Saiyuki: An Unlikely Destiny

by ImaginAries

Part II Saiyuki: An Unlikely Story has now commenced! The Sanzoikkou first traveled to Modern Day America, but the real adventure now begins as the girls are finally transported to Shangri'la. Are they truly fit to be heroes? UPDATED! Chapter 10 is up!

4. Misadventure

A/N: So it's about time that I posted this chapter, am I right? I must apologize for it having took me so long, however real life happened to get in the way. :) So after however many arduous months of working on Chapter 4 on and off, it is at last completed and ready for your reading enjoyment. I think. There may be mistakes in spelling or grammar- I tried to go through with MS Works' spell check but it hated just about every single name I have in here with the exception of Ashley, Katie, and Erin, of course. It hated everyone else. Yeah..so you know...read it and hopefully it'll tide you over til Chapter 5- whenever THAT comes out hahaha.

CONTEST PROPOSAL: All right, I got this idea one day, since there seems to be a considerable amount of reviewers who would like certain things to go their own way. Why not have a contest for YOU- my readers/reviewers, be you anonymous or members of here are the guide lines:

1. Pick a pairing- a HETERO pairing. This means your favorite girl and your favorite Saiyuki Sanzo-ikkou guy. It does NOT have to be a pairing that I have already made up- it can be anyone you want. So instead of Gojyo/Ashley or Goku/Erin, it can be Gojyo/Erin or..something like that. Got it? Good.

2. Write a fanfic! A ONE-SHOT one chapter fanfic based off of Saiyuki: An Unlikely Story/Destiny using the pairing you have chosen. It can be anything from humorous to angsty/drama to utter complete mushy romance- I don't care! Make it as you would like to see a scene between these two characters. It doesn't have to be a certain length either- make this as short or as long as you'd like.

3. The deadline- We'll make it for September 21, 2005. That's Cho Hakkai's birthday, and I think a reasonable amount of time to assume I'll have the next chapter or two posted by. (I hope). All you need to do is post the entry here on your member page under stories and give me a link, OR if you'd rather, just email it to me and make the subject "Saiyuki Story Contest".

4. The Winner- will receive a prize especially crafted for them. I do a lot of fan art for Saiyuki and I've gotten pretty good I think. The winner will be announced "publicly" after September 21st when I post my newest chapter- beforehand the winner will be contacted by me through email. The winner of the contest will have a choice of a picture done in color of up to two Saiyuki characters- it can be their preference of being a scene from their fic, my fic, or just some random scene. The characters don't have to be just the guys- it can be of the pairing they have written about as well.

Disclaimers: I do not own Saiyuki, nor do I have any relation to the show or Minekura-sama whatsoever. All characters belong to Kazuya Minekura and I make no profit from this godforsaken fic which has taken me all of a year and three months to write and I'm STILL not finished!. So don't sue me for crying out loud...I'm broke anyway.

Claimers: All original characters and original intricated plotline belongs to moi and respective owners, used with permission! Please do not steal or use for your own purposes with the exception of the aforementioned Contest.

Reviewers:

Pink Neon: You like Erin hm:) I'm sure she'd be quite happy to hear that she has a fan. Thank you for the review!

scrappydoo91: And it seems you had to wait longer this time as well. I'm sorry for making everyone wait- and this is yet another hellaciously long chapter, so please bear with me. :)

Irin: Hahahaha...aren't you just so funny:P Look. Here's your damn chapter.

Estriel: You left such a great review, I have to thank you for it. So...THANK YOU! I'm sorry I didn't update by that weekend ahaha...but these things can't be rushed. As for breaking through Sanzo's shell- I can't really divulge what's going to happen, but I will say be prepared to see some of his resolve start to waver a bit. Enjoy!

virgo-princess93: You left me a wonderful review as well! And you asked me some questions and so I will answer them :) When watching the Saiyuki DVDs they were only watching Gensoumaden- so for now, this fic will only entail Gensoumaden enemies and integrated plotlines. The reason why they wouldn't know how to defeat Homura is because at the time that I began writing this story, Volume 7 was just released. Therefore, we're going by the assumption that not all of the DVDs had been released yet and nobody knows what is supposed to happen. :) Your second question- yeah you're right about the steering wheel thing, I'm just slightly dyslexic and get my directions mixed up on occasion. Thank you and enjoy the new chapter :)

Lady Keilantra:I'm very glad you made a member name here. I'll have to visit your site soon. Anyhow- about Erin being able to speak Japanese or Chinapanese as we put it hehehe It's not really a big secret- she's been awakened as the Fire Soul already, hence her ability to speak the language and the other three's inability. Continue reading and I DO hope you take part in the contest I'm hosting!

And now...onto the story...

Chapter Four

Misadventure

Reimeiki, Shangri'la

Gojyo awakened to sunlight filtering in through lightly dusted glass and shifted from his curled position on the cot beside the bed. He'd had one brought to the room after he made positively sure that Ashley wasn't going to wake up and wonder where the hell she was.

The damn thing was uncomfortable as Hell, but it was far better than sleeping outside on the ground or in the Jeep. Pushing up from the taut canvas of the makeshift bed, he casted a crimson gaze toward the still slumbering young woman. He wondered briefly what time it was, almost immediately seeking out blinking red digital numbers of a radio alarm clock--and then remembered what world he had returned to.

Shangri'la. Somewhere between China and India...perhaps they'd made Thailand by now, but he couldn't be positive. Or maybe just before the middle country.

Either way, it was the wrong era, the wrong world, and digital alarm clocks didn't exist.

Stoves did.

ATMs apparently did.

And vehicles, electricity, watches, and apparantly high tech computers in dimly lit laboratories located in India existed too.

"But no goddamned alarm clocks that play music instead of ringin' my goddamn ears off." He muttered under his breath, at last swinging his feet to touch the cold wooden floor.

The female figure on the bed stirred though not enough to indicate she'd woken up. Perhaps in another ten minutes or so he'd see Ashley groggily roll over and wonder where the hell she was.

He would wonder too- though he hoped she wouldn't have a fit in seeing just who she ended up rooming with.

Shuffling over to a short counter, the hanyou sifted through the items which cluttered the surface.

Oh yeah.

Shangri'la had coffee makers too.

But no goddamned radio alarm clocks.

The proposition of caffiene pumped java appealed to him and he set about brewing some, coming to wonder just how old the beans might be.

"They better be fresh or I'm gonna kill someone."

It had to be early. He rarely felt so irritable in the morning unless he'd been woken up at the crack of dawn, thus he bet more than anything that was exactly the case. He'd woken up far too early and couldn't go back to bed. Not with fresh coffee dripping into a four cup pot.

Lighting his last cigarette, and making a mental note to buy more before heading anywhere with his three companions, Gojyo strolled to take vigil through the window. One arm lifted and rested against an old-stained wooden frame as his free hand held the lit smoking stick. Off in the East he found the sun not terribly high above the horizon.

'Kuso...I could have slept in longer. Ah well...'

Another rustle of bedcovers caused him to crane his neck, glancing at the young woman who at last opened her eyes.

"Ohayo."

Ashley quirked a brow, blinking sleep filled hazel eyes and muttered hoarsely. "Ohio?" She highly doubted she'd somehow woken up in her own bed in Montpelier. "What?"

Gojyo chuckled, ashing his cigarette in the metal tray set upon the nightstand. Of course. He forgot. She couldn't understand him.

"Ohayo." He repeated for the hell of it, smirking and motioned at the window, outside, pointing to the sun.

Still somewhat confused, Ashley sat up, rubbing a hand over her eyes. How did she get into Gojyo's room? Last she recalled, she'd been sound asleep against Mandi's shoulder in the Jeep. Last night. And now...

"...it's morning."

It suddenly struck her what Gojyo had been trying to say in greeting and her lips quirked into a semi-smile. "Good morning."

As though figuring out her words, the red haired man finished his cigarette, dragging out the very last bits of nicotine from it, and snubbed the butt thoroughly in the ashtray. "Koohi?"

"Koohi?" Ashley repeated as her bleary eyes followed his form heading for the coffee-maker. "Koo-hi. Koo-hi...Coffee. Oh. No, thanks. I don't much like coffee anymore."

He had already set out two mugs though began to put one back when she shook her head in the negative. "No coffee? What human being in their right mind would turn down a cuppa'java this early in the morning? Even coffee-haters have to guzzle down some caffiene boosted liquid to get going. Alright, honey, suit yourself." Gojyo poured himself a mug of steaming black liquid and waved it beneath his nose. "Hm...Tengoku...or Gokuraku, dependin' on your religion, I guess."

She made a face as he sipped leisurely at the beverage- she'd outdone herself on coffee long ago and didn't care to make it a habit again. Swinging out of bed, Ashley turned her attention upon her own form. All her clothes were still in place, albeit a bit rumpled from travel and sleeping in them. Deducing that the kappa hadn't tried to take advantage of her the previous evening seemed like a safe bet. She didn't think he'd really try a thing so low in morals anyhow.

He'd never take the unwilling.

Ash found comfort in that thought...he truly had a heart of gold. She wished he'd let it shine through more often.

"I need a shower." She stated, standing and swiveled her head until finding the bathroom door across the room. Heading in that direction she was soon hindered by a sleek arm wrapping about her waist. "What are you doing?"

Gojyo put his mug down, holding the young woman to him, and a sly grin traversed his lips. "Mind if I join ya? You're taking a shower, ne?" One crimson orb closed in a devious wink. It was never too early to flirt with a pretty girl.

Ashley rolled her eyes. She could only guess what perverted line had just been uttered, and while she'd love to try and figure it out, she really just wanted a shower. "Keep it in your pants, kappa." Grumbling beneath her breath, she wriggled free of his hold and continued until closing herself up in the bathroom.

The hanyou laughed low- kappa. She called him kappa. At least he understood that much from her. Her body language had told him plenty as well.

'Not right now, I'm too tired and I just want a shower. Maybe later. If I feel like it.'

Because everybody knew he always felt like it.

"Not that I'll get it." He mused to nobody in particular, downing the rest of his coffee and returning to the window. "Not from her anyway. Maybe that's what's made me so damn intrigued. The thrill of the chase...the chances of seeing what I might get out of it."

Though it wasn't just the thrill of the chase. He had concluded, only vaguely, that it hadn't solely been circumstances which caused him to so valiantly pursue Ashley. Sha Gojyo had caught himself in a tangled web of emotion he hadn't ever felt before- he cared for her. Not that he hadn't ever cared about the women he shared one night stands with, but they were the love 'em and leave 'em type of caring. Not long term. Not the kind he found himself wishing he could just lie there with.

"What the hell is happenin' to me?" He pressed his forehead to cool glass and closed his eyes.

Whether or not he'd ever get to discover if she was feeling the same way had been tossed up in the air and constantly treaded it. He felt as though someone dangled a carrot over his head and he was the jackass trying desperately to grasp it. Rewards for chasing a hopeless dream- absolutely nothing.

She was within reach and all the same his arms just weren't long enough.

