THE WISHING POOL By Heartfelt

AN: Written as a birthday present for Sihaya-chan, a dear friend and terrific artist. Check out her amazing work!

Warnings: Shounen ai, AU, OOC, fairy tale...prepare to suspend your disbelief ;

Part 2

Dawn found them sleeping in a grove of trees near a small brook. Before falling to sleep the night before, Tensai told Tezuka that, although he didn't know the precise location of the second object, he knew in general where it might be found. Thus, after waking and washing up in the stream, the boy and cub journeyed on, munching on fruit as they traveled.

The second object, as explained by the tale, was a small golden sphere, identifiable by the glowing white line that curved over its surface. Like the white shoes, the sphere was also said to grant special powers to its possessor. In this case, the holder of the golden orb would enjoy the benefits of enhanced hearing and sharpened eyesight.

The small bear led Tezuka to the shores of a large lake. Gentle waves lapped at the grassy beach and the sun sparkled on the calm surface of the water. Never having seen so much water in one place, the boy gazed in awe over the shimmering expanse, stepping as close to the edge as he could safely get. Tiny birds flitted over the lake, chirping merrily as they dipped down ever so often to enjoy a cool bath. In the distance, the chibi caught sight of a large but dim shape. He narrowed his eyes, but, even with his glasses, he couldn't make it out.

"What's out there?" he asked his friend. There was no answer and, when he turned, Tezuka discovered that he was alone. The bear cub was no where to be seen. He looked around for quite a while, walking up and down the beach and calling for Tensai, but he couldn't escape the painful truth. The chibi stood still for a long moment on the quiet lakeshore, trying to accept the fact that he'd been abandoned. Sadness crept slowly into his heart at the loss of what had been his first real friend.

Tezuka turned back to the lake, the water suddenly seeming a bit more menacing to his eyes. He wondered whether it was his fault that Tensai had left, if, somehow, he'd angered the cub. But, no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't think of anything that he'd done wrong. Perhaps, he sighed to himself, he was just not meant to have a companion. Maybe it was his destiny to be alone.

Before the pessimistic thoughts could discourage him any further, Tezuka took a deep breath and squared his small shoulders. That was the very reason he was on this quest. He was determined that, someday, he would have a true friend of his very own, and he would not be deterred.

His resolve renewed, Tezuka looked over the lake, his brown eyes searching for any clues regarding the whereabouts of the second object. Several hours passed with him getting no closer to the answer. The sun had reached its zenith and was descending slowly towards the far horizon behind the shadowy mass in the lake. Tezuka worried that he might not find the sphere that day, and decided that he should find somewhere to spend the night.

He began to turn away from the lake, but a huge splash halted his retreat. Tezuka spun around at the loud sound and found himself eye-to-eye with a whale. As whales go, it wasn't large to be sure, but it was certainly much bigger than the chibi standing on the shore. Tezuka watched the creature warily, wondering if it had surfaced for a mid-afternoon snack. Thought he was still on land, he was awfully close to the water and the fish-like beast could easily grab him with one lunge, using its powerful tail. As he was considering ways to dissuade the whale from making a meal out of him, Tezuka realized that its eyes were an arresting color of blue. And, he also realized, that he was being addressed surprisingly light voice.

"What brings you to my lake?" the chibi whale asked him politely. Having become accustomed to talking animals, Tezuka answered with only a brief moment's hesitation.

"I am Tezuka and I've come in search of a golden sphere. I desire to find the Wishing Pool and make my most heartfelt wish."

"I'm Rikou," the whale replied. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Why, may I ask, are you looking for the Pool? What is it you want?"

"Well," Tezuka began, still unwilling to say too much, "I seek the one thing that would make me happiest." Rikou regarded him silently for several moments, but, he eventually nodded at the boy's response. The whale smiled, his blue eyes falling shut into friendly, down-turned crescents.

"Then I shall help you on your quest. I know the object which you seek. It lies at the bottom of a deep pool. The pool can be found at the center of the island that sits in the very middle of the lake." A small flipper rose from the water to point towards the dark shape in the distance. Tezuka was glad that he at last knew where to find the golden sphere. However, he was dismayed as he realized that there was no convenient boat lying around to carry him to the island and that he could never swim so far. Rikou glanced at him, watching the emotions pass across his face. The whale began to laugh quietly as Tezuka's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Never fear, little human. I will take you to the island. All you need do is ride on my back." Tezuka blinked before nodding cautiously. He stepped out into the water and climbed carefully on Rikou's back, trying not step on anything that might cause the small whale any discomfort.

