Act 30

Lifting the Veil

The firewood and ember popped and crackled lazily as it casted a ghostly glow that danced on the faces of all the five men that sat around it.

Sanzo lit his cigarette, as Hakkai was handing out another portion of soup with potato and other odd vegetables in it accompanied by a large piece of bread to Goku who had asked for seconds. They had all finished their little somewhat forced meal after the brief rainshower that had fallen earlier in the night. Everyone except, Gojyo who only prodded and poked around hardly eating any, his mind still heavy from the events that had took place earlier in the evening.

"Thank you," the demon stranger, that had introduced himself as Shin Kogetsu, spoke as he handed Hakkai his empty tin plate back over to the monocled man. The mood itself was very sombre and even Hakkai felt not only the physical, but emotional toll that was starting to weigh on him.

Sanzo was weary of this new face. Not that Sanzo ever regarded anyone with warmth to begin with. But he was too tired to give fuck anymore and all that has happened had just been another waste of time on their journey west. Which made him even more irate than normal.

"This isn't some charity, so don't make me ask ya' again. I'm not exactly a very patient man," Sanzo said as he breathed out his smoke, his purple eyes glowed like amethyst jewels in the light of the fire and his yellow blond hair was casted orange.

The demon man lit his own cigarette and rested his elbows on his knees as he took a deep breath and let it out, "Well, it's long story."

"We could all use a bed time story," Sanzo said coldly,his face putting the dead to shame, his hand was ready to reach for his gun if anything unexpected were to happen. He noted the black gun strapped to this man's calf over his black military issued boots. And the red hilt of his katana on his belt. His long coat looked like an militant outfit as well, and guessing from the titles that decorated one side of his arm sleeve, he looked to be of a very high rank.

"I'm guessing from the looks of you, you must be a military officer?" Hakkai offered with forced politeness as he sat on the the fold up camping stool next to Goku who was slurping his food down.

"You judged right," the man spoke. "I am- or was, the ranking General for a demon army at Fort 19," he started.

Gojyo adjusted himself on the ground next to Sanzo and stretched one long leg out as he rested his other hand on his knee, holding his cigarette aloof. "This fort, is it the one that burned down east from here?" Gojyo asked then took a drag on his cigarette.

"Yes," Kogetsu solemnly replied. "We were an independent movement at first, set up to defend ourselves from the humans that rebelled against s. Our village in the east in the mountains had many skirmishes against each other. Even before the so called calamity happened."

"You don't seem to be affected by it though," Sanzo noted.

"In a way i gess I am one of the few that remained sane," Kogetsu nodded as he took drag on his cigarette.

"Why were you fighting against the humans?" Goku asked.

"The idea of demons living alongside humans peacefully had never appealed in our village. The humans were afraid of us, and were merciless at trying to exterminate us at any cost...even children weren't spared any shred of mercy," Kogetsu's eyes hardened over the painful memory of his past as he stared off into the flames, watching it lick the woods and igniting them with new embers. The orange glow illuminated the deep vertical scar that started above his left brow and ran down his eye stopping near his cheek.

"Humans are very prejudiced creatures," Sanzo stated his eyes glanced down to ground, he looked spiteful. "They fear what they don't understand and react on this fear with blind violence even if the goal of justice is deluded. It's the only way they know how," the priest spoke.

"But even so," Gojyo spoke up. "They are still humans though, right? How can they defeat all you demons so easily?"

"They had access to all sorts of weaponry, some we've never even seen before. They claimed to have gotten it from a fire arms trades merchant that shipped it across the ocean," Kogetsu answered. "And even when we tried hiding out, they relentlessly came after us, slaughtering us in or sleep like animals. We had no other choice. For the longest time, it was either kill or be killed. So we decided to build a fort and started an army with every able demon that could fight back. And what had started out as a means of defense... somehow...the line of survival got blurred and twisted and corrupted into a greed for power. But then later the entire movement was taken over by Lord Kougaiji, under the orders of Gyoukumen Koushi That was over three years ago."

Everyone had perked up and had started to pay attention to this man in a tensed silence.

"Then after that, a certain scientist was sent over and secret experiments had been going on in the fort."

"Experiments?" Hakkai pondered.

"We had no idea it was going on, even I, who held the highest rank, had no direct access to it. This man... this sick twisted man, ran and tested various experiments on humans and demons alike. For what purpose, no one really knew."

"What does this have to do with Ayane?" Gojyo asked.

