Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki but Kazuya Minekura does! I do own Kasumi, Eda, and Vera-Sama owns Kaika. Can't. Make. Disclaimer. Funny. Very. Sorry.
AN: fair warning, I have not yet found a plot for this ficcie and the farthest I've read on Saiyuki is up to volume three. So yes, this is a strange AU fic. But, hey strange is good where I come from...And for those of you wondering about the Japanese, it means "White and Red" If that's not the word for red I'll change it when I update next.
ANPS: this is NOT (I repeat) NOT a yaoi fic. Let's face it, if Gojyo and Hakkai were to hook up...Hakkai would have to have boobs. And if Goku and Sanzo got together, one of them would end up dead. And it wouldn't be Sanzo...erm, no flamers please, everyone's entitled to their opinions I know but no flamers, thankies. BTW, I'm not completely against yaoi...I mean, I am in favor of the main pairing on Gravitation...uh...(Dodges thrown objects)...thank you and have a nice day... (walks off wiping tomatoes from face)
Chapter 1
Haku to Aka
"What do you mean there's no table for four available...?" Sanzo asked with a slightly irritated voice. He looked around the extremely crowded restaurant.
"I'm sorry, sir, but the only table we have available is a table for six. I hope you wouldn't mind company..." the waiter explained, trailing off.
"What do you mean?" Goku piped up. "You're gonna come visit us while we eat or something?"
"No...what I mean..." the waiter began. "Is that there are already two young ladies seated there."
"Chicks?" Gojyo asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I'm there!"
"Before you go, however, there are a few things you should know. The taller lady is the smaller's elder half sister and she is very protective. She has explained that she and her sister stopped her on a journey and are very tired. I have allowed them to sleep at their seats for the time being. The older has a ward around them and has requested lunch already."
"Thank you, sir," Hakkai said with his usual kind smile. "We'll...try not to disturb them..."
The waiter sighed. "Gentlemen, I'm very sorry, but you'll have to find the table by yourselves...I've had about enough of this..." With that he walked out the door holding a sign that read: "Out to Lunch."
"How are we gonna find it...?" Goku asked, looking around.
"What about the table with the two people that have their heads down that everyone's shying away from?" Gojyo asked sarcastically. "Stupid monkey..."
"Well..." Hakkai said looking at his table mates. "Isn't this awkward?"
"I'm hungry..." Goku said, his bottom jaw on the table. "When's a waiter coming...?"
"Stop whining," Sanzo snapped. "It's bad enough that we have to sit here with people we don't know."
Across from Sanzo and Hakkai sat the two table guests. The older sister's red hair spilt from her head, to her arms, and finally to the table and her sister's white hair was kept neatly in two braids.
"Why don't we get to know them a little bit better, then...?" Gojyo said under his breath as he moved his left hand towards the red-haired girl...
"GOKU, DON'T!!" Hakkai shouted...but it was too late.
Lightning shot from the two sleeping girls and zapped Gojyo's hand. "Ow! Forgot about the ward..."
Goku, on the other hand, sat in his chair, completely frozen in place. He had an utterly stunned expression on. He also looked completely fried.
"Shouldn't have used a fork, kid..." the newly wakened girl who seemed to be the older one said.
Goku coughed up a little smoke. "I'm fine, thanks for asking...who are you?"
"Name's Eda and this is Kasumi. But she's heavy sleeper, so she'll be okay."
"Nice to meet you, Eda-san," Hakkai said with a friendly smile. "I'm Chou Hakkai, this is Sha Gojyo, Genjyo Sanzo, and Son Goku. And it looks like we'll be having lunch together."
"Nice to meet you, too," Eda said with a smile of her own. She looked around the table. "So...for the sake of curiosity...who set off the ward on my side?"
Gojyo looked up from nursing his slightly singed hand and slowly moved it behind his back. "I don't know..."
"Sorry to intrude, Minna-san, but I have the young ladies' lunches," a voice said from behind Eda and Kasumi.
