling a headache coming on, Sanzo took out his harisen and smacked both Gojyo and Goku on the head.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" Goku rubbed his head and glared at Sanzo.

"Yeah, you stupid monk! This dumb monkey is the one causing all of the trouble!" Gojyo took out a cigarette and started digging in his pocket for a lighter.

"What did you say you retarded water sprite?"

"I only said what I meant!"

"O.K., we're taking this outside!"

"We ARE outside, you idiot!"

"ENOUGH OF THIS! BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

Goku and Gojyo looked over at Sanzo, who looked as though he was about to explode. Deciding to take this as the final hint, they both sat down. Hakkai chuckled, and Sanzo turned his head to look over at the quiet driver.

"What the hell's so funny about this?"

Hakkai shook his head, still chuckling. "Nothing really. It's just fun to watch how the three of you interact. You're all so predictable."

Sanzo leaned back in his seat and stared up at the clouds. He took out his lighter and lit his cigarette before he felt something tap his shoulder. He turned around and glared at Gojyo, who was leaning across Goku.

"Hey, can I have a light man?"

"No."

"Aw, please Sanzo?"

"God dammit, NO. Now sit down or you'll be eating lead!" As though to enforce this, he took out his Banishing Gun and fired it into the air for a few minutes. Gojyo sat back down and glared at the back of Sanzo's head. "I need my NICOTINE goddammit." He picked up his broken lighter and played with it sadly. Goku grinned evilly and started to poke Gojyo in the arm.

"Water sprite. Water sprite. Water sprite."

For a few minutes, this is all Goku said as he poked Gojyo. Finally, to Sanzo's relief, Hakkai spoke.

"We're here! Finally!"

Sanzo inwardly smiled, but outwardly, he was still glaring. Goku left Gojyo alone and sat up quickly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Great, I can get some food now!"

Sanzo sighed. "We aren't here for food, idiot."

Goku whined, and Sanzo decided to tune it out. He took out his Banishing Gun again and stroked the edge of it. His mind wondered to the old days of being Kouryu the river rat and he looked up as Hakkai stopped driving. The four men jumped out of the jeep and Hakuryu transformed back into his dragon form. Goku immediately ran into the town, jumping and shouting.

"Food! I finally get to eat some food!"

Hakkai laughed at the innocence of Goku's childlike behavior, while Gojyo glared at his broken lighter and threw it at a tree, where it burst into pieces. Sanzo walked behind the others, thinking about if they would ever get to the West. Not hearing Gojyo or Goku argue, Sanzo tilted his head up and saw that the other three had stopped walking and they were staring.

Gojyo was in the front of the group and he was now staring at the beautiful women standing before him. Her flaxen-colored hair reached down to her waist and her purple eyes stared into Gojyo's crimson ones with lust. She moved closer to him, and Gojyo just stood there. As she walked, Sanzo finally got irritated and fired a shot near her feet. She stopped and looked over at him with a bored expression on her face.

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman flashed him a coy smile and her silky voice infiltrated into Hakkai, Goku, and Sanzo's ears.

"My name is Meisin. I was on my way to the forest when I bumped into you. Are you travelers?"

Sanzo held up his gun and shot it near her feet again.

"Cut the crap. Who sent you? Kougaiji? Homura?'

She shook her head and smiled. "I assure you, I am of no danger to you. I just thought you looked like interesting travelers. I would be careful though. It is almost night, and the demons around here are quite ferocious. How about I show you to an inn?"

As Sanzo was about to protest, he watched as Gojyo walked towards her and smirk.

"Hey Meisin. Are you all alone? If you want, we can stay with you and protect you."

Hakkai sweatdropped and Sanzo glared.

"Gojyo, enough of your idiotic womanizing! We're staying at an inn!"

As Sanzo turned his back and walked towards the village, Gojyo was about to follow him when Meisin grabbed his hand gently and gave him a small smile.

"You know, I think I have an extra bed. Maybe you would like to stay with me?"

