Disclaimer: PoT is not mine. I'm merely playing with the characters.

Thank you everybody for the wonderful reviews. They make writing twice as much fun!


Lusterless: Thank you very much. I'll agree that I at times have a tendency to let some scenes drag, which at times is not even intentional. It tends to happen when I try to build a certain atmosphere and can't seem to find the right words... but I'll keep it in mind for the future.

xad: I just love cliffhangers. *evil laughter* Anyway, it's true that Tezuka's behaviour did not go unnoticed by his classmates, yet even if somebody did follow him, Tezuka would probably have outrun them. Or maybe somebody came up with an explanation... And well, the thing about "drowning in freezing water" is, that actually survival chances are slightly higher, since the cold slows all body functions to a point where the brain can survive for a longer time without oxygen [but I won't swear on this. It might just be an urban myth...] Thank you very much for reading!

Scarlette Shizuru: Thank you very much for reading. There's not going to be that much gore in the next couple of chapters, since I find the reaction of the characters to it at times difficult to write. Same goes for the atmosphere in general. The "something missing" you mention might just be failure on my part to transmit the atmosphere as I intended. As for calmness... there's an attempt at making that happen at a later point in the fic ^_~

yoshikochan: Mah, Tezuka is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now, but things won't become that much worse. It will be hard for the two of them to get out of that situation, however... Thank you very, very much for reading!

Koshi Sekisen: Thank you very much for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed how the chapter turned out, and I guess I can't help forcing Tezuka and Fuji into some rather unfortunate situations. They'll try their best to get out, however. And as for what that monster is... that is one question they'll be wondering about as well.

And a big thank you to PWNsomeness, yume229, emikoxchan and Damatris. You guys are awesome ^_^


Nine

Tezuka froze.

His eyes were glued to the spot where Fuji had disappeared – the ice's flawless surfaces glittered mockingly in the morning sun, white and cold and unbreakable, even when just seconds ago there had been a gaping hole revealing dark water. The utter normality of the scene in front of him clashed grotesquely with the chaos tearing his mind into pieces.

Fuji was trapped under the ice.

The feat impossible to accomplish had happened in the blink of an eye, left him unable to believe what he knew was going on – and the Mori-san-shaped spirit watched all with a cool smile on her face.

He felt like screaming, running away and breaking down at the same time. A part of him wanted to call this an illusion, a hallucination – laws of nature could not be broken so easily – while another part of him frantically reminded him that this was true, this was real, and every second he wasted brought Fuji closer to death.

Yet he couldn't move a finger – even though his mind raged at him to do something, that he was practically killing his friend.

"Tezuka-kun." Mori-san's voice cut through the chaos filling his head. He barely even registered her presence anymore, and she was glancing down at the very particular spot of ice his own eyes were fixed on with an expression akin to mild interest.

"Your friend isn't doing too well. Though…," She turned away with a shrug "if you don't want to save him, that's fine with me. Things will work faster that way."

Tezuka's heart stopped.

A foreboding smile appeared on her face. "But to be honest, his death is not really going to…"

Abruptly Tezuka stumbled forward. The world spun madly, his vision went white, blinded by the snow and ice as he remembered how to breathe. His body felt frozen, his movements stiff and awkward – the ground no different under his feet and the pounding of his own heart drowned out all other noise.

He never noticed his knees hitting the ice, didn't remember falling and only dimly recognized Mori-san's raised eyebrow.

"Oh, so you want to save your friend?" She inquired; her voice almost inaudible over the uproar in his mind. "You agree to my proposition?"

Tezuka nodded weakly. His mind raged at him – this lack of control was unforgivable, he didn't even know what the spirit wanted and he needed to calm down. Letting himself be overwhelmed by shock right not wasn't helping anybody, least of all Fuji.

And then the world shifted.


He didn't remember passing out, but when his vision cleared he was somewhere else.

The ground he kneeled on had remained the ice-covered surface of a pond and the cold started crawling through the thin fabric of his school uniform trousers. A thick layer of snow covered his surroundings, the gentle slopes not of a park, but a garden, as well as the branches of old pine trees.

