AN: So, I think this is the longest chapter to date. And there's some action. Hope you enjoy it. ~safarigirl

Night Rain

Chapter 10

Sanzo picked at his food while Goku and Gojyo fought over the last of the spring rolls. He furrowed his brow and a frown creased his mouth when Goku stood, almost tipping the table over in the process. Across from him, Hakkai smiled with false charm.

"Sit down, Goku," the green-eyed man said. Sanzo was grateful. A headache was building behind his eyes.

"I was saving that one," the eighteen year old whined, his bottom hovering over the chair, his chopsticks locked with Gojyo's around the bit of food.

"I didn't see your name on it," Gojyo bit back, standing as well.

"Sit your asses back down!" Sanzo yelled, drawing his fan from his sleeve and smacking both the redhead and the brunette across their heads.

"Sanzo," Hakkai reprimanded, his voice soft. Sanzo ignored him and continued eating as if nothing happened. But the monk wasn't very hungry. When he deemed he had eaten enough so that Hakkai wouldn't harass him, he put his chopsticks down. A quick glance around the table revealed that Goku had cleaned more than his fair share of plates, and that Gojyo and Hakkai were likewise finished with their meal. With a snort, he stood.

"We're leaving."

"But, Sanzo."

"Now."

Surprisingly, he didn't hear any more arguments. The group paid for the meal and made their way to the door. Sanzo settled in to the passenger seat. He fished out a cigarette and lit it before crossing his arms over his chest and waiting for the rest of the group to take their places in the jeep.

"Hey, isn't that Amaya?" Goku asked as he climbed in behind Sanzo. The priest didn't bother turning.

"I think you're right," Gojyo agreed. Sanzo arched an eyebrow and turned his head to where Goku pointed. His eyes followed the long tanned finger to the figure shambling toward them. Her caramel hair blew around her, revealing three facial tattoos and pointed ears. Her ever-present silver chain was missing. Her blue eyes were blank, dead.

"You think she changed her mind?" Goku asked as he jumped out of the car and started toward her. He stopped when Gojyo put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think she changed her mind, Goku," Hakkai supplied, catching on to the same changes Sanzo noticed about the girl. They watched as she continued toward them, her shuffling gait making her look like a puppet.

"Kill Sanzo," she said, her voice hollow. A chill ran down Sanzo's spine to hear it. He hide it by standing and stretching out his back as he took one last drag of his cigarette and snubbed the butt out under the heel of his shoe.

"Hate to do this to such a pretty face," Gojyo wisecracked as he called his weapon to his hand.

"But we certainly can't let you kill Sanzo," Hakkai added, taking a stance and drawing chi energy into his cupped hands.

"Amaya, snap out of it," Goku added, his Nyoi-Bo appearing in his hand. "Cause I won't go easy on you if you're trying to hurt Sanzo."

A sai appeared in each of Amaya's hands.

"Guess that's all the answer we're gonna get," Gojyo commented.

Sanzo grunted, taking out his Smith and Wesson. He pointed at the demon girl and pulled the trigger. But Amaya was quicker than he would have guessed. She leapt into the air, dodging the bullet and bringing her closer to the group of four.

Goku charged, his staff whipping up and coming down where she had been, but she wasn't there anymore. A sai struck out, catching Goku in the bicep. The young man growled, but didn't slow. He came in, his staff swinging out to trip her. She jumped up and over it, gracefully landing across from Goku, her weapons posed in front of her.

Sanzo took the opportunity to shoot again. Again, she dodged out of the way. This time, Gojyo was ready for her. The crescent blade of his shakugetsujyo shot out toward her. A sai went up, blocking the blade and bouncing it back to the half-demon. Gojyo, too skilled with the weapon to let that bother him, whipped the handle a different direction, causing the chain to fly toward their enemy. It wrapped around one of the two sai. Gojyo smirked. The expression fell from his lips when, with a flick of her wrist, Amaya untangled her weapon and freed herself.

She was in the air again, hurdling toward the redhead. Gojyo lifted his weapon, blocking her attack with the shaft before spinning it in his hand to hit her with the flat end of the shakugetsujyo. The sound of metal clanging on metal filled the air as Amaya blocked. Goku used the distraction to his advantage, attacking Amaya from the side, the gold tipped staff connecting with her ribs. She flew through the air, smacking into a nearby building. A yellow ball of chi blasted her, kicking up dust and debris as it smashed into her and the wall.

Gojyo lit up a cigarette as he, Goku, and Hakkai returned to Sanzo's side. No one was smiling.

"Why do you think she did it?" Goku asked, as he stared at the spot Amaya had just been.

"I think she was brainwashed," Hakkai answered when Sanzo didn't. Sanzo ignored them, his violet gaze locked on to the pile of rubble that used to be a building. He wasn't convinced that the girl was dead and gone.

