What Should Have Never Been Found

Warnings: About none for this chapter, though the fic is going to become bloody and (if I manage to convey it) scary. ^^

Characters: Tezuka, Fuji. (Friendshipp-y). Rest of Seigaku makes random appearances.

As for reviews: A big thank you to everybody who left a review! Due to time issues, I'll do the replies to reviews every two chapters – but in case you'd prefer a pm or a direct reply, feel free to leave me a hint. ^^

Nowlife: Thank you very much for reading. I hope you'll enjoy future installments of this story as well.

Yoshikochan: Ah, Tezuka can't quite abandon his stoic front (yet). But, well, he won't spend this story merely worrying about Fuji (who ought to make good use of his chances to be playful). Anyhow, I'm glad you like the story so far and thank you very, very much for reading.

Koshi Sekisen: Thank you very much for reading. It means a lot to hear you enjoy reading this story and while I can't promise longer chapters (though some of the future chapters are going to be longer), I can promise more suspense and some action not too far in the future. Hope you'll enjoy those chapters too.

Rosie-chan: Thank you very much for reading as well as the compliments. I'll try my best to keep up the flow in the future chapters and hope you'll enjoy reading those as well.

Anjerui-senpai: Thank you very much for reading. I hope you'll like the next chapter as well.

Vhii1217: I hope I won't disappoint where surprises are concerned. And about what's going to happen to Fuji at the house this time around ~ we'll see. *smirks* Thank you very much for reading!

PWNsomeness: Actually, while this is the same genre as Ghost Hunt, it's not intended to be a sequel (Tezuka knows nothing about ghosts as of now). Thank you very much for reading and I hope you'll enjoy future chapter as well.

AniManGa19930: Thank you for reading here as well – and recommending this to your sister (though I hope she's not too young… if you're reading on lj you've already seen where this is headed…). Anyways, hope you'll enjoy a re-read of this.

Lachrymosa13blue: Thank you very much. I'll try my best to keep this interesting in the future (and while this one starts out a little "slower" than Ghost Hunt, it's going to become quite nasty later on *evil laughter*)

Lovefuji: I can't promise anything about what is going to happen to Fuji (at least for later parts of the story), but I have a weakness for sappy ends. That said, thank you for reading and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too.

Disclaimer: PoT is not mine. I'm merely playing with the characters.

Without further ado, enjoy

Three

A still landscape reminiscent of faded black and white photographs greeted Fuji the moment he stepped off the train. The level of snow outside hadn't changed since yesterday, reaching up to his ankles where the roads hadn't been cleared and the silence remained as all-encompassing.

Few people were out on the main street, disappearing hurriedly around corners into their warm, welcoming homes and those well-lit windows beckoned all the more as an icy gust of wind tore down the empty street, carrying snowflakes and dead leaves.

Fuji drew a deep breath. The freezing air burned in his lungs, but he ignored the sensation and started walking.

Snow crunched under his feet; the cold practically seeped through the soles of his shoes, numbing his toes until he would not have noted a thing had somebody taken a knife and cut them off. He kept his hands firmly stuffed in the pockets of his coat in a vain attempt to keep his fingers warm and flexible.

None of the souvenir shops that lined the street in summer had opened and apparently all restaurants were closed as well. There was one convenience store he passed on his way uphill that had lights on, though there was nobody but a bored looking store attendant inside.

A part of him wanted to enter if just to escape the biting air, yet that wouldn't bring him to his goal any sooner, nor would it get him on the train back home.

He had spend the majority of the train ride contemplating whether he needed his student ID this badly and now, that the sky was slowly darkening and the buildings along the road were growing fewer, he would have gladly turned around and taken the next train back. But then again, he had already come here and only the walk uphill and his excursion was half-over already.

Fuji turned left; leaving the main road in order to follow a path winding uphill through dark, silent woods. Yesterday he had wondered where they were going, but had trust Tezuka enough to know where he was leading them. Among this world made up of white snow and black tree trunks orientation became difficult.

Though now that he had to navigate the snow-covered maze himself, Fuji found the path discernible by old, half-vanished footprints and tell-tale gaps between trees. Within a few minutes he had lost all feeling in his feet and hands and only his own, strained breathing resounded in the air.

The exertion however was not enough to keep his mind from wandering.

What if this thing that had made him faint lurked here in the darkness? What else lingered here, watching him from a distance?

He told himself firmly he was only making himself nervous. Since he had left the train he had not sensed a single spirit and he knew he was extremely sensitive due to yesterday's events. But the silence and the cold seemed to blind his senses and more than once he glanced sideways only to see nothing there.

Maybe he should try to find that mp3 player that had to somewhere in his book bag, just to sooth his nerves. But his fingers were already too cold to grip the zipper of the bag, so trying to use such a small device was completely out of question.

Thus, he sighed in relief as after another ten minutes he saw first houses in the distance.