"She was one those experiments," he said in a very somber tone, his silver eyes that were very much like Ayane's shadowed briefly. "Or atleast the successful ones anyway. The only successful living one that we had known of. Her code name was 'Rabbit' ," he cast a look over to the sleeping figure of the girl wrapped in a bundle of blanket. With a heavy sigh, he carried on. "We heard rumors of it. But I turned a blind eye to it. Believing in the duty in the line i stood. I never expected anything to be this sinister. For the longest time, I never even thought to question my post. I stood by the line of what i believed then to be my duty, wholeheartedly believing that what i did was for justice."

"Only much later that i realized that there never really no line there at all. It was all just a big farce. Everything I believed in..." his voice took on a bitter sadness to it, "...everything that I have done in the name of my duty was all a lie, the lives i have taken and scarified. This rank that i have been given," Kogetsu briefly touched the left side of his shoulder sleeve where his rank were decorated, "..is proof that I have dishonored the name of justice. I am no better than a common murderer." he stopped briefly and hung his head solemnly shaking it slightly before glancing back up and continuing, a new look of determination on his battle worn face. "This is why I have vowed to devote myself to finding this hateful scientist and take my revenge for the things he had done to Ayane... to me... to others that never made it."

"Which was why when i watched my men die being slaughtered at her hands like farm animals, I couldn't help but think that maybe this was our karma," Kogetsu continued, a grave darkness has overcome him. "Maybe we went too far."

Goku's eyes widened and Sanzo took a deep breath as he contemplated what the man was saying. Hakkai swallowed the empty lump in his throat at Sanzo's suspicion had been right all along. Gojyo hung his head low at the information.

"Are ya' sayin' that...that..Ayane did that? All that?" Goku asked a little shakily.

"That very day, she had lost control, almost like she did today but only much worse. Far worse than anything you can imagine, she killed over a thousand men as if they were playthings and she was the one that burned the place to the ground in the rampage. She was absolutely and positively manic with so much hatred and rage..." Kogetsu sighed as he lowered his head at the memory of her like that. "But i had managed to snap her back just long enough for her to be sane again bt she refused to leave. She saved my life when she propelled me out of the crumbling building before bringing the entire structure down, along with herself in it," Everyone was clinging to every word that he was saying as he continued on.

"I returned to the site but there was nothing but a tomb of bodies and smoky rubble."

"These experiments you spoke of, any information on it?" Hakkai pressed gently.

"The rumors were that the scientist were experimenting on DNA splicing. Mixing youkai DNA with that of a human."

Everyone listened almost in disbelief.

"A bio-engineered youkai?" Hakkai almost gasped to which Kogetsu grimly nodded.

"So you are sayin' that the girl is really human," Sanzo blew his smoke out, but he looked a lot more serious than usual.

"At first. Yes."

"But for what purpose?" Hakkai said almost to himself.

"My guess would be an engineered youkai army at a disposal if needed. They are said to have powers and strength that surpasses even us normal youkais," Kogetsu flicked the ash of his cigarette. "They say, that other DNA's are taken as well, from animals and such. Most probably so they can adapt to different climate changes and situations."

Hakkai looked grim. "If that were to ever happen...I cannot even begin to..."

"Hmm... such things are definitely unheard of," Sanzo agreed, a solemn look on his face. "This would pose a new kind of threat to both demons and humans."

"Well... since the fort was destroyed to ground, I can only hope that all the data and specimens were destroyed along with it. Leaving Ayane the first and only living specimen. Her body itself is a genetic treasure trove for those who knows how to extract the information from her altered DNA."

"Ch' this complicates things," Sanzo grumbled as tossed his cigarette to the ground and stubbed it with his boot.

"Dee and ay? huh?" Goku looked utterly confused, as if he was faced with a very complex mathematical problem.

Gojyo tossed a pebble to the young boy's head. "Shut up, monkey! This is grown up stuff."

"No fair! You guys never tell me anything," Goku whined and rubbed where he was hit.

"We do tell you, ain't our fault that yer too dumb to understand!" Gojyo snapped back.

"As if you know what he's talking about," Goku pointed a finger at him. "We all know the only one that understands is Hakkai."

"Enough you two!" Sanzo growled as he smacked both Goku and Gojyo over the head with he back of his hand. "And what exactly did you mean by 'only Hakkai'?" Sanzo leaned in and bore a threateningly glare at Goku who was smiling nervously at the priest.

"Man, you guys sure are lively, eh?" Kogetsu smirked a bit watching them bicker.

"Sorry, this is a daily occurrence," came Hakkai's automated response. "Please continue," he gestured.

"I'm guessing you two are demons?" Kogetsu nodded at Hakkai's ear cuffs and Goku's coronet.

"So what if we are," Gojyo challenged, his crimson eyes burned almost as intensely as the flames in their fire pit.