The figure beneath him shook with a chuckle, louder this time, and the chibi began to smile at his own behavior. The whale was being so helpful that surely it wanted to be his friend. Disregarding all remaining thoughts of caution, Tezuka sat easily upon his new companion's back as they glided silently through the water. As they neared the island, he could see that it was densely covered with tall trees. Although the sky was still rather bright, no light penetrated the thick canopy to the forest floor. The birds that played over the lake seemed to shun the isle and no cheeps or twitters could be heard amongst the treetops. It was an altogether eerie prospect.

Before long, they had reached the island and Tezuka dismounted, stepping onto the sandy shore. He turned towards the whale with a sincere nod of thanks. Before he could venture into the forest, Rikou bade him to wait.

"I must warn you that the sphere is guarded by a sorcerer and his familiar, a gigantic poisonous snake. You will need to defeat the sorcerer and his dangerous pet if you wish to win your prize." Tezuka paled a bit at the mention of the hindrance, but the determination in his eyes did not falter.

"Then, I will beat them," he stated. "There must be a way." The whale smiled at his resolve.

"Indeed there may be. Follow me and I think I can show you something that may be of use." Rikou swam along the shore and Tezuka followed, the white shoes allowing him to clamber effortlessly over the large roots in his path and to keep pace with the swift whale. Eventually, they came to a small cottage that was cleverly hidden within the trees. The cabin was sturdy and clearly lived in, but, at the moment, no smoke came from the chimney and it no one seemed to be at home.

"This is the sorcerer's cottage. He is a very curious sort and likes to experiment with many different elixirs and potions. Some are vile and I've smelled the stench from the farthest reaches of the lake. You might you find something in there to help you." Tezuka agreed with the sensible suggestion and entered the cottage, feeling slightly ashamed at the invasion of privacy. Even if it did belong to an evil sorcerer - if he was, in fact, evil - his mother had always taught him to respect the homes of others. However, he had no time for misgivings.

The cottage was dim beneath its arboreal shelter. However, the place had been kept orderly and neat and it didn't take Tezuka long to find a likely prospect. The cottage boasted two windows, allowing him to see the items arranged about him. There was a single bed, a wash basin, and a large table. The table was apparently the sorcerer's workshop as it was covered with numerous beakers, tubes, flasks, and vials in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

One flask in particular caught the chibi intruder's attention. The container was large and made of silver. When Tezuka picked it up, it was heavy and the metal was warm, as though whatever was inside had just been heated. Hoping that the contents of the flask would suit his purposes, he liberated it from the cottage, offering silent apologies to his absent parent.

Tezuka returned to the shore as he tucked the flask into an inside pocket of his shirt. He wanted to ask Rikou which way he should go to find the pool. But, the whale was not there. Instead, on the shore stood the same brown-haired chibi that had been in Eiji and Oishi's village. Tezuka stared at the boy in shock, wondering how in the world he'd managed to get there. He opened his mouth to ask that question, as well as the reason for the other's presence, when he was suddenly captured by a scrutinizing blue gaze. It was there but an instant, quickly replaced with an amiable, closed-eyed smile, but, it caused an inexplicable shiver along his spine.

"Hello," he ventured. "Funny we should meet again and here of all places. My name is Tezuka and you are..." He trailed off, waiting for the boy to answer. However, instead of tendering a reply, the boy's secretive smile widened for a brief moment before he turned and fled into the trees. Tezuka stared after him, stunned by the unexpected retreat. However, he soon shook himself from his stupor and gave chase, determined that his question would be given a proper response.

"Wait!" he shouted, running through the trees without difficult thanks to his recently acquired footwear. But, no matter how fast he ran, all he could see of the other boy was a flash of brown-hair and the occasional glimpse of bright blue eyes. The chase continued with Tezuka getting no close to catching his quarry, when, suddenly, the chibi found himself dashing from the thick forest into a wide clearing. Using the full abilities of the white shoes to stop his forward momentum, Tezuka agilely wrenched to a halt when he saw that he was not alone.

