SailorStar9: This is Chapter 12 of this fic. (Sighs) Every time I write these B.S. disclaimers, I die a little inside. Remember, boys and girls, reviews are an author's subsistence.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and the pairings.
Chapter 12: Plunder
"Is something the matter, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, Goku having destroyed the majority of demons that had ambushed the group in a church.
"No, nothing." Sanzo assured.
"Come on, everyone." Goku urged. "Let's go eat."
" I swear that brat's stomach is a black hole." Tokusa muttered.
"Homura." Tokusa hissed, the War Prince having blocked the group's path.
"Bastards." Gojyo spat.
"You sure?" Zenon taunted. "If we fight here, the town would take some damage too. Well, not that we really care."
"What a coincidence." Gojyo added. "I don't really care either."
"What do you want today?" Hakkai asked. "It doesn't seem as if you just happened to be here."
"I came to give you a final warning." Homura stated. "Hand over the Maten Scripture, or else."
"Or else, what?" Sanzo challenged.
"We'll take it by force." Homura replied.
"So, you've finally decided to get serious?" Tokusa snorted.
"Let's hurry up and get to it." Goku accepted. "I'll pay you back for everything you've done so far."
"I'll wait until tomorrow morning." Homura posted the ultimatum.
"This again?" Gojyo snorted
"Decide on your answer by then." Homura declared.
"Quit trying to impress us." Sanzo glared. "You already know the answer."
"I told you before." Homura chided. "Don't rush. I wanted to say something to you for a while."
"What is it?" Sanzo demanded. "Your slow-moving personality makes me puke!"
"Have you forgotten, Konzen?" Homura reminded. "That life back in the Heavens?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sanzo hissed.
"Gods are generally a patient bunch." Homura added. "Besides, it makes you want to stretch it out when you're having an exciting time. Listen closely. We'll be waiting on that hill early tomorrow morning."
"We might not come, you know." Gojyo pointed out. "We're really bad at keeping appointments."
"Will you run?" Shien mocked. "Nothing, I only tried saying it, just like you did." he corrected.
"The hell?" Gojyo echoed.
"Oh dear, we can't even oversleep at this rate." Hakkai sighed.
"Just don't sleep." Zenon joked. "Then you don't have to worry about oversleeping."
"What a nice suggestion." Gojyo snorted.
"Well enjoy yourselves if you can." Zenon shrugged as the trio walked off. "Since this may end up being your last night. I'll be looking forward to it."
"I don't like this." Sanzo remarked.
"You just shut up and it." Gojyo retorted, shutting Goku up.
"But they certainly are a rare kind." Hakkai noted. "They came all the way to see us, just to give us a warning."
"Either they're really confident or really not taking us seriously." Gojyo added.
"Or they're really bored." Tokusa added in her two cents.
"It's likely all of the above." Hakkai agreed.
"Man, what are we?" Gojyo snorted. "Toys?"
"What they want is the Maten Scripture." Tokusa pointed out.
"Knowing that gives us the means of working out countermeasures." Hakkai concurred.
"I don't care if they're Gods or what." Sanzo snapped. "We eliminate anyone who gets in our way. That's all there is to it!"
"Sanzo!" Goku took off after the priest.
"You two know there's still time, right?" Tokusa reminded. "I still can conjure up the 'Past Life' potion."
"Hey Hakkai." Gojyo voiced. "Nah, it's nothing." he corrected himself.
"Please say it." Hakkai urged. "I'll keep wandering and I won't be able to sleep."
"Are we really going to be able swing it?" Gojyo asked.
"Who knows." Hakkai breathed. "Bit I'd hate to be outmatched like last time."
"Guess we've no choice but to do it." Gojyo sighed. "Bastards." he growled as Zenon and Shien came into view.
"Please wait, Gojyo." Hakkai calmed his companion down. "It seems they've come here for the same reason as us."
"Hakkai, we're going somewhere else." Gojyo stood up.
"Don't be such a rebel." Zenon chided. "The fight's tomorrow morning, remember?"
"It's time." Homura declared. "Let's hear your answer."
"Go to Hell, you piece of scum!" Sanzo snapped.
"So that's your answer?" Homura sighed.
"You know what to do, Goku?" Sanzo reminded.
"What they want is Sanzo's Scripture." Hakkai added.
"I know that." Goku retorted. "All we gotta do is get them before they get us, right?"
