For LePetitErik—because you're awesome

The Trial

The Jeep rattled along the road, bouncing over dips and swerving on humps, and the sun setting in the west had turned golden orange, stinging my eyes, but I smiled just the same and said, "This road needs mending, don't you think?"

Beside me, Sanzo merely huffed. In the back, the others were both sprawled across the seats, Gojyo with his head tilted back, and Goku slumped forward with his cheek nestled against his arm. For most of the day, they'd raged and laughed like always, and like always, their energy had worn out some time after we'd stopped to have lunch. For a few hours, they'd murmured to each other. They'd gotten a second wind a few hours ago, and now they'd declined into utter silence, so I assumed they'd fallen asleep. Without Goku to whine over his hunger or Gojyo to instigate a conflict with one of the others, Sanzo and I had resigned ourselves to the peacefulness of the drive.

Of course, that didn't mean other difficulties hadn't arisen.

"You're driving a little slow," Sanzo remarked, but without his usual impatience. The solitude had obviously done its part to put him in a mellow disposition.

"Oh, yes, you're right."

"Tired?"

"Mm, a bit," I allowed with a smile.

"Well, are we going to come to a town soon, or should we stop and make camp?"

"Ah, as to that…I can't say."

He shot me a questioning look. "Can't say? Why not?"

I laughed, wondering how angry he'd be. "I'm afraid, Sanzo, I'm not absolutely sure where we are."

Without looking at him, I knew the way his brow furrowed and his amethyst eyes darkened and the scowl that marred his mouth. "What? We're lost?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say lost particularly. As you can see, we're still on the road to the west, and as long as we stay the course we'll reach Houtou Castle. Eventually."

In the back, I heard Gojyo emit a low chuckle and echo quietly, "Eventually."

I smiled all the more.

Sanzo growled, "But you don't know where we are."

"Not precisely, no. You may have noticed there isn't much around us to indicate our exact location on the map. I only have the vaguest idea as to where we are."

He continued to glare at me, completely unsatisfied.

I went on as if I didn't notice, gesturing mildly to the wild land around us. "For instance, these are plains, and we're coming to a forest." Ahead of us, the trees were looming and dark in the light of the setting sun. "None of that is on the map. So my guess concerning where we are is as good as your own."

Shaking his head, he looked straight ahead again.

Goku sat up suddenly, rubbing his eyes and moaning, "Nnnn… Guys. I'm hungry."

"Big surprise," Gojyo grumbled, still staring up at the sky.

"When're we gonna get ta eat? Are we close to a town?"

Sanzo replied bitingly, "Hakkai's gotten us lost."

I glanced in the mirror at Goku, found him staring at me with a look of bewilderment. "Ya did? How?"

"We're not lost," I corrected lightly. "I just don't know where we are."

"That's the same thing!" he whined.

"Now, now, there's no reason to be alarmed, Goku. In the morning, we'll get our bearings."

"But what're we gonna eat tonight?!"

"We have our supplies, of course."

"Canned crap an' bottled water!"

"Don't be so spoiled, monkey," Gojyo admonished under his breath. "How the hell're you gonna make it all the way to India, acting like such a brat?"

"We'll see who's whining when he hasn't fucked a prostitute in a few days," Sanzo grumbled, likely out of sheer agitation.

Gojyo finally sat up too, glaring at Sanzo, and I felt sure another shouting match was about to begin.

Instead, my room mate suddenly lurched to his feet, bracing himself against the back of my seat.

I glanced up at him, trying not to take my focus off the road entirely. "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer me. I could only get a glimpse of his face in the hurried look I shot him, but I noticed he was staring very hard at something in the distance.

I followed his gaze, expecting to see a horde of enemies rushing toward us, but there was nothing. The sweeping hills were low and lonely, looking blue in the light of the setting sun, and the cool air smelled clean. I saw no sign of life, other than a ramshackle building sitting a few hundred yards from the road, but it looked utterly abandoned, with rotting, grayed wood, and broken windows. It was difficult to determine whether it had once been a domicile or some sort of barn.

"What's that?" Goku demanded, glancing from the structure and then to Gojyo's face.

"It appears to be an ordinary shack," I said, turning to the road again, just in time to swerve around a large pothole.