Kogetsu glanced over to him. "I heard tales of the Sanzo party but i never expected that a priest will travel with demons as his companions," he chuckled a little. "But hey, i'm not judging or anything." he quickly added as he held both hands up.

"They are not my companions," Sanzo stated gruffly. "They are my servants."

"This again?!" Gojyo shook his fist at the blonde monk who defiantly closed his eyes and looked away ignoring the redhead's curses. "Damn, arrogant bastard!"

Hakkai gave a little laugh. "My, we haven't heard that line in a while."

"Besides, who i travel with it's none of your business," Sanzo turned back to Kogetsu, looking sullen and stoic again.

"I asked this 'cause i noticed the limiter's this guy has on," he gestured to his right with his thumb at Hakkai. "That band i put on Ayane, is a demon limiter that was issued for us when we had to go undercover on a mission," he explained.

"We had found her her all bloodied in a forest two towns back. I was appointed to care for her bt whilst changing her bandages, I hadn't noticed any limiter on her and there wasn't any youkai aura either," Hakkai recalled from his memories.

"Hmmph," Kogetsu smirked briefly. "I guess that the rumor might have been right then. The reason you didn't find any on her before is because one must have been implanted into her."

"Implanted?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, they were talks about a new more powerful demon limiter that is able to suppress our demon appearance and even cover our demonic aura as well. But this new revolutionary thing was supposed to be in a form a chip and it was supposed to be that we can switch forms at will."

"Chip?" Goku scratched his head, his mind going immediately to potato chips.

"Not food, ya' idiot!" Sanzo barked at the boy.

"A microchip," Hakkai looked pensive. "It's like a tiny small thin materiel that has circuits on it. Like in a computer or television. I've never heard such a thing on a person before."

"Neither have I. It was a new technology that the scientist had been working on, it was scheduled for mass production but it was still under development. So far, I have only seen blueprints of it," Kogetsu tossed his finished cigarette into the flames of the fire, as it sizzled and burned with an acrid smell. "It was so that it'd be easier for us to do stealth missions. Guess they had one developed."

"But we haven't seen her change before," Hakkai continued.

"Like i said it as still under works, so maybe this might have been a prototype. I'm guessing that it wasn't up to it's full potential. But apparently proven enough to mask the demonic presence."

"So this goes under your skin?" Goku asked.

"Yeah," Kogetsu replied.

"Now, that ya' mentioned it, didn't Gojyo accidentally cut her arm back there?" Goku looked to Sanzo.

"Hmm... maybe whatever this chip is, came out when Gojyo made that wound," Sanzo said.

"What if we go look for it and put it back in?" Goku asked.

"No need, kid," Kogetsu said. "That band should be more than enough for now. Even if we do find it, it's so delicate that it might be destroyed beyond repair. And neither of us has any knowledge on how to make it work anyway. But even with that band on, being a top grade limiter as it is, it still didn't suppress all of it," Kogetsu glanced over to Ayane again.

"What'd ya mean?" Gojyo interjected.

"Well, as you can see, her hair stayed black," Kogetsu stated with a little sigh. Remembering what the scientist had told him. He cringed slightly.

"Yeah why is that?" Goku asked looking genuinely confused.

"I think that might have been my fault," Kogetsu snorted a little bitter laugh as he leaned slightly back in the chair and rested his elbow casually on one of his knees.

"How's that?" Sanzo spoke.

"Well...if im recalling correctly, just before the building burnt down, i had a little 'spat'," he smirked bitterly at the memory of taking on that ridiculous bunny humping scientist. "..with the good doctor. Both the Prince and I was called to his lab which i was never granted access before, that's when i finally out what was really happening, what he was really doing with Ayane. He rambled on about things like DNA and mixing them, i dunno... but he mentioned that even i was a product of his experimentation."

The rest of the men were slightly shocked but Sanzo looked apprehensive.

"You mean to say you were human once?" Gojyo asked as he took drag from a newly lit cigarette, one brow raised skeptically.

"No, i was born demon. But he had experimented on me too... altered my memories. And confused my motives..."

"Brainwashing?" Hakkai's green eyes looked wide at the realization.

"I can recall that before that scientist came over, i was pretty sure i was on friendly terms with Ayane." he said, but still sounded a little uncertain. To which Gojyo stared intently at him.

"Friendly eh?" a little smirk pulled the corner of his lips slightly.

"Oooo, looks like ya' got competition, water sprite," Goku teased with a sneering grin on his face.

"Shut up, if ya' don't know what yer sayin'," Gojyo snapped as he lit another cigarette. Feeling a little flustered.