He had to wonder...'Is she afraid of something? Does she really not like me or am I the one who's afraid?'

Sha Gojyo the ladies' man wasn't one for committment.

At least, he wasn't the type to settle down with one woman.

Even so- with a girl like her- he could very well give it a shot.

If she would give him a shot.

"Highly unlikely, eh?"

Opening his eyes, the hanyou let his attention wander over empty dusty streets and quite suddenly a heightening awareness of his loneliness overwhelmed him.

"Sha Gojyo just isn't meant for love."

Shying away from such pessimistic thoughts, his form retreated from the window and another nicotine craving hit him.

He guessed he could be compared to Sanzo in such a sense that when something bothered him, he smoked more often than usual. And Gojyo despised being compared to the monk.

With a craving to sate, the red haired man stuffed a hand into his pocket, withdrawing just enough yen to cover his favorite brand of cigarettes.

"Must be my lucky day. Now let's see if anyone is even open."

Pulling on the rest of his clothes, Gojyo left the room with a slight pang of guilt. If it'd been worth anything, he could have called through the bathroom door to tell Ashley where he was going. He could have left a note saying he'd return shortly.

Both would've proved futile. If the girls couldn't understand their language he could hardly expect them to have the ability to read it. Maybe she'd get the idea when he held up a pack of cigarettes after coming back.

That should speak for itself.

Strolling casually outside, he felt some discomfort in the fact that the only one marauding the streets...was him. Surely Sha Gojyo was not the only other person awake, out, and about the streets in this entire town. Though it had started to seem that way.

"I'm thinkin' nobody's gonna be open this early...maybe a newspaper stand. They're usually up an' at 'em at the crack of dawn."

The hanyou continued to ramble on, giving himself small consolation for being the sole pedestrian wandering through town. As confidently as he usually walked, his gait had taken on a somewhat slower pace.

Solitude was beginning to eat away at him.

Cigarettes seemed less important as the creepy factor steadily increased.

"I am so not gettin' a good vibe here. Where the hell is everyone?"

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Someone spoke from his right side, causing Gojyo to sharply turn on his heels.

"I'm only insane if I start responding to my own questions." He grumbled, having found an elderly man seated to one side of a newspaper stand. How bizzare that Gojyo was just thinking about one..? Ah well. He wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Ah, hai, I do suppose that's true young man. Are you in search of anything in particular?" The old man replied with a broad smile, thin white hair fluttering after a light breeze.

For some reason his smile unnerved the hanyou- it reminded him of staring down Hakkai about fifty years down the road. "Now that you've asked, yeah, I am. I was wonderin' if ya might sell cigarettes here by any chance?"

"We do. What's your poison?"

"Hn. Do ya have to put it like that?" Gojyo sauntered closer to the stand, eyeballing the selection arranged in neat rows along the back wall. Shifting a bit uneasily under the man's stare, the hanyou pointed out his brand and paid for it, smacking the pack against his hand to pack the tobacco down.

"Have a wonderful day, my young friend." Those words had left the elderly male's lips in such a way it almost startled the hanyou.

Ambling away, he couldn't shake the notion that a pair of glassy eyes followed his form down the street. Couldn't they go anywhere without someone playing the role of 'extremely odd suspicious stranger'?

Confident that the man hadn't up and followed him, Gojyo risked a glance over his shoulder only to halt his steps a split second later.

Where the hell had the guy gone? He didn't think a person that age could move that damn quickly.

More importantly, where the hell did the newspaper stand go? Even if it'd been collapsable, no way could it have moved already.

"Goddamn creepy." His crimson gaze danced down to stare at the unopened pack of cigarettes and the gravely voice of the old man echoed in his mind. 'What's your poison?' Turning his attention over his surroundings he located an outdoor trash can placed in front of a shop and tossed the entire pack in there. It hurt to do it, but he wasn't about to take any chances. "Somethin' weird is goin' on here."

Resuming his steps, Gojyo didn't stop again until he reached the inn, stepped up onto the deck and came to Hakkai's room's window. He'd see if his friend was awake yet and then give him a heads up. Leaning down, the hanyou man peered through the panes and froze.

"What the..?" A low chuckle played in the redhead's throat as he at last slunk away to return inside. "Hakkai...you dog."

Returning to his shared room, the hanyou found that Ashley had already redressed-much to his dismay, shattering all hopes of accidentally on purpose stumbling across her naked just showered form-and she gazed to him cooly.

"And here I thought you ran away."

Her expression and tone once again sounded loud and clear to him. He could pick up a tone like that on a woman from miles away. Overexposure to estrogen could really wear down on a guy after a while.

"Tobako." Gojyo said, reaching for the pack of cigarettes...and then remembered he had thrown it away. His shoulders slumped, though Ashley appeared to understand the word he said.

She gave him a disapproving nod of comprehension before standing away from the bed where she'd waited for him the last five minutes.

At least they hadn't left without everyone again.

Plus Gojyo's belongings still littered the room, which proved a tell-tale sign that the Sanzo-ikkou hadn't left or otherwise chose to leave their hanyou companion behind.

"Hungry?" The redhaired man asked, offering a muffin from the basket sitting in the middle of the table. Complimentary. Always the best kind of food, no matter how stale.

Reluctantly the blond young woman took it from him, nibbling at the edge of the muffin as though testing it out for safety first. Who knew what could be inside of it?

This was Shangri'la.

Demons were always out to get the Sanzo party.

Ash wouldn't take any chances...but for now, she'd take this one.

She was damn hungry.

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He'd meant to wake up before sunrise. It was the time he usually awakened and went about gathering his belongings so that he would be alotted more personal time before heading back out on the road west. Unfortunately, from his lack of sleep the prior night, Cho Hakkai found himself scrambling to do these things- a full hour and a half after the sun had risen in the East of Reimeiki.

The young woman he had offered to share his room with still slept- fortunately enough- and it left him with what he hoped would be apt enough time to complete his usual morning ritual.

'I really must have become too comfortable with sleeping in while in their world...I'm slipping.' His slim frame bent at the waist to scoop up his dusty travel clothing. Not two full days on the road and they had already become cloaked by a sheen of dusty sand grains. Perhaps, if he happened to be so lucky, the inn offered a laundry service. He'd gladly wash everyone's clothing before leaving. At least that way they'd be comfortable to some degree.

'Oh my...it seems I'm behaving as the mother hen once again. But then, taking care of one's personal property and health is a good routine to follow, isn't it? I'm afraid to admit that the other three hardly pay so much attention to things like this.' Hakkai discussed the issue with himself as he did many times before.

Why didn't he just let them take care of themselves?

Because they would never get around to it.

They'd be lost without him.

Literally. He supposed if he were to ever leave his friends behind that he'd hardly think twice about taking Hakuryuu along with him. The little white dragon grew into more than just a pet or transportation. He had grown into a friend, a confidant, and company for all the times that Hakkai had faced troubled evenings without a roommate.

And then how would Sanzo, Gojyo, and Goku reach India?

Walk?

Horse and carriage?

Donkey and cart?

Bicycle?

He could hardly imagine any of those choices being put to use, though a different means for travel would have to be conjured, surely, and that was just the least of their worries.

Who would clean up after them?

Who would cook them proper meals instead of allowing everyone to eat unhealthily?

Who would remind Gojyo constantly that a beer can was not an ashtray; tell Sanzo that smoking so much really couldn't be good for him or protect Goku from the constant batterings from either of the other two?

All in all, who would be the glue to hold the group together and stop them from really killing each other?

So obviously Hakkai could not leave them. He'd worry for their well-being to stay away for too long.

Turning an emerald gaze toward the winged reptile he couldn't help but smile just a bit. 'Kawaii, desu ne?' A coil of pristine snow and flat wings lay curled beside Mandi's slumbering form, which was quite burrowed beneath the covers on the bed, and a soft chirrup escaped Hakuryuu disguised as a snore.

"I wonder..." The young man turned, striding briskly for the bathroom and found his female friend's clothing hanging over the towel rack to dry. "This certainly won't do. They'll become far too stiff to wear comfortably- and they're not even completely dry yet."

From general knowledge of the young women's sleeping patterns, he imagined she'd remain asleep for a time yet to come, and so picked up the skirt, nylons, mesh shirt, and tank top and hung them over his arm. Turning his attention down, noticing he'd dropped something, Hakkai's cheeks flared crimson in realization that they were two articles of clothing- undergarments to be precise. With a trembling hand, he quickly scooped them up and folded them between the skirt and tank top and then threw his own clothes on top of everything.

Scanning the room, he wondered momentarily if he'd missed anything and noticing a terry cloth towel crumpled on the floor beside the bed, picked that up as well.

'I think that's everything. Hai, hai, that's all.' He nodded to nobody in particular and slipped out of the door in search of a laundry room. He'd gotten only a few steps down the hall when a voice stopped him.

"Is that laundry, sir?"

Turning, Hakkai faced a seemingly frail young woman adorned in staff's apparel. A maid. Smiling warmly in greeting he shook his head in the affirmative.

"Hai, sou desu. Is there a laundry room located somewhere here?"

The young maid girl blushed faintly, holding her arms out for the bundle he carried. "Hai, demo, that's the inn's service. Laundry is free after all. What's your room number? I'll have it back to you as soon as it's finished."

He thanked her, gave her the room he stayed in, and then turned back to return. Since that trip had been canceled, he decided making morning tea and perhaps digging through supplies to make a small breakfast came next. Once again, Hakkai only got so far after the kettle cried out at being subjugated to heat for so long. He'd just poured steaming water into a mug for himself before a female voice startled him.

"Hakkai?"

A green gaze met honey-almond brown and after a moment the human-turned-youkai sprung to life again. He'd become so engrossed in preparing breakfast that he'd actually forgotten he wasn't alone.

"Ah, ohayo gozaimasu, Mandi-san."

She smiled wanly from beneath the covers, shifting to sweep a hand through her dark tresses- she knew the meaning to that greeting. "Ohayo gozaimasu."

Only then she found Hakkai gazing at her strangely, his cheeks forming bright red spots as he quickly averted his eyes. Her bare arm had snaked out from beneath the covers and Mandi was suddenly reminded of her lack of clothing beneath the bedspread.

"Oh shit...I forgot..."

Immediately she looked over the side of the bed for the towel she'd brought with her before turning in for the night.

It wasn't there.

'Oh shit.' Hakkai cringed- he had picked the towel up to be put in the wash as force of habit. Circling until his back faced her, one hand pressed over both eyes, the young man spoke in embarrassment.

"Gomen nasai! I completely forgot you were...what that towel was there for...gomen. If you want to...kuso, you can't understand what I'm saying. This is extremely awkward, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're saying, but I caught an apology. It's not your fault, you didn't know. You probably thought I was being a slob or something." Mandi muttered, wishing she could render herself invisable or dig a hole and hide in it. Her hands had a vice-like grip on the blankets, holding them up. She didn't expect Hakkai to try anything, but she didn't trust herself to remain aware of her nudity. "Daijoubu."

