Chapter Seven: Outcast

Chapter Seven: Outcast

It was getting dark again when the lights of the town came into view, but Hakkai wasn't worried about Sanzo leaving them behind. He had said that if they didn't catch up by nightfall he would leave, but Hakkai knew Sanzo wasn't going to leave until morning, which left them all night to find the inn where their comrades were staying.

"So there it is at last, huh?" Gojyo said as they neared the gate, "Sure as hell's bigger than the last piece of shit town we were in."

Hakkai just nodded. Gojyo's behavior had been bothering him all day as they'd walked, but not because he'd acted troubled and silent. Instead, Gojyo had acted normally all day, cracking jokes, complaining about wanting a cigarette, wishfully hoping that there'd be some available women when they got to town. All of it was completely in character, just the normal routine for his happy-go-lucky self. He'd been so angry earlier, Hakkai had thought he'd be moody all day, but instead, Gojyo was forcing himself to act normal, and if it wasn't for the look of fury in his crimson eyes anyone who didn't know him as well as Hakkai did might have thought nothing was wrong. But Gojyo was good at hiding how he felt. He was good at covering up his emotions and his worries and just acting the way people expected him to act. It was only when he was in the very pit of despair that the emotions could actually shine through. He wasn't like Sanzo or Hakkai in the fact that he didn't become silent and brooding when something bothered him.

Hakkai on the other hand, was having a hard time acting the way he normally did. Usually he could hide his thoughts and feelings to a degree, but today he was angry too. Gojyo's rage had spilled over into him, and he was furious at the humans for their treatment of his best friend. And he recognized that the anger they were sharing was not necessarily a good thing: as they were now, they were a very dangerous pair.

"First thing we're gonna' do," Gojyo informed him as they walked into town, "is find a place that sells cigarettes."

"Hm? Are you sure we shouldn't find Sanzo and Goku first? He did say that he'd leave us if we didn't catch up by tonight."
"It's not night yet. The sun hasn't gone down."
"But it will soon, and we need to find them before it does."

"He's not going anywhere tonight, you and I both know it was a bluff to make us hurry."

"Yes, I guess so." Hakkai felt a little guilty that it was his fault that the cigarettes were gone in the first place, so he gave in.

They were in the town now, and Hakkai looked around nervously. Something didn't seem quite right to him. The streets were full of people, all of them frozen, staring with venomous glares at the two newcomers, their eyes full of hate, their teeth clenched like they wanted to attack something. Hakkai felt a very vibrant tension throughout the air.

Gojyo noticed it right when he did, "Man, what's up with these people, Hakkai? Everyone's…starin'…"

"Yes, I feel it too. Let's hurry and find Sanzo, shall we?"
"I'm with you."
A man who was a few inches taller than Gojyo stepped out of the crowd, a look of determination on his face, and stopped in front of them, bringing their journey to a sudden halt. He looked to be in his mid fifties, with well-groomed facial hair, and was wearing brightly colored, expensive-looking clothes, "Excuse me sir," he looked at Hakkai, "I'm an officer of the law in this town, and I feel compelled to suggest that you keep moving on rather than trying to stay the night here."

Hakkai glanced at Gojyo, "Oh, is that so?"

"Yes sir. I think that if you try to stay in this town you'll feel…rather unwelcome…"

"What? So you want us to just keep walking?" Gojyo demanded, and Hakkai heard the anger rising up in his voice again, more real than it had been for hours. He worried that this encounter might set his friend off again.

"I beg your pardon sir, but we're meeting two of our companions sir, so moving on without stopping is quite impossible."

The officer shrugged, "Suit yourself. I can't make you leave, but just be warned that you're making your own decision." With that, he nodded to Hakkai and kept walking.

"What the hell was that about?"

"I can't imagine. Perhaps there's something about traveler's that these people don't like."

"Maybe the whole town's part of some weird cult."

Hakkai forced himself to laugh, even though he didn't feel like it. Everyone was still staring, and he was noticing some particularly violent glares. "Let's just hurry and find Sanzo."

"Not until I've got some smokes."
Hakkai frowned, but said, "Well, all right. But hurry just the same. I don't like this at all."

Nodding, Gojyo walked across the street, moving toward a shop that was advertising cigarettes; people moved away from as he went, a disconcerting sight in itself. The hybrid didn't seem to notice-or didn't act like he did at least-and Hakkai hurried after him, determined to stay close just in case.