"Yes something like that i suppose," he answered Hakkai's question. "But the doctor had said that he used my DNA to make her what she is now," he sighed as he pulled a lock of his own dark black hair forwards and allowed it to fall. "I most definitely remember having green eyes when i was younger too," he scoffed wearily. "Looks like our eyes changed to this...," he gestured offhandedly towards his own eyes as he continued, "...godawful color...i just had it for so long now i never thought too much of it but when i saw her today. It has confirmed my suspicion that this must have been some kind of side effect from the experiments."

"Hmmm..." Sanzo breathed but didn't really bother saying anything.

Goku was biting his bottom lip and was biting on the nail of his forefinger, looking lost in thought.

Hakkai had gotten up and proceeded to put a metal teapot over the campfire, which was propped and suspended on wet thick branch over the orange flames. "If i may ask, how did you manage to find us?" he asked as he took his seat again.

"Well.. after I went back to search for her in the wreckage, i didn't find any trace of her. I thought she must have been buried under the concrete but then as i traveled forth, I had overheard townspeople saying that travelers driving a green jeep had taken a gravely injured girl in that more or less fitted her description."

"After following the leads from the what the locals said, I had started asking around for these travelers with the green metal jeep and they all pointed me to next town," Kogetsu stretched both his arms out , cracking his back a little before settling again. "So naturally I followed the route by hitching a carriage ride with some of the traders to the last town. Then I heard talks of black vans in the vicinity here and i knew immediately that they must have been the troops dispatched to capture Ayane. Afterall," he grunted a little noise. "They were under my command before. Only our rally had weapons like that and drove black vans."

"So them guys before did have something to do with ya' then!" Gojyo's body took a more hostile feel as he glared at the demon man before them.

"I'm no longer their commanding Officer. I've left my post the day that fort burnt down," he told them but he kept his eyes trained on Gojyo. Silver dancing eerily in the campfire glow. "I stand on my side now and mine alone." he finished with an iron will that could've melted steel.

"So you're not after Sanzo's scripture?" Goku pipe up.

Kogetsu bellowed a laugh, his shoulders moving with him. "The scripture? The hell am I gon' do with that," he chuckled. "Keep your hair on, folks" he waved his hand at them lazily. "I'm not interested in your precious scripture," he told them as he rested his elbow back on his knee.

"So the scientist that you mentioned before," Hakkai started as he removed the teapot with a damp cloth and started to pour the contents of it into the metal pints that he had lined ready on the ground infront of him. "Do you by any chance know his name and if he made it out of the fort?" Hakkai asked.

A scientist working under Gyoukumen Koushou... it can't be..., but as Hakkai asked the question that was hanging in the still air over them, Sanzo knew his suspicion had to be true.

"I don't know if he made it out alive. As i've said... I fought him that day when i discovered the experiments being done on Ayane. But he had defeated me easily...almost too easily," his lips curled in disgust a little at the memory. "I never thought someone like him, had that in him -oh, thanks," he accepted the metal canister pint that Hakkai had handed over to him and continued. "Yeah, I don't know if he made it out but i do know his name," a scowl crossed his battle worn face as he told them. "Dr. Ni Jienyi."

Gojyo almost choked on his drink. Hakkai and Sanzo exchanged a dark look.

"But..but didn't Sanzo-" before Goku could have finished the sentence, Sanzo had whacked him over the head with his paper fan and sat back in his seat and sipped on his drink.

"Ahahaha, I see..." Hakkai remained calm and smiled, ignoring the a fact that Goku could've leaked information to a potential enemy. Despite everything, it was way too early to trust anyone, he was sure that this man probably felt the same.

Just as Sanzo thought, he had shot that heretic monk months ago but he missed and hit his temple. They had never heard or seen him after the intense battle that day. Now it is confirmed that the bastard was stilll alive. Sanzo cursed nder his breath at this new found information. This changes everything.

"That's everything I know," Kogetsu finally let out a deep breath adn started to sip on his drink, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was not tea but sake. He smiled over at Hakkai. "Appreciate this," he raised his pint slightly to the bespectacled man.

"Hell, we could all use a drink after today," Gojyo ran a hand through his long mane as he leant back onto his elbows on the ground beside Sanzo and stared up at the twinkling stars that peeked from the canopy of the forest.

"For once," Sanzo nodded slightly. "I agree with the cockroach."

"Hakkai..." Goku pleaded as he tugged on Hakkai's green sleeves. " What about me?"

"Oh yes, sorry, here," he handed a juice box to Goku who stared at it then back at Hakkai.

"You've got to be jokin' me," Goku's face was sullen.

