Disclaimer: As it was before

Chapter 4

"Fuji!" Eiji shouted in horror as he threw himself forward in a vain attempt to seize his friend's hand. But something grabbed a hold of him by the ankles just before he went over the edge of the ravine too. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the person Fuji had been dueling jumping down into the ravine too, surrounded by a faint glow that seemed to be slowing his decent.

Thrashing around like a stranded fish, Eiji found himself sitting on the cliff's new edge, glaring into a pair of jade green eyes. The other man—the very person who had pulled him back—was dressed in a dark gray cloak embroidered with the healer's double moons. The expression on his face was oddly anxious, and Eiji wondered briefly how someone who worked with the Elite could actually have a moderately kind face.

Not that it mattered.

"You!" he glared fiercely at the healer as he dropped into a crouch, ready to either initiate or defend against an attack. "How dare you!"

An alarmed expression flew across the other youth's face and he scrambled back several steps, holding his hands up defensively, "Please hold on a second! I don't want to fight!"

"That's not what it looked like!" Eiji snapped angrily. "That was my friend that just fell down there nyah!"

"Yes, and Tezuka went after him. So there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh yes, nothing to worry about!" the redhead rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Some guy from the Elite goes hopping down there after my best friend, and I'm supposed to be relieved? You must be joking! Why can't you lot just leave us alone!"

"We are not members of the Elite," the healer frowned slightly, crossing his arms.

Eiji blinked, straightening up and pulling a disbelieving face, "You're not?"

"No, of course not," shaking hi head quickly, the stranger stuck out his hand a bit hesitantly. "I'm Syuichiroh Oishi, and I'm a healer—you probably noticed."

Eiji stared at the hand for a long moment, caught between shock, uncertainty, and a gnawing curiosity. But the man was a healer, and healers had a tendency not to hurt people… The curiosity won out finally and he accepted the proffered hand, shaking it. Still, he couldn't help but cast another worried glance over his shoulder towards the ravine.

"Eiji Kikumaru."

Oishi noticed the glance and smiled in a—he hoped—reassuring and friendly manner, "Nice to meet you. And I'm sure you're friend will be all right. We don't want to hurt you guys."

"Hn…" the redhead chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully, casting a wary eye up at the darkening skies. "Okay then, if you're not part of the Elite nyah, why are you following us? And why was your friend fighting Fuji? Looked pretty threatening to me nyah!"

"Well…" Oishi sighed, glancing around at the deep shadows under the forest canopy and the rapidly darkening blue of the sky, "why don't we set up a camp? Probably tether the horses too. It's getting late. Then I'll explain."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shaking the water out of his thick, brown hair, Tezuka took several more steps away from the roiling river waters before depositing his burden on a patch of bare earth. Reaching up to wipe the glittering water drops off of his spectacles, he cast a quick spell to dry his and his companion's clothes.

Casting an eye over their surroundings, he traced the towering ravine walls with his eyes as they reached towards the sky, which was nothing more than a zigzagging strip of deep blue far overhead. The place where they had come out of the frothing white waters was a miniature platform of uneven rock that had managed to remain above the water level. Crumbling rocks could be seen lining the foot of the cliffs until said walls of stone broke abruptly away from the river some distance downstream.

If he squinted really hard through the rapidly thickening shadows, he could barely make out the dark, frilly green that marked the beginnings of a forest. But it would take a lot of careful climbing to reach the trees.

Letting out a long breath that was almost, though not quite, a sigh, he pointed at a spot on the ground that was approximately at the center of the rocky clearing. There was a soft hiss and crackle as a small fire burst into existence, hovering an inch or so above the ground to cast an orange glow over the stones and dance in glittering ripples over the river. Satisfied, he turned to the figure still lying unmoving on the riverbank.

Looking down at the other youth's pale face, he felt a twinge of something akin to sadness. He had never intended to harm. After all, his own problems had nothing to do with anyone but his friend Syuichiroh and the Elite. It wasn't his decision to include bystanders whom he had never met and had no reason to dislike.

Shaking his head, he sat himself down on one of a boulder that was sitting conveniently beside the fire.

oooooooooo

He was lying on something hard and not exactly what one would label as comfortable. He had encountered some very stiff and lumpy sleeping places through the years, but this really had to take the cake. It wasn't only hard but cold as well, not to mention the myriads of tiny somethings that were digging into his back as though just urging him to get up and leave already.

And he couldn't hear Eiji complaining about it.

Frowning slightly, he forced his eyes to open. They were reluctant, but complied eventually and he found himself gazing up at a wriggling strip of dark, star sprinkled velvet. He could hear the sound of rushing water and—if he wasn't mistaken—the soft crackling of a fire.

