Chapter 25

By My Side

A/N: So, as I arrived at the end of this chapter during the long time it took me to write it, I realized it was the next to last one. It snuck up on me and almost made cry. I don't know what I'll do with myself when the actual series ends. I'll probably sulk for a week or two. But thanks to all you who stuck with me. It means a lot.

Nai stood a bit off from her group of twenty-two men with clenched fists. Her robes of brilliant white were fitted with gold armor and her hair was pulled in a taught ponytail away from her face.

She took a deep breath as Kyo glanced over to his leader, taking note of her uncertainty. She couldnt reassure him.

"Sir?"

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Yes Kyo?"

"I apologize for intruding Sir, but you seem uneasy."

Nai snorted, "Yeah. I had three days to prepare for this, I only have twenty two men and I'm no military blood. I don't like the sound of winging it."

Kyo smiled, a tad amused by her apprehension. "Sir, the powers you've been given come with an unparalleled military mind. You can do a lot more than what you think."

She eyed him, "I think I'd be lost without you."

He blushed but she paid it no attention. Instead she found herself grinding her teeth. The sound of trumpeting signaling that the Jade Emporer was approaching to send them off was completely unnecessary. The men fell into neet rows and Kyo stuck to her side as she waited to be given the orders to march on to the world below

"Toushin Nai Taishi, you and the Army of Heaven have been given the task of removing Gyumaouh from existence. Do you accept?"

"Not like we have a choice." one of her men mumbled behind her.

A few other men chuckled and she smirked, "Yes sir we do."

"Good. Take as long as you need to finish this task. Your only order is to have no contact with Son Goku, Tenpou Gensui, Kenren Taisho, and Konzen Douji."

Nai bit her lip, "Yes sir."

She turned to the door where she was found before, the door that killed Sanzo's past life, the door that led to Goku's freedom and imprisonment and shouted, "Open the door!"

"Hey Sanzo, what's that?"

Hakkai didn't stop the jeep but he did spare a glance to his left. "Oh my."

Sanzo had planned on ignoring the child's question but Hakkai's awed comment was enough to also draw his attention to his far left. A door, a rather large, gold, door had appeared on a hill. The blonde shuddered as an almost foreboding sense of familiarity fell over him. "Damn gods."

"So she makes her entrence?" Gojyo was almost standing, squinting to get the first look at his greatly missed friend. He waited for the flow of her chocolate hair and the striking glint of her hazel eyes.

Hakkai pulled the jeep onto it's own hill, finally stopping and cutting the engine. He turned to his left and sighed, it was quite the sight.

Goku grasped Sanzo's shoulder blindly as the doors slid open and a light was released over the rather dull scenery. People were emerging...or rather, gods. In uniforms speckled in gold and at their head, a woman, in brilliant white.

Kougaji and his friends set down next to the jeep and Lirin piped up with an "Oh wow! Pretty!"

Her brother put a hand on her shoulder, "How could I forget that only a god could take down my father?"

Lirin looked up at him, "Is he really that strong brother?"

"Yes."

Gojyo jumped out of the jeep, "I don't care how strong he is, we have gods on our side."

Sanzo scoffed. He thought it was unfair truthfully. He had to watch someone else he cared about die, just to have them waved before his eyes as something he would never be able to really have. He pushed Nai away before, now she was completely unreachable.

The question now was if any of them would be able to handle it when she left again. He didn't really have the answer. But watching the others react to seeing her, even from this great distance. He figured that was the last thing on their minds.

Nai unlatched the gaudy armor on her person and turned to Kyo, "Let's go."

"Sir?"

"Fuck his orders. We fight with them or no one fights at all."

The man nodded, not willing to disobey her, there was a fire he liked in her. She reminded him of the leader he had respected five hundred years ago.

Goku beat Gojyo on the run to the woman but he stopped short of her and the twenty-two men she had in tow. Gojyo didn't pause, he went right up to the woman and wrapped her in his arms.

Nai fisted his shirt and pressed him as close as she could, "I'm sorry Gojyo."

He held her away and surveyed her, "I just wanna be sure you're real girly."

"She's real you stupid cockroach! Look!" Goku shoved the red-head out of the way and hugged the woman as tight as he was sure he could without cracking her spine, "She's real. She's real. She's real!"

