Remedy for Our Loneliness
"Damn . . . if I have to spend another night in the woods without a woman . . . I'm going to have to kill something . . ." a crimson haired man said pulling a cigarette out of his pants pocket and lighting it.
" Gojyo if you don't shut up about women . . . I'll shut you up indefinitely." a blonde haired man said, twitching as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at the red haired man.
" Now, Sanzo. Please don't do anything rash, like kill Gojyo. Please." a dark brown haired man said putting his hand behind his head and looking at the blonde man.
The blonde man just blew off the dark brown haired man's remark and flicked the safety off his gun.
" Sanzo, you should take Hakkai's advice. Who else are we gonna make fun of if you kill Gojyo?" a light brown haired kid asked looking up at the blonde haired priest.
Sanzo stood for a second, considering the light brown haired kid's remark. He then put away his gun and kept walking.
" What? What the hell does that mean, monkey?" Gojyo asked glaring at the brown haired kid walking in front of him.
The kid turned around and looked at Gojyo, he then took off running and fell in step beside Sanzo. Gojyo twitched and started to run after the kid, but Hakkai grabbed the back of his blue vest.
" Gojyo, killing Goku wouldn't solve anything. He's only joking around." Hakkai said smiling at Gojyo, who was fuming.
" Right. . . And I should believe that why?" Gojyo asked in an eerily calm voice, looking at Hakkai.
" Well, because it's true." Hakkai said still smiling at Gojyo.
Gojyo just shook his crimson head and kept walking, following Sanzo and Goku. Hakkai fell into step with the rest of the guys as they walked toward a village.
twilight
" Hey, I saw a bar when we were leaving the village. I'm going to head over there." Gojyo said grinning and walking out of the clearing they were camping out in.
" We're coming with you. So you don't bring any women back here." Sanzo said standing up and following Gojyo out of the clearing.
Hakkai and Goku looked at each other and followed the other two out of the clearing. They walked until they reached the outskirts of the village. They saw a run-down shack with smoke curling from its crumbling chimney. As the guys neared the shack, they heard voices coming from inside the shack and people behind its windows. They walked inside and all the faces turned and stared at them.
" Hey guys. Welcome to The Black Dog. Need anything?" a black haired woman said from behind the bar.
" I'll have a beer." Gojyo said walking over to the bar and sitting down.
The woman nodded and walked into the back room. The men in the bar still hadn't made any noise even as the woman came back out with Gojyo's beer. The woman looked at the men and shook her head.
" It's not like you haven't seen men before, morons. So get your heads out of your asses and get back to what you were doing, now." the woman said breaking the quiet, causing many men to jump.
The men looked at the woman for a few moments, then the noise started up again. The woman shook her head again and walked over to a blonde haired woman who was drinking rum.
" Well, they're really pretty." Gojyo said half smiling to himself as he took a sip of his beer and watched the two women.
" They're out of your league, kappa." Sanzo said pulling a cigarette out of his robes and lighting it.
Gojyo glared at Sanzo as the black haired woman walked back over to them.
" Sorry about that. Last time a Sanzo priest came through this town, he tried to purify the men around here and well . . . it didn't go too well. So . . . as a Sanzo priest you better watch yourself in here." the woman said looking at Sanzo.
" Thank you, miss. By the way, what's your name?" Hakkai asked smiling at the woman.
" Oh. I'm Kazayuki Miana. And you four are?" the woman asked looking at each of the guys in turn.
" I'm Cho Hakkai, the priest is Genjyo Sanzo, the brown haired kid is Son Goku, and the red haired man is Sha Gojyo. Nice to meet you Miana." Hakkai said extending his hand to Miana.
Miana smiled back and shook Hakkai's hand.
" It's very unusual we get visitors in this area. Well, I've got to get back to my job. If you need anything just yell and if any of the guys bother you, just yell for me." Miana said before walking off and picking up a bottle of rum.
Miana walked over to the blonde haired woman and poured her a fresh glass of rum. Miana then sat down in a stool next to her.
" Well Miana, who are they? I've never seen them around here before." the woman said looking at Miana.
" They said they're names were Cho Hakkai, Genjyo Sanzo, Son Goku, and Sha Gojyo. Do those names ring a bell, Tyka?" Miana asked glancing back at the guys who were watching her.
