Chapter 4

"Hey, Hakkai! Stay away from that guy!" Gojyo called, hurrying to Hakkai's side. Hakkai remained where he was, puzzled.

"Why? What's the matter, Gojyo-san?" He asked.

"Because he's the one that zapped your memory, that's why!" Gojyo thrust an accusing finger at the youkai. The youkai rose to his feet, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"But this man said his name was Gonou. Surely even someone who's lost their memory still remembers their own name." He took a step towards Gojyo, his voice calm. "It seems to me that you're just trying to mislead the poor man." Gojyo, of course, was quick to retaliate, but while the two argued about which was more trustworthy, Gonou sat where he was and thought. The youkai had a point. He hadn't forgotten everything, after all. Just a few years. But on the other hand, this man had no more proof of his claim than did Gojyo. In fact, if Gojyo's story were true, he would have more evidence: the scar. Gonou hadn't had the courage to see if it was there. Besides, try as he might, Gonou just couldn't believe that Gojyo was lying, despite the terrible story Gojyo'd told him. Sure, he hadn't known either of them long, but he had no trouble believing the youkai was lying.

"Look, I know what I saw. Hakkai got into his fight with you and the next thing I know he doesn't even recognise me!" Gojyo shouted, his fists shaking at his sides. The youkai remained strangely calm, looking at Gojyo the way one would a misbehaving child.

"This is ridiculous." He said. "Your friend has an accident in the woods and you blame the first suspicious-looking person you see because you can't accept the fact that you failed to protect him." Gojyo glared furiously in response.

"He doesn't need my protection. He can protect himself!" Gojyo shouted, then stopped and calmed himself. It was almost more frightening than if he'd gotten more violent. He took a number of deep breaths before speaking again. "How did you know it happened in the woods?" He asked. "Did you tell him, Hakkai?" Gonou shook his head.

"No, I didn't." he said, and the two turned in unison back to the white-haired Youkai. He'd paled visibly, and a bead of sweat made its way down his temple. He'd even begun to stutter.

"L-lucky g-guess?" He said.

"That seems very unlikely." Gonou said, finally rising from the park bench. "Didn't you already say you're suspicious-looking?" The youkai took one step backwards after another, until he backed into the wall surrounding the park.

"Very well, you've found me out. I was the one who erased your memories, Gonou. If you want them back, you'll have to meet me in the open field across the river. He leapt up onto the wall just as Gojyo made a grab for him, narrowly avoiding capture. He laughed arrogantly at them for a moment, and then disappeared on the far side of the wall.

Sanzo sat, staring at his newspaper, smoking and thinking about recent events. He'd always thought of Hakkai as the most tolerable of his three servants. Gojyo, of course, was almost useless, except that he fought well and was a convenient supply of lighters. Goku he couldn't get rid of even if he wanted to, but was still useful. He fought better than Gojyo, and actually respected his leadership and his judgement. This was a plus. On the other hand, he was even more brainless than the roach. There was no way he'd be able to stand making the rest of the trip with just those two. On foot, to boot. Hakkai didn't share Goku's respect, but he could cook, and he could drive and sometimes it seemed he was the only one in the group with a brain other than himself. Hakkai would be able to re-learn how to drive. He was self-taught to begin with. He could still cook, and even if he'd forgotten how to manipulate his ki, he was still strong enough to take down his fair share of enemies. But without his memories of the past four years, would he be willing to even try to continue? He'd probably want to turn back, find himself a cushy teaching job and settle down. And who could blame him? As Sanzo delighted in reminding everyone, he hadn't asked anyone to accompany him.

"Great... just what I needed. More dead weight slowing me down." He complained.

"Hakkai's gonna get his memories back! I know it!" the monkey was lying on a bed on the other side of the room, the dragon curled up on his stomach. He was annoyingly cheerful and optimistic, even now. Sanzo folded up his newspaper, setting it down at the table.

"With Gojyo doing all the work? We'll be lucky if Hakkai remembers anything by the time we get to India." He said, rubbing out his cigarette. "Come on, let's hurry and get this over with."

A loud bang echoed through the room, and Sanzo jumped in his seat, and Hakuryuu leapt from Goku's tummy behind the end table nearby. Twisting towards the door, he reached into his robes for his gun. At the door stood Gojyo, foot raised to hip height, having just kicked the door open. Wishing he hadn't just extinguished his cigarette, Sanzo let go of the gun, still in his sleeve, and searched instead for his whacking-fan.

"Goddamn it! I can't believe that guy!" He bitched, stomping over to the bed and dropping himself onto it. The fact that the bed was already occupied didn't appear to slow him in the slightest.

"OW! Hey, watch it! I'm lying here!" Goku shouted, digging his way out from under the covers, and from under Gojyo.

"Would you both SHUT UP!" Sanzo bellowed over the noise. Dammit. Sanzo knew he'd put that whacking fan in there somewhere...

"We found the one who sealed my memories." Hakkai was so quiet, Sanzo almost didn't hear him. Even so, it caught everybody's attention quickly. Sanzo sat back down, and Goku and Gojyo quit their argument on the bed.

"Really? Does that mean you remember us now?" Goku asked. Hakkai said nothing, but shook his head slowly.

"He says he wants to face us tomorrow, in some field across a river from here." Gojyo said. So, a leader of an otherwise generic gang of Youkai zaps Hakkai's memory, admits it, and then wants to fight? What the heck was he trying to accomplish? Sanzo realized it was obviously a trap, but what kind? Why choose this method of luring them there? It didn't seem to make any sense.

"Which way is this river?" He asked, wishing once again that he hadn't extinguished that cigarette.

"North, I think." said Gojyo, having the nerve to pull out one of his shitty cigarettes and lighting it. Whacking fan, where was Sanzo's precious whacking fan?!

"So it's wasting our time AND it's out of our way."

"But we ARE gonna go and get Hakkai's memories back, aren't we?" Goku sat beside Gojyo, on the very edge of the bed, looking up at Sanzo. Sanzo finally found his fan, and gave Goku a swat.

"Idiot. Of course we are. Now get out of my room so I can sleep!"