"Now that wouldn't be a very Hakkai thing to do."

"Ch." the monk mumbled. "At least you got our asses out of there in once piece."

Tenpou shrugged. "Your welcome."

They were by the lake now, far from the battle that was still raging farther up the mountain. From the sounds of it- the squeals of dying youkai- Gojyo and Goku hadn't been touched.

"So..." the marshal said, getting up and walking to the edge of the frozen water. "Do you think she's finished with us?" Sanzo followed suit, violet eyes scanning the darkness and finding nothing but the glaring moon.

"Doubt it. She seemed really pissed."

"No thanks to you."

The priest didn't dignify the comment with an answer, nor did Tenpou seem to be expecting one. The kami was too deeply engrossed in the reflection staring back at him lit by moonlight and fireflies. Kneeling, he saw that it was his own- the one with two good eyes, long hair and a labcoat. The fool who thought that he could change heaven by himself.

"An idiotic desire." Tenpou scoffed quietly, unaware of Konzen's reflection staring critically back at him.

"Well you've always been an idiot." shot Sanzo. "You always will be, whether it's this life or the next. Not that I blame you too much. It takes a crapload idiots to take on the jobs we do."

"Touché." the marshal replied with a sad smile, petting the dragon's head as the creature landed on his shoulder to nuzzle him. "At least I won't go alone, right?"

"A wise man never does."

Tenpou laughed, probably more than he should have, but it felt nice and rather silly to be outwitted by a human. Scratch that, it was amazingly ridiculous to be outwitted by Konzen, out of all people!

At that moment, he laughed at everything...That the incredibly dense bureaucrat would become an enlightened priest. That the highest ranking general of the Western Army would become a backwater gambler. That the messiest, most powerful marshal that had ever existed would become housewife obsessed with cleanliness... That his own commander would become his pet...

"Kyuuuu!"

...friend.

At that moment, he laughed at fate because fate had a wonderful sense of humor that restored his spirits somewhat; for it meant that heaven's time would come as well. That it would transform into something halfway decent.

Sanzo snorted, "Baka." then went as if to return to where the battle was. He didn't hear the soft beating of wings that loomed overhead, or maybe he thought it was Hakuuryuu because when he heard Tenpou shout out his name, he didn't know what was happening until strong hands pushed him sharply to the side and the god was blown clear across the ice.

"Agh! Damn." Tenpou cursed before attempting to pick himself up. Everything hurt and he only ended up falling again on the ice, the gravity of his condition revealed by the blood he smeared across the shimmering surface. It was so cold...the weight of the weather bringing his very thoughts to a standstill, tempting him to simply close his eyes...

Perhaps he would have done it too, if he hadn't heard the ice crack beneath him.

"Tenpou! Don't move!" Sanzo ordered. He squinted his eyes and looked for her.

There was a pond right outside Tenpou's study; one that was always so still that it was a delicate and perfect mirror of the heaven's flawless sky. He remembered journeying to Under Heaven, simply to get four or five fish to stick in there so that the water would always move, so that it wouldn't be such a perfect mirror of death. Now here he was, on the brink of death, splayed out and frozen, and feeling as feeble as a fish out of water- yet being out of the water would not be a problem for very long, judging on how fast the ice was cracking under his weight. Like breaking glass, it had a nice melody.

A rose scented breeze tickled his skin coming from behind. Above the breeze, he could hear flapping in the darkness. Curious, he thought, why the sweet attention? Then he remembered what sweet attention was from a witch like this one. He was being seasoned up to be eaten. Stricken by paralysis, Tenpou couldn't even conjure up the energy to scream when she dove in his direction.

What a horrible way to die, he repeated to himself pitifully until a gun pierced the ice inches from his body. Sanzo fired again, this time near his feet. Again and again and again...and the cracks in the ice spread...and there was a splash of water as Tenpou fell through...

The god didn't remember much after that, simply a voice that shook the waters, surrounding him in gold light. The dying cry of the witch...and a hand that reached in and grabbed his own...an incantation filtering through the surface and to his ears...and then he heard nothing.

****

"Tenpou!" he heard Gojyo calling him. "Where the hell are you?"

"Mmmmh..." It was so hot that the possibility hit him that he may have gone to hell, that not even the pretty gold light could save him from the inevitable. Oh. It was one of those, Tenpou contemplated, his eyes remaining closed- one of those effective modes of sub-Under-Heaven torture wherein the victim can still hear the living voice of his lover, friend or whatnot...