"Hi, Kaika," Eda said, to a red-haired and red-eyed waitress. "Just a sec," she said, turning to Kasumi. "Kasumi-chan, lunch is here," she said gently to her sleeping sister.
Kasumi yawned, stretched and finally opened still half-asleep yellow eyes. "Oh, my, I'm sorry, I didn't know we had guests..." she said with a blush. "I shouldn't have been so rude..."
"Oh, no need to apologize, Kasumi-san," Hakkai said with his ever-present smile. "It was entirely our fault, we should have waited for our own table..."
"Oh, no I should have woken up to at least introduce myself and welcome you..."
"I'm sure you needed your sleep from your long journey..."
Sanzo watched the two like he was watching two flies aimlessly wandering around his head. "Are you gonna serve them so we can order...?" he growled with an annoyed air.
"Oh, right," Kaika said with an overly happy smile. "After I serve you gentlemen lunch, I won't have to worry about serving random weird customers like you!" she said after setting two plates of food in front of the sisters. "No offense, of course...what would you like?" She took out an note pad and looked at her customers with an attentive air.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, except for the still ever polite Hakkai and Kasumi, Eda looked up at her company. "After this shift, Kaika-chan's going to tell her boss to take this job and shove it."
Goku shot up out of his seat and rattled off a huge course full of good ol' protein...in the form of dead animal flesh, of course.
Gojyo rolled his eyes and ordered his lunch as did Sanzo.
"Hakkai..." Sanzo started after he ordered. "Hakkai, it's your turn to order..."
"No, really, Kasumi-san, it's all our fault, we should have let you sleep, I'm sure your journey is very tiring..."
Sanzo just sighed and ordered for him.
Kaika nodded and assured the boys that their lunch would be their in about fifteen minutes.
Goku, who had the pleasure of sitting between Kasumi and Hakkai, watched the two trying to prove which was at fault for something that wasn't really that big a deal...but...
"Guys, you're starting to make me feel sorry and I don't know what I'm sorry for..." he finally whined in the middle of the rally
Hakkai smiled and patted Goku's head. "It's okay, Goku, you don't have to worry about it..."
"I'm sorry, Goku-san...I didn't mean to confuse anyone..." Kasumi apologized.
"It's okay, Kasumi-san, I get confused easily..." Goku said with a sweat-drop.
"Really, Kasumi-san, you're not at fault, I promise," Hakkai assured her.
"Are you sure...?" she asked timidly.
"Of course."
"Okay, then..."
Goku glanced around the table for a bit and his eyes finally landed on the food. The untouched food. The food that was sitting right in front of him that he couldn't eat because it was someone else's..."Hey...are you gonna eat that...?"
Eda and Kasumi both looked at him in question.
"Yeah, you've had that food right there, but you haven't touched it," Gojyo noted.
"It's common manners...we're just waiting for you to be served..." Eda explained. "Besides, it'd look weird to have two people out of six eating their lunch..."
"I suppose we've been eating by ourselves for so long we've forgotten common manners," Hakkai explained with a shrug.
"Here you are, gentlemen," Kaika announced walking in, expertly balancing four plates. She distributed the food and surprisingly pulled up an empty chair and sat next to Kasumi. After another bout of awkward silence she went on to explain, "I've already eaten, go ahead."
About halfway into lunch, after all the annoying introductions, Sanzo noticed a pattern in the three girls...
Eda was wearing three hoop earrings in each ear that were exactly identical along with a large medallion. Kasumi bore a thin strand of silver that held a pearl secure over her throat. And Kaika sported two golden bracelets. Could they be...?
"Ladies, you're wearing some lovely jewelry," Hakkai said as a compliment.
"Thank you, Hakkai-san," Kaika said with an equally polite smile.
"I was wondering...does it serve any purpose?"
Eda gave that one a strange look. It was a weird question, but it was still completely innocent..."Yes."
Sanzo glanced to Hakkai, took mental note and went back to his meal.
(AN: ok, just so you know...I'm not good at meal conversation, so if this next part seems about a bit rushed, sorry.)