"Sorry, Goku, that's all we have besides water and tea and sake," Hakkai smiled.

"I want some too," he told Hakkai, his rond eyes wide and begging.

"No, Goku, when you're older," Hakkai said to the golden eyes that was staring at him.

He had now turned to Sanzo on his left, "Sanzoo, pleease..."

"You heard what Hakkai said," the broody monk said into his own canister as he took another sip without looking at Goku.

"Fine..." he grabbed the juicebox and begrudgingly poked the straw through the hole and started sipping it spitefully.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave with soon, but i need to ask that you keep my presence here today from Ayane," Kogetsu shifted in his seat as he placed the empty pint on the ground.

"So, I'm guessing you're taking her with ya' then?" Gojyo asked, without looking at him, his voice tinged dark and heavy ladden.

"What? No," Kogetsu said, cocking his brow at the question. "I have own mission and if i take her, it will just be putting her into more danger," he explained as he straightened his coat. "And plus," his voice darkened a little. "I don't think it's a good idea for her to be with me. It will bring up far too many bad memories for her, she might never recover from it with me hanging around." He sighed at memories of the tortures that was done onto her by his men and sometimes, himself as well.

"You're not taking the brat with you?" Sanzo asked almost too quickly and too angrily.

"She was tortured, pretty bad too... sometimes to brink of death and starvation...," Kogetsu clenched his fist and closed his eyes at the shame. "They were orders..if only i knew then what i know now..." he sighed again as pushed old thoughts out of his mind. "Which is why, i am not going to stop until i find this cursed man, even if it costs me my own life. But i cant't risk her life anymore. She had lost enough."

"She lost her humanity..." Hakkai said gravely his face tinged with a little despair. He understood exactly what that felt like. More than anyone here.

"I guess an enemy of our enemy is a mutual benefit," Sanzo said, understanding this man's motives.

"Hey, does that mean she can come with us?" Goku asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I never said that!" Sanzo turned to the young boy angrily and barked down at him.

"Why can't she come with us?" Goku asked, his face innocent and sincere. And from the corner of Hakkai's eye, he noticed that Gojyo was intently listening in, hanging onto every word.

"We'll discuss this later, damnit!" Sanzo growled, his otherwise stoic features now twisted with annoyance.

"Actually, priest," Kogetsu gestured to Sanzo, whom turned a threatening glare his way. "It actually wouldn't be such a bad idea if she traveled with you guys. I mean, you are all excellent fighters in battle and she too, has been proven to be an avid fighter. It'd keep her from harm's way... or atleast keep her from harming anyone." Kogetsu looked over to Ayane again.

"Like a leashed pet," Sanzo rolled his eyes in frustration and felt his mood getting fouler as the thought of it alone was enough to make him cringe. "I don't think so. I already have a fuckin' pet i don't need another one!" Sanzo grumbled moodily as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes trying to ignore the growing twitch in his head.

"Hey, who're calling a pet?!" Goku snapped angrily.

Kogetsu stood up and stretched. "Well, i really better be going, and don't worry, if i ever catch wind of those troops again, I'll make sure to eradicate them first," he finished his sentence with a steely cold tone, his eyes for a moment looked merciless, proving the killing machine that he once was.

Everyone got to their feet except Sanzo.

Kogetsu tossed something Sanzo's way, who caught it easily.

"Back up, in case that one gets damaged. Be careful though, that's the last one of it's kind," Kogetsu told Sanzo. It was another metal band, the special demon limiter.

"I'll give you fair warning," Sanzo met his eyes dead on. "If you ever get in our way for wahtever reason, i won't hesitate to kill you," Sanzo stated matter of factly.

"Dully noted," Kogetsu told Sanzo simply. "I won't hesitate to do the same," his face hardened for second before sofetening again. "Thanks for the grub and drink," he told Hakkai as he started to make his way.

"Safe travels, Kogetsu-san," Hakkai smiled curtly.

"Wait," Goku caught up to him. "Are we ever going to see ya' again?" the boy asked. Even though Goku knew that this person should not be trusted completely and that maybe he was a very bad person before, all he saw now was the man he is now. And he also thought that all his weapons and stuff was really cool.

Kogetsu cracked a little smile and ruffled Goku's hair slightly, "I dunno, kid, time will tell, i guess. By the way, you're pretty damn strong for your age." Kogetsu told him sincerely.

"I'm gonna get stronger," Goku beamed happily at the man.

"You do that, kid. You do that..," he smiled nudged his knuckle on Goku's chin in a gesture of goodbye. "Farewell." He told them all as Hakkai and Sanzo watched him take off.

