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 3

Tezuka headed away from the lake, walking alone through the woods. The augmented sounds of birds and insects filled his ears and his sharpened gaze caught the occasional glimpse of a small creature scurrying for cover. However, he did not encounter another person or miraculous creature to which he could speak. He bedded down for the night beneath the branches of a large tree, feeling a bit lonely and missing the company of Tensai and Rikou as he lay in the dark. But, the more pressing concern was that he had no clue where to find the final object.

The story spoke of a giant leaf of a most peculiar shape. Rather than possessing the slender stem and smooth green texture of ordinary leaves, the Leaf of Power had a long, narrow cylinder for a stem that spread abruptly into the oblong oval of the leaf's head. The head was not smooth but was formed of dozens of criss-crossing fibers that resulted in a gaping, mesh-like weave. The outer rim of the leaf head was formed of a thick, ridge bridge that supported the mesh and pulling at the weave and making it rigid.

And, like the other two objects, the Leaf of Power granted its possessor a special gift. Whereas the white shoes lent their wearer speed and agility and the golden sphere increased hearing and sight to an amazing degree, the leaf imbued the one holding it with unimaginable strength.

Deciding to head back towards more populated areas for lack of a better choice, Tezuka had been wandering for a while after waking when he caught a faint chirp from somewhere above his head. He stopped and listened, reaching into his pocket to touch the golden sphere. The sound instantly became louder, revealing a twittering note of distress. Tezuka looked up and peered into the leafy canopy with his amplified vision.

He quickly espied of the source of the chirping. A small swallow, hardly more than a chick, was attempting to fly away from a high branch. However, its tiny leg was caught in some of the vines that clung to the trees.

Eager to help the distraught bird, Tezuka climbed nimbly into the upper reaches of the tree, the white shoes easing his task. Carefully, he stepped out onto the narrow branch, hoping that it would hold him. The limb creaked and wavered unnervingly in the wind that whisked through the lofty treetops. However, it supported its chibi burden long enough for Tezuka to disentangle the swallow. It flew away, twittering its gratitude and he quickly made his way back to the ground.

To his surprise, the swallow flew down to hover next to his shoulder. Tezuka raised a cautious finger and the little bird settled on it, looking up at him with eyes that resembled bright, blue beads.

"Thank you, young sir. I was worried that I would never get free from those vines."

Now, by this time Tezuka had become more accustomed to things of a stranger nature than the ordinary and, so, he hardly shocked at all by the bird's speech. Ever mindful of his manners, he replied with a respectful bow of his head.

"I'm happy I was able to be of assistance. My name is Tezuka and I'm pleased to meet you."

"Greetings, young sir," the swallow tweeted. "I'm Kue. Might I inquire as to why you are traveling alone in these woods?" As before, Tezuka related the story of the Wishing Pool and his desire to make use of its fabled abilities.

"So," Kue replied, "you seek the third object, the Leaf of Power. It just so happens that I know where you can find it. Follow me and I will show you the way!"

Grateful to have encountered yet another useful and companionable animal guide, Tezuka set off after the swallow as it flew away. Again, using his speedy shoes, he had no trouble keeping up with the swift bird. They traveled for quite a distance before stopping to rest. As they partook of a bit of refreshment, Kue regaled him with some interesting facts about the leaf.

"It lies deep in the mountains to the north. It is attached to a tree, hidden amidst other, more ordinary leaves. You will need to climb the tree to pluck off the leaf, although, with your shoes, it should be no trouble for you." Tezuka wondered at the paucity of the explanation.

"The task sounds simple enough. Is there nothing more difficult that must be done? The other objects were not so easily obtained." Kue's chirping laughter fluttered to his ears on the breeze.

"Indeed, you have a quick mind for a human boy." Tezuka wondered whether the strange compliment but the bird continued before he could take any offense. "The leaf is protected by two dangerous and powerful giants. In order to win the leaf you will have to defeat them in a fight."

Figures, Tezuka mused glumly. After tussling with Kaidou, he was none too eager to engage in another difficult battle. But, there was nothing to be done. If he wanted the leaf, he would just have to rise to the challenge.

"Do you have any ideas as to how I can beat two giants?" he asked his avian escort.

"Of course," the swallow cooed. "Let's continue on our way and I will show you what you'll need."

