Disclaimer: I do not own Wish.

Author's note: Thank you for the reviews, they really helped me a lot. Special thanks to animegoil for explaining your point, I am very glad that you like the style, and especially thankful for your really constructive reviews which explain your view!

This is the revised version of Chapter 4, which was improved in terms of grammar, spelling and syntax. The general plot was not changed.

Enjoy reading!

Touki had quite missed Ranshou's departure, so deep had she sunken into the scenery. And how she couldn't had waited to sink into the water – the airy ride had made her quite desperate for the delicious cool the water offered – was it the ride and following dehydration or was Ranshou, in whose company she never felt as easy as she told herself she should be, and always longed to hide herself in the cool as to disguise her feelings yet stay as close as possible?

He had left, and although she was sorry to not be near him anymore, she did not waste much time in pining for his loss. The water welcomed her and reported the news, and the gossip that the molecules had caught in their travels and the comforting sound of well-known voices made her come to peace a lot sooner than she would have thought possible. She listened to remarks, reports, stories from places far away carried to this place by the water, and tried to repair damages as well as she could from the distance. Commanding the molecules around her to alarm the water in other regions, she set the cycles of rain where it was needed, and calm where the water was becoming too much. Although she might not be able to command all actions of the element, she tried to keep it within orders as much as possible. This wasn't easy, as the water always reacted according to her mood, and her rash temper made constancy rather impossible.

Whenever she did this in her place in Heaven, she always still had the feeling of distance, yet also a feeling of only seeing small pieces. She chose the regions consciously, and therefore mostly connected with those that had troubles. Even when she descended to Earth, she mostly came to resolve some issue directly at the spot of trouble. She had but rarely relaxed when she was on Earth, having business to attend and fearing demon attacksthat would bother her to fight... But this time was different – she felt very safe in this place, and very important,too, because Ranshou had entrusted her with his place and would came back for her. Relaxing in the water, she could see the whole picture – she was a lot nearer and a lot more closely connected. She now also encountered the more quiet units, and it helped her in understanding. So far, she had avoided traveling down to Earth, but this made it even more worth it.

She laid back, trying to rid herself of all emotions, and without being able to help it, her thoughts soon returned to Ranshou. Although she highly valued his abilities, and thought him a master of every useful spell, she couldn't help but fear that something might happen to him. Now that she felt safe, he might not be. It was her nature to care for others, but that care had so far rarely included other thought it rather strange that he should be dealing with volcanic activities – after all, she had always believed that it was Ryuki's department, involving heat and flames… Upon reconsideration, she saw that his appearance made sense, as the heat was but a by-product of the unrestless earth on it's way to the surface. However, she still allowed herself to be somewhat imcomposed from the fact that earth normally wasn't quite as explosive, which suited Ryukis sanguine temper a lot better than Ranshou gentle restriction. She also wondered why Ranshou did ask her to accompany him, if she was only to wait on this paradisical island, when he might have taken Ryuki, who could have been of use. Maybe he did not trust her capacities as to suppose that she could help him…. Maybe she would not be able to help after all, water was still opposite to heat, and she might have calmed the agitated earth. If she came down all the way throught he sky merely to keep him company on a journey completely useless, as he might as well just gated down to earth, instead of taking the dragon, in what kind of light did he see her? She felt her temper rising, despite the calming effect the water had had just minutes ago. She felt angry, or rather disappointed that he trusted her so little. Had she not always helped him in difficult spells and situations, when everybody else was too agitated? Had not she been the one to discover Hisui and Kohaku, and had to carry the burden of keeping something of that importance a secret? Was she just a holiday flirt to him? Was he even interested?

Despite all this anger, she could not help to feel worried about him. He was gone for a while by now, and she really wasn't sure whether he would be the right one to address the magma. Considering the troubles, her fear grew stronger. She should stop thinking and worrying, and enjoy the paradise...but when the elements were in uproar, they tended to shift into another area of responsibility, and make it impossible for their former master to communicate with them and calm them. Ranshou might just now be facing such a situation, and dearly wish for her help – although she would not be able to communicate with the hot earth, she could still attempt to shock it with the cool water she commanded. Still, she had to wonder why he did take her, a point which could, despite the negative mix of emotion anger for being undervalued, unrecognised and fear for his well-being, not be overcome that easily. Maybe he meant to express something more to her by revealing this place, maybe this meant something…

Although he always appeared to be easy and friendly, she had observed that he rarely expressed any sorrows he might have. He was friendly to everyone, but rarely allowed anyone to see beyond this façade; he always cared for others, but never allowed others to care for himself. He was always strong and never shaken, and never …never showed his temper on the outside. So unlike herself. So unlike her rash temper. She showed her temper, but not her true emotions. He was so honest, and so caring, so like…himself.

For a moment, the world felt like it was standing still - Touki realized what she always had tried to hide before her own conscience, her reason, her mind: that she searched his calm, that she was dependant on being reassured by him, that she longed to hear him say that he knew that she loved him. She needed him, she wanted him, and most of all, she wanted to live the truth and to stop sharing him just in order to hide her feelings, needed to tell him, ask him to forgive all her desperate attempts to deny her feelings, ask him to love her just as she loved him.

Waking from her daze, she remembered all of sudden her fears – what if something would happen to him on a mission he could not be perfectly equipped for? She needed to find him...

The beauty of the island remained behind, forgotten, when Touki entered the stream, continuously asking for directions and reports, and allowing herself to be guided through rivers, the sea and finally moving up with the condensing water to climb the peaks…The water knew of her agitation and tried to help her, just like a loyal companion and servant would do. Her wish was it's command, and it would lead her to where she would have to continue alone.