"He does take to people easily, doesn't he, Sanzo," Hakkai laughed a little as he stood watching Goku watch the tall man in the long coat with long black hair that he wore on a long low ponytail started to walk away.

"It's a nuisance is what it is," Sanzo grumbled moodily as he lit a cigarette. Not even acknowledging Kotgetsu's leave.

Gojyo was standing a bit further away from the group, his hands in his pocket, smoking a cigarette, his mind was overloaded with everything that he had learned tonight and all he can think about right now is if Ayane is going to be ok.

Kogetsu paused beside Gojyo, who was looking wearily at him. He still couldn't bring himself to warm up this guy. Maybe because he wanted someone to blame and the fact that he had seen the trauma that Ayane had endured whilst he stood awake for nights, caring for her as she relived her nightmares over and over again. It was very hard for him to find any sympathy for this man that had etched those pains into her.

"Hey, pal, can I bum a smoke of off ya' before I go?" Silver eyes met his in the dim of the forest. The same silver as Ayanes', it was very unsettling to look at, atleast for Gojyo anyway. He dropped his own crimson eyes from the the demon man and looked away spitefully.

"I told ya'," Gojyo said through gritted teeth. "I ain't your pal," but Gojyo tossed his pack to his left anyway, where the demon man caught it and shook one out and brought it to his lips.

They were out of earshot from the rest of the group. A lighter clicked on and the sound of inhalation as he handed Gojyo's pack back. "Relax," Kogetsu told the red head as he blew out a cloud of smoke into the cool night air. "I ain't pickin' a fight with ya'," he told him.

"Hmmph...on any other given day..." Gojyo licked his lips slightly as he took a drag on his cigarette, nodding slightly at the idea of taking this bastard on.

"I don't blame ya' either," Kogetsu said and exhaled smoke. "I can't take back what i've done. But i can do this much," he said as he brought the cigarette back to his lips. "I'll kill the bastard that did that to her. I swear it on my blade."

"Ch'.." Gojyo scoffed. He knew that he meant well and despite himself Gojyo restrained some the words that wanted come out of his mouth. He shifted slightly on his foot and shot a little offhanded glance from the corner of his eyes at Kogetsu. Show off, he thought with a bitter humor.

"Thanks, for the smoke, I'm off," Kogetsu said to the man next to him. Side by side Kogetsu was only one or two inches shy from his height. Bt before he stepped forwards, Kogetsu placed a firm grip on Gojyo's shoulder. "You take care of her. I can tell that you care a lot for her."

Gojyo was taken by surprise by this as he finally looked at the man beside him. "Aren't ya' like her boyfriend seeking out her vengeance, seems like you'll be doing more than i can."

"Boyfriend," Kogetsu chuckled heartily. "I'm a confirmed bachelor to core," he grinned quite a stunning smile. "And plus... I don't like rabbits, I'm more of dog person anyway," he joked before continuing on more seriously, "With powers like that, by right, it should be feared. But i don't see fear in your eyes. She might need you more than you realize." Their eyes met, their gaze exchanged a solemn understanding.

Kogetsu gave Gojyo one last squeeze on the shoulder and started walking away. "See ya' around," he then added slyly with a little chuckle, "...loverboy."

"Ch'.." Gojyo snorted again as he watched Kogetsu disappear into the darkness of the forest, his long black ponytail swaying fluidly even when there is no breeze and following him was the little trail of cigarette smoke, the chink and rustle of his coat and katana faded away into the night. Gojyo took one last drag one his cigarette and tossed it to the ground where he angrily ground it with his boot. His words hung in the air where he momentarily stood.

All of them... just got to be the hero, eh? Makes me feel so damn pathetic, he thought a little frustratedly as he headed back over to where everyone else was.

"Pass me that drink will ya', Hakkai," Gojyo slumped into the seat that was previously occupied by Kogetsu.

Hakkai poured another glass for him, making sure that it was almost full this time, he knew that Gojyo was going through a lot at the moment. He placed the drink in Gojyo's outstretched hand.

The redhead took it silently and started gulping it down. "Imma need something stronger than this, ch', " Gojyo sighed when was done swallowing the warm sake as he glanced over to where the sleeping Ayane was.

"You and me both, shithead," Sanzo grumbled as he tossed a crumpled empty cigarette pack into the fire pit.

"Now...now.. drinking our problems away isn't gonna solve everything," Hakkai waved a finger at the two men with his pleasant smile on his face.

Sanzo and Gojyo exchanged an exasperated look at Hakkai's matronly nagging.

"So what are we gonna do, Sanzo?" Goku sat on the ground where Gojyo had been on Sanzo's left and peered over to where Ayane is still sleeping.