Waiting a few moments, Hakkai at last turned to face her wearing a ridiculously large smile which spoke loud and clear to the girl- 'I am such an idiot. Please, I'm so sorry. My, this must be mortifying...for both of us.'

The expression caused her to laugh which in turn only bewildered the dark haired young man, though did a lot to quiet his unease.

At least she handled it well.

Hakuryuu perked up at the laughter, stretching his sleepyness away, and then chirped cheerily as though trying to join in on a joke he didn't understand. Ruby eyes swiveled from young woman to young man and he took brief flight to land on Hakkai's shoulder, content to settle there for the time being.

Mandi calmed herself enough, watching as Hakkai rummaged through his belongings and then shook his head, disappointed.

"It's a shame the Merciful Goddess couldn't transport all of you girls' clothing this way as well. I can't imagine why she'd enjoy--aha..then again, she is one to find entertainment at the expense of others, isn't she? She's the Merciful Goddess, she can do whatever she wants, after all." A light, nervous chuckle escaped him as he sealed up his supply pack and rubbed behind his neck. "And here I was trying to find you something to wear. It seems everything I had has gone for the laundry."

"Yeah...I still don't know what you just said, so you're basically talking to yourself. It's ok though, you're still cute even if you are a bit absent minded." The young woman mused to herself, pulling the blanket up farther as if trying to hide.

Hakkai turned, looking defeated, and then heaved a long sigh. "Negai, don't think anything of this, I certainly don't mean anything by it. Here, wear this so you can at least move your arms without having to hold the blanket up."

The youth ended his sentence by shedding his black night shirt and held it out to her in offering.

Trying to avert her gaze, even though she'd have loved to have had a nice look at his topless form, Mandi took the shirt and pulled it on after Hakkai turned his back. Pulling the sheet around her waist to cover up what the shirt didn't, she cleared her throat to indicate she was decent and smiled to him.

"Arigatou." Almond colored eyes darted toward the unfinished preparations of breakfast and then expectantly gazed upon the brunette young man. "I guess you ought to finish what you were doing- I could use something to eat. Harehetta."

Catching only the first and last words the young woman uttered, Hakkai allowed a smile to cross his lips and turned, pouring a second mug of tea, and held it out to her before returning to his cooking.

"Ah, sou desu ka? I'm glad to hear that you're hungry-it is nice for it to come from someone other than Goku for once." A lighthearted laugh left his lips as he glanced toward the tea-sipping girl.

For a sliver of time he was content and a pleasant reminder of what life he used to lead shadowed him before his cheerful expression faltered. "You like eggs, don't you? Hai, hai, I believe you did. After all, you cooked for us that first morning in your world and I do recall eggs being on the menu. That was really quite good, Mandi, I don't know if I thanked you and Ashley enough for doing that for us all."

Mandi only smiled and responded when she had some idea of what he was talking about. It was like carrying on a conversation where neither of them truly comprehended the words spoken but didn't need them to understand the meaning. All that mattered was the tone and body language. So far so good and as they continued, her eyes caught sight of a Gojyo-shaped shadow crossing their wall. Glancing to the window, half expecting to see the hanyou, she found nobody and shrugged it off, returning her full attention to the green eyed youkai so ardently cooking breakfast.

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Sanzo rolled over in his bed for the third time, debating still on whether or not he felt like waking up. His eyes had opened a few minutes before, at least, though he couldn't muster enough motivation to push himself up and out. The mattress proved comfortable for once- perhaps one of the most he'd come across while traveling- and for once he had slept through the night.

There'd been no rain to keep him awake.

No sounds of Goku and Gojyo bickering about who did what in whichever card game coming from the next room.

Not a sign of Hakuryuu's gentle snore-kyuu-snore-kyuu from Hakkai's bed because he had managed to get single rooms.

The monk stretched out, lying flat upon his back as amethyst eyes trained upon the ceiling, absently counting tiles. Some of them were marred by black, remnants of past occupants who'd been heavy smokers, or smokers in the least. He wondered if the stale scent of the cigarettes he'd used had added to it- if he was just another black spot on the ceiling.

To everyone else who stayed in that room afterward, who cared to notice thick black stains above them as they too lie awake in the morning, that's all Sanzo would be.

Just another face in the crowd.

Just another black spot on the ceiling.

Another random person.

Nobody special.

Sometimes, that nobody special was all he wished he could be.

In a strange way traveling tuned his senses into all the things he discovered he could have been. In that same way it made him realize perhaps that was what he would've been meant for, had his newborn form never found a way to the Chang'an River.

'I wouldn't have to put up with those three morons every damn day.' He concluded, finally diverting his attention to a window on the far wall. The only window, he noted and snorted indignantly to himself.

Life without Goku's perpetual hunger.

Life without smelling Gojyo's awful brand of cigarettes.

Life without Hakkai's constant nagging of how to lead a healthy life.

Life...

...as just somebody not himself.

Given the chance, the monk wondered if he'd take it all back and saunter down the path he hadn't been offered. Most people ended up able to make a choice at one given time, of just what sort of life they'd like to have. According to Genjyo Sanzo, he never received that. He never had the opportunity to step back from the water and voice that he did not want to take the path before him. That he would much rather turn around and walk the other way.

Be a nobody.

Another nameless face in a crowd milling about some busy marketplace, running errands for his parents, gathering supplies for his farm, or picking up a bouquet of flowers for some pretty girl or another.

The life he couldn't have.

The one that would classify him as just another black spot on the ceiling at some half-assed hotel in the midst of a middle-class village.

Perhaps he'd never have known the pain of losing someone dear to his heart. Maybe he'd never have experienced all that Hell he'd gone through while living as a child in the temple under the name Kouryuu. He never held any contempt for what Master Koumyou Sanzo had named him-the only animosity he ever cared to display had been toward those less-than-holy monks who dared try to disgrace such a majestic honor.

Could he so easily discard everything his Master had taught him, whether it be in form of an intentional lesson or not?

Sometimes Sanzo suspected that every lesson learned had always been intentional, though Koumyou just had a special way of making it discreet. Secretly, Kouryuu the River Rat adored that while all at once he despised that he'd been tricked into learning something new.

The thought brought a half-smile to Sanzo's face. Rarely seen by anyone and moreso when he silently insisted on locking himself up the moment they arrived at an inn. Sulking in his own past, finding time to reflect and rediscover all the reasons why he'd never redo anything in his life...that was the monk's solitude.

Couldn't they see it was his solitude?

His way of relaxing and mellowing out, no matter how upset he'd been before?

Surely his companions realized that most of his attitude acted as a cover-up to his true self. Inside he was nobody more than Kouryuu, the little boy who'd been raised under the capable wing of Master High Priest Koumyou Sanzo the Thirtieth, and despite everything that happened or would come to pass...

...that's the only person he'd ever be.

No.

Sanzo would never turn around and choose the other path not taken. Not even for curiosity's sake. Obviously whatever life left behind the moment a pair of hands placed his fate in the river was not meant to be his but someone else's.

It hurt, what had happened. He'd never want to relive the moment of his Master being slain in front of him by a berserked and greedy youkai, yet he did anyhow. In his dreams. When it rained. Every waking moment the scene replayed in some obscured section of his mind where he actually allowed his thoughts to run errant.

Pushing himself up in bed, his fingers sifted through mussed golden-blond hair and violet orbs closed in remembrance of that kind face he'd grown so fond of as a child. That gentle-as-a-lamb smile. That sweet natured composure.

Those things Genjyo Sanzo longed to have awoken within himself but doubted anyone could ever bring out.

"Iie. I wouldn't take back a damn thing, demo...I'd give anything to see you again. Just once."

Damnit.

His level of anguish had risen a few notches which didn't please him in the least bit.

"I'm going to turn into Hakkai if I don't get a grip for once. It's bad enough we're both haunted when it rains; I don't need to go mope about it every damn second."

Mentally ordering himself to shut the hell up, Sanzo stood up, arranging his robes about his waist in a manner that was most comfortable. With all of his tossing and turning they'd managed to twist up around his legs, giving him limited mobility. Strolling to the bathroom with intentions to shower before going anywhere, the priest caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.

He hardly recognized the face staring back at him. Dark circles lined dulled purple eyes, the corners of his mouth drooped like the corners of his eyes and then some in a nearly irreversable scowl, and he was damned sure he had about three hairs less than last time he checked. Not that Sanzo was one for vanity, but he began to wonder if the others weren't correct in their teasing that he'd become an old man if he didn't loosen up every now and again.

Gripping the edge of the sink, he leaned forward, heaving a sigh. Loosen up? He wished they'd see just how loose they'd be with all the burden he had riding on his shoulders.

If they wanted to, they could all very well walk away from this entire journey.

Hakkai could finish whatever he'd started.

Gojyo could lose himself in a fresh town with fresh women and fresh bars and not have to worry about a damn thing ever again.

And Goku would probably not mind spending the rest of his eternal life in some restaurant or another pretending to be a professional taste-tester.

But Sanzo...

...would still be Sanzo, and the task of stopping Gyumaoh's revival and retrieving the Seiten Sutras would only weigh more upon his shoulders.

Loosen up?

He tried, honestly tried, to bring a smile to his face. Staring hard into the looking-glass, the blond monk attempted to force his mouth to twitch into even the simplest of smiles- not that still grumpy half-smile crap he pulled on an occasion when something actually managed to please him.

God, was he really that big of a bastard that he couldn't even conjure up a smile out of nowhere?

Why? Hakkai could do it all the time and it was clearly fake, but to everyone else it was believable, it was warm, it was amiable.

Why couldn't he do that?

Sanzo tried again, feeling much like an imbecile, a cripple relearning how to walk. He used to smile when he used to have a reason to smile.

'Kuso! Why isn't this working! That looks like a wince, not a fucking smile!'

"Gah!" He threw his hands up in the air, managing to send a porcelain soap dish flying from the sink and clear to the bathtub beside him. His eyes followed the arc the dish made in the mirror, watched it crash against the shower head, bring the entire piece crashing into the tub, and then watched the same dish shatter into jagged shards after it.

Growling, mainly at his own impatience, Sanzo turned sharply and padded out of the bathroom, grabbed up clean silks to wear beneath his white robes, and stalked across the hall to wake Goku up. He'd use the monkey's shower- who knew if the heretic even bothered to take advantage of one anyway?- he figured at least the golden eyed boy would be awake and ready to go this way.

"Goku, wake the hell up and open the door."

Sanzo already knew this was not going to be a good day.

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"Goku, wake the hell up and open the door."
As obediently as he ever behaved under one of Sanzo's direct orders, the primate-esque youth simply looked at the door from his place at the round table inside the room. Wake up? Well that much had been done for at least an hour, though only on his part. Goku quickly dared a glance to Katie who remained asleep, face partially exposed from beneath a thick comforter, mouth just slightly agape.

He started as another raucous tremor shook the door, seeking to bring down the walls of the inn.

