A/N: Thank you for the review, koyuki-san. Sorry for the slow update, I'm still entangled in my Software Engineering project. So, here is a short update, please enjoy.

Disc: Except the plot, all belong to Gonzo (thank you for telling me koyuki-san :D).

Chapter 1: gelefan

Wataru snapped his eyes. Yellow mossed roof greeted him. He was lying flat on his back. Sitting bold upright, he saw he was in the middle of a puffy flower garden, greenish grass acted as a comfortable cushion below him. Wait, were those really flowers? Squinting his eyes, he could see the colorful 'flowers' moving - not a natural move as if being blown by wind or such – but move as in slithering and jumping. Their small dotted eyes fixed on him as was his on theirs. Looking down on himself, he saw he was wearing a similar attire with the one – and only – attire he had wore when he first stumbled in this world. The white collared blue shirt; brown sword belt latched to his waist and extended to his shoulder. Both coated under sleeveless orange jacket. Then there was the dark grey short. He brushed his hand over his head, and instead of hair, he felt the same fabric for his hat. He pulled down the orange cap, decorated with white circle at each side, and this time brushed his hair successfully. He noticed the blue-gold-red Highlander bracelet – the gift from Kattsu as a token of his help - was also wrapped securely on his left hand. Even his sport shoes had gone who-knows-where and replaced with brown leather sandal. Everything fitted as if it grew along with him for the whole 7 years.

He swept his gaze again over the 'varicolored flower'-crowded room. His friend was nowhere no be seen and he was getting worried. Suddenly an old man with white beard materialized in front of him. He jumped back in surprise then stood sheepishly. It was the same old man he met the first time he passed his test. Still wore the same bulky purple orange cloth. The high oval cap – which had reminded Wataru so much of Arab's attire – perched above his head. Small emerald tear-shaped stone placed on his forehead – exactly at his cap line.

"Welcome once again, traveler." The old man smiled. Wataru thought that he didn't grow older but then again, he supposed one couldn't look older than that.

"Hello, jiji." He greeted politely. (A/N: jiji is one of Japan phrase to call an old man)

"I've told you to call me Master Guru Lau." He said stingingly, face frowned.

Wataru corrected himself quickly; afraid he had - again - offended him.

Master Guru Lau cleared his throat before speaking, leaning ever so slightly upon his wood staff. "Why do you come here again o hero?"

"I was having some business." He said, not really willing to answer but felt impolite to not answer at all. "I was with my friend, did you see him?"

The elder looked troubled. He waved his hand and unconscious Mitsuru, wrapped in soft white light, floated down behind him then halted in mid air. "Is this… your friend?"

Not the fact that Mitsuru was wrapped in hooded black and white mage garment shocked him, not also the fact that he looked so angelic and innocent in his peaceful slumber, but the fact that he was not conscious alone was enough to ring the alarm in him. He ran to his side and patted his cheek, calling his name gently. However, Mitsuru didn't stir; there was not even a single movement behind his closed eyes, indicating that he didn't hear him at all.

"What happened?" Wataru asked the elder, concerned.

The elder shook his head. "He is all right. But he's not supposed to return." Watching the puzzled expression in the teenager's face, the elder explained. "He had brought bad omen to this world and failed in the final test. With the mercy and passion of Goddess of Fortune, he had gained a second chance, a second life though not without great price for the Goddess herself." He paused, Wataru was curious on what 'price' he was talking about but retained himself. "Right now, his memory of this world had been sealed. But along with the time he spent here, there is a possibility that he will once again remember. He will regain again his ability and power. And… I'm afraid that he will repeat the same mistake and bring the same disaster." He grimaced.

Wataru shook his head slowly. Firmly he spoke. "No. He wouldn't."

"What make you so sure o young hero?"

"Because he has promised me. I had made him promised me." He paused. His answer was evidently not enough, for the expression in the elder face still resemble anxiety. "He comes here as my friend now. Just to accompany me. No more, no less." The elder still look hesitated. "Please release him. I'll take responsibility for his action." Wataru said at last, throwing one hand to his side as if protecting Mitsuru, getting wary over the elder's indecision.

The elder sighed. "Fine, I'll release him. However, you need to remember. It is impossible for one to bear other's burden. The burdens belong to the person and the person only." Wataru barely paid attention to his word. He was merely relieved that he had agreed to let his friend awake at last.

"Oh, how about our stuff?" Wataru asked, suddenly remembered.

The elder wave his shriveled hand and the bag appeared at his foot. "What will you do when he finally remember everything?"

Wataru put up his backpack and shouldered Mitsuru's sport bag. "I will stay beside him and support him to not make the same mistake." He smiled and held his friend's hand in his. "We're ready."

"I hope I had made a correct decision…" The elder said before waving his staff. Yellow orb twinkling brightly and suddenly everything was spinning. Tightening his grip, he closed his eyes to prevent further dizziness. With a thud, he landed on hard ground. Groaning, he brushed his sore buttock. At least this time he didn't flying in the air. Before even taking his surrounding, he turned to his friend and woke him up.

Moaning slightly, Mitsuru fluttered his eyes. Blinking, he could see Wataru's face blocking most of the cloudy blue background. Sitting up, he saw he was in the middle of devastated forest. The trees were withering, as if every life on them was drained away cruelly. The land was hard and dusty. Looking down on himself, he was wondering since when he had worn the strange attire.