Gojyo looked at Meisin and nodded, his eyes darkening. He allowed her to drag him away and Goku and Hakkai stared after him, shocked. They turned back to look at Sanzo and ran after him.

"Sanzo, aren't you going to do anything about Gojyo?" Goku looked up at Sanzo with concern.

"No. Let that idiot deal with it on his own. He got into that mess; he'll get himself out of it."

Hakkai looked over at Sanzo and sighed. 'Why does he have to be so stubborn…?'

Gojyo smiled happily, as he entered the house of Meisin. He took out a cigarette and remembered that he had destroyed his lighter. He cursed lightly under his breath, but this was not to be unnoticed by Meisin. She smiled and took a lighter out of a drawer from a cabinet. She handed it to him.

"I'm going to assume you need a light?"

He grinned and winked as he took the lighter from her small but firm grasp. "I like a girl who knows what I need most."

She grinned seductively and leaned against a door. "If you want, I can show you the bedroom."

"That sounds fine to me."

Goku cheered happily, as he stuffed his face with onigiri. Sanzo sighed and ordered a simple beer and Hakkai was happy with a small glass of sake. As Sanzo took sips of beer, Hakkai looked over at him.

"Aren't you worried about Gojyo at all? There was something…off…about that woman. Perhaps she's a demon?"

"I know she's a demon."

Goku slowed down his eating and stared at Sanzo, a half-eaten onigiri hanging from his mouth.

"What do you mean you knew?"

"Goku, don't lose your head from lack of food. He's a grown man, and he's more than capable of protecting himself."

Goku looked down at the counter guilty and nodded. "I guess you're right…" He quickly swallowed his onigiri and picked up his Nyoibou. "I guess we should go check it out anyway. I feel bloated. Maybe this will work as an after-dinner exercise!" He quickly got up from his seat and started towards the door.

Sanzo finished his beer and stood up, reloading the Banishing Gun. Hakkai smiled and adjusted his monocle.

"I guess we'll have to go if we're ever going to get Goku to stop talking."

Sanzo grunted and walked towards the door. "We have some extra time. I guess we can spare it. Hakkai, Goku and I will go check out this girl. You go get some supplies while we're out."

"O.K. Sanzo. Do you need anything while I'm gone?"

"Some more ammo. And some cigarettes and a new lighter."

"Oh, did your lighter die already?"

"No."

Hakkai looked over at him with some questions in his eyes and then realized what he meant. He smiled and looked over once more at Sanzo before leaving. Goku looked up at Sanzo.

"Why are you getting another lighter if you don't need one Sanzo?"

Sanzo, however, did not answer. Instead, he opened the door and left the bar, Goku running after him.

"Well, why do you need one? Sanzo?"

Sanzo took out his harisen and smacked Goku over the head. "Shut up and come with me if you're so worried about Gojyo."

Goku pouted for a second before looking up at Sanzo again. "So, where do you think Gojyo is? Did he really go to Meisin's house?"

Sanzo nodded, lighting a cigarette. "That's the most likely situation at this time. If, for some reason, he isn't there, we'll go search for him elsewhere."

Goku nodded very lightly and stared ahead into the woods for a few seconds, very quiet. Suddenly, a house appeared on the horizon and Goku bounded towards it happily.

"Sanzo! Sanzo! That's her house! That must be Meisin's house! Oh, if she is a demon then we can fight! Wow! I'm so stoked!" As he neared the house however, he stopped in his tracks.

"Sanzo, there's something wrong about this. It's too easy. Who is she…?"

Sanzo put his hand on Goku's head and looked towards the house. "There's some kind of barrier around the house. I'm not sure how we'll get in."

Goku grinned up at Sanzo. "Just use the Manten Scripture!"

Sanzo looked at the Scripture for a second before giving Goku a small smile. "You actually came up with a good idea for once, you stupid monkey."

Before Goku could protest to the name he had been given, Sanzo walked forward and started to chant. As the sun went down, the Manten Scripture seemed to glow and encircled the house. A pink barrier shone brightly before fading. Sanzo gathered the Scripture before heading towards the house.

