5Author's note- I wrote this story but it wanted to be two different chapters. As it was written for contest with a word limit this poor chapter got cut as unnecessary. I liked the dialog though and though it added to the following chapter. So here you a prequel, of sorts.
On a road through a scrub land somewhere in Shangri-la, a jeep with four men is heading towards the western horizon. Dust seems almost a part of this group of weary travelers, making it apparent they have come a great distance with no rest.
"I'm Hungry," comes from the back seat for what seems to be the millionth time.
"Shut..." comes the start of an annoyed shout, that soon chokes off into sounds of coughing, hacking and spitting. "Shut up you chibi black hole!" A laboring Gojyo finally manages to yell. "Shit, I can't even yell anymore. Hakkai how long have we been in this god damned waste land anyway?" Knocking his head back against the side of the jeep in tiredness.
"Now Gojyo, it hasn't been that long." The monocled brunette replies a bit tersely. It seems the latest leg of their journey though this wasteland has stretched even his considerable reserves to the limit. "According to the map we should be at a town of some size by this evening. If there are no delays."
At this the blonde next to him raises his head from the neck rest. "An inn?" He inquires in a deadly serious tone.
"Yes, I should think so." Comes Hakkai's even answer.
"Hakkai! Don't kid with us man," Gojyo says making hopeful liquid filled eyes at the driver. "I mean it if there is a chance of us having beds..." Gojyo's eyes begin to glaze he seems to drift off, into day dreams of pillows, covers and nubile willing women.
"Then there will be no delays," Sanzo fiercely states before turning to face the two in back of the jeep. "You two idiots hear what Hakkai said? I will not have anymore wasted time. We will make it to the inn." Pronouncing this with a face that promised a painful death to anything that should be the cause of such a thing, He turns to the front and seems to go back to sleep.
"An inn." Goku says wonderingly, "They will have food won't they Hakkai?" his eyes pleading with the driver to reassure him that it is so.
"Yes, Goku they should have a kitchen in an inn." Comes the automatic reassurance from the driver.
The only reply is a soft chant of, "Food, food, food..." from the saru.
Lost in their own dreams of baths, beds and other amenities they have missed during the long stretch of traveling, his companions don't even notice Goku ending his chant and replacing it with a quiet count. "Thirty-six, Thirty-seven, Thirty-eight... "
"Oi!" Gojyo interrupts when he notices, "What are you counting, you stupid monkey?"
"Forty, Forty-one.." Goku tries to continue despite the question.
"I didn't know monkeys could count," Gojyo continues his energy renewed on hearing a town was close at hand. He leans over and shakes Goku, making him clench his fists and completely lose his train of thought.
"Damn it Gojyo, I was counting! Now I have to start over." The chimp bristles back at the irritant. "I want to know how many days it has been since I got real food!"
From the front seat comes a placating, "Now Goku when were you counting from?"as Hakkai uses a distraction move of long standing.
"From the last inn that had those tasty meat buns. You know Hakkai the one where we all had our own rooms." Goku says, starting to salivate as he remembers .
"Leave it to a monkey to remember where we stay by what they served to eat." jeers Gojyo from his side of the seat.
"Yeah, like you are any better! How do you tell them apart you ero kappa? Hmm?" Goku asks tilting his head to one side.
"I can tell them apart you stupid monkey," comes the fast answer.
"Really? Then how many days ago was it you stupid cockroach?" Goku presses feeling his advantage.
"I just need more information." Gojyo stalls, trying to remember any identifying characteristics the inn might have had.
With a quick glance towards Gojyo, Hakkai steps in to save him. "The number you are looking for is forty-two Goku. It has been forty-two days since we have been in an inn that served food."
"Really, that long?" Goku sits back aghast at how long he has been eating the Hakkai's basic cooking.
"Fuck! No wonder I want out of this damn jeep," Gojyo mutters as he slouches back into his corner of the back seat.
A loud "Kyouuh" comes from Hakuryu followed by a few sputters and jerks.
"Apologize Gojyo!" Hakkai calls back to Gojyo in a teachers scolding tone. He changes it to a softer tone and consolingly says, "He didn't mean it Hakuryu, we are all tired." Hakkai pleads as their pace starts to drop.
"No,"Gojyo bites out sitting up straight and looking toward the driver in disbelief, "I am not apologizing to a flying rat."
The sound of a gun shot breaks the conversation as the wind from the passing bullet caresses the side of Gojyo's face blowing his crimson hair to the side.
"I will not sleep outside with you morons another night. At least Hakuryu does something for me, and I will kill you if that will get me to an inn and a bed quicker, you useless idiot." The pissed off blonde in the front seat reenters the discussion quite forcibly. "Now apologize to Hakuryu you stupid pervert!" Sanzo spits out at Gojyo with a emphasizing look at the gun.
Gritting his teeth Gojyo does just that. "I am sorry Hakuryu, I didn't mean it." Turning to face Sanzo he continues with, "You on the other hand, are damned. You miserable excuse for a monk."
With disdainful snort, Sanzo turns back to the front and gets comfortable in his seat.
"Don't ignore me, you gun happy shitty excuse for a monk!" Gojyo leans forward behind Sanzo's car seat. "I am not done talking to you trigger pulling maniac, you could have hit me!"
"Like I would waste a bullet on you," is Sanzo's terse answer.
Huffing to himself, Gojyo slouches back again and mumbles about monks, guns and one of these days.