He saw no sign of the brown-haired boy he'd been chasing. Instead, a much more worrying sight met his astonished gaze. An enormous serpent was lying around a circle of stones, its length such that it nearly encircled the structure twice. The snake's scales were dark and it would melt easily into the dusky backdrop of the forest. However, the top of its head was covered with a bright patch of green, speckled with five smaller white patches. It almost looked like the creature was wearing some sort of head covering.

The snake was sleeping, its tongue flitting in and out from between its lips. At its side, a boy in a long white cloak sat muttering to himself and scribbling furiously in a notebook. Black hair stood up on all sides of his head in strange spikes, lending him the appearance of height, even though he already looked to be taller than the average chibi. A pair of dark-rimmed glasses was perched on his nose, square and opaque rather than the gentle oval of Tezuka's spectacles.

He had to be the sorcerer, Tezuka conjectured, although didn't look very dangerous. Instead, he seemed to be a rather bookish, harmless chibi. Tezuka watched him for a moment, trying to determine the best way to approach him and ask for the sphere. The stones had to be the very well which he sought. Although Tezuka took care to remain silent, his scent was very apparent to the sorcerer's familiar.

"Phushuuu..."

The viper's hiss stopped Tezuka in his tracks. He stared at the snake, his eyes widening as it uncoiled to its full extent. It rose upon it tail until it towered over both its master and the grim-faced chibi. Tezuka looked into dark eyes that stared at him with the focused intensity of a hunter and had to force himself not to gulp. The sorcerer didn't bother to turn around and jotted down a few more notes as he spoke.

"So, we have a visitor," he acknowledged. "I would say that there is an eighty percent chance that you have come seeking the golden sphere that rests in my care." Finally, the notebook was laid aside and the sorcerer turned to meet his guest. He regarded Tezuka with a sardonic half-smile, his eyes hidden behind impenetrable glasses. "Am I correct?"

"Yes, that's why I've come." Tezuka tried to keep one eye on the familiar as he answered. "I'm Tezuka and I must take the sphere to the..."

"Wishing Pool?" the sorcerer interrupted. He chuckled. "There was a seventy-five percent chance that that is why you seek the sphere. You could have wanted it simply for its ability to improve your hearing and vision, but, I see that you are a believer in the old tales." He reached out and petted the scaly hide of the huge snake fondly.

"Very well. I am Inui, the guardian of the golden sphere. If you can overcome the awesome speed and power of my pet, then the sphere is yours. However," he cautioned, "I feel obligated to inform you that there is a ninety-nine percent chance that you will lose this confrontation. My pet is hungry and his favorite meal is adventurous chibi."

That was Tezuka's only warning. If he hadn't been wearing the white shoes, he would never have been able to dodge the viper's lighting fast attack. Tezuka had taken care to keep the familiar in sight, however, his diligence proved useless. Rather than striking directly at his potential snack, the viper swung its muscular body in a tight arc and came at him obliquely.

Tezuka reacted without thought, flinging himself to the side with the aid of the shoes. An instant after he leapt away, the viper's long fangs dug deeply in to the dirt where he just be standing a moment before. Tezuka could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his rasping breath was loud in his ears. He could hardly believe the creature's incredible speed. But, rather than give in to the fear which lay like a lump of lead in his stomach, Tezuka simply readied himself for the next assault.

It didn't come immediately. With reptilian patience, the viper watched him, its tongue occasionally flicking outward to taste the air.

"Phushuu..." The viper's hiss was overlaid by a deep-voiced chuckle.

"That was quite impressive. I see that you have already acquired the white shoes of speed and agility. However," the sorcerer concluded, his glasses gleaming in the sunlight, "that will not save you. Now that my pet has seen how you move, he will compensate for it and you will be finished."

No sooner had the sorcerer announced his doom than the viper attacked again. This time, the strike came from the opposite side, the snake swinging completely around Tezuka's back. The chibi found himself nearly surrounded by the giant serpent. With the viper's massive tail blocking his path of escape, his options were severely curtailed.

However, placing his faith once more in the white shoes, Tezuka bounded away from the oncoming fangs, attempting to jump over the snake's body. His leap was high enough to clear the hurdle, but the viper anticipated his strategy. It raised it tail just as he was jumping over it and Tezuka found himself falling hard to the ground as he was smacked out of the air. The viper hissed again, a drop of venom landing very close to Tezuka's feet as the creature leaned over its downed prey.