" Yea. They do. Wait . . . could they be the men that she told us to watch for?" Tyka asked looking at Miana through wide purple eyes.
" Hmm . . . yea . . . they are . . . what should we do?" Miana asked her blue eyes growing wide as she looked at Tyka.
" Well . . . your shift's almost over, right? We'll deal with it when you have free time. Right now I think you're going to be needed." Tyka said gesturing toward a silver haired man who had walked up to the guys.
" Oh shit. It's Haru. He never did know when to shut up." Miana said standing up and starting to walk over to the guys.
" Hey, aren't you a half demon?" Haru said pointing at Gojyo.
" Umm . . . yea . . ." Gojyo said looking at the man with a puzzled look on his face.
" We don't take too kindly about creatures like you running around at this bar. You mind leaving?" Haru said looking down at Gojyo.
" Haru, leave them alone." Miana said injecting herself into the conversation.
" Now, Miss Kazayuki. You know how we feel about half demons and demons around here. Let us just run them off quiet like and there'll be no trouble." Haru said looking at Miana and smiling.
" Haru, just because you had a bad run in with a half youkai in your life, doesn't mean they're all bad." Miana said looking Haru straight in the eyes.
" Miss Kazayuki, why'r you taking the half breed's side?" Haru asked, giving Miana a puzzled look.
" Any trouble over here, Miana?" the blonde haired woman asked as she approached the group.
" No, unless Mr. Haru wishes himself to be excused from this bar." Miana said looking at Tyka.
" Now, Wait just a minute Miss Kazayuki. What's got you so ruffled?" Haru asked still giving Miana a puzzled look.
Miana, don't do it. Don't show them your hair and eyes. They'll kill you.
Tyka . . . I have to. My shift's over anyway. If they touch me, they're dead. I don't have a responsibility for them anymore
Miana . . . Fine. Then I'll do it too.
Thanks, Tyka.
Miana just looked at Haru and half smiled. She then looked at the rest of the bar
" Guys, sorry for this but I have to do it." Miana said still half smiling.
"I have to come clean too. Sorry." Tyka said reaching up towards her hair.
Sanzo's group looked at the girls like they were crazy as Miana reached upwards toward her hair. She then put her hand under her scalp and ripped her hair off her head, or as it seemed she was going to do. To everyone's surprise short dark blood red hair fell out from underneath a black wig and enveloped her face. Miana then put her finger to one of her blue eyes and pulled it back, revealing she had bright crimson eyes. She did the same with the other one. Tyka had already pulled off her blonde wig and revealed her light red hair. Her eyes were naturally purple red, so she didn't need to hide them. The entire bar fell silent as they stared at the two girls standing in front of them.
" You . . . you're . . . you're both half breeds!" Haru exclaimed pointing at the two girls.
" Yea. We're half. Got a problem with it?" Tyka said glaring at the men in the bar.
Haru stepped back from the girls, his mouth wide open. Gojyo was just staring at the two girls with his mouth slightly open.
" Half breeds! Kill them both!" a hoarse voice yelled from the back of the bar.
All of a sudden all of the men in the bar was shouting to kill the two girls. The girls looked at each other and took off running out the back door of the bar. Haru and a few other men followed them, hot on their heels.
Damn Miana . . . they won't give up will they?
Don't think so, Tyka.
Why did you choose now to expose yourself?
I don't know. The way Haru was messing with that other half youkai, Gojyo I think his name was . . . it just rubbed me the wrong way.
Miana, I can now safely say you're an idiot.
Thanks Tyka. By the way . . . where are we headed?
I don't know . . . I was following you.
Oh hell . . . I have no idea where we are . . . wait . . . there's a clearing up ahead. Let's stop there
Right.
The girls reached the edge of the clearing and two pairs of arms reached out and pulled them behind a tree. Miana and Tyka both bit and scratched the arms that had them. They then realized that they weren't being harmed. Miana looked up and saw that Gojyo had pulled her off the trail. She looked to her side and saw Hakkai with Tyka.
" Shh . . . Sanzo and Goku are taking care of the men who were chasing you." Hakkai whispered to the two girls.
Miana and Tyka both just nodded then looked at each other.
What the hell? Why are they helping us?
I dunno. It's nice though.
Yea . . . what do they want?
Tyka . . .
What?
Never mind.