"Hey there, shop keep," Gojyo approached the front counter with all the usual bravado and confidence, fishing through his pockets for money, "two packs of Hi-Lites, and a six pack, if you've got it."

"We don't got it." Growled the shop keeper. He was a tall, rough, balding man with a long, white scar over his left eye.

Gojyo looked up at him in surprise, "What?"

"You heard me, freak; Now get your dirty ass outta' my store."

Hakkai saw the rage swelling, bleeding out of Gojyo's eyes, filling his entire face, a vein bulging on his forehead, his jaw moving back and forth as he ground his teeth together. He took a short step forward, "Now, Gojyo, don't-"

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm in here trying to patronize your goddamn business and you're telling me to get out? What the fuck's your problem?"

Too late.

Growling, the shopkeeper leaned across the counter and grabbed Gojyo by the collar; the other customers were staring, but no one moved to intervene. "I'm not going to say it again, mutt, get the hell out of my store, if you know what's good for you. Your kind's not welcome here."

Hakkai's heart sank as the meaning of the words hit home. He saw Gojyo's face flinch as he realized as well, and his eyes darkened, his hands trembled like he was going to summon his weapon, and unless Hakkai did something quickly he knew that there was going to be a very bloody mess to clean up. "Gojyo," he put a hand on his friend's arm, "never mind. Let's just leave."

"No way. I came in to buy cigarettes, and I'm not leaving without them."

"We'll pick up a carton somewhere else."

The half-blood showed no indication of backing down.

Hakkai attempted to reason with the shopkeeper instead, "Sir, if you'll just give us one pack of Hi-Lites, we'll be on our way."

"I ain't givin' you nothing."
"Sir, you're being unreasonable!"

"Son, what's wrong with you anyway? Don't you got any idea what you're travelin' with or what? Look at this freak's eyes and hair; that's not natural. This freak's a child of taboo, born from the filthy union of a human and a youkai."

Hakkai felt his own anger beginning to pique, "I know that already." Holding Gojyo's arm a little more firmly, he began to pull his friend away, "Come on, Gojyo, we don't need to buy anything here; we'll simply have to go somewhere else."

He dragged the hybrid out of the building, back into the street, and began to guide him along.

Gojyo wrenched away, "Can you believe that asshole? Not selling me cigarettes—of all the low, dirty things to do."

"Perhaps if you could survive without them it wouldn't seem like such a problem."

"Don't you go getting on me for my habits, Hakkai."

Hakkai was too busy observing their surroundings to reply. The faces he saw hadn't gotten any less hostile, and as they went along everyone stopped to glare and murmur amongst themselves. He was beginning to fear that the shopkeeper's hatred was something that had infected the whole town. "Gojyo, I think we may need to re-think our strategy. Perhaps it would be best if we found Sanzo and Goku, and once we're settled into an inn, then I'll go buy you some cigarettes."

"Yeah, I doubt anyone's gonna' sell 'em to me, huh?"

"No, it doesn't appear so."

"Well, how do we find Sanzo?"
"We have no choice. We simply have to ask around until someone who's seen him can tell us where to go?"

"Great. Let's see how well that works out."

"Excuse me sir," Hakkai tried to stop a man who was going the other way, "I'm looking for a Sanzo Priest, he was with-"

With an unforgiving glare in Gojyo's direction, the man breezed by.

Next Hakkai tried a young woman who was buying produce with her child at a nearby cart, "Sorry to bother you, Miss, but I'm looking for a Sanzo Priest. He was traveling with a young man aged at about nineteen years of age. Have you seen them?"

The mother looked fearfully at them, then took her son by the hand and hurried away with a short, "I'm afraid not."
Hakkai tried talking to person after person, but soon it became obvious that no one was going to speak to him, and he was afraid that he knew all too well why that was.

Behind him, Gojyo laughed, "Aw, to hell with it all. We're better off just sittin' down somewhere and waiting for those guys to come and find us."

"You know that they won't though. Sanzo would never exert the effort needed. We have no choice, you and I will have to split up." Hakkai didn't like to say those words, and he couldn't bare to face Gojyo once he had said them.

The hybrid was silent beside him, stopped walking all together, "You want to go one way and I go the other and see if we can find him that way? Leme' tell ya', I don't think I'm gonna' have much luck with that."

"No, I don't suppose you would, but perhaps if you stayed somewhere…out of sight…while I searched…then I could come back to get you."

