Gojyo came awake expecting to die. The rumbling thunder rocking the cave sounded like the end of the world, and he instinctively curled into a ball under the pointless protection of the blankets. Bits of shale flaked off the cave ceiling and rained onto his shoulders. And then, like that, it was over, utter silence in its wake.

Cautiously he blinked, unrolled himself and pushed back the covers. The cave was empty, and shadowed, with the fire burning low. Gojyo blew on it to goad the embers into flame, groped around the wood pile for another log to add.

Wait a minute. Empty? He looked around the stone shelter. It was perhaps fifteen paces from one wall to another, and even the farthest wall was lit by the flame's dull orange. He saw the log door, rocks, the woodpile, his pack, his clothes drying by the fire. No blond bastard of a monk in sight. "Sanzo?"

A fragment of memory crossed his mind, half-awaking to the scraping of the door opening, cold air on his face, and then quiet again. How long ago had that been? Minutes, hours, he had no idea. His clothes were dry, and he dressed hurriedly. What the hell had awoken him? Just a dream, or something outside? Standing made him dizzy, and he put his hand to the cave wall for support. "Stupid monk," he muttered as he pulled on his pants, "left me alone, couldn't wait, again with the damn heroics..."

The log door didn't budge when he tugged at it, but bracing his back against the wall he managed to slide it a couple feet aside. Loose snow spilled in; it was halfway past the height of the door, packed in semi-solid chunks. Gojyo climbed over it, out onto the mountainside, then leaned against the rock to catch his breath. His head had been spinning like a top, and now it was only lazily whirling like a leaf in a current, which he supposed was a good sign.

The dark sky showed stars through a patchwork of clouds, and the half-moon shone through a gauzy mist, glowing palely over the mountainside. The snow didn't look newly-fallen, but was broken and choppy as frozen whitewater, stained with rocks and dirt. And the night was quiet, utterly still, as if even the wind were holding its breath.

So that had been the noise. Avalanche.

And his three comrades could have been right in its path.

Ignoring all common sense about starting more avalanches, or drawing attention to oneself when one knows there is a dangerous youkai in the vicinity, Gojyo threw back his head and bellowed into the motionless night, "Sanzo! Goku! Hakkai!!"

Not so much as an owl answered. He might have been alone in the universe.

For a moment he thought he might just fall back into the snow. A needle in a haystack...nothing compared to a search of this mountain. Not by himself, not without the slightest hint of where to begin. If Sanzo had waited...the cave might have been the only safe place on the whole fucking mountain...

BANG.

The gunshot shattered the quiet, ringing in his eardrums and smashing aside all doubt. No ice cracking, that. In desert or forest or village inn, he had heard that sound too many times to mistake it. He recognized it now for what it was, not an attack but a signal.

A signal, and a warning shot, sure as all the bullets that had been fired past his head uncountable times before. From Sanzo's gun to his ears--Find me, or else.

Well, he did owe the monk. Gojyo found himself almost grinning as he fought his way through the snow. Sit tight, Sanzo-sama. I'm coming.

He would find all of them. If Sanzo had made it, so must have Goku and Hakkai. Not just because he wanted it so. This was simply the way it had to be.

* * *

Snow poured down the mountainside like a flood from a broken dam, the tall pines bending and swaying wildly in its wake while the smaller trees were ripped up by the roots. Goku didn't bother waiting for the thunder to die away. As soon as the frozen tsunami had crashed past the tree he perched in, he leapt from the safety of its branches to where Hakkai had been swept along, and began pawing frantically through the snow.

Above, he heard a distinctive "Kyuu!", and Hakuryuu glided down. The little dragon had fought to stay with its master, but Hakkai had thrown his friend up into the air as the avalanche struck. Now the dragon unerringly zipped to a pile of snow and began scratching with its tiny claws. It had been in a better position to see where he had fallen, Goku realized, and joined Hakuryuu's efforts.

Within a minute he had cleared enough away to see a scrap of green shirt, and five after that he had completely uncovered Hakkai. But the older youkai didn't answer shouts of his name, or Hakuryuu's plaintive cries. He lay on his side in the snow, limp and unmoving even when Goku took his shoulder and shook him. Had Goku not been able to faintly hear him breathe, he might not have believed him alive at all. And was it his imagination or were those breaths coming slower and shallower even as he listened? "Hakkai..."

