Natasha was grateful that Sanzo was all right. His wounds were still not completely healed but they were better. Hakkai had mentioned earlier that morning that they should start on their journey again so all of them jumped into the jeep. Gojyo was oddly quiet after having gotten his soul back. He had apologized to everyone earlier and they had all accepted his apologies...well except for Sanzo. He could still hold a grudge.
"Hey you perverted water sprite? Say something!" Goku yelled as he tugged on one of Gojyo's antennas. Gojyo then smacked Goku up side the head.
"What was that for you stupid monkey!" Yelled Gojyo and the fighting started.
"Well, at least it's back to normal," Rayne said, smiling slightly. Hakkai nodded as he glanced over at the silent Natasha and Sanzo.

"You seem awfully quiet today," said Hakkai to Sanzo and Natasha.

Natasha tried to smile, "Well, silence is golden..." she started to say as the yelling got louder in the back seat. Her eyes started to twitch in annoyance, as she turned sharply, "Shut up!" she snapped.

Gojyo and Goku in mid strangling one another froze, expecting the voice to have belonged to Sanzo but were morally surprises to find Natasha holding a certain gun in her hands.

"Hey, that's where it went, again," Rayne said sighing.

Gojyo was about to say something when he heard a soft chuckling. Oddly it was coming from Sanzo. Everyone froze, except for Natasha because for some reason this sounded oddly familiar to her.
"Uh...Sanzo? Are you drunk, high, or maybe even going crazy!" Goku yelled, worried about the monk. Sanzo smacked him upside the head with the fan, the chuckling having stopped.
"I'm fine. I just found it humorous," was all he said before he went back to silence.
"Now that's something you won't hear everyday," Hakkai said cheerily and Rayne nodded in agreement. Natasha just smiled, laying a hand on Sanzo's arm.

SPACE

Homura had been reborn into the world, but his soul and his ambitions from his previous life were erased. For now he served only Vincent.

"Isn't this rich?" Vincent said to himself as he watched Homura's eyes open, "That you will finally be under my control?"

Homura said nothing but he nodded, showing loyalty towards Vincent. He looked the same before he had died except Vincent had given him more power. He was a lot stronger then his fatal battle with Son Goku.
"Good..." Vincent said. He nodded towards two shadows in the back and Shien and Zeon approached to come stand beside Homura.
"Now go kill the Sanzo party...but leave Rayne and Natasha alive...for now," The gods nodded and turned to leave but Vincent called Homura back.
"But please do give your sister a scare for me..." Vincent smirked as Homura replied with a "yes" then followed the others out.

SPACE

Night had fallen upon the Sanzo's Party, and Hakkai thought it would be best to stop for the night, giving Hakuryuu a break.

"Awww, man, I'm-" started Goku but his sentence was cut off as a plate of food was presented to him, "food! Thanks Rayne!" he said grabbing it, munching hungrily.

"Whata pig," Gojyo said disgusted. He seen Goku so many times but the monkey never seemed to eat normally.

Goku gulped the last of the food on his plate and held it up, "Seconds please!"

Rayne smiled as Sanzo groaned annoyed.

Hakkai smiled at Rayne whose gaze locked with his. They seemed to stare at each other for quite some time. Unfortunately for the 'lovebirds' everyone else saw this.
"Hakkai and Rayne sitting in a tree-" They were cut off when someone smacked them on the head.
"Hey Sanzo! What was that for!" Yelled Goku.
"I didn't do it," Sanzo said pointing to Natasha who somehow had Sanzo's fan in her hands.

"Damn, she's becoming the female version of Sanzo... Better looking, unlike some corrupt monk we know," said Gojyo.

"What was that?" Sanzo asked.

Rayne blushed slightly, "Uhm, well, back to cooking!" she said quickly turning away from Hakkai.

"So, this is the so called Sanzo Party? Looks more like children." came a cold voice that sounded familiar to the ears of Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai.

"It can't be," said Goku as three figures emerged from the darkness. The camp fire illuminating them, making their presence known, "Homura?"

Natasha looked up at the intruders, her eyes locked with identical eyes.

"Natasha," Homura said smirking.

Natasha felt a slight pain in her head as some unknown memories came rushing back as she stared at the man that looked so much like her. She pushed the thoughts away as she gripped her sword.
"I thought we killed him..." Goku said gripping his staff.
"And I thought he was a cat," Gojyo grumbled as he noticed two other figures, Shien and Zeon.

"We just have to kill them?" Homura said almost smiling, "This is child's play..."
"Well, weird things have started to happen, so I wouldn't be surprise if Sanzo's stalker came back," said Hakkai.
"Shut up Hakkai," said Sanzo.

"Stalker?" Natasha asked though she never let her gaze wander away from Homura.
"Long story and we defiantly don't have time to discuss it," Hakkai replied as he stood his ground. Homura smirked as he walked forward, his eyes going to the sword in Natasha's hand.
"It seems you have something that belongs to me...sister."

Natasha smirked, "And what's that brother?" she asked taking a step back away from him.

Homura could only half smile as he back handed Natasha, "Foolish," he said as he grabbed the sword, "You shouldn't play with such things..."