"You want me to hide somewhere while you look for Sanzo?"

"I'm afraid there isn't another option. I'm sorry."

"Shit."

"I don't like it any more than you do."

"Psh. Whatever, Hakkai." The hybrid began to walk away, "I'll just…wait here for you, I guess."

"I'll be back as soon as I possibly can."

"At least grab me some cigarettes why you're at it."

Hakkai nodded, still not looking back at his companion, and then he pressed on alone, walking in silence for a few moments. It felt wrong to be walking through the streets alone, especially when he was used to traveling with so many people, but it felt particularly wrong to be leaving Gojyo there, as if he were ashamed to be seen with him. But there simply weren't any other options.

After he'd gotten a block or two away from where Gojyo was waiting, Hakkai went into a shop and bought a carton of Hi-Lites with no trouble whatsoever, and then he asked the shopkeeper about Sanzo. Fortunately Sanzo and Goku had come into that same shop earlier to buy Marlboro Reds; the Priest had told the man where they were staying, obviously hoping that Gojyo and Hakkai would wind up here as well.

Hakkai smiled as he thanked the man-it was the first thing that had gone right all day-and then he hurried back to the alley where Gojyo was waiting.

But the hybrid was gone.

Gojyo walked down the street, angrily returning the dirty looks he was being given, glaring as fiercely as he could at anyone who passed him. It was enraging to be looked at like he had two heads or something, and he really just wanted to start beating the snot out of people left and right, but that would obviously be a mistake. As he passed a small family going the other way, a little girl burst into tears and ran screaming to her mommy. Gojyo muttered under his breath. How was it that this whole town could be so completely prejudice against him? Most people didn't even know what red hair and eyes signified, although, he supposed that all people had the same basic feelings toward his kind. This must have been one of the few communities that was in the know. Perhaps they'd had a hybrid living here before. Maybe it had even been one of the hybrids Shen had killed.

Shen. Even just thinking about that assholes face made Gojyo's heart race with anger and his blood boil.

If only he had a cigarette. That would calm his nerves. As it was now, Gojyo felt jumpy and restless, full of wrath and vengeance.

To make matters worse, Hakkai had just walked out on him. The youkai had a good point about not getting answers from anyone as long as they were together, but why should they need to rely on other people to find that damn priest? If Sanzo had a brain in his head, he would have left Jeep outside whatever inn they were staying at, and Gojyo was sure that as long as he and Hakkai kept walking, they would find it. This town was big, but it wasn't that bit. The hybrid hated being left behind by his best friend. It felt too much like being abandoned again, left to fend for himself, even when Hakkai knew that he wasn't welcome in this place and that he'd have a hard time getting along by himself. It was just like what Jien had done.

He wasn't going far from the alley where he was supposed to be hiding like a pussy. He'd go back in a few minutes, just as soon as he'd cleared his head.

Gojyo heard footsteps hurrying up behind him but he didn't turn around to look, assuming it was either Hakkai or one of his other comrades. Or maybe it was some pissed off human who wanted to get in a fight with him. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to give whoever it was the satisfaction of turning around.

Someone grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Gojyo!"

He spun around. Definitely not Hakkai or any of the others. The half-blood was staring into bright, crystalline blue eyes, framed by a delicate, pretty face and raven-dark hair longer than his own.

"Jiya?" he blurted, "What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that?"

She smiled, "I saw you walking down the street alone, and thought it would be rude not to say something."

"Shit, girl, what the hell are you even doing here? Why aren't you back home with that nasty boyfriend of yours?"

Jiya looked away distantly, "I've left Shen. For good. That morning, after you and your friends left, he came back to the house, looking for you. He had a gun, and I was afraid he was going to kill you, so I refused to tell him where you'd gone, and I tried to mislead him. We got into a huge fight. So I left and took the shortcut here, hoping to catch up to you."

"You walked all that way?"

"Yes. It only took me two days."

"Dammit, no wonder he said you were gone."

"You ran into him?" She looked worried by that, "Oh God, where are the others? Are they okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, they're fine. Me and Hakkai walked the long way while Sanzo took Goku through the shortcut. Shen caught up to us this morning."

"Did he hurt you?" She touched his arm with her soft, cool hand.

"No. But he tried."

Jiya breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't realize that he was going to take the whole clan out against you. I'm sorry, Gojyo, but this was all my fault. Can you ever forgive me?"