Hold on a second.

A fire…and no chattering Eiji. Something wasn't fitting together here. He knew from experience that his redheaded friend could talk to anything from humans to animals to rocks—which were rather one-sided conversations indeed—or even to himself for hours on end. It never really mattered if his audience answered or not, it was just something he liked to do.

That meant whoever had set up the fire and was currently positioned not too far away from him was not Eiji.

So then who…?

Thinking back, he recalled being chased by two people who were not of the Elite but probably working for them. One of them had been a sorcerer too—a powerful one at that if he his senses hadn't been deceiving him. Then Eiji had arrived just as he was launching another spell… He had hit his head on something and…ah yes, of course, he'd fallen into the ravine. But then who—

Sitting bolt upright, he spun around, only to be assaulted by a wave of dizziness that threatened to knock him back down again. Pushing the nausea away firmly, he couldn't help but stare at the person he had been hoping not to find sitting on the other side of the aforementioned fire.

"I wouldn't advice moving that quickly. You hit your head pretty hard on the way down here."

"And whose fault would that be?" Fuji muttered distractedly as his hand immediately flew to where the pendant still hung around his neck. So it was still there…

The other sorcerer noticed his reaction and shook his head slightly, "I wouldn't steal from an injured man."

"How noble of you. Though I must say it seems like a mistake on your part," Fuji replied, moving hesitantly closer to the fire while keeping a wary eye on his companion. But it really was cold and he knew he probably wouldn't be able to go anywhere just yet, not with his head spinning like a top every time he moved at a speed other than very slow at any rate. Luckily, the bespectacled man didn't look like he was intending to attack either.

They sat in silence for a long time, neither ever having been given to constant chatter, but Fuji was starting to feel a bit awkward—much to his annoyance. There was just something about sharing a fire with a total stranger who had, only a little while ago, been chasing him all over town. It didn't help that he knew he probably couldn't cast any spells until the bump he had discovered on the back of his head decided to leave him be. To top things off, he was starting to feel a bit hungry, and neither of them had any packs with them that he could see.

And it was really a bit too quiet…

"Hmm," he lifted his smiling gaze from the fire to his silent companion, "I'm Fuji."

The other sorcerer looked back at him for a long moment as though not quite sure why Fuji had suddenly broken the peace and quiet. When he did decide to speak, his voice was as calm and even as ever, giving nothing away.

"Tezuka."

Fuji waited a moment, then arched his eyebrows a little, "Just Tezuka then?"

"You did not give your complete name either," was the matter-of-fact reply.

"So it's even, right?" the brunette chuckled, honestly intrigued. Something about this person ignited his curiosity. "So, seeing as you seem to like acting the upright, why are you working with the Elite?"

Dark eyes narrowed slightly at that question, "I am not."

"Oh?" arching his eyebrows, Fuji's smile didn't waver. "Then would that not mark you as a thief, since you are trying to steel this from me?"

He indicated the pendant still hanging under his shirt to emphasize his point. Really, people's definitions of things certainly did vary.

"Says he who stole it."

Fuji shifted in his seat, smile fading a little, "I took it for the sake of my family."

"By committing an offence that could get them all killed?"

Blue eyes opened abruptly, flashing with a dangerous light that cut through the shadows of the night as a sudden chill seemed to dance fleeting through the air, "They're already dead."

Tezuka gazed impassively over the leaping flames, brown locked with blue in a moment that felt endless. He would have pointed out that the brunette's earlier statement was even more incongruous with that piece of information than it had been earlier—that nothing could be done for the dead—but he had glimpsed something in those eyes…a shadow caused by pain and sorrow that had long since been locked away yet could never be escaped. And he had never been one to be callous.

Sighing a little, he let his eyes close briefly in a silent salute to fate. By the time he opened them again, the strange, close-eyed smile had returned to Fuji's face, breaking the tension that had been building.

"Well, I'd say you owe me the answer to my question then," Fuji mused, tilting his head slightly to one side like an inquisitive cat, "wouldn't you?"

Tezuka considered him for a moment, not particularly liking the idea of explaining yet feeling oddly as though he should say something. Not that he owed a strange—and a thief no less—any answers. Still…

"To repay a friend," he said shortly.

Fuji looked back down into the flames, watching its brilliant tongues dance and flicker in a pattern as old as time.

For a friend… He supposed he could understand that.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The sound of heavy footsteps and the loud jangle of a ring of keys echoed through the jailhouse corridor, jerking Ryoma out of his light doze. Opening his eyes quickly, he was greeted by the sight of one of the guards yanking open their cell door and shoving someone through it. The barred door was then slammed shut again as the guard muttered darkly about an excess of scum and turned on his heels.