Sanzo clutched his side, he wouldn't be too much of help, but he wasn't going to stand for Natasha getting hurt. He raised his gun, pointing it at Homura.

"I wouldn't do that," said Zeon appearing before the monk. Zeon grinned as he smacked the barrel of the gun into Sanzo's chin, sending the monk backwards.

"Sanzo!" Shouted Goku as he saw Sanzo fall. He was about to go over and help him when Shien appeared before him, "outta the way!" snapped Goku as he swung his staff at Shien who could only surpass a hidden smile as he grabbed the staff's end.

"You will not intrude," Shien said.

Meanwhile, Rayne was starting to help Natasha up. She seemed a little hurt but not by much.

Homura smirked, "Come on is that the best you can do?" he asked almost laughing. Shien and Zeon were keeping the men busy, "Show me what you got…"

Rayne stood up, "You really want that?" she asked as she closed her eyes.

"Rayne…What are you doing?" Natasha asked as she picked herself up.

Strange light started to surround Rayne's body, and then her eyes opened as she vanished, only to reappear in front of Homura. She grabbed Homura's face with both hands.

"Don't mess with me," said Rayne darkly as Homura's face began to sizzle underneath her hands.

Homura's eyes darkened as he pushed Rayne back, slashing her across the stomach with his sword. He gasped for breath as he watched her fall backwards, blood spilling out.

"Rayne!" Hakkai yelled in panic as he rushed to his fallen comrade.

Natasha glared angrily at Homura who's face was starting to heal. She knew Rayne was very powerful and that attack was quite unusual for a human but she wouldn't pry into her friend's secrets, not yet anyways.

Homura smirked as he gripped the sword in his hand. "Just like old times, right Son Goku?" Homura asked as he looked at the bleeding forms of Sanzo and Rayne. Goku was fighting Shien while Gojyo and Hakkai were fighting Zeon and trying to help Sanzo.

"What do you want with us?" Natasha asked as she glanced at Rayne, "You have no purpose anymore, you're only a mere doll." She said.

Homura's eyes flickered with anger, "You think so? I know more than you, and everything you would want to know."

"What's that?" She asked not caring for the surroundings around her.

Homura smirked, "Way, the thing can do something inhuman," he said pointing at Rayne, "And why, he wants you." He replied as Natasha's interest perked up.

Natasha stopped. She had wanted to know why Vincent wanted her. Why her?

Homura smiled at this, "Who's the mere doll here?" he asked while he watched Natasha's movements, "My lord only wishes for you to give up everything…"

"Shut up," came Sanzo's voice from behind Homura. The click of a gun was heard. Homura could only roll his eyes, "You talk too much."

Sanzo fired a shot at Homura but it was once again deflected off of the shield.

"Don't you ever learn Konzen? That does not work on me." Homura mused as he rushed at Sanzo preparing to kill the troublesome monk once and for all.

Natasha saw this coming and before she even thought of what was happening she ran in front of Sanzo. Homura just smirked at this as he swung down his sword. Suddenly a powerful light surrounded Natasha and Sanzo and the attack was deflected and Homura was thrown through the air. Rayne watched the whole thing, smiling slightly. Natasha's true power was showing through even with her power limiters still in place.

'Damn! She's learning to control her Ultimate,' he thought in mid-air. In his mind he wanted to keep fighting them, but as the thought crossed his mind, he, Shien, and Zeon vanished from the battle field.

Natasha gasped for air as the light faded. She turned towards Sanzo who was holding his side.

"Damn," Sanzo muttered as blood seeped through his robes.

"Sanzo..." Natasha muttered as she put his arm around her shoulder as she tried to hold him up. He grunted not really wanting to admit that he needed help even to her but he didn't say anything. Hakkai and Goku helped Rayne up. Rayne was in pain but the wound would heal soon.

"So what do we do now guys?" Gojyo asked as he went to help Natasha with Sanzo. He still felt guilty about what he did to them earlier and he was still trying to make up for it though Natasha had told him countless of times that it wasn't his fault.

"We need to get you and Rayne to an INN," said Hakkai, "Your wounds have to heal."

Sanzo turned to Hakkai, "I don't need rest, I'm...Ah," he started to say as pain shot through his side.

Hakkai smiled, "Stubborn to the end…"

"What's going on here with Homura and all," Goku asked.

"Vincent wants to end everything…He wanted to obtain what he couldn't, to reach beyond the Ultimate…" Rayne said in reply, "Vincent wants nothing more than to destroy what he hates, to repeat……"

SPACE

"So, she finally knows how to use her Ultimate?" Vincent asked Homura in his chambers.

"Yes…But my lord, why did you take us out of there?" Homura asked.

"Questioning me?" Vincent asked, "You're not programmed to ask questions here. You will only kill."

"Sorry, my lord," Homura said as he bowed.

"Good. Now, they will come to me. Rayne did a foolish thing, showing what she can do," He smirked, "Everything is going as planed. They will come here, and die just like they did before…"

SPACE

Hi Rayne Hakkai here! I put up the last two chapters and now this one! I hope you love the story so far, and thank very much to all of the reviews we have received! Oh, but a little quick question to ask: Did you like the past? I wrote that because Natasha didn't know what to write and I had an idea of what I wanted to happen. So thank you again!