Eda looked from her empty plate and looked to Kasumi. Her sister had ended up giving half her lunch to Goku, but she was apparently finished as well. "You two ready to go?" Eda asked.
"Yup!" Kaika said with a smile. Kasumi nodded.
"Okay, then, sorry to eat and leave, boys," Eda apologized, reaching into her bags and pulling out...a small red dragon? "The road calls..." she finished, getting up with the dragon on her shoulder.
Kasumi bowed and bid her table mates good bye while Kaika waved.
Sanzo stood up after the girls started to head for the door. "Goku, finish your lunch off. Now."
"Eh?" the boy asked through a mouth of chicken. "Why?"
"Because I said so, baka saru..." the priest growled.
Goku just shrugged and wolfed the rest of the food down.
"Time for some action, I take it..." Gojyo said, grabbing his staff and standing up.
(AN: for you ecchis out there...that line shouldn't have to change the rating because it wasn't intended to be dirty. Thank you)
"I suppose you could say that..." Hakkai began, standing up himself. "Though they might not be a threat, Sanzo. Just because they have power limiters, they may not be affected by the chaos...And they haven't harmed anyone."
"I'm bored out of my wits and I haven't even aimed my gun at anyone of importance in three weeks," Sanzo growled.
"So, Eda-chan, where did you say you were headed again?" Kaika asked after she and her new friends had walked out of the restaurant.
"As far away from here as possible," Eda said simply.
"Good," Kaika said with an air of relief.
"Ladies..." a familiar voice said from behind them.
"Sanzo-san?" Kasumi asked, turning around. "Strange, I thought from the food in front of Goku-san, you would have at least another five minutes or so..." she said with a slight shrug.
"Are we talking about the same Goku here?" Gojyo asked rhetorically.
"Ladies we had noticed the jewelry earlier..." Hakkai started.
"So, I'm going to ask you point blank," Sanzo stated simply. "Are you three youkai?"
"Not technically," Eda said, crossing her arms.
"Oh, Kaika's a half demon, isn't she?" Gojyo asked.
"No, my eyes are orange, I'm full-blooded," Kaika explained, making her eyes get in better light to show their color.
"Actually, I'm a half demon," Eda explained, pulling some hair from her face to show a red eye next to the yellow one. "But race aside, we're not technically youkai because after the last year or so, we've disowned mine and Kasumi's clan and any other youkai that behaves like a crazed zealot."
"But if you're a half demon, why with the power limiters?" Gojyo asked. "I'm a half demon, too, and I don't have to wear any."
"That's because Kasumi and I are from a clan of youkai called Sky Dragons. And their blood runs pretty strong."
Goku, Gojyo, and Sanzo all three looked at Hakkai. "They're a remote clan of youkai that only live in a certain mountain range and have very strict laws. Many have left the clan because of just that. Eda-san speaks the truth."
"Now why are we being called out?"
"Because I think you're lying," Sanzo said, crossing his arms.
"Hah," Eda said with a smirk. "Don't you think if we were planning on a slaughter we would have done it already?"
"That diner's a paradise for the type of youkai you're referring to," Kaika added. "And I've been working there for three months."
"We wouldn't hurt anyone," Kasumi said politely. "Without appropriate reason, of course."
"Besides, two of your company has power limiters too," Eda continued. "You seem to be trustful of them..."
"I have trust in no one but myself."
Kaika quirked an eyebrow and looked at Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo in general. "How do you put up with this guy...?"
"He's an old friend..." Hakkai explained.
"Sorta," Gojyo said with a shrug.
"Kinda," Goku added.
"Maybe," Sanzo finished.
Eda rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess a fight would be a way to kill time if anything."
"Eh?" Kaika asked. "Weren't we about to leave?"
"Oh, my, I forgot about Kachiro-san," Kasumi said with a hand over her mouth.
"Yeah," Eda said in agreement. "I just now remembered. But she said she'd be here...I'll give her about ten minutes."
"So, you gentlemen want to fight while we wait...?" Kasumi asked, slightly baffled.
