"We've been traveling with these weirdo strangers for almost three days now... I think I'm starting to regret my decision... maybe we can ditch them at the next town... but until then... I'm gonna keep clinging onto the jeep for dear life!" Kodo narrated to herself as if she were writing a mental journal.

"Is you hasing fun, Kodo-oneesama?" Telope asked over her shoulder. She was sitting in the back seat between Gojyo and Goku. And if you asked Kodo, she'd say Gojyo was getting a little too comfortable with Tel-chan... But Kodo was too busy with her own problems to do anything about it right now. There wasn't enough room in the jeep for her, so she was holding onto the spare tire, trying to put her feet on the bumper. Only, every time she got a foothold, the jeep would hit another bump, and she was scrambling to get her feet off the ground again.

"Gyah! Riiight...!" Kodo called back. Telope went back to chatting happily with Goku, Gojyo's arm moving ever closer to being draped around Telope's shoulders. Slowly... slowly... Tel-chan doesn't even notice. She never does. Kodo thought glaring angrily at Gojyo's arm.

For a split second Kodo thought that they had hit another bump... until the ground disappeared below her.

"WHAT THE HELL???" She shouted angrily at Hakkai as they plunged into a canyon.

"Oh my... seems we're going to crash!" Hakkai intelligently observed. "I didn't even see this canyon here! Whoops!"

"WHOOPS MY ASS!!!"

Kodo sat up quickly, shook her head, then woke up.

"Whoa... that was freaky..." She said to herself, looking around. The canyon was dark and shadowy, and she could see a door leading into the side of the cliff. She suddenly remembered what had happened. "Man, that was a long fall..." She muttered and stood up. Seems I'm alone.

She decided she might as well wander recklessly into the stone door. It was covered with strange symbols. She touched them lightly with her fingertips.

"I cannot read these symbols..." Kodo uttered in a mistical tone. "... Wait a minute... I can't read any symbols! What the fuck am I talking about? Hahaha!" She gave the door a little shove, but it didn't budge. She kicked the door in as hard as she could, silently wondering why she only tried ideas once, but shook it off as she headed down the dark torch lit passage way. It was a winding hall that led steadily downward, with many offshoots and doors coming off of it.

"Oh, the torches on the walls don't even make a sound, even make a sound, even make a sound! The torches on the walls don't make any heat, they are really creepin' me out!" She began to sing obnoxiously to herself to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus".

After about an hour of wandering, she got tired of singing and wondered where she was going, where the others were, and why she was so retarded.

"You're 573... you've been in all sorts of situations like this... and what do you do?" She sighed. "You do the most dumb ass thing you can think of, just because you've never done it before, knowing how foolish it is! GAH! NEVER LEAVE THE CRASH SITE!" She felt like kicking her own ass- which wasn't too abnormal- but not a healthy desire in situations like these.

Suddenly the main passage stopped. In front of Kodo were two large wooden doors. Kodo pressed her ear against the door, just in case she could find something out. No real noise... but she felt light footsteps, pacing back and forth as if waiting for something.

Should I knock first? ... Not like whatever's in there won't find me eventually anyway... and I ain't goin' back! Besides... I wasn't the only one to leave! So crap on them! She flung open the doors and went in.

"T-tel-chan??" Kodo cried in surprise. Telope stood in the middle of the room, staring straight at Kodo. Her eyes looked glazed over and her jaw was slack... kind of how she looked when she watched TV. Behind her, lying on the ground, were Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai. "What's going on?"

Telope held a knife in her right hand.

"Must... staaab..." she droned. Kodo raised her eyebrows.

"I guess you're being possessed or something, huh?" She laughed. Telope lunged at her with the knife. She was sluggish and clumsy. Soo... what do I gotta destroy to get her back...? Maybe it's a tree this time... man I hate trees...

But there were no trees in the room, as Kodo noticed as she stepped out of the way of Telope's attacks. This was really ridiculous. Whoever was controlling Telope obviously didn't know how to control her. Just as she thought that, Kodo felt something pierce her back.

"Damn it!" She cried, pulling out the offending sharp instrument. It was a long narrow pole... sort of like a thorn. "What the hell?!" Just then she turned around and noticed something she had not seen before... sitting in a pot in the corner.

I am the great desert spirit! Fear me! A voice echoed in her head. Kodo couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Haha! Anyone who says 'fear me!' can't much of a threat! heh...hahaha!!!" Kodo said, tossing the thorn aside. "I mean... C'mon! A fuckin'... Cactus!! Heehee!"

But I have taken control of your sister... and sent your little friends to eternal sleep! And I can do the same to you... but I want to see you suffer first! The only way you will survive is to kill your sister! Ahah! Kodo rolled her eyes.

"I really get sick of these villains that 'just want to watch you suffer before you die!'... that shit really pisses me off because I've seen it so much, it's gotten boring!" While she said this, she had made her way over to the evil giant cactus. Ignoring all the thorns it spewed at her she swiftly bashed it into a pulp... kind of like that one episode of that one anime!

Telope blinked and shook her head.

"What is happen?" She asked, stumbling toward Kodo. Telope stared at all the cactus thorns stabbing into Kodo. "Did the cactus get you?"

"Here's your sign..." Kodo muttered, walking over to the waking men on the floor. She smirked at Sanzo, who was particularly wasted. "Guess I was the one saving YOU!" Sanzo gave her the most malicious look he could muster.

"Yeah, and almost got killed yourself... you couldn't even keep a stupid cactus from stabbing you all over..." He mumbled.

"It doesn't hurt at all!" Kodo puffed out her chest proudly. "It's just a few measly thorns!"

Telope regained her usual level of lucidity, ran over to Kodo, and poked one of the bigger thorns sticking out of her side. Kodo screamed and grit her teeth as tears spurted out of her eyes.

"Kodo is tough guy who cries! And is girl! Heehee!" Telope is amused so easily...