Chapter 27

The Beginning

A/N: Its over! I'm just as sad as you guys are.

"Sanzo!"

"I'm here." Sanzo painfully pealed himself of the grass and noticed his companions scattered around him.

There was a grunt as Gojyo sat up, "What the hell happened?"

"The Muten Kyomon happened. The scripture of darkness and nothing." Sanzo answered.

Hakkai stood on wobbly legs, his clothes covered in blood, much like his companions. "Nothing? So I guess what we fell into was nothingness."

Sanzo stood also, "Always the astute one."

The healer chuckled, "Well, I have to be."

Goku stood up and cradled his let arm, "Where are we?"

Gojyo sighed as he looked down from their perch on the hill at the now burning castle, "We're a long way from the fight."

"Dammit." Sanzo started to trudge down the hill, almost falling several times, "We need to back over there."

"Wait for me Sanzo!" Goku stumbled down the hill after the blonde.

"Oi monk! We can't go back in there! It's on fire!" Gojyo reasoned.

"Nai is still in there."

The two men stared at each other for a moment. Gojyo's red eyes bore into Sanzo's and the half-breed gave in, "I'm not losing her again either."

"Let's go Gojyo." Hakkai tugged what was left of his friend's jacket and they all moved towards the castle pitifully. Broken bones, concussions, and internal bleeding was slowing them down and they were all over due for a blackout. They maneuvered around demon bodies, thanks to Nai's men, but stopped as the castle groaned.

There was a fierce roar, the front door blew off its hinges and a body was thrown into the field.

Nai rolled over onto her hands and knees and just stared at the grass, her hair brushed the green and she took a deep breath. She cleared her mouth of excess blood and stood. Her white robes were red in some places, black in others, wounds and burns.

The ikkou readied their weapons as Gyuumaou stepped into the sun. But he was so much more than they expected. He towered over everyone, including the goddess at his feet who stood confidently.

His own injuries seemed not to faze him and slammed his axe into the ground, shaking the area.

"Nai!"

Goku shouted in fear and Nai just held up her hand and shook her head, never turning the face them.

Sanzo growled, "Ill be damned if she tells me not to interfere." He shot at the demon that barely flinched at the bullet as it burned his skin. Nai looked back at him and glared.

The blonde scowled, "Damn."

Gojyo was still in awe, "How is she fighting him? He's huge."

"She's a god Gojyo." Hakkai started, "She's not the Nai we knew anymore."

After a heartbeat Nai dropped her bow and detached the canister of arrows from her back. Gyuumaou smirked, "A fight with no weapons. I will snap your spin woman!"

Nai only smirked at him and he growled as he shrunk to her size and buried his axe into the ground. "Have it your way war god."

She took a punch to her jaw that should have shattered the bones; Nai only spat out the excess blood and came at him.

Goku was disturbed by the view and clenched his jaw in anger. His balled fists began to shake and Sanzo glanced down at him. "Calm down monkey."

"But..."

"She'll be fine." The group turned to the new voice and saw Kyo limping to their side with eighteen bruised and battered men.

Hakkai frowned, "Two men..."

Kyo nodded, "They know what they died for."

Goku nudged him, "Are you going to help her?"

"No. It would disgrace her to receive help."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!"

Kyo chose to stay silent and Gojyo grabbed Goku's shoulder, "Cool it Goku. These things have to do with honor and respect. Don't worry about it."

The soldiers were reminded of their late commanding officer in Gojyo's tone. And Goku took the soothing words from his companion and watched the fight in silence. Nai landed a square hit on the demon's nose and as he stumbled backwards his patience wore out.

"That's enough of that." He growled, pulling his axe free, "I'm done with your games."

Nai smirked but kept her fists up, "Fine."

Her insistence on not using a weapon infuriated Gyuumaou and he swung and swung his axe, cutting shallow on her skin just to watch the blood. Nai imagined this as any other fight, any other day, and any other demon. She ducked and dodged, the great demon becoming tired with his overzealous swinging, "HOLD STILL!"

Kougaiji scoffed, "My father is a fool."

Sanzo glanced at the prince and his companions. Hakkai rushed to the queen's aid and Kougaiji left his mother in the healer's care. The monk addressed the demon as they stood shoulder to shoulder, "Some dad he must have been."

Nai dodged a particularly harsh swing and the demon king stumbled forward. He presented his back just long enough for a shotgun to appear in the woman's hands. The shot was loud, almost deafening, and the silence afterwards was like nothing else.

It was peace.

It was over.

Finally.

Nai turned to her companions and waved a hand, then settled for sitting in the grass and looking at the sky.

"Sir. We've been requested to return."

Nai rubbed her eyes and turned away from her own grave, "Great." She said sarcastically. She rubbed her thighs nervously then headed towards the four males standing a few feet away.

Sanzo crushed his cigarette with his boot as she approached, "Leaving again?"

"And probably not coming back this time."

Goku's face fell, "Not even to visit?"

She hugged the boy, "No. Not even to visit." She sighed, "But I'll be watching, and a part of me will always be here."

Hakkai held out his arms and Nai stepped into them, Gojyo doing the same after. He squeezed her tight and rubbed her cheek for good measure. She nodded with a smile and handed Sanzo her shotgun, "You need a manlier gun. Practice with that."

He took it and held it tight. There was an awkward moment of silence until Nai held out her hand. "Goodbye Sanzo."

Sanzo held her hand tight, holding on as if to keep her standing in front of him forever, "Goodbye."

She turned to Kyo, "Let's go."

The ikkou stood in silence for a moment until Hakkai moved to stand next to Sanzo, "You didn't tell her..."

"She doesn't need to know. Ukoku is not her problem."

"Of course."

"Sanzooooo, I'm hungry!"

"Here we go."

"What the hell is this!"

"Sir!"

"Let go!"

Nai struggled under the two men pinning her to the cold marble floor. Her men were being restrained as the tried to push forward to help. "What's happening?"

"You're being arrested." The Jade Emperor strode forward and sneered down at the woman, "You will spend the rest of your servitude as War God in a cell."

"Stop right there." The Merciful Goddess strode in with Jiroshin and Komyou Sanzo in tow.

Nai was lifted off the floor and her hands were bound behind her back. The Jade emperor smiled and the goddess, "I apologize but you have no power here."

"The hell I don't!" she/he huffed, "Why the hell is she being imprisoned?"

The emperor smirked at Nai, "She defied a direct order by contacting the reincarnations of those traitors...just like I knew she would."

Nai reared against her captors, kicking and screaming, "I won't stay quiet! I won't be like Nataku or Homura! I won't!"

The old god scoffed, "I'll personally see to it that you will."

As she was carried away Konzeon Bosatsu glared at her leader, "You just made a big mistake."

A/N: Did you really think I was going to really be done? (I did) There will be a sequel, not making any promises on when that will start. Title will be Going Home so you can look out for it. Well, until next time!