"For what?" It took Gojyo a minute to remember that this really was all Jiya's fault. For the last day and a half he'd been blaming her, telling the others that it was her who had kissed him, but now, when he was actually facing her, looking deep into her eyes, he realized that he had never really been angry, and he had never really blamed her.

"I got you in trouble, Gojyo. I didn't mean to, but I've been so unhappy with my life for so long, when I met you…it was strange. I felt something I haven't felt in a long time. I felt hope."

Gojyo thought about what Hakkai had said the day before, insinuating that Jiya might be looking for some kind of knight in shining armor in him. "Jiya, listen, I…"

"What?"

He couldn't tell her how he felt, because he didn't know for sure. He just knew it was a feeling he wasn't used to at all.

"Gojyo!" Hakkai sounded furious.

Immediately the half-blood turned to face him, not at all ready to see the look of rage on his friend's face.

"What do you think you're doing?" The youkai stormed up to him, scolding as he did so, "I thought we agreed that you were going to stay in one place while I looked for Sanzo? The next thing I know, I turn around and you've vanished into thin air! Is this your idea of a joke? The people in this town won't tolerate you at all, and yet you insist on wandering around by yourself, leaving me to-"

"Hey, Hakkai," Gojyo said quickly, pointing to Jiya and grinning, "look what I found."

Hakkai stopped his rant long enough to focus on the woman with Gojyo, and then the anger melted off his face, becoming shock, "J-Jiya? Is that really you? What in the world are you doing here?"

She smiled, "Hello Hakkai-San. Please don't be mad at Gojyo," she put her arm through the hybrid's, "he's been talking to me."

"Yes. I see. Well, still, that's no excuse for disappearing." Slowly Hakkai extended a carton of Hi-Lites to his friend, muttering, "you're lucky I'm giving these to you at all."

"Hell yeah!" Gojyo immediately took the carton and tore into it, opened a pack of the brand new cigarettes and put one in his mouth. He spent a moment fumbling with his lighter, but quickly had the cigarette lit and was inhaling deep breaths of smoke.

Hakkai could barely contain a chuckle, "I don't suppose it would hurt you at all to say thank-you."

"Thank-you!" Gojyo threw his arm around Hakkai's neck, "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!"

"Now, now, let's not overdo it and ruin the moment. At any rate, I've found where Sanzo and Goku are staying. Jiya, do you have a room to stay in yet?"

"No, I only just got here."

"In that case, may I suggest that you accompany us?"

Jiya nodded and smiled, "All right, that sounds fine for now."

The three of them set off down the street, Hakkai leading them; Gojyo felt Jiya' touch his hand, a sense of longing in the gesture, and after a moment of thinking over why he shouldn't and coming up with nothing, he took her hand in his and held it.

Goku felt like he hadn't been this bored in months. For hours neither he nor Sanzo had said a word, mostly because the monk was busy reading his paper and smoking. Any time Goku even attempted to speak to him, he was answered with nothing more than a vague snort or a grunt. Hakkai and Gojyo hadn't shown up yet, which meant they were either going to be here really soon, or they weren't going to show up at all. To make it all even worse, Jeep was nowhere to be found, so Goku couldn't even play with him.

As a result, the young youkai had dragged a chair over to the single window in the room, and was straddling it backwards, leaning on the back of it, and watching out the window for any sign of the other two. Dinner was over already, and there was nothing left to do but wait. If they didn't come before morning Sanzo was leaving them behind. Although, Goku didn't think they'd get too far without Jeep.

The people walking below the window all looked nice enough. There were a lot of families in this town, mothers and fathers with broods of young children. Everyone seemed to be smiling and laughing, like they had no idea there was any kind of calamity causing the youkai to go crazy.

Goku thought about the man they'd seen earlier and the rumor he was spreading around about a half-blood traveling with humans. To him the rumor didn't seem like that big a deal, but he guessed that was because he knew Gojyo personally and was aware of his generally good personality. He was the last person who was going to go around randomly attacking humans. But none of the townspeople knew that, of course, so Goku knew they were going to be afraid of Gojyo, and they were going to reject him and look down on him, and maybe even try to chase him out of town. If it really was that creep Shen who had started this rumor, Goku worried that it was going to work out exactly the way it was supposed to.

"What's with that Shen guy anyway?" Goku asked suddenly, "What's he hate Gojyo so much for?"