Gojyo stayed standing though, still staring hard at the ruins, and even after we'd passed it he craned his neck around to watch it fade into the distance. The other two watched also, obviously expecting something of interest to emerge from the doorway, but when it became clear that the shanty held no intrigue for anyone other than Gojyo, they turned to raise their eyebrows at him instead.

"What's the matter with you?" Sanzo demanded.

Gojyo took a drag off his cigarette and sat down uneventfully, with nothing more than a glib, "Nothin', man."

I looked in the mirror at him, but he turned his head away. Purposely? His expression had returned to normal, and I shrugged the matter off. It wasn't like Gojyo to show interest in architecture of any sort, but I supposed it wasn't impossible for the old building to have simply caught his attention.

We drove on, entering now into the woods. I turned on the headlights, and soon Goku resumed his chatter. "So where're we gonna sleep tonight? We gonna camp?"

"Unless we reach a town unexpectedly."

"Ya don't know if we will?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't, Goku," I replied patiently. "Seeing how I don't know exactly where we are. For all I know, a town could be just through these trees."

As soon as I'd spoke, a sign came into view. The wood looked a bit splintery, and the words which might have once been neatly painted was somewhat chipped, but it was still perfectly eligible. "Ah, there you see? _ Town, three miles. That's not far at all." I smiled. "What good—"

Gojyo got up again suddenly, "Stop the car, Hakkai."

He said it with such urgency I slammed instinctively on the brake, assuming he must be having some sort of emergency which would require my immediate attention. Even as the others jerked forward, yelping, I whipped around in the seat to inspect him, but I saw no sign of blood illness.

"What in the world's the matter?" I asked, still somewhat alarmed.

Gojyo stepped up on the edge of the Jeep and jumped out easily, pacing over to the side of the road. His body language looked somewhat stiff, but his voice sounded infinitely calm. "Hey… This is a good spot to set up camp, huh? Why don't we just stop here tonight?"

Confused, I scanned the area, but I saw nothing but gloomy trees, and I heard wild animals calling in the distance. The ashy grass shuddered in the moaning night wind, and there wasn't as much as a clearing to bed down in.

Sanzo got his bearings and adjusted his robes, and in the back Goku rubbed his head, which he must have hit against Sanzo's seat. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Sanzo demanded, all the composure he'd had not five minutes ago utterly gone. "Why the hell would we stop here?"

"It's as good a spot as any," Gojyo said, still with that strange tone of serenity.

"But…" Goku spoke lowly, like he either felt insecure to make a mistake, or as if Gojyo might not understand the words. "There's a town. That's what the sign said. Yeah, Hakkai?"

"It did," I agreed. "It makes no sense to stop here when there's a town within walking distance. There isn't even a clear spot to make a fire."

Gojyo shrugged. "We could sleep in the car. We do that a lot."

"A lot," Sanzo emphasized. "Too much."

"Yeah, but why waste money on rooms at an inn, and food at a restaurant when we could just sleep here?"

One by one, the three of us looked at each other, and both their faces bore the same expressions of utter confusion that I knew was on mine.

I took it upon myself to clarify the matter. "You don't want to go into town and eat a hot meal, drink a cold beer, bed a woman, and sleep between clean sheets? You?"

Gojyo didn't falter in the least. "Yeah, no. Why should we? It's a waste of money, isn't it?"

I blinked at him out of the utter absurdity of it. "Yes, but the town is in walking distance. We could walk there if we liked. We're on a journey of considerable difficulty, and—"

Sanzo blustered into the conversation. "You stupid bastard, just get back in the car. You almost got my head busted open against the windshield for this shit?"

"Yeah!" Goku yelled, sounding rather irritated himself. "Why should we eat crap outta cans when we can go into town an' eat there? We sleep in the back of the car all the time, just like ya said!"

"Please," I interrupted, before either of them could go on. "Would you mind not cutting in like that? Honestly, you two. Where are your manners?"

` Sanzo leveled a look of outrage on me, but I merely returned my attention to Gojyo. "Rudeness aside, they do have several worthy points, Gojyo. It doesn't make sense to stop here for the night."

Gojyo insisted, "I just feel like it's a better idea."

"Well, why? It defies logic."

