Oishi unconsciously tightened his grip on Eiji. Eiji, feeling his friend tense up and also hearing the shouts of the others, decided to look behind him. Upon seeing the waterfall, his eyes widened and his body began to tremble. A small sound of fear and disbelief escaped his lips.

"Eiji, look at me," Oishi's calm voice cut in. He had felt the acrobat begin to shake, whether from fear or the coldness of the water, or both. He knew he couldn't afford to panic. He had to be the strong one in this situation, for himself and for Eiji. Eiji turned to face Oishi and Oishi could see he was already beginning to panic. He needed some kind of reassurance. "Eiji, we're going to get out of this together. I'm not sure how, but I promise you we will," Oishi stated confidently.

Eiji stared into the caring green eyes of his doubles partner, letting the words sink in. Oishi meant what he said. He could trust him. Eiji felt his body slowly relaxing, his eyes no longer widened and the trembling starting to subside. He gave a small nod of agreement to Oishi to let him know he understood.

Oishi smiled in response, happy to have been able to calm Eiji. He looked up from Eiji and his eyes began searching. He needed to find something to hold on to, something to stop them from moving. Even if he hadn't been holding Eiji, Oishi knew he wouldn't be able to swim against the current for very long. It would tire him out too quickly. And Eiji was definitely in no condition to fight against the current. Oishi didn't know how deep the cut in Eiji's left leg was or how much blood he had already lost. The fact that they were in the water was probably making the cut bleed more than it normally would have.

Oishi's eyes landed on the only things that would be able to stop them and hold them in place: the rocks to his right. It might be risky and dangerous, but what choice did he have? It was better than actually going over the waterfall. No telling what would await them at the bottom if that happened.

"Eiji, can you hold onto me?" Oishi asked gently. "I want to get us over to one of those rocks," he continued as he turned in the direction of the rocks, Eiji following his gaze. "It's our safest choice," he stated. He really hoped Eiji at least had the strength to hold onto him. It would be much easier to swim with both arms and a lot safer for both of them.

Eiji turned to meet his doubles partner's eyes that were filled with determination, making him feel determined as well. "H-Hai," he managed, his voice cracking ever so slightly. He moved to wrap his arms around Oishi's neck and his legs around Oishi's torso. Eiji winced a bit at putting pressure on his left leg, but he made himself bear it. He wanted to help Oishi in any way he could right now.

"Okay, good. Now don't let go no matter what," Oishi said. "If you can't hold on anymore, tell me right away," he added. Eiji nodded, but he planned on holding, no matter what it took.

Oishi nodded in response and with that, he released his grip on Eiji, making sure he stayed in place, and began making his way towards the rocks. He was aiming for one rock in particular that was a decent size and had a relatively smooth surface on the side that they would be on. Oishi pumped his arms and legs, wanting to get to the rock as quickly as possible. The current was stronger than he had expected, but he didn't let that deter him. He had promised Eiji they would get out of this and he meant to keep that promise.

However, he hadn't taken into account that the current might be different and stronger around the rocks. He realized it too late. They were almost there when the current began swirling oddly and pulled them in. Oishi was caught off guard and tried to regain his momentum, but he was tired and the current seemed twice as strong over here. They were being pushed toward the rock and he couldn't stop it.

Damn it! Oishi thought. He had to act fast if he wanted to at least protect Eiji. He shifted so that Eiji was in front of him, his arms around him, and his back was facing the rock. He would not let Eiji get hurt further.

Eiji, realizing what Oishi was doing, quickly let go and began to struggle to get out of his arms. This only caused Oishi to tighten his hold on the acrobat, restricting his movements. "Oishi…don't do this nya!" Eiji cried as he looked at his doubles partner, his friend, his eyes pleading.

"Gomenasai, Eiji…" Oishi said quietly, smiling softly at the red-head. In the next instant, Oishi was slammed into the edge of the rock, first his lower back, then his shoulders, and finally his head taking the force of the impact. His eyes squeezed shut and he grunted in pain. Oishi heard his name being called, although it sounded so far away, before the darkness beckoned him in.

"OISHI!" Eiji screamed as he felt Oishi's arms slip from around him and his body slump. All weariness and pain was gone in a flash, replaced by the adrenaline racing through his body and the guilt building in him. Why couldn't he have been more careful? Oishi was hurt now and he was the cause. Eiji didn't have much time to think, though. The current wasted no time in pushing them off the edge of the rock and back into the path of the rapidly approaching waterfall.

Eiji grabbed Oishi and held onto him. Tears were forming at the corners of his eyes and he fought to hold them back. Oishi was always there for him, always supporting him. He let that support give him the strength he needed.

"Oishi, this time, I'll protect you…" Eiji said softly as he hugged Oishi close and braced himself.

Eiji allowed himself to smile the slightest bit as he and Oishi were shot over the edge of the waterfall.

A/N: And there's chapter two! Thank you guys for the reviews. They really excited me. And I hope I didn't keep anyone waiting too long ^_^ Continue to let me know what you think ^_~