A.N: Hi all! If you are reading this then that means you are enjoying my story. ^_^ Hope  

         you continue to enjoy it.  Thanks to my reviewers!

          DevilsTrill: I promise to work hard to catch those errors in the future.

          Malaprop: I know, that battle was kinda sucked, but it was my first real one on one

                           fight attempt.  No worries.  You will get to see Sanzo in action in later

                           chapters.

          Warning for later things, there might be some OCCness, but not a lot.  I try to

            avoid but when it does occur, it is usually for strict plot purposes that will all

           make sense in the end.  But for now, enjoy! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, I just barrow the characters and concepts for my little

                    game of What If…                                        

Fate Plays Her Hand ch. 3

Night's Deception

Sanzo awoke with a start finding himself face down on the hard wood floor.  The sun was high, painting his room with pure rays of light. Quickly, he shut his eyes as the pain in his head fully awoke him.  His head felt like a block of concrete and his muscles were stiff and sore from spending the night on a merciless bed. He pulled himself up and slowly made his way over to the dresser. A small bowl filled with water sat invitingly waiting for him. Immediately, he dropped his hands into the still water and brought the soothing liquid to his burning face.  The cool water shocked his brain out of the slump it was in. He looked up into the mirror and noticed an angry bruise forming on his cheek.  Like a slap in the face, the events of last night came full force to the front of his mind.  He turned and surveyed the room looking for what he knew was missing. "Damn it…" Quickly, he retrieved his gun from the floor and dashed out of the room. 

"When I get my hands on that girl…" 'I'm going to kill her.' He ran down the hall to the other rooms and searched each, looking for the inhabitance, but to no avail.  "They must have left during the immediately after she stole it."  Sanzo looked up at the small clock hanging on the wall as it struck the hour.  "Crap, they are already several hours ahead of us." His companion's voices drifted up from downstairs. "Don't tell me they haven't noticed that our 'hosts' are gone." Sighing in frustration, he turned and ran downstairs and stopped, completely shocked at the sight he now faced.  There, sitting as if nothing had happened, was Hakkai, Goyjo, and Goku enjoying what looked like the remains of a very large breakfast. 

Goyjo and Goku were going through their daily ritual of fighting over the last bit of food left, with Hakkai just laughing at them. He looked up from the table and noticed Sanzo standing there, looking as if he hadn't slept very well.  "Good morning, Sanzo." He said with a feigned smile. "How did you sleep?" he asked already knowing the answer to that question.  Sanzo just rolled his eyes and stormed over to the table, grabbing the last bit of toast from Goku's outstretched hand before Goyjo could get a hold of it.

  "Hey! That was mine!!!!" Goku interjected but was quickly silenced by the glare Sanzo shot him.

"Nice shiner, Sanzo. Get into a fight with the bed post?"  Goyjo said with a snort as he slumped back into his seat, knowing that he had lost the fight over the toast. 

"We're leaving." Sanzo said in a harsh tone, his temper rising by the second.

"What? Why?"  Goku started. "I haven't even had a chance too…"

Sanzo turned his killer look on Goku. "Shut your face and move your ass."

Two minutes later, the Sanzo-Houshi party was on the road again, pursuing the thieves who were so hospitable to them the night before.  Sanzo sat scowling in his seat.  His temper hadn't approved at all since they left.  The fact that he had to explain the events of last night three times and deal with the complaints and questions of his companions hadn't helped in easing his annoyance.  He replayed the events of last night over and over in his mind; from the moment they found those two girls on the side of the road to the part where he found himself face down on the floor. It just didn't make sense.  Why would they, no, she steal the sutra.  That one question wasn't just running through Sanzo's mind at that moment, each member of the group was trying to come up with an answer to that one question.  But one thing was sure among the four pursuers, once they caught up with their 'hosts', there would be some questions that needed to be answered.

Hakkai was surveying the ground, keeping a close eye on the very faint path before them.  An untrained eye would overlook the tracks they were following.  No print could be found in the road, but the grass on the side of the road gave away the path the thieves had taken. After about twenty minutes of straight driving, Hakkai abruptly stopped the car, throwing the other three contemplating men not only from their thought, but also from their seats.  Goku, Goyjo and Sanzo lie in an ungraceful heap infront of the car.