"Goku I do believe real beings need to breath." Hakkai offered kindly.

Nai kissed Goku's forehead and moved onto Hakkai. He hugged her tighter than what his personality seemed to allow and looked over his shoulder at Sanzo. The blonde was standing off by himself, dressed in his usual denim and a black t-shirt.

She gave Kougaji's team quick hugs and headed over to the priest, "Sanzo."

"Why make us feel this again?"

Nai sighed, "You know I can't stay..."

"Tch. Rules never stopped you before."

"It's beyond the rules Sanzo. It's life. Gods don't have a place here, I don't have a place here, not anymore."

"Hold nothing..."

"Exactly. What I need for right now though, is my family fighting by my side."
The moment was cut short as the ground shook and Nai snapped her gaze to the castle.

Kougaiji approached them, "He's awake. We need to do this now."

Nai beckoned Kyo over as well as everyone else. Dokugakuji looked over at the twenty some soldiers, "One would think heaven's army would be a stronger force."

"They were all that was worth bringing. They're loyal," she looked to her four, "and I've worked with less."

"Well Girly, how are we doing this?"

She scanned the blueprints of the castle that Kougaiji had brought with him. "We can use my men as a distraction so we can get inside in two teams. One team in the escape tunnel underground, and one through the front door."

Yaone nodded, "I can stay out here with the army."

Kougaiji looked to his siter, "You should stay here Lirin."

"But brother!"

"They needed you to wake him up, they'll take you and I don't know what they'll do. Please just stay out here."

She pouted but agreed anyway. Dokugakuji patted his friend and Lord on the shoulder, "I'll stay here. It'll make you feel better about your sister."

"Thank you."

Nai sighed, "I'm the only one allowed close to him."

"He's my father." Kougaiji kept his voice calm although he was outraged and afraid.

"So what? You don't match him and you know it. Hell kill you. Only a god can put him down."

Lirin tugged his coat, "It'll be okay brother. You can kick my moms butt if you want."

The prince granted his sister a smile, that was actually a good idea. Hakkai rubbed his chin, "We have to think this through. The teams should consist of the right people for each location. There is more than one objective inside. The scriptures, the demon, the generator..."

"And Ukoku Sanzo."

"Who?"

Sanzo sighed, "He was the youngest Sanzo Priest before me and a good friend of my father. You guys remember that god Creep?"

Gojyo scoffed, "You know I do."

"Ukoku was his master. He was best at dark magic and he was a supposed genius. I learned from Hazel that he's in there. I know he has something to do with all of this."

Lirin turned up her nose, "You know that creepy guy?"

"Mm hmm."

Nai smirked, "And you want to put a bullet in him."

"Damn straight."

Kougaiji pointed to the blueprint, "You'll get your chance. He stays here in the lab closer to the front door. The generator your speaking of could be anywhere in the rooms around it."

Hakkai sighed, "No doubt the scriptures are with him. I'll accompany you Sanzo."

"I wanna go with him too!" Goku shouted then pouted at Nai when he realized the adults intended on being in different teams. "Nai..."

She winked at him, "Keep him safe for me will ya?"

"Yeah."

Sanzo grunted and Gojyo wrapped his arm around the woman's shoulders, "Well Girly I'm going with you."

Nai nodded and put a hand on Kyo's arm, "You're in charge. If you can, get some men inside."

"Yes sir."

"What the hell are we waiting for?" Sanzo growled.

Nai pulled her bow taught, aiming for the castle itself, and smirked, "Nothing."

"My Lady, we have confirmed that the first hit was the East Wing. The following two were from the front entrence and the underground tunnels respectively."

Gyokumenkoshu gripped the chair the young demon was sitting at, "Are the tunnels the only way out?"

"Yes ma'am."

She paced the room, trying to figure out exactly how she was supposed to get out of the castle. "How are we surrounded by a stupid force of thiry! Put every available soldier in the corridors! They cannot get this far!"

The room shook with another explosion and the computers flickered. "We've lost the main control room. Power to the castle will be lost in five minutes."

Red lights started to flash and piercing alarms sounded. The fight was here and there was no running.