Before long, Tezuka noticed that the trees had thinned and that the ground was rising in a gentle slope. They had reached the foothills of the northern mountains and the towering peaks rose hazily in the distance. Several trees, laden with fruit, grew in tightly clustered groves in the enriched mountain soil. It was to one such tree that Kue directed his chibi friend.

"Grab one of those and make sure it's the largest one you can carry."

One of those referred to the succulent looking peaches hanging from the branches above him. Although he wondered at what good a peach could possibly do, Tezuka nonetheless obeyed the swallow's edict and retrieved two peaches. One was nearly the size of his head and flush with juicy ripeness. The other was smaller, those no less tempting, and he tucked it away for an afternoon snack.

Satisfied with Tezuka's choice of fruit, Kue flew on, leading the boy further into the mountains. The trees changed from the deciduous variety to which Tezuka was accustomed and were replaced by their coniferous kin. The air was clear and sharp, becoming colder the higher they went. Tezuka was forced to cross several, small streams that wound their way down the slopes. However, Kue bade him to pause beside one waterway with a particularly swift current.

"Here, you'll need to catch a fish. A big one, mind." Again, Tezuka was skeptical at the usefulness of food to win the upcoming battle. But, trusting the bear cub and the baby whale had worked, so, he decided to follow the sparrow's advice. Using the golden sphere to enhance his vision, Tezuka managed to land a very respectable specimen of mountain trout. Tucking the carefully wrapped fish into his pack next to the peach, he and Kue continued along the final leg of their trek.

The gentle gradient of the foothills had gradually steepened the further into the mountains they went. However, all of a sudden, the land rose up before him sharply and Tezuka was forced to use the fullest extend of his assisted agility to scale the jagged rock face of the mountainside. Kue flew back and forth beside him as he labored, encouraging him with kind words and friendly taunts. Finally, Tezuka reached the summit of the lowest peak and marveled at the sight revealed to him.

A broad plateau stretched into the distance, the space surrounded by pines and evergreens. However, one tree was different than its brethren. Green leaves flapped in the chilly wind, looking as though they would surrender their tether to the tree at any moment from the whirling gusts. And, nestled amongst them, was a curious growth that resembled no leaf Tezuka had ever before encountered. Its long, cylindrical stem and mesh face proclaimed its identity.

At last, he had found the Leaf of Power.

Tezuka had little time to appreciate his discovery, for, there, in the idyllic meadow, laid a couple of giants, napping on a bed of tall grass. They were alike in many respects. Both had strong arms, muscular despite their chubbiness, and thick legs that were longer than the surrounding trees were tall and Tezuka figured that it would take dozens of him, laid out head to toe, to match their prodigious height.

But, there the similarities ended. The closest of the giants slumbered on its back, mouth agape and snoring loudly enough to shake the hills. Black hair, reminiscent of Inui's spiky mop, stood straight up atop its head. The other giant, which had curled up on its side, had a thick mop of neatly combed brown hair. Even though its legs were tucked up as it slept, Tezuka suspected that the second giant was even taller than the first. He wondered again how a little boy such as himself would ever beat such large chibis as these.

Tezuka was attempting to skirt around the sleeping giants to reach the tree, hoping to avoid a confrontation, when several pebbles that clung to the rock face lost their battle with gravity and skittered down the mountainside. Grimacing at the accidental pronouncement, Tezuka turned and frowned in resignation as he saw first one then both of the giants stir from their rest.

The black-haired giant saw him first, staring at him with startled violet eyes. He jumped to his feet, an imposing sight to say the least, and glared down at the chibi that rose no further than his lower shin.

"Hey, you there! What are you about?" His bellow brought his companion to full wakefulness and he, too, rose to his feet. Though the second giant's countenance was, in fact, rather amiable in appearance, he towered over everything, even his loud-mouthed fellow.

"What's going on, Jack?" the brown-haired giant asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"This little fellow was trying to sneak up on us while we slept," the first giant explained. Kindly brown eyes turned down towards the chibi staring up at him.

"Hmm. You think he's after the leaf?" Jack nodded.

"I'd say it's likely, seeing as how he was heading straight for the tree. Well, little boy, nothin' doing! Me and Hado are here to guard the Leaf of Power and there's no way we're gonna let you have it." Hado looked troubled at his friend's belligerence.

"Oh, now, come on, Jack. Maybe it would be okay to just let him take the leaf. I mean, it's not like we really want to be here, is it?" Jack glared at the soft-spoken giant.