"HAKKAI," Goku screamed as he jumped up from on top of his two friends, "what the hell are you doing!"

"Yeah, if you wanted to kill us, you might have wanted to try a method that worked." Goyjo snapped as he pulled himself off of Sanzo, who just sat there, his temper quickly reaching the point of murderous.

Hakkai got up and walked to the side of the road as Hakuryu turned back into its dragon form.  He bent over the grass and studied it closely.  The others just stared at him in silence, not entirely sure what he was up to. "Look at this."   

Sanzo stood and walked over to where Hakkai waited, pointing into the trees that surrounded them. Goku and Goyjo quickly followed him, gazing in the direction Hakkai was indicating.  "Their path turns north from here.  It seems to me that they are headed toward the foothills of those mountains." He said as he turned his gaze up to the towering mountains in the distance.

"That look's like a good ten day journey away on foot, maybe seven if you're not carrying any supplies. What are those girls up too?"  Goyjo wondered as he took out his cigarettes and quickly lit one.

"Whatever it is, we had better catch up with them before we lose even more time than we already have.  Let's go."  With that, Sanzo forged on into the thick forest ahead of them.  'I hate detours.'

      *                       *                        *                       *

The sun was kissing the peaks of the distance mountains as dusk fell over the thick, green forest.  Night would soon be falling over all the creatures of this hidden world.  The sky had been cloudless all day, making it quite sure that the night would be cool and crisp with the moon shining in all her glory with her sister stars right beside her. The forest was quiet save for the occasional bird song; a picture of natural serenity rarely enjoyed by those of this world. But the silence was not lasting as the sound of hurried footsteps broke through the coming night.  Four shadows raced through the growing darkness running with inhuman speed.  Trees rushed by the four as they pushed on, not stopping for anything save for food. 

Sephira held a great pace, followed closely by Emma as Nara and Roxanne brought up the rear.  They had been running almost non stop for the better part of the day and now needed to find a place to camp for the night before they all collapsed from exhaustion. Sephira quickly glanced around, recognizing the area she was in.  'Excellent, there should be a clearing here soon where we can stop.'  As if her thought had materialized in front of her, the trees began to become less dense and revealed a small clearing just a few feet ahead.  Sephira smiled as she sped up just a little, the prospect of rest driving her forward.  In a flash, the four broke through the veil of trees and halted in the middle of the clearing.  Nara and Roxanne both slumped gratefully onto the soft grass and rested their sore feet while Emma surveyed the area.  It was a small circular clearing, surrounded on all sides with trees.  The quite trickling of a stream could be heard not far off.  Taking a deep, relieving breath, she sat down and began to shrug off the burden she had been carrying since before dawn.

Sephira remained standing, deep in thought.  She looked up at the mountains still far in the distance.  "Good job everyone; we covered a lot of ground today. We shall rest here tonight."

"Kinda figured that one out, Seph." Roxanne said with a tired laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you did.  Well, get as much rest as you can, we need to start out no later than dawn tomorrow." A tired groan followed this command but was soon quelled as Sephira spoke again. "Emma, go get some fire wood. I think we can chance a small fire.  Rox, you go with her and see if maybe you can catch anything worth eating.  Nara, there is a stream not too far from here.  Go and fetch some water, I'm sure I'm not the only one ready for dinner." The other girls responded in hungry voices as they scattered to perform their jobs before the sun completely died.

