It suddenly dawned on Goku. "What about Gojyo and Hakkai! They don't know what's going on."

"They'll find out soon. We're outnumbered though. The best we can do is fight it out with them until those two idiots come back."

There was more screeching in the distance, mingled with the screams of humans and the . gut wrenching sounds of limbs being torn off and eaten. Goku grit his teeth. "That's no way to get food. It's so gross...And those people..." He took off at a sprint, Sanzo at his side.

***

He recognized one of them as Gen, the sergeant which had taken Kenren's place. The other's were just vague faces in his memory, blending in with the rest of the Celestial army's manpower. "Marshal Tenpou! What in the world are you doing here?"

"I still have yet to figure that one out." Tenpou replied, willing his aching muscles to move. "What are you doing here? You all have been filed as missing." Thirty specters floated about him, pushing and shoving each other to get a look at their marshal. It's been so long.

Gen's expression was grave. "Surveillance round."

"I know that."

"We were passing this very lake when we were attacked by an army of snow youkai. They seemed to have been waiting for us...an ambush."

Tenpou rubbed his cheeks. They were quickly getting numb. "I could point fingers, but the most accusing would have been towards myself. I shouldn't have taken Kenren Taishou-"

"But it was for the best that you did!" Gen interrupted. "Nobody would have survived this...this...damnation!" He sounded contemptuous as he looked down at his arms and feet- translucent now. "When the youkai attacked, the lake started to glow...it was strange indeed. It pulsed, got brighter and brighter until...we all fell unconscious. When we woke up, we found ourselves trapped in the bodies of the youkai who attacked us."