All right. Think, Goku. What would Hakkai do? Only that was no help--he already knew what Hakkai would do, which was to lie there in the snow doing a remarkable impression of a dying man.

Sanzo, then. Sanzo was easier; he always knew what Sanzo would do. Usually it involved either his gun or his fan. Goku could almost feel the harisen crashing down on his head. Bakazaru! Figure out how he's hurt and do something about it!

But what could he do? Hakkai didn't seem to be bleeding--that was good. If he wasn't bleeding then it was safer to move him. Move him where, though? He had no idea where the hunter's shelter was; it could be on another mountain entirely. Trekking back to the inn would take...a day or two at least; they had driven Hakuryuu for a couple hours before the mountain became too steep. And he didn't even know where Sanzo or Gojyo were.

Idiot! Sanzo grumbled, in his head. Can't you concentrate? Help Hakkai!

But I don't know how! Hakkai won't wake up, and there's a youkai out there...

Stupid ape! He could almost hear the gun being cocked--

The bang thundered over the mountainside, echoed off the stone. It wasn't a normal explosion, but the distinctive resonance of a unique weapon. Goku would know that gunshot anywhere. "Sanzo!"

Bending down, Goku heaved Hakkai over his shoulder. He had heard exactly where the shot had originated, could track it as surely as a bat follows its squeaks. He knew, too that it could only mean trouble. Hakkai's arms hanging down his back and Hakuryuu gliding in anxious circles overhead, Goku pushed through the snow, up the mountainside, forging through the night toward Sanzo's signal. He reached where the river had been, but the flat expanse was mounded high with the avalanche's mass. No way to guess how sturdy the ice was below it. He crossed as quickly as he could, stepping from one clump of churned-up snow to another. When he miscalculated he sank into the softer patches, sometimes past his waist, and had to thrash free.

And Hakkai's head bumped limply against his shoulder all the while. "It's gonna be okay," Goku told him, even as he reached the other side of the river and began to drag them both uphill again. "We're doing fine." Which might not be true, but it was the kind of thing Hakkai might say to him.

He heard him before he saw him, the shush of snow sliding down the mountain. Clambered over a rock, and there was Gojyo, on his knees, his back to Goku, digging in the snow like some lanky, crimson-haired dog. And in the hole, pale robes and a blond head--"Sanzo!"

Gojyo jerked up, falling back on his rear as his face broke into a grin. "Goku!" The smile died instantly as he saw Goku's burden. "Hakkai? What--"

"He got caught in the snowslide," Goku said, panting for breath. "He won't wake up--Sanzo?"

"He's out, but he must've been awake to fire the gun. Lucky for him, too, lead me right to him." Gojyo shifted Hakkai off Goku's back, lowered him gently to the ground and cradled his head, stared down at his closed eyes. "You heard it?"

Goku nodded, crouching in the snow. Sanzo's arm was crossed over his chest, the revolver still clutched in his fist. He must have had it out already when the avalanche hit. Goku shook his shoulder. "Sanzo? Sanzo?"

Getting no response, he locked his arms under the monk's and heaved up. As he was yanked from the snow, Sanzo groaned.

"Sanzo!"

"...noisy...bakazaru."

Goku grinned, then winced as Sanzo hissed, an involuntary exclamation of pain. "Sanzo?"

Violet eyes opened a fraction. "Goku? Found you..."

"They found us, more like," Gojyo said.

"Gojyo." Sanzo's gaze slid over to him, widened. "Hakkai--" He made to stand up, only to collapse back against Goku with a curse through a clenched jaw. "What's wrong with him?"

"Knocked out, I guess." Gojyo studied the monk. "What's wrong with you?"

Sanzo tried to stand again, with as little success. "...damn leg."

"Broken?" Gojyo rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. Dammit. Come on, Goku, we gotta get these guys inside. The shelter's just a couple hundred feet uphill." He struggled up, Hakkai in his arms, only to stumble to his knees.

"Gojyo?"

"You handle Sanzo," Gojyo said, gritting his teeth. "We're fine." He shifted Hakkai over his shoulder, shakily stood again. "Follow me." And he began to tramp uphill.

"Idiot," Goku heard Sanzo mutter, but when he looked over, the monk's head was drooping, and he was wearily listing to the side, not even seeming to notice he was propped up by Goku's shoulder.