"It's a shame to waste such a beautiful life," Gojyo added.

"Don't get careless," Sanzo snapped, his gun still training on the ruins. Three heads snapped up when the debris moved, shifted, and revealed Amaya, cut and bruised but weapons still in hand. Dead eyes stared down at Sanzo before she leapt into action, half running, half jumping toward the group. Goku and Gojyo had their weapons out as Sanzo emptied the remaining bullets at the girl. She was quick, only one of the four grazing her bare arm. It didn't slow her.

She jumped at Goku first, her sai slashing left and right, one catching Goku across the thigh has he tried to dodge out of the way. Sanzo clenched his jaw as he reloaded as quickly as possible. He noticed a dozen cuts on the girl's torso, the blood oozing out to stain her grey tank top, but she showed no sign of being in pain, no sign of stopping.

He took aim and shot. One of the sai, posed for a killing strike over Goku, flew from her hand. Her head jerked up, dead eyes finding Sanzo and locking with his purple ones. She back flipped away from Goku, allowing the monkey to regain his footing, and found the weapon again. Rearmed, she came in fast, running for Sanzo.

Hakkai stepped in front of the blond priest, his hands forming a chi blast. The yellow energy charged the demon girl, hitting her in the chest. She flipped head over heels, and landing in a pile on the ground. But she had her feet back under her before Gojyo could deliver the killing blow with the flat blade of his weapon.

She stood for a moment before the four traveling companions, weapons at her side, blood streaming in rivulets down each arm. Lifeless eyes hidden beneath caramel hair made it difficult for Sanzo to calculate her next move. It didn't matter. She was standing still. He leveled the gun at her and squeezed the trigger.

She lunged to the side, the bullet taking only a chunk of her hair. She rushed past Hakkai, her sai twisting her hand as she moved. The ball of the handle can back, slamming against the back of the healer's skull. The human-turned-demon took a single step forward before crumbling to the ground.

"Hakkai!" three sets of voices yelled, but Sanzo focus couldn't stay on Hakkai for long. Amaya and Goku met in a clash of weapons and curses.

"Crap, she's gotten stronger. How the hell did she do that, Sanzo?" the brunette struggled to spit out as he pushed against the girl with his Nyoi-Bo. The priest didn't know how to answer, so he grunted instead, keeping his weapon targeted on the girl as her and Goku fought. What the hell was she? And, more importantly, who the hell was controlling her? He glanced around, but couldn't feel any other demon in the area. He couldn't fight something that he couldn't see.

"Shit," Goku swore, pulling Sanzo's attention back to the battle in time to see the blade of Amaya's sai slit across his chest, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake.

"Goku," Gojyo exclaimed, clenching the shaft of his weapon tightly in his hand. The crescent blade shot out, headed to Amaya's back. She twisted at the last moment, one weapon blocking Goku's attack, the other fending off Gojyo's. It was an imperfect defense, and she received another cut for her troubles, but Sanzo noted that she still showed no signs of slowing down.

Amaya pressed her attack, spinning left and right, flipping over Goku's head, relentlessly plunging her blades at Goku. The boy, for his part, was blocking, spinning and jumping with equal zealous, but Sanzo could see that his attacks were slowing. Even with Gojyo adding his support, tag teaming with Goku, they could not stop the demon girl. All three were cut up and bruised. Goku and Gojyo were breathing hard.

"Damn, this bitch won't go down," Gojyo puffed out as he took a quick breather, leaning against his weapon. Sanzo saw an opening and shot, but missed again. Amaya jumped up, spinning in the air. Her foot kicked out, colliding with Goku's face. Her other foot struck out at Gojyo, smashing into his chest before he could get his weapon around to block it. Both men stumbled, Gojyo falling to his knees. Goku took a single step before he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Goku," Sanzo yelled out. His gaze was ripped way from the fallen boy when he heard a faint "shit," from Gojyo. The redhead was lying on the ground, blood seeping from a wound on the back of his head.

Seething violet orbs rose to meet listless blue. She stumbled toward him, all the proof Sanzo needed that the puppet's body was at its limits even if the puppet-master wasn't.

"Give me the scripture," the hollow voice demanded. It almost sounded like Amaya, but was distance and cold. Sanzo steeled himself as he stared at the strange girl before him.

"No."

"I will have that scripture, Genjo Sanzo."

"Over my dead body."

"Then you will die," was the calm response. Amaya continued to stagger forward, her sai raised, ready to take his life. He didn't lower his gun.

"I will kill her," he announced to whoever was pulling the strings.

"See if I care."

She stopped a few feet in front of him. He wouldn't miss. She couldn't dodge that close to him.

"No!" The scream erupted from the girl and, just as Sanzo pulled the trigger, blue eyes cleared.

"Sanzo," she whispered, crystal clear eyes locking with his for just a moment before she collapsed to the ground, her life's energy draining from the bullet hole.