The situation, as the boy viewed it, could not end well. Sanzo didn't know that one of the girls who Hakkai and Gojyo were forbidden to bring back rested in the very room that the monk demanded entry from. He'd pitch a fit. He'd shoot off his gun and flail his harisen around until a few good smacks landed on Goku's poor head.

Imagining this, Goku brought a hand to rest atop his spiky chesnut hair, wincing in painful anticipation. Maybe if he just didn't answer...

"Goku, open the goddamn door!" Sanzo bellowed, grumpier than his first order.

"Or maybe that's just as bad of an idea..." Whimpering softly, Goku crept for the door. Quickly his golden orbs assessed how flimsy that slab of drab wood really was. It'd bear no means of protection from flying bullets or even a swift kick from one of Sanzo's sandals.

"Goku-"

"Alright, already, I'm comin'! Don't be so loud, Sanzo..."

Promptly thereafter, a sinewy hand plucked the door open, but only enough for Goku to pop his head out into the hallway.

"Nani?"

A pair of violent-intent amethyst gems gleamed sharply beneath arched blond brows.

"Don't 'nani' me. It took you long enough to get off your lazy ass and answer, saru. I'm using your shower, so open up all the way and let me through."

Frantic, the shorter young man shook his head, feet plastered in place. "Why can't you use your own?"

Sanzo blanched for a moment. No way was he going to reveal the true reason- he couldn't handle the embarassment of what'd happened because of his own insecurities. Clearing his throat he dredged up his gruffness once again.

"It's broken. Let me in, Goku. Move your ass."

"I-I can't." Sun-gold eyes widening some more, the monkey-youngster shook his head vigorously.

"Nande?"

Goku began to close the door on Sanzo, mistakingly taking a worried glance over his own shoulder to check that a certain someone remained asleep. "Mine's broken too."

"Bullshit, let me in Goku." The irate monk persisted, slamming a palm heavily against the door, teeth gritting together. He meant business. "I know for a fact it takes a lot of work to get you to even take a damn shower, why the hell would I believe that you'd already have checked on you own accord. That is...unless someone else checked for you?"

Caught by the element of surprise, Goku stumbled backward as his blond companion forced his way inside and shut the door. The chimpish youth wondered how quickly he could escape by means of the window if it came down to it.

"Kekek, I have no...idea what you're talkin' about, Sanzo. I take showers without someone tellin' me to, damnit, I'm not a dumb chimp like everyone else says. Like you always say." Convinced that the taller man had yet to see the contents of the bed, Goku began to urge Sanzo toward the bathroom. "It's right over there, Sanzo-sama. Just make it fast, okay? I gotta use the toilet-"

"Then use it now, Goku. I don't want to be hurried because one of your kidneys burst." Sanzo huffed, crossing his arms tightly across his chest.

Goku started with a reply- one that perhaps wouldn't have been so clever or persuading- but a creak of box springs silenced both he and the ill-tempered priest. Two pairs of eyes, one fearful the other disdainful, danced toward the noise's source as the once slumbering woman slipped back into a more conscious world.

A slow, satisfied smirk eased over Sanzo's lips. Never mind that he was more than perturbed about the extra presence.

"Did you really believe you could hide this from me, Goku?"

Goku's limbs stiffened as Katie groggily moved about in her attempt to sit up sleep-free. "Hai. Ano...maybe...just for a little while."

"Hnnn...be quiet! I'm trying to sleep..." The young woman's words were half slurred by the obvious remnants of fatigue. She lifted a hand to push through a mass of brown locks before flopping back onto a pillow.

Sanzo sneered. He didn't know what she said though understood an unfriendly, grumpy tone when he heard one. He could very well be the inventor of such an attitude- especially in the morning.

"I have ears, Goku. I knew last night that those other two idiots brought the girls back. I'm not stupid, and just how did you expect to keep them a secret anyway? I swear you three don't have a brain cell in between-ugh!"

As a pillow launched through the air deftly made a landing pad out of the monk's face, his angry rant ended abruptly. No doubt he knew where it'd come from and immediately daggers of accusation shot toward Katie from his darkened violet eyes.

Goku clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing- his companion's expression had been too funny to ignore.

"I said shut up!" The young woman demanded once more, her sleepy mind forgetting in that second that the other two couldn't comprehend a word she uttered. Sighing exasperatedly, Katie sat up straight, palms flat upon the mattress, blue eyes blinking rapidly to focus free of the dream world.

A giggling chesnut haired youth and a very upset blond priest aligned in her field of vision and slowly her mouth opened once again. Could she say...caught? Not by Goku, of course, but by the priest. She was sure he wasn't supposed to know about her return, or the return of her friends.

"Close your mouth. Say another word and I will...kill you." Sanzo glowered, eyebrows narrowed, meaning to intimidate, a hand reaching for the Smith and Wesson shourei at his side.

"I can't understand you." The reply came heatedly in correspondance to his tone, her eyes flashing to follow the direction of his hand. "If you shoot that damn thing at me, I'll haunt you, I swear."

Goku swiveled his head between the pair, absolutely bewildered. Without understanding what the other said, he had to wonder how they managed to communicate. He recalled something Gojyo had said about body language and it certainly seemed as though both Sanzo and Katie were on the defensive. Someone was going to get hurt here and he wasn't so sure it was going to be who the monk thought.

Jumping on his heels and waving his hands, Goku motioned to the bathroom nervously. "Ne, Sanzo! Just forget it! You came in here to use the shower, right? So go and use it. Kill Katie later, okay?" A wide grin spread over his face, hopeful that somehow he could convince Sanzo to forget getting attacked by a lumpy motel pillow.

"I thought you said yours was broken too." Sanzo scowled, tearing his eyes from the young woman to his shorter follower. "It's magically repaired now, is it?"

"Mou, mou! It was just an excuse t' keep you out, demo, it didn't work. Just go."

"She-" A pale, thin finger pointed directly at the young woman-who squinted her eyes at him in return and refrained from sticking out her tongue- "she had better be gone by the time I'm through. That gives you ten minutes, Goku. Got it?"

"H-hai.." Goku agreed hesitantly. He hadn't the slightest idea how he'd get Katie out, where she could go, or what she and the other two girls were supposed to do after the four travelers departed once more.

Defeated for the time being by Goku's not-so-suave influence, Sanzo retreated for his shower, making sure the bathroom door slammed loudly to accentuate his irked mood.

Turning slowly on his heels, Goku faced Katie with a forced pleasent expression. It felt more like a grimace to him. How was he supposed to do this?

"Ne, Katie-san..?"

Hearing her name, she directed her attention to the golden eyed youth who appeared to be hemming and hawing about one thing or another. Katie bet she could guess it in three tries.

"Let me see...he wants me gone. Am I right? Of course I'm right. Sanzo can't go five minutes without being a prick, can he?" Her feet swung out of bed to hit the floor as a devious smirk lit across her lips. "So what happens if I just stay? He'll shoot me? I'd like to see him try it."

A dark eyebrow elevated above one golden orb. "Nani? I dunno what you're going on about, demo, if you don't leave before he gets out, he might really try and shoot you." Goku never liked being the mean one- not unless it meant beating the living daylights out of a group of especially stupid youkai. Generally, he only wanted to help others, and he supposed if he thought over it enough, this was definitely going to help Katie. If she left, Sanzo wouldn't have to threaten her life, right? Thus, Goku gestured for the door, and then to the window. "Gomen nasai, Katie-san, demo...you better go. One way or another."

She understood and didn't hold it against him. Either Goku did what Sanzo ordered or face his wrath, and Katie, along with the other girls, didn't find the fan-beatings so amusing anymore.

"Fine, I guess I'll go then, but...where are Mandi and Ashley? I'm not leaving the inn without them you know."

Catching only two names, Goku figured easily enough that Katie wanted to meet with them .Why wouldn't she? They were all three in the same boat and all three from the same world. Each was the other's security blanket- a bit of reassurance that someone still understood what words spilled from their mouths.

Motioning for her to follow him, the shorter youth headed for the exit, opening the door and allowed Katie to step through first. He remembered the other two young women were staying with Gojyo and Hakkai, so, once he was reassured that his friend followed, Goku made way to Gojyo's door first.

"Ne, Gojyo! Are you awake yet? We have a problem!"

Silence thundered in Goku's ears in the form of his beating heart and Katie's breathing. When it didn't seem that the hanyou planned on opening up, the brown haired young man raised a fist to pound on the door.

"Damnit roach-boy, open up already! Sanzo's really pissed off-"

"What the hell are ya yelling at the door for, baka?" Gojyo's voice sounded from behind Goku and Katie and the pair turned in some surprise.

The red headed man leaned lazily against the door frame, a towel draped around his shoulders, hair dampened from a recent shower. "My room is over here, dummy."

"Don't call me that! You told me your room was number twenty-one and that's where I am!" The other companion complained in his own defense, only to grow more angered as Gojyo snickered.

"I told ya that so you'd leave me the hell alone. It's room twenty-two. Now what the hell do ya want?" Crimson orbs danced toward Katie and Gojyo smirked a bit, nodding to acknowledge her. "Ohayo."

"Er...ohayo." Katie responded. She knew that much at the very least. 'Morning'. Stretching up, she craned her neck to peer past the lean man obscuring her line of vision into his room. "Ashley? Are you in there?"

Within a few seconds, the dusky blond haired girl appeared just behind Gojyo, a breakfast muffin in hand. "Yeah. What's going on?"

Katie shrugged, rolling blue eyes before allowing them to meet a pair of hazel ones. "From what I can gather, Sanzo knows we're here, he's pissed and wants us to leave the guys alone. Are you gonna finish that muffin?" She stared plaintively at the carb-loaded, slightly stale lump in her friend's left hand.

"Probably, but there's another one in here if you want it." Ashley turned, took a couple of strides and returned with another muffin to hand over to the older girl. "So wait- what the hell does Sanzo expect us to do?"

"Wander around until our legs fall off, I guess. How am I supposed to know? I just know he's pissed off and wants us gone and away. I can't understand a goddamn word that jackass says. Or that any of these guys are saying." Katie gratefully took a bite out of her breakfast- the only substanance she'd be getting for a while, she suspected.

They turned to look between Goku and Gojyo as the pair conversed and remained just as lost as ever.

"So Sanzo knew this whole time that we found 'em and decided to wait til now to tell us t' get rid of 'em?" Gojyo relayed back to his counter part, disbelief lacing his inquiry. "That buddha-thumper is turnin' into more of an asshole every day. Where does he think they're gonna go?"

"I dunno!" Goku flailed his arms in defense. "Demo, Sanzo says they can't stay with us. I guess they can stay here in town...ya think they'd be okay here? I mean, it's safer than them traveling alone, right?"

"Safer?" Gojyo snorted, pushing away from the door frame to walk next door, rapping lightly on it. "I dunno if it'd be safer. Maybe for just a while, 'til the youkai decide to raid this place too. They've been in every town we've been in, what makes ya think they wouldn't come to this one too? It's all a matter of time, chimpy."