The chibi shook his head, trying desperately to clear the ringing in his ears caused by the viper's mighty blow. When his vision cleared, he saw that the snake's fangs were mere feet away. The scaly body had coiled around him, completing its entrapment. There was no where left to run, shoes or no, and Tezuka feared that Inui's prediction was about to come true.

Just then, as the viper reared up slightly in preparation for sinking its fangs into its helpless meal, Tezuka caught a glimpse of metal lying next to him on the ground. It was the flask he'd stolen from the sorcerer's cottage. The seal had come loose when he'd fallen and a bit of a vile, noxious looking (and smelling) fluid had leaked out into the dirt. Not certain if it would do any good, but left with no other alternative, Tezuka snatched up the flask and wrenched off the top.

The viper's mouth opened wide, bearing its venomous fangs, as it plunged downward to impale the succulent-looking chibi. However, before it could reach its target, the small boy flung something at him, a shout adding strength to the throw. Driven by instinct, the viper snapped at the flying object, catching it in its maw.

"NO! Not my special DOUBLE SECRET TITANIAM POWER REMIX DELUX juice!!" The viper glanced at its master but the warning came too late. The moment the liquid hit its gullet, the snake rose up, flinging its head from side to side in spasms of nauseated agony. Tezuka regain his feet and dove away from the convulsing serpent.

"Phuushuuuuggg!"

Tezuka halted when he'd cleared a safe distance from the distressed viper. He turned around in amazement and the extremely human quality of the snake's tortured hiss.

'What in the...?' he wondered.

The creature's entire body shuddered and the ground shook from the force of its death throes. Suddenly, the viper keeled over and hit the earth with such force that the vibration nearly knocked Tezuka from his feet. Finally, the dust settled and viper lay unmoving, its eyes closed into a shape that looked remarkably like two big "X"s.

The spiky-haired sorcerer rushed over to his fallen pet. Inui laid a trembling hand on its side and after a tense moment, his head lowered to rest on the scaly hide. His sigh of relief was reflecting in the sudden drooping of his shoulders. Although glad that he hadn't ended up as the viper's next meal, Tezuka was happy that he hadn't done any permanent damage to the snake. After all, it was just doing what snakes do and meant him no personal ill will.

"You have surprised me, Master Tezuka," the sorcerer remarked, raising it head to look at the other chibi though he didn't abandon his post at near his familiar. "I see that I shall have to recalculate the data on the efficiency of my pet's attacks. Don't worry," he murmured to the still viper as he gently stroked over a small spot on its back, "you'll win next time.

"And, as for you," he said to Tezuka, "you have won the right to the golden sphere. I hope you will use it wisely." Before Tezuka could speak his thanks, the sorcerer stood and began to mutter softly, his plump hands weaving in a complicated pattern. A soft humming sound came from deep within the stone well. A soft, golden light began to emanate from it, the glow growing brighter and brighter as though something was rising from its depths.

Just as the radiance began to rival that of the sun, a small, round object burst from the top of the well, shooting up into the sky. It slowed its ascent and began to plummet downwards. Tezuka raised a hand reflexively as it seemed as though the sphere was aiming directly at his head. However, before it hit him, the trajectory was mysteriously diverted, and the sphere came to rest innocuously at his feet. Tezuka cast a suspicious glance at Inui and shook his head wryly at the slight smirk on the sorcerer's lips.

Tezuka reached down and retrieved the object he'd come there to find. The small sphere fit neatly into his hand. The surface wasn't smooth as he'd supposed. Rather, it seemed covered in a short layer of dense, golden fuzz. Curious, Tezuka rotated the sphere, examining it from all sides. As mention in his mother's story, a continuous white line wound its way around the surface. This was indeed the golden sphere of the legend.

Suddenly, the sphere glowed brightly in his hand, the light expanding around him until it filled the clearing. An intense warmth suffused the chibi and Tezuka gasped. Then, just as abruptly, the warmth and the glow faded away. A loud buzzing sound filled his ears, prompting Tezuka to look around for the source of the noise. He saw a fly resting on a branch of a tree. It was a moment before Tezuka realized that the tree was actually quite far away, at the very edge of the clearing. For, not only did the fly appear as though it were mere inches away, it sounded as though it were flitting right next to his ear.