"About what?" Sanzo sipped his drink. Blatantly ignoring the meaning behind the question. Because he didn't want to have to think about it.

"Oh, c'mon ya' pissy monk, ya' know exactly what the kid is sayin'," Gojyo snapped at Sanzo, feeling a little annoyed at how he seems to be the only one worried for the well being of that girl.

"I mean we can't just leave her somewhere now after knowing what we know," Hakkai offered. "But plus the further west we go, it'd be handy to have another fighter on our side." he mused.

"I'm not taking her with us," Sanzo stated gruffly.

"Why not?" Goku challenged.

"Because I said so," Sanzo snapped at Goku.

"But ya' took us with ya, didn't ya?" Goku snapped back.

"It's not like i had any other choice," Sanzo glared the boy. "If it wasn't for the three floating heads, I woldn't even dream of going on a journey from you guys," Sanzo said.

"God, why'd ya' have to be such a stubborn piece of shit," Gojyo started to get up, he cold feel is already foul mood bloom into a more murderous anger.

"That's funny, coming from someone who keeps finding himself in a very tight predicament that requires saving most of the time," Hakkai interjected slyly with a smile to which annoyed Sanzo even more.

"Yeah! yeah, ya' keep gettin' into predi-cumin-predee whatever that Hakkai said!" Goku pointed in Hakkai's direction.

"Not to mention, she saved ya' life back there, monk," Gojyo pointed out to Sanzo as he leaned on tree near Hakkai.

"I didn't ask her to," Sanzo glared over at Gojyo.

"But she did anyway," Hakkai reminded softly.

"Weren't you idiots listening to what that prick said?" Sanzo countered. "She is a loose cannon."

"In some way, can't we all be considered as loose cannons as well then?" Hakkai said, calmly meeting Sanzo's glare straight on. "Aren't we all sometimes on the verge of going berserk too, limiter or no..?"

Sanzo breathed sharply through his nose as he placed his pint on the ground. He understood what Hakkai was saying but he jst didn't want to take responsibility for something if doesn't have to.

He stood up and faced Hakkai and Gojyo, "There is something dark in that girl, and i don't like it," Sanzo stated frankly as he reached into sleeve and produced a new pack of cigarette and started to unravel it before finally lighting one up.

"I refuse to believe that!" Goku suddenly cried angrily. It took them all by surprise.

"What the hell are you so upset about, monkey," Sanzo turned and snapped at Goku.

"I don't care anymore!," Goku yelled, he was on his feet now, fists clenched at his sides and it looked as if it pained him to say his words out. "Go ahead! You can hit me with your paper fan, I don't care anymore. But i refuse to believe that just because she's done something bad, doesn't mean that she is a bad person." It looked as if they were tears brimming at the edges of Goku's eyes.

"Ayane is nice, kind person -" he went on bt Sanzo cut him off.

"You're still so naive, Saru," Sanzo told him as he took a drag on his cigarette.

"Maybe Goku has a point, Sanzo," Hakkai said gently.

"Quit being so stubborn and listen when people are talking will ya'," Gojyo told their blonde priest.

Sanzo whipped out his gun and aimed it past Hakkai squarely at Gojyo, "I'll kill you," Sanzo warned.

"It is very easy to take life but there is a difference between having to take a life and enjoying the kill," Sanzo told them solemnly.

"What happened to her wasn't her fault!" Goku cried.

"When you take a life.. you have to be prepared to have your own life taken from you," Sanzo repeated words that he had said unto them once a long time ago. "That is what you call Karma."

"Just because she killed them, it doesn't necessarily mean that she is evil!" Goku cried heatedly, tears were definitely welling in his eyes. "Hakkai had done some pretty bad things in the past but doesn't make him evil. Look at him now," Goku pointed. "He's Hakkai now. Maybe Ayane can be a different person too. Even me... and Gojyo and even you Sanzo, we have all killed many lives but it doesn't make us bad people, right? Ohhh, i don't even know what I'm sayin' anymore!" Goku ruffled both his hands into his hair looking frustrated to his wit's end.

They've never seen Goku this upset before. And Hakkai felt a little sad having to hear Goku repeat his past to him and also the truths that the boy was shedding.

"But we kill because we have to..." Sanzo said a bit more firmly to the boy, bt his voice took on a more gentle tone this time.

"After everything they've done to her," Gojyo spoke. "...can ya' really say those bastards didn't deserve what had coming for them?" Gojyo walked over closer to where Sanzo stood.

"I mean he did say that she tried to bury her self in the ruins too," Hakkai said. "If that isn't remorse, then I don't know what is."