Disregarding the insult, Goku cast a worried glance at both young women. "Well they'd still be better off here than out there alone- at least for a little while, ne?"

The door in front of Gojyo opened wide to reveal Hakkai's curious face, green orbs focusing in on the red head as one hand replaced the silver rimmed monocle. Smiling as per usual, the dark haired man stepped out.

"Oh, Gojyo- is there something you needed? It isn't time to leave already, is it? Usually it's Sanzo who--oh. The girls..." He trailed off, noticing Ashley and Katie standing not too far away, silently munching on breakfast muffins. For a split-second he felt remorse for cooking a heartier breakfast for Mandi and himself, though he sensed something in need of more urgent attention.

"That bastard of a priest says the girls have to leave again." Gojyo all but spat at his friend, withholding the frustration meant for Sanzo. "He's kickin' them out of here."

"Eh? How can he kick them out of the inn? He doesn't own it, after all." Hakkai forced his smile to stay in place, though a murmur of a more raucous emotion bubbled from within and he fought to keep it in check. "So what would stop them from staying here a while longer, hm?"

"Maybe the fact that they don't have money." Gojyo pointed out, leaning casually against the wall and propped a foot on it. "I say we form a mutiny and haul them along with us no matter what the monk says."

"Hai-hai!" Goku agreed heartily, pumping a fist into the air.

"Hmm...I don't think that's such a good idea." The third laughed uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Chances are we'll have three dead girls on our hands if we let them tag along. Though, Gojyo- you are right about one thing. They don't have the proper currency so I can't see how staying here will benefit them in any case. I wonder..."

"What's going on out here, a convention?" Mandi's voice interrupted as she eased past Hakkai and tugged at the sleeves of her mesh shirt. She turned to see Ashley and Katie and greeted them with a 'good morning', doing the same with Goku and Gojyo by saying 'ohayo gozaimasu' before standing with her two friends.

"Hm. There's something about you this morning..." Katie arched an eyebrow devilishly. "You seem...chipper."

"Huh? Chipper? Maybe because I slept really well and my clothes are clean now and smell really good." The younger brunette grinned, scratching her cheek beneath the stares of her comrades. "Why are you looking at me like that- whatever you're thinking, don't."

Ashley chortled in amusement. "You're getting defensive over nothing. Your clothes are clean though. They smell like detergent and..." She paused to sniff at Mandi's shoulder quickly, assessing the other scent. "...detergent and fried eggs."

"Oh. A maid came with my clothes and Hakkai made breakfast just a bit ago. We only just finished eating before Gojyo knocked at the door...so...what's going on, anyhow? Why are we all convening in the hallway?"

Katie's expression soured considerably as she popped the last bit of strawberry muffin into her mouth. "Mr. Sunshine wants us to leave, apparently, but I have no idea what we're going to do. We have no money, and no transportation to get anywhere..."

"Looks like the Merciful Goddess has us up the crick without a paddle, huh?" Ash sighed, crossing her arms and frowned. "If this is some kind of test, then I don't like it."

"Maybe it is." Switching honey-almond eyes betwixt her friends, Mandi shrugged. "She might be testing our abilities to survive out here. It could be a way of activating our elemental souls- by learning to cope with what Shangri'la has to throw at us."

Lifting her eyebrows, Ashley considered the theory. "Could be. Without a clear explanation we can't really say. This is still too surreal for me to take in. First they come to our world looking for elemental avatars, then we're told that we are the avatars, and now we're in Shangri'la trapped by a language barrier, lack of currency, and no powers to compensate for our mortality."

"This sucks." Katie summed up, promptly flopping onto the floor and crossed her legs. "What are we going to do? We still have Erin to worry about too, you know."

Mandi's eyes followed the oldest girl's form to the floor. "And we're down." She smiled in her uncertainty. "I'd say we should follow the Sanzo party, if not for the fact that we have no means to do so, however, I do have a feeling that things will end up working out for us."

"Work out how? Right now the only thing we've got going for us is that we're actually in a town and not lost in some youkai-infested wilderness!" Katie groaned, rubbing her palms over her face.

At that precise moment, Hakkai strode up to the female trio and cleared his throat so that the three pairs of eyes focused on him.

"Hakkai?" Mandi asked- she didn't know what else to say or how to say it at that.

He held his hands out and nodded toward her to do the same. Slowly she lifted her palms out, confused until a wad of paper and a small leather pouch touched her skin.

"Douzo, take it. It isn't too much, demo, it will help you out some, even if it's just a little bit."

"What is it?" Ashley tilted her head to see over her shorter friend's shoulder. "Yen? What for?"

A giggle escaped Katie's lips as she sprung back to her feet. "A payment for last night's services, Mandi? That's why you're so chipper this morning, huh? Ok, I'm done." She quieted down after receiving an ominous glance from the second brunette.

Mandi shook her head, stretching her arms out to return the gift. "Iie. You can't do this- it's probably all you had on you."

Gojyo and Goku moved to either side of Hakkai, both with persisting grins. Obviously they all three had chipped in their yen to go toward the 'Support the Elementals Foundation'.

"Go on and take it. I'm willin' to bet that ya won't make any cash wanderin' around here, unless you're into the shady business." The hanyou insisted, waving for the three to give in.

Goku smirked. "And if they were in that kinda business then you'd be payin' them anyway, you letch, so it's not like you're really losin' much, is it?"

"Hm. I guess that's true." Gojyo chuckled and refrained from asking the youth or Hakkai if it'd be the same for them. He already knew the answers to that question and either way, he'd still look like a pig.

Hakkai forced Mandi's fingers to curl around the yen in her hands and then slid back from her. "Chizu. You still have the map, so you'll know where we're going next. Perhaps...perhaps we'll all meet somewhere again...in fact, I'm sure we shall."

Chizu. The map. The young woman nodded in some understanding and relinquished their new funds to Ashley who stored everything in a wallet kept in her pants pocket.

"Domo arigatou, Hakkai-san."

Bowing his head just enough, his green gaze flitted between each female. They didn't catch the anxiety he had brewing behind those orbs, but that was for the best. He didn't want them to worry because he worried.

"Itashimashite. Take care, all three of you, and good luck."

"Sayonara!" Goku waved as he retreated for his room.

Gojyo stood quietly before giving a brief wave. "Be careful ladies and steer clear of those pesky youkai." He grinned, giving up a wink to Ashley who snorted and rolled her eyes with the smallest of smiles on her lips before walking away.

After the girls vanished from sight, Goku reentered his room in time to meet Sanzo's intense violet gaze.

"They're gone now. I hope you're happy."

If not for his dampened mood, Sanzo might have responded differently. Nevertheless, he stuck with his foul attitude. "Ecstatic. I'm going to pack. We're leaving in one hour. Get a move on, monkey." With no more to say, and without waiting for Goku's reply, the monk strode out into the hall and back to his own room.

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After roughly half an hour of wandering Reimeiki, a few yen wisely spent on a better breakfast for Katie and Ashley, as well as for a couple of canteens, the three young women retired to a bench situated out front of what appeared to be a barber shop. Purchasing items proved more than difficult due to the language barrier- the girls were more than suspicious about the merchants selling to them trying to take advantage of this fact by ripping them off. Somehow they managed to only spend about fifteen hundred yen on everything. At least they figured it out to be around there.

In all honesty, they had no idea how much Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku had given up to begin with. None of them knew how to count the currency and none of them could read the characters on any of the paper notes. Nevertheless, what they had helped out in sating two stomaches and saving three souls from death by dehydration. At least for a little while- though they weren't sure what would save them from perishing at several pairs of clawed hands and sharp youkai teeth.

"So...what should we do now?" Katie leaned forward, polishing off the very last of her rice and dropped the container into a nearby trash can. "Stay here? Leave? Though we'll be going on foot, I bet."

"Seems that way." Ashley responded quite indifferently about means of transportation. Her main concern had switched to the Elemental business. Why hadn't anything happened yet with that?

Mandi propped her elbows on her knees, resting her chin in her palms, and sighed. "I don't think my shoes can take much more of this long walking in the sand thing. There's got to be a better way to do this. If we knew how to use our gifts-"

"What gifts?" The youngest girl quipped, skepticism to her tone. Her eyebrows knit together, one hand gesturing to some obscure place or another. "I'm starting to wonder if this isn't all a big sham. If Kanzeon's not just messing with us. Why hasn't anything happened with us yet? We don't know how to defend ourselves and Sanzo's sorry ass is leaving us all behind."

"I know." The darker haired girl replied, shrugging a shoulder helplessly. "I honestly have no idea what's going on now. Maybe she is fooling us, but even so, Erin is still here, right? Maybe we ought to worry about getting to her. We know she's probably at Houtou, and that is where the guys are going."

"Why don't we just follow them?" Katie inquired, blue eyes constantly dancing over passers-by. The town had certainly woken up in the past few minutes, though its residents appeared put off by the trio of oddly dressed young women wandering amongst them. "What if we use the rest of our yen to find some means of transportation and just follow the Sanzo party?"

Ignoring a glare from a couple of middle-aged women walking by, Mandi chewed her lower lip. "Do you have something in mind, because if you noticed...vehicles aren't exactly commonplace here. They're pretty far and few between. I haven't seen one single one and we've been all over this place."

"Horses." Ashley muttered quietly, hazel gaze glued to the ground. "We passed a stable. There might be horses up for sale."

"Do you think we'd have enough to pay for a horse?" Lifting her head from her hands, the almond eyed girl stared down in the stable's direction. "We could haggle, though I don't know what good it'll do. We might still get ripped off- and there are three of us."

"Even so," the eldest girl interjected as a familiar gleam shone behind her eyes. "If we cause enough of a distraction, maybe one of us, or two of us, can steal away a couple of horses?"

"Steal?" Mandi and Ashley spoke together in mild disbelief.

Had it really come down to that?

Katie stood, a hand resting upon one hip. "At least it's an idea. Might be worth a try too. What other choice do we have but to walk? And I'm sorry, but I'm not going to put myself at risk of having a seizure due to over-exhertion. I can't walk that far- and the only one who has proper footwear anyway is Ashley."

Ash took a second to silently applaud herself for choosing to wear tennis shoes the whole weekend, though quickly reminded herself that nobody knew they would be swept off to Togenkyou. "We could always go bare-foot."

Mandi screwed up her face, shaking her head. "My toes are not going to get eaten by scorpians or tarantulas. I say we check out the horse idea first. Who knows, it could be our lucky day."

Still wary over the entire ordeal, regretting it some that she'd even mentioned horses, Ashley caved and stood up after Mandi. Her hand clutched at what remained of their budget. She'd not risk losing even one yen of it- that could make all the difference.

Once again blanketed by silence, taking in their immediate surroundings and carefully making their own assessments about those living in Reimeiki, the girls strode closely together for the barn.

There just seemed to be something awry about the town.

Something darker than what met the eye.

...something twisted...