Whatever.
Tyka and Miana sat quietly between Gojyo and Hakkai. They heard footsteps coming up the path and run past them.
" Hey! It's that Sanzo priest and that kid who were with that half breed. Priest, did you see two half breed girls run by here?" a hoarse voice said.
" No, can't say I have." Sanzo's gruff voice said.
" You're lying. Where are the bitches? And that son of bitch that was traveling with you. Where are they?" another more youthful voice yelled.
" I'm lying? Really . . ." Sanzo's gruff voice said again, just as the sound of a gun's safety clicking off echoed in the night's silence.
" Whoa. Priest, we only want the two half breed bitches then. Keep your friend." the hoarse voice said again, quavering a little.
" Why?" Sanzo's voice said again, as a shot rang out.
" Demons and a half breed over ran our village a decade ago. Many of our women and children were slaughtered. All of us men were out in the fields, tending to our crops. We came home and we saw demons and that half breed feasting on our families. The half breed seemed to be the leader and ordered his men to kill us. Many of our men didn't make it out, those that did have despised all demons, half and full, till this day." the hoarse voice said again.
" That's very touching." Sanzo said, as another shot rang out.
" I suggest you leave now, before Sanzo gets really mad." Goku's childish voice said, with a slight laugh.
" Why you! You're on their side!" the youthful voice yelled out.
" I'm on no one's side." Sanzo's voice said, two shots then rang out and two voices screamed.
A few seconds later the girls heard a thud like two bodies falling to the earth. Miana gasped and Tyka hung her head.
" Are they dead?" Tyka whispered looking up at Hakkai.
Hakkai stood up and looked into the clearing. He then looked down at Tyka and half smiled.
" No. Goku just knocked them out with his staff and Sanzo scared them a little with his gun. Come on. We've got to go." Hakkai said helping Tyka to her feet.
Gojyo helped Miana to her feet then looked at Hakkai. Hakkai looked at Gojyo and nodded. Both men then picked their respective girl up and ran into the clearing.
" Sanzo! Do we need Hakuryu to transform into a jeep now?" Hakkai asked looking at the blonde priest.
Sanzo just nodded and Hakkai whistled. Flying down from the top branch of a tree came a small silvery white dragon.
" Hakuryu, please turn into the Jeep. We need to get out of here fast." Hakkai said looking at the little dragon.
The dragon then nodded like he understood and flew through the trees to the road. The Sanzo group plus the two girls ran out to the road and found a white jeep sitting there waiting for them. Hakkai put Tyka in the back seat then jumped into the driver's seat and Sanzo jumped in next to him. Gojyo sat down in the backseat with Miana in his lap. Goku then jumped in between Tyka and Gojyo, a very tight squeeze. As the shouts from the woods grew closer, Hakkai put the Jeep into drive and took off down the road in a cloud of dust.
a few hours later
An exhausted Miana fell asleep in Gojyo's arms, while Tyka looked warily at the four men who had saved them.
"Seems Blondie's the leader . . ." Tyka thought to herself as they sped down the road.
After a while the Jeep came to a stop and Hakkai looked back at Tyka.
" We're going to stop here and rest for tonight if you don't mind." Hakkai said smiling at Tyka and getting out of the Jeep.
" It's fine. I just need to wake my friend up." Tyka said reaching over and tapping Miana on the shoulder as she got out of the Jeep after Hakkai.
Miana opened her bright red eyes and looked at her surroundings sleepily. She looked at Tyka and then got out of the Jeep. She stumbled a bit when she put her weight on her feet, Gojyo caught her and helped her steady herself. She looked at him and blushed a little, then mumbled a word of thanks. She then walked over to Tyka and stood next to her.
Tyka . . . where are we?
I think we're in that clearing where we stashed our stuff.
Really? You mean my cooking stuff is here? Along with my ribbon?
Yea Miana. And my dad's knife is here too.
Tyka, How long was I asleep?
A few hours. The half youkai didn't seem to mind.
Miana didn't get a chance to answer Tyka, because Hakkai had walked over to them.
" You can stay with us tonight if you want. I promise we won't do anything, though . . . I can't promise if Gojyo won't do anything. But if he does just hit him or yell for one of us." Hakkai said smiling at the two girls.
Miana just nodded and Tyka smiled. Goku then walked over to Hakkai and tugged on his sleeve.
