（最游记同人）镜里镜外(17)

"It's as good as dead." Gen stated simply, twenty nine heads nodding in agreement. "Good as dead." the rest repeated.

"I see."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not mine, I suppose."

Wait for me.

The voice tingled the back of his mind, but he shook it off.

"Let's get this over with. Thank you all for your help. I know I can't do anything for you anymore, but rest assured, I'll set things right. Even at the cost of this body."

Tenpou shrugged off the cloak, gave one last glance over the hill, then his eyes fell again on Gen who looked calmer at the knowledge that he and his men would get avenged.

A brief nod and they saluted, their forms wavering as they dissipated back into the mist.

He jumped.

****

Gojyo arrived too late. Once he caught sight of the lake, nobody was there. But there...there...farther out into the ice...the surface was broken and there...there...Hakkai's cloak.

****

Tenpou woke up. It was cold. Freezing in fact. He opened his eyes and was welcomed back to heaven with a barrel of a gun to his forehead.

"Give me one good fucking reason not to pull the trigger." Sanzo threatened quietly.

"I..."

"Not good enough Hakkai."

They were in a tent, a blazing fire crackling in the middle of it. Night had fallen, but the winds still haven't let up. "What the fuck happened?" Not a question, an order.

"I...I fell through the ice." Sanzo had the right idea though. What the fuck happened? It should have worked. He should have been home. Cho Hakkai should have been dead. Tenpou's hands flew to the earcuffs. He wasn't even able to take them off.

"That was stupid of you." the monk grumbled before falling back and resting the gun on his knee, pointedly keeping it aimed towards Tenpou's heart. "Especially when you know there's one idiot here who would follow you to the ends of the earth."

Gojyo lay sleeping behind them, closer to the fire. He stirred, murmured something inaudible, then fell silent.

"Jumped in after you, dragged your sorry carcass out of the water, over a mile of snow, and brought you here." The blonde pretended to examine the shining silver of the gun, then gave Tenpou a sidelong glance. "Oh yeah, the village burned down while you two were out. Eight people were eaten alive. Thanks for backup."

"Oh will you shut up you phony monk! He didn't know!" Gojyo retorted angrily, pulling himself up into a sitting position on quaking arms.

"Ah, the husband's awake. Nice to know you don't die quickly." said Sanzo bitterly as he got up. "Hakuuryu's wing was frozen and broken during the attack. We'll be here for a while if we don't all die of cold first."

"Salt in an open wound, Sanzo. See to your pet and I'll see to my wife, okay?" Ruby red eyes narrowed in his direction, mirrored by equally scornful violet ones. With a "humph" Sanzo left the two and Gojyo's glance softened a bit, turning towards Tenpou who in turn was struck dumb by the term 'wife'.

"Forget about it. Sanzo's just bitching as usual. It wouldn't have made a difference if we were here or not."

A feeble lie far from comforting. Even in the way Gojyo said it, the marshal knew that the redhead didn't seem all too disposed towards forgiveness. Silence reigned after that. Every bit of him a Kenren. Kenren never asked questions. Kenren, who only needed silence to say, 'tell me'. Kenren, who gave and gave, never assuming. Who always smoked off a grudge before coming back into your arms.

Tenpou sat, miserably watching as Gojyo's shaking hands lit a cigarette. The cold must have affected him more than it did Hakkai's body which was one-hundred percent youkai. Guessing on the hair and eye color- the shade of the sunset- Gojyo was only half-half. With half the resistance to cold that Tenpou now had.

Outside, the storm fiercely ravaged the sturdy canvas, and deep inside, the fallen god prayed that the standing buildings of the village would be enough to give shelter to the people now homeless- no thanks to him. The tent provided little warmth and the half-breed was inching as close to the fire as rationally possible, taking care not to get burned by the flying sparks. Granted, he was pushing his limits and every other minute, a piece of hot ash would fly into his skin. He'd curse. Profusely. And Tenpou would wince.

Neither talked. Tenpou, out of shame and Gojyo, he figured, out of disgust. Silence save for the high pitched whistling winds that came like screams through the night. Crept under the tent and gave sharp knives to the feverish half-youkai's badly healing wounds.

His hand shook violently and the cigarette met a hellish end in the fire. "Shit..."

"I'm sorry, Gojyo." Tenpou muttered after a long while of self-berating. "I should have-"

"People thinking in terms of 'should haves' don't live very long around here." Gojyo replied through clattering teeth, stretching out under the thin blanket and staring into the flames; envying it.