He held my gaze a moment before looking away, he scuffed once at the ground with the toe of his boot and scraped at his hair, all actions characteristic of some level of some insecurity, but he mumbled, "No good reason, I guess…"

I frowned. "Really?"

I heard Sanzo inhale and open his mouth, obviously intending to berate Gojyo again, but I shot him a reproachful look. "Would you mind, Sanzo? We really are attempting to have a discussion, he and I."

"I don't hear any discussion," Sanzo muttered under his breath. "I hear a bunch of nonsense."

Ignoring him, I looked once again at my room mate, but he still refused to meet my eyes. "I just feel like camping," he explained with a feeble shrug, and a subtle tone of anxiety. "I guess."

"Yes, of course. The wild nature of freedom experienced on an impromptu camping trip calls to us all, occasionally," I agreed, doing my best not to let myself be overly sarcastic. "However, currently we're not on a camping trip, we're on a mission, and we may not always have the opportunity to sleep in a bed." My annoyance got rather the best of me near the end, and I added, "Why should the three of us sleep in the cold over some nonsensical whim of yours?"

Gojyo froze in the midst of lifting a cigarette to his lips. He seemed to think a moment before finally looking up at me. Our gazes locked, and we stared at each other a while, and then, reluctantly, he nodded and climbed back into the Jeep.

As soon as he was seated, Goku punched him in the arm. "What's wrong with you, buttface? I hit my head on the seat an' ev'rything!"

It took Gojyo a moment to react. He rubbed his arm, glaring at Goku. "It's not my fault Hakkai slammed on the brakes like that."

"Actually, it is," Sanzo growled.

"How?!"

"Because," I pressed the accelerator and we tore off again. The three of them slammed back into their seats again. "You asked me to stop the car."

Gojyo argued, "Since when do you do anything I ask you to?"

I laughed. "Oh, all the time. You just don't usually notice."

He had nothing to say to that. In fact, he was quiet for the rest of the drive.

No matter though, it didn't take more than a few minutes to reach the town. It was a tiny place, and quite sleepy. Most of the shops were already closing by the time we cruised down the main drag, and the buildings were close together. The people didn't seem especially friendly either. They gave us suspicious looks as we passed and whispered to each other. I assumed they were wary of travelers due to the times of chaos in which we were all living.

"It should be easy enough to find accommodations for the night in a place this small," I said brightly.

"What about food?" Goku demanded. "Food? D'ya think they have good food?"

I reassured him, smiling into the mirror. "Of course. Little places like this always have the best food."

"We're not gonna stay long, right?" Gojyo asked.

It was an odd question, and his voice was filled with latent uncertainty, so I looked in the mirror at him, but he refused to notice.

"Don't be such an idiot," Sanzo answered gruffly. "We're leaving in the morning, the way we always do."

"It's late afternoon," I added. "I should think we'll only be here a little more than twelve hours, and we'll sleep through most of it."

"What'dya have against it anyway?" Goku wondered.

Gojyo hesitated to drag on his cigarette and mumbled, "It's a shitty-looking town. I doubt there're any good-looking women."

"Earlier," I noted, "you were content to go without any women whatsoever."

He had nothing to say to that, and I pulled up in front of a two story building made out of white-painted wood. A small sign hanging above the door proclaimed it Mama's Bed and Breakfast.

"This looks perfect," I commented with a smile. "A few cozy rooms, a home-cooked meal, feather beds, and we're off in the morning. I'm sure we'll be able to stock up on supplies in the market tomorrow as well, don't you think, Sanzo?"

Sanzo inclined his head absently, and I killed the engine.

Goku, Sanzo and I piled out, but Gojyo stayed sitting in the back seat, stubbornly. "Maybe I'll just wait here while you check in," he said.

Again, we all turned a quizzical look on him.

"Beg your pardon? Why?"

He gave me another nondescript shrug.

"That hardly makes sense," I told him, and at this point I was losing some patience.

"I'm smoking. I better just stay outside a minute."

Sanzo and I exchanged a look.

"Since when d'ya care about that?" Goku demanded.

"It's a small place," Gojyo mumbled. "Don't wanna bother anybody."

"Nonsense." I caught his arm, lifting him up out of his seat and pulling him out of the car. "You're acting quite out of character this evening. Sanzo will be smoking inside, so what does it matter?"

"I challenge anyone to stop me," Sanzo added broodingly.