"Heh," the priest said, putting on a smug grin. "I thought you'd never ask..." he said, aiming his gun and firing a bullet at the small youkai...
...but to his surprise, the bullet stopped in midair, surrounded by small bolts of lightning, and fell to the ground, harmless. "Terribly sorry, Sanzo-san," she said with a friendly smile.
"Cool!" Goku exclaimed.
"I don't think it would have made much of a difference even if it had hit her..." Hakkai said with a chuckle.
"Nope, not much of one..." Eda said with a smile. "She probably would have done more damage to the bullet than the other way around..."
"Sounds like the monkey..." Gojyo muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Don't call me a monkey, you perverted kappa!!"
"I think you'll find it harder to defeat us than you think," Sanzo growled, giving Gojyo a glare.
"No," Gojyo said bluntly. "I'm with Hakkai on this one, I don't think they're a threat."
"Then you'll be walking to India..."
Gojyo rolled his eyes and hefted his staff, ready to attack. "What a waste..."
Eda blinked in surprise and looked to a small group of trees behind her. "Wait!! Stop!!"
But it was too late, the moon-shaped blade was already racing toward her. She muttered a curse and caught the chain with her arm and let it warp around until the blade rested in her hands.
She looked at the trees again as a small family of humans ran out, being chased by two youkai.
Kasumi gathered a handful of energy in her hand that was surrounded by large bolts of lightning and hurled it at the closest youkai. The wounded demon stopped and looked at his new opponent and the other stopped to look too.
The first youkai pulled out a sword and lunged at Kasumi, but the smaller demon grabbed his wrist and sent a bolt of lightning through him, finishing him off.
The other went for Kaika, but she threw a pair of knives at the youkai that landed gracefully in his shoulders. He acted like he was about to take them out, but they burst into flame and he fell to the ground.
"Konnichiwa, Minna-San," a new voice said, coming from the trees.
A woman of medium stature with silver hair and orange eyes walked out, holding a bleeding, limp youkai, letting it fall to the floor. "Sorry I'm late, Eda-chan. Old friend...you know..." The strangest thing about this woman, though, was that she was dressed like a...Buddhist priest?
Eda looked at her friend. "That's okay, Kachiro-chan, we had a lot to keep us entertained," she said simply as she finished unwrapping the chain that came out of Gojyo's staff. She lifted her arm and the small red dragon flew down and perched happily on it. "Now, unless if you gentlemen have anything else to prove about your masculinity, or lack there of, we'll be on our way..." she explained, starting off.
Hakkai looked at his companions. Goku looked excited as always. Gojyo had an extremely smug grin on his face as his eyes followed the women as they walked away. And Sanzo had a look of angry disbelief.
Then he looked at their transportation. "Ladies..." he called out.
The four women turned around as the small red dragon turned into a pick-up truck that could easily seat four.
"Which direction are you headed?"
Eda and Kasumi exchanged glances. "As far away from here as possible..." Eda said thoughtfully. "I've never thought of what direction that was in..."
"I suppose we've been headed west..." Kasumi concluded.
"Perhaps we could come to an agreement, then?" Hakkai suggested.
Eda looked to her smiling sister, then to Kaika who just shrugged.
Kachiro looked confused as always...
The half-demon took in a deep breath and let it out. "Kachiro...this is Kaika, Hakkai, Goku, Gojyo, and Sanzo..." She looked to her friend again. "So...you going in the truck or the jeep?"
(AN: yay for AU fics ....it might take me a while to upload these chapters by the way, minna-san, I'm in my first semester of college and in desperate need of a job, I'm illustrating a children's book for a friend, I'm staying at home and I'm the oldest of three...so time is limited. Though if I do get a chapter finished I can at least load it up onto a computer a school. But, onto a lighter note!! My ear hurts...cartilage piercings are painful...but worth it! yay! Third piercing, whoo hoo! Blah, blah, blah, babble, babble, babble... Don't forget to read and review, like I said, no flamers please, thankies!)