"In short, yes." Gojyo agreed. "That is what always ends up happening, you know?"
"What will happen will happen?" Sanzo supplied.
"But Tokusa-nee sure is slow." Goku whined.
"Sorry." Tokusa grinned, 'Body Flicker'ing in. "My body took a little longer to get used to the potion."
"Tokusa-nee, you experimented on yourself?" Goku echoed.
"Let the battle begin." Homura declared. "Goku!" he roared.
"Homura!" Goku shouted, the two clashing.
"We're coming too!" Zenon declared.
"Please prepare yourselves." Shien added.
"We have ways to protect against that too, you know." Hakkai reminded, shielding Sanzo from Zenon's bullets.
"In that case..." Shien released his light whip.
"Don't think it will be one-sided forever, you morons." Gojyo retorted, his weapon blocking off Shien's attack.
"Whoops, can't let you touch our leader so easily." Zenon grinned, blocking Goku's kick with his rifle.
"Can't have you interfering with this fight, either." Tokusa blasted her petal beam at Zenon. "Goku, end this!"
"Right!" Goku returned to his fight. "Homura!" he leveled a punch on the War Prince.
"You pass the test, Son Goku." Homura smiled and slammed Goku to the ground via a fist to the cheek.
"Not so fast!" Gojyo snapped as Homura turned his attention to Sanzo.
"That's my line!" Zenon was before Gojyo.
"I can at least slow him down!" Hakkai readied his Ki blast.
"I won't allow it." Shien was behind him in an instant, knocking him out.
"Konzen!" Homura charged straight at Sanzo. "What the..." he stopped in his tracks as a wall of mimosa vines emerged from the ground.
"The Ojigi is truly a gifted species of plant." Hasu remarked as she floated beside her creations. "It can sense the smallest amount of movement, even something as small as a muscle spasm. So you see, it's useless to run; it'll only make you easier to catch." at her silent command, the pods centered on Homura who was forced to flee. "It must be hard for you to lose control." Hasu added, her creations stopping Homura in his tracks.
Homura frowned and sent a blast of fire at an incoming plant pod.
"The Ojigi also responds to aggression." Hasu supplied, as Zenon and Shien attacked the plants. "So it'll become more vicious once you attack. You'll have to come up with a smart way to kill it, or else." she warned, the pods closing in on the trio. Capturing Homura, the reminding pods drew in on the War Prince. "Return to the Heavens." she glared at Zenon and Shien. "And I might forgive this transgression."
"Hasu-sama..." Zenon gaped, realizing the full meaning of the age-old saying of the Heavens; Hell knows no fury like the Flower Goddess angered.
"Impossible." Hasu breathed when the pod imploded from the inside.
"I won't count me out just yet." the freed Homura retorted. "You look surprised, Hasu. Did you really think that was the last you've seen of me? You will see why your brother granted me the the title of 'War Prince'." with that, he bypassed Hasu and her plants, before heading straight for Sanzo.
"I've had enough of this!" Sanzo snapped, blocking Homura with his gun.
Homura jumped back and released a beam of flames at Sanzo, to which Hasu countered with her mimosa plant wall.
"Damn!" Sanzo cursed.
Homura was suddenly before tee priest, his sword slicing the chest armor off.
"Sanzo!" Gojyo exclaimed.
Still not active? Homura wondered.
"Enough crap." Sanzo hissed.
"In that case..." Homura prepared for the final blow when the Maten Scripture activated, forcing the Hana no Tama's powers to kick in and coercing Hasu back into her current incarnation. "I've been waiting for this." he grinned and claimed the Scripture. "I'll be borrowing this for a while, Konzen. Hey, General Kenren." he looked over at Gojyo. "Pass this message on to Goku for me. If he wants to get the Maten Scripture back, tell him to come to the Tower of Konran. I'll be waiting."
"Homura!" Sanzo got to his feet. "Bastard..." he trained his gun at the War Prince and fired his shot. "You son of a..." he muttered, his bullet barely harming Homura.
"Sanzo!" Gojyo shouted, the priest collapsing in Tokusa's arms.
"That's why I like you, Konzen." Homura remarked. "Zenon, Shien, let's go."
"Sanzo!" Gojyo hurried over as Hakkai rushed to Goku's side. "Tokusa, what the heck was that?" he demanded.
"Later." Tokusa cut off any protestations as she set to work to heal Sanzo.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.