She watched the others disappear into the shade of the great trees. When she was finally alone, she slumped to the ground and dropped her tired head into her hands; the weight of the events of the last few days falling heavily upon her.  'Master always said that a leader never finds rest but I never quite got that till now.  Hmph…why did this have to happen now…'

      *                       *                        *                       *

1 week ago

…the mountain youkai had been a constant problem.  In years past, the village was always in shambles because of constant Youkai attacks and raids. All hope seemed lost, until one day, a stranger came to the village with only a small bag and an equally small girl with him.  He was traveler from the East looking for a peaceful place to settle and raise his child. When hearing of the youkai attacks, he made a deal with the village.  If he protected the village from the raiding youkai, the village would have to provide him with a house and a little money to start his new life.  The village quickly agreed and built him a house a mile or so from the village, as he requested. The stranger kept his word and protected the village.  Many battles were fought over the years, but soon the youkai attacks became less frequent and then ceased completely. The man became the town's hero and peace finally reigned.  The town began to prosper in the new times of peace, and the stranger retired to his home, where he lived quietly…

 

"…with his four wonderful apprentices in everlasting happiness. The End. Hmm… that sounds about right."  Emma leaned back in her chair as she thought about the last bit of her tale. The sun shone down happily on this clear autumn day as people on the streets rushed back and forth trying to complete the day's tasks. Emma just sat quietly at table outside of a small café, enjoying the change in the weather.  Approvingly, she jotted down the last sentence and looked over the parchment that was now covered in her smooth handwriting. "Perfect." 

"Are you finished?" Emma, startled, looked up at the face that matched the voice.

"Yes, finally." Emma said as she smiled up at her best friend before taking a sip of the drink infront of her.

"Good."  Sephira replied as she sat down next to her friend, setting down the package she was carrying. "Has Nara and Roxanne come back? I told them to meet us here two hours ago."

"Oh, you know how they are, either Roxanne found a sale or Nara got lost…or both for that matter." Emma commented lightly as she rolled up the beige scroll and sealed it with some red wax. "Is what I think it is?"  Emma asked, regarding the large package on the table.

"Yes. The seamstress worked extra hard on it just so it would be ready on time." Sephira said, her eyes dancing with secret mirth. "Now all we need is Nara to finish buying the food and Rox to find whatever it is she is looking for and we will have all we need to surprise him with a wonderful birthday feast."

Emma smiled. "I can't believe you convinced us to sneak out and do this.  You know master will be suspicious when he wakes up and finds that we are not home, especially when he finds the left over breakfast we left for him."

"Oh he'll be fine." Sephira said nonchalantly as she turned and glanced down the street which was full of people. "Where is Nara and Rox, we really need to be heading back now. "

"There they are!" Emma exclaimed as she pointed toward the ever moving crowd. Nara was leading Rox by the hand, quickly maneuvering the two of them through the crowd toward the small café where Emma and Sephira sat waiting for them. Emma quickly stood and waved them over.

"Well, speak of the dark one and he shall appear." Sephira said with a huff as the two finally arrived. "Where have you been?"

"Gomen-nasai." Nara said as she and Rox sat down and nearly dropped their bags onto the ground.  "We were on our way, but then we got…um…side tracked." She replied in embarrassment.

"In other words, Rox picked up on a sale, right?" Sephira accused.

"Can you blame me?" Rox said with a laugh.

"Yes, we very well can." Sephira said in exasperation, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Now, did you get your gift?"

"Yes, yes, we got everything we needed." Rox replied in a huff.

"Good, then let's go. We have to hurry; we've already been gone too long anyway." Sephira said quickly as she stood and began to gather up some bags.

"Ah! But we just got here and I'm thirsty." Rox complained, fanning herself with her hat.

"Well, if you were on time, you would be able to get a drink, but no, you were late and now so are we so get up off your lazy butt and get moving." Sephira commanded in an overly mother like tone.

"Fine, whatever you say; you're the leader." Came Rox's mocking tone as she stood and began to gather her bags.

"Here, I can help with some of those." Emma said as she helped Nara with the grocery bags.

"Thanks! We got extra just in case. You know how master loves a feast." Nara said with a smile.

"Yeah, and yet he keeps his figure; makes me ill." Rox said with disgust.

"Come on!" Sephira said as she started to walk away.

"Matte!!!" the others yelled as they rushed to catch up with their impatient leader. They quickly made it out of town and started down the dirt path that led through the forest to their house.  The sun shone down as the wind blew a gentle cooling breeze.  The four girls walked and laughed, trading stories of their shopping adventure.  After about forty minutes, the path turned east toward their house.  The trees were high above, casting a small shadow on the road adding to the serenity of the day.