" Hakkai, I'm hungry." Goku whined looking up at Hakkai through big brown eyes.
" Umm . . . sorry Goku . . . I don't have anything to cook in or I'd fix something for us." Hakkai said looking down at Goku.
Goku groaned and fell onto his back on the ground. Miana looked at Goku with a sympathetic look on her face. She then turned around and walked into the woods. She came back with two bags. One black and one green. She opened the black one and pulled out a cooking pot. Goku heard the clanging of a pot and sat straight up.
"Hakkai can you use her cooking pot and fix us something?" Goku asked looking up at Hakkai.
Hakkai looked at Miana with one eyebrow raised.
" You had stuff stashed here?" Hakkai asked with a quizzical expression on his face.
" Yea . . . long story. But . . . yea . . . about using my cooking pot . . . I don't let anybody use it but me. If you'd like, I'll fix something for us all." Miana said standing up with the pot on her hip.
Goku jumped up and started nodding vigorously. Hakkai just smiled and nodded. As Miana walked off to a small stream near the clearing, Hakkai turned to Tyka.
" Can she cook?" Hakkai asked looking at Tyka.
" She can cook about anything you ask her too. I think now she's just going to make a soup . . . oh . . . by the way . . . what's your name?" Tyka asked looking at Hakkai.
" Yes, I haven't introduced myself have I? I'm Cho Hakkai. And what may I ask, is your name?" Hakkai asked smiling at Tyka.
" My name is Kuyta Tyka." Tyka said before walking off to build a fire for Miana to cook on.
The guys sat around and watched the girls busy themselves with preparing food. After a while the delicious smell of soup started enveloping the senses of the guys. Miana then walked over to her bag and pulled some bowls and spoon out of it. She sat them down on the ground in front of the fire and walked away.
" You guys can eat now if you want." Miana said looking at the guys who were drooling at the smell of food.
Goku pounced on the bowls, grabbed one and filled it to the brim with the steaming broth. He then began slurping it down. Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai all walked over to the bowls and picked one up. They filled their bowls up and began eating it. Meanwhile, Goku was on his fifth bowl. After it was finished, he ran over to Miana with a huge smile on his face.
" Thanks for the soup! Hey! Can you come with us? That is . . . if Sanzo doesn't mind . . . will you come with us?" Goku asked looking up at Miana, still grinning.
" Goku . . . you know we can't bring anyone else along." Sanzo said looking at Goku over the edge of his soup bowl.
" But Sanzo! Her cooking's better than Hakkai's! Please let her come!" Goku pleaded getting down on his knees and begging Sanzo.
" He's got a point, Sanzo. The girl can cook and I'm sure we all need a break from Hakkai's cooking." Gojyo said looking at Sanzo.
" See! Gojyo wants her to come along too! Please Sanzo?" Goku begged again, this time looking up at Sanzo with big liquid brown eyes.
" No, Goku." Sanzo said matter of fact.
" Girls, where are you headed now? You certainly can't go back to that village without being killed." Hakkai said turning the conversation over to the girls.
" We're not sure yet. For now we'll just keep wandering west until we find a place of interest and decide to stay there." Tyka said looking down at Hakkai.
" Sanzo! We're heading west too! Can they plleeeeeaaaasseeee come along?" Goku begged Sanzo again.
Sanzo looked at Goku and sighed. He nodded his head as a signal that he girls could join them.
"YAY!" Goku shouted, jumping up into the air.
Goku then ran over to Miana and Tyka and looked up at them.
"Please come with us! We could use your help and Miana's cooking." Goku said pleading with the girls.
Miana half smiled and laughed. She then put her hand on Goku's head and ruffled his hair.
" Yea. We will." Miana said smiling at Goku.
" YAY! FOOD!" Goku shouted for joy as he jumped up and ran around the clearing.
Miana, what are you doing?
You said that boss said we needed to keep an eye on these guys, what a better way to do it than travel with them.
First time I've liked one of your ideas. Great job Miana!
Shut up Tyka.
Whatever.
The End
In the next chapter of Remedy:
So shortly after joining the Sanzo group, Miana has to confront a demon from her past. Can she make it out alive? Or will the demon crush her like he did another so precious to Miana? Find out in:
Remedy of My Past Mistakes