Upon reaching a wide establishment of quasi-rotted wooden boards, Katie took the liberty of popping her head between the broad sliding doors and called out.

"Anyone in here?"

A tap on her shoulder startled her and she stepped back to see a man in his early thirties giving her the queerest of expressions.

"Can I help you?"

"Uhh..." The lighter haired brunette tried to find some hand motions, some kind of notion that would make the man understand. Unfortunately she'd already grown uncomfortable beneath his inquisitve eyes. "Guys, feel like helping me out here?"

"How?" The other two asked, though stepped forward all the same.

The stable hand sighed heavily in his confusion. Whatever these girls spoke, it definitely wasn't his native language.

"Look, whatever you want, could you get to it already? I've got a long day ahead of me and someone brought in two mares to be boarded that I have yet to take care of."

"Ri-i-ight..." Mandi muttered then snatched up the pouch in Ashley's hand quickly, holding it up. "We'd like to buy a horse, please. Er, negai- horse...this is not working." She pointed to the coin purse then to the inside of the barn and smiled hopefully.

"Wonderful. Now we're playing charades." The blond young woman commented, turning slowly to ease her way into the barn. She'd at least check out the stock and see if any were even worth making a purchase.

"Better than nothing." Katie retorted, following after her younger friend, both leaving Mandi outside to deal with the stable hand. "Think she'll be able to make a deal with that guy?"

"Who knows? Possibly. If anything, she'll distract him." Ash responded almost absently as she checked out a feeble looking horse in the first stall- definitely not this one. It'd sooner keel over before think about making a trek to India. "Think we should've warned her that she's our distraction?"

"Nah. If she complains we can just argue that she more or less offered by taking the money from you." A small smirk curled Katie's lips as she peered into a stall.

Whilst the pair continued to search for suitable mounts, Mandi tried to keep her target from entering the barn just yet. He hadn't made any sign that he understood what she asked him and until he did, she'd do her damndest to make him comprehend.

"Kuso- ne, Baka-san!" She glowered out of some frustration, shaking the coin purse in his face. The insult did well enough to grab his attention and he glared sharply at her. Well, she guessed that much of her Japanese came in handy- she managed to piss him off but now she needed to puncture that thick skull of his. "Yen- horse. Horse for the yen. Got it?"

"If you're asking about a horse then I suggest you stop insulting me, girl." He crossed his arms, squinting one eye more than the other, teeth gritted. "Stop waving that purse in my face. If you want a horse I have three for sale, but you're gonna need more than what that pouch is holding."

Mandi glanced toward the stables, slowly lowering her arm as the stablehand grumbled some more to himself and led the way. Now what? Wasn't the plan to distract him long enough to hijack at least one horse from the barn? And when did she become the distraction anyway?

"I'm gonna kill them." She muttered under her breath and stalked after the young man, tugging on his shirt. "Wait! Hang on! I'm supposed to stall you, damnit, turn your backwater-town butt around!"

With a growl very evocative of a certain blond Buddhist priest, the stablehand did indeed turn around sharply, his chocolate colored eyes slitted. "What is your problem? Are you slow in the head? I already told you I'll show you the damn horses- isn't that what you're after? Damn out of towners are more trouble than you're worth!"

Whatever he had just said, Mandi's assumptions led her to believe this guy's stress levels were above and beyond their peak.His eyes had darkened considerably, pupils oblong rather than round, and his hands had balled into fists so tight his knuckles were white. She took a step backward- suddenly there was something about this fellow which exuded danger, and she had just lit the short wick for the dynamite.

"I...I um..." The words wouldn't even find a way to tumble in some sequential order from her lips, her throat dried and out of habit she licked her lips. "Uh..."

"What's wrong with you? Can't you say anything now? You seemed talkative enough a few minutes ago, so what is it? Cat got your tongue?" Leering over her, the stable hand made his height more evident as he towered over her five foot seven figure by at least half a foot.

Blanching, Mandi did her best to avoid wrinkling her nose at this closeness. For one, he majorly broke the personal space rule, and for another thing he reeked of some rank odor or another. Manure? He worked in a stable, after all, but no- it seemed to be something else. She'd been in a barn before and didn't quite recall the stink to be quite this intense, or different. Her honey-almond gaze met the deep mud brown of the other and her lips parted in a silent gasp as one large hand snatched away the coin purse and held it between them.

"Hey! Give that back- you haven't even given us anything yet, so that money isn't yours, pal!" She furrowed her eyebrows in determination, attempting to swipe the pouch away but her fingers groped the air and hung there. Her attention danced to a gleam of silver across the man's wrist, ignoring his penatrating gaze from behind strands of wild hair.

A bracelet? A single, thin, silver band without a clasp circled the stable hand's left wrist- how peculiar. What kind of manual labor worker would wear jewelry anyway? What male manual labor worker would wear jewelry- especially a bracelet? Realization sunk in as a snide grin marked the man's face and his free hand covered the trinket as Mandi turned her head and shouted for her two friends to hurry their asses up.

"Find anything yet?" Katie asked without turning around to look at the blond young woman.

"Nope. Most of these hardly look sturdy enough to go riding around the barn on." Ashley replied, sighing. This idea wasn't working out in their favor so far and they were running out of stalls to check. Her hand ran over a rusted latch as hazel eyes focused through the dim lighting to study a stocky mule through the wide slats of wood. "Except this one, though I'm willing to bet she's not for sale."

An audible gasp reached the taller young woman's ears and she turned curiously. "What is it?"

The elder one merely pointed, directing a forefinger on each hand toward two separate stalls positioned side by side.

"Well, what is it? I can't read your mind you know..." Ashley strode over, hazel orbs directing their view to comply with Katie's own. "Whoa...they look like..."

"Rose and Cosa." Katie finished, her voice barely audible over the din of two horses now whickering excitedly.

Rose and Cosa- her two 'babies', her horses that had been regrettably left behind in the girls' world.

She approached one stall which contained a tall, proud looking bay Standardbred mare and stretched an arm over the door. "Here girl- here Rosie. C'mon Rose..." Katie noted the mare's initial hesitance, though she kept at it.

"Maybe they just really look like them. I mean, it's possible if we can jump from our own world to here in Shangri'la." Ashley theorized, crossing her arms as she watched the other persist in coaxing the anxious mare over.

"No." A pair of blue eyes flashed in determination, free hand snatching up a palmful of nearby hay to offer the horse. "It has to be them. I know it's them. See?"

Sure enough her goal had been reached and Katie decided to test her own intuitiveness by reaching up to the equine's ears, causing her to nicker, shake her head, and snatch the hay away to munch on. "She's head shy. Just like Rose. So this has to be...Cosa."

Turning to the next stall, Katie offered another handful of hay to a Strawberry Roan mare of slighter stature, sporting what appeared to be a mane and tail of matching pale gold. From instinct any well-informed horse lover could tell this breed was mixed, though perhaps only her owner could divulge the specifics.

"Cosa-cos...come on sweetie."

Ashley watched closely as the younger mare pranced up a bit more confidently than the first and graciously accepted the hay, nudging the other young woman's hand for a bit more. "Alright then, maybe you're right. So what do we do about it?"

"Take them! They're mine after all." Katie smirked, taking note that for whatever reason, both had been saddled up already. Apparently Rose and Cosa had just been ridden in, or they'd been waiting to go for some time.

"Ash! Katie! Hurry up!"

Mandi's voice squeaked from outside of the barn, and then suddenly grew louder as she darted inside the dimly lit establishment.

"Whoa, what's up?" Ashley stopped her friend, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder, one eyebrow arched high on her forehead.

"Mandi! Look! It's Rose and Cosa- somehow they got here! I don't know how, but they did!" Katie pointed out excitedly, already busily freeing her two beloved pets from their state of temporary captivity.

"What? How- well- okay, nevermind that right now! That guy out there, the stablehand, he's a-"

"What are you doing!" The stablehand's sharp voice gruffly interrupted Mandi as he burst into the aisle, a feralness written across his angular face.

"Yikes." Mandi cowered, ducking behind Ashley, and pointed at her would be attacker. "He has our money- do we have horses? Enough horses anyway? Because if we do, I vote we get the hell out of here before he turns full youkai on our asses!"

"Youkai!" This came from both Katie and Ashley, both pairs of eyes rounding in alarm as they soon realized the full potential of what kind of danger they could get into.

Only this time, they all highly doubted Priest Genjyo Sanzo and party would come to their rescue.

"I've got Rosie and Cosa, but we still need another."

"Let go of those horses! Hey! Kuso! Put them back, what do you think you're doing!" The man threw down the pouch of yen and brought a hand to circle the bracelet on his opposite wrist.

"Ash! The mule!" Katie lifted her chin in direction of the mule sitting quite calmly in her own stall, as though nothing of importance was happening. "We might as well, there's nothing else worthy of riding."

"Whatever." Shrugging, Ashley reached an arm out, unlocking the mule's stall door and hooked a lead rope onto a frayed halter already fitted upon the animal. "Out you go- Mandi, wanna ride her?"

"Huh! I don't care! I just want to get out of here before he eats us!" Mandi's answer came shrilly as the stablehand growled ferociously, tearing off the silver band. "Oh gods..."

Before their eyes, what seemed to be completely human at first began to change, a bright aura surrounding the male figure as a terrible cry spilled from his lips. He transformed into a beast of claws, teeth, and elongated ears, snarling at the trio of young women as they frantically sought an escape.

It was amazing what a person would do to save their animals, though discarding a power limiter seemed a bit over the top.

"Let's go!" Ashley cried out, swinging herself up onto the bare backed mule. She had offered it to Mandi, but thought better of the idea after a moment- the only really experienced riders were herself and Katie. Making the third girl ride bare back wouldn't be quite fair, and she knew that Mandi had ridden Rose and Cosa at least once apiece.

Katie glanced between her two horses and then spotted the coin purse lying carelessly near an open stall door. "What about our money?"

"Leave it- unless you feel like trying to get past Mr. Deranged over there." Mandi replied, approaching the smaller of the two horses. "I'll take Cosa, okay? I know she's probably hyper, but at least I know she'll move when I get on the saddle."

Even at this point in time, with a half crazed youkai staring them down, Katie found time to chuckle in amusement. The last time Mandi had visited and attempted to ride Rose, the bay had refused to budge or would only go in reverse. She consented- only for the case that their situation wouldn't end well if the Standardbred decided to choose stubborness over obedience.

Katie hoisted herself up into the smooth saddle on Rose's back, waiting on Mandi's second attempt and success to mount the Arabian-Paso Fino mixture before thinking about moving.

"You won't get past me!" A growl spewed from the once-stablehand-now-youkai's mouth as he hunkered down, claws fully extended. A lolling purple tongue hung out down to his squared off chin as he continued dancing in front of the three young women.

"You know, I still don't get how they can talk with their tongues hanging out like that..." Mandi muttered.

"I know, right?" Katie agreed, shrugging one shoulder as she kicked Rose's sides to get her going. "You'd have thought it'd all be explained by now!"

