A/N: Okay, so here it is, folks. My Saiyuki fic. It's going to be a great story, I promise. Just give it a chance, okay?
Also, just to cover some basic questions some of you may have: Yes, there are OCs. No, there probably won't be yaoi; it's not that I oppose yaoi, but I'm not very good at writing it yet, so I'm trying to focus all my yaoi-writing skills on my Merlin fic at the moment.
Anyhow, read and review! :D
Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions, and that their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, "Did you bring joy?" The second was, "Did you find joy?"
"Why the hell does it have to be us?" Gojyo complained as they drove through the forest. "Isn't there someone else that can do it?"
Sanzo ignored him, even though he was thinking the same thing. But Kanzeon Bosatsu had been extremely insistent; it had to be done and, for some reason the Merciful Goddess hadn't explained, it had to be them.
What a pain in the ass, thought Sanzo.
"I'm hungry~" Goku said suddenly. "Can't we stop and eat something?"
"Stop thinking with your stomach for one, bakazaru."
"Don't call me a monkey!" Goku tackled him.
"Get the hell off!"
"Nice day, isn't it?" Hakkai smiled serenely as Goku and Gojyo fought in the backseat.
"..."
"Stupid cockroach kappa!"
"Idiot monkey!"
"They certainly are lively today, aren't they? Sanzo?"
"..."
"Bakazaru!"
"Erokappa!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU BASTARDS!"
"Aya-chan…Aya!"
She blinked sleepily, and focused on the person leaning over her. "Keiko?"
The young woman sighed. "Ayame…"
"I'm fine." she said shortly, sitting up.
Keiko frowned worriedly. "You sure?"
Ayame shrugged, running a hand through her dark purple hair. "Might as well keep moving."
Keiko sighed, rubbing her bindi absentmindedly. "True. Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama wants us at the shrine by nightfall, to meet whoever she's sending to help us."
"Didn't she tell you who's coming?"
Keiko rolled her eyes. "No, Aya-chan, she didn't. Maybe if her favorite Crystal Carrier had been the one to meet her instead of little old me…"
Ayame snorted. "First of all, I'm the only Carrier. Secondly…"
"You're refusing to speak to her?"
"Yep."
"Aya-chan-"
"You're a former miko, Keiko, a priestess. I'm sure she'd rather see you than me."
Keiko sighed, not commenting on the fact that Aya was dodging the issue. "You know that's not true."
"Whatever." Ayame stood up, brushing leaves out of her hair. "Let's just get going, okay? How much farther?"
The former priestess-turned-bodyguard glanced at their map. "Not very. Another hour walking, maybe?"
"Terrific."
"The shrine should be just up ahead." Hakkai said two hours later, after they'd driven through what seemed to be miles of forest.
"About friggin' time." Gojyo muttered, lighting a cigarette.
"Will there be food there?" Goku asked eagerly.
Gojyo rolled his eyes. "It's an abandoned shrine, you moron. What do you think?"
"Hey, Sanzo!" Goku leaned forward, not aswering Gojyo. "What're we goin' there for, anyway?"
"A mission. We're supposed to escort someone someplace."
"That's a little vague, isn't it?"
Sanzo shrugged.
"Ah, look." Hakkai pointed. "There it is."
They stopped in front of the shrine, though it was more of a small temple itself, really. One flat wooden building, looking rather rundown, was nestled amongst the trees, with a small dirt path leading to the entrance.
"I guess they're inside?" Goku offered.
"Hn." Sanzo stepped out of the jeep and started towards the building.
"Hello?" Gojyo called once they'd entered. "Anybody home?"
His voice echoed, reverberating off the walls.
"It seems to be empty." Hakkai observed. "Maybe they're running a little late?"
"No, we're here." A voice said.
They whirled, and saw a young woman leaning against the wall.
"I'm not going to attack you." she said in amusement, looking at their weapons. "I'm Keiko," she added, almost as an afterthought.
The Sanzo-ikkou looked her over. She looked to be in her early twenties, with long brown hair tied back for practicality's sake (she was a fighter now, after all) and dark brown eyes. She also had a purple diamond-shaped gem on her forehead, and was dressed simply, in a sweater and jeans.
"And you are?" Sanzo didn't lower his gun.
She snorted. "I told you. I'm Keiko. And you're Sanzo, right? Genjo Sanzo? We've been waiting for you."
He raised an eyebrow. "We?"
"Ayame is resting."
"Ayame?" Hakkia repeated.
"She's the one you're here to escort." Keiko pushed off from the wall and headed towards a door. "Follow me."