"Hado, how many times do we have to go over this? It's our job to protect this stupid leaf and that's what we're gonna do. If we don't, you know very well what he will do." Hado's brow wrinkled, exhibiting his unease.

"But, Jack, you know I hate violence." He looked down again at the small chibi. "And, he such a cute little thing."

Tezuka watched the giants argue, amazed that they hadn't squashed him out of hand. He shared Hado's sentiments to the fullest. He had no desire to fight. Perhaps there was a way to salvage the situation. Tezuka opened his mouth to speak, deciding he would try to talk them into just giving him the leaf.

Before he could say a word, however, Jack rolled his eyes and reached out, closing his hand around a nearby sapling. With one might tug, he unearthed the young tree and held it out to his companion. Hado looked at the proffered gift with a question in his eyes.

"Just take it," Jack urged impatiently. With a shrug, Hado took hold of the tree. And, then, all Hell broke loose.

"Doria!! Come on, baby!" Tezuka froze as a flaming brown eye looked down at him. "You want the leaf, little man? Then you're gonna have to get past me!"

Unable to account for Hado's sudden personality transformation, Tezuka just stared up at him in confusion. However, he was startled from his perplexed daze when the tree branch whizzed through the air, endeavoring to turn him into a messy spot on the grass.

"Burning!"

The yell that accompanied the falling tree shook the surrounding cliffs. Tezuka leapt out of the way, grateful that the giant's attack had been much slower than Kaidou's swift lunges. But, whatever Hado lacked in speed, he more than made up for in sheer power. The impact of the tree left a long trench in the ground. Tezuka stared at the crater and gulped, not even wanting to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't been able to dodge in time.

Unfortunately, so fixed was his attention on Hado, that Tezuka was unprepared for Jack's more stealthy attack. Only the disturbed swoosh of rushing air gave warning of the mighty fist aimed to flatten him. The gust toppled Tezuka over and he barely managed to roll away as Jack's hand hit the ground with a resounding slam.

'This is nuts!' Tezuka thought as he bounded to his feet, his nimbleness due solely to the white shoes. When he had rolled, he'd landed on his pack and his back ached from where it had dug into him. He took the straps from his shoulders, intending to rid himself of the hampering weight. A twitter at his ear stopped him before he could fling it away.

"The peach and fish!" Kue shouted. "Take them out, quickly!"

"What?!" Tezuka shouted, annoyed at the bird as this was surely no time to think of food. But the swallow had already flown away and he had to return his attention towards means of survival as two more, might blows reigned down in his direction.

"Doria!"

"Don!"

The giants' battle cries rang in Tezuka's ears as he ducked, dodged, and weaved to avoid the combined attacks. Thus far, his agility had saved him. But, he was quickly tiring and not sure how long he'd be able to keep up the defensive maneuvers. Needing a change of tactic, he sprinted away from the giants, heading for the trees surrounding the meadow. His heart thumped in time to the heavy steps that pounded along after him.

Tezuka realized that the pack was still in his hand, forgotten as he concentrated on evading the giants. Kue's words came back to him and, out of sheer desperation rather than belief that the food would do any actual good, he took out the peach and the fish as he ran. Suddenly, he stopped and spun around abruptly, hurling the fruit and seafood at his pursuers. Jack neatly fielded the fish and the peach bopped off of Hado's forehead before dropping into his free hand.

When the giants realized what they were holding and what the other was holding, they immediately halted their chase and turned towards each other with covetous eyes.

"Hey, Hado," Jack implored. "You know I love peaches! That one looks particularly good. Give it to me." Still in his strangely altered state of mind, Hado merely smirked and shook his head.

"No way! Give me that yummy, fresh trout first."

"I'll give you the fish after you give me the peach."

"Forget it! You want this peach, you'll have to pry from my cold, dead fingers!"

Tezuka panted, trying to catch his breath, amazed that the swallow's crazy plan had actually worked. Somehow, the bird must have known about the giant's food predilections. How, he had no clue, but he was categorically grateful for Kue's foresight as he watched the giants struggle amongst themselves.

Jack lunged for the peach, but Hado held it above his head. The black-haired giant made an impressive leap and snatched at the fruit. However, at the same time, Hado grabbed hold of the fish and their arms and legs ended up tangled together. They both hit the ground with an earth-shattering boom that kicked up tons of dirt and caused a small fissure to open up in the ground.

