Many Thanks to my Beta Reader Supreme: Missheru! Arigato Gosaimas *bows deeply*
She's responsible for this much better edit.
Alias: Heya again everyone! I'm back, much sooner than I expected..
Arigato Gosaimas for the reviews of Aftermath. I'm still in shock of how well received that one is. ^_^
Gojyo: *looking over her shoulder at new project* Chickie, you practically read my mind for that one—you reading it again? *smiles his wicked smile*
Alias: Down boy! Maaaaaybeeeeee ^_~ heh. *watches as the kappas face grins even wider*
Gojyo winks back, and saunters over to the insomniac authroress' bed. Sits down and starts flipping channels on the TV. While Alias covers her own grin with a tiny hand.
Alias: Back to business, this one is my first chaptered fic. I'm not sure if shounen-ai will show up, but it's AU..and one major inserted character. Right now, I'm just setting the stage…*grins reminiscent of a certain bemused Deity*
Disclaimer: All Saiyuki characters belong to Kazuya Minekura-sensei and not me.
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Junket Quest
Chap 1: Setting the Stage
By AliasOfWestgate
The Bitch had yet again chewed Kougaiji out for not retrieving the Sutra from the Sanzo-ikkou yet again. He stalked back to his mother's pillar, growling and murmuring curses to make their way to Gyokumen under his breath. Then composed himself somewhat. The rage covering his golden face smoothed, the snarl fell away, and only his red eyes remained fierce as the sunrise before a morning storm.
As his gaze fell on his Mother, serene even in her imprisonment…he calmed down yet a bit more. The rage was still low range anger, but the demon prince could think again. Instead of a blinding rage against the Bitch that taunted him time and again, while asking for the world—and wondering why her 'stepson' couldn't acquire it for her. Mother, this continues to go on and on. Never-ending for both me, and my prey. If there was a way to end this, before it began, I would…
He then wandered into the humming, dank lab that Gyokumen had crammed her scientists into.
Even Dr. Nii and the rest of the lab rats his 'stepmother' employed could not succeed. Shuddering at the sheer strangeness of that doctor. Kougaiji wandered into the lab…but there might be something I can use here. His gaze wandered over the constantly running supercomputers, strange instruments he had no name for, and an oddly shaped crystal that glowed from within. His hand wandered to the crystal, for it was shaped as an hourglass, humming with an odd blue glow. Upon that crystal, was the silhouette of a landmass, shaped like a hand with an even odder shaped piece of land above it. The hourglass I can understand, but this? Quietly pocketing it, and knowing most activation cantrips would set the artifact off, he strolled out of the lab without bothering it's even stranger inhabitants.
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Yet another day with the Sanzo-ikkou. Hakkai steering and looking out for yet another town for the rowdies he 'minded' if only because it kept his mind off other things. Besides they were amusing…
"Ne, Sanzo? Are we there yet? I'm hungry……" the last word sliding into a petulant whine.
*THWACK*
"Ch!, we ate not even an hour ago baka saru, put a sock in it." Growled Sanzo, not quite monotone, but not into the raging temper tantrums his companions had grown used to.
Gojyo, usually the other side of the days bickering, was asleep behind Hakkai's seat. For once bothering no one and avoiding the huge white fan that had just connected with Son Goku's skull for the 5th time this afternoon.
The green jeep that was a dragon's alternate form quietly slowed down. For no reason either, no town, no mountains, no lake nearby. "Hakuryû, I didn't break, why did you stop?"
The reply of "kyuuuuuuuuuuu!" was given and the headlamps flashed. An incredulous look came across Hakkai's usually serene surface. He then said nothing, as was his way, then waited patiently while the others noticed the situation, and dealt with it accordingly.
Gojyo groggily opened an eye, "Oi, saru…did you insult the other animal again?"
"I did NOT hentai kappa! You probably tired him out with your snoring!" the boyish one replied with a wicked grin on his face.
"Eh, I'm not the one that snores like a passing thunderstorm, chibi saru." Gojyo lazily smiled as he warmed into the argument. Pulling a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a lighter out of his pants pocket, he lit one while still reclined in his favorite spot in the jeep.
Sanzo was watching ahead of them, even though they had stopped. He'd noticed an aura around them again, not youkai this time. One that irritated him beyond all reason, he knew that aura. Sounds of the usual heated bickering between the younger members of his party had escalated; intruding on the monk's reconnoiter of the area. Veins beginning to pop up on his porcelain forehead, he turned around, drew the Banishing Gun, stabbed it's steel muzzle to Gojyo's temple.
"Urusei! Both of you! The one personage I don't want to see is approaching, I DON'T need you two sniping to add to the humiliation.!!!" He screamed in ascending vocal tones, punctuated by the clicking of the gun itself, as he cocked it.
Gojyo's face fell, and sweat dropped at the sound of that Gun. Goku snickered in glee, for he wasn't the target—at least not yet anyway.
Hakkai was about to do his usual routine of interrupting before someone got killed when……….
"YO! ^_~ " Kozeon purred as he manifested in front of his favorite amusement while in Tenkai. Now this should be interesting, He smirked to herself. Not quite the usual mission, but close enough to be no never mind. Let's so how this ragtag thing called a 'party' handles it. Even though they won't be a party, for each step. Oooo this will be so much FUN!
"Hh, and what are you here for this time?" Was Sanzo's immediate reply. Turning his face away from the Avatar in insolence. Hiding the Banishing Gun in the folds of his layered robes.
"Hakkai, why didn't you say anything?" Gojyo's voice drifted from the back of Hakuryû.
"Yeah, Hakkai? Why didn't you?" Goku echoed the kappa.
Hakkai managed a sheepish look while saying "Gomen, minna-san… I was bored?"
"Actually time has everything to do with it, time and another continent" he smirked once again. This comment brought a group "NANI?" Four pairs of eyes locked on him, which was his intent from the start.
"Your rivals for the possession of the sutras have managed to transport themselves to a place where they can't get away. Their illustrious leader managed to get them further west than even YOU boys are traveling. Little further in time as well…" He ended the last statement with a giggle. The Sanzo-ikkou eyed him warily. When he was this happy about something, it never meant well for them. "Of course things wont' go wrong while they are there, but things are out of balance here. So for now, I'm nominating you four to retrieve them. This includes the time travel, space as well—and I'll even include a guide!"
Both Hakkai and Gojyo managed to grab Sanzo before he attempted to strangle the Deity where he stood, which was right in front of Sanzo's seat in the jeep.
"Maa, maa! Sanzo…it won't do any good, you know that by now' with a death grip around Sanzo's waist.
Gojyo hung on for dear life and said nothing as the ill behaved priest cursed the kami of mercy for nearly 5 minutes straight. Finally the monk's tantrum subsided, or at least the homicidal aspect did. The anger never left that face, yet never marred its beauty either.
Kozeon remained standing, hand on his hip while all this happened.
"By the way, boys…you have to find and reach those four by yourselves each time to retrieve those four. This means solo missions! They've all gone to the same town, but in landed a few days apart. I'll take each of you to the place and time, and lead you to your guide. Then you use this to return here." He gave each man a silver ring, not even ornamented with gems or filigree. Simple, unadorned rings that fit upon the right forefinger of each of the Sanzo-ikkou.
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To Be Continued: Chapter 2: Meeting the Guide
Alias: You must wait a bit longer :P
Even I'm impatient to have it get written *laughs* For now, you can settle for this much nicer looking edit.
Ja!
Alias