Gojyo thrust his hands into his pockets, grumbling under his breath, and followed me into the inn.

I paused to let Goku and Sanzo to precede us so I could question my room mate with a touch more privacy. "You are acting odd. I hope nothing's the matter." I remembered the way he'd ordered me to stop the car, frantically almost. It wasn't like him to be so demanding, and it wasn't often one of his demands sounded so serious I felt compelled to take heed of it.

"Everything's cool," he said, with the same forced calm I'd heard in his tone earlier, but now it was beginning to sound a bit strained.

I hesitated to study his face, to see if he'd change his mind, or if his expression would give anything away, but I found myself looking at his poker face, making it impossible to learn anything. I nodded, and led the way inside.

Mama's Bed and Breakfast was as rustic and cozy as the name suggested. Everything was paneled with dark wood, and a plushy rug spread across the center of the floor. In the corner stood an arrangement of oak furniture with magazines and a bookshelf, and the check-in counter was spic and span, but no one was at it. All in all, the place didn't seem to be very busy.

"I suppose we won't have much trouble finding a vacancy." I glanced around with interest. On the right, the lobby opened up into a quaint breakfast room with a single dinner table, and on the left, a narrow staircase led to the upstairs. A hall beside the counter led to the bath.

Sanzo approached the counter and rang the bell there, and stood scowling as he waited for service. I noticed a small sign sitting to the side that read no smoking, so I nudged his arm and pointed to it, and then I turned to Gojyo to tell him he may as well put his out as well, but he already had, and he was hanging back with his face averted.

Before I could comment, Goku jostled against me. "D'ya think they serve dinner here? I'm so hungry!"

"Oh, I doubt it," I said with a laugh. "After all, it's a bed and breakfast. We'll have to dine somewhere else tonight."

"I want seafood!"

"They're not going to have very good seafood in a place like this," Sanzo snorted, and he rang the bell three more times.

A man emerged from the office behind the counter, smiling warmly. He was rather old, with a gray beard and round glasses. "Oh, good evening. I'm sorry, gentlemen, I didn't hear you come in."

Goku stared curiously at him. "You're not a woman."

The man squinted back at him. "I'm sorry?"

"It says it's Mama's bed an' breakfast. Where's she? Is she cooking dinner?"

"Goku," I admonished, laying a hand on his arm. "Don't be so forward, please. That's merely the name of the place."

The gentleman laughed heartily though. "No harm done. My wife's around, young man. We don't normally serve dinner to the guests, but I can recommend a good tavern for you once you've checked in." he produced a registry book. "If one of you wouldn't mind filling this paperwork out, we can get you settled immediately." His good natured gaze traveled through our party, scrutinizing us each in turn and beaming that professionally paternal sort of smile one expects of such a man.

I stepped forward, reaching for the pen. "Yes, Ojii-san. I'll handle that, if you don't mind."

However, as I leaned over the counter to register, I heard the old man gasp and murmur under his breath, "No… It can't be."

I glanced up at him, but he stared past me, eyes popping, mouth hanging open.

I looked over my shoulder to see if some undesirable had come through the door, but no one was there aside from my three companions.

"You," the old man cried, tone turning surely towards outrage. "You… How dare you come in here? How dare you…?" The words caught in his throat, and his beard quivered with fury. He seemed too angry to even speak.

My friends and I looked at each other. I tried to placate the man. "Ojii-san, is something the—"

He cut across me, shouting, "Get out of here! Get out of here! You plague! You abomination!" And he spat on the floor.

My own jaw dropped. I faced my room mate.

He turned away silently and went back outside, shutting the door behind him.

Several moments passed, and no sound was made outside of the old man's rough breathing. I felt almost too stunned to react. Every now and then, this sort of thing was bound to happen, and I had always been determined to correct any offender by whatever means necessary, but seeing Gojyo leave without so much as word left me unable to move. It wasn't like him.

The other two must not have known what to do either, for they stayed quiet too.

At last, the old man coughed and gushed, his cheeks red, and his expression looked decidedly flustered, "For-forgive me, gentlemen. I…that…he…I wasn't expecting… Go ahead and register," he added hurriedly. "We have a nice pair of rooms open at the moment."