"Wow. This is the perfect weather for master's birthday. Maybe we should have the feast outside." Emma suggested as she enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

"Yeah, that's a great idea, Emma. Can we Seph, please!!!!" Nara begged, eyes wide pleading with their eldest comrade.

"Sounds like a plan. We can eat as the sun goes down. It'll be perfect." Sephira said with a laugh. Nothing was going to ruin this day. At least so they thought. As they continued to walk, Roxanne suddenly stopped in her tracks, taking in a deep breath, her body stiffening.

"What is it, Rox?" Nara asked as she stopped and turned to her best friend.  Roxanne gave no answer but just stood completely still as if trying to place something.

"Rox? Hey, you ok?" Emma asked concerned as she and Sephira stepped toward her. Roxanne continued to stare forward, her eyes unreadable, hidden behind her dark sunglasses.  The forest around them had gone deadly silent, as if anticipating the answer.

"Oh no…" Rox whispered her tone laced with dread. Before anyone could stop her, Roxanne dropped her bags and bolted forward, straight toward the house.

"ROX!!! WAIT ROX!!!" The others yelled after her in vain. They quickly picked up her bags and chased after her.  They ran as fast as they could until they came into view of the house, but the site stopped them dead in their tracks. 

The house that stood in front of them was indeed theirs, but something was wrong, it was in shambles.  The door was knocked in and the windows were shattered. Rox stood only a few feet away from it, stark white in disbelief. A scream escaped her lips as she dropped to the ground. Nara dropped her bags and ran to catch her with Emma in tow.  Sephira walked slowly to the house, her steps cautious and heavy.  Panic overtook her and she raced inside, hoping against hope that what she was thinking was a lie.

"MASTER!!!" She raced through the house, checking and searching every room.  Amazingly, only a few rooms downstairs weren't badly damaged. Her heart beat faster and faster as she raced up the stairs. 'Please, please be here.'  She finally reached his room and pushed open the door. It looked as if a battle had taken place here not too long ago. The bed was overturned and the dresser knocked down, several items once beautiful lay scattered in pieces on the floor. She surveyed the room over and over for any sign, but found none. Her heart stopped, he wasn't there. Turning in disbelief, her eyes fell on the back of his door. There, nailed to the wall by an evil looking dagger was a note written in blood red ink. She quickly tore it down and hastily read the message written in sharp, cruel handwriting.

Your master is know in our possession.  If you want to see him alive anytime soon you will do what we command. In five days, one of you, ONLY one, will meet a member of our band at the end of the forest seven miles north of here.  There we will tell you our terms.  If you don't follow these orders, the only part of your master you will get back is his worthless head.

                The Lycaniar Clan

 She read the letter over and over again, but still not believing what she read. Her master was gone. Taken…but why? She grasped the ransom note tightly in her hands and slowly made her way back downstairs, the pain of the recent event tearing her heart to shreds.  She wanted to break down and unleash the emotion raging through her body, but she knew she mustn't, if not for the others sake, but for her own. 'I have to be strong, I can't lose it now.'  She found the others sitting on the couch waiting for her.  Nara and Roxanne both looked distraught and Emma was nearly the same.  They all looked up with tear stained faces as Sephira made her way downstairs.  Walking slowly to them, she handed Emma the note.

"We have a problem…"

 

      *                       *                        *                       *

The sound of hurried footsteps brought her out of her reminiscent state. Sephira looked up to find Emma and Roxanne hurrying in her direction with urgent looks on their faces.

"We have a problem." Emma said suddenly.

"What is it?" Sephira asked, her leader mode taking over in an instant.

"The guys are on our tail and are heading this way." Roxanne replied horridly.

"What? Already?" 'They are better that I thought. We had at least got a good day's head start.  How did they catch up so quickly?'  "OK, let me think here. Emma, go get Nara, we have to get them out of our way now or they will be on our trail the entire time." Emma immediately turned and ran to find their youngest companion as Sephira turned and walked to her pack.

 Roxanne closely followed her, her senses now on full alert. "What do you plan to do?"