"I think we should hold the introduction for the clubs in the 2nd week of the new term." Okawa Haruki from class 2-4 suggested, repeating a suggestion he had already voiced an hour ago and Tezuka had to pull himself together not to groan.

Student council was discussing what would happen once the new term started – in other words, they were trying to figure out on what days to hold the elections for class representatives, introduce the school's clubs, offer tutoring, excursions, get-together meetings and everything else that mixed education with socializing.

"No, that's too soon." Oda Akiko from 2-7 protested. "The new students won't have settled in enough to bombard them with so much information. They'll not be able to make a well-thought out decision."

Tezuka rubbed his eyes.

He might have been student council president, but currently he was seriously questioning the importance of his presence, since he wouldn't even be at the school next term. Hardly any of the third-year representatives had bothered to come to this meeting anyway, and the few that where present had their faces hidden behind large textbooks.

Furthermore, experience had taught Tezuka that regardless of how long the discussion lasted this time around, all activities would be held on the same dates as the years before – not all dates were exceedingly practical, Oda was correct there, yet there was hardly any room for improvement.

"Distracted, chief?" The student council's vice president, Ishizu Ken, asked him in a whisper.

Tezuka felt the lines on his forehead deepen. There were exams waiting to be studied for and then there was Fuji and the question whether Tezuka could find a pretext under which to call his friend in order to assure he was alright.

A very odd sense of dread had filled his stomach ever since he had watched Fuji disappear down the corridor, the key to that distant house grasped firmly in his hand.

He wondered if Fuji still was on the train or had already arrived. And more importantly, whether he was alright.

Fuji sped up, hurried along the snow-topped stone wall and soon found himself standing in front of the familiar garden gate with a knot of tension in his stomach.

Just what had it been that had caused him to faint? Would it still be there?

The thoughts refused to be ignored any longer and Fuji swallowed. What if he opened this gate to encounter this ominous thing? What if he would faint out here in the cold?

Recalling a method his sister had taught him to sense spirits, Fuji closed his eyes and concentrated. Try as he might, he couldn't sense anything but the icy breeze caressing his skin. Then again, he wasn't his sister and in his experience this method worked only when he would have been able to sense the spirit anyway the moment it came only a step closer.

Fuji sighed. He was being paranoid, he told himself. It was quite fortunate Tezuka wasn't there to witness him acting like a scared chicken. His stunt yesterday had apparently made him appear weak enough to require special attention in his friend's eyes.

Not that he minded. He just wished it wasn't the sort of concern that stemmed from Tezuka's over-active sense of responsibility.

As he fumbled with the key, another thing caught his attention.

He hadn't noticed it yesterday, since Tezuka had stood in front of him then, but now he could make out faint engravings over the keyhole. They were far too well-hidden for being the maker's seal or any sort of popular good luck charm. And neither, Fuji realized as he studied them, were any words common for blessing buildings used.

He squinted, yet whoever had carved them had hidden them well - so well he couldn't make out more than three characters. Though those were enough.

Fuji bit his lip. This, he figured, was part of protective ward, supposed to keep all kinds of spirits from entering. Even though he did not know where the other cornerstones of the ward were places, he strongly suspected he would find them hidden along the garden wall as well.

'They like telling me ghost stories.' He recalled Tezuka saying.

Was there a possibility that the Nakayamas hadn't only been telling stories?

Tentatively Fuji slid off a glove and brushed his fingers over the carvings. There was nothing, his senses told him, and the tell-tale tingle that always ran down his back when he touched any kind of ward was missing.

Strange, Fuji thought and unlocked the door with numb fingers. Maybe the ward hadn't been completed, or the door had originally come from somewhere else.

Or the ward had been broken.

Fuji shook his head. Protective wards like this were as strong as they were simple, making them extremely hard to destroy. Furthermore, a conscious breaking of wards required a motive even stronger than robbery did – and he hadn't sensed anything extraordinary about this house that would attract spirits.

Nor were there any around, Fuji noted as he pushed open the door and stepped into the garden. The atmosphere inside felt no different than yesterday, so he shrugged his odd premonition off and followed the small footpath leading around the house and up the front door.

From time to time he gazed curiously at the wall, but didn't find any further cornerstones – though those might have been hidden behind pine trees, willows and ivy. Maybe that door, like the collection of oddities inside, had been discovered somewhere far away and merely been brought to this place.

Only when Fuji saw the front gate in the distance he contemplated walking over to have a closer look – but it was too cold to go searching for the fix points of a dysfunctional ward when all he wanted was to collect his ID and return to Tokyo. His fingers were so cold he could sense a faint pain underneath the numbness, telling him to go inside if he wanted to regain use of his hands at some point tonight.

With few long steps he crossed the last metres, unlocked the door and finally found himself inside.

"Seeing as we probably won't be able to agree on a fixed date on today's meeting." Ishizu was saying and Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "I'd suggest we adjourn for today and before our next meeting consult with principal concerning the dates."