Ashley snorted, following the older girl's lead and somehow managing to get the mule moving along as the bay plowed past the demonic stablehand. "I guess some mysteries are better left unsolved."

"Hey!" The remaining female shouted, taking up her reins and urging Cosa after the other two while their offender recovered from a hoof to the chest. "Wait for me! Let's go Cosa- behave for me, please, and you'll get all the treats you want!"

As though agreeing wholeheartedly to that deal, the young mare nickered and followed her orders to go after the others. However, the girls came face to face with what seemed to be an entire army of youkai citizens and they wondered if their odds wouldn't have been better if they'd stayed inside the barn.

"What'd we do to piss them off!" Katie shouted, weaving Rose with a bit of difficulty between bodies with outstretched clawed hands.

Ash easily pulled up beside the bay. "Remember where we are- it might have nothing to do with us."

Next came Mandi, appearing a smidgen uneasy riding so quickly under the circumstances of their situation. "It could be the minus wave! And if that's the case, we're smack dab in the middle of a youkai town searching for food and we're probably looking tasty about now!"

All the same, whatever the details were, she couldn't help but wonder if it would have turned out different had she not pissed off the stablehand. Deciding that dwelling upon it didn't change that they were being chased by berserked villagers, the honey-eyed young woman paid more attention to getting through everything intact.

"Which way is out?" Katie inquired, manuevering her mount enough to miss the fierce claws of a youkai and managing to trample over another.

Ashley risked a glance to the sky, noted the sun's position, and turned the mule left. "Maybe there's an exit this way- it's West, where we've got to go."

The remaining two riders complied, steering with as much precision possible to keep playing keep away from the demons without ramming into each other or getting slashed to bits. Snarls and ravenous cries rose to the air as the youkai ran, trampling each other in the process of trying to reach their meals on the go.

"Look! Up ahead!" A gleeful shout from Katie brought Ashley and Mandi's attention to the edge of town where a certain group of young men fought their own battle.

"Seems like we're not the only ones in trouble." Ash noted, pressing her mount on a bit faster as her right leg kicked out to stave off an attack.

"Yeah, but they're not the ones who're going to need help!" Mandi pointed out, leaning forward in the saddle, asking Cosa to pick up speed. "Should we stop or pass them up?"

"Considering that they're doing just fine on their own and our asses will be grass if we hang around?" Blue eyes dared to flicker over, meeting light brown and then hazel in turn.

The blond girl smirked. "Good point- they can catch up with us then."

--Half an Hour Earlier--

Cho Hakkai's vivid forest green eyes trained intensely upon the door separating him from Genjyo Sanzo. The brunette youth strongly contemplated using a forceful chi-gong blast to demolish that obstruction- just to get his point across of how upset he truly felt.

But since when did he show what emotions lay under his mask? Beside that, he thought better of breaking down the door for two reasons: All of the yen in his pockets had gone to help the three young women, therefore he couldn't afford to pay for damages, and Hakkai severely doubted breaking down the door would constitute for any rational conversation between he and the priest.

What to do..?

"Ne, Hakkai, what are you doing?"

The youthful voice of Son Goku inquired from out of the blue, causing Hakkai to jump, startled. Placing a hand over his heart, the slender humanesque demon laughed uneasily. "Maa, maa, Goku! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking." Goku defended simply, hands lifting to lock behind his mane of chesnut hair. "Are you gonna try to talk to Sanzo about the Elementals? Is that why you're standing in front of his door?"

"Mmm..." The elder of the pair wondered if he should say anything, though knowing his comrade's persistance, he caved. "Hai, I was debating over it." Somehow hearing the heretic refer to the girls as 'Elementals' relieved Hakkai. Clearly he could not be the only one who believed what the great Kannon had revealed to them. His gaze cut back to the door and he fell silent.

"Ano...what are you waiting for?" Goku's golden orbs flitted between his friend and Sanzo's room's door. "You're not scared, are you Hakkai? If you are, maybe we can both talk to him- maybe he'll change his mind! He almost never says no to me, and if Sanzo changes his mind and the girls are still in town..."

Once again an uneasy smile flickered across Hakkai's lips and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, sighing in defeat. He feared all chances of what Goku proposed actually coming into fruition were slim to none.

"You're not givin' up, are ya man?"

This time Gojyo tossed in his two cents, stepping out of his own room with a supply pack stuffed full and ready to go dangling from one hand. The hanyou arched a thin red eyebrow, eyeing his full youkai counterpart expectantly.

Hakkai feigned obliviousness to his friend's remark. "Giving up? I'm sure I don't know what you mean by that, Gojyo."

"Don't pull that bullshit Hakkai. I can't believe you're quitting- you of all people."

Goku frowned, dropping both arms to his sides and then decidedly pounded a fist against the monk's door. "If you don't do it, Hakkai, I will! Sanzo can't go around treating people like this, you know?"

"Like what, saru?"

Making a small 'eep' sound and turning his attention up, the chesnut haired boy found a pair of heated violet eyes upon him. Discovering that Sanzo could appear more than slightly intimidating when fully annoyed, Goku thrust a thumb in Hakkai's direction, taking a step backward and seemingly forgetting his strong desire to tell the priest what's what.

"Uh...Hakkai wants to talk to you. He'll tell you all about it, hai-hai."

It took a lot of self-control to keep his hand from flying across the back of Goku's head- but Hakkai figured he'd be no better than Sanzo or Gojyo in that instance. His emerald orbs focused upon his blond companion's face, the brunette's own visage holding an unreadable expression.

Setting his jaw, Sanzo directed his eyes to an ever-smiling Cho Hakkai. Damn it. He hated that face with a passion right now- especially since the monk could only imagine what kind of mood their driver was in.

"Unless I miss my guess, this is in regards to your friends, or whatever the hell they are to you."

"Hai." The slightly taller young man lifted his forefinger and thumb of his left hand. "There isn't any chance that perhaps you've changed your mind about letting them come along with us, is there?"

"Absolutely none whatsoever." Sanzo answered without hesitation, shaking his head of perfect golden tresses as his fingers nimbly worked to light a Malboro Mild.

Hakkai turned his head toward Gojyo who stared at him with a determination which read 'if you don't convince him, I will'- and the brunette was positive his friend's method would include at least one powerful punch. Clearing his throat, green eyes cut sharply back to Sanzo, darkened with some degree of madness.

"Gomen nasai, my friend, demo- don't you think that your behavior is just a little bit unacceptable? I can't imagine why you're being so cruel to three defenseless young women."

Sanzo's clenched fist connected with the door frame, his free hand almost snapping his cigarette in half as he half spoke, half growled at Hakkai. "How dare you say my behavior is unacceptable? Especially after the fit that you threw yesterday in the restaurant like some overgrown spoiled brat whining because he didn't get his way?"

Stunned by the monk's choice of words, Hakkai's resolve went down the weaker of two paths and he blanched as his smile faltered just so. "I was hoping you had put that episode out of your mind...I suppose you are right about how I behaved yesterday and I apologize for any unwanted attention drawn to us, demo- I'm running out of ideas of getting you to see that these three can't go traipsing about Shangri'la without some of our help."

The fiesty priest merely stared in reply and Hakkai's smile disappeared altogether. What was this? Could he easily give up on them just because a certain unholy man deemed the girls as his personal enemies for a reason yet to be understood. Sadly, he felt that was where their conversation would end- with the Sanzo-ikkou departing Reimeiki without so much as a backward glance.

At last, Sanzo huffed. "I hardly put that out of my mind, and I don't care what you say to me, Hakkai. They're not going any farther. Not with us anyhow. If they need to get somewhere, let them find their own way. You don't see anyone jumping up and down to help us out do you? In addition, we don't need the extra baggage slowing us down. They'll only get in the way."

"Demo, Sanzo!" Goku butt-in, slamming his palm to the wall in protest. "The girls can't even speak our language! How do you expect them to get by out here without us? We're the only ones they know!"

"If they're smart enough, they'll find new buddies to mooch off of." Sanzo quipped dryly, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"Don't forget the youkai." Gojyo spoke, figuring it was about time he piped up and did some of the work. Breaking the monk was a three-man job anyway. "Togenkyou is crawling with berserked demons and even the really stupid ones will be smart enough to figure out those girls are defenseless against their attacks."

Appalled, the Buddhist monk snorted, taking another, extra long drag from his cig. "Gee, I hope you're not all ganging up on me to make me feel guilty." His tone dripped with sarcasm, mouth twisted down into a deeper scowl.

This, of course, had been precisely what the others had planned. Somewhere, buried deep beneath that stone heart, Sanzo had a sympathy trigger. It just hadn't been found yet- at least, not in this situation.

"Is it working?" Inadvertantly spoiling their 'plan', Goku cast wide eyes to his mentor.

"Iie. Baka." Gojyo muttered, reaching around Hakkai's back to give the back of Goku's head a good smack.

Annoyed- or even beyond that by this point, Sanzo glared to each of his opposing party members, resting his burning gaze upon the brains behind it all. "They are not coming with us. I've said it once, I'll say it one last time. If there is such a thing as these Elementals, and these three are them, then they shouldn't have a problem getting around on their own. We did our deed- they're here, aren't they? We have a mission to accomplish, and as far as I'm concerned, we're lagging too far behind to bother with Tenkai's ridiculous schemes to save this godforsaken country." Snuffing his cigarette, the monk snorted, not quite finished setting his followers straight. "Against my wishes you brought them back to town- let that be good enough for you, to know where they are. If anyone says anything more on this subject, especially to me, I'll shoot him."

The remainder of the young men exchanged glances amongst one another. It seemed they lost the argument by a long shot.

"Fair enough, my friend, fair enough." Hakkai's shoulders slumped as he turned for his room to gather what he'd left behind yet. "Hakuryuu is waiting for us all outside. Whenever you're ready-"

"-Hakkai." A sharp kind of smugness laced Sanzo's voice, abruptly interrupting the younger man. "If they happen to find transportation, you know I can't stop them from following us."

Of course.

Brightening considerably, the young man perked up and straightened his posture. His smile could clearly be heard as he spoke. "Hai. I'm sure you're right about that. Those girls certainly seem strong willed, don't they?"

Goku's amber orbs enlarged to the size of meatbuns. "You mean you're gonna let them go with us?"

"That isn't what he said, dumbass." Gojyo insulted Goku casually, smirking at Sanzo's vague and uncommon act of kindness. Ruby eyes slid toward their 'leader's' otherwise stoic face. "He just said he can't stop 'em if they decide to follow us."

"Sou, sou, sou! 'Coz we're allowed to travel, ne? And Sanzo isn't the King of Togenkyou or anything and we're not the only ones allowed to travel, ne?"

Apparently it had just dawned on Son Goku that nobody had the right to prevent another person from going wherever they so pleased, and if all seven just so happened to head in the same direction, so be it.

Sanzo huffed, folding lithe arms across the gold painted plate over his chest. "Don't expect that we're going to babysit their sorry asses if they get into trouble and we just happen to be in range."