"What else, an ambush.  If we don't stop them now, we will never be able to get to master in time." Sephira said as she rummaged through her bag.

Roxanne just stood watching her, her mind lost in thought. They were a full day's a head of them, how did they…no…Roxanne gasped in realization gaining Sephira's attention. "What is it?" Sephira asked curiously.

"I know how they caught up with us? Their dragon…it turns into a jeep.  They drove this far." Roxanne answered in a heavy tone.

"Well, that explains it. We will just have to do something about that then." Sephira said as she turned back to her bag and pulled something out. In her hand, she held a small brown pouch filled with long, thin silver needles. Emma and Nara soon returned and joined their other two friends as Sephira began her plan of action.

"Ok, the only way we have a chance of beating these guys is if we separate them and hit them fast and hard. You guys decide who you will take out. The time you spent with them should've given you a vague idea of their strength. I'll take down the monk.  I fought him before when I stole the sutra so I know his fighting abilities just a bit." Sephira said, as the darkness around them quickly grew.  The sun now hid behind the tall peaks, as if not wanting to see the impending battle.

Emma quickly looked around the group and made up her mind. "I will take Hakkai, Rox, you take the red haired hentai out."

"Got it." Rox replied as she got up and made her way to he own pack to retrieve her weapons.

"That leaves Goku up to you, Nara. He may seem tiny, but I have feeling he won't be easy to handle so don't underestimate him." Emma warned, turning her eyes on a nervous looking Nara.

"I won't. He does eat a lot so that means he has a lot to replenish for. I will be on my guard." She replied, putting a reassuring smile on her face. 'Ok, my friend. Time to ask for your help once again. Lend me your strength.'  Nara internally asked as she stood.

"OK, Everybody ready? The sooner we get this done, the better. We meet back here no matter what. Got it?" Sephira said as she stood, geared for battle. The others quickly agreed and finished their preparations.

"Ok. Be careful, my friends, for we cannot waste time here." Sephira said, as she pulled her mask over her. The others followed suit. "Silent as the wind, fast as lightening, hard as a rock." Sephira reminded them solemnly. "Ready…" they all crouched, ready to charge into whatever may come of this. Their nerves being pushed down as instinct took over; plans quickly forming in their minds. The forest grew silent as the tension mounted. Finally it was shattered as Sephira gave the call. "GO!"

      *                       *                        *                       * 

With the night already upon them, the Sanzo party was quickly trying to find a decent place to stop and rest. The four unsuspecting guys walked slowly through the darkness of the forest.  The only light seen was the faint rays of the moon as she began her way out to guard the night. The night was exceedingly quiet as the four guys walked in silence.  Hakkai and Sanzo where side by side in the lead with Goyjo in tow as Goku lagged behind.

Fatigue and hunger had begun to take its toll on Goku. He hadn't eaten since the morning and Sanzo refused to stop for even a second so he could find something to eat. Sighing in annoyance he continued to trudge along.  Looking up, he saw the stars shining brightly, as if laughing at some secret about to be revealed. The peacefulness of the evening became hypnotizing to the tired. Goku began to drift in thought as the prospect of sleep teased his mind.  A rustle in the bushes near him shook him from his thoughts. He quickly turned and glanced into  the darkness around him. Seeing nothing, he shrugged and turned around again to find that Sanzo and the others had left him behind.

"AH! Guys! Wait up!" Goku yelled as he began to run forward, but stopped as a small figure jumped from the bushes and blocked his path. Goku froze in place and  stared at the black clad masked stranger in front of him.  Slowly, the mysterious person pulled put a long, curved sword that seemed to shine with a strange golden aura. A small smile played on Goku's lips as he pulled out his Nyoisan Setsukon. A fight was just what he needed right now…

