Author's Note: It's my FIRST Prince Of Tennis Fic! And my first fic in a while! I kinda thought about this and wanted it in words rather than in ideas. Tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Prince of Tennis. This makes me sad, but this is reality.

The trek just kept going. The mud was getting thicker, and the humidity was starting to become bothersome. Branches snagged on Atobe's arm, and the crows of some unknown bird rung in his head. Water was flowing nearby, and bugs were buzzing near his ears.

What am I doing in a rainforest? Atobe thought. He kept hiking.

Kabaji was a couple steps ahead, expertly avoiding the brush. At that moment, a mosquito bit Atobe's arm.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed, swatting randomly at the air. In his haste, he had tripped. His face came into contact with fresh mud.

"Gah," he said, swiping mud off his face. "Kabaji! Help me up!" he called, reaching his hand out.

But Kabaji was moving on, seemingly not having heard him. He disappeared into the green leaves. Atobe was shocked. Surely he had not heard me call out to him, he assured himself. This was Kabaji he was dealing with. He decided to push himself up. His hand squished into the mud, it squirmed through his fingers. The slime was all over him.

Good gosh, it was everywhere. The roaring water got louder, and the animal sounds had a different rhythm to them, as if they were laughing at him.

"Hahahahaha," they cawed. But there was something… human… chiming in.

Could Kabaji be…? He pondered. But he quickly dispersed the thought. Especially seeing as his only guide out was through Kabaji. And he was quickly walking out of Atobe's sight.

"Kabaji!" Atobe scrambled to his feet, hurrying to catch up. "Wait for a second, Kabaji!"

But Kabaji kept walking. In fact, it even seemed he was walking faster. Swiftly stepping around rocks and brush, he acted as if Atobe didn't exist.

"Kabaji!" Atobe cried. He hurried after him, barely avoiding branches, and stepping on twigs. The rushing water sounded so close, and the animals chuckling had gotten unbearable. But Kabaji was headed up a steep hill.

"Why aren't you helping me?" Atobe cried, his eyes stinging with tears. With blurred eyes, he didn't see the beautiful waterfall before him. With blurred eyes, he didn't see the fallen tree branch on the forest floor. With blurred eyes, he fell and rolled down beside the rushing water.

Kabaji had stopped in his tracks to see him fall. Atobe, spiraling toward the earth, instinctively reached out and caught a branch. Dangling above a cliff, he looked up to see Kabaji, his old friend, staring down at him.

"Kabaji!" he called, "Help me!"

Kabaji just stared.

Atobe's hand was starting to slip, the water droplets already loosening his grip. This was his last chance to convince his comrade to save him.

"Please."

The branch cracked under the strain. Atobe flinched, but managed to look up.

Kabaji looked him square in the eye for the first time throughout the entire trek. He said only one word as the branch tumbled down.

"No."

Atobe gasped for breath. He was covered in sweat. His silk sheets were rumpled, and he had woken up on the floor. It was a dream, he thought.

Just a dream.