"Gojyo was messing around with his woman, what did you expect?"

"Yeah, but Gojyo told me he didn't do nothin' with Jiya."

"Maybe that's what the damn kappa told you, but we all saw them that night. It obviously wasn't the truth."

"Still, just seems crazy t' me, chasin' us outta' town and startin' this rumor an' ev'ry thing. 'S not like Gojyo totally ran off with her or anything."

"It isn't my problem, Goku, and it's really not yours either. It's Gojyo's problem, and he can deal with it."

"Yeah." Goku sighed. "I know. D'ya' think they'll get here on time?"

"They'd better." Sanzo mumbled, and then returned his full attention to the paper.

Goku continued watching out the window, thinking about all the things that had been going wrong lately. He was tired of things going wrong, and, just once, he wished there could be a day when everything went the way it was supposed to go.

Outside the flow of traffic suddenly stopped. Everyone seemed to be staring at someone, or something. Goku leaned closer to the glass, eager to get a glimpse of whatever was making a scene. Maybe it was some huge cart of food, like a takoyaki stand or someone selling meat buns. His mouth watered at the thought. "Dammit, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

Down in the streets a person came into view, walking slowly and sort of looking around, like he was nervous about something. Then he headed for the front door.

"It's Hakkai!" Goku shouted, jumping up and running out of the room, "Sanzo, Hakkai's here! He's coming in!"

Sanzo didn't open, and Goku doubted he would follow him, but that didn't matter. Finally Hakkai was here, and they could stop worrying.

He got down into the lobby just as Hakkai came in the door, Gojyo following him.

"Yay! You guys! You're here! Man, we were just getting' worried about ya'!"

"Hello Goku. Sorry to keep you both waiting, but it was a very long walk, and I'm afraid we kept getting hung up."

"Hey there, squirt," Gojyo ruffled Goku's hair, "how the hell are ya'?"

"Owe! Hey! Gojyo, cut it out!" Goku pushed him away.

"Oy! What kind of greeting is that?
Goku just laughed. "So, did ya' have a safe trip?"
"I'm not sure if it was safe," Hakkai chuckled, "but it certainly was interesting."

"Yeah? Did ya' run into that Shen guy?"

"We schooled him." Gojyo disposed of one cigarette and immediately started another.

"Great! So he's not gonna' be coming after ya' anymore?"

"Ah, perhaps 'schooled him' isn't the appropriate term. I believe it would be more accurate to say that he retreated, promising as he went, to return. Eventually."

"That's it? Man, Gojyo, you suck!"

"Hey, can it! There's a reason he retreated."

"That, however, is better attributed to me, don't you think?" Hakkai smiled.

Gojyo glared at his friend, "Maybe."

"So basically, ya' didn't do anything: Hakkai did."

"Hey, shut it, you little monkey! You weren't even there!"

"Please you two, it's been a long day, and I'd rather not listen to you bickering right now."

"What is she doing here?" Sanzo demanded, coming up behind Goku.

For the first time, Goku noticed a girl standing just behind Hakkai so that she was almost out of sight. She was holding hands with Gojyo, and with her hair down and dressed in more casual clothing, it took Goku a moment to recognize her, "Jiya?!"

The girl flushed slightly, "Ah, hello again, Goku-San, Sanzo-San."

"It would seem that Jiya has left Shen," Hakkai explained, "and she's come here to book a room for the night. That's all right, isn't it, Sanzo?"

Goku felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn't unusual for Hakkai to ask Sanzo if something was all right, but this time the tone of his voice was so…sneering, not even he had missed it. It was heavy with sarcasm. Goku studied Hakkai hard, noticed for the first time the harsh look in his eyes, that same penetrating gaze, accompanied by the usual, harmless smile. It was a perfect combination of anger and calm.

He looked at Gojyo too. The kappa's mouth was grinning, but his eyes as well were dark and as hard as rubies. Goku glanced at Sanzo, just to make sure he wasn't the only one who wasn't angry. The priest looked slightly annoyed, but that wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Hn. I don't give a damn one way or another what she does, but you," Sanzo shoved a finger in Gojyo's face, "certainly aren't getting your own room tonight."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Gojyo demanded. The anger was more clear now, and Goku could hear it easily in his voice.

"You know what it means, Gojyo."

"I don't think you have any right to dictate how or where I spend my nights!"

"Maybe not, but you've already inconvenienced us enough by messing around with her, and you're not going to do it any more."