They trailed after her, entering a smaller room, where they found another person, buried underneath a blanket.
"Aya-chan?" Keiko went and kneeled down. "The Sanzo-ikkou are here."
"Ugh…" Ayame sat up, and looked over at the newcomers crossly. "I was napping, jerks."
Gojyo snorted. "What, you not get enough sleep or something?"
"Or something." she agreed, tossing the blanket aside. "Also, you're late."
"You're sort of a brat, aren't you?" Sanzo observed.
"I'm nineteen, asshole. 'Bitch' is the more age-appropriate term."
"Aya-cha, be nice." Keiko chided. "They came all the way here to help us."
"We only came because we were ordered to," Sanzo disagreed.
Ayame, nineteen, was slender and pale, and dressed in what seemed to be a sort of sleeveless kimono, light blue with red trim. Her hair was dark purple, and her eyes dark green. She also wore black Capri pants and Velcro strap sneakers.
"You look tired." Gojyo observed.
"I was woken up in the middle of my nap." she said pointedly, standing up. "Jerk."
Keiko sighed. "Ayame…"
"Fine. I'll play nice." She looked at Sanzo. "So, you're the famous Sanzo priest, huh?"
"Apparently."
"I'm not impressed."
He snorted. "Good."
"Um, if you don't mind my asking," Hakkai said, "Why exactly are we escorting you? Are you in some sort of danger?"
Keiko and Ayame exchanged a glance, and Ayame waved a hand at her friend. "You explain."
Keiko rolled her eyes, but obediently turned to face the Sanzo-ikkou. "Aya-chan is on…a pilgrimage, I suppose you could say."
Ayame snorted, but said nothing.
"We're on our way to a temple," Keiko continued, "Ayame's the…caretaker of …something important."
"That rather vague." Sanzo observed.
"It is." Ayame agreed, looking amused.
Keiko ignored them both. "It's imperative that we get this item to the temple in under two years."
"That's sort of specific timing." Gojyo noticed.
"It's a specific kind of situation." Ayame replied..
"Stop interrupting." Keiko snapped. "Jeez."
Ayame raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, fine. Whatever. Carry on."
Keiko huffed. "Anyway, this…item. It needs to be at the temple before then in order to prevent the release of-"
"Something unpleasant." Ayame interjected smoothly.
"Thought you were done interrupting," the Guardian accused.
"I lied," the Carrier answered unashamedly.
"You're unbelievable."
She nodded. "Yeah."
"What do you think of 'em?" Gojyo asked a little later as they were sitting around a small table for dinner while the two women were sitting in the smaller room.
"They're weird." Goku responded instantly. "But they seem nice," he added thoughtfully.
"Goku, Ayame called herself a bitch."
Goku shrugged.
"I'm curious as to this 'item' they mentioned." Hakkai said, looking at Sanzo. "Do you have any idea what they were talking about?"
"No."
"What about the temple?" Gojyo asked.
"There are lots of temples in the world, moron."
"We should leave first thing in the morning." Keiko said, coming out of the room and over to their table.
"You're really in a hurry, aren't you?" Gojyo looked her over. She's sorta hot.
"Yes." she said shortly. "We're in a hurry."
"Is something wrong?" Hakkai asked.
She shook her head. "No more than usual."
"This item you're taking to the temple," Sanzo interrupted, "what is it?"
"Can't tell you." Ayame said, coming out of her room.
"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow.
She sat down and poured herself some tea. "It's none of your business."
"We're escorting you. I think we should know."
"Good for you. Thinking you're all that." She sipped her tea.
"You are a bitch, aren't you?"
"I did warn you." she reminded him, and then frowned.
"Ayame-san?" Hakkai asked. "Is the tea not to your liking?"
Ayame opened her mouth to answer, but was overcome by a sudden coughing fit.
"Aya!" Keiko was at her friend's side instantly.
Ayame doubled over, coughing muffled by her hand.
"Ayame-san?" Hakkai reached across the table, but Ayame batted him away with her free hand.
"Drink some water." Keiko said softly, offering her a canteen.
Ayame took it, and drank gratefully.
A long moment of silence descended once her coughing had subsided.
"Care to explain that?" Sanzo asked dryly.
"Not really." She answered curtly, rubbing her mouth with a napkin.
A/N: So…review, and let me know what you think. :D
(Also, worry not, phrases like "Carrier" and "Guardian" will be explained in time.)
(Oh, and sorry for the chapter being so short. But, well...yeah. XD.)