"What the…" Momo stared the youth now sitting up in the middle of the floor and glaring after the guard with strangely snake-like eyes. "Who're you?"

The newcomer's glare was turned immediately onto Momo and the owner of said glare hissed derisively.

Momo frowned indignantly—he hated being ignored.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Fshuuu."

"What? You don't know how to talk or something?"

The hiss this time was harsh and the two young men were now trading glares of equal ferocity. Ryoma watched on with a strange sinking sensation. Was this kind of thing going to happen every day!

"Jeez," the warrior snorted, "what's your problem anyway? Snake?"

"Now really," Inui spoke up, acquiring complete silence almost instantly as his thick, square glasses glinted, "would you mind keeping quiet for a moment? It's time we left. And our chances of doing so with you two carrying on in this fashion are nonexistent."

That said, the Observer turned towards his pack, which was sitting comfortably in the corner after having been searched for weapons. Crouching down beside it, he reached inside and removed several bottles before reaching over to pull the water pitcher over.

"What are you doing?" Ryoma asked, eyeing the pack and the contents being removed from it warily.

"Preparing," was the Observer's only reply.

A bare few minutes later, he stood up and made his way over past three pairs of watching eyes to stand before the cell bars. Rapping on the loudly, he called down the hall to the departing guard.

The man paused briefly, sighed, and turned back around to retrace his steps, wondering what was going on now. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he caught sight of a pair of glittering squares that seemed to be floating high above the ground behind the bars.

He gulped, reminding himself that there were only prisoners here…there could only be prisoners here…right?

"I have discovered something that might be of interest to you and your superiors, seeing as I assume that you would wish to be informed if something were amiss with your facility."

"A—huh? W—what?" the guard stammered, blinking rapidly. He wasn't entirely sure he had understood all that.

"This. It is not water," Inui explained calmly, holding up the ceramic pitcher that had been placed inside their cell.

"W—what d—do you m—mean it's n—not water?" the guard stammered some more, not quite over his fright yet but rapidly regaining composure now that he knew for sure that it was just another convict. Just another…extra scary convict… He gulped involuntarily, throat feeling strangely dry—though why he had absolutely no idea, none at all…

"If you do not believe me, then try it yourself."

"I…" the guard sighed, his throat was still dry anyway. Reaching through the bars, he accepted the pitcher and downed in without so much as a second thought.

After that, he didn't really have the chance to think anymore as the ceramic holder shattered upon contact with the unforgiving stone of the jailhouse floor.

"You know," Momo said into the ensuing silence, "I could almost feel sorry for him."

"As I expected," Inui smiled—looking suddenly far more sinister than an ally should. Crouching down, he reached between the bars and unhooked the guard's key ring from his belt with ease. Straightening up again, he proceeded to unlock them like it was something he had done millions of times before.

Granted, the others had reason to hope he hadn't. Still…they really didn't know all that much about the Observer, just that Master Sumire seemed to trust him.

"Now," the Observer gestured to Ryoma, "if you would please execute the sleep spell I mentioned earlier? It would be better if no one saw us leaving."

"Ah," standing up and brushing out his cloak, the young sorcerer took a few steps forward and raised his hands, palm outward, facing towards the fire lit hall beyond. A pale, white mist seemed to materialize before his outstretched hands to drift through the jailhouse, turning the air a pale, translucent white. It faded away a moment later, leaving the silence even deeper than it had been before.

"Perfect," Inui adjusted his glasses and stepped out into the hall. "Let us be on our way then."

"Hold on a second," Momo piped up suddenly, pointing at the fourth occupant of their cell in sudden realization, "what are we gonna do with him?"

"Nothing," Ryoma snapped impatiently. The new comer had nothing to do with them—aside from having shared the same jail cell, watched them down the guard…and watched him use magic…

All three froze in their tracks as the same thoughts ran through all their minds while the subject of their concerns continued to look more than a little confused.

"It seems to me that the most logical action now would be to bring him with us," Inui said finally, sounding ever so slightly amused—which earned him a sharp glare from the short sorcerer. "After all, I'm sure he has no more desire to remain here than we do."

"Yeah," Momo muttered unhappily, "but we don't know why he's here either. What if he's a murderer?"

'Fshhuu!"

"I do believe he disagrees with you."

Ryoma rolled his eyes and stalked out of the cell, "Then let's get going already!"

TBC

A.N. Well, that didn't turn out exactly the way I was thinking, but ah well… I hope you liked it.