Tezuka never let his mind draw the conclusion.

A movement in the corner of his eye had him jerk around and he paid no heed to the complacent expression on Mori-san's face as he caught sight of the figure crumbled next to her feet. Fuji's face was hidden from view, his hair sprawled on the ice, wet and already starting to freeze.

Within a split second Tezuka was next to his friend, kneeling next to him unmindful of the icy water dripping from Fuji's clothes and soaking his own. He drew a deep breath to steady his frazzled nerves, but couldn't stop his hands from shaking.

Fuji coughed weekly, shuddering and Tezuka couldn't tell whether he was conscious or not, could only pray that it wasn't too late yet. He reached out to get a better look at Fuji face and almost recoiled, when the hair under his fingers felt colder than ice. It barely moved, felt as stiff as ice and for a moment Tezuka feared it would break. Then it gave - his fingers were warm; warmer than they should be.

When his gaze came upon Fuji's face, his heart stopped.

His friend's face was whiter than he had ever seen it and his lips blue. Not the faint shade of blue they turned when he had been out in the cold too long, but a blue bordering on purple. First ice crystals stuck to his lashes and in spite of his growing panic Tezuka frantically tried to recall what helpful measures he could take.

"Fuji!" He called and his insides clenched when Fuji's eyelids fluttered in response.

"He's alive?" Mori-san asked, while she watched over his shoulder. "You're quiet lucky then."

Tezuka ignored her. He leaned closer to Fuji, pressed his palm against his friend's cheek and called his name again. The skin under his fingers felt too cold for any living being and the logical side of mind poisoned him with whispers that they were far from safe, that things might just take a turn for the worse every second.

The air was too sharp, his friend's clothes were soaked, and right now he could recall the horror stories telling of victims rescued from the cold only to die all too clearly.

He needed to get Fuji inside somewhere, but he did not dare to move him. What if he did and ended up killing him instead? What if …

"… Te…" It was barely more than a whisper, yet Fuji's voice reached Tezuka's ears.

His eyes widened. Instinctively he grasped Fuji's shoulder and squeezed it, while his mind frantically tried to remember an action that would be more than reassuring.

"Fuji." He replied and his voice was steady, though he felt that his face surely showed his fear. "Hold on. I'll …"

Tezuka pressed his lips together.

He had to get Fuji out of the cold. Moving his friend posed a risky endeavour – it could kill him – and Tezuka lacked experience to judge the severity of Fuji's condition.

But no ambulance would come here.

Even if he managed to place a call, they'd not make it in time.

Grimly he threw a glance over his shoulder, taking notice of his surroundings for the first time, confirming what he'd suspected the moment he had noticed they were somewhere else. Sitting atop of a light, snow-covered slope, almost hidden by trees, was the Nakayama residence.

How they'd gotten here when one moment they had been at a park near their school and the next here, all within a split second, Tezuka did not know; he did not even have the faintest idea. It defied all laws of nature, went against everything he had considered an established part of reality – but right now it didn't even matter.

He turned back to Fuji and found his friend gazing at him with glazed eyes.

Tezuka let go of a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

"I'll get you inside." He promised. And out of this mess, he vowed silently.

Fuji's lips moved, but another voice cut through the air. "Well, doesn't that sound like a good idea?" Mori-san lightly announced, "Though I'd prefer it if you could hurry up a little."


The trek uphill was nothing short of hell for Tezuka.

His hands and feet were numb; he couldn't even feel whether his fingers were touching anything or not. Fuji was a dead weight against his chest, twice as heavy thanks to the water-soaked clothes that were slowly starting to freeze.

Mori-san walked ahead of them, from time to time glancing impatiently over her shoulder.

Tezuka shuddered.

Fuji stirred and opened his eyes a little. His breathing was shallow, but he was conscious and that alone was more than Tezuka had dared to hope for.

"Te … zuka," Fuji uttered, struggling to make his voice work. "Why are …"

"Don't worry," Tezuka replied even though one look at his face would easily turn his words into a lie, "We'll get somewhere warm soon. So just …"

"No."