"For the last time, Jiya and I didn't do anything! It was all just a big misunderstanding! And if I were you, Sanzo, I wouldn't go pissing me off. While you were sleeping in a nice, warm bed last night, I was laying on the ground in the middle of the rain! So just shove it!"

"You're the one who chose to break off from the group, you good-for-nothing kappa!"

"Enough!" Hakkai shouted suddenly, making Goku jump in surprise. "Both of you, stop your arguing! I'm sick of it already. It's been a long day, and I'm tired, and all I want right now is to book a room and go to bed. We should be able to do that without the two of you bickering like a couple of children, shouldn't we?"

Hakkai's anger had the same effect on everyone that it had on Goku, and in a moment both Sanzo and Gojyo were quietly glaring at each other. The converted youkai smiled at them, but his eyes stayed hard, and then he walked up to the front desk, "Good evening, sir, I'd like to book a room for the night."

The innkeeper's eyes drifted over Hakkai's shoulder, and Goku saw him lock in on Gojyo, who was already grimacing, like he knew what was coming. "Of course sir, you can stay. But I hope that thing isn't with you."

"Hmm? What thing, sir?"
"Don't try to fool me; you brought that half-blood freak in here with you. I hope you weren't thinking of booking a room for it to."

Hakkai's smile didn't waver, "Did I say anything about booking a room for him? No. I don't believe I did."

"Hakkai?" Goku stared at his friend. Did this mean that the anger he was seeing in Gojyo and Hakkai's faces was directed at each other?

"I only want to book one room, sir, now can you arrange that or not?"

The innkeeper kept glaring at Gojyo for a moment, and then nodded, producing the paperwork he needed Hakkai to fill out. He spoke to Gojyo, "As for you—outta' here. Now. And I don't want to see your sickening face in my place again. Do you understand?"

"So much for good old fashioned hospitality." Gojyo sighed.

Goku looked at him, not believing he was just going to leave without a fight. "Hey!" He yelled at the innkeeper, "Ya' can't just kick 'im outta' here! Where's he s'posed to go?"

"I don't know, kid, and frankly I don't care."

"But ya' can't-"

"It's all right, Goku," Gojyo punched him lightly in the arm as he went by, "I'll see ya' later."

"But Gojyo!"

"Goku," Hakkai said softly, "let it go. If this fine, upstanding gentleman doesn't want that freak in his inn he has every right to turn him away."

Goku stared at Hakkai, opening his mouth several times to say something but each time he tried nothing made sense, and he wound up not saying anything. So Hakkai finished booking the room, and then Jiya booked one as well, and the four of them went back upstairs.

"But what about Gojyo?" Goku demanded, "It's gonna' rain again tonight! Where's he going to go?"
"He'll figure something out." Sanzo said, not sounding upset at all. "Anyway, Hakkai, you two made it here in one piece. Did you run into Shen?"

"Ah, yes, we did actually. He had quiet a few men with him."

"And the weapons we were told about?"
"They were carrying something he'd referred to as a banishing gun. Apparently they're loaded with darts that are deadly to half-bloods, some sort of chemical warfare, it would seem; though they have no affect on us normal youkai. I was hit with one, but nothing happened. After that, they retreated."

Jiya gasped, "What? You…you're a youkai?"

Hakkai smiled at her, "Yes, and so is Goku."

When she directed her gaze towards Sanzo the monk just snorted, "Not me."
"Yes, our Sanzo is fully human, I'm afraid."

"A human traveling with youkai…" that seemed to stun her, "I can't believe I didn't realize this before…especially with the way you handled the youkai that attacked my village."

"I suppose we're good at hiding it."

"You are. Very good. I'm sure Shen was surprised to find that out."

"Oh, he was. He didn't seem very happy."

Goku couldn't handle it anymore. The small talk was killing him, especially since it seemed like there were more important things to worry about, "Hakkai, what about Gojyo?"

Hakkai glanced at the young youkai, "What about him?"

"Ya' didn't even try t' help him! Ya' just let that guy chase him outta' here: an' ev'ryone outside knows what he is—so he's got nowhere else t' go!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, Goku," Hakkai unlocked his room with the provided key and went over to the window, throwing it open immediately, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"How can ya' say that, Hakkai? How are ya' so sure?"

Hakkai didn't answer, and several moments of silence passed by, and then Gojyo came sliding through the window, lighting a cigarette as soon as he was in. He seemed to be smoking more than usual tonight.