"Hurry up you stupid monkey."

Gojyo slid off the bed and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, buckling his belt as he walked. Meisin buttoned up the front of her shirt and grinned.

"So Gojyo, why are you traveling to the West anyway?"

Gojyo stopped walking, a cup in his hand. "Why? I'm not so sure myself anymore."

Meisin slinked towards him and put her arms around his neck. "Promise you'll never leave me Gojyo." She put her lips on the nape of his neck and bit him. He twitched and fell to the floor. She smirked and picked up his body, dragging it to her bedroom again. As she covered it up with a blanket, she heard a knocking on the door. She walked over and to no surprise, Sanzo and Goku were there.

"Hey Meisin! Has Gojyo been here?" Goku looked up at her with a smirk, which she returned quite heartily.

"No, he has not."

"Then I guess you won't mind if we look around?" This was something Meisin had not expected. Sanzo pushed by her and walked into the bedroom. He pushed the covers off the bed to discover what looked like a sleeping Gojyo.

"Heh. And yet didn't you just say that you hadn't seen him?" Sanzo pulled out his Banishing Gun and aimed it at Meisin's head. "Either you talk now, or I shoot you in the head."

"Wow Sanzo, you're being nice today!"

"Shut up, you stupid monkey."

Meisin looked between the two arguing men and sneered malevolently.

"Wake up, Gojyo!"

Sanzo and Goku turned to see Gojyo slowly sit up on the bed and turn his head towards them. Slowly, he swung his legs over the side and jumped off the bed. He quickly walked over to Meisin and glared at Sanzo and Goku.

"Gojyo, tell Sanzo and Goku what you decided on today while we were talking."

Gojyo took a step towards them and started to talk in what seemed like a mechanical-like voice.

"I have decided to leave the Sanzo-ikkou."

Goku gasped while Sanzo kept the same stoic expression plastered on his face.

"But why Gojyo? This isn't like you! You'd never quit like this!" As he was about to race forward, Sanzo put his arm out in front of him. Goku looked up at Sanzo with a betrayed look in his eyes.

"S-Sanzo?"

"Let the idiot leave if he wants to. One less person for me to worry about."

"But Sanzo-!"

"Shut it monkey. We're going back for Hakkai. And then we're leaving."

Sanzo headed towards the exit, but Goku stayed put.

"I'm not leaving without Gojyo!"

Sanzo stopped for a second.

"Fine. Stay here. I'm leaving."

Goku stared after Sanzo's retreating form and sighed. He turned back to Meisin and glared angrily, pulling out the Nyoibou from the sling on his back. "If you don't give Gojyo back to us, I'll kill you!"

"Just what I wanted to hear." Without another word, she started to glow a dark purple. Goku gasped.

'That shade of purple. The same shade of Sanzo's eyes…'

She let out a large roar and her body morphed into what looked like a vampire. She bared her fangs at Goku, blood dripping from them.

"What the hell are you, you crazy bitch?"

"I told you, I'm Meisin! Meisin the temptress bat!"

As she finished reciting her name she let out a screech and dived towards him. He picked up his Nyoibou and swung it at her head. She bent her head down sharply, twisting it out of proportion. He let out a shout and dropped to the floor.

"Extend!" As the Nyoibou extended and was about to pierce Meisin in the stomach, Gojyo jumped in the way and threw his shakujo in the way, blocking the attack. Goku jumped back down and stared at Gojyo.

"G-Gojyo?" Meisin took Goku's shock to an advantage and smacked him in the head with the edge of her wing. He rolled across the floor and ran into the wall. As his head started to bleed, he stood up and grinned.

"Wow! You're really powerful! I'm impressed! However, if you don't release Gojyo now, I'll kill you!"

Meisin roared and laughed. "You couldn't kill me even if you wanted to! If you kill me, you kill Gojyo!"

"W-What?"

