A/N: Okay, so here's chapter 2 of Did You Find Joy?. The story itself never appeared under 'Just In' and the stats counter is down, so I don't know how many people even know about this story. Therefore, I'm posting chapter 2 ahead of schedule, in the hopes it might draw people in. :D Enjoy.
They left the shrine the next morning, just after the sun rose. They all managed to fit into Hakuryuu-turned-Jeep, with Keiko and Ayame in the back with Gojyo and Goku.
The first hour of travel was spent driving through to the other side fo the forest, and Ayame spent it sleeping, her head on Keiko's shoulder, while the Guardian chatted amicably with Goku and Gojyo, who seemed surprised by some of her revelations.
"You're a priestess?" Gojyo asked in shock.
She laughed. "Not anymore. I was a miko, but I quit."
"Quit?" Goku repeated curiously.
"It, ah…wasn't really a life I was suited for, apparently."
"Liar…" Ayame muttered.
Keiko smiled. "Go back to sleep, Aya."
"Mm…"
"Anyway," Keiko continued, "I gave it up, became a bounty hunter for bit-"
"What?"
"And then came here to China, where I met Aya-chan." she finished, ignoring the interruption.
"If you were a miko," Sanzo said, speaking for the first time since they'd left (aside from a "shut up, you bastards" when Gojyo had argued with Goku over who'd sit next to Keiko), "Why do you have a shakujo?"
"It's proper one, too." Hakkai observed, looking at the ringed staff Keiko had across her lap. "Not weird like Gojyo's."
"Oi." The redhead glared at his friend. "There's nothing wrong with my weapon."
"No, no, of course not. But as a shakujo it's rather…odd."
"Only Buddhist priests or monks carry real shakujo," Sanzo said. "So either you're lying when you say you're a former miko, or you stole it."
" I didn't lie." Keiko replied, looking irritated.
"And she didn't steal it either." Ayame murmured. "The shakujo's mine."
They all looked at her.
"What?" she demanded, raising her head. "It's mine. Got a problem with it?"
"You're a priestess, then?" Goku asked.
She snorted. "No fucking way."
"So why do you have it?" Sanzo pressed.
"She has it because it's hers." Keiko said crossly, glaring at him. "She's earned the right to carry it, okay?"
He snorted. "By doing what?"
Keiko opened her mouth to answer, looking furious, but Ayame touched her on the shoulder.
"Keiko, don't bother."
Her Guardian frowned at her. "But, Aya…"
"Don't tell them." Ayame said more firmly. "They don't need to know."
"Need to know what?" Goku asked curiously.
Ayame just looked at Keiko.
"….Nothing." The former miko said grudgingly. "Nothing at all."
Ayame was glad they hadn't had to tell Sanzo-ikkou the whole truth. She didn't have a definite reason why, but still she was glad.
Maybe I don't want their pity, she mused. Or maybe I just want to ignore my situation for as long as possible.
"Aya-chan?"
She turned, saw Keiko. "Yeah?"
"Time for lunch. Hakkai made stew."
Her stomach growled. "I'm actually hungry for once."
Keiko's face lit up. "That's a good sign."
"I guess."
"You need to keep your strength up." Keiko said, grabbing her by the elbow. "Come on, everyone's waiting."
"Brat, where the hell were you?" Gojyo demanded when she came into view.
"Out for a stroll." she answered flatly, sitting down on a tree stump.
"A stroll?" he repeated in disbelief.
She shrugged.
"Leave her alone." Keiko ordered, glaring at him.
"Can I chat with you instead?"
"Depends."
"On?"
"Whether or not I'll feel obliged to murder you after you open your mouth."
"Isn't that a bit violent for a priestess?" Sanzo asked.
Keiko snorted. "Pot calling kettle, anyone?"
"What the hell are trying to imply?"
"I'm implying nothing. I'm just stating a fact. You're not exactly in the position to call me out on being violent."
"Hmph."
"Well, shall we eat?" Hakkai handed them bowls of stew.
Hakkai observed the two women during the meal, trying to figure out what to make of them. Ayame was mostly silent, occasionally answering a question Goku or Gojyo had asked but otherwise focusing on her food. Keiko on the other hand, was sort of all over the place in terms of behaviour. She'd be friendly towards Goku, polite towards him, and seemed content to playfully argue with Gojyo. She virtually ignored Sanzo, though, and Hakkai couldn't help but notice that even while she was talking to one of them, her main focus seemed to be Ayame. She watched her friend eat with a worried expression, and seemed to be incredibly intent on how much (or rather, how little) Ayame was eating.
He wondered at that, right up until Ayame started gagging.
"Aya!" Keiko dropped her own bowl, long since empty, and rushed to her friend's side.
"Mmph!" Ayame clapped both hands over her mouth, stifling her violent coughs.
"Is the food not to your liking?" Hakkai asked, concerned.
Ayame shook her head. "It's delicious," she gasped, before doubling over.
"Your reaction doesn't really convey that." Sanzo observed dryly.
"Shut the hell up," she growled, and then resumed hacking her lungs up.
The priest opened his mouth to say something else, but Keiko grabbed the nearest rock and chucked it at his head.
"What the hell was that for?" he demanded.
"Being an asshole!" she snarled.
"Perhaps we should save this fight until after Ayame-san has recovered?" Hakkai suggested.
Keiko quickly turned back to Ayame. "Aya?"
The young woman shuddered, but her coughing subsided. "I'm…I'm fine…Kick his ass."
Keiko laughed, but it was a shaky sound. "Maybe later. Right now I'm-"
"More worried about me." Ayame finished for her. "But you know as well as I do…there's nothing to be done for this." She waved a hand at herself.
Sanzo raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. What the hell are they hiding?
A/N: Okie-dokie, so…These chapters are pretty short, for which I apologize. But writing this story is harder than I anticipated. I'm trying to build up to a scene that I've already written, and it's kinda hard. My instinct is to just hurry and get there, you know? So that scene'll probably be in the next chapter. In any case, review please!
Oh, what else...I've also updated my other fics, Lorelai, Camelot Academy, and The Child, just in case any readers of those happen to be here reading this. I only mention it because the alerts system's been glitching lately, so some people don't know the stories are updated.
Also, I've started a forum called The Roadhouse. You can advertise your story/forum/community/etc, ask for some more reviews on a story of yours, or just hang around and talk to some cool people. There's even talk of starting some RPs. "Anything goes" is rapidly becoming our motto. :D So drop by and say hello!
(For directions on how to get to the Roadhouse, head over to my profile.)