It seemed that the power of the sphere was no exaggeration. However, the sorcerer's astounded cry needed no magical amplification.

"Kaidou!"

Tezuka turned quickly back towards the sorcerer, only to blink in confused astonishment. The huge snake was nowhere to been seen. In its place lay a chibi with mussed black hair. The dark strands poked out from beneath a bandana that bore the exact same markings that had distinguished the viper's head. However, other than that sole square of fabric, the boy was quite naked. He blinked, looking around uncertainly for a moment before realizing his unclothed condition. A dark red flush bloomed immediately over his cheeks as he drew up his knees and crossed his short arms over his chest. However, though the boy seemed perturbed at his nude state, the sorcerer wasn't nearly so reticent.

"Phushuu!" the bandana-wearing chibi exclaimed in an uncanny imitation of the viper as he was enfolded in the sorcerer's arms.

"Kaidou! You've returned to normal!" Inui shouted.

"No thanks to you," the Kaidou growled. He wiggled as though trying to escape the sorcerer's embrace, although Tezuka thought he wasn't really putting up much of a struggle. The boy looked at him and Tezuka was taken aback as he realized that he was, once again, staring into the predatory eyes of the viper. However, the intent coldness was much muted in the boy's new form and a shy smile curved the chibi's lips.

"Thank you for releasing from my master's spell." Tezuka was amused by how much Kaidou made the word "master" sound suspiciously like "idiot."

"You are quite welcome," Tezuka replied. "However," he added, "if I may ask, how exactly did you get turned into a snake?" Kaidou's blush deepened a tiny bit.

"I am Master Inui's familiar and the viper is my alternate form. Using a simple spell, he can change me into back and forth into a snake at will. Unless..."

"Unless," Inui said, taking up the story, "I forget the formula to change him back. You see, several months ago, Kaidou and I had a little tiff. He can be ever so stubborn on occasion." Kaidou hissed with embarrassed indignation but the sorcerer just smiled at him indulgently.

"During this particular argument, Kaidou flung some of my notebooks into the lake, claiming that I paid more attention to them than I did to him. Although I'm afraid his argument held more merit than I would care to admit, I changed Kaidou into his snake in a fit of pique. Unfortunately, one of the notebooks he tossed away was the very one that held the spell I needed to change him back into his human form. Luckily, it seems that the power of the sphere was sufficient to change him back without the spell. I've truly missed him."

Tezuka cleared his throat and turned away politely as the startled familiar suddenly found himself caught in a rather torrid smooch with the overjoyed sorcerer. After a long moment, a dazed sounding "phushuu" informed Tezuka that it was safe to look back towards the pair. Kaidou was now modestly wrapped in Inui's cloak; however, he face was redder than ever.

With a final word of thanks and a promise to visit again when next in the area, Tezuka left the couple behind and plunged back into the surrounding trees. It didn't take him long to retrace his path back to the beach, his enhanced eyesight allowing him to see the lake almost from the moment he reentered the forest.

To his relief, Rikou was floating just off shore, sending little streams of water shooting into the air through its blowhole as it waited for Tezuka's return. The small whale turned towards him as he emerged from the forest and smiled when it caught sight of the golden sphere in the chibi's hand.

"Well done! I see that you were successful in your search. Hop on and I'll return you to the mainland."

The trip took only a few moments as they were propelled across the lake by Rikou's powerful tail. Soon, Tezuka was climbing off of his friend's back and standing, once again, on the grassy shore. He reached out and patted the whale's broad head.

"I thank you, very much, for your help. Without you, I never would have been able to get the golden sphere." Rikou smiled pleasantly, waving away Tezuka's expression of gratitude with a small flick of its flipper.

"Think nothing of it. I wish you the best with the remainder of your quest and only regret that I cannot accompany you any further." Tezuka nodded, also dismayed that he would once again be traveling alone. But, before turning away from the lake, he looked back at Rikou, a question on his lips.

"By the way, did you happen to see a small boy on the island? He had light-brown hair and blue eyes. I first saw him in the small village where I found the white shoes and, then, he led me to the clearing where the sphere was hidden."

Tezuka found himself standing alone on the beach, his question unanswered, as Rikou simply winked at him with a single, blue eye before sinking beneath the waves.

Tsuzuku

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