"What the hell are you screaming about, kid? You didn't think we had a plan, did ya'?" He grinned that kappa smile of his.

"Hey! You guys had a plan an' ya' didn't tell me? That's cheap!"

"Well, if I may be so bold, Goku," Hakkai smiled at him, "we didn't have time to check in with you and make sure the plan had your approval. I'm afraid we've been playing things by ear all day."

"Yeah, I guess we sorta' have, haven't we?" Gojyo blew some smoke up toward the ceiling. "But damn, what is up with the people in this town?"

"Oh yeah! We saw a guy yesterday goin' around spreadin' rumors 'bout a hybrid comin' t' this town, didn't we, Sanzo? He was all scared an' wanted Sanzo t' kill ya'!"

The statement seemed to make Gojyo uneasy, and he looked nervously in Sanzo's direction.

"Fortunately for you, you waste of a sentient being, I didn't have time to indulge him."

"Hm. That certainly explains quite a bit," Hakkai exchanged glances with Gojyo, "doesn't it?"

"Yeah…but why would somebody do that?"

"Do you suppose it might have been one of Shen's men? They certainly would have apt reason to try to turn this town against you."

"Maybe…but if that was yesterday, he must have really hauled ass to get here before any of us and start spreading rumors."

"I doubt it was one of Shen's men," Sanzo replied, "although I don't doubt Shen is behind it somehow. The man we saw didn't know enough to have ever really seen you, so I assume he was just one of the townspeople who got excited over a rumor. We have no way of telling where the rumor actually started."

"Sanzo," Hakkai studied his hands for a moment, "if the rumor was spread here, how do we know that it isn't being spread in other towns as well? Think about it. This could spread for miles…"

There was an implication in that that even Goku got. "Wait! If that happened, we couldn't take 'im anywhere! Ev'rybody would be actin' like the guy downstairs!"

"Dammit, what a pain in the ass." Sanzo snorted. "And it didn't help at all for him to actually show up here, since it only confirmed the rumor people were hearing. At this rate, any travelers going the same way we are will take what they know to town after town, and as long as Gojyo keeps traipsing in a day or two later…we'll never get out of this cycle."

"Shit!" The cockroach sank onto the bed next to Goku, "That goddamn, fucking Shen! I should have killed him the moment I saw him! I shoulda' torn out his heart right there and then!"

"Please try not to fly off the handle," Hakkai said, "it will only make this worse. Sanzo, perhaps it would be best if we stayed away from the major villages for a while."

That didn't make Sanzo happy at all. "If we have to go taking strange, backcountry routes, we'll never get to India."

"I got an idea!" Goku jumped to his feet, grinning from ear to ear, "What if Gojyo wears a disguise when we're in town?"

Jiya smiled too, "That's not a bad idea."

"Shut your damn trap, you stupid ape," Gojyo scowled at Goku, "there's no way I'm gonna'-"

Hakkai silenced him by putting a hand on his arm and murmuring something so softly that Goku couldn't make it out. "It's not such a bad idea, Goku…but it's rather inconvenient, don't you think?"

"Why? I was just thinkin' he could put on a pair of sunglasses an' some hair dye. Sheesh, Gojyo, you're so annoying."

"Well, Goku, would you want to go around incognito everywhere you went?"

"In-cog-neat-oh? What's that mean?"

Hakkai sighed, "It means wearing a disguise all the time so no one would recognize you."

"Yeah! I think it'd be fun!"

"He doesn't get it." Gojyo grumbled.

"For a while it might be fun, I agree, but would you want to wear it for weeks, possibly months on end?

Goku thought about it again, "Naw, I guess not."

"Neither do I."

"Fine, fine, don't take my idea then." Goku stuck his tongue out at the kappa, and Gojyo kicked him. "OWE! Dammit, that hurt, you stupid, lazy cockroach!"

"Who're you callin' lazy, your creepy, little monkey? I walked all day today, while you were eating and sleeping!"

"I didn't do any sleepin'! I've been thinkin' about you all day! What took ya' so long anyway?"

"It took so long 'cause we had to walk fifteen miles!"

"If you weren't such a lechy kappa none of this would be happening in the first place!"

Sanzo fired two rounds up into the air, "ENOUGH!"