While some frowned the vast majority agreed quickly. Many of them had exams to study for and every minute not wasted on discussions meant a minute more of free time. Tezuka, too, could feel relief cursing through his veins as people started packing.

"Is it a date?" Ishizu abruptly asked him and waved upon seeing Tezuka's stony expression. "Just wondering. You were distracted and seem in a hurry to leave…"

A sigh of relief left Fuji's lips as the lights flickered on and warmth flooded his body. His eyes roamed over familiar photographs; the couple, the old lady with her cat, a very young Tezuka – he wondered if he could get a copy of that picture.

Their tennis captain looked quite different as a wide-eyed six-year old wearing large glasses and even though his features already formed his typical frown, Fuji found the childish curiosity easy to recognize.

With a slight smile Fuji slipped off his shoes, set down his bag and made his way down the corridor. Dimly he wondered what Tezuka was doing currently – if he still was caught up with student council matters or whether he had been able make his way home by now. He much hoped it was the later – Tezuka had enough on his plate without the student council practically incapable to function without him.

Carefully he opened the door to the living room and switched on the lights. Nothing had changed since they left yesterday – his student ID wasn't in sight either.

Fuji sighed. It probably had fallen underneath the couch or one of the cupboards; otherwise either he or Tezuka would have noticed it last night.

He crossed the room, over to the spot in front of the glass door leading out to the backyard and crouched down. As he had feared, there was no trace of his student ID to be found anywhere. With another sigh he bent down and tried to peer underneath the furniture.

Fuji was quite certain the small item must have fallen from his pocket when he had fainted yesterday, thus it had to be somewhere within the room. He could only hope it hadn't disappeared into the farthest corner under the couch.

Bringing his face level with the ground he had to stifle a shudder as cold air brushed his face. Even though the door to the backyard was closed, the frost could be felt through two layers of glass. The little light remaining outside did little to help his search and he had to wait a moment until his eyes adjusted.

The air remained still around him and finally Fuji caught sight of a small case underneath a drawer on his right. He reached out carefully.

His fingers accidentally brushed against the drawer – and a shiver ran down his spine.

Tezuka frowned as he glanced at the overcast sky. The logical part of his mind told him to go home and study; the other part was worried about Fuji.

In the back of his head he realized his concern for Fuji was reaching absurd heights; Fuji was quite capable of watching out for himself. The fainting spell yesterday had been an exception – and exactly because it had not happened before Tezuka found himself abruptly paying twice as much attention to his friend.

With a sigh he flipped open his cell phone and dialled the familiar number. He wasn't quite sure what he would say to Fuji once the other picked up, but checking up on him this way was probably for the best. Even the rational part of his brain would not deny making sure ones friends were safe and sound made merely a natural action.

Yet he couldn't help feeling slightly unhappy with himself for being so uncharacteristically worried.

The sensation disappeared fast the moment he realized Fuji wasn't picking up. There might have been many reasons involved, but when Fuji also failed to answer the call ten minutes later Tezuka firmly pressed his lips together and directed his steps toward the next train station.

Fuji blinked. Instead of reaching out for his ID, he consciously touched the drawer and the sensation repeated itself.

Obviously, this piece of furniture was part of another ward – an active one. This, in turn indicated, that the ward in the garden was not dysfunctional.

It had been breached.

Fuji bit his lower lip. Having wards around the premise of old houses was nothing unusual – back in the day when people had been more inclined to believe in the supernatural, setting up a protective barrier had been one of the first things to be done after the house had been build.

Even Tezuka's house was warded, which had been a source of amusement for Fuji every now and then – the young captain was so unwilling to believe into anything paranormal, yet he had actually grown up surrounded by it.

Still, two sets of wards were highly unusual. Especially since the inner set apparently was not a relic of former inhabitants, but had been consciously placed.

Fuji thoughtfully gazed across the room and found his eyes attracted by the corner filled with a collection of odd knickknacks. Souvenirs from travels, Tezuka had said and Fuji hadn't paid them further attention. But now upon closer inspection, he couldn't help notice that the vast majority of said objects either depicted spiritual or religious places or were actual items.

Surely, at every religious site turned tourist attraction one could purchase such items in over-priced souvenir shops, yet Fuji couldn't shake the suspicion those weren't normal souvenirs. People who intentionally surrounded their house by two sets of wards did not accidentally buy religious objects on vacation.

Fuji shuddered. Either this was all by chance – the door bearing an ancient inscription outside a part of the eccentric collection and the wards inside set on purpose by the current of former owners in order to keep spirits out.

Or there was something hidden in this house that required special protection. And if it already required two sets or wards – he did not want imagine what kind of object met the specifications. Or what kind of spirit would be interested.

Maybe the wards had shocked him into fainting the day before? It hadn't happened before and was unlike to have been the sole cause, but at least it explained why the darkness hadn't felt natural.

Carefully Fuji reached out to touch the drawer again.

And stopped abruptly.

tbc


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