"No," I answered coldly, thrusting the pen back into his trembling hand. "I think we'll find another place to stay tonight." I looked at Sanzo. He was smoking again, and he nodded.

"We'll definitely find another place to stay tonight," he confirmed.

"Come, come, now, gentlemen," the old man wheedled. "This is the finest bed and breakfast in town. The others are seedy and ill-kempt."

"This place reeks," Sanzo declared a bit louder. "I couldn't possibly sleep in such a shitty place."

"Yeah," Goku agreed, sounding less calm. "I bet your food sucks too. An' you're a jerk."

The man blinked and looked at him. "A jerk? But don't you realize…?"

"We've realized enough," I said decidedly, and turned to leave.

We found Gojyo outside with Jeep, leaning with both hands planted firmly on the hood, head bowed, as if he were trying to get himself together, but as soon as he heard us approach he straightened up and turned to us, grinning. "Man. What an asshole, huh?"

The three of us gathered around him.

"Ya just scared him with your ugly face," Goku said. "Ya scare me with your ugly face all th' time."

Gojyo laughed. "Look who's talking. With that monkey mug of yours, you're never gonna get laid."

"Will too!"

"Let's go," I directed quietly.

"Go?" Gojyo gave me a puzzled look. "Go where? You guys can still stay here, that's all right."

"Why would we do such a thing?"

"It's a nice place—better than the other places… I bet it's the nicest place in town."

"What in the world are you going to do?"

"Camp, I guess. I wanted to anyway."

"Shut up," Sanzo said. "That waste of skin doesn't run every inn this town has to offer. We'll just take our business elsewhere." He got back into the passenger's seat.

Goku hopped in also.

Gojyo just shook his head, smiling strangely. "Seriously, guys. It's no big deal. I'll just sleep under the stars tonight and meet you in the morning."

"Oh, I doubt that's a good idea." I got into the car as well, struggling to mimic his levity. "Kougaiji's assassins are never far away, are they?"

My room mate stayed where he was, in front of the car, still shaking his head.

I looked seriously at him. "Aren't you getting in?"

He sighed and came around to climb in behind me, and we rolled forward.

Upon arriving at the second inn, Gojyo once again refused to go in with us, and thanks to what had just occurred, I didn't argue with him, but Goku stayed behind as well while Sanzo and I handled the check-in. As the old man had warned, this inn was considerably less pleasant than his. The bare floors were un-swept, the windows were grimy, and the woman running the counter acted somewhat rudely, warning us, unabashedly, that the place hosted rats and cockroaches, but she didn't seem surprised when Sanzo said we wanted two rooms. "Can't afford Mama's?" she asked with a sly smile. "Old Man Teiji charges a fortune for that dollhouse."

"He's rather a straightforward person, isn't he?" I asked distractedly, surveying the filthy place with some anxiety. I hoped the beds at least were clean.

"He's a perfect gentleman," she corrected with a cackle. "I guess that's why he thinks he can charge so much."

I finished filling out the registry, Sanzo and I went upstairs to inspect the rooms. They weren't particularly clean, and I did see a rat scuttle under the bed as I opened the door, but they'd have to do.

Sanzo drew a deep breath. "Stinks."

"Camping is still an option," I reminded him softly.

"Let these disgusting people scare us off?" He turned to me with a frown.

"Well…we certainly can't win them all…"

"If you're worried about Gojyo, don't. Bastard's got thick skin."

"That's true, but…he shouldn't have to…"

Sanzo sighed. "With any luck, that old shit is the only one who'll notice him."

"And without that luck? It's rather a small place, Sanzo."

He shook his head. "We'll figure that out if we have to. For now, let's just feed the monkey so he'll shut up."

We returned outside to find Goku and Gojyo missing, and my heart thrilled with momentary panic before we found them lingering in the alleyway, partially hidden by a black shadow. Goku was prattling on about food, and Gojyo watched the crowd mosey by with unusual wariness.

"What are you bastards hiding over here for?" Sanzo demanded. "Come on, we're going to find a restaurant."

"Doesn't the inn serve food?" Goku asked earnestly.

"I highly doubt you'd want anything they might have to offer, Goku," I told him, and we ventured up the street.