"Oh no, of course not." Hakkai barely managed to conceal his delight. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some last minute packing to do." The monocle-wearing man vanished into his room, missing the wry chortle of amusement from Gojyo.

"Do I even want to know why you're laughing? I hardly think any of this merits your reaction." The blond monk elevated an eyebrow to his hanyou companion. Why had he even put such an idea into their heads that those bothersome girls could more or less tag along on such a perilous mission, so long as they found their own transportation? As though to ease his own discontent, he sniffed haughtily. "I highly doubt they'll be able to find anything in this town anyway."

Waving a hand insouciantly, the erotic kappa turned on his boot heels, striding for an exit. "That's not why I'm laughing. I just figured he'd have started whistling by now."

"Whistling?" Sanzo grunted. He had never heard Hakkai whistle before for anything, and certainly not because he was pleased. "Nan de?"

"Hai-hai! Nan de?" Goku chimed in, flying along at Gojyo's feet. "Tell us!"

Without turning, the crimson haired playboy snickered, slyly lilting his words. "If you had seen what I did earlier today, you'd know why."

Clearly disgusted by Gojyo's slight of perversness, Sanzo began to close his door. "I'm sorry I asked."

"What did you see?" The more youthful, less gravelly voice asked, quite oblivious to his comrade's inference.

Naturally, Goku's inquisitive nature never failed and Gojyo found himself put on the spot. As they both stepped outside, he swung his belongings into Hakuryuu's backseat and shook his head.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Pouting, two arms crossed tightly over Goku's chest and his eyes read that he could fully have a tantrum if his question wasn't answered. Coincidentally, the monkey reminded Gojyo strongly of a certain little girl he had helped some time ago.

"That's all you three ever say to me when I wanna know something! 'Don't worry about it' or 'It's nothing, Goku' or 'Maybe when you're older'. Do I have to remind you that I'm plenty older than all three of you put together!"

"Ha, maybe so man, demo, you sure as hell have a long way to go before ya start acting like it." Gojyo retorted, eyeballing their surroundings. Things seemed a lot busier than it had a while ago- that creepiness factor had worn off almost completely. If not for his run in with the weirdo newspaper vendor, Gojyo might have been willing to forget it altogether. "When you stop acting like a monkey, then we'll let you in on stuff. Until then, you're left in the dark."

"Kuso!" Goku threw both arms to his sides, squinting one eye smaller than the other suspiciously. Lowering his tone, he leaned in closer to his taller, lankier companion. "Is it about...sex?"

Startled beyond all comprehension, Gojyo's demon-like crimson orbs bulged in alarm. Who the hell taught Goku about sex! Coughing uncomfortably- he had always imagined a more responsible someone explaining the birds and the bees to the chimp, namely Hakkai- the hanyou wrapped an arm around Goku's head.

"Hey! How about we go get some meatbuns for the road? I could use something to eat anyway- and some cigarettes." Briefly he wondered if Goku had anymore cash on him, since Gojyo too had spent the last bit of his own yen.

Eyes lighting up, Goku pumped a fist into the air, despite the noogie being given to him. "Hai-hai! Sugoi!"

Gojyo sighed with relief.

How simple, the task of distracting the spirited youth's concentration. Especially when it came to his favorite topic of conversation- food.

It never failed.

--Half an hour later--

"Tell us again when you first noticed something suspicious!" Two shots fired from the holy Smith and Wesson in Sanzo's left hand, taking down the bullets' respective targets easily.

His question, directed toward a certain hanyou kappa, packed more heat than the smoking Shourei

Gojyo shrugged a shoulder, grunting in effort as the crescent blade of his Shakujo sliced into a few opponents. He smirked in satisfaction at their blood-curdling screams. "Earlier this morning, nan de?" Don't tell me ya were expecting this to be a peaceful town, buddha!"

Even if Reimeiki appeared as nothing more than a relatively small, quiet village, for some reason or another it had quickly transgressed into an uproarous bustling youkai city. What made matters worse were the facts that three young women still wandered somewhere and could very well be subjugated to this violence, and that every single citizen appeared to be berserked blood thirsty demons.

It seemed off-kilter, to have a town entirely made up of youkai. However the Sanzo-ikkou had come to the conclusion that it might very well have been meant as refuge for those who hadn't turned crazy from the minus wave sweeping over Shangri'la. There had been rumors of such places scattered about each country where humane youkai could flee to and live without being bothered by wary humans.

Apparently Reimeiki no longer fit the bill.

Just as Hakkai drove up to the exit of town, a line of youkai greeted them, all dressed as common villagers and all armed with various tools to use as weapons. It pained him to see them all- women, children, men, and the elderly- all ruined by whatever nonsensical magical and scientific concoction had been brewed up in India.

It hurt him more to know that slaying them all to defend themselves and get to their final destination was necessary. Such regretful thoughts never settled into the darkness of his mind until after the merciless crimes he committed at Hyokugen Maoh's keep.

Murdering unsuspecting youkai, even those innocent of their leader's vicious, wicked ways, had not once registered as sinful or immoral during his attacks.

But now...

...now he wondered how he ever brought himself to do it at all, especially when it was for the sake of an entire stretch of country instead of for just one, single woman.

"Hakkai! Pay attention!" Goku's voice called out in warning and the brunette youkai constructed a chi-shield in time to block an onslaught of burning wood.

"Ahh- arigatou, Goku! That was a close one!"

"For the record, Red, I wasn't expecting this to be a peaceful town- I was just expecting an attack earlier than this." The monk replied as he guilessly shot down three more youkai- all women- all rather young, and all with killer instincts. Sanzo closed his eyes briefly- he didn't go completely without sympathy for these creatures. He knew it wasn't their fault, but damnit, they got pesky after so long.

"What a shame. I was so hoping to take a break from opening a can of whoop-ass on these poor, dumb fools." Hakkai's lips stretched into an indominable perma-grin, pushing forth a strong dose of chi energy from his palms and completely annhilated a flock of five oncoming youkai.

The other three quirked their eyebrows at the green eyed man's termonology, though never missed a beat in battle.

Goku spun on the balls of his feet, pressing his back against Hakkai's whilst shoving one golden orbed side of his Nyoi-bou into an offender. "You must've caught the same wrestling show that I did when we were in America, huh Hakkai?"

"Perhaps." The youth winked his good eye before dodging a weak punch from one youkai and in turn blasted him into oblivion. "I was kind of hoping it'd make me sound tougher, considering that our enemies like to underestimate my strength. Apparently they don't find me too intimidating."

"Don't tell me you actually prefer harder competition?" Sanzo snarled, taking cover near Gojyo in order to reload his weapon with another round of slugs. A crooked smirk curled his lips. "That's more work than I'd prefer."

"It can't hurt to get a work out every now and again." Gojyo replied, sliding away from the priest as soon as the Shourei was locked and loaded once again. Everyone knew how notorious Sanzo was for his laziness.

Gods forbid he do more work than necessary.

A loud gurgle emitted from Goku's stomach and he moaned pathetically, half heartedly wiping out his next wave of attackers. "How many of 'em are there anyway! All this is fighting is making me hungry!"

"See?" Sanzo pistol-whipped a youkai before ruthlessly shooting it in the head. An old man this time. Goddamnit, couldn't he just get the run of the mill psychotic middle-aged demon instead of the children and grandpa here? "If we fought harder opponents, that'd be more food to stuff Goku's bottomless pit and less for us."

"Point taken!" Hakkai grunted, sending an errant chi ball to sweep across ten whole demons. He watched them fall and bent over slightly, panting. "Even if they aren't exactly intelligent, they certainly have us by number. There's too many, Sanzo- I'm proposing we run away now."

"That's all fine and dandy, Hakkai, demo- aren't you forgetting one thing?" A sharp stare from twin crimson gems caused the brunette youkai to straighten in curiosity. Gojyo leaned against the tall metal staff of his Shakujo. "Ashley, Katie and Mandi are still around here somewhere. Don't tell me you're about to hightail it outta here without checking to see if they're alright first."

"Ah..." How could he have forgotten? The very thing he'd fought so hard to protect he almost planned on leaving behind in a youkai infested town. However, as he began to respond more extensively, Cho Hakkai felt a strange tremor beneath his feet.

All those amidst the heat of battle halted in confusion, turning their eyes toward the east end of town. A rather large dust cloud swirled over otherwise hard packed sand and then- a rush of youkai, all chasing something.

Or someone.

Three someones to be exact.

"The girls!" Goku hopped up and down excitedly, swinging about his red and gold staff so exhuberantly he accidentally knocked out a demon in mid attack.

"Well would ya look at that? They've got horses." Gojyo smiled complacently at Sanzo whose eyebrows furrowed together in defeat. "Looks like they found transportation after all, eh, monk?"

"Urusai kappa!" A shot rang through the air, a bullet capsule screaming past the hanyou's right ear to lodge itself in the forehead of a middle-aged demon who tried to take advantage of the distraction. "Forget them right now- they're safer than we are at the moment."

"Ne! Katie-san! Mandi-san! Ashley-san! Oi! Over here!" Continuing his enthusiastic waving, Goku knocked out demon after demon.

When the girls on their mounts ended up riding right past the group without bothering to look their way, it was all Hakkai could do not to laugh aloud. Here they were, he, Goku, and Gojyo, trying to convince Sanzo to let the girls tag along on their little adventure...and there the girls were, riding off into the west all on their own.

Oh the irony.

He couldn't have been happier about it.

"Sanzo, might I make a suggestion now, before we all keel over from exhaustion?" Hakkai called out, not daring to turn his gaze from the battle in progress. He released a weaker chi-gong wave as fatigue set in.

"If it's to get the hell out of here, I'm one step ahead of you Hakkai." Indeed, Sanzo had already made a beeline for Hakuryuu, who incidentally managed to remain completely untouched during the skirmish.

More than ready to leave, Gojyo and Goku hopped into the Jeep's backseat, weapons still in hand for good measure, and Hakkai slipped safely behind the wheel.

Without so much as a warning and putting the petal to the metal, Cho Hakkai gunned it out of the town of Reimeiki and into the West. They all wondered- yes, all, though Sanzo wouldn't be the first to admit it, if at all- just how far the trio of young women had gotten. Nevertheless, it'd only be a matter of time before they all headed in the same direction together.

Terms

Reimeiki- A Japanese term meaning "New Beginnings" This fits in two cases- one being for the young women, and another in the sense that those youkai who had not gone insane were able to start their lives anew. Until they went crazy, of course

Left hand- For those who didn't know...Genjyo Sanzo is left handed. Like me! Whoo-hoo:)

Shourei- Again, for those who didn't know, this is the 'holy' terminology in which one would call his banishing gun.

Shakujo- Gojyo's crescent blade weapon, also known as the Kakujo, depending on what you wish to go by. Our stupid English or the Japanese manga term.

Questions about any Japanese terms used in the story? Let me know in your review and I'll gladly give you an answer. Stay tuned til next time kiddies!

Matane!