The quiet word echoed in Tezuka's ears like an explosion. "What?"

He did not stop walking. The house was close now; Mori-san had almost reached the back door. Once they were inside, he'd just have a real chance to help Fuji.

"No." Fuji repeated and with dread Tezuka recognized the stubborn glint in those half-lidded eyes. His friend tried to struggle, but his limbs didn't comply.

"Tezuka, if we … the wards…"

Tezuka's heart grew numb. Memories flashed in front of his eyes; the cat, Fuji's words – in his panic he'd completely ignored the implications of Mori-san's presence.

… but then, Fuji would have died had he not agreed to her terms, obscure as they were.

And Fuji would die now if he hesitated any longer.

"… don't!" Fuji whispered and Tezuka had to look away.

He'd do anything Fuji asked of him. If this was any other day, he'd indulge whatever whim Fuji had suddenly found an interest in, no matter how much wasabi or how many cacti were involved. Just this one wish he couldn't fulfil.

"Stop fretting." Mori-san called as Tezuka's steps slowed down. "It's too late for that."

Tezuka glanced up, just in time to see her touch the back door leading inside. He barely managed to recall Fuji's words concerning the wards that ought to deny her entry – yet the moment her hand came in contact with the doorframe, it miraculously swung open.

A shiver ran down Tezuka's spine.

This shouldn't be happening. If anything he had understood until now, regardless how absurd and bizarre this was to him, Mori-san shouldn't be capable of walking inside this house. Those wards weren't supposed to be broken so easily, not by that thing that was disguising itself as a harmless old lady.

"Surprised?" Mori-san asked, looking quite amused, "You shouldn't be. Actually, I'm surprised you didn't figure out earlier. If those wards were the problem, I wouldn't have gone through all the trouble to drag you here, would I?"

Without even the slightest hesitation she crossed the threshold and stepped into the living room.

Tezuka could only blink.

Had Fuji been wrong? Had they both been wrong the entire time?

But why had the cat attacked them, why had those wards been so terribly important – and why had they come here? His mind was drowning in this maelstrom of confusion and all he could do was put one foot in front of the other like a robot.

It was the only way to save Fuji's life.

But what if it would end in getting them both killed?

He glanced down at Fuji's face, worried that he had fallen silent so abruptly and found Fuji gazing into the distance. His friend looked eerily like a doll; stiff and frozen and Tezuka decided that he had no time to think about consequences right now.

With a short prayer to all deities willing to listen, Tezuka followed Mori-san into the room and when warm air hit his face, he released a sigh. Tension drained from Fuji's body and he hurried to shut the door behind him.

Whatever magic Mori-san had used to open it, it had left no traces.

Banishing the confusion from his mind, Tezuka gently sat Fuji down on the couch, paying no heed to the water dripping from his friend. As gentle as he could with his stiff fingers he began peeling off Fuji's coat, though his friend blinked.

"…zuka?" He muttered, his voice slurred.

Tezuka tensed. Confusion in combination with exposure to cold was not a good sign; he clearly recalled having been told that. Especially when just minutes ago Fuji had obviously been aware of his surroundings…

"You need to get out of those clothes." Tezuka explained, praying that Fuji's condition wasn't worsening faster than his fingers could move. "And then you should take a hot bath and I'll make you some tea."

Finally the heavy jacket came off. Tezuka tossed it away and the numbness finally started to drain from his fingers. He tackled the outer jacket of Fuji's school uniform with renewed vigour and managed to peel it and the white shirt off his friend within moments.

Fuji kept blinking, as if he had to remind himself where he was.

Tezuka grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around his friend's shoulders and tried to make him stand, but Fuji collapsed against his chest, weakly grasping onto Tezuka's arms for support.

"We're going to the bathroom, Fuji." Tezuka said and it took all his concentration to keep his voice from shaking. "You need to get out of the rest of those clothes and take a hot bath. Then…"

The sound of footsteps made him glance up. Mori-san had just re-entered the living room, her face expressionless and her eyes fixed on Tezuka and Fuji. What made Tezuka halt was the glint of cold metal to her left.