Sticking his tongue out one last time at Gojyo, Goku slunk around to hide behind Hakkai, who was laughing half-heartedly. "Oh, this all reminds me; Sanzo, Goku, where's Jeep?"

"Jeep?" Sanzo barely even looked at the youkai, "I thought he was with you."

"With me? No. I distinctly remember letting you take him."

"Yeah, remember, Sanzo? We drove him for a while, but then it got too narrow. So he turned back into a dragon."

"What happened to him after that?" Hakkai pressed.

Goku swallowed hard and shrugged, "He was with us when we got t' th' inn last night…"

"Well, didn't you bring him up here, to your room?"

"Uh…I don't remember. I guess not…"

A dark look fell over Hakkai's face, dark enough to turn Goku's blood to cold soup, "You left him…outside?"

"Um…I-"

"You didn't feed him?"

"Well…Sanzo…?"

Sanzo didn't answer.

"I walked fifteen miles today…with an angry half-youkai, I slept in the rain, I woke up to a fight with a group of irrate humans, and when I finally get here you two have proven to be so incapable you've lost Jeep, our mode of transportation." Hakkai stood up still looking firmly set in his rage, "so now, even after my difficult, trying day, I must go out and look for him."

"Good luck." Sanzo muttered.

"And you two, since you lost him, will be accompanying me."

"Y-yessir." Goku said immediately. Regularly he might have tried to get out of it, but he felt guilty about letting Jeep get lost, and he was sort of worried about the little guy.

"And Sanzo?"

"Hakkai, I'm sure that he'll come back if we just-"

"Sanzo, each morning you're eager to begin the journey, so I would assume that as long as you're still in a hurry you would be willing to help look for Jeep. Unless you want to go the rest of the way by foot…"

Hissing a curse between his teeth, Sanzo crushed out his cigarette and got up to follow Hakkai and Goku.

"Have fun there, Sanzo-Sama." Gojyo waved from the bed, where he was sitting with his arm around Jiya.

"Shut up! And as for you," he grabbed Jiya by the arm, "there's no way you're staying here alone with him. No-freaking-way."

Jeep struggled, beating his wings harshly against the air and twisting his head back and forth, crying out in his shrill voice in hopes that someone would hear him. His master, hopefully, or any of the others. But all around him it was dark and quiet, filled with a saturating smell of mildew and dust. There was one, short, blaze of moonlight coming through a crack in the boarded up window, but Jeep had no idea where he was. Even if he could escape, he wasn't sure where to go. His captors had taken him miles from the town where Sanzo and Goku were staying.

He continued to struggle, but it was in vain. The man holding him was huge, and he had one large hand around Jeep's back feet, and the other closed tightly around his neck, just at the base of the skull, so that Jeep could neither fly away nor bite. He chirped furiously, but no one even laughed at him. He'd never been so helpless in his life.

Someone laughed, but not the jovial, teasing laughter Jeep was so used to hearing. This laughter was dark and cold and cruel, like the confinement around him. And these captors were nothing like his master or his friends. These men were older, bigger in most ways, and much, much crueler. Jeep had gotten used to the lighthearted antics of the youthful boys he was charged with transporting and protecting. He thought about Hakkai and wished for nothing more than to land on his shoulder or to curl up against his chest.

A face emerged in front of him: a man's face, with yellowish teeth, black eyes, and a stubby nose. He was grinning fiercely, his breath reeking, "So this is it, huh? The Jeep those punks have been using to get around? How does it work anyway?"

"I'm not sure, sir: you told me to steal it, not to find out how it works."

The look in the man's eyes was so cold, Jeep thought that he was going to strike his own comrade, but instead he just snarled, "Shut up, you ungrateful bastard. And take that thing out of my sight. If it tries to escape, kill it."

The man holding Jeep sighed, "Shen, tell me again why we're doing this? What does this rodent have to do with the half-blood?"

"Oh use your head. Those kids use this thing to get around in. They got quite a ways ahead of us yesterday, and they almost threw us off by splitting up. But if we take away their jeep we take away their advantage, and that way it'll be much easier to keep up with them, and that'll give us plenty of space to finish off the freak."

"I see." The younger man said. But he sounded bored.

"Now, for the last time, do as I say, and take him out of my sight."

"Yes sir."

Jeep got a vague sensation of movement, and he thrashed all the harder, crying out as loudly as he could, regardless of how futile it seemed.

And then, even the bleak stream of moonlight was gone, and he was totally surrounded by blackness.