Goku darted around, pointing out places to eat and shops he found interesting, but most of them were closed, and he got frustrated in a while, so Sanzo had to scold him and calm him down. Gojyo stayed unnaturally silent, and I walked beside him, trying to think of something to say. Part of me wanted to apologize, but I knew I wasn't responsible for the disgusting way that man had treated him. In passing, I said, "You know, I'm sure no one else will notice. That man's very old… Most humans don't recognize…that is, they don't know what red hair and eyes signify."

Gojyo continued facing straight ahead, and a strange frown was beginning to encroach on his normally laidback expression. "What the fuck do you know, Hakkai?" he asked bitingly.

His hostile tone caught me off guard, and I raised my eyebrows at him. "Well, nothing. But I can only hope not everyone in this town is as rude and despicable as he was."

"And what if they are?"

I pondered that.

"What if everyone in this town hates me?"

"I don't see why they would."

He laughed bitterly and jerked on his hair, hatefully.

"Gojyo…don't let that terrible individual bother you. No one's opinion in this whole town really matters, does it?"

He shook his head stiffly.

By that time, Goku had chosen a small tavern that still had a few hours before close, likely because the handwritten sign outside advertised fresh sashimi, and we slipped inside.

It was a dim environment, much more bar-like than like restaurant like. Blue smoke hung heavily in the air, and most of the people around us looked thick and unwelcoming. Gojyo slipped in behind me and chose a booth at the very rear of the room, where he sat with his back to all the other patrons. The three of us let him have his way, even though it wasn't where any of us would have chosen to sit, and then he hunched down in his seat, keeping his face turned away and his hand pressed against it, obviously nervous to be recognized.

I sat down next to him, Sanzo and Goku crammed into the seat across from us, and the three of us proceeded to talk as if we didn't notice Gojyo's discomfort. The waitress came, and Goku rattled off a list of dishes he wanted, and Sanzo and I discussed our route and how we might be able to get back on track since I'd gotten us lost, we perused our menus and commented on which dishes might be best in a place like this, we ordered and ate our food, and watched Goku have dessert, and waited for Sanzo to finish his beer, and all the while Gojyo hardly said a word. He ate quickly and shoved his plate away, and then he, by all appearances, played a game where he pretended he was somewhere else entirely, staring fixedly at the grainy wall beside him.

When we had finally finished, Sanzo went to pay the bill, and Goku went with him.

I studied my room mate intently, even though he wasn't showing me anything other than the back of his head. His behavior was beginning to worry me. Normally, under such circumstances, he'd hold his head up high and tromp through town brazenly, daring anyone to say anything to him about his origin. It wasn't like Gojyo to hide.

I nudged at him. "Are you ready?"

He didn't move or even glance at me.

"Come on. Sanzo and Goku are waiting."

He drew a deep breath and nodded, and we struck out across the tavern, toward the door, where Sanzo and Goku stood together. I noticed Goku speaking with uncommon seriousness to Sanzo, and I guessed that he was questioning our leader about Gojyo's behavior. I saw Sanzo shake his head.

Halfway across the room, a towering man stepped into my path. He was bulky and stupid-looking, with a buzz cut, a flat face, and a jaw like an anvil. I stopped dead and craned my head to look up at him. "Excuse me, sir."

The man shuffled me to the side without a word and stood over my room mate. "Well, well, well," he chortled. His voice resembled the sound of a growling mongrel. "Look what the fucking cat dragged in."

Gojyo glared up at him. "Yo, asshole. You're standing in my way."

"Ha! Your way. You're standing in my bar."

"Do you run this establishment, sir?" I demanded, standing beside Gojyo.

He barely favored me with a glance. "That's right, buddy. My bar, my rules."

"Oh, well then I'm glad you happened along. The food here was rather terrible."

He was a thick-necked man, and he likely had the mentality of a bull—stupid and unreasonable—I hoped insulting his place would distract him.

Unfortunately, the man continued to glare daggers at Gojyo, as if captivated by the red framing my room mate's face.

"Furthermore, the service was poor, and the environment can't be up to code."

"Eat somewhere else," he suggested gruffly. "And you." He seized Gojyo by the front of the shirt, jerking him forward. "You better get outta town, fuck wad. Not everybody's gonna be as nice to you as I am."

"What're you gonna do?" Gojyo husked, voice trembling with hate. "Beat me up? I don't think so."