      *                       *                        *                       *

Goyjo turned as he heard Goku yell at them from further down the road. "Oiy, baka zaru!  We're not that far ahead so hurry up you slow poke or we'll leave you behind." Laughing he turned around again to see that Sanzo and Hakkai had done the same thing to him. "OIY!!" Goyjo yelled as he started to run to catch up, not believing they left him behind too. He followed the path by the pale light of the moon.  Ahead, the path turned around a bend. 'They should be just behind there. They couldn't have gone THAT far.'  he thought as he hurried along.  Coming around the bend, he was met not by his comrades, but by a glint of silver flying right toward him. He quickly moved to dodge as the object flew past and hit the tree behind him. Turning toward the tree, he pulled out the small silver device.  He held it up to the moonlight revealing a small circular object with four small spikes spun out of it. "What the hell…" but his thought was not finished as three more sped toward him…

      *                       *                        *                       *

Hakkai stood baffled in the middle of the shadowed lane.  He had stopped for one second to check on the others. Seeing them gone, he quickly turned around again to find that Sanzo was gone.  Something was not right. First, Goku and Goyjo disappear, now Sanzo.  The darkness around him seemed to grow as he continued to think.  The wind blew a warning, rustling the trees.  The night grew tense around him as footsteps became barely audible as the wind died.  Hakkai slowly turned as the moon shone down through the trees onto the damp dirt path. A few feet away sat a figure in all black, crouched close to the ground, clutching something close to their chest. The dark figure was unmoving under Hakkai's wary gaze. The stranger looked up at him and smiled beneath its mask. Before Hakkai could react, the mysterious figure charged him and threw a hand full of write powder at him, covering his entire face in the mysterious herb.  Immediately taking it's desired affect, the drug seemed into Hakkai's body. His eyes began to blur and his breath became short and hard to come by. 'What was this stuff…'   

      *                       *                        *                       *

Sanzo sat on the side of the road smoking his first cigarette in hours.  A few minutes ago, he noticed that the others were gone.  Not wanting to waste his energy looking for them, he decided to sit and wait for them, knowing they would come back eventually.  The night air was cool around him as he let himself enjoy his brief rest. Having traveled non stop all day had worn him out, even though he wouldn't even think of letting his companions know that.  Taking one last drag of his cigarette, he put it out in the dark brown dirt of the road.  Leaning his head against the tree he was resting under, he took a deep breath. His violet eyes stared blankly into the bushes on the other side of the road.

"Why don't you just come out already." Sanzo challenged the dark he surveyed. Silence ensued, before his answer came.  Several small flashes of light came from the dark bushes opposite him.  Sanzo raised his hand and easily caught what had been destined for his neck. Immobile in his figures where four long, thin throwing needles. Sanzo stared at them for a moment before dropping them to the ground and stood.  He took a few steps forward, stopping in the middle of the road. Reaching down, he pulled out his pistol and raised it to where it gleamed in the moonlight. It was aimed right for the shadowed bushes. "I told you once, come out. Now."  His voice took a very threatening tone as he glared into the bushes.  After a moment, a shadow moved and a figure fully clad in black came out of the bushes.  Sanzo sneered in recognition. "You again." he spat as his eyes bore into the figure in front of him.

Sephira stood stark still as she saw the recognition in Sanzo's eyes. 'Great.' she thought as assessed her new situation. She stood defiantly before him, watching him warily, waiting for an opening.  She turned her deep blue eyes to meet his violet ones head on. A cloud passed over the moon, casting a shadow on the two fighters facing off.  As the moon peeked back through, Sephira charged.  Sanzo aimed his gun at her approaching form, but before he could fire, she knocked the gun from his hands.  He found himself being bombarded by a series of bunches and kicks being delivered at an astounding pace.  He did his best to block the new on slot. Knowing that he had to end this quickly, Sanzo did the first thing that came to his mind. He aimed a punch for Sephira's ribs.

Sephira barely saw his fist directed at her broken ribs and jumped back just in time. 'That was close.' She fought to control her breathing as once again, the two stood and waited.  'Just as I thought.'  An evil glint shone in his eyes as he watched his attacker blatantly dodge his attack.  Sanzo now knew how to end this fight.  He glanced to the side and found where his gun lay.