"Let's go, Sanzo," Goku said, and dragging the taller man more or less to his feet, they headed after Gojyo.

* * *

As soon as they were all off this mountain and safely on their way West again, Gojyo decided, he was going to kill them all. Starting with Sanzo. Damn moronic monk, wandering around outside in an avalanche and getting his leg broke. He must be in agony, if he didn't even protest Goku's support. And once back inside the cave he folded against the wall, his head down so that his gold hair shadowed his eyes, ignoring Goku pleading his name. Maybe sleeping. Maybe just trying to stay conscious. At any rate, not a big help.

And then, Hakkai...Hakkai wasn't even faking being awake. Gojyo laid him on the blankets by the fire, covered him snugly, and Hakuryuu curled into a ball at his feet. There was a lump on the back of his head, but Gojyo wasn't sure that was what had him down. Had he been under the snow long enough to suffocate? Or was he just freezing? Definite sympathy for that, Gojyo had. But his skin was warm to the touch. At least to Gojyo's hands, though he wasn't sure that was the best indicator, given that he was still shivering at occasional intervals. "Oi, Goku. Come here."

Reluctantly Goku scooted away from Sanzo's side, peered down anxiously at Hakkai. "Does he feel cold to you?" Gojyo asked.

Goku touched his forehead, shrugged. "I dunno. Not any colder than me. What's wrong with him?"

"The hell should I know? He's the one who's supposed to be fixing us. Not vice versa." At Goku's suddenly stricken look, the half-youkai sighed. "Not your fault, saru, I know. You did good, getting him here. But neither of us are nurses." Automatically reaching into his pockets, he remembered his cigarettes were MIA and balled his hands into fists instead. Dammit, all those times he had been patched up, had seen Hakkai and other healers fix up all of them...he could have paid a little more attention, but it never occurred to him at the time. They had a healer, after all. Never mind that really each of them should be versed in everything they needed to survive this jaunt; relying on others was always dangerous...

"Sanzo can help," Goku stated, with the absolute confidence he always put in the monk. He looked hopefully across the cave. "Ne, Sanzo?"

He got no answer. Sanzo must have lost his own battle with unconsciousness. Peachy, because the kid was right, Sanzo at least knew the basics of first aid. Sanzo always did watch the doctors like a hawk, never really trusting anyone to know or do anything. And damn him, Gojyo had come to count on the bastard for just that self-sufficiency. When the chips were down, Sanzo came through. For himself, and the rest of them.

Looked like he had finally reached his limit, though. Gojyo crossed over to him, tapped the bamboo breastplate. "Hey, Sanzo-sama. You with us?"

The purple eyes were closed, but his mouth moved reflexively. "Shut...up."

"I'll take that as a no." Gojyo frowned down at the monk's injured leg, stretched out before him. A rough splint he thought he could manage.

Goku had already brought over a long, straight branch from the firewood pile, and now fetched a roll of bandages from Hakkai's pack. "I'll hold him," the kid said. "You wrap it."

Which they proceeded to do. Sanzo's sharp grunt when Gojyo touched his shin was more telling than a scream, but by the time they were done he was silent. Leaving Goku beside the slumped blond, Gojyo turned back to their other comrade.

You could always tell the difference between Hakkai sleeping and Hakkai completely out. Sleeping, he still had traces of his customary smile, unless he was dreaming, and then his expression might be terrible to behold. But totally unconscious, everything went away, smiles and anger alike, stripping him back to the innocence of Cho Gonou, before he had lost everything, before he had had anything to lose. Not childlike, exactly, but empty. Three years ago Gojyo had studied that face for a week, wondering if he had imagined how green those eyes had been...and then they had opened and proved memory a poor substitute...

But they were closed now. Gojyo smoothed the brown hair back from his forehead, examined Hakkai's pale visage. He looked so...unguarded. Not even his impenetrable smile to protect him. "C'mon," Gojyo murmured, "get up, you never sleep in. Don't make me worry about you, you're always so guilty about doing that, and then you just keep doing it..."

"He thought you could be dead," Goku said softly.

Gojyo's head jerked up. "What?"

"You and Sanzo...there was a hole in the ice over the river. Hakkai found your hat...his hat. He thought you both maybe drowned."

"Shit." Gojyo's hand went to his head, raked through the tangles in his long hair. He hadn't even realized he had lost the hat. "Nearly did. I fell in, but the monk there didn't let me."