The barkeeper laughed. "I'm gonna pound you into the dirt, punk." He cocked back a huge, meaty hand.

I started forward, fully intending to dislocate his arm and smash his head on the corner of the nearest table, but Gojyo elbowed him in the gut so fiercely the man flew back, crashing into a bar patron, and both of them smashed into a table full of food. Dishes rained down everywhere with the sound of glass shattering, a woman screamed, and all the noise in the tavern ceased immediately.

At once, I turned to Gojyo, but he was already rushing for the door. He bounded over the barkeeper, who laid groaning and writhing on the floor, shoved past Goku when he attempted to stop him, and burst outside, vanishing from sight.

It puzzled me. Normally, Gojyo wouldn't run away after throwing down a man twice his weight. Normally, he'd stand over him and cockily light a cigarette and gloat about what he'd done, daring anyone else to try it next.

I only let the confusion hinder me for a few seconds though. Just as the tavern began to catch its breath, and the customers began to stir and murmur over what had happened, I vaulted over the assassin myself and streaked after my room mate, shouting his name.

I skidded to a stop on the road, thrashing my head back and forth, wildly, looking for him. Why would he run off? Where would he go? I hadn't really seen many people give Gojyo any trouble for his half-bloodedness, so I didn't know if I should be utterly surprised by the fact that I hadn't been able to anticipate his reaction.

I rounded the corner, berating myself for not doing something, fretting over whether or not I'd be able to find him.

He was standing there at the back of the building, leaning against the wall, smoking, eyes closed, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his vest.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief and sidled up next to him, wondering what to say. Twilight had begun to set in, and my friend looked pale in the purple atmosphere. I wasn't sure what I could do for him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said brusquely. "I kicked his ass. Didn't you see?"

"That isn't quite what I meant. I meant—"

He snapped at me, "What do you want from me, Hakkai? I told you I didn't want to come here." And he pushed away from the wall and began to swagger up the alley.

I hurried after him. "Did you know somehow it would be like this?"

"No."

"The way you acted outside of town though… It's as if you expected it."

"I didn't."

"Yes, but—"

"Stop it, okay?" He turned on me suddenly. His face was dark. "I didn't know. How could I?"

"I'm not sure. Unless you've been here before."

A slight, inexplicable smile curved on his lips. "Yeah, right. Forget it, Hakkai. I'm going now. I'm gonna go sleep under a tree somewhere. See you tomorrow."

He started forward again, but I stopped him, clutching at his arm. "I would rather you not."

"Why? It's no big deal. It won't be the first time I've slept outside."

"No, but there are bound to be assassins around."

He glared mildly at me. "Think I can't protect myself?"

"I know you can. That isn't what I'm concerned about." It was a lie though. Of course he could protect himself as well as any of us could, but then, none of us could handle a whole horde of assassins all by himself, save Goku, perhaps. "In addition to assassins, this town isn't being very hospitable toward you so far."

He seemed to think for a moment, and then he shrugged. "If you're so worried about it come sleep under a tree with me."

I hesitated further. It was an option. It wouldn't be the first time I'd slept outside either, regardless of the fact that I'd been looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for a change. The two of us would still be vulnerable though, camping out alone. I decided I ought to attempt to dissuade him. In the event that he absolutely could not be reasoned with, very well, I'd sleep under a tree with him, but I had every confidence that I'd be able to change his mind.

I gave him my most reassuring smile—that was generally the place to start with him—and I moved my hand up to his shoulder, shaking him affectionately. "Come now. We're almost done here. We'll be holed up in the inn for the rest of the night, and then we'll leave first thing in the morning. That won't be so terrible, will it?"

"Not unless I get mugged on the way back to the goddamn inn," was his dark rejoinder.

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know? Some dick just attacked me in there for nothing."

"The inn isn't so far away. I think we'll make it there without incident."

"You don't know that, Hakkai."

I knew I'd need to change tactics and play on his trust instead. "No, I suppose not." I gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "But what I do know is that I'll be with you, and the next person to attack you over this will have me to contend with."

Gojyo snorted and shook his head somewhat skeptically, and that wasn't exactly like him either. I was beginning to feel that there might be more to this than what I could see. "Hakkai, look…you don't get it."

"I will if you tell me," I said gently.