Standing up, he circled, looking at himself in confusion. "What the hell is this?" Strangely, though he had presumed the attire to be 'weird', he didn't feel unfamiliar over the garment, as if he had wore it some time in the past. He shrugged inwardly. Nah, it was impossible, this was his first time in… whatever this place was.

"I think it suit you well." Wataru said, standing up. Looking at his mage friend, he looked like part of aesthetical paint – paint of an angel descending to a depraved forest. Suddenly the so-called angel narrowed his eyes at him.

"What?"

"Your attire looked much normal for me."

Wataru shrugged. "I'm a swordsman." Suddenly he remembered. He was a swordsman, but where was his sword? Glancing sideway, he saw his sword lying behind him. He picked it up and stared at it. The same sword with what he had previously. The pearls, fifth of them, were even still at its place – at the blue-white wing shaped hilt. He buckled it at his waist, trying hard to remember how to use the sword. Returning his focus, he saw his friend was stripping.

"What are you doing?" He looked away, slight tint in his cheek. No, that was not particularly because of the smooth pale skin beneath the robe. Not also because of the slender figure of his friend. None of them was causing his embarrassment. It must be the fact about this was the first time he saw him strip shamelessly in front of him.

"Changing." Mitsuru's answer came after a long pause. He opened his sport bag and settled for a casual white shirt and blue jeans. Looking at himself, he felt much more 'normal' in his definition. He folded the robe neatly, considering momentarily before shoving it into his bag.

Wataru's frowned slightly then he thought it probably for the best. He was not sure whether there would be anyone remembering his mage friend - he was not even sure whether the time in this world was running the same scale with his world – but better safe then sorry.

"Now, where are we?" Mitsuru shouldered his bag and cast his glance over the place.

"Dunno."

"Hey, you've come here before. How can you not know?"

Wataru pressed his urge to retort and say that his time in this world was far shorter than Mitsuru himself. "Vision world is large my dear friend. How if we just walk and ask someone?"

"Okay. Where to?" A mountain existed far behind Wataru, else from that, nothing was visible.

"The direction that we can presume as 'forward'." Wataru answered carelessly. He walked pass Mitsuru who was shaking his head disapprovingly upon his answer.

After a moment of walking, they reached somewhere where a deep slope existed. This land and the land at the opposite – which bore the same landscape - were separated by the natural slope. The land at the right was ascending while the left was descending.

"Hey, look." Mitsuru pointed to somewhere at the top. Squinting with his eyes, Wataru could see something resemble a building – brown brick wall and pyramid roof.

"C'mon." Wataru ascending, hoping he could find someone up there.

Walking closer, they could see the building was pretty tattered but it must have been a beautiful majestic building once. The structure took a Roman type. Big pillars at the front entrance; triangle roof sheltered the murky corridor beneath. The rest of the construction had crumbled on the left, but the right section appeared to stand alright. Wataru's hope for finding someone was dissipating but he pressed on nevertheless.

"Are you sure you want to go in?" Mitsuru was visibly reluctant.

"Aside from crumbling, I don't think there is anything dangerous." Wataru stepped over the threshold. His smelling sense was abruptly assaulted by the damp air and unfamiliar stinking smell from the corridor. He grimaced and entered, tracing his hand on the wall, he found some shape resembling an oily torch.

Rummaging blindly through his bag, Wataru pulled out matches. When he was about to lit the torch, a flick of yellow light blinded his eye.

"Tell me from the first if you bring the torch." Wataru scowled.

"You didn't ask, how should I know?" Mitsuru walked pass him, directing his torch to the whole place, trying to grasp an idea of the building safety and structure. Wataru lit the fire torch on his hand nonetheless.

They advanced until the passage divided into 2 direction and they chose the right for they assumed the left would ended in ruin. The deeper they enter, the less intense the smell. Walking further from the passage, they arrived in spacious room. Instead of reek, flower fragrant was emerging from nowhere. Finding the line of fire torch around the room, Wataru lit them one by one and the room was bathed by yellow dim light, the shadows danced energetically at the room floor even when the human itself was not moving.

Under enough light, they could see an altar was in front of them. The altar itself looked as if it had been abandoned for long. Candle places stood lonely at each end, dusted with cobweb along with every corner of this building. A ceramic plate with dried flower was served at the center of the altar, very disproportional compared to the space the altar provided.

A brown sculpture of a kind goddess sat beyond the altar. Her eyes were closed, her mouth tugged in slight smile and her arms were clasped in front of her. They approached it. Nothing was unnatural except for the small hole at the goddess forehead. It was perfectly fit for a small stone which was not there – either never there before or not there anymore.

"I guess this was a temple. Something had made her lost her worshipper I suppose." Wataru said, ready to leave the room.

Mitsuru tiptoed, ran his finger over the hole. He felt a certain familiarity and there had been a certain unsettlement in his stomach ever since he entered this building.

"Mitsuru?" Wataru glanced at his friend.

"Coming." Mitsuru ran to his friend, glancing once again over his shoulder before leaving the room.

"I guess we're descending then." Wataru said after they were at the outside.

"Yeah, I can see something down there."

Wataru walked to his friend's side. They were facing other side of the mountain they had climbed earlier. From here, they could see a small group of camp. White tents scattered closely beside each other, horses grazing not far.

"Great. Let's go."

A/n: gelefan was Germanic word for believe. My sister says it is a suitable theme in here because Wataru believes in Mitsuru and Lau believes in Wataru (chain effect??). I guess it's not a bad idea at all. Tell me what you think about it.