Goku nodded. "I knew he wouldn't. But Hakkai...he doesn't like to believe things. Unless he knows for sure. He was really scared about you guys...you worry him a lot, too, Gojyo." He ducked his head. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, what's this?" Gojyo knuckled the younger youkai's head. "I worried the bakazaru, too?"

Goku batted his hand away. "Why would I worry about a cockroach?"

"'Cause he's so damn sexy?"

"Ero-kappa! You always need a cold shower anyway!"

Gojyo shivered in spite of himself. "Not that cold..."

"Sanzo wouldn't have let you die." The childish outrage was gone; Goku sounded as fierce as his other self. "Even if he says all that stuff. He never would."

Then why're we always the ones pulling his ass out of the fire? Gojyo didn't say it aloud, only glanced at the blond leaning against the cave wall. Thought of rainy nights and a burning desert and why Sanzo had been out in that avalanche at all, instead of safe in the cave. Even if the monk wouldn't admit it in a million years.

"Gojyo..." Again with his name. It sounded unnatural, the kid saying it, especially so seriously. "How much better are you?"

"What are you talking about? Little dip in a pond couldn't hurt me."

"Are you really one hundred percent?" Gold eyes searched him, a more piercing scrutiny than Goku usually seemed capable.

Gojyo squirmed under it. "Pretty much. Good night's sleep--good night in bed," and he leered, "I'll be fine."

"You might not get that." Goku cocked his head as if listening to the quiet outside the cave.

Gojyo went still. "The youkai."

"Or whatever it is."

"Sanzo thought it was a youkai. Though it's a pretty damn strong one, if he whipped up that blizzard."

"Yes. And the avalanche." Goku glanced over at Sanzo, past Gojyo to Hakkai.

"I can fight," Gojyo said firmly. "We'll protect them." He leaned back against the rock between the two, put his hands behind his head and tried not to show how bothered he was by Goku's too-serious demeanor. Not even a mention of how hungry he must be, and the look in his eyes...it wasn't that it was old, so much as mature. A warrior's sharp gaze, nothing like the kid he usually squabbled with. Though equally unlike the monstrosity he became without his diadem, to Gojyo's relief. "It might be okay. Maybe the guy's getting bored and he'll leave us alone..."

"No." Goku's voice prodded Gojyo into standing before he even heard the rest. "He's coming now."

"What?"

"I can hear him out there."

Gojyo listened, heard nothing. But Goku nearly always was the first one to sense an attack. Out of the frying pan, into the fire, which was actually where Gojyo would prefer to be. He still was chilly... The half-youkai grinned toothily, shoved red hair out of his eyes and picked up his shakujou. "Then I guess we're in for a fight."

"Uh-huh."

Gojyo would have felt a lot better if Goku had sounded as irritatingly eager as he usually did when the possibility of battle arose. Red eyes flicked over the kid, appraised his set stance and the look in his eyes. "Goku."

"Yeah?"

"Just want to make this clear now. Whatever happens, that crown you got? Stays on your head."

"But--"

"Swear it. It's been a hell of a night already, and I ain't dealing with you psycho. You take off the limiter and I'll--I won't stop you."

Goku's eyes were wide enough that Gojyo could see the fire reflected in them. Then they closed, and the brown head nodded. "I promise."

"Good."

"Gojyo?"

"Eh?"

"It's here."

With that, the heavy log door was wrenched away from the mouth of the cave, tossed aside as if it had been a paper screen, and a freezing blast of wind extinguished the fire, plunging them into chill darkness.

To be continued...

Winding up to the climax here! As always, thanks so much for the reviews. UltraM, Shiroki Kietsuki, Krimson, glad you liked the Gojyo-Sanzo bits...as I said before, I get a kick out of writing them. Gojyo's more perceptive than he lets on...for a playboy gambler, he spends quite a lot of time just thinking.

And since a few have sounded worried - this is a little spoiler for the story, but for the record, I'm one of those who can be easily depressed by what she reads, and hence I wouldn't kill the boys without sufficient warning for readers like me. I won't say I'd never do death fic, but overall, I like happy endings as much as I like angst and random torture. ^_^ And ayie@Hairi, I can't do too bad things to Hakkai - he's my sis's favorite as well; she would kill me if I killed him!