He chewed his cigarette, thinking. "It doesn't matter if you get it. I don't wanna drag you into some fucking mess. I think it'd be easier if I just went and camped somewhere."

"And I think I'd rather punish the next person to insult you."

Gojyo sighed heavily. He was standing up to my manipulations quite insistently this time, but I thought I could get through to him if I pushed just a little further.

"I understand if you want to run away from this, and if that's your decision I won't stop you, but I want you to know you don't have to do that. You have people in your life who don't approve of the idea of you being left out in the cold over something so petty."

That was certainly the line I needed. I watched his eyes brighten and his face lift, the frown softened, and his posture relaxed. He pushed the hair from his eyes, nodding.

I smiled and slammed his back lightly. "Come along now." I gestured to the mouth of the alley, where Goku and Sanzo stood watching us in silence. "Let's go, shall we?"

He started to walk toward them, but paused again. "Hey… Hakkai?"

"Yes, Gojyo."

He met my gaze reluctantly, and I saw something vulnerable in him this time: a childishness. "What if these people don't hate me 'cause I'm a hanyou…? What if they hate me for something else?"

"Such as what?" I asked patiently.

Gojyo puffed his cigarette, thinking. "I dunno."

"Well, that isn't what's happening, so it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Yeah, right," he grumbled, easing forward again. "It doesn't matter at all."

We joined the others, and the four of us got on our way back to the inn, but hardly anyone spoke. Gojyo's distress was infectious.

I watched the people around us carefully. The streets were quite empty, as was to be expected in a small town at supper time, but the few who did cross our path stared at our group, entirely without shame. They gaped and whispered. Some even pointed. That observation made my stomach clench with nervousness. Did every single person in this town know a child of taboo when they saw one?

I told myself it still didn't matter. What I told Gojyo was true. We'd be at the inn all night, and we'd leave in the morning. Seeing how I wasn't sure where we were, I didn't know when we'd come to the next town, so we would have to purchase a few supplies, but I could do that by myself if I got up before the others. Losing an hour of sleep was well worth it if I could prevent anyone else from mocking or attacking Gojyo.

When we reached our inn again, he once again stopped and said, "Look, guys, I don't wanna get us kicked out of here next."

We all looked back at him.

"I can leave. It's not a big deal."

Sanzo wrinkled his nose. "Did your brain stay behind somewhere today? You're acting like a total idiot." And then he pushed through the doors and strode into the inn, Goku on his heels, checking over his shoulder on Gojyo and glancing worriedly at me.

I smiled at my room mate. "Shall we?"

"Dude, I really think this is a bad idea."

"Well, you don't seem to grasp the circumstances either."

"No," he snarled, "you don't, Hakkai."

"Please. Let's just go in now. I'm tired, and you're obviously distraught."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't patronized me, dick head," he muttered as he passed me and slipped after the others.

A few people had appeared in the lobby since Sanzo and I checked in. The innkeeper sat at her counter, flipping through a magazine and smoking a cigarette, and a trio of men was gathered at a table in the corner, drinking and playing cards. They stared at Gojyo and I as we caught up to Sanzo, and I heard one of them whisper, "I don't believe it…"

I frowned to myself. Even the drunks knew.

It doesn't matter, I thought to myself. I won't let anything happen.

When we reached our rooms, Goku suggested we play mahjong or cards, an ill-concealed device to try to distract Gojyo, but Gojyo made it clear he wasn't interested. "Play without me," he said, and flopped over on the nearest bed without removing his boots or vest.

Sanzo and Goku stayed a little longer so Sanzo and I could discuss our plans for tomorrow in greater detail, and then the two of them retired to their own room.

I sat down on the edge of the bed adjacent to Gojyo's, and Jeep settled onto my lap. "Are you worried?" I asked quietly.

"No. You're right." He blew a series of smoke rings. "We'll be here all night."

He didn't look or sound worried. Not quite. I knew him though. I could tell he was bothered from the way he was acting. No, even that wasn't it exactly. I knew he was bothered because he should be, and he was, and I knew what sorts of things disturbed him.

"That's right." I smiled and stroked Jeep along the neck, listening to him croon contentedly. "You're all right. You're with me."

"Yeah," he agreed simply, but he turned his back to me. "If I have to be here… I'm glad you're around."