Tezuka found himself flying through the air for some distance from the shockwaves of the impact. He landed quite hard and had to take a moment to still his dizziness. When he looked up, he saw the two giants lying motionless on the ground: Hado on his back clutching the fish and the peach resting lovingly in Jack's fist as he lay face down in the grass. Kue flew up and landed daintily on his shoulder.

"Nicely done, Tezuka. See? I told you that you could win this fight. And, look! They've done your work for you." Following in the direction of the tiny wing Kue held out, Tezuka saw that, below the lone deciduous tree, lay the Leaf of Power. It had been knocked loose by the force of the giants' fall. Tezuka shook his head, deciding it was better not to question fate, as he picked it up from the ground.

Instantly, a tingling sensation spread from his hand and up his arms, traveling through him until every part of him was abuzz. He felt strong! Stronger than he'd ever felt before. He stepped over to the sapling that had fallen from Hado's slack hand and lifted the entire thing over his head with one, chubby hand. Kue flapped around him, chirping with admiration.

"My, Tezuka! Look how powerful you are!" Again, he suspected that the comment contained more than just a hit of sarcasm, but declined to remark. He retrieved his fallen pack and stood beside the giants' recumbent heads. With a reinforced finger, he prodded at them until they began to stir. They groaned, holding their heads as they sat up. Tezuka waited warily, confident that he could defend himself with the help of the leaf, but hoping this would be the end of it.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Jack blinked, the haze clearing from his violet eyes. He glanced at Tezuka and took note of the leaf in the chibi's hand. A wide smile crossed his face and he looked extremely relieved. He nudged Hado, whose expression had taken on its former affability.

"Look, look! He's got the leaf! Finally, we can be free of this ridiculous duty." Hado looked at Tezuka with wide, brown eyes and smiled as well, though his was much more diffident. He reached behind his head with one have and laughed bashfully.

"I sure am glad you got the leaf. That was very clever the way you tricked us. Oh, and thanks a bunch for the fish." Tezuka breathed a sigh of relief and bowed his head in polite response.

"I can't take the credit as the food was Kue's idea." He pointed to the swallow sitting smugly on his shoulder. "But, regardless, it's a pleasure to meet you under, well, less exciting circumstances. I am Tezuka and I am on my way to the Wishing Pool."

"Yeah," Jack replied. "I figured that's why you wanted the leaf. I wasn't sure that it really existed, but, I guess it does. By the way, my name isn't really Jack and he really isn't Hado." A large thumb jerked in the other giant's direction. Tezuka narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Then, why did you introduce yourselves that way?"

"Well," Hado, who was not really Hado, began, "we were put under a curse by an imp..."

"An annoying little jerk of an imp," Jack, who was not really Jack, interjected.

"Yes, well, an imp by the name of Horio. We were playing a game one afternoon and he came around as he does sometimes, claiming that he had been playing that game for two years, already, and was very good at it. I didn't mind him playing, but, some of the others were less than keen, seeing as Horio is even smaller than yourself. He got angry and, since we were standing nearest to him at the time, he cursed us and confined us to this meadow to guard the leaf. Until it was won in a fair fight, we would be unable to abandon our posts. However, if we just let someone take it, then we would be frozen into statues for eternity."

"I see," Tezuka said, sympathizing with their predicament and not being one to hold a grudge. "So, what are your real names and why were you using fakes?"

"My name is Momo," the giant formerly known as Jack answered. The reason for his love of peaches instantly became clear. "This is Taka." The giant, who used to be Hado, waved hello.

"Why did we use fakes?" Momo echoed. "Heh, well, I guess were just embarrassed that a couple of strong giants like ourselves couldn't overcome a curse from a scrawny little imp. Didn't want to bring any shame on our families, you understand."

Tezuka did and Momo and Taka stood, expressing their desire to return to their homes. It had been nearly a hundred years since they'd been back to their village. Tezuka was impressed by how well the giants had aged, as they still seemed to be quite young. Taka spoke of his eagerness to return to his father's fishery and Momo said that he especially wanted to get reacquainted with his pretty bride, Anne, who he'd married only a few months before being cursed. The giants and the chibi exchanged well wishes and parted company after Tezuka promised to visit the giants' village sometime in the near future.

Tsuzuku

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