"I don't want to keep believing that everyone we meet is bad. Not everyone is bad, Sanzo," Goku said, his voice tinged with a little sadness then he added almost to himself than to anyone else. "Right?"

"Haven't you learned by now, you can't trust anyone but yourself," Sanzo said.

"I'm sick of people goin' away," Goku cried, a little tear fell as he remembered the faces of the people that he had encountered and lost. People like Gato and the girl he met in the youkai village when they had disbanded briefly as the Sanzo Party.

"What happened to her was done to her," Gojyo said as he looked over to sleeping figure of Ayane a little further away from them, still not stirring. "She didn't choose to be what she is today."

"You just want her to tag along 'cause you're sweet on her," Sanzo snapped angrily at Gojyo.

Gojyo had reached boiling point now and had lunged forwards and grabbed Sanzo by the front of his robes, almost lifting him on his tip toes as he glared threateningly down on him with eyes that burned hotter than their lit campfire. "You wanna run that by me again, monk?" he bit the last word out viciously.

The atmosphere was definitely hostile now. Tension was high and any forced decency were starting to waver dangerously.

Sanzo's gun clicked, he had it aimed right in Gojyo's abdomen. "You got a death wish? I'll be more than happy to grant it if you do," He dug his revolver deeper into Gojyo's stomach.

"Come now, you two, stop it!" Hakkai intervened quickly. "Maybe it's fated meeting," Hakkai pondered. "The chances that we found her that day... If it was anyone other us i doubt anyone would have even noticed, she'd probably be dead if it wasn't for us," Hakkai noted solemnly. "And what with the new fond information about that other monk still being alive. I'd say, having one more fighter on our team will be doing us a tremendous favor."

They two men finally relaxed and let each other go, though they were still throwing nasty glances at each other. Gojyo walked further away from them and continued to a light a cigarette, before shoving both his hands into his brown leather jacket pockets.

Sanzo was being unfairly outnumbered and he was running out of excuses to give now. What Hakkai had justified was very fair bt Sanzo really didn't want to admit if he could. After a moment of silence, he made his decision. "If it'll shut your traps up, fine. But if she makes one wrong move, I won't hesitate to put bullet in her," Sanzo warned. "And the same goes for you three bastards as well," he added coldly.

"YESS!" Goku pumped a fist in the air, looking overjoyed.

Hakkai, noting that this was as close to an agreement that they can bargain from the priest, felt relief flooding into him. He glanced over to where Gojyo stood smoking. The tall man had his back to him and his face was hidden in the shadows, bt Hakkai didn't need to see his face to know that this meant more to Gojyo than any of them and with that, he allowed himself to take a seat. Finally feeling the exhaustion that he was trying to keep at bay.

"She's not my problem," Sanzo glared contemptuously at them all. "You idiots are responsible for her from now on." he said as he turned and started walking away, he has decided to take a brisk walk away from the camp site. He needed to clear his head and get away from the present company.

Away in dark of the forest, Sanzo slumped his back onto a near by tree and took a long satisfying drag on his cigarette. He closed his eyes at the sweet nicotine bliss and inhaled deep before letting the smoke trail ot of his lungs into wisps of white into the cool night air.

Ch', fated meetings... , he scoffed as he looked into the night sky.

What is fate anyway. Doesn't matter he could only trust himself anyway. And she's their responsibility now.

Suddenly his amethyst eyes caught a strange twinkle from the night sky. It looked as if it was coming closer. He blinked a few times to make sre his eyes wasn't playing tricks on him.

Then a small flash in the night sky caught Sanzo's eyes, as something came sailing down from where the twinkle came hurtling down towards him, he took out his gun and aimed at it bt then the thing, it looked to be like an object, slowed and plopped and rolled slowly to where he was standing, it stopping as it hit the tip of his boot.

He scrunched his face down at it in confusion. Was this a trap? Or some form of a sneak attack, because if it was, it was a very lame one.

He bent down and nudged the object with the nose of his gun and realized it was peach and it had a note pinned to it.

Sanzo picked it up and undid the red string and unrolled the paper;

Dear,

Konzen Douji, oh, wait, I mean, Genjo Sanzo,

It is fated. The girl stays.

Love,

Your favorite beautiful Goddess,

Kanzeon Bosatsu xoxoxo

"Fuck!" Sanzo crumpled the note angrily and tossed the peach into the air, aimed,and fired at it mid air.

Athor's note; okay, here we are very close to the end 2 more chapter will be published soon as i'm writing it now then we are finally done. Hope it was a good read. References to the occurrences in the Gunlock Manga in this chapter.