"Bathroom?" She inquired with a frown. "I don't think that's where you'll be going."

Tezuka pressed his lips together, forced his eyes away from the large knife in her hand and his mind to focus. He couldn't allow himself to be scared right now, not when Fuji's life depended on him.

"We need to." He replied and the spirit raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"Fuji will die!" Tezuka exclaimed, clutching his friend closer to his chest, yet the spirit in Mori-san's body appeared unimpressed by his words.

"That's not my problem." She said. "You agreed to my terms when you stepped on the ice."

Tezuka's heart faltered. He still had no idea what those terms concretely meant, but hadn't he agreed to safe Fuji? What use was this now, if it all came down to Fuji dying a few minutes later? That wasn't what he had agreed for.

That wasn't something he could accept.

"Then I'll stop complying with your terms right now." Tezuka shot back and his voice sounded far more confident than he felt. "If it won't make a difference, then I'll just…"

He never saw her move.

One moment she was on the other side of the room, the next she stood right in next to him, the kitchen knife pointed steadily at Fuji's throat. Dark, callous eyes were fixed on Tezuka's, staring right into the depth of his soul.

"You won't." She said; her voice as sharp as the edge of the knife. "Both of you will come with me."

She drew closer; close enough that Tezuka could almost see that this was somebody else hiding in a dead person's body. Those eyes were different, the movements unlike anything possible for a woman over seventy – and he shuddered when she drew the knife away, making sure it left a small scratch on the skin of Fuji's throat along the way.

"If you don't comply, your friend dies."


Tezuka felt paralyzed, but his body complied with the orders. Fuji whimpered against his chest, barely even conscious any longer and Tezuka scooped him up. His hands were in pain; burning now that the frozen numbness receded, yet he forced himself to firmly keep a hold on his friend.

"Upstairs." Mori-san ordered without glancing back.

For a moment Tezuka wondered if he should make a break for it; if he should just run to the bathroom instead of following this malicious spirit. He might just be fast enough to get the door locked behind him – though deep in his heart he doubted a locked door would pose much of an obstacle for a being that held little regard for the laws of nature.

Fuji shuddered and Tezuka wondered how he felt. Was he in pain or afraid? Was this bit of warmth enough to pull him from the brink or was Fuji drawing closer to death's door with each passing minute?

He wished for a measure to at least be able to tell – yet he remained utterly helpless. The spirit's threat effectively kept him from providing what little help he could and with a heart heavy with dread he followed Mori-san upstairs.

She walked directly to the library, pushed the door open to reveal the room in a state of chaos Tezuka had not laid eyes on before. Shelves had been moved, the table overthrown, countless books were on the floor, some reduced to single pages strewn everywhere.

Fear seeped into his heart, but Mori-san's cold eyes were watching him closely and he couldn't afford to stop now. Even if the hope for them to escape from this unharmed was dwindling, even if they might not get out of this alive … he had to cling onto whatever chance to survive remained, no matter how fleeting.

"Set your friend down somewhere and come here." Mori-san instructed him and marched over to the room's far corner.

Tezuka took a deep breath to calm his racing pulse. Carefully he deposited Fuji in one of the large armchairs. His heart clenched when Fuji's head tilted to the side like a puppet's – and his skin still felt like ice. He pulled the blanket tighter around Fuji's shoulders, even though in the back of his mind he realized that this small, helpless gesture was probably in vain.

Colour had not returned to Fuji's face and his lips remained blue.

Was this…

His eyes burned as he stood and turned to Mori-san. If he complied, maybe this would pass fast. Maybe there still was a chance.

With a heavy heart he walked over.

"Kneel down." Mori-san said and gestured to the space beside a large, wooden box. Tezuka had not seen the object before, but it didn't appear to be anything special. The wood was old, dark and cracked in places; he could make out the faint remains of a decorative pattern.

Hesitantly he dropped to his knees.

"Good." Mori-san smiled darkly. "And now give me your arm."

Tezuka blinked.

"I need your blood."

tbc


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