Sephira noticed him shift his gaze and took that moment to attack.  She raised her fist and aimed it for his face, knowing she had to end it here. She ran toward him with as much speed as she could muster, throwing as much as she could into this on punch. Time seemed to slow as she charged him.  She brought her fist around to execute her attack, but it was stopped by his strong hand. She swerved in with her other fist, but stopped dead in her tracks as a white hot pain shot through her body.  She tensed as the pain began to overload her mind.  Forcing her eyes down, she saw his hand pushing into her side,  aggravating the one day old wound. Turning her shocked gaze up, she caught his eyes boring into her. She fell shakily to her knees as the pain increased with every movement. "Cheap shot." she breath out, clutching her side, trying to support herself as the pain threatened to take complete control.  She bit her lips hard so the whimpers of pain would not escape her dried lips. Sanzo watched as she her double over in pain before he turned and headed toward his gun.  Sephira shakily lifted her head, through teary eyes, she watched him turn and walk away.    

Sanzo bent down and picked up his gun from the ground.  Cocking it, he turned to face his defeated opponent. Walking over to where she was, he pointed his gun at her head. She looked up into his eyes fearlessly.  Sanzo reached down with his other hand and pulled off the mask that covered her face, not surprised when he saw Sephira's sapphire eyes and golden hair gleaming in the moonlight. Sephira smirked at him as he stared down at her with indifferent eyes. "My sutra, where is it?" he demanded in a threatening tone. She didn't answer, but stared defiantly at him.  The darkness around hem was nothing compared to his mood at that very moment.  "Where is it!" he commanded.  This time Sephira responded with a swift kick to his legs, knocking him flat on his back. Before he could recover, Sephira jumped up, still clutching her side, and escaped into the night.  Sanzo was on his feet a second later and ran after her retreating form.

Sephira ran as fast as she could, the pain in her side making it hard for her to breath.  She had to get back to the camp.  She knew if she got there, the others would be waiting for her and they could help her exterminate the cheating monk.  In the quiet of the night, she heard the footsteps of her pursuer close behind her. She quickened her pace as a glimmer of light caught her eyes. Her camp was only a few feet away. In a new burst of speed, she shot through the trees into the light of a small fire. A gasp escaped her lips at what she saw. On the other side of the fire, she saw her three friends in custody of three men. Roxanne was being held back by a tall man with red hair who was holding her a little too close. Emma sat defiantly with her hands tied behind her back next to a kind looking man with brown hair as a dragon sat on her lap, as if guarding her.  What shocked her most was Nara, who lay unconscious on the ground next to a very sad looking young man with a golden band around his head. Panicked, she rushed toward them. A strong hand stopped her by grabbing her arm and throwing her to the ground.  She fell to her knees and quickly looked up into the cold barrel of a gun as she heard it cock, aimed and ready to fire.

"Don't move or I will shoot you." The cold, threatening voice of Sanzo hit her ears as she realized defeat, but she wouldn't go down easily. She turned her cold eyes to Sanzo and again glared at him with defiance, and now hate.

"I dare you." She spat out menacingly.  The muffled protests of her companions was the only sound that could be heard, save the crackling of the fire.  No body moved as  Sanzo aimed his gun.  Sephira's eyes were fearless and unwavering, her gaze mixing with that of his violet pulls of indifference.  Sanzo didn't move, but he got an evil glint in his eyes as he stared to redirect his aim. Sephira followed him with her eyes as he pointed to the still form of Nara.

"NO!!!" she screamed as she got up and placed her body between the gun and her youngest companion, her arms outstretched in an attempt to make herself wider than her slim form would allow. For the first time that night, Sanzo saw fear in her eyes. "Don't hurt them. I'll do anything you ask, just please, don't hurt them."

Sanzo stared at her in wonder before he lowered his gun. Sephira let out a quick sigh of relief before turning her gaze back to him. Sanzo observed her now with determined eyes. "My sutra. Give it back."

Sephira's eyes became hard again. "I can't."

"Why?" Sanzo said, his tone hard.  Sephira just stood, her eyes pleading with him. Sanzo glared back, his eyes demanding an explanation. They stood like that for a minute, the others looking on in expectation. Finally, Sephira spoke.  "Release my friends and I will tell you." A muffled protest was heard but Sephira ignored it.  Sanzo surveyed her eyes, testing hers with his, looking for any bit of deceit. Finding none, he turned to Goyjo, "Let them go." Immediately, Goyjo, Hakkai, and Goku untied their captives.  Sephira rushed over to where her companions where. Emma was looking over Nara, trying to wake her.  Slowly, Nara opened her eyes and looked up at her friends.