Meisin laughed again. "Gojyo and I are now one. I drank blood from Gojyo and now his blood runs in my veins. Now he is using my ki, and if you attack one of us, both of us gets hurt. Try and save Gojyo now!"

Goku started shaking and looked back at her and laughed. "Gojyo would want me to kill you! Any of us would gladly sacrifice ourselves for the cause!"

Goku charged at Meisin again but stopped when he heard a clear voice above the chaos.

"Gojyo would probably run away before you had the chance to even try and kill him."

Goku turned around and smiled. "Sanzo! I knew you'd come back! But don't scare me like that!"

"Don't forget about me!"

Hakkai walked in, Hakuryu perched on his shoulder. "What's up?" He waved, and Hakuryu chirped.

"Hakkai!"

Meisin let out a piercing screech and the group turned around.

"Well, Gojyo has really settled down hasn't he?"

"I guess. But he really picked an ugly bitch."

Meisin charged towards the group and Hakkai started to gather ki in his hands. Goku stopped him.

"Hakkai, no! We should at least try and figure out a way to save him!"

"Didn't you just say that we should kill it, you stupid monkey?"

"Yeah, but only if we can't figure out something!"

"I have it all planned out. Just stand back and watch."

Goku blinked in curiosity and stepped back next to Hakkai.

"Hey Hakkai, what do you suppose Sanzo's going to do?"

"I have an inkling. How about we just do what he says, and stand back and watch."

Goku stared as Sanzo started to chant. The Manten Scripture glowed brightly and wrapped around both Meisin and Gojyo.

"Sanzo stop! You'll kill Gojyo! We must avoid any unnecessary deaths that we can!"

"Hakkai, stop. You were right. We just have to watch."

Hakkai turned around and looked at Goku, who had a somber look in his eyes. Seeing the serious tone with which Goku was taking in this matter, Hakkai closed his mouth and stepped back.

Sanzo, as he chanted, watched the expression on Gojyo's face. As it started to contort in pain, he released energy at Meisin, who screamed. She burst into dust and Gojyo fell to the ground. Hakkai and Goku ran to him at Sanzo gathered up the Scripture.

"Gojyo! Gojyo! Wake up!"

Gojyo stirred gently and instantly gripped at his neck.

"Goddammit! Why the hell does my neck hurt so much?"

Hakkai bent down and moved hair away from the back of his neck. He held out his hand and healed the puncture marks on Gojyo's neck. "So that's what happened…"

"What? What did that bitch do to me Hakkai?"

"Well, before we cover that, how about we ask Sanzo about how he helped you."

Everyone turned to Sanzo, who was stroking the edge of his gun again.

"I noticed the puncture marks quickly and just pumped out Gojyo's life energy from Meisin using the Manten Scripture. When the energy was gone, all I had to do was kill her. The only bad thing that would happen to Gojyo would that he would be passed out for a few hours. And this didn't even happen. Gojyo's one lucky bastard."

"Wouldn't you be able to tell that about me from my great gambling skills?"

"Shut up and thank Sanzo you stupid water sprite."

"You wish, you dumbass monkey.

"Shut the hell up you perverted ass!"

"Both of you shut up or you'll both be eating lead!"

As if to enforce this yet again, he fired his gun into the air. Goku and Gojyo instantly stopped fighting and Hakkai laughed.

"Well, should we get going, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked Sanzo happily.

"Nah. Let's just stay here for the night."

"Alright! Free place!"

"Shut up Goj- FREE FOOD!"

"You stupid monkey!"

"Perverted water sprite!"

"Stupid monkey!"

"Water sprite!"

"Stupid monkey!"

"Water sprite!"

"Stupid monkey!"

"Water sprite!"

"Stupid monkey!"

"Water sprite!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

Bang.

"I want to go home." Sanzo glared at the ceiling as he marched towards the bedroom, locking the door. Goku looked over at Gojyo and smiled.

"Welcome back you perverted water sprite."

"Thanks, you stupid monkey."

END

A/N: It's gotten bad reviews before, but I still like this story. So, whatever. It's not like I can tell people what they can/cannot like.