"What happened?" she asked, clutching her throbbing head.

"We'll explain later." Emma replied, examining the bump on the young girls head. Nara looked up and noticed the four guys now with them and sighed.

"I guess this means we lost." She commented dryly.

"Yup, and now Sephira is going to tell them why. Why not just tell them the entire history behind it and US, SEPHIRA!" Roxanne all but screamed as she sat in agitation.

"Shut up, Rox. At least she got them to let us go." Emma replied reproachfully as she sat by the fire next to Nara.  Sephira remained standing as the guys settled themselves.  Now that her mind was a little calmer, she began to think back to the descriptions Emma had told her earlier. The red head who sat as close to Rox as he dared had to be Goyjo, for Emma had said he was definitely a flirt. The one with the dragon had to be Hakkai, who decided to remain standing as he leaned against the tree. The youngest of that group, then, was Goku, who at that moment, was casting strange glances back toward Nara from his position on the other side of the fire, as if trying to see if she was ok. Taking a deep breath, she turned once again and faced Sanzo.

"A week ago, our master was taken by a band of youkai who live at the base of the mountain directly north of here. The day before you guys showed up, I went and met with one of their lackeys to hear their demands. They had only one demand, find and steal the sutra belonging to one Genjo Sanzo and deliver it to their castle in two weeks. The wound I received was their answer to my asking what would happen if we failed. The reply was that our master would receive much worse. Because of that injury, it took me much longer to get back than I had planned. As luck would have it, who would be staying at our home as I return but none other than Genjo Sanzo. Now you know why I refuse to give you your sutra back. Do what you wish, but I am the only one who knows where it is." Sephira finished with a determined expression.

Everyone was staring at Sephira in silence as she stood in front of them, waiting for their answer. Slowly, Hakkai walked up to Sanzo and pulled him aside. The two talked in hushed voices, soon joined by Goyjo and Goku as their conversation became a little more heated. Sephira glanced toward Emma, locking eyes with her best friend, her eyes asking a million questions. Emma just shrugged and turned back to watch the others. Finally, the four guys turned back around.  Sanzo stalked off in a huff as Hakkai approached Sephira with a polite smile. Goku and Goyjo were both grinning from ear to ear. 

"We've decided that, if you let us, we will help you get your master back, if you promise to return the sutra to us after this is finished." Hakkai said with a smile. Sephira felt as if she had just had thirty pounds lifted from here shoulders. She turned to Emma, who was smiling reassuringly at her. Sephira turned back to him with a smile.

"We accept." she said with a pleasant look on her face. She turned and strode over to the others. Emma quickly stood with Nara by her side.

"So, who's hungry?" she asked

"ME!ME!ME!ME!ME! I'm starving." Goku's hyper voice was the first to sound as the prospect of food fully awoke him.  Nara just giggled at him as she began to get things out for dinner.

As Nara and Emma began to prepare dinner, Rox pulled Sephira aside, a concerned look on her pale face. "Are you sure you should be excepting their help? What if they try and steal the sutra while we sleep?"

Sephira just sighed and looked up at her blind friend. "Don't worry, I've already considered that. There is a reason I didn't tell you where the sutra is. They will never find it in a million years. OK? Now just relax. Dinner will be ready soon." she replied with a reassuring smile.

"Ok. But I still don't fully like this." Rox said warily as she turned back toward the camp fire.  Sephira stayed back in the shadows for a minute as a shadow passed over her face. She quickly turned her eyes to the moon as she smiled down at her. "You are the only one who knows my secrets, Lady Luna. You are the only one who knows…" '…the sutra isn't all they are after…'

End ch. 3

A.N: Well, what ya think?  Now the real journey begins.   Please review! Review!

          REVIEW!!! I would like to have 